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Analog Tweet-O-Meter shows city-specific Twitter activity the old fashioned way
Never mind keeping track of how many gold medals Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Monaco rack up during the Winter Olympics; the real nerds are watching to see exactly how many tweets are being pushed out per minute from a smattering of cities around the world. CASA's Tweet-O-Meter has been running on a webpage for awhile now, but frankly, the novelty tends to wear quickly. These, however, are far more tempting to the retinas. What you're looking at above are a few analog Tweet-O-Meters, which do exactly what you think they do: showcase the amount of tweets that are leaving New York, London and Paris at any given time by moving a needle within a conventional gauge. Head on past the break for a video, and be sure to express your reaction on your favorite up-and-coming social networking site. [Thanks, Dr. Andrew]
Dave Smith's Mopho keyboard prototype wows analog fanboys at NAMM (video)
Dave Smith's name is as revered in the synth business as those of Tom Oberheim and "Handsome Ron" Casio. Having had his hands in everything from the Prophet 5 synth to developing the MIDI specification to his own company (Dave Smith Instruments), the man has given electronic musicians plenty to be thankful for. The boutique's latest, the Mopho Keyboard (seen here in prototype form at NAMM 2010) takes the existing Mopho synth module -- a pretty sweet deal with its sub-octave generators, audio input (you know, for modulating stuff), and feedback options -- and adds a thirty-two key keyboard and a whole mess of controls. Like original, this new Mopho has a 100 percent analog signal path, ships with a sound bank editor for both Windows and Mac, and it sounds pretty, pretty bad ass. Look for it in the near future for around $800. Video after the break.
Keepin' it real fake, part CCXLV: the Nokia iPhone
Alright, so iPhone and N97 knock-offs probably aren't the rarest of gems around these days, but how many handsets do you know that can lay claim to being both? The Cooli902 takes the iPhone's 3.5-inch touchscreen, spit-shines a pretty realistic iPhone OS clone-job, and then adds the Nokia flavor with a fully fledged QWERTY keypad ripped straight from the heart of the N97. Not only does it open to that familiar angle, it also sports the same layout and what we can only imagine to be the same violent opening mechanism as found on the original Nokia handset. And to think that poor Philippe Starck had to pick between these two phones, when for only $143 we could have had both. More pics after the break, or hit the read link to get your own.
Analog trigger squeezes its way onto PlayStation Motion Controller
Sony's R&D guru Richard Marks made a recent appearance on the PlayStation.Blog to talk more about the PlayStation Motion Controller. In a new seven minute video (after the break), Marks spent a bit more time going through the various technology demos first unveiled during E3. While Sony commented that the ball-on-a-stick design was simply a prototype, the controller in Marks's hand doesn't appear to be very different (if at all) to what was shown earlier this year.In addition to reiterating claims of its accuracy and the importance of tactile buttons, Marks mentioned a few details that you may not have known about the controller. Firstly, he talks about the controller's analog trigger: "It has this analog trigger which really is a great metaphor for squeezing and grabbing. So you can grab and you can put as much pressure as you want to grab something with, which is really great for picking things up or for giving you the ability to just interact with the scene in a way that's completely different than we've been able to do before."Next, he confirms that the controller will be able to rumble, much like Nintendo's Wii Remote. "It can give you some feedback about what's happening through rumble, which is very private and only you are getting." Private? We're not sure that's the best word (note: link slightly NSFW) to use when describing force feedback.
Video: Samsung's 12 megapixel WB1000 rocks analog gauges, 3-inch OLED
While it's not the first name you think of in digital cameras, Samsung makes a decent piece of kit and its SL820 took the top prize in our recent summer shootout. So we figured you'd want to know that its WB1000 compact with those smokin' analog battery and capacity gauges is now on sale for KRW548,000 or about $418 closer to home. The 12.2 megapixel WB1000 features a 24-mm wide-angle 5x zoom Schneider-KREUZNACH lens and 1/2.33-inch CCD with 720p video record mode in H.264 format, max ISO 3200 sensitivity (at 3 megapixel resolution), and Samsung's Dual IS optical and digital image stabilization to compensate for hand jitter. The viewer won't disappoint either with a full 3-inch 480x260 AMOLED display rocking the backside. Why should you care? Check the video after the break to see how AMOLED compares to the TFT-LCD found on the Canon SD990 IS under different lighting and viewing angles. The winner is clear, no?
With a week to go, Obama urges the remaining few to make DTV preparations
Just in case you were living in fear of another last minute switch on the digital TV transition date, be at ease, President Obama issued a statement urging those who aren't ready yet to prepare as there will be no further delays, and for those of us in the know to make sure that people around the way are getting the message. With a week to go (again) is there anyone still reading this that hasn't gotten their digital TV future straightened out yet?
Motorola's QUE100 MicroEncoder lets analog sources and digital displays to play nice
We were pretty excited to see analog TVs disappear from store shelves; delays in the analog shutoff aside, it was a big move in the right direction. But wouldn't you know it, there's a niche market that still legitimately needs to move video around to analog-only endpoints -- security cameras, commercial distribution systems and MDU (multiple dwelling units) setups, for example. Users of such systems who haven't stocked up on analog sets will be glad to know Motorola's got them covered with the QUE100 QAM MicroEncoder. The svelte rack-mountable units will soak up 2, 4, 8 or 12 (depending on model) standard definition MPEG-2 analog video feeds along with their audio and put them all into a single MPEG-2 QAM output that can be tuned on those newfangled digital tuners.
Another 158 analog TV stations flip to digital only
Another one (hundred and fifty-eight) bites the dust, as they say. With the newly established June 12th cutover date looming, another 158 TV stations across America have decided that enough is enough. In a new list that was sent over the FCC this week, we're told that another swath of stations intend to shut off their analog signals prior to the mandatory June 12th cutover date. For what it's worth, the majority of the 158 are in smaller markets and don't broadcast any of the four major commercial networks, but we wouldn't be shocked to hear of more of this as more and more stations grow tired of waiting around.
Cablevision to stop selling analog TV by year's end
While RCN has been crushing analog all over America, it's Cablevision making the decision to totally nix the sale of analog service by 2010. Granted, only five percent of its 3.1 million video customers currently receive its analog expanded basic package, but it's still a move in the right direction. Of note, those folks currently receiving analog will still get their fix when we ring in the next new year, but the carrier will no longer be marketing those analog services after 2009. Remember kids, less analog means more space. And more space means more channels. And more channels often means more HD.
Samsung's TL320: the mystery digital camera with analog gauges
We've seen some interesting looking shooters from Samsung before, but nothing quite like this latest charmer, a 12 megapixel mystery model that's just appeared on Amazon's site. It features a 5x stabilized zoom lens on the front, which is nice and all, but the real bits of intrigue are elsewhere. Beaming back at ya will be a 3-inch OLED screen, a rarity for a digi cam, but it's also got a pair of those analog gauges we loved on the NV9 on top that show battery life and remaining storage. Sadly, other than Amazon saying it'll sell for a penny under $330 we don't know a thing about it's availability, but we'll be keeping an eye out for it and its dashing red arrows. %Gallery-45319%[Via OLED-Info]Update: The actual MSRP is $379.99, as confirmed today via a Samsung press release.
491 stations still shutting off analog TV next week
Though the prez still hasn't signed off on the delay, the FCC has already compiled a list of 190 TV stations going / gone all digital prior to February 17, plus 491 more that will go ahead with the shutoff as previously scheduled. The four major networks promised their stations will stay on analog until the new June 12 deadline, however that guarantee only extends to the 100 or so they own. If that's not confusing enough, the FCC could still influence broadcasters to keep analog signals going whether they want to or not based on "the public interest," for example if it's necessary to keep at least some stations on in any given market. As it stands, the linked PDFs below will reveal which, if any, of your local broadcasters are switching on Tuesday; hopefully you've followed our advice so far and continue to avoid any predatory schemes.Read - Appendix A (List of all stations ending analog service before or on February 17)Read - Appendix B (List of all full power TV stations, with the 681 stations ending service on or before February 17 indicated in bold)
FCC chairman "doesn't support" Hollywood's request for selectable output
In December of 2007, we candidly wondered if 2008 would be the year for selectable output control. We reckon we should re-pose the question with "2008" replacing "2007." Broadcasting and Cable is reporting that Kevin Martin doesn't support Hollywood's request for selectable outputs, noting that the final decision would have to wait for the next chairman. It's widely expected that Martin will step down just days before Obama is sworn in, but in the January 15th meeting on the topic, he'll likely stifle the MPAA's plans. For those unaware, SOC would enable content to hit HD VOD outlets before DVD, but in exchange, it would only be allowed out of the set-top-box via encrypted digital outputs. Obviously, those with older TV sets wouldn't be able to take advantage, thus the chairman's hesitation to allow it. Maybe next year, Big Content.[Via LA Times, image courtesy of DansData]
FCC proposes Analog Nightlight Act to keep old spectrum on 30 day life support
As most of you know by now, February 17 is the cutoff date for analog television in the US... or is it? The FCC has proposed the Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act (SAFER -- get it?), a.k.a. the Analog Nightlight Act, which lets full-power TV stations keep broadcasting on the antiquated spectrum for 30 days after the DTV transition. The idea came from a similar program used with Wilmington, North Carolina's early shutoff back in September. Of course, the proposed programming is a bit dry -- public safety messages and information on the transition -- but we hear the finale will rival The Sopranos' sendoff. Hit up the read link and see if any of your local stations are on the list of proposed nightlights.[Via Ars Technica]
High-def audio wiring guide removes the mystery
Granted, we've already shown you how to actually take advantage of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD, but if you're looking for a quick and dirty breakdown of what each audio codec means, what it can / can't do and how to wire things up with your current setup, Missing Remote's latest guide is for you. For starters, it hones in on Blu-ray audio format support -- quite relevant given the state of the format war these days -- and it continues on by explaining how to wire things up for superior results with S/PDIF, HDMI, analog, etc. There's even a special section dedicated to HTPC playback, which ought to help you folks not using a pre-fab deck. If you've been spinning your wheels of late in the wide world of multi-channel audio, have a look at the read link and see if things don't clear up.
China to give analog TV the boot by 2015
While the US of A is gritting its teeth and hoping the world doesn't implode when it switches completely to digital TV next February, many other nations around the globe are just now setting up their own timeline. For China, the magic year looks to be 2015. Professor Huang Yong, the deputy editor-in-chief of China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, recently stated that program production would be "turned from analog to digital" seven years from now, though he didn't say what kind of technology would be used for digital broadcasting. Knowing China, though, it'll cook up something the rest of the globe has no interest in for the sake of saving on licensing fees.[Image courtesy of DayLife]
Telus announces lights out for analog network, not a dry eye in the house
Look ma, no more analog! In the glorious pic above, the map shown in green represents Telus' analog coverage, the other shows digital coverage. If the maps are really representative of the various signal types, we'd guess that Saskatchewan (above) will be mostly alright. Telus commented that a few "very, very small rural communities" in British Columbia will be left in the lurch in all this, as they only had analog service and are rightly concerned about the lack of 911 and general public safety. Part of the reason for the shut down seems to be the shrinking stockpile of hard to find spare parts and keeping the network lit for so few customers just isn't cost effective. All subscribers with analog sets will get a shiny new digital set for free and there's even talk of finding some way to boost digital coverage to those left without. [Via intomobile]
RCN keeps up the good work, rolls out all-digital cable in NYC
It was inevitable, really. As RCN's quest to smash analog and introduce all-digital cable to all of its markets continues, we've finally received word that it will do so in the Big Apple. Starting next month, the carrier will begin switching its New York network to all-digital, which will obviously enable it to "reclaim existing analog channels, improve the picture quality, make the network easier to maintain, and dramatically increase the number of standard and HD channels it can offer to subscribers." RCN CEO and President Peter Aquino even stated that it hopes to offer "approximately 100 HD channels or more in the future," which couldn't possibly sound sweeter. Now, if only we knew how long it would be before "in the future" became "today."
RCN "unfurls digital freedom" to Pennsylvania subscribers
RCN has been delivering the Analog Crush in a number of its markets, but this particular one was just too succulent to pass up. According to the carrier, it has "unfurled digital freedom" on its Delaware County, Pennsylvania subscribers, loosing them from the bondage that is analog. Starting next month, the company will begin transitioning said market to all-digital service, enabling it to "reclaim existing analog channels, improve the picture quality, make the network easier to maintain, and dramatically increase the number of standard and HD channels it can offer to subscribers." If RCN CEO and President Peter Aquino isn't blowing smoke, the outfit will be able to "increase its HD channels to more than 75 channels at launch -- with many more on the way." Man, maybe "unfurl" was the best explanation.
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Sony rolls out SAS-HD1SET h.264 satellite / receiver combo
Getting discerning Japanese viewers ready for the new SKY Perfect HDTV channels, Sony is launching an h.264 satellite dish / receiver combo, the SAS-HD1SET, due October 15. At ¥45,000 ($416 U.S.) or ¥37,000 ($342 U.S.) for the DST-HD1 tuner alone, it's a pretty expensive upgrade for 15 HDTV channels, with the promise of more than 70 by this time next year. Add-on the ¥3,500 monthly service charge and we're even more leery, but really, you'll need something to watch on that ultra thin LCD next month.[Via AV Watch]Read - SKY Perfect Communications to Launch HDTV ChannelsRead - HDTV-enabled ska pa! CS digital broadcasting, set for release
RCN giving New York City a taste of Analog Crush
New York is next in line after Massachusetts and Chicago, with the New York Times' CityRoom blog reporting it is next in RCN's plan to rid itself bandwidth-wasting of analog cable TV. Starting October 1, basic cable customers will suddenly become digital cable customers, with a few extra channels for their trouble. Of course we're more concerned with the potential of adding more HDTV over the ten already added recently, but first things first. Expect official word to go out in September, with rates expected to stay the same -- at least until next year.
