Author Archives: David Berkowitz, Editor in Chief.

Posted on by

Tobii Declares 2015 ‘Year of Consumer Eye Tracking’ at International CES

Tobii Declares 2015 ‘Year of Consumer Eye Tracking’ at International CES

STOCKHOLM & LAS VEGAS— Dec. 29, 2014 — Tobii Tech, the global leader in eye tracking, will showcase how pioneering consumers will take eye-tracking technology out of the lab and into their daily lives in 2015. From the world’s first consumer eye tracker developed in partnership with premier gaming gear brand SteelSeries to the first steps in eye-tracking wearables, Tobii will give a first glimpse into what is waiting for consumers in the coming months. Visit Tobii during CES in Las Vegas at Tech West Sands Booth No.71837, Jan. 6-9.

“2015 will be the year that eye-tracking makes first entry into consumer markets and consumers have their first tangible experiences with real eye-tracking products in the wild — first with gaming, then with ergonomics and eventually general computer use,” said Oscar Werner, president of Tobii Tech. “We are well-poised to bring new products to market, not only as Tobii, but also with numerous world-class partners in these industries. We are thrilled about moving from prototypes to real products, games and apps.” 

Attendees will be among the first to try the following products, exclusively at the Tobii booth:

  • SteelSeries Sentry – Shipping January 2015, the world’s first gaming eye tracker for streamers, e-sports competitors and those seeking to enhance their game strategy, will be shown only at the Tobii booth, where participants can get their first real demonstrations of how eye-tracking will revolutionize gaming. A 2015 CES Innovations Honoree, the Sentry peripheral is now available for pre-order at steelseries.com/sentry.

o   Watch popular streamers and Sentry users CEH9 and Wagamama play live, Jan. 6-7, at the Tobii booth and on Twitch.

  • Tobii Glasses 2 – See Tobii’s second-generation wearable eye tracker in action. Already shipping for research customers, Tobii is now working with industry-leading partners in both augmented and virtual reality to integrate the world’s smallest eye-tracking technology into their wearables for gaming augmentation, training and professional applications. The Tobii Glasses 2 SDK will also debut in Q2 2015, allowing developers to start building eye-tracking applications for Glasses 2 as well as other third-party wearables.
  • Pizza Hut Subconscious Menu – This playful use of eye tracking in restaurant retail technology is already making big waves. Attendees will also have the opportunity to dig into their subconscious and see what they are really craving on their pizza.  

“When Tobii says ‘2015 is the year for consumer eye tracking,’ we couldn’t agree more,” said Ehtisham Rabbani, SteelSeries CEO. “From the overwhelming demand for the Sentry, to the comments from top streamers, journalists and gaming pros about eye tracking’s impact on future consumer devices, it is obvious that both SteelSeries and Tobii are more than ready to deliver in 2015.”

Tobii Arcade: Eye-tracking content also becomes a reality

Eye-tracking hardware is only half the story. Since CES 2014, developers from all over the world have joined Tobii in realizing great content for upcoming consumer eye trackers. Launching at CES Unveiled, Tobii Arcade will be the world’s first showcase of eye-tracking apps built with eye tracking in mind as a primary input.

With the following applications for demo at CES, attendees will also have the opportunity to explore various ways eye tracking will humanize user interfaces:

  • Tobii Game Analyzer – A tool for competitive gamers to gain completely new insights into the game. Get stats about what is seen and processed during a game and find the keys to winning behavior in a player’s style. Ships with SteelSeries Sentry.
  • Tobii EyeX Interactions – A Windows add-on that enables eye gaze as an additional input, creating a revolutionary experience with users able to wake the computer with a glance and “warp” the mouse to where they are looking.
  • Son of Nor by stillalive studios – Play an action-adventure game with players fighting enemies by using magical abilities with their eyes: telekinesis, terraforming powers and spell casting. Experience how eye tracking gives you a “third hand” and makes it possible to multitask by controlling your character and aiming at your enemies at the same time. You can simultaneously run in one direction and aim in another, just like in real life.
  • Overwolf Overlay – This application adds a rich layer of eye-tracking functionality to the Overwolf engine so gamers can gain insights, develop better strategies and increase the level of entertainment for their streaming audience.

“This is only a small portion of the games and apps that will soon be made available on Tobii Arcade. 2015 will also witness strong growth in eye-tracking content from the Tobii developer community, both from indie developers and globally recognized studios,” said Werner. “We will promote successful apps heavily, so we encourage developers to innovate and start creating — now — eye-tracking content that will soon impact consumers’ everyday lives.”

Members of the media can be some of the first to demo these products at Booth No. 1 during Unveiled, the official media event of CES, Jan. 4 from 4-7 p.m.

Related info

About Tobii Tech

Tobii EyeX Controller Wireframe

A division of Tobii, the global leader in eye-tracking, Tobii Tech focuses on taking Tobii’s leading eye-tracking technology to new high-volume markets including computers, gaming devices, vehicles and medical devices. The division’s customers integrate Tobii’s eye-tracking technology into various devices and applications and take this to market under their brand and channel. The division is in a strong investment phase to evolve its leading technology to meet the needs of larger-volume markets in terms of cost, power consumption, form factor and performance. www.tobii.com

Tobii gaze in Gaming

Posted on by

Our view of the Manfrotto LED Light – Mini-24 Continuous

We recently had the opportunity to test and review Manfrotto’s LED Light – Mini-24 light. I am very impressed by the quality of their products.

manfrml240.1

According to Manfrotto http://www.manfrotto.com/led-light-mini-24-continuous-220lxat1m-ml240
512gbJtl3EL
zz51P-fKySsIL
They say:
DESCRIPTION

The ML240 Mini LED light is small enough to fit in a camera case or small bag, but fully-featured enough for versatile use with compact cameras and smartphones. It can be hand held, mounted on a flash hotshoe or fitted to any number of Manfrotto supports via its standard ¼” thread.

The ML240’s 24 LEDs emit continuous light at a constant temperature of 5600°K (daylight), with an illuminance of 220 LUX at a distance of 1m. Its infinitely variable dimmer allows precise control over light output and exposure. The ML240 is a useful compact light, often less harsh than an on-camera flash for photos of subjects close to the camera and good for very low-light close-up video shots, or for specific, quick off-camera applications like macro photography. When fitted onto a DSLR shoe, a handy 3200K LED lights your camera controls to assist you in low light conditions.

I tried it out in a couple of different environments and as well as subject matter. I used it at an Ice Rink outside to shoot video of people on the ice and for photos as well.

It was quite effective in removing shadows and improving contrast, and making the images look better.

I could see how if one was shooting video they might want 3 of the wee lights one for each side and one on the camera or one directly behind the camera.

I also used one of the Mini 24’s for close up photography of items around the office to see how they worked. I was impressed by the overall quality.

The Manfrotto ML240 Mini-24 LED Panel is a LED light that attaches to your DSLR, Micro Four Thirds, or other compact camera, for shooting video under 5600K daylight. The Mini light features a shoe mount at the bottom for attachment to the hot shoe of your camera, and the shoe mount features a 1/4″ thread underneath it for attachment to various 1/4″ gear, such as articulating arms.
There is also an accessory that one can get to mount the light as well for cameras without a hot shoe to hold the light.See (http://www.manfrotto.us/product/24329.1108711.58969.1108724.0/MTPIXI-B/_/PIXI_Mini_Tripod_Black). The Pixi is a small solution for mounting it.
pixi manfroto

Overall I was impressed by the Mini-24’s size, design, light weight and its’ utility for improving the quality of videos and photographs.
It made the objects being photographed look more natural and reduced shadowing as well.

I was impressed as well by an accessory that I found on the internet that will allow you to use the Manfrotto Mini-24 with a smart phone as well called the Klyp. I did not get to test it, but it seems to allow you to video and take photos from your smart phone with the video light. It would be great to have one of the devices to use with my smart phone for photos. It would be really nice for trade shows to shoot a quick product video as well like at CES 2015.

klyp accessory

My opinion of the Manfrotto Mini-24 Led is quite high. I would definitely recommend it for anyone that needs to shoot video or take photos from a compact system camera or SLR camera or a smart phone and needs a simple but easy to use solution for improving the lighting in the scenes that are being photographed or video’d.

Posted on by

Alexander Gerst’s Earth awesome timelapses from the ISS!

I found this amazing video of the earth By Alexander Gerst one of the Astronauts who spent time on the International Space Station

Watch this video on YouTube.

A selfie of Alexander Gerst that he took of himself from space–>
Alexander_Gerst_in_spacewalk_training
 

I found in on Http://www.petapixel.com

Posted on by

Hollywood Sound, Powersoft, Symetrix and Yamaha Bring Networked Audio Alive at Temple Israel of Hollywood

For immediate distribution

Latest upgrade in Miller Hall enables the efficient distribution of 200-channels of high quality, low latency audio

Los Angeles, December 22, 2014 – Established in 1926, Temple Israel of Hollywood continues to be a beacon for Reform Jewish traditions and values. Today this multi-purpose cultural and worship center hosts an increasingly diverse selection of events, with many taking place in its principal venue – the exquisitely appointed Miller Hall.

 

 

The fully equipped 5,000 sqft. ballroom stages a mix of live performances, cinema screenings and religious services. Clients are able to make use of an impressive AV infrastructure comprising over 200 channels of low-latency audio – which was recently the subject of a substantial overhaul courtesy of Hollywood Sound Systems (HSS).141222-hollywoodsound

firm’s Brett M. Grossman served as digital systems design/programming lead on the project, and recalls that Temple Israel approached HSS with the core concept of “updating the digital technologies involved and moving forward with a best of breed audio networking solution” – the regular need to reconfigure the layout and change the mix position according to event type effectively demanding a flexible networking solution. Now, every physical input and output is individually addressable, while remaining space-efficient and allowing for the possibility of future expansion.

To meet the project’s unique requirements, Hollywood Sound Systems set about devising a system based around products from Powersoft, Symetrix and Yamaha.

 

“One of the most important decisions during the design process is what brands to trust,” says Grossman. “We chose Powersoft, Symetrix and Yamaha because they make our designs flexible, expandable, and dependable without sacrificing the quality of sound. Our systems perform because these brands perform.”

graphics 2

Condensed into an “insanely small-rack space”, the Powersoft specification packs a robust 26 channels of amplification derived from two Ottocanali 8K4s, one Ottocanali 12K4 and one Duecanali 3904. Introduced in 2013, these Ottocanali models incorporate Class D topologies for high output power – up to 12,000 Watts over eight channels for the 12K4 – while the Duecanali 3904 delivers notably energy-efficient performance from a 1U format.

Regarding what is Hollywood Sound Systems’ first substantial installation of Powersoft equipment, Jon LeBlanc, Project Lead, says “We could not believe our ears the first time we turned them on. We A/B’d the amp against four of our other “go to” amps, and the Powersoft units won unanimously in a blind test of our entire shop. We’re really happy with the result.”

For the FOH mixer, Hollywood Sound Systems sought a desk that possessed “a small form factor and was easy to teach to operators” – a requirement satisfied by the new Yamaha QL5 digital audio console. Having served as a Yamaha Commercial Audio dealer since Yamaha entered pro audio in 1973, Hollywood Sound Systems is very familiar with all spheres of its pro-audio range, and so also they called on the company for a new loudspeaker system, choosing the Installation Series, and consisting of six IF2112/95s, four IF3115/95s, four IH2000/95s, one IL1115 and one IS1218 and two RIO3224 units.

Managing venue-wide signal processing is a pair of Symetrix SymNet Radius AEC open architecture Dante-scalable DSPs, equipped with AES option cards, along with xIn 12 and xOut 12 Dante network audio expanders. A long-term user of Symetrix products, Grossman describes SymNet Radius AEC as “one of my real go-to tools… we use it for a wide variety of projects.”

In the case of Temple Israel, he expects the Symetrix DSPs to have several specific benefits. For a start, the automixing capability will be a real advantage for those “smaller-scale events that basically have an operator-free set-up”. Meanwhile, the inclusion of the AEC (Acoustic Echo Cancellation) algorithm will become useful for “speech presentations, where the sound can be a bit ‘roomy’. Flipping on the AEC in a PA situation definitely allows some correction to take place.”

Work on the install was completed in November, and Hollywood Sound Systems’ efforts resulted in a “delighted” reaction from Temple Hall personnel. “They love the capabilities that the Dante network and the Dante-supporting products offer them,” says Grossman. “For example, every Yamaha speaker and floor wedge is individually addressable as part of the Dante network. The new infrastructure really sets them up for the new era of digital audio.”

www.hollywoodsound.com

www.powersoft-audio.com

www.symetrix.com

www.tioh.org

www.yamahaca.com

Captions:

1) Brett M. Grossman of Hollywood Sound, standing in front of the rack at Temple Israel of Hollywood.

2) View towards the stage at Temple Israel of Hollywood.

3) View of the mix position at Temple Israel of Hollywood.

4) The fully equipped 5,000 sqft. Ballroom at Temple Israel of Hollywood stages a mix of live performances, cinema screenings and religious services.

For further information, contact:

Jeff Touzeau (media contact)

Hummingbird Media

Tel : +1 (914) 602 2913

Email: jeff@hummingbirdmedia.com

 Francesco Fanicchi

Powersoft (Florence, Italy)

Tel: +39 346 9719798

Email: francesco.fanicchi@powersoft.it

Or visit www.powersoft-audio.com

About Powersoft:

Powersoft is the world leader in lightweight, high power, single rack space, energy efficient amplifiers for the professional audio market. Founded in Italy in 1995, headquartered in Florence, Italy, with offices in Ventura, CA, Powersoft couples the experience and precision of its production department with exceptional components to deliver products with perfect audio response and high performance reliability. Its state-of-the-art amplifiers can be found in an array of markets, ranging from stadiums, sporting arenas, theme parks, performance venues and airports to convention centers, churches and clubs, and are used by the world’s leading tour sound companies. For more information, visit the Powersoft website @ www.powersoft-audio.com

Posted on by

Star Wars the Force Awakens Trailer and information!

We are looking forward to the new Star Wars Movie see–>

Watch this video on YouTube.

Here is a link to the IMDB details as well–>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2488496/

The official site–>http://www.starwars.com/films/star-wars-episode-vii-the-force-awakens

http://www.starwars.com/films/star-wars-episode-vii-the-force-awakens

622x350

Posted on by

Huawei Ascend Mate 2 not one of the big guys, but a big phone hits the US Market.

We recently had the opportunity to test and review the incredible Huawei Asendmate 2.

Huawei has been trying to gain a foot hold in the US market and now with this phone and the direct to consumer sales approach they may have a chance.

I had the opportunity to test it for about 6 weeks as my daily driver. I was impressed with the phone overall.

I liked:

–>The battery life was excellent

–>The screen quality was really decent

–>The design was quite nice.

What could be better:

–>The launcher needs and app drawer, I resolved the issue by using go launcher’s launcher instead.

—>The sound quality was decent but could have been better.

An image of the phone

It reminds of the Samsung Galaxy Mega, however the Ascendmate 2 uses a 1.8ghz quad core, and it has an impressive 4000 mah battery and 2gb of video ram.

It seems now a days, very-large phones have become so everpreset that giant phones are becoming common place. Personally I like them and this phone very much and part of the reason why is the size. The Ascend Mate 2 is over 6″ in seems, but it seems thin and comfortable in my hands. I am 6 foot 2″ tall and like the large design. To put that in perspective, the Ascend Mate 2 is both taller and wider than even a Galaxy Note 3 or 4.

It seems Huawei wanted to make a big impression here in the the US market. Since I am nearly 46 years old and I have less than average vision, so the larger screen size is quite nice. I liked that I can read Kindle Books on it without squinting and watching video on it as well as web browsing is great as well.

Huawei Ascend Mate 2 4G

More speed, more performance

4G LTE forlightning-fast downloads

Imagine the possibilities of a smartphone that opens the door to ultra-fast 4G LTE, giving you the chance to experience even more. Stream your favorite movies or shows without interruption, connect and chat with your family and friends via seamless video streaming, load web pages without waiting and enjoy a world where everything you do with your smartphone is faster, smoother, and better.

 

I had no issues with the phone and its’ performance using wifi and on AT&T and Crickets Networks.  I was very impressed with it. I was sad to have to send the demo phone back to Huawei. I really  liked it a great deal.

The Mate2 4G’s range of image enhancement technologies and advanced HD 13 megapixel rear camera means you can take amazing photos with every shot. Capture the moments that mean the most to you and enjoy extraordinary detail and life-like color with every single frame. All you need to do is point and tap, your Mate2 4G will take care of the rest.

I liked the camera and found it’s quality to be darn decent, and no worse than other phones that I had tested in the past like the Samsung Galaxy note too, and the HTC M7. It does not quite match up to all of the competition but is  quote decent.
The stock launcher is the emotion UI that like the Miui launcher that is prevalent in Asia lacks the app drawer commonly seen in phones in North America, though it was not hard to get used to it, I wound up using the Go Launcher instead off and on. It does have a more Iphone like feel than the typical android phone.
The demo phone that I was testing but from what I have heard and seen it ought to support Kitkat and Lollypop at some point soon.  When that happens the already decent phone could even better.
Here is an image from Huawei’s site showing the easy mode that the phone offers. It would be great for basic users or young folks.
The phone has a nice glove mode for people who live in cold climates and need use it with gloves on and it also has a nice one handed mode for those folks who want to use the phone with one hand. I found that both these modes were well implemented.
If you are interested in the phone it can be obtained here :

http://www.amazon.com/Huawei-Ascend-Mate2-Smart-Phone/dp/B00JPIAGW0

It does have cool windows on windows mode a sort of floating windows or widget over window feature that is kind of like the calculator in Mac OS:

In summary I was really impressed by the phone and would recommend it to anyone who needs a larger phone or a more affordable alternative to Samsung’s Note phones. The Samsung Galaxy Notes are smaller but have more features however for the money the Huawei Ascendmate 2 is a great phone for a super price.It is unmatched for what it brings to the table for the money.

Posted on by

ZTE Grand X Max preview and amazing intro video!

We have not had the opportunity to review the ZTE Grand X Max, but so far from what I have heard and seen from other reviewers it seems quite nice for its’ price and value.

An image of the device–>

Here is an amazingly nice video of it from Youtube!

Watch this video on YouTube.

>We would love to formally test and review it as well its’ sister device the Zmax.

Personally I am 6′ 2″ tall, have large hands and like larger phone. In addition I am 45 years old and my eyes are not as good as they used to be so the bigger screens are easier to see and read.

Posted on by

NEWERTECH WIRELESS NUMERIC ALUMINUM KEYPAD WINS TECHNOLOGYX GOLD SEAL OF APPROVAL AWARD

We recently tested this keyboard and were quite impressed by its’ design, how well it worked. It was a stroke of genius and a well needed accessory for anyone that needs a numeric keyboard for a mac with one of the small aluminum mac keyboards!

http://www.thomas-pr.com/newertech/newertechtechnologyxawardrelease.html

TechnologyX Calls NewerTech Numeric Keypad “Functionality at its Finest”

NewerTech Wireless Aluminum Keypad with Apple Keyboard

We are fans if Newertech and have been impressed with them for a very long time–>

NewerTech Logo

 

Numeric Keypad for Bluetooth Enabled Macs, Tablets & Smartphones
Ultimate Companion to Apple Wireless Keyboard — Attaches with Included Bracket
No Tools Needed — Easily Pairs through Bluetooth

Woodstock, IL, November 19, 2014 — NewerTech www.newertech.com, a leading performance upgrades and accessories company for Macs, PCs, iPhones, iPads, and iPods since 1988, announced today that the NewerTech Wireless Aluminum Keypad has won the TechnologyX Gold Seal of Approval Award at: http://www.technologyx.com/featured/newertech-wireless-aluminum-keypad-review/. Designed to complement the look and feel of Apple keyboards, the NewerTech numeric keypad features precision machined aluminum housing, white or black key choices, and a bracket that attaches to the Apple keyboard – no tools needed. The NewerTech Numeric Keypad was built to rigorous standards with input from accountants to get every detail of the full-sized 28-key numeric keypad just right, including key-throw, feel, design, size, and connectivity for maximum number crunching workflow excellence.

“Truly a Remarkable Accessory” – TechnologyX

“The wireless keypad with its precision aluminum housing looks, feels and handles just like the provided Apple Wireless Keyboard, which is incredible. We have handled other numeric keypads previously at various events, but nothing even compares to the NewerTech Keypad, it actually feels like it should tag along with Apple’s Keyboard!” said Chris Jolliffe, TechnologyX.com. “The NewerTech Wireless Aluminum Keypad is truly a remarkable accessory for your new iMac or any computer for that matter. It is sleek, gorgeous and functional. Really, what more could you want? It truly is the ultimate companion to any Apple Wireless Keyboard. It’s for their ingenious design and functionality that we award NewerTech with our Gold Seal of Approval!”

The NewerTech Wireless Aluminum Keypad works with all Bluetooth compatible computers, laptops and devices for the ultimate easy-to-pair Bluetooth workhorse that’s built to last. Bluetooth pairing is quick and reliable, reconnecting automatically when the computer or device is awakened or restarted. The NewerTech Keypad is perfect for financial professionals, including accountants and analysts, as well as students, teachers, administrators, traders, agents, videographers, programmers, salespeople, and more. The responsive full-sized keys assist with accuracy and efficiency. Use this keypad with number intensive financial programs and graphics software and apps to take advantage of shortcuts that are not as easily accessible when using the Apple wireless keyboard alone.

“We are honored to be awarded the TechnologyX Gold Seal of Approval for our Wireless Aluminum Keypad,” said Larry O’Connor, CEO, NewerTech. “We made it our mission to create a reliable wireless keypad that’s built to the highest standards and functions the way we expect numeric keypads to work and complements the wireless keyboards offered by Apple. Professionals now have a high-quality wireless keypad to enhance their number crunching workflow.”
Pricing and Availability

The NewerTech Wireless Aluminum Keypad with white or black keys is available immediately priced at $54.95 and through OWC at: http://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/KPA28BTW/, and other major retailers. It includes the Wireless Aluminum Keypad, 2 AAA batteries, and bracket to attach to Mac keyboards. For more info, see www.newertech.com, www.newertech.com/keypad, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewerTech, and Twitter: @NewerTech.

About NewerTech, Inc.

NewerTech Inc., headquartered in Woodstock, Illinois, is a leading performance upgrades and accessories company for Macs, PCs, iPhones, iPads, and iPods. Dealer inquiries are welcomed at (815) 308-7001 or by e-mailing sales@newertech.com, website: www.newertech.com.

Other NewerTech’s Industry Awards Include:
•CustomerRetailer EXC!TE Award (2012)
•American Business Award “People’s Choice” Stevie® Award (2012)
•Parent Tested Parent Approved (PTPA) Seal of Approval
•American Business Awards “Stevie” Gold (2013) and Silver (2014)
•Handyman Club of America Seal of Approval

About TechnologyX

TechnologyX is the newest addition to Essentially Tech Media Corporation’s fold and is partnered with The SSD Review. TechnologyX is envisioned as an ‘all technology’ review expansion for The SSD Review, in response to the growing interest of manufacturers to examine their products. For more information, see www.technologyx.com.