CODEC Comparison

VIDEO FORMAT			ADVANTAGES		LIMITATIONS
MPEG-1	MPEG-1 is a standard for lossy compression of video and audio.		This is advantageous for applications like teleconferencing, studio editing, etc.		Causes quantization artifacts, due to transient sounds like percussive events and other high-frequency events that spread over a larger window.
MPEG-2 (DVD)	The DVD-Video standard uses MPEG-2 video, but imposes some restrictions		Excellent image quality		-Very few people are currently capable of viewing MPEG-2 -Licensing fees (typically US $0.04 – $0.40 per unit) are required to distribute MPEG-2 video.
MPEG-2 (Blu-Ray)	MPEG-2 is a standard for broadcast-quality digitally encoded video. It offers outstanding image quality and resolution.		Excellent image quality		-Very few people are currently capable of viewing MPEG-2 -Licensing fees (typically US $0.04 – $0.40 per unit) are required to distribute MPEG-2 video.
Adobe Flash Video	Is a container file format used to deliver video over the Internet using Adobe Flash Player		Flash affords in the areas of animation and interactivity		Initially focused on animation, early versions of Flash content offered few interactivity features and thus had very limited scripting capability.
h.264	H.264 uses the latest innovations in video compression technology to provide consistently crisp and clear video for the best possible viewing.		-H.264 delivers incredible video quality at data rates one-fourth to one-half the size of previous video formats -It is easy to integrate and covers wide range of picture format. Hence used in large application segment.		-H.264 requires longer encoding time -Licensing agreements are complicated.

http://video-codecs.blogspot.com/

Three Friends

5 technologies from digg.com

Windows 7 release Candidate 1’s Best Surprise New Features

http://i.gizmodo.com/5226696/windows-7-release-candidate-1s-best-surprise-new-features

Ubuntu 9.04 “Jaunty Jackalope” officially released

http://www.geek.com/articles/chips/ubuntu-904-officially-released-available-for-free-download-20090423/

$8 DIY Aluminum Laptop Stand

http://lifehacker.com/5251244/8-diy-aluminum-laptop-stand

13 Useful And Free Websites To Make Your Lives Easier

http://www.smashingapps.com/2009/05/13/13-really-useful-and-free-websites-to-make-your-lives-easier.html

Big-screen Kindle coming from Amazon

http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/03/nyt-big-screen-kindle-coming-from-amazon-this-week/

 

1) The big screen kindle – The idea of not carrying books or other reading materials is a great idea. The kindle will be all in one type of a device which is capable of holding any type of material we want to use.

2)  Windows 7 – I heard from beta users that this new OS is much better than the old vista’s OS. People who are using Windows 7 enjoys its performances. I would like to download a beta version and try out myself.

Google Sketchup

Google Sketchup is a program that you can use to create 3D models creating buildings, landscapes.  You can edit your creations in a variety of ways and  the models made in this program could be used for models in Google Earth. Google Sketchup makes it easy for designing Three Dimensional images helping architects, or other 3D users. It is also very easy to use that children can enjoy creating their own little virtual world.  This program is easy and neverending thus making it possible for children to access and create their models

Operating Systems

MS Windows XP

 

Windows XP is a very widespread used operating system that most people are familiar with. The top ten advantages of this system is: Hardware support, Games, Security, Office 2007, Wireless networking, Software availability, Availability of community help, Actually being able to buy a computer, and Guaranteed availability. Windows XP uses NTFS (Windows NT File System) as its file system. This operating system is a 64 bit operating system with max RAM of4GB and the max amount of Storage is 4GB. This was first released into the market on October 25, 2001. The average retail price of WINDOWS XP is between $145-$248.

 

 

MS Windows Vista    

 

 

Vista is more intuitive and easier to use than previous versions of Windows. The new “Instant Search” provides improved search capabilities for finding files, e-mail, music, pictures, control panel applets, applications, among others. Vista includes several new or enhanced auxiliary applications. Security and safety are modestly improved in Vista. Vista also uses NTFS (Windows NT File System) as its file system.  Preferably, this OS is 64 bit with 3 GB RAM and 4 GB storage space. This OS was available from November 8, 2006 with the average retail price is between $199.95-$319.95

 

Ubuntu Linux (latest version)

Linux is commonly used for people who are used to this system. Personally this is the first time I am talking about Linux. These are some of the highlights of the latest Linux system: Hardware management improvements, improved support for display systems, Windows compatibility, Enhanced user interface, Desktop search, and Firefox plugins. Ubuntu uses the NFS (Network File System) as its file system. The system is a 64 bit operating system with 4GB of RAM. It was released April 25 2008 with the average retail price of $745.

 

BeOS

BeOS was positioned as a platform which could be used by a substantial population of desktop users and a competitor to Microsoft Windows and Linux. However, it was ultimately unable to achieve a significant market share and proved commercially unviable for Be Inc. This OS uses BFS (Be File System) as their file system format. It is a 64 bit Operating System and has a maximum RAM of 248MB.This was first released in 1991 with the average retail price between $69.95-99.95

 

MAC OS X (latest version)

Mac OS X is easy, advanced, amazing, secure, compatible and mobile. No complicated menus. No obscure commands. Mac OS X is built on a rock-solid UNIX foundation. Mac OS X is a collection of very cool applications. Just go about your business and Mac OS X minds the fortress. Your documents are safe even if you share your Mac with others. It has built-in drivers for cameras, printers, and external drives. It plugs right into a PC network. On a MacBook or MacBook Pro, it connects to any network automatically. Mac OS X uses HFS (Hierarchical File System) as their  file system. This OS is with 64-bit performance with 512MB of memory and 9GB of disk space. Mac OS X was released on April 25, 2005 and the retail price is $125.

 

Internet Privacy Concerns

Google Latitude is a new feature for Google Maps for and on your mobile device. Officials say users can take advantage of the service privacy settings to limit who can see them, and can determine when to turn the service on and off.  You can see the approximate location of your friends and loved ones who have decided to share their location with you. Google latitude is essentially a gps tracker that can be added to any cell phone.

The sensitivity of location data can violate privacy. However, with this you not only control exactly who gets to see your location, but you also decide the location that they see.  Everything is under your control and, of course, you can sign out of Latitude at any time.While people may think the government may use this to be able to track us however; the truth is they already do track in the mean of some way. I personally think it is reasonable for governments to do. The only concern is that someone is able to hack into system and use it for other bad things.

Not being able to delete accounts caused many problems when people had embarrassing information on facebook. Facebook can also legally bind you for incriminating information. Facebook gets money by aquiring information about it’s users and displaying adds to that may interest them. Facebook sells account information for money and personally I believe that this is not fair. However, from the perspective that facebook is free, it is possible for the facebook workers to do this.

Whether posted on another site, saved on someone’s offline WebPages, or stored on a flash or hard drive, those images will haunt the user for life. Being able to add pictures from the Google Latitude, private pictures are also shown through the network.

I think that the employers could use this device as a source to track workers, however, they should not do this. As a employer, I understand that they want to find out about who they want to hire so they look for those future-to-be-hired people. They can and most will but people can change and by using the online worker’s side, I think that employers cannot fully determine what that person is capable of.

Past and Future

 Eye-Fi

Eye-Fi can be considered controversial because it is a whole new way of uploading photos. Frankly, sending pictures from the camara itself was not thought possible. however this company which made the Eye-Fi have perfectly achieved the new way and controversial way of this uploading method.

Eye-Fi Cards come with everything needed to make it simple to set up and connect to your home Wi-Fi network. After that, pop the card into your digital camera and start capturing memories. It stores pictures like a regular SD card no matter where you are, and uploads automatically as soon as you return to your wireless network. All you have to do is turn the camera on.

Eye-Fi Cards can automatically deliver your pictures to your computer. PC or Mac. It’s as simple as choosing a folder. The card will then wirelessly deliver your photos to that destination and even arrange them in neat, date-stamped folders.

Eye-Fi Card works with 802.11g, 802.11b and backwards-compatible 802.11n wireless networks

-http://www.eye.fi/- 2008

TouchSmart from HP

 

Hp has made an outstanding tehcnolgy which features the touch method. Other than this desktop computer hp also tried the touch on laptops as well.

The TouchSmart is an all-in-one computer like Apple’s iMac, with a 22-inch touch-sensitive display. HP’s TouchSmart programs are different. They dispense with cursors and scroll bars­—when you can put your finger directly on the screen you don’t need a cursor to tell you where you are pointing. To move an object, you touch it with a finger and drag it to its new location. Sliding your finger up and down or sideways smoothly scrolls the display, while a quick flick of the finger results in a fast scroll.

 

The user interface based on mice, windows, and icons has been with us for a quarter century, and while it has served us well, technologies such as touch are creating new possibilities. There is only so much that computer manufacturers dependent on Windows can do

 

-http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_27/b4091000153367.htm- 2008

 

 

 

USB 3.0

Fasten your seatbelts. The data-transfer freeway is set to turn into an autobahn. The Universal Serial Bus, or USB, a popular standard for transferring files to your PC, got its first major update in eight years. USB 3.0 will be 10 times faster than the current USB 2.0 standard, and will increase the amount of electrical current that can be delivered through a USB cable.

Users need the increased speed — 4.8 gigabits per second, to be precise. Digital cameras and pocket-size HD video recorders generate a torrent of bits, all of which need to be transferred quickly to computers.

 

 

 

-http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscellaneous/news/2008/12/YE8_techbreaks?currentPage=3-

FUTURE 

 

 

 

 

Calculating Binary

Binary Numbers are Base 2 systems to represent a value using 0’s and 1’s. This uses two digits. Also Base 10 numbers are the numbers that we use every day. This uses 10 digits from 0 to 9. Using base two means it uses the exponent increases from 0 and on. Using base ten is just converting the base two numbers into the designated numbers. Binary works from right to left rather than what we know as from left to right. Each base is 1 bit, and 8 bits like the top row on the chart bellow equals to 1 byte.

27	26	25	24	23	22	21	20
128	64	32	16	8	4	2	1

 

 

 

 

Where the top numbers are the base 2’s and the bottom number corresponds to the top and uses to measure 0’s and 1’s.

The following byte shows a base ten number of 10:

0

0

0

0

1

0

1

0

This byte show the binary number of ten because the 0’s represent 0’s and where the 1’s are located shows that corresponding numbers which is 8 and 2 that makes the base ten number of 10. (8+2=10)

To use Binary Numbers affectively, you need to convert this into base ten numbers.

2^7	2^6	2^5	2^4	2^3	2^2	2^1	2^0
128	64	32	16	8	4	2	1
0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	3
0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	7
0	0	0	0	1	1	1	1	15
0	0	0	1	1	1	1	1	31
0	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	63
0	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	127
1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	255

Calculating Binary

Binary Numbers are Base 2 systems to represent a value using 0’s and 1’s. This uses two digits. Also Base 10 numbers are the numbers that we use every day. This uses 10 digits from 0 to 9. Using base two means it uses the exponent increases from 0 and on. Using base ten is just converting the base two numbers into the designated numbers. Binary works from right to left rather than what we know as from left to right. Each base is 1 bit, and 8 bits like the top row on the chart bellow equals to 1 byte.

27	26	25	24	23	22	21	20
128	64	32	16	8	4	2	1

 

Where the top numbers are the base 2’s and the bottom number corresponds to the top and uses to measure 0’s and 1’s.

The following byte shows a base ten number of 10:

0

0

0

0

1

0

1

0

This byte show the binary number of ten because the 0’s represent 0’s and where the 1’s are located shows that corresponding numbers which is 8 and 2 that makes the base ten number of 10. (8+2=10)

To use Binary Numbers affectively, you need to convert this into base ten numbers.

2^7	2^6	2^5	2^4	2^3	2^2	2^1	2^0
128	64	32	16	8	4	2	1
0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	3
0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	7
0	0	0	0	1	1	1	1	15
0	0	0	1	1	1	1	1	31
0	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	63
0	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	127
1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	255

Barack Obama’s Way

Obama’s success of winning the 2008 American Presidential Election marked a new history of The First African-American President of US. Some say that this win was an expected win, however, on the lection day; even though Obama won by a landslide, during the election, it was tight. Obama, in fact used a lot of Computational skills and methods of delivering his options and plans. He receives donations online and pays the donors by greeting them and thanking them for their gratitude. In this ways I think Obama is very caring and thoughtful when it comes to governing his country and incidents relate to his citizens.

 

Obama’s website and his ways of campaigning use strong and clear tone and ideas. He not only produces great speeches, yet he uses the internet for his ways of communicating with people around the country. He send e-mails, he produces commercials, and many more attractive internet ads for his victory. His funds were mainly from his supporters and he paid them with greeting their deeds. Obama’s way of campaigning compared to McCain’s way of campaigning differ from which places they focus votes, their ways, and their methods. Obama targeted states on eastern and western whereas McCain targeted on Central and Southern States. One factor of Obama’s victory was winning the votes in California with 55 electoral seats. By winning this State, we could have said that he won the election. I think he is very hard working and a very smart person to govern the next generation of US. I hope he fulfills the desires of both his country and the world around his country.

 

“I’M ASKING YOU TO BELIEVE. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington…I’m asking you to believe in yours,” Obama left this slogan to make people believe in him. McCain told a great Concession Speech after Obama won the election, saying his ways of helping Obama for US’s future. Obama also told people that he will work together with McCain for US. Both McCain and Obama appeals to the people very well and are both amazing candidates. I think McCain should have used some technology help for his campaigning since we use a lot of internet for communications and information. Obama, I think took advantage of this and used Internet as his source of advertising.

 

I think for the future elections, there could be variety of ways to be elected. The new ways of campaigning as this 2008 American Presidential used internet and television for the most advertising will be popular for couple of terms later on. However, soon new types of technology would be invented and be used as a source of ads and news. I am not sure what different technology would come out and outuse internet, yet I am sure someone will use different genius ways of communications and the future candidates will take advantage of new ways of appealing to citizens.