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Microsoft’s Ballmer touts new Slate PCs

1.10.2010

Slate PCs had a rather sizzly presence at CES, though most of them were either shown in prototype or not shown at all (as with Apple’s anticipated tablet or the Microsoft’s upcoming dual-screen Courier device).

Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer highlighted a number of Windows 7-powered “slates,” which seem to be aiming for the sweet spot between iPhone and a computer – a larger, more video-friendly screen than an iPhone with the computing power of a netbook.  In terms of portability, the slates fall somewhere between the two, which means they could also serve as ebook readers.  Though they’re much heavier than the fleet of ultra-lightweight e-readers on display at CES, they can run Kindle, Blio and Adobe e-reader software.

Ballmer_HP_slateDuring his keynote address Ballmer gave a nice plug to the Blio eReader software developed by Ray Kurzweil that runs on Windows 7.  Blio allows you to do things like take notes and delve several layers into a book, drilling down into illustrations and charts.  It also offers text-to-speech, turning your ebook into an audio book.

Ballmer showcased slate units from HP, Archos and Pegatron, though not the Courier (which Microsoft will reportedly manufacture itself, expanding its position in the hardware space beyond Xbox and Zune).

The HP slate was the smallest of the three and described as “perfect for reading, surfing the Web and taking entertainment on-the-go.” The 8.5×11-inch screen unit from Taiwanese manufacturer Pegatron was the largest.

Dell, Lenovo and Fusion Garage also have slate PCs scheduled for release in 2010.

FLO TV: Wireless TV-to-Mobile System

1.9.2010

[This post has been revised thanks to Debra Kaufman’s comment below]

The Mobile Digital TV space has a few platform players (ATSC-MH, FLO, MobiTV, etc.), and a couple of the  competing formats had displays only a few hundred feet apart in the Central Hall.

FLO_TV

FLO TV devices come in a variety of configurations, from in-dash to handheld.

FLO TV (owned by Qualcomm) has been up and running for about four years, offering a channel package not unlike that of basic cable, available over the air on the channel 55 frequency, which Qualcomm spent the past five years buying up in major markets. FLO TV itself has been on the air for about four years, providing mobile TV to select phones on the Verizon, VCast and AT&T platform.

At CES, FLO TV unveiled its own device, the FLO 350 (so named because the screen is a diagonal 3.5-inches).  The first generation FLO 350 has a bright screen and excellent audio, though there was a bit of motion blur to the native 320x240p image.

The Qualcomm-owned company is selling its mini-TV for $249 at Best Buy, Radio Shack and Amazon, which will include a six month subscription to the signal, which will thereafter be billed in the area of $19.95 per month for content including ESPN, Nickelodeon, Fox, Disney, ABC, NBC, CBS and many others.  Manufacturers like Audiovox and Advent offer in-dash FLO displays for the car.

ATSC_MV

If the crowd activity at the FLO TV display – part of the Wireless Mobility Brought to You By Qualcomm “Techzone” – is any indicator, interest in mobile digital is high.

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Specification for Naming VFX Image Sequences Released

ETC’s VFX Working Group has published a specification for best practices naming image sequences such as plates and comps. File naming is an essential tool for organizing the multitude of frames that are inputs and outputs from the VFX process. Prior to the publication of this specification, each organization had its own naming scheme, requiring custom processes for each partner, which often resulted in confusion and miscommunication.

The new ETC@USC specification focuses primarily on sequences of individual images. The initial use case was VFX plates, typically delivered as OpenEXR or DPX files. However, the team soon realized that the same naming conventions can apply to virtually any image sequence. Consequently, the specification was written to handle a wide array of assets and use cases.

To ensure all requirements are represented, the working group included over 2 dozen participants representing studios, VFX houses, tool creators, creatives and others.  The ETC@USC also worked closely with MovieLabs to ensure that the specification could be integrated as part of their 2030 Vision.

A key design criteria for this specification is compatibility with existing practices.  Chair of the VFX working group, Horst Sarubin of Universal Pictures, said: “Our studio is committed to being at the forefront of designing best industry practices to modernize and simplify workflows, and we believe this white paper succeeded in building a new foundation for tools to transfer files in the most efficient manner.”

This specification is compatible with other initiatives such as the Visual Effects Society (VES) Transfer Specifications. “We wanted to make it as seamless as possible for everyone to adopt this specification,” said working group co-chair and ETC@USC’s Erik Weaver. “To ensure all perspectives were represented we created a team of industry experts familiar with the handling of these materials and collaborated with a number of industry groups.”

“Collaboration between MovieLabs and important industry groups like the ETC is critical to implementing the 2030 Vision,” said Craig Seidel, SVP of MovieLabs. “This specification is a key step in defining the foundations for better software-defined workflows. We look forward to continued partnership with the ETC on implementing other critical elements of the 2030 Vision.”

The specification is available online for anyone to use.

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