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No. 11/2011 (March 14, 2011)
Less investment, more entertainment - CeBIT 2011.
Centrum fur Buroautomation, Informationstechnologie und Telekommunikation (Center for Office Automation, Information Technology and Telecommunication) in Hanover closed on March 5. The organizers of the world's largest computer expo have presented impressive numbers, 339,000 visitors - about five thousand more than last year, and 4200 exhibitors (2010 - 4157). The increase is encouraging, although it is only about half the numbers they had in the nineties, when the GSM and Internet boom had made CeBIT the world center of the latest technology. Telecommunications and information technology, banking and office technology - the fields determine the competitiveness of modern industry. Europe, by multiple declarations, has emphasized its determination to accelerate the development of these fields.
A video report about CeBIT 2011
Has the trade fair confirmed in practice the implementation of these plans?
Before the start of CeBIT 2011 a lot has been said about smartphones, tablets, cloud computing, 3D, LTE.
The biggest surprise for many experts was almost a complete lack of LTE offers. LTE is a wireless technology that allows wireless data transmission in cellular networks at bit rates above 100 Mb/s. The omission of this technology at CeBIT can only mean one thing - the leaders of the European telecommunications market will not introduce 4G services this year. So, the most advanced mobile services and dedicated smartphones, tablet PCs etc. will not be available for European consumers. Europe will be relegated to the second division of telecommunications. Commercial LTE has already started in Japan and the USA. The delay in the implementation of LTE in Europe is, among other things, the result of the errors associated with GSM licensing process. Misconceived policies of European governments have eaten up the capital of telecommunications companies, needed to implement new technologies.
The biggest surprise for many experts was almost a complete lack of LTE offers. LTE is a wireless technology that allows wireless data transmission in cellular networks at bit rates above 100 Mb/s. The omission of this technology at CeBIT can only mean one thing - the leaders of the European telecommunications market will not introduce 4G services this year. So, the most advanced mobile services and dedicated smartphones, tablet PCs etc. will not be available for European consumers. Europe will be relegated to the second division of telecommunications. Commercial LTE has already started in Japan and the USA. The delay in the implementation of LTE in Europe is, among other things, the result of the errors associated with GSM licensing process. Misconceived policies of European governments have eaten up the capital of telecommunications companies, needed to implement new technologies.
Virtually the only sign of LTE technology at CeBIT
was this Fritz wireless router
was this Fritz wireless router
Projects related to cloud computing, forecast to be the hottest topic at the fair, proved to be disappointing. There were no concrete projects, only marketing declarations. It seems that Europe has ceased to be a place where projects like those undertaken by Google or Amazon could be implemented.
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"Your way to the cloud starts here." - the motto of Microsoft's presence at CeBIT 2011.
Microsoft believes cloud computing is the future.
After last year's euphoria over three-dimensional television, supported by the success of "Avatar", this year's interest in 3D has significantly dropped. There were less stands presenting 3D TV, and these presentations did not attract many visitors. In general, many people do not like to wear special glasses, and 3D programming is still in its infancy, so 3D television manufacturers are ahead of the real demand. However, the segment of 3D displaying technology is growing in gaming applications. Many interesting solutions in this field were presented by Asus and Nintendo.
3D wins the gaming market.
Nintendo showed portable game consoles with 3D imaging.
Nintendo showed portable game consoles with 3D imaging.
Computer games, entertainment devices and applications are areas which undoubtedly caught the imagination of the public. Two pavilions presenting all sorts of games were similar in size to those with telecommunications solutions. All the time, the Intel Extreme Masters World Championship, one of the the world's largest video game competitions, was attracting several thousand visitors. The new formula of video games launched by Microsoft under the name of Kinect drew crowds of interested people. A similar solution was presented by Asus.
The popularity of games at this year's fair provokes thought that the CeBIT is changing its profile from trade to consumer event. The flagship of the European IT and telecommunications is losing its rank, becoming a forum for computer games.
The popularity of games at this year's fair provokes thought that the CeBIT is changing its profile from trade to consumer event. The flagship of the European IT and telecommunications is losing its rank, becoming a forum for computer games.
The Asus stand was continuously surrounded by a crowd of people,
thanks to excellent market intuition of the company - they were presenting netbooks,
tablet PCs and special computers for gamers
thanks to excellent market intuition of the company - they were presenting netbooks,
tablet PCs and special computers for gamers
As usual, there were awards for best design -
here are some award-winning products:
here are some award-winning products:
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Rack cabinet | PTZ camera | Two-way mission critical radio |
Among the award-winning products there were televisions.
42-inch TV set with an amazingly thin screen,
thanks to elegantly solved problem of connectors.
42-inch TV set with an amazingly thin screen,
thanks to elegantly solved problem of connectors.
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CeBIT has its charm...
Stork Echelon.
Echelon is a global network of electronic intelligence, managed by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA). Reportedly, the technical equipment is capable of intercepting data traffic globally. Currently the system is mainly used to combat terrorism. Special computer programs analyze the content of e-mails, faxes, phone calls...Four stork families in Marrakesh (Morocco) have also decided to make use of modern technology - they will be the first to know about spring in Europe.
Four stork families in Marrakesh (Morocco) have also decided to use modern technology -
- they will first find out about spring in Europe.
- they will first find out about spring in Europe.
Internal noise in DVB-T antenna systems.
Noise parameters of RF amplifiers are even more important in digital television systems than in analog TV. The reason is the significantly lower level of DVB-T signals in comparison with analog signals. Thus, the typical noise figure of 5 dB in the UHF band will affect the quality of digital signal more than in the case any analog signal received in the same place. Most building amplifiers on the market have noise figures between 3 dB and 5 dB.An example line of amplifiers with noise figures in the lower range is the TERRA HS series.
An important factor influencing the noise level is the location of gain control (in the structure of the amplifier), especially taking into account amplifiers with two or more amplification stages. Much better results (less noise added to the signal) are provided by amplifiers with interstage gain control (instead of reducing input signal).
Block diagram of the HS-016 R82030 amplifier. Separate VHF and UHF paths and interstage gain control ensure very good noise parameters of the device.
The amplifier is dedicated for small/medium antenna systems, with a few to a dozen outlets. It is recommended for use in DVB-T systems, also in the transitional period (with continued analog broadcasts)
Improving image quality - HDR techniques.
High Dynamic Range is a set of techniques that allow a greater dynamic range of luminance between the lightest and darkest areas of an image, such as lights and shadows. They allow for more accurate representation of the range of intensity levels. In photography it is generally achieved by capturing multiple standard photographs, using exposure bracketing, and then merging them into one HDR image.Although HDR has been present in photography for many years, it was difficult to apply it in video technology. The pioneers are researchers from Warwick University, UK, who managed to create a system for generating video in HDR technique.
The HDR video system produces full HD video at frame rate of 30 fps, with high color depth. For each frame the camera takes four shots with different exposures to render the full range of light intensity, which are used to create a single image. The biggest problem was to ensure effective image processing. For each frame the camera generates a 24 MB data file. In order to process the data by ordinary computers, the scientists have developed a special compression system capable of a hundred-fold reduction of the amount of the data.
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Image from the HDR camera combining four images with different exposures (the pictures come from www.gohdr.com) |
Natural images can have extremely wide light dynamic range. The human eye is able to cope with such images, but the traditional cameras have limited capabilities. Depending on the amount of light entering the image sensor, some parts of an image may be underexposed or overexposed. HDR (High Dynamic Range) is a technology that allows to obtain images within the dynamic range similar to that of the human eye. It will be very useful for responsible tasks requiring high-resolution images with superior quality, e.g. for video footage of surgery.
Portable PROTECT camera DVR for simple, cheap, and effective video monitoring.
There are businesses, offices and various institutions that - due to economic, technical, or operational reasons - cannot install fully featured CCTV systems. We have also noticed an increased demand for compact DVRs integrated with cameras, suitable for applications in vehicles. In response to frequent questions of clients, DIPOL offers a new series of PROTECT products.
PROTECT 501 M70501
PROTECT 701 M70701
The mobile PROTECT devices (for indoor applications) combine high resolution camera and DVR capable of recording high-definition video (720p) with MPEG-4 ( M70501) or H.264 ( M70701) compression, and audio. Such high-performance video recordings allow the users to easily recognize human faces, banknotes, details of road accidents etc. Their fixed lenses with very little distortion ensure very wide, 120-degree viewing angle. Each kit includes a suction cup with a handle (to be mounted on flat surfaces, such as glass, polished or enameled metal - at cash registers, in vehicles etc.) and 12-24 VDC / 5 VDC power supply with plug for cigarette lighter outlet.
PROTECT devices have been specially prepared for applications in vehicles, to record video footage of situations in front of the vehicle, inside it and/or behind it. The built-in IR LEDs of the PROTECT 701 M70701 model enable the user to record the footage even in complete darkness. Its rotating LCD screen allows the user for comfortable location of the camera inside the car to view the live video.
The video is saved as AVI files on an SD/SDHC/MMC card. The maximum supported capacity is 64 GB. The recorded material can be archived by connecting the DVR via a USB cable to a PC - the unit becomes a flash card reader then. The files are easy to find - during recording they are organized into a directory structure based on dates (year, month, day), and numbered consecutively in the order in which they appear during a day. The videos recorded by the device can also be viewed locally, or on an external monitor connected via HDMI cable.
Light in CCTV systems.
The sensitivity of the CCTV cameras is usually specified as the minimum illumination (with a given F-number of an employed lens) needed for producing a readable image. The unit of measurement of illumination/illuminance is lux (lx).The following table shows some typical values of illumination.
Interactive event handler in ACTi cameras.
Event Handler is an additional software package that can be built into the firmware of ACM camera series. When something happens at the camera point: someone passes by, a door opens, a fire breaks out, or there is a change in lighting - the user may assign any rule that will change operating parameters of the video surveillance system in order to provide a desired response. As an example, motion in the area of detection may increase the camera resolution and frame rate, or move the camera to a defined PTZ preset, and/or upload some pictures to an FTP server or e-mail address etc.
The Event Handler flow chart
An interesting solution is the ability to control parameters of other ACM cameras. For example, if the camera 1 switches into the night mode, the camera 2 can trigger recording, change its PTZ position or raise a sound alarm. So, Event Handler allows the user to create interactive rules and control a range of parameters in the monitored area without additional costs.
The software is available here. A short movie showing the application in action is available on YouTube.
The software is available here. A short movie showing the application in action is available on YouTube.
The solution to this problem is application of a GSM, DCS, or 3G repeater, being a two-way amplifier of wireless cellular signals. To select a suitable repeater, we have to know some facts:
- The basic information that one should know before purchasing a repeater is the kind of cellular service which will be used:
- GSM, EGSM - used mainly outside cities, but also in many metropolitan areas; the bands ensure voice connections and low/medium speed Internet connectivity.
- DCS - used mainly in cities (due to higher capacity of a single base station).
- WCDMA (3G) - used in cities, ensures high-speed data transmission (HSDPA), video calls and other 3G services.
- Another important information is how much area is to be covered with the amplified signal:
More information on installing repeaters can be found here.
Example of using the Signal GSM-305 A6765 repeater
New products offered by DIPOL:
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We have written about:
TERRA headend in a hotel complex. The owner of a hotel complex offering wedding services has decided to equip the property with TV system distributing DVB-T and satellite channels.
The main components of the complex are the marriage hall building with rooms for guests (with 25 outlets) and the hotel, situated 1.5 km away (with 60 outlets).
The investor already at the the construction phase required to connect both buildings to form a single network, combining CCTV, computer network, SMATV system. This connection is possible due to multi-fiber optical cable...
TERRA headend in a hotel complex. The owner of a hotel complex offering wedding services has decided to equip the property with TV system distributing DVB-T and satellite channels.
The main components of the complex are the marriage hall building with rooms for guests (with 25 outlets) and the hotel, situated 1.5 km away (with 60 outlets).
The investor already at the the construction phase required to connect both buildings to form a single network, combining CCTV, computer network, SMATV system. This connection is possible due to multi-fiber optical cable...
Installation diagram of the television system in the complex, consisting of two fully integrated subsystems
Home/SOHO network based on 3G router. Increasingly, the Internet connection is provided by a cellular network. The modems offered by cellular operators enable mobile connection of one computer at any location within the range of the service. Application of TP-LINK 3G/3.75G router allows anyone to build a local network.
TP-Link TL-MR3420 N2957 enables quick creation of a wireless and wired network allowing access to the Internet via a 3G/3.75G service or traditional DSL line...
TP-Link TL-MR3420 N2957 enables quick creation of a wireless and wired network allowing access to the Internet via a 3G/3.75G service or traditional DSL line...
Home/SOHO network based on the 3G router
