Sonnet Announces Single-Slot Thunderbolt 3 Card Reader for SxS PRO X Media
Inkplate 10 Uses Recycled E-Paper Displays with Wi-Fi Support and Low Power Performance
Yamaha UC Now Shipping ADECIA Ceiling Solution for Complete, Touchless Meeting Audio
Sonnet Announces Echo™ 11 Thunderbolt™ 4 Dock
Mad Catz announces the B.A.T. 6+ Gaming Mouse at CES2021
Yamaha UC Releases Holiday Gift Guide for Remote Workers and Learners
Yamaha ADECIA Ceiling Audio Solution Now Available for Preorder
Portland Barber Shop Enhances Services With Glory Star TAURI Temperature Check Tablet
RTI VXP-82 All-in-One Presentation System Now Shipping
Chili-shaped device could reveal just how hot that pepper is
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Yamaha YVC-330 Speakerphone Certified by Zoom
Yamaha Unified Communications has announced that its YVC-330 portable USB and Bluetooth® speakerphone is certified by Zoom Video Communications Inc. for use with Zoom. The certification verifies that the YVC-330 is interoperable with Zoom, making it seamless for users to connect and control audio directly from the Zoom interface while benefiting from crystal-clear, natural conversations. "These days, everyone is spending more time on Zoom conference calls, and it's important that users feel supported and be productive," said Michelle Baeza, Director of Strategic Partnerships for Yamaha UC. "The YVC-330 allows users to conduct calls in places they normally wouldn't have been able to, which is especially important during this time, while benefiting from a simple Zoom experience." The YVC-330 features various expandability and connectivity to fit any Zoom collaboration situation with USB, Bluetooth, NFC, and audio in/out connections. Its portable design makes it the ideal communications solution for setting up high-quality calls from any area or workspace. The YVC-330 virtual meeting solution features SoundCap technology, Yamaha's innovation that converts background noise prevalent in open workspaces into a signal that makes the meeting sound as good as being in a quiet conference room. The device also features an automatic mute function, which engages when participants are not speaking. This self-silencing feature enhances the performance of Yamaha's Human Voice Activity Detection technology, which instantly distinguishes human voices from other sounds. In addition, the SoundCap technology offers an auto-speaker volume adjustment, which regulates the volume to ambient noise levels and is suited for maintaining speech privacy. With the self-volume balancer function, remote conferences can be conducted seamlessly without being intrusive to those in the vicinity. "I've been using the Yamaha YVC-330 conference phone for the past six months now. It has great sound quality on the far and near end, and it works seamlessly with Zoom," said Dave Lewis, Channel Account Manager at Zoom. "It was extremely easy to install, and I love the large control buttons on the front of the device as well as the modern design. There's no need to use a headset anymore. It gives me a ton of flexibility around my workspace. I highly recommend the Yamaha YVC-330 to my partners, colleagues, and end customers."
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Huddly makes smart cameras for new Google Meet Series One room kits from Lenovo
Two smart cameras made by Huddly are going to feature in the Google Meet Series One room kits, a new generation of meeting room devices announced by Google Cloud and Lenovo. With cameras for large, medium, and small room kits, and Power over Ethernet technology, the kits can be tailored to fit all of your rooms. TJ Varghese, Group Product Manager at Google, comments: “For the Series One, we wanted cameras that help us enable immersive, lifelike experiences and are able to capture high-fidelity images of all participants in any scenario, including large rooms. We worked with Huddly to build these Smart Cameras, which deliver this in the elegant Series One design that has no moving parts and blends into any office.” Stein Ove Eriksen, Huddly CEO and Co-founder, adds: “This is an exciting next step in our longstanding partnership with Google Cloud, building upon our previous successful collaborations on the previous Google Meet kit with Asus and the IQ mounts for Jamboard. The Series One room kits provide the kind of inclusive user experience that is at the heart of everything we do here at Huddly, and we are excited to work with Google Cloud and Lenovo to bring these high-quality video experiences to everyone.” The Series One Smart Camera XL for large meeting rooms, and the Series One Smart Camera for small and medium rooms are two new cameras which are both made by Huddly. Both cameras use Power over Ethernet technology to make setup easy and flexible, with no limits in regards to the distance or cable length. With the Series One Smart Camera XL, Huddly's advanced software enables a high-quality video experience in large rooms. Thanks to a large one-inch sensor, the camera can cover large boardrooms and capture everybody in high quality, including the people on the far end of the room. Its fixed lens enables it to always see the entire room, detect and frame participants, and capture movement and facial expressions as they happen. With beautifully designed, easy-to-install devices that blend into office environments, the Series One Google Meet hardware kits in partnership with Lenovo put people first by making sure they can do what they do best without having to worry about adjusting the camera, muting to type, or crinkling a snack while someone else is talking. It’s the next best thing to actually being in the same room.
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Yamaha CS-700 Video Sound Bar Now Available With Promethean Collaboration Tool
Yamaha Unified Communications is partnering with Promethean Interactive Displays and DisplayNote to outfit conference rooms with a three-for-one enterprise-grade plug-and-play collaboration tool. Exclusively available from Promethean, the display system simplifies meetings, making them more productive than ever before. It provides conference and collaboration spaces with high-quality, professional audio, video, and meeting room software. Featuring Yamaha's award-winning CS-700 all-in-one Video Sound Bar, Promethean's ActivPanel™ Titanium Pro, and DisplayNote Launcher application, the solution is fast and simple to deploy, set up, and operate. "Think of this system as your next enhanced collaboration solution, bringing together three of the industry's leaders in interactivity and superior communication," said Michelle Baeza director strategic partnerships, Yamaha Unified Communications, Inc. "Our solution is affordable, easy to deploy and operate, providing organizations with everything they need to launch a collaborative meeting with one touch." Engineered from the ground up leveraging Yamaha's years of audio and UCC expertise, the CS-700 Video Sound Bar integrates an adaptive beamforming microphone array for perfectly captured conversation; four Yamaha speaker elements to provide the highest degree of audio intelligibility; and a wide-angle HD camera that captures guests and the room in clear detail. The solution eliminates the inherent inefficiencies of operating disparate video and audio during calls and the eye sore of cables snaked around the room. The collaboration solution is available with a 65+-inch, 75-inch, or 85-inch Promethean ActivPanel Titanium Pro 4K interactive display. The display delivers the latest in touchscreen collaboration and uses fast and accurate Vellum™ Writing Technology for an intuitive, collaborative writing experience. The included DisplayNote Launcher software allows meeting participants to launch meetings using the most popular video conferencing platforms — including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Cisco WebEx, and Google Meet — with one touch or using the Launcher mobile app from their mobile device. Users can easily sign in using their iOS or Android device to access Office365 calendars, and OneDrive files the display. The one-touch three-in-one tool also integrates with any existing IT stack for reliable and secure remote management. Westchester County Police Department in White Plains, New York, recently selected and successfully deployed the 3-for-1 system. "This solution not only met all the criteria we were looking for, but was the best value," said Lieutenant Michael Cindrich, Westchester County Police Department. "Now we can remotely collaborate with other government officials and conduct video interviews without the need to be in the same room. It will change how our department operates for the better."
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Glory Star Helps Businesses Safely Reopen With Contactless TAURI Temperature Check Tablet
Glory Star, the leading provider and manufacturer for commercial-grade tablet solutions, is helping businesses and organizations safely reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic with its popular self-service solution, the patent-pending TAURI Temperature Check Tablet. Designed to screen people noninvasively when entering healthcare, manufacturing or government facilities, hotels, restaurants, conference centers, retail stores, schools, and gyms, TAURI is a touch-free, highly accurate, quick, and private temperature check and messaging system in one tablet. "In response to COVID-19, businesses and organizations are grappling with choosing temperature check products that don't induce anxiety or put people at greater risk of exposure," said Cindy Cheung, chief operating officer of Glory Star. "The idea for TAURI came to us after going out to eat and realizing how threatening gun-style readers are when they're aimed at you. They also require extremely close contact with the operator. Because people are accustomed to tablets in their daily lives, TAURI makes temperature screening a more positive, calm, and familiar experience. Patrons only have to stand in front of it momentarily to have their temperature taken. It's more welcoming and doesn't require additional staff to operate it." Glory Star's TAURI Temperature Check Tablet was built leveraging the same expertise and technology the company uses in its successful self-service tablet-based NEBULA Total Kiosks Series. TAURI ensures customers, employees, and guests who need access into a facility can be swiftly and safely scanned. It features a professional, high-quality infrared sensor that immediately detects and issues a customizable alert when a person is running a high temperature, and therefore should not enter the premises. To ensure a positive, anxiety-free experience, the system's result message can be customized. For example, if a high temperature is detected, the tablet can display a message such as, "Please step aside for a customer service agent to assist you." The tablets are also equipped with an HDMI output, allowing results to be mirrored on a second screen, such as one located behind a reception or security desk. Both features keep health data private and secure. TAURI is available in 7-inch, 10.5-inch, 15.6-inch, and 21.5-inch models and can be deployed anywhere using Glory Star's VESA standard wall mounts, desktop mounts, or floor stands, which are also available as options. Each tablet is embedded with the TAURI Application, which immediately launches upon start-up and doesn't require operators to sift through menus or additional applications. Initial setup and calibration take only seven minutes using the clear and simple interactive user interface. Glory Star's mission is to respond to customers' needs with new solutions in unprecedented times. To solve evolving concerns for businesses as they reopen and return to normal operations, the company's team of engineers continuously writes free firmware over-the-air updates, which add new tools to address arising concerns and recommendations. TAURI combines a best-in-class sensor and body heat algorithm for fast temperature accuracy with a tolerance of +/- 0.5 degrees Fahrenheit (+/- 0.3 degrees Celsius) and a refresh rate of 64Hz. Based on a vast amount of biological and environmental factors that can impact temperature data, the system's self-calibration feature automatically attunes to the environment of the room. Guests are scanned in three seconds and from up to three feet away, providing an efficient process. The tablet also includes face detection and optional face recognition. Face detection differentiates a human face from other objects. Companies also can activate facial recognition capabilities, which detect if a person is not protected with a face mask and issue a reminder. It can also take a picture of the people with a high temperature reading and send an email notification to select personnel. The open-based API is also designed for greater system integration. The data collected from TAURI devices can be sent to a designated server. In addition, the device can be connected to control door access via USB relay. TAURI is designed as both an immediate and long-term communications tool. It can share personalized messages or act as signage. When the organization no longer needs to scan temperatures, that feature can be deactivated while the message feature can continue to be an integral component for welcoming guests into the building or for advertising. The result is greater long-term ROI.
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Innovation uses ‘stethoscope’ to monitor machine quality, functionality
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a system for efficient, low-cost monitoring for machine health, including overall quality, condition and operation status. The Purdue team’s innovation uses audio-based artificial intelligence technology to monitor the overall conditions of machines in factories, hospitals and other locations. The Purdue system uses a stethoscope-like system as a sensor and analyzes the data with a neural network-based framework. “Our solution is to use the concept of doctors listening to a body to assess the initial condition or experts listening to the machine sounds to know what is going on,” said Martin Jun, a Purdue innovator and associate professor of mechanical engineering. “We are using artificial intelligence to train a wide range of sounds from the machine and determine many things about the machine or process autonomously.” Jun said this system can detect anomalies without being fed a training set and is easier and more cost-effective than accelerometers or acoustic emission sensors. The Purdue technology is designed to use internal sounds from a machine to determine the machine status, assess process conditions, diagnose machine condition and predict machine failures. “Since only sound is used, it can be used for a number of different applications,” Jun said. “Having one low-cost sensor for many different purposes can address the current challenges in the area where most of the solutions are quite customized to specific problems.” Maijker Corp., a startup created to commercialize technologies involving sensors and artificial intelligence.
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New Line of HD Webcams Launched, Geared to Work at Home Market at a Low Price
Ausdom introduced today a new line of HD Webcams, essential gear for the work at home market at a low price -- perfect for Zoom video conferencing, Skype recording, remote education, live streaming, gaming, and Youtube videos, as well as contacting friends and family while social distancing. Ausdom goes far beyond standard laptop webcams, so you can look and sound your best while working at home, with sharp, smooth video, automatic lowlight correction, and clear noise-canceling audio for smooth communications, no matter what’s going on at home. Best HD Webcams for Video Conferencing, Remote Education, Online Courses, Live Streaming, Gaming, & Online Chat Affordably priced from $79.99-$99.99 SRP, the Ausdom webcam line includes the AW615, AW635, and AF640 webcams that provide amazing widescreen picture quality with HD 1920 x 1080P video, Noise Canceling audio and Plug and Play ease. The widescreen full HD video webcams have a full HD glass lens and 2.0 aperture to provide HD quality widescreen video calls. Clear Video in Dim Light with Automatic Low-Light Correct Technology & Clear Sound with Omni-Directional Mic The Ausdom webcams record clear videos, even in dim light, with Automatic Low-Light Correct Technology that instantly reacts to low-light conditions to create a bright image for a better looking video presentation – key for YouTube and Zoom videos without dark shadows. The webcam’s high pixel count CMOS sensor also ensures high definition with a stable performance. The built-In noise reduction omni-directional mic captures sounds and automatically filters out external background noise for clear sound in noisy environments. Easy to Set Up - Plug and Play Just plug the Ausdom webcam in your PC or Mac desktop or laptop, or Smart TV box via the USB port to instantly make video calls with friends, family, and co-workers or live broadcast anytime. The webcams support streaming video on OBS, Zoom, Skype, Facebook, YouTube, XSplit, Mixer, Twitter, and other social gaming and media platforms, including Google Hangouts, Amazon Chime, and FaceTime, etc.; and are compatible with Windows, Mac OS, Chrome OS, and Android. The Ausdom Webcam product line includes: • Ausdom AF640 Widescreen Webcam: the sleekest Ausdom webcam - available immediately, priced at $99.99 • Ausdom AW615 Widescreen Webcam: available immediately, priced at $79.99 • AW635 Widescreen Webcam: available immediately, priced at $79.99
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HID Global Collaborates with Fidesmo to Expand the Use of Wearables for Access Control and a Wide Range of New Applications
HID Global, a worldwide leader in trusted identity solutions, today announced a collaboration with Fidesmo, a provisioning company that makes it possible to connect contactless services to wearables. Fidesmo has integrated HID’s next generation Seos® credential technology into secure element chips that are used in a wide variety of wearables. “As wearables grow in popularity, organizations of all types will be confronted with the need to support new form factors for physical access and other popular applications,” said Steve Currie, VP and Managing Director of Extended Access Technologies with HID Global. “Working with Fidesmo to bring more use cases to wearables delivers on the promise of Seos credential technology to provide users the freedom to use their preferred device, whether it’s a phone, card or wearable, to easily navigate their daily life.” Because Seos credential technology is designed for flexibility, Fidesmo can load the Seos applet into the tamper-resistant secure elements (SE) produced by the most prominent chipmakers in the world. This will enable wearables manufacturers using the broadest range of SE chips to add building and parking access as well as complimentary applications to their smart watches, watchbands, rings and other devices. Authentication to PCs, IT systems and cloud applications, secure print job collection, time and attendance, point of sale, and automated cashless vending, are some of the numerous additional applications supported by Seos credential technology. “The Fidesmo team is honored to join HID’s partner network and looking forward to our mutual journey as we provision HID’s secure access credentials over our platform,” said Mattias Eld, CEO, Co-Founder of Fidesmo. “Working with HID we are forwarding our vision to enable people to choose their favorite wearable and connect and use it with any contactless service they need – anytime, anywhere.” The partnership makes it possible for employees to use their personal wearable device to add the access control service, and companies can also order a number of wearables for their dedicated use, in special areas or even adding more services to them, like payment or their employees' public transit job ticket. Fidesmo’s integration process allows wearables manufacturers to add contactless services to the tamper-resistant secure element in their devices. This also makes it possible for contactless service providers to distribute their services to many devices without the need for hardware. For wearables users, no pre-configuration is needed. They simply connect to the services and applications that have been provisioned to their wearable, easily and securely. Adding access control capabilities to wearables also addresses environmental constraints, such as a clean room with specific gear and uniforms that preclude using smart cards and/or biometric identification—making it ideal for pharmaceutical production environments, as well as operations rooms, mining, car and food production, and anywhere where sanitization compliance is a priority.
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Zoom Certifies Yamaha UC CS-700 Video Sound Bar
Yamaha Unified Communications today announced that its CS-700 Video Sound Bar is certified for use with Zoom Video Communications, Inc., Zoom Rooms. The all-in-one video conferencing system passed Zoom's extensive testing process, ensuring the audio, camera, and USB interface seamlessly integrates with the video conferencing software. The certification verifies that the CS-700 is interoperable with Zoom, making it even easier for users to connect and control the Video Sound Bar while benefitting from the highest quality audio and video. "With Yamaha's exceptional audio and video technology and expertise, the CS-700 will help us transform any huddle space or meeting room into a modern, easy-to-use, and powerful collaborative workspace to our customers' Zoom Rooms experience," said Eric Yu, Hardware Partnership Manager, Zoom. Designed for huddle rooms, the Yamaha CS-700 Video Sound Collaboration System delivers the highest quality audio, video, and collaboration capabilities in a simple and smart wall-mounted unit that is easy to install and deploy. It features an adaptive beamforming microphone array for perfectly captured conversation; four Yamaha speaker elements to provide the highest degree of audio intelligibility; and a wide-angle HD camera for the far-end participants to see everyone in clear detail. Users can quickly connect to any UC platform, including Zoom, via a single USB, eliminating the frustrations and inefficiencies of operating disparate video, audio, and collaboration components. With Zoom certification, the software automatically detects the CS-700, enabling mute sync and optimizing the audio in the Zoom cloud. The CS-700's integrated network management system allows IT staff to deploy and remotely manage each unit from one location, increasing service response and efficiency. Along with the certification, Yamaha is releasing new firmware (version 1.4) for the CS-700, allowing all existing devices to upgrade to the new version with audio and video quality enhancement, and usability improvements. The update will also provide Bluetooth connection, mute sync, and in-app optimizations for more comfortable and intuitive huddle room collaboration.
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Barstool Sports Forms Unique Technology and Marketing Partnership With Yamaha UC
Yamaha Unified Communications has announced a partnership with Barstool Sports, an influential sports and lifestyle multimedia company, to deploy its broad portfolio of conferencing solutions in the media company's new headquarters in New York. Yamaha UC is also sponsoring Barstool's podcasts and videos, targeting the company's millions of monthly subscribers, which include end-users as well as IT and AV professionals who may benefit from superior quality meetings within their own organizations. With this strategic partnership, Yamaha UC aims to bring greater awareness of how its solutions transform the meeting experience into a clear, natural, and user- and IT-friendly event. "We have people not only in the office but also out in the field," said Pete Overmyer, head of media technology and production at Barstool. "It's vital that we are able to quickly and easily communicate with them, whether that's in meetings at headquarters or on a sales call taken on the road. Yamaha UC's commitment to quality and its support reflects the same values of the Barstool brand." Yamaha UC provided the company with a customized conference package to address a variety of meeting spaces. The sales team was provided with YVC-200 portable USB + Bluetooth® personal speakerphones. The portable, yet professional, conference phone delivers high-performance audio anywhere. User-friendly, the phone allows sales members to simply pair it with their laptop or mobile device via USB or Bluetooth to hear and a be heard clearly. Yamaha UC's Revolabs FLX UC 1000/1500 USB and VoIP conference phones were installed in 10 private call rooms and four conference rooms in the new facility, meeting Barstool's criteria for simple, effective, and clear communication and collaboration. In addition, two CS-700 Video Sound Collaboration Bars were installed, providing a powerful combination of industry-leading audio and video conferencing technology integrated into one user-friendly and easy-to-deploy system. In addition, Barstool is currently testing Yamaha UC's latest UC solutions, the SIP CS-700 Video Sound Bar and the ESB-1080 Enterprise Sound Bar and Collaboration Kit. The SIP model of the CS-700 integrates PBX and UC applications, allowing Barstool to bridge telephone calls and web conferences while achieving the same high-quality audio from all communication channels from one easy-to-use system. The Yamaha Collaboration Kit bundles the ESB-1080 Enterprise Sound Bar with an AI wide-angle USB camera from Huddly, a leading manufacturer of award-winning, AI-powered conference cameras. "Barstool's audience is made up of commercial AV users who are wrestling with evolving workplace and technology meeting expectations," said Michael Fitch, vice president of global sales and marketing at Yamaha Unified Communications. "By partnering with the company, we can reach those users and educate them on the benefits of UC technology that delivers intuitive and superior quality meetings. The deployment at Barstool's headquarters is the perfect use case for them to learn more."
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Telent and Tait Communications Enable Improved Firefighter Safety on the Ground for East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service
Tait Communications has been chosen by East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS) to provide a new safety critical fireground communications solution, improving firefighter safety. The equipment will be supplied and installed by telent, its long-term IT partner and a specialist in the effective operation of the UK’s critical national infrastructure. Fireground radios provide a vital safety critical communication tool for local communications between firefighters and on-scene incident commanders. They are used by firefighters in breathing apparatus when operating hoses, scaling ladders and entering buildings. ESFRS’ current radios are aging and require urgent replacement. The solution, developed by operational teams at ESFRS working with Tait Communications, in collaboration with telent, overcomes these challenges by providing better compatibility with firefighters’ breathing apparatus for improved voice and audio performance in digital mode. In addition, new audio accessories with large buttons are incorporated for easier use when wearing protective gloves and an enhanced digital communications range allows multiple radios to be used together over both long and short distances. When the “Push To Talk” button is pressed on the digital radio, it sounds an alert tone indicating to the firefighter to start talking, increasing usability and user confidence especially for breathing apparatus wearers in zero visibility, high stress conditions. Following successful simulated incident trials, telent will supply 350 Tait handheld digital radios to ESFRS. These will be a mix of ATEX units for use by firefighters and non-ATEX units for use by incident commanders, with both units sharing a common battery. Ongoing support and maintenance of the radios will be provided by telent. “Crucially, this solution will enhance communications between firefighters on the ground, providing them with better protection and ensuring they can carry out their vital work safely,” said Richard Fowler, Assistant Director, Operational Support and Resilience, at ESFRS. “As the radio was designed specifically to meet the requirements of our fire service, it targets the key areas that needed to be addressed to improve our operational capabilities.” The solution runs on pre-defined operational channels and uses a 4-Watt ATEX radio transmitter, a four-fold increase over typical analogue devices, providing increased operational range. It has been developed to work with Dräger breathing apparatus, retaining the benefits of the Lung Demand Valve (LDV) noise suppression, while optimising the clarity and volume of speech on the digital channels. With the radios able to operate in close proximity, each firefighter may be issued with a radio, eliminating the need for sharing radios at an incident, providing a major safety benefit. To further enhance the coverage range, telent will provide ESFRS with portable repeaters that can be deployed – for example, in a high-rise building – enabling coverage throughout the incident area on demand. Further digital communication options are available to link the fireground radio solution to the Incident Command Unit using the Tait Unified Vehicle solution which integrates fireground radio with 4G/LTE, including Wi-Fi connectivity and Bluetooth for hands-free voice operation. It will enhance Incident Command Unit (ICU) operators’ freedom, enabling them to move about and increase productivity and efficiency, with the added benefit of voice recording of radio communications on the channel. Barry Zielinski, Operations & Services Director at telent, said: “We are delighted to expand and continue our work with ESFRS. Providing safety critical solutions as a trusted IT partner to the emergency services sector is a key focus for telent and we’re proud to be able to deliver communication services to support fire and rescue services across the country as they carry out their crucial work.” “Tait is committed to providing enhanced safety critical radio communications products and solutions to vertical markets including fire and emergency response,” said Andrew Gill, Managing Director EMEA at Tait Communications. “Along with ESFRS and our long-term partner, telent, we have developed an easy-to-use, high-capability solution that is suited for the intensity of fire and rescue situations. We look forward to continuing our work developing and delivering mission-critical products and services to the sector.”
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Capture One Update Brings First Fujifilm X-T4 Support
Capture One, the leading name in photo editing software, celebrates the release of Capture One version 20.0.3 which sees the company offer the first official support to the Fujifilm X-T4 – plus support for additional new cameras and lenses from other brands. Since 2018, Capture One and Fujifilm have enjoyed a unique collaborative relationship; working together to further develop the software, and to enable Fujifilm users to get the most out of the X-Trans sensors. This service release also includes bug fixes for Capture One 20. Capture One offers Fujifilm photographers a suite of tools unmatched by other photo editing software, including the ability to utilize Fujifilm’s critically acclaimed and globally beloved Film Simulations such as Acros, Provia, and Classic Chrome. With Capture One, these Film Simulations are not restricted to JPEGs, but can be used with RAW files, allowing for the most powerful and flexible image processing ability, and one that is distinctly Fujifilm. The collaboration also allows Capture One and Fujifilm to support the photographic community by providing full tailored support to Fujifilm’s newest cameras upon launch. From the moment it is released, X-T4 owners can rely on Capture One 20’s industry-leading image quality, tethering, and precise lens correction. Unlike other RAW processors, Capture One’s camera profiles are individually measured, a process that requires the use of the camera in and out of the controlled lab in Copenhagen, where a team of specialists engage the camera in numerous different scenarios. The team then evaluates performance parameters such as color, sharpness, and noise across hundreds of images and uses that data and experience to provide a truly tailored profile, ultimately providing the best post-processing experience possible, and one that is distinctly Fujifilm. New camera and lens support New camera support: o Fujifilm X-T4 o Fujifilm X-T4 o Fujifilm X100V o Nikon D780 o Nikon D3500 o Canon EOS M100 o Canon EOS M200 o Olympus TG-6 New lens support: o Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM (SEL24F14GM) o Sony FE 600mm F4 GM OSS (SEL600F40GM) + 1.4X Teleconverter (SEL14TC) o Sony FE 600mm F4 GM OSS (SEL600F40GM) + 2X Teleconverter (SEL20TC) o Nikon AF NIKKOR 24mm f/2.8D o Nikon AF-S DX Micro-NIKKOR 40mm f/2.8G o Pentax D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC AW
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Idemitsu Kosan and Toray Create TADF and Red Fluorescent OLED Device Delivering World’s Best Luminous Efficiency and Lifetime
Tokyo, Japan, November 25, 2019 – Idemitsu Kosan Co.,Ltd., and Toray Industries, Inc., announced today that they have jointly developed an organic electroluminescent (EL) device offering the world’s highest luminous efficiency, with a near practical range of 46 cd/A. The new device employs thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF, see note 1) and red fluorescent materials. This new technology could help reduce the costs and energy consumption of organic EL displays while enabling wide color gamuts. It is the result of combining Idemitsu Kosan’s development of TADF material, offering an exceptional luminous efficiency and lifespan, and Toray’s development of new red fluorescent material with a narrower emission spectrum (see note 2) compared to conventional counterparts, which provides high color purity. Organic EL displays comprise red, green, and blue light-emitting components. The devices emitting red light mainly employ phosphorescent materials. These materials can convert 100% of electricity to light and enhance luminous efficiency. The downside is that they are expensive because they incorporate rare metals and suffer from low color purity due to wide emission spectra. Those drawbacks have spurred interest in TADF materials in recent years. Technologies employing TADF materials can convert all power to light, as do phosphorescent ones. Another advantage is that they can attain high color purity when used in combination with fluorescent materials, which have narrow emission spectra. TADF materials also are free of rare metals, so they can help to reduce costs. Both companies concluded a technical alliance for organic EL materials on September 26, 2017. They have since collaborated in developing new materials by drawing on each other’s organic EL materials, technologies and expertise. The red organic EL device employing TADF materials that the companies developed together attains the same results as mainstream red phosphorescent devices and represents significant progress towards a swiftly materializing new technology. The two companies plan to drive forward to secure adoption of their materials and technologies in mobile and television applications. Idemitsu Kosan and Toray plan to present the results of their work on the new device during the 26th International Display Workshops at the Sapporo Convention Center on November 27.
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LucidSound and Sony DADC Announce European Distribution Partnership
SAN DIEGO, CA – October 29, 2019 – Sony DADC and LucidSound, the fastest growing gaming headset brand, announced today a strategic partnership where Sony DADC now oversees European operations for LucidSound, creating streamlined channels for distribution, sales and marketing support. Sony DADC is the leading end-to-end services provider for the entertainment industry and beyond, offering world-class digital and physical supply chain solutions and optical media replication services. “We have a growing product line and increasing demand in Europe and Sony DADC is a great partner to help meet our needs in the channel,” said Chris Von Huben, CEO of LucidSound. “We look forward to working with Sony DADC as we bring our signature headsets to more consumers worldwide. The timing makes a lot of sense as we have new headsets coming which includes the Limited-Edition Snoop Dogg LS50X, the recent launch of the Rose Gold LS35X, LS1, LS10 and the planned release of our LS50X.” “We are thrilled to partner with LucidSound and bring their headsets to the European market. We are confident that we will provide each of their products the marketing, sales and distribution support they deserve,” said Chris Spearing, Vice President - Consumer Sales at Sony DADC Europe. “LucidSound is known for its quality, design and signature features, that will appeal broadly to European gamers.”
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eFuzion: Innovative Technology for a Sustainable Future
Back in April, Yanmar unveiled its innovative and original, new concept construction equipment vehicle “eFuzion” at BAUMA 2019 to excited crowds of media, dealers, customers and construction equipment aficionados. Packed with innovative technology, the eFuzion concept demonstrates the depth and breadth of Yanmar’s global R&D, investing effort in developing and implementing innovative technologies to inspire creativity and unleash future possibilities. The eFuzion concept, primarily developed by Yanmar’s robotics research team, is a working demonstration of a precision machine with a robot arm that shows the possibilities of autonomous construction machinery of the future. Y Media caught up with Marta Niccolini, the lead researcher on the project and Jemylia Raimbault, Head of Marketing for Yanmar Compact Equipment – who has over 12 years in Global Marketing and Strategy positions in the Energy and Electricity industry - to find out about the a little more about the background to the eFuzion and learn some more about Yanmar’s robotics research. YMEDIA: Thanks for your time today Marta. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Marta Niccolini: I'm 37 years old, I'm Italian and I'm a control and robotics engineer. I have a lot of interest in robotics, also in my personal life. So I do a lot of robotics projects in my free time but I also like to make home-brewed beer, and in the winter I go snowboarding. I've worked in Yanmar for 6 years now. YMEDIA: How did you become interested in robotics? MN: When I was a child, I was always curious about how things worked, and I used to disassemble a lot of my mother's things, like the vacuum cleaner and so on. Then when I was a 15 or 16, I started developing some electronics by myself and programming microcontrollers and that's what got me interested in robotics and mechatronics - to get mechanical things to move but with some intelligence provided by the electronics, the sensors and so on. YMEDIA: So, did your mother get angry at you when you took the vacuum cleaner apart? MN: Yes, sometimes! Because I disassembled it and I tried to put it back together, but there were always some parts left over (laughs). YMEDIA: How did you come to work at Yanmar? MN: At high school, I started to study to become a teacher. Basically, I didn't like studying, but my parents forced me to at least do that much. But then when I got older, I discovered that I liked math and physics much more than psychology or philosophy. So, I decided to start computer engineering, and then I specialized in control and robotics engineering. I went on to do my PhD. at the University of Pisa for 3 years and then I switched to a doctoral position in medical robotics at a research center. YMEDIA: Then this is your first company position after your doctorate? MN: Yes, the first one. I decided to join Yanmar because it gave me with the chance to continue doing research but in a more applied way, on real products. That's why I decided to switch from an academic career to one based on working at a company. YMEDIA: What advice would you want to give to a student who might want to follow in your footsteps and have a similar career? MN: Basically, one has to follow the passion they have because otherwise this could become quite hard work and quite stressful. But if you have a lot of passion, if you like what you do, it becomes like a hobby. Also, I think you should always believe in what you do. Even if at first you think that something is impossible, it may become possible, and you might be able to realize it if you believe in it. YMEDIA: Okay, pretty good advice. Thank you. YMEDIA: Does Italy have a dynamic robotics community? MN: There are companies doing robotics but most activity takes place at the academic level, and one of the problems that Italy is facing is the lack of research from companies. That's why in my opinion, Yanmar was unique from this point of view. YMEDIA: What are some of the challenges of "field robotics"? MN: Yes sure. Well, many jobs in construction are made for humans, even when you consider the materials. For example, bricks are made for the human hand. But also, the processes that are behind construction are generally designed to be done by humans. So, if you want to introduce robots at all, you need to change a lot of parts; both the components and the processes involved. YMEDIA: Many people don't have a clear idea about the line between mechanization and robotics. So, is there a line? How do you define those things differently? MN: The main difference between the robotics and mechanization is that mechanization provides the tools to do a job that was previously done by hand. But in this case, the human is 100% responsible for all of the movements and activities that the machine is doing. A robot is a little different, because the robot, in my opinion, has a perception of what's happening around it, so it can understand what's happening and can make a decision and can act autonomously. Sometimes there is a need for a human operator to make it to move the right way or take decisions, but the main difference is that in a mechanized tool, 100% is of the control is human, while in robotics, the machine itself understands the situation and takes a decision or undertakes some autonomous action. YMEDIA: It seems that robots are in the news quite a lot these days and when you think back about five years or 10 years, I mean I think there really wasn't very much in the way of robots in society, perhaps in car factory and some other areas, yes, but not in general society... What's changed? Why has this become much more of a common everyday occurrence do you think? MN: Yeah basically, I think what is driving this progression is certainly improvement in the performance of sensors and batteries and also size. There is also the issue of computational power of the CPU. In the last year we have a very, very, small electronic component with a very high computational power which allows the robots to reason. Also, there are new algorithms and technologies that allow a robot to recognize its surrounding environment, for example by means of vision and artificial intelligence. There is also another factor in my opinion that is driving this very fast development of autonomy, and that is the very large community in robotics. There is a lot of sharing of tools and code between universities and also companies. Jemylia Raimbault: So, the pace of development is increased because there is a sort of a Uberization of the capacities all over the community. MN: Yes, and this is very important because it allows very fast development of new technologies without having to starting from zero. YMEDIA: Interesting, so there is quite a large robotics community? MN: Yes, it's a large community which makes available a great many tools and algorithms that are already developed and tested. JR: For me, what I see is that we have more and more robots around us, but we're not really paying attention to them. Whether it's your cooking robot or whether it is your Roomba that is cleaning your house or wiping the floor etc., it is there and it's more convenient. So what has happened is that as the technology has improved, as Marta said, with the battery price and performance improving and greater computational capacity and more, people realize that as the technology has improved it is now more affordable and people can now outsource to robots these low added value or repetitive tasks that a human would once have done. These tasks are put out to robots so that humans can enjoy better quality time in a society that is becoming more and more hectic. I think this is reflected the spirit, if you will, of today's society. If you look at say, generations X, Y or Z, the Y and the Z generation are not interested in working long hours for the sake of it but are keen to have more fun and enjoy their life, beyond the working environment. So, they have no issue doing anything they can to minimize laborious tasks or externalize them to robots. YMEDIA: So changes in society are driving this too JR: I think it's a change in mentality. Generation Y ("digital natives" as we can call them) or the Generation Z (also called the C generation for Communication, Collaboration, Connection and Creativity) are more open to welcoming robots because they were born with these technologies: with the internet, with connections, with things being done by computers or robots. I think it shows how some segments of society are more open to a world with greater robotization. YMEDIA: We touched on this before, but field robotics is something that is not so well known. Can you tell us about some of the differences between field robotics and say, the autonomous vehicles we have on the road, and what are some of the special challenges you have in that area? MN: Sure, yes. Basically, one of the main differences between field robotics and autonomous vehicles is that field robotics need to take some action on the environment. Now, if you think of the example of an excavator that needs to dig a hole, you can see that this is not as easy as it seems. It needs to interact with the ground. And this activity seems to be quite easy but in reality, the expertise of the operator that is actually doing the work is a very important factor in the final result. So, one of the main differences is the interaction with the environment. I think another challenge, especially for the mini excavator, is that the mini excavator is used for a lot of jobs. So sometimes the excavator will be carrying a load. Another time it will be demolishing something. If you want to introduce autonomous technology in that situation, you need to make it flexible enough to perform the same jobs they're doing today. They are used for a lot of different tasks so it's quite difficult to make a completely autonomous machine to handle all those tasks. YMEDIA: Is there more autonomy and robotics coming into construction equipment now, and if so, why is that? JR: I think, and Marta again correct me if I'm wrong, from what we have seen at BAUMA, there is more and more electrification of machinery, but not necessarily much in the way of robots or autonomous machines. There are some attempts at remote control for safety reasons and convenience, but not so much actual robotization. You can have assistance, you can have connected machines, but not yet robotization. And this is where with Bauma and the eFuzion we really made a great leap. The understanding today in construction is that with or without legislation, with or without the rules of the European law changing, there's a strong grassroots movement towards zero emissions and because of that companies have no other choice but to follow the pace. But in terms of robots I don't see any robotization yet. Certainly, electrification... yes. And again, this is really where the eFuzion machine stood out. Not only does it implement electrification, but also the robotization with full autonomy. YMEDIA: What do you mean when you say "assist technology" or "assistance" in the context of robotics? MN: By assistance, I mean for example a grading assistant. The machine can help the operator to perform some maneuvers. If you consider the job of grading, you need to move many joints at the same time. We now have a situation where we have a lack of expert operators that can do that job easily. They need a lot of training to perform that job and synchronize the movements of all the joints of the machine. As we saw at Bauma, some companies are working on a tool that allows the operator to just use a joystick to move these multiple joints of the machine. The machine performs the grading movement and the operator can do this by just moving one lever. JR: You also have now a number of companies both in Europe and Japan that are all working around the construction machine to give it this kind of assistance capability. This can help you, for example, to visualize underground pipes in 3D, whereas before, you could only do your best with maps or plans. They will assist you in knowing, for example, if the machine has been working without being switched off. Rental companies will be able to know in detail and in real-time about the operating conditions of their equipment. This is all a kind of assistance from geo-localization to feedback on how the machine is performing or allowing you to do a better job with better knowledge about the environment. This is what we called making the machine smarter or what I call it: making the machine more intelligent. This is I guess what Marta is telling you by providing more assistance. MN: Another good point about introducing robots in construction is that now building plans and even construction site plans are made digitally. So before, all drawings were made on paper and for a robot it was quite difficult to reason based on a paper drawing. Now everything is 3D, is on the cloud, so all the stakeholders in the construction field can work according to the same digital drawing. The machine can also be connected to this digital drawing, and this helps the machine work with a perception of the environment, as in the example that Jemylia was describing about the pipes. JR: This is the BIM data we also used with eFuzion. MN: Another thing regarding assistance is augmented reality. You have digital drawings and there are some tools, for example the Hololens from Microsoft, that you can provide to the operator, and then your operator can see the real environment while simultaneously seeing a digital version of the same environment. YMEDIA: I know that the eFuzion is a concept and a technology demonstrator, but what do you see is the future of construction robotics if you look at the long term? MN: Yes, I believe that in years to come, robots will become a part of building and construction. However, at this time, if we consider the building and construction site, maybe the only robot operating - if we can call it a robot, because sometimes it is teleoperated, is a small robot that makes holes in the ceiling. So, at this time, we don't see very many robots in this field. I think things will change, first of all thanks to this BIM technology but also thanks to new advances in robotics. MN: In our research, we visited a lot of construction sites, especially sites for tall buildings. What makes these worksites suitable for robotization is that these tall buildings are expensive and there is a lot of work that can be considered repetitive, compared to the construction of small buildings. The machine that we have developed here also has precision characteristics, so one field that we would like to investigate is how to use this machine and in an indoor environment. Since it's fully electric, it can work indoors, and it has precision capabilities that allow it to be used for many kinds of precision work in construction. Furthermore, it's connected to BIM, so we can instruct the machine to carry out repetitive tasks and keep a precise positioning of where the components should go, directly from the planning drawings. JR: One thing many companies are looking at, is how various types of equipment can be integrated into the smart grid of the urban environment of the future. This includes power companies, transportation, as well as a lot of players who have not traditionally been involved in urban planning and construction. One example is where you have large IT companies are starting to become active in this area as they are heavy consumers of power from the grid, and therefore have a large interest in energy resources, even though they are not traditional players in the industry. The eFuzion is an example of equipment that could possibly in the future, plug into and be part of this smart urban grid, and I have heard some interest in informal discussions with energy companies. Certainly, there will be disruption of these industries. YMEDIA: Very interesting. Thank you both for your time.
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LucidSound Partners With ESTV esports Network as Official Headset Sponsor
SAN DIEGO, CA – SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 – LucidSound, the fastest growing gaming headset brand designed for the gaming lifestyle, announced today a new partnership with ESTV, as the official headset partner for first ever dedicated channel for esports and gaming personalities. The partnership kicks off with ESTV’s Battle of Branches that will be hosted on October 5, at Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington State, where all prize packages will include a variety of LucidSound headsets. “ESTV is all about high performance eSports athletes which aligns perfectly with our advanced headset technology,” said, Chris Von Huben, CEO, LucidSound. “Our design and control scheme centers around performance and comfort, something very important to esports competitors, making this partnership a natural fit for the LucidSound brand.” LucidSound recently announced their product lineup for Holiday 2019, with its latest headset the Rose Gold LS35X ($179.99), an Xbox Wireless headset available exclusively in Best Buy stores nationwide. LucidSound also has its chat gaming headset, the LS1 ($24.99) and its stereo gaming headset the LS10 ($59.99) coming to Target in October. “As a channel dedicated to esports it is very important for us to use the best quality products so that players can focus on the competition, and I love that LucidSound creates headsets that seamlessly mesh style with comfort, functionality and performance,” says, Ahman Green, director of business development for ESTV. “We are excited for this partnership that will continue to bring fans a great experience watching, playing and listening to videogames." ESTV provides round the clock coverage of esports athletes and gaming franchises from an insider perspective. ESTV’s coverage of hardcore gaming, competitive gaming, casual mainstream gaming, events, and syndicated late night is seen around the world.
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AI-powered camera compatible with Raspberry Pi improves ability through every click
(Shanghai, August 19th)--Robotics and open source hardware provider DFRobot announced the company surpassing its crowdfunding goal by 300% of HuskyLens, an easy-to-use, powerful artificial intelligence vision sensor compatible with microcontrollers including Arduino, Raspberry Pi, LattePanda, and micro:bit. HuskyLens is driven by the power of image processing algorithms and is constantly learning new objects, faces, and colours at the click of a button. It is based on the Kendryte K210 SoC with a dual-core RISC-V 64-bit processor designed with AI applications in mind. The AI camera continuously learns and improves its abilities with each click of the button and has an algorithmic processing speed that is 1,000 times faster than most similar products on the market, reading up to 30 frames per second. Unlike other similar products on the market, HuskyLens is a time-saving device with several built-in algorithms that allow creators to make projects without previous algorithmic knowledge. HuskyLens is equipped with algorithms of facial recognition, object recognition, object tracking, line following, colour detection, and tag detection. Users can also switch between algorithms with one single click. The HuskyLens team indicated that the main framework of the HuskyLens will be licensed under LGPL-2.1. The repository of the project will have multiple licenses. There will be a file in each algorithm folder indicating the original author and its license type. HuskyLens is currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter, with pledges starting at around $20 for the standard early bird version, and approximately $50 for an enhanced version with a 5-megapixel camera. Other options can be found on its KickStarter page and it is available for backing till September 7th.
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Poly G7500 Delivers All-in-One Content and Video Conferencing Solution for Limitless Potential to Collaborate
Plantronics, Inc. ("Poly" -- formerly Plantronics and Polycom) (NYSE: PLT), a global communications company that powers meaningful human connection and collaboration, today announced the Poly G7500, a video device that combines content collaboration and video conferencing capabilities in one device. The G7500 integrates advanced audio features, wireless content sharing and Ultra HD 4K video, creating an immersive audio and video experience for mid- to large-sized conference rooms. "Not only are we spending more time in meetings than just a few years ago, we're collaborating in different ways than before with the rise of remote workers, open office floor plans and increasingly global workforces," said Chris Thorson, senior director of global solutions marketing, Poly. "All of these factors are generating demand for video conferencing solutions that make meetings more productive and are as real as face-to-face. Poly developed G7500 with these factors in mind -- simplicity, clarity and limitless possibility. Your focus stays on the meeting, while our technology steps quietly into the background." The G7500 places 4K content and collaboration at the center of the experience with a customizable interface for both touch and non-touch displays as well as secure and guest network capabilities for all connected devices. The G7500 also features infinite whiteboarding, where users can write over content, use the screen as a whiteboard space, and capture for later use. By combining video conferencing and content sharing in one solution, the G7500 empowers multiple attendees to share content -- from any device -- to make meetings more productive. The G7500 also helps teams share ideas and express themselves clearly with rich visuals and detailed audio that allow users to feel like they're together in the same room. Ultra HD 4K video promises four times the quality in video calls and beyond. "The advancements and capabilities of the G7500 will dramatically improve the quality of our surgical education and training program," said professor Dr. Wilko Grolman, an otolaryngologist based in the Netherlands. "With 4K resolution, we are one step closer to viewing the procedure as though it's through the surgeon's eyes." Poly-exclusive innovations such as NoiseBlock and Acoustic Fence ensure minimal audio distractions such as background noise and side conversations while stereo audio provides a premium in-room experience at a distance. The G7500 incorporates an interface that is intuitive and easy to navigate, and a deployment-friendly architecture makes it simple and cost-effective to install. The G7500 is intended for users including but not limited to business leaders, IT and facilities managers, AV specialists and healthcare professionals. Support for industry standards gives G7500 the flexibility to connect to any cloud-based video platform or ecosystem (such as Zoom, Cisco Webex, GoToMeeting, Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business) through Polycom's RealConnect Service. "The global video conferencing market is booming. It was valued at $6.43 Billion in 2016 and is anticipated to reach $13.42 Billion by 2023", explains Roopam Jain, Industry Director at Frost & Sullivan's Connected Work practice. "Enterprises around the world are rapidly investing in video conferencing tools that improve collaboration and productivity for today's digital workers. With the release of G7500, Poly is bringing its expertise in high-quality video, audio and content collaboration to offer a secure and flexible next-generation solution for medium and large conference rooms at a compelling price." The G7500 is the next generation of meeting solutions from Poly designed to deliver powerful video and content-driven experiences for the modern-day workplace. Poly's latest suite of solutions, helping to drive collaboration, include the Poly G7500, the new EagleEye Cube, Polycom Studio and Microsoft Teams on Polycom Trio. The G7500 is now available in Singapore and will be available in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines later this year.