NUS Interactive Multimedia Lab

More reason for remote collaboration systems research

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 02:30:45 +0000

Firms' travel costs a top concern
Fri, Nov 21, 2008
my paper
By Rachel Chan

CUTTING travelling costs is the top priority of corporate- travel managers in Singapore, a survey said yesterday.

Up to 77 per cent of respondents here expect the cost of business travel to rise in the next two years, said the Travel Management Study conducted by AirPlus International Travel Management.

This makes Singapore No. 2 among 15 countries surveyed on cost expectations. South Africa, at 81 per cent, tops the list.

However, it is unlikely that business travel in Singapore would go down.

This is because Singapore is the most important market for business travel in Asia. It is home to more than 4,000 regional headquarters formultinational companies, more than half the total number of 7,000 regional headquarters in Asia, AirPlus said.

Nonetheless, the International Air Transport Association said that air-passenger traffic has been badly hit by the financial crisis. The industry has suffered record losses of US$5.2 billion (S$7.9 billion) this year.

Airfare and hotel costs top the list of price worries globally, said Mr Christian Gall, executive director of core countries international at AirPlus.

A my paper check with low-cost carriers AirAsia, Jetstar and Tiger Airways showed that more corporate travellers are opting to travel on budget, particularly for short-haul trips.

More high-level managers have also downgraded short-distance flights from business class to economy, said a local spokesman for corporate travel-services company Hogg Robinson Group (HRG).

Companies are also reviewing the need for five-star hotel stays, particularly in expensive cities, said Mr Greg James, general manager of HRG's London headquarters.

As a result, finding the balance between making travellers comfortable and managing costs will become increasingly challenging.

Mr Gall cited the example of a British travel manager who was instructed by her company to cut travel costs.

"So she moved everybody from British Airways to low-cost carriers," he said. "But the uproar from travellers was so high that she was dismissed six months later."

Still, AirPlus remains upbeat about its business in Singapore. It forecasts double-digit growth next year and will invest between $10 million and $20 million to build a regional operating centre here.

The Travel Management Study was carried out between May and July. Phone interviews were conducted with 1,500 managers in 15 countries - including China, Italy and the United States.

AirPlus is a global businesstravel payment-solutions company based in Germany.

Singapore is included in its fourth global benchmark survey for the first time.

rachchan@sph.com.sg

S$10m fund to support 3D media industry

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 01:04:50 +0000

Channel NewsAsia
By 938LIVE, Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 19 November 2008 1438 hrs

SINGAPORE: The government is setting up a fund of at least S$10 million to support the growth of the 3D media industry.

Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, Lee Boon Yang, said the fund will support content projects, 3D infrastructure, production and post-production facilities as well as training initiatives for 3D film makers over the next two years.

The Media Development Authority (MDA) will work closely with broadcasters, content producers and media companies on this.

In addition, Dr Lee said a piece of land at One-North has been earmarked for media infrastructure. This will be a private-public endeavour.

The minister said the government will provide the basic infrastructure and private developers will be invited to build and operate the media support facilities.

"To fire up our collaborations, we already have a partnership between the Singapore Film Commission and filmmaker Brian Yuzna of Komodo Films to produce a slate of three films, including Singapore's first stereoscopic 3D digital feature, 'Amphibious'. Post-production for this film will be by Singapore's Infinite Frameworks." said Dr Lee.

He added there will be growing demand for such facilities from international content creators.

Dr Lee was speaking at the opening of the inaugural 3D Film & Entertainment Technology Festival on Wednesday.

Over the next few years, Hollywood will be churning out more 3D films. And Hollywood producers said it is a matter of time before Asia catches up in the 3D race.

Brett Leonard, the man who directed Denzel Washington in the film "Virtuosity", will be helming a state-of-the-art 3D movie production facility in Singapore.

It will be the first one of its kind in the world where the entire creative process - from production to post-production - will be in 3D.

- 938LIVE / CNA

Sony develops CMOS sensor for phones

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:31:22 +0000

Sony Commercializes World's First*1, Industry Leading Resolution*1 12.25 Megapixel CMOS Image Sensor "ExmorTM" for Mobile Phones

Sony

Tokyo, Japan �Sony Corporation today announced the commercialization of "IMX060PQ", a new type 1/2.5 CMOS image sensor "Exmor�" for use in camera enabled mobile phones that leverages Sony's proprietary formation technology to realize the industry's smallest unit cell size (1.4�m), and the industry's highest pixel count*1 (12.25 effective megapixel resolution). "IMX060PQ" is designed to meet the increasing need for advanced image quality within mobile phone enabled cameras. Sony also announced the launch of "IMX046PQ", a type 1/3.2 CMOS image sensor "Exmor�" with 8.11 effective megapixel resolution, and "IMX045PQ", a type 1/4 "Exmor�" CMOS image sensor featuring 5.15 effective megapixel resolution.

Furthermore, Sony will also commercialize "IU060F", a type 1/2.5 lens module with 12.25 effective megapixel resolution, and "IU046F", a type 1/3.2 lens module with 8.11 effective megapixels. Equipped with lens and auto focus functions, the two modules are the industry's smallest*1 and thinnest in their class, and with the launch of these products Sony will seek to enhance the enjoyment of taking high quality images using camera enabled mobile phones.

In recent years, the convenience offered by cameras in mobile phones has driven an increase in their use, while demand for higher image quality has also continued to grow. In addition, as mobile phone designs have become more refined, and models become smaller and thinner, the need for further miniaturization in mobile phone camera technology has also increased. To meet these requirements, improvements in both image quality and sensor miniaturization must be achieved, but the more the shrinking process is continued, the more difficult it becomes to gather light intlso the sensor pixels, leading to the risk of image degradation resulting from reduced sensitivity and S/N levels

The newly developed CMOS image sensor "IMX060PQ" leverages Sony's proprietary formation technology to deliver the industry's smallest unit cell size*1 (1.4�m), and the industry's highest pixel count*1 (12.25 effective megapixel resolution). The implementation of a Cu process that achieves extremely fine interconnections, together with the sensor's unique pixel structure and improvements in condensing efficiency have realized high sensitivity levels and a high S/N ratio, despite the industry's smallest*11.4�m size unit cell. Furthermore, Sony's proprietary "Column-Parallel A/D Conversion technique" minimizes image quality degradation cased by noise that arises during analog processing, while also enabling higher pixel count and frame rates (10 frames/s for "IMX060PQ" and 15frames/s for "IMX046PQ").

By enhancing its "Exmor�" range of CMOS image sensors, used in product lineups such as digital SLR cameras and high definition digital video cameras as well as mobile phones, Sony will aim to meet customer needs for advanced imaging performance comparable to dedicated compact digital still cameras in slimline, camera enabled mobile phones.

*1 As of November 13, 2008. (based on Sony research)

Fujifilm to develop 3D digital photography system

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 07:37:00 +0000

Photokina

Fujifilm

PHOTOKINA 2008, COLOGNE, GERMANY, September 23, 2008 FUJIFILM Corporation today announces a radical departure from current imaging systems with the development of a completely new, real image system (3D digital camera, 3D digital photo frame, 3D print) that marks a complete break from previous attempts to introduce this technology.

The arrival of digital photography over a decade ago opened up so many new ways of enjoying images, not only through capture, but also through manipulation, printing and display. Sales of digital cameras, and other devices like camera phones or webcams have raced ahead of what experts had expected because of the sheer scope of what has become possible in digital imaging. So many more consumers are enjoying photography through their cameras, PCs and prints than was the case in the heyday of film.

Fujifilm is determined to push those boundaries yet further, to produce devices which offer new ways to capture and process images, to expand consumer enjoyment of photography in ways that had hitherto only been imagined.

The company has a strong research program currently running to improve every aspect of capture and output. This is based on the broad concept of producing images as lifelike as possible, or more simply, �capturing an image exactly as your eye sees it.� The �Real Photo Technology� program is determined to improve key quality metrics for each generation of camera, like �high resolution with low noise,� �expanded wide dynamic range,� �intelligent scene recognition,� �intelligent flash,� �face detection� etc, culminating in the announcement this September of a new type of sensor, Fujifilm Super CCD EXR, which will take image quality to levels hitherto undreamed of.

Previous 3D systems were hampered by poor image quality, and a cumbersome user experience, which often meant the need for special 3D glasses. One major benefit of the FinePix Real 3D System is that for digital camera LCD playback, display and print, the consumer can enjoy the image just as it was originally seen with the naked eye

The same research team is determined to use these key technologies to open up a new market with 3D imaging. The new 3D image system features advanced image signal processing and micro-component technologies, and is so far able to demonstrate a camera, a viewing panel and a 3D printing system.

Float4 Interactive

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:06:43 +0000

Float4 from joshk on Vimeo.

Float4�s custom software technology can work with cheap cameras (e.g. eyeToy) and regular screens. The effects are most impressive when displayed life-size using a back-projected display and two high-performance cameras.

Float4 Interactive

COMPUTER VISION CAN DUPLICATE KEYS

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:58:22 +0000

It can be done with just one digital photo taken in normal conditions. UCSD Jacobs School Computer Scientists built a software that can perform the key duplication with that one photo.

UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering News
SNEAKEY

BRAIN POWER

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 03:14:30 +0000

Man and Machine combined.

CBS NEWS

People who are completely paralyzed due to illness or trauma are getting help communicating with a new technology that connects their brains to a computer. Scott Pelley reports.

November 3, 2008

Watch CBS Videos Online

Seekway 3D LED Cube Amazes in Glorious Color Phasing Fashion

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:42:29 +0000

http://gizmodo.com/tag/gadget/

Seekway has put together this spectacular 3D LED display, which is capable of displaying images in full 3D (duh) at an amazing, 30 fps. The prototype consists of a 16 x 16 x 16 grid of interconnected color LEDs and if our mathematics doesn't fail us, that's 4096 individual diodes. We're sure you'll agree; it looks amazing, but the video is even more fantastic, so jump in.

Read more

http://gizmodo.com/376605/seekway-3d-led-cube-amazes-in-glorious-color-phasing-fashion

EMR-9 EYE TRACKER

Fri, 23 May 2008 16:48:51 +0000

The Daily Star

Nac Image Technology displays a new eye-tracking system "EMR-9", which can track eye movement with three CCD cameras on the glasses. Automakers are using this device for research of drivers' eye-tracking movement to prevent accidents. The new device can record high-speed eye movement of 240 frames per second of VGA (640 x 480) image.

Tabletop Interface - Blue Yeti

Tue, 6 May 2008 14:54:18 +0000

A post contributed by Lonce Wyse

http://www.blueyeti.fr/Accueil.html