(Environmental news) Explore The Current Audio Visual News
No commentsBy Shaun Parker
This article explores the weird and the wonderful world of audio visual keeping a finger on the pulse of the latest technological developments. We are entering the realm of seriously scary with what can be done and this article is packed with CGI humanoids and robotic snakes.
Every year natural geometric disasters plague certain parts of the planet and although we cannot prevent this from happening , we can certainly be equipped to deal with the aftermath. This is where the 8 metre robotic snake comes in, which is designed to be controlled by an operator to locate survivors.
The snake uses an internal system of fibre optics which is a series of mirrored fibres that cause total reflection in order to transfer data via light at optimum speed. It can negotiate around complex obstacles and reach places that rescue workers and dogs cannot. The balance between flexibility, size and durability was paramount in the design and the Japanese developers hope that the technology will be developed further to help people all over the globe.
The use of CGI in feature films has thrown the gates of the imagination wide open, allowing directors to stage realistic fantastical effects from apocalyptic explosions to creating strange creatures from other worlds. The latest developments in this technology have seen CGI taken to another level by a company called Image Metrics and is set to revolutionise CGI computer gaming.
Image Metrics, producers of CGI for the cult gaming phenomenon Grand Theft Auto have developed a facial recognition system that builds facial expressions by focussing on individual pixels as opposed to targeted points on the face. The company states that the eye movements and lack of symmetry is what makes this new technique so effective and they have released a promotional video featuring an actress called Emily being interviewed about the technique although she is not really there.
These developments have to be sustained by hardware as previously graphics chips could not cope with this new technology. AMD has produced a chip with the equivalent processing power of a computer that would have filled a whole room twelve years ago, but the chip fits inside a standard PC. Although these images are a step up toward life-like photo imagery, it is believed the line between real and CGI will not be completely blurred until 2020.
CGI is big business and this facial recognition technique in theory could used for other facial recognition purposes such as security. The face has a fingerprint in it that is unique as no one face is the same, so the pixel system could in theory be adapted to monitor the movements of criminals or terrorists.
Shaun Parker is a correspondent covering Video News and all developments in audio visual technology.
Get Creative About Creating New Ezine or Blog Content
By Peggy Champlin
The quality and value of your content will determine how your subscribers feel about you and your business. When we talk about starting a blog or an ezine, our clients will often express anxiety about generating quality content on a regular basis.
When I started my first ezine - long, long ago! - I was a little worried, too. But I soon realized it wasn’t that hard if I kept in mind the various formats I could use.
Your content can include one or more of the following formats:
* Editorials
You will become seen as an expert in your field. Use editorials to express an opinion and share your viewpoint on a topic. You can also write a chatty, personal piece to establish a rapport with your readers.
* Feature articles
These can be by you or other people. The best length is 300-700 words - long enough to have valuable information and short enough to get read. The topic should be related to your business.
* News clips or stories
This can be timely news in the area your business covers that would be of interest to your subscribers.
* Aggregating other content
As an expert on your topic, you can research and gather information from books and/or websites and present it. This can save your subscribers a great deal of time and be seen as quite valuable.
* Reviews
Beyond listing sources of information in your area, you can do in-depth reviews of books, websites, software, etc. This can be a great tie to affiliate programs to which you belong. Tell your readers specifically what is good and bad about the thing you review, making sure to be balanced. But do offer a recommendation about it. Should your reader check it out, or is it a waste of time?
* Announcements
These can be about your company, website updates, or new products or services you’re offering.
* Website updates
I’ve separated this out to mention it again because it’s key. You want to get people to keep coming back to your website. The more they visit, the more likely it is that they will buy something. So, mention new articles, new topics you’re covering within your theme, a contest, a free giveaway, a special discount, or a seasonal offer. Anything to get them to come back!
* Interviews
Publishing an interview with an expert is valuable content and not hard to create. You’ll just need to plan ahead a bit. Pick an expert and get to know a bit about him or her so you can be a knowledgeable interviewer. Decide on a topic for the interview and prepare a list of questions. Ask your expert to do the interview. Usually, they’ll be willing in order to get the visibility as an expert in your blog or ezine. Email a copy of the questions to your expert and review the reply. Prepare the article with the responses and get final approval from your expert.
* Q & A
You can have a regular or occasional article where you respond to questions your subscribers or clients ask. You can also make up your own questions and answer them!
* Entertainment
It can be fun to occasionally offer a joke or story. On my blog, I’ll sometimes post a funny story, jokes, or a thoughtful story or article that reflects my own philosophy. You can do this instead of a business-related piece, or in addition to one. You just want to make sure you have the right proportion of business content to entertainment content over time.
* Quotes
Many publishers include quotes that are relevant to the topic(s) covered in the current ezine or blog post.
If you keep a list of these presentation styles handy, you’ll have an easier time creating content for your next ezine issue or blog post.
Peggy Champlin’s web design business has been providing a full suite of services and products to help small companies build their businesses online since 2002. Visit Success With Ease to subscribe to our list and receive an article like this every week.
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Monday, August 25th, 2008 at 11:00 am and is filed under news. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
