US authorities are reportedly set to make reversing cameras mandatory on all new vehicles, but safety advocates here say the devices are only part of the solution for protecting children in driveways.The New York Times said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is to announce later this week that automakers must put rear-view cameras in all passenger vehicles by 2014.However the devices are expected to cost the auto industry as much as US$2.7 billion (NZ$3.2 billion) a year, or $US160 (NZ$190) to US$200 (NZ$238) a vehicle.US authorities claim 95 to 112 deaths and 8,374 injuries could be prevented if the cameras were made compulsory.
According to US Government figures state 228 people die - 44 percent under the age of five - as a result of being backed over by vehicles each year."We wouldn't buy a car if we couldn't see 30 or 40 feet going forward," Ms Fennell said. "We're taking this big lethal weapon going in reverse, and we can't see."However New Zealand safety advocate Safekids said the cameras were not foolproof.Director of Safekids, Ann Weaver, did not support the Government following suit here, saying the cameras risk putting people in a "false sense of security"."Any tool that helps prevent any injuries will be useful," Ms Weaver said.
"[But] we would need to remind people is that they are not the solution. They are certainly an aid in child safety, in terms of identifying if there are children behind your car, but depending on the quality of the camera, whether or not they can see everything behind the car, there is always going to be some blind spot. [If] a child is sitting on the bumper, for example, the camera may not see that child."Ms Weaver said if countries do make the cameras compulsory, more vehicles with the feature will trickle into the New Zealand market.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Mega-powerful camera phone, super-fast gadgets dazzle at mobile show
Mobile phone giant Nokia on Monday unveiled a phone with a powerful 41 Megapixel camera as it attempts to reposition itself back at the forefront of the mobile market.The phone is among a dazzling array of new gadgets unveiled so far at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, an annual event that showcases the industry's latest innovations.Among them is a Chinese phone that claims to be the world's fastest and another that carries an in-built projector.Sunlight, camera, action!
The unrivaled camera capabilities of Nokia's 808 PureView, which runs the company's Symbian operating system, caused ripples of surprise among Congress delegates who predicted few surprises thanks to pre-event leaks and rumors.The 41 Megapixels put the phone in the same league -- in terms of photo resolution -- as professional cameras costing thousands of dollars.Nokia, which in recent years has seen its dominance of the global mobile market eroded by manufacturers such as Apple and BlackBerry, also launched a lower-cost version of its flagship Lumia phone range. The Nokia 610, priced at €189, runs on the mobile version of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system.
On Sunday, Chinese mobile maker Huawei made headlines with what it claims is the world's fastest smartphone.The Ascend D quad features much-vaunted quad core technology -- twice the processing power of most new devices -- and runs Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest version of the Google-linked Android operating system.It is expected to be released in China in coming months, but no dates for a roll out beyond Asia have been announced.Other hot gadget announcements include phones by Taiwanese manufacturer HTC. Its One X, One S and One V devices feature 4.3 inch screens made of toughened Gorilla glass and eight Megapixel cameras.
The unrivaled camera capabilities of Nokia's 808 PureView, which runs the company's Symbian operating system, caused ripples of surprise among Congress delegates who predicted few surprises thanks to pre-event leaks and rumors.The 41 Megapixels put the phone in the same league -- in terms of photo resolution -- as professional cameras costing thousands of dollars.Nokia, which in recent years has seen its dominance of the global mobile market eroded by manufacturers such as Apple and BlackBerry, also launched a lower-cost version of its flagship Lumia phone range. The Nokia 610, priced at €189, runs on the mobile version of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system.
On Sunday, Chinese mobile maker Huawei made headlines with what it claims is the world's fastest smartphone.The Ascend D quad features much-vaunted quad core technology -- twice the processing power of most new devices -- and runs Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest version of the Google-linked Android operating system.It is expected to be released in China in coming months, but no dates for a roll out beyond Asia have been announced.Other hot gadget announcements include phones by Taiwanese manufacturer HTC. Its One X, One S and One V devices feature 4.3 inch screens made of toughened Gorilla glass and eight Megapixel cameras.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Sunlight, camera, action!
"We are not negotiating this in the public," said Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis last week.She was responding to reporters curious about the union's ambitious opening gambit in its contract talks with the cash-strapped Chicago Public Schools — a 30 percent raise over two years, smaller class sizes and so on — contained in documents obtained by the Chicago Tribune."Our contract negotiations have just begun and are negotiated in good faith and not in the public," said a follow-up statement from a CTU spokeswoman.The schools are public. The funds to be spent are public. On one side of the table is a public body. Why shouldn't the public have a seat at that table, if only to listen in through the media to the offers and counter-offers?
Negotiating a contract of this dimension is a major governmental act — far more significant than many of the twists of the statutory knob that must, by law, be performed by legislative bodies at open meetings.Closed doors are antithetical to democracy. Our traditions tell us that public oversight and input not only help keep officials honest, but also aid them in their quest to represent the will of the people (assuming that is their quest).In the case of teachers union negotiations, parents are major stakeholders — even more so than most taxpayers — yet are totally shut out of the process until the parties emerge from marathon bargaining sessions brandishing a settlement.
Part of a sweeping education reform package that went into effect last year was a requirement forcing teachers and school boards to negotiate at public meetings. And while the Idaho Education Association, a teachers union organization, opposed nearly all aspects of the reforms, it supported the open-negotiations provision."We think it's a really good thing, very positive" said IEA spokeswoman Julie Fanselow. She said it's been hard to evaluate its effectiveness so far "against the backdrop of an otherwise very, very damaging law."The Education Action Group Foundation Inc., a Muskegon, Mich.-based union watchdog group that promotes open negotiations, points to isolated districts around the country where details of ongoing talks have been posted on the Internet in an effort to break or prevent logjams.
Negotiating a contract of this dimension is a major governmental act — far more significant than many of the twists of the statutory knob that must, by law, be performed by legislative bodies at open meetings.Closed doors are antithetical to democracy. Our traditions tell us that public oversight and input not only help keep officials honest, but also aid them in their quest to represent the will of the people (assuming that is their quest).In the case of teachers union negotiations, parents are major stakeholders — even more so than most taxpayers — yet are totally shut out of the process until the parties emerge from marathon bargaining sessions brandishing a settlement.
Part of a sweeping education reform package that went into effect last year was a requirement forcing teachers and school boards to negotiate at public meetings. And while the Idaho Education Association, a teachers union organization, opposed nearly all aspects of the reforms, it supported the open-negotiations provision."We think it's a really good thing, very positive" said IEA spokeswoman Julie Fanselow. She said it's been hard to evaluate its effectiveness so far "against the backdrop of an otherwise very, very damaging law."The Education Action Group Foundation Inc., a Muskegon, Mich.-based union watchdog group that promotes open negotiations, points to isolated districts around the country where details of ongoing talks have been posted on the Internet in an effort to break or prevent logjams.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Elizabeth Smart ties knot away from camera's glare
Elizabeth Smart married her fiancé Saturday at a Mormon temple in Hawaii, several months ahead of scheduled plans for the nuptials after news of her engagement last month drew widespread media attention.A family spokesman said the Utah woman who was kidnapped at knifepoint at age 14 and held captive for nine months married Matthew Gilmour on Oahu's North Shore."Elizabeth's desire was for what most women want — to celebrate her nuptials in a private wedding with family and close friends," family spokesman Chris Thomas said in a statement. "She decided, about a week ago, the best way to avoid significant distraction was to change her wedding plans and to get married in an unscheduled ceremony outside of Utah."
Smart, 24, is a senior at Brigham Young University. She met Gilmour, of Aberdeen, Scotland, while doing Mormon missionary work in Paris.Chief judge seeks permission to let cameras in Madison County criminal cases.The couple wed at the Laie Hawaii Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in front of a small group of family members, Thomas said. The group then celebrated at a private reception and luau.Smart and Gilmour got engaged last month and initially made plans to wed this summer.
"The bride and groom were beaming as they left the LDS Temple," he added, noting the couple planned to go on an extended honeymoon in an undisclosed location."We're just thrilled that she's married," her father, Ed Smart, told The Salt Lake Tribune, calling the ceremony a "kind of a spur of a moment thing."Onetime itinerant street preacher Brian David Mitchell was convicted in 2010 of Smart's 2002 kidnapping and sexual assault. He is serving a life prison sentence.Since her rescue, Smart has become increasingly involved in advocacy work for crime victims, forming the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, aimed largely at protecting children from abuse through prevention and education.
Smart, 24, is a senior at Brigham Young University. She met Gilmour, of Aberdeen, Scotland, while doing Mormon missionary work in Paris.Chief judge seeks permission to let cameras in Madison County criminal cases.The couple wed at the Laie Hawaii Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in front of a small group of family members, Thomas said. The group then celebrated at a private reception and luau.Smart and Gilmour got engaged last month and initially made plans to wed this summer.
"The bride and groom were beaming as they left the LDS Temple," he added, noting the couple planned to go on an extended honeymoon in an undisclosed location."We're just thrilled that she's married," her father, Ed Smart, told The Salt Lake Tribune, calling the ceremony a "kind of a spur of a moment thing."Onetime itinerant street preacher Brian David Mitchell was convicted in 2010 of Smart's 2002 kidnapping and sexual assault. He is serving a life prison sentence.Since her rescue, Smart has become increasingly involved in advocacy work for crime victims, forming the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, aimed largely at protecting children from abuse through prevention and education.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Chief judge seeks permission to let cameras in Madison County criminal cases
Pictures and video from court proceedings in Madison County could be coming to your newspaper, computer or television.Chief Judge Ann Callis of the 3rd Judicial Circuit, which covers Madison and Bond counties, has formally applied to the Illinois Supreme Court to have Madison County's criminal courts become part of a pilot program that allows cameras in courtrooms.The Supreme Court in January announced that it would accept applications from the state's circuit courts for participation in the program. Until now, cameras haven't been allowed in Illinois courtrooms.
"I think it will be beneficial to the public and to the court system as a whole, if people have the opportunity to see how the courts work," Callis said.For now, her request covers only the Madison County Criminal Justice Center in Edwardsville, where criminal cases are handled. If the program is successful there, she will seek to add the main courthouse in Edwardsville as well as the Bond County Courthouse.Chief Judge John Baricevic of the 20th Judicial Circuit, which covers St. Clair, Monroe, Perry, Randolph and Washington counties, said Wednesday his circuit will not be seeking to join the program, at least not yet.
"There are a number of circuits which have requested to join the pilot program. We're going to wait and see how things go in those other circuits, and then we'll re-evaluate," Baricevic said.So far, only the 14th Judicial Circuit, in the Quad Cities area, has been approved for the program. The 21st Judicial Circuit, in the Kankakee area, also has applied, as has the 10th Judicial Circuit, in the Peoria area, and Cook County.Some opponents of the program fear that having cameras in court would turn the proceedings into circuses. Illinois has been one of just 14 states that don't allow cameras during criminal trials. Missouri is among states that do allow cameras during criminal trials.
"I think it will be beneficial to the public and to the court system as a whole, if people have the opportunity to see how the courts work," Callis said.For now, her request covers only the Madison County Criminal Justice Center in Edwardsville, where criminal cases are handled. If the program is successful there, she will seek to add the main courthouse in Edwardsville as well as the Bond County Courthouse.Chief Judge John Baricevic of the 20th Judicial Circuit, which covers St. Clair, Monroe, Perry, Randolph and Washington counties, said Wednesday his circuit will not be seeking to join the program, at least not yet.
"There are a number of circuits which have requested to join the pilot program. We're going to wait and see how things go in those other circuits, and then we'll re-evaluate," Baricevic said.So far, only the 14th Judicial Circuit, in the Quad Cities area, has been approved for the program. The 21st Judicial Circuit, in the Kankakee area, also has applied, as has the 10th Judicial Circuit, in the Peoria area, and Cook County.Some opponents of the program fear that having cameras in court would turn the proceedings into circuses. Illinois has been one of just 14 states that don't allow cameras during criminal trials. Missouri is among states that do allow cameras during criminal trials.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Camera's focus is on banishing fuzzy photos
Blurry pictures could be a thing of the past if Lytro, which makes “light field” cameras that let you change a photo's focus after it's taken, has anything to say about it.In the Herald's new newsroom last week, Lytro director of photography Eric Cheng took one photo of two baseballs using Lytro's camera. Using the company's desktop software, he shifted the focus from the closer to the farther ball, blurring out the first one. Then, he brought the entire photo into focus.“What we're capturing is not a picture, it's a very rich set of data,” Cheng said. “That data is then used to generate an output picture.”
The Mountain View, Calif.-based company makes a $499 version of its camera with 16 gigabytes of storage, which can hold 750 photo files of about 16 megabytes each, and a $399 eight-gigabyte version, good for 350 photos. The cameras are available for preorder now, and will ship in about a month.The company was founded in 2006, based on technology developed at Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cheng said the technology could end up in cell phones, but not for a few years.
The simply Digital Cameras Accessories looks like a digital-age spyglass. Cheng said Lytro threw out existing camera design ideas to create something new.The Lytro has only two buttons — a shutter/on button, and a power button. The back end, where the touchscreen viewfinder is wrapped in touch-enabled rubber, controls the 8X zoom.“We made the camera for normal consumers,” Cheng said. “It's designed to be really easy to use, a point-and-shoot camera that captures enough data so you can do very interesting things with the pictures you capture after the fact.”The photos can be used to make a 3D image, and you can also use your mouse to move objects in a photo slightly.
The Mountain View, Calif.-based company makes a $499 version of its camera with 16 gigabytes of storage, which can hold 750 photo files of about 16 megabytes each, and a $399 eight-gigabyte version, good for 350 photos. The cameras are available for preorder now, and will ship in about a month.The company was founded in 2006, based on technology developed at Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cheng said the technology could end up in cell phones, but not for a few years.
The simply Digital Cameras Accessories looks like a digital-age spyglass. Cheng said Lytro threw out existing camera design ideas to create something new.The Lytro has only two buttons — a shutter/on button, and a power button. The back end, where the touchscreen viewfinder is wrapped in touch-enabled rubber, controls the 8X zoom.“We made the camera for normal consumers,” Cheng said. “It's designed to be really easy to use, a point-and-shoot camera that captures enough data so you can do very interesting things with the pictures you capture after the fact.”The photos can be used to make a 3D image, and you can also use your mouse to move objects in a photo slightly.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Digital Cameras Accessories
The need of everyone in the use of digital cameras is increasing, especially for tourists and business people who travel to different cities and countries. It makes a precious moment captured with a would provide wonderful memories for everyone. There are many offer with a variety of brands, models, colors, prices and specifications, which provide ease in selecting appropriate. Have a , would need to consider the maintenance that needs to be done for durability in use, such as by using some of the accessories are available and offered for a particular brand. The use of accessories on offer certainly had different functions, such as a tripod is used to refute digital cameras so that the results are not blurred, cameras casing, which serves to protect so as not to get wet, or for people who often do activities related to watering using cameras, camera bag, which functions to protect from a hard object so as not to scratch.
One of the accessories that shall be held is a memory card, which serves to store the photos in large numbers, and usually offered with a variety of types and capacities, tailored to the needs of everyone.Handling and treatment of a variety of digital cameras are usually the same, so that everyone can use the camera in a long time. There are many more tips on caring for your favorite , which usually can be obtained through some magazines or by searching through related websites, so that everyone can take proper care.
Perform proper maintenance and use of digital cameras in a long time certainly benefit financially, so that everyone can save more money in repairs due to lack of maintenance.The high demand for digital cameras, so that many companies that design and produce by improving quality, and provide the convenience to consumers choose according to your needs and budget. A digital camera is also easy to operate, so every person, whether amateur or professional can get the perfect picture.
One of the accessories that shall be held is a memory card, which serves to store the photos in large numbers, and usually offered with a variety of types and capacities, tailored to the needs of everyone.Handling and treatment of a variety of digital cameras are usually the same, so that everyone can use the camera in a long time. There are many more tips on caring for your favorite , which usually can be obtained through some magazines or by searching through related websites, so that everyone can take proper care.
Perform proper maintenance and use of digital cameras in a long time certainly benefit financially, so that everyone can save more money in repairs due to lack of maintenance.The high demand for digital cameras, so that many companies that design and produce by improving quality, and provide the convenience to consumers choose according to your needs and budget. A digital camera is also easy to operate, so every person, whether amateur or professional can get the perfect picture.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Canon unveils new PowerShot A-Series cameras, brings image stabilization to its entry-level
Thought Canon was done with the point-and-shoot updates after refreshing its ELPH lineup last month? Think again, as the company is updating its PowerShot A-Series shooters with six new models in a variety of colors. All the cameras pack a 16-megapixel sensor, 28mm wide angle lens and can take 720p video. First up is the A4000 IS, which brings image stabilization, 8X optical zoom and a 3-inch LCD for $200 later this month. The A3400 IS and A2400 IS make their debuts in March, and bring the same image stabilization as the 4000, but have a lesser 5X optical zoom.
Additionally, the 3400 packs a 3-inch touchscreen LCD and costs $180, while the 2400 gets a smaller non-touchscreen 2.7-inch LCD and retails for $150. Meanwhile, the A2300 has the same specs as the 2400, minus the image stabilization, and will cost ten bucks less than its brother when it drops next month. Finally, the PowerShot A1300 and A810 each come with 5X optical zoom and a 2.7-inch LCD when they debut in April, with the A810 priced at $110 and the A1300 available for $120.
Best mirrorless cameras for less than $1,000.This unique alternative model will effectively enhance the resolution characteristics of the 36.3-megapixel CMOS sensor by cancelling the anti-aliasing properties of the OLPF inside the camera. By doing this, light is delivered directly to the photodiodes, yielding an image resulting from the raw light gathering properties of the camera. A color moiré correction tool will also be available within Capture NX2 to enhance the D800E photographer's workflow.
Additionally, the 3400 packs a 3-inch touchscreen LCD and costs $180, while the 2400 gets a smaller non-touchscreen 2.7-inch LCD and retails for $150. Meanwhile, the A2300 has the same specs as the 2400, minus the image stabilization, and will cost ten bucks less than its brother when it drops next month. Finally, the PowerShot A1300 and A810 each come with 5X optical zoom and a 2.7-inch LCD when they debut in April, with the A810 priced at $110 and the A1300 available for $120.
Best mirrorless cameras for less than $1,000.This unique alternative model will effectively enhance the resolution characteristics of the 36.3-megapixel CMOS sensor by cancelling the anti-aliasing properties of the OLPF inside the camera. By doing this, light is delivered directly to the photodiodes, yielding an image resulting from the raw light gathering properties of the camera. A color moiré correction tool will also be available within Capture NX2 to enhance the D800E photographer's workflow.
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