LIFE Releases 10 Million Images.

America's largest magazine publisher, Time Inc. has announced that access to LIFE's Photo Archive -- over 10 million images in total -- will soon be available on a new hosted image service from Google. Ninety-seven percent of the LIFE photographs have never been seen by the public. Among the largest professional photography collections on the Web, the collection contains some of the most iconic images of the 20th century, including works from great photojournalists Alfred Eisenstaedt, Margaret Bourke-White, Gordon Parks, and W. Eugene Smith, and will be one of the largest scanning projects ever undertaken. Millions of images have been scanned and made available on Google Image Search, with all 10 million images to be available in the coming months. "For 70 years, LIFE has been about one thing, and that's the power of photography to tell a story," says Andy Blau, LIFE's President. "LIFE will now reach a broader audience and engage them online with the incredible depth and breadth of the LIFE Photo Archive from serious world events, to Hollywood celebrities to whimsical photographs." Images can be found when conducting a search on Google.com or on Google Image Search. Users can also search through the LIFE Collection directly by visiting http://images.google.com/hosted/life. LIFE's Photo Archive is free for personal and research purposes. Copyright and ownership of all images remain with Time Inc.

Faster HD Surfing from Thomson.

Global media management, delivery and high-definition set-top tuner maker, Thomson has announced new updates to the ViBE encoder that delivers high-definition channel changing 50% faster than current HD tuners. Dubbed by the company as “fast zapping solutions”, the latest advances in the encoders provide simultaneous compression and encoding of two streams of the same channel - a full resolution and a low resolution stream while also managing up to three HD sets per home. When the channel is changed, the set-top box is able to quickly decode and display the low resolution version of the channel and transition to displaying the full resolution version seamlessly without disrupting viewing. Thomson claims its advanced video compression technologies means that the transmission of the two simultaneous streams is no more bandwidth intensive than sending a regular HD or standard definition (SD) stream on its own. “A differentiator of Thomson's fast zapping solution is that there is no need for additional investments in infrastructure to be made - as competing systems on the market require the installation of a large bank of servers,” said Graham Cradock, general manager of Thomson’s video head end solutions. According to the company, fast channel change approaches “will be standardized with the relevant standards bodies during the course of 2009."

Panasonic Proposes 3D Blu-ray Standard.

As Hollywood and the industries that support it gear up for what many see as the next step in entertainment, Panasonic Corp of Japan has submitted a proposal to the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), for a Blu-ray Disc standard to store three-dimensional (3D) imagery formed of left-/right-eye two-channel full-High Definition (HD) images (1,920 x 1,080 pixels). The new standard which is based on technology that is currently in use, uses the two-channel encoding function implemented in Moving Picture Coding Experts Group Phase 4 Advanced Video Coding (MPEG-4 AVC) H.264. The second channel stores only the data different from channel one, holding the increase in data volume to about 1.5 times. The HDMI standard is used to transfer data from the player to the television, with left- and right-eye images alternated in single-field (single-frame) units. “All we have to do is define a flag to identify image data, equipment and other elements supporting 3D imagery. We really don’t need any other major changes,” explained Hiroshi Miyai, director, High Quality AV Development Center of Panasonic. In an effort to to prevent patent conflict related to 3D imagery standards and avoid the same sort of futile standards war that occurred between HD-DVD and Blu-ray, the company moved quickly to propose a standard ahead of other companies. “Standards wars, patent monopolies and the like would seriously interfere with the widespread adoption of any 3D image standard. We developed a standard based on existing technology, specifically designed for easy acceptance.” The BDA hopes to begin formal discussion on the standard proposal before the end of 2008, with commercial adoption possible by 2010.

Goodyear Blimp Airship - Exploring New Heights with Markertek !

Gardena, CA - Markertek is the technology super source in supplying the corporate advertising industry with production and field accessories. We just shipped rack storage systems to the Goodyear Blimp Airship at its U.S.A. headquarters in Gardena, CA. Since 1925, the Goodyear blimp has adorned the skies as one of the most visible corporate icons for the world's largest tire and rubber company. Goodyear operates three airships in the United States: the Spirit of America, based in the City of Carson, California; the Spirit of Goodyear, based in Akron, Ohio; and the Spirit of Innovation, based in Pompano Beach, Florida. Media and television signals are generated through state of the art technology that enhances sporting events and large public gatherings worldwide. Markertek is honored to work with one of America's most respected point of view cameras that has brought television media to new heights for almost a century.

Major League Baseball Trades Silverlight.

Major League Baseball has announced that it has traded Microsoft's Silverlight service for Adobe's Flash to power all its video content, including the popular MLB TV. According to MLB, the two-year agreement will have Adobe's Flash Platform deliver all of its live and on-demand video offerings beginning in 2009. In addition, MLB.com will provide a downloadable rich Internet application (RIA) built using Adobe AIR, so baseball fans can access additional features outside the Web browser. Microsoft's Silverlight, which first shipped in September 2007 and was dubbed a 'Flash killer', is a browser based plug-in that supports streaming video and Rich Internet Applications (RIA). While this isn't exactly good news for Microsoft, Silverlight still has more than 150 partners, including the National Basketball Association (NBA) and CBS College Sports and also announced earlier this week that Blockbuster was giving up Flash to move to Silverlight for its MovieLink application. Since its debut on Opening Day 2003, MLB.com has streamed live every Major League spring training, regular season and postseason game, more than 2,500 annually, via its out-of-market subscription product, which has seen more than 1.5 million total subscribers representing nearly 200 million hours of participation. Bob Bowman, MLB advanced media CEO, said "We are excited about this partnership as Adobe provides the scalability, flexibility and reliability that fans expect from MLB.com in delivering them the best live streaming product possible."

Kodak vs. Samsung and LG Electronics.

Imaging innovator, Eastman Kodak Company has announced that it has filed complaints against Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and other related entities for infringement of Kodak patents. The company filed against Samsung and LG in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, as well as in the U.S. International Trade Commission. Kodak’s District Court complaints request compensation for damages resulting from the companies’ infringement, and both the District Court and ITC actions seek injunctions prohibiting Samsung and LG from further importation and sale of products cited in the complaints. The Kodak actions specifically allege that Samsung and LG camera phones infringe Kodak digital camera patents. The patents in question cover technology related to image capture, compression and data storage and a method for previewing motion images. “Kodak has a long history of innovation and we have invested many millions of dollars developing our digital camera technology,” said Laura G. Quatela, Chief Intellectual Property Officer, and Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company. “We’ve held discussions with both companies in an attempt to resolve this issue and have not been able to reach a satisfactory agreement. Consequently, we must take this legal action in order to ensure that we protect the interests of our shareholders and existing licensees of Kodak digital camera patents.” Kodak has licensed its imaging patents to several leading technology companies including: MEI/Panasonic, Motorola, Nokia, Olympus, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony, Sony- Ericsson and others.

Yamaha and Shure Offer Digital Sound Course.

Beginning January 2009, Yamaha Commercial Audio Training Seminars will offer Digital Sound Reinforcement 101 (DSR101) as part of the course selection offered throughout the year both regionally and at the company’s Buena Park, CA, headquarters. The two-day class, which is now in its third year, will provide complete audio system design and networking solutions, making it an ideal tool for audio engineers, system designers and technicians. Co-sponsored in part by microphone maker Shure, the seminar will focus on setup techniques ranging from microphones to large-scale speakers. Topics include gain construction, attenuator settings, SPL estimation and spec analysis. Course components include fundamental concepts such as dBSPL, dBu, dBV, microphone characteristics, how to select a microphone, wireless technology, how to maximize the benefits of wireless systems and managing frequencies. Use of Yamaha, NEXIO and Shure products will also be covered. There is no cost for attending the Digital SR System 101. Course dates and locations for 2009 are to be announced soon.

TiVo Adds Pizza to the Menu.

California based digital video recorder (DVR) pioneer, TiVo has announced that the company has teamed up with Domino's Pizza to give broadband connected TiVo subscribers the ability to order pizza for delivery or pick-up, and track delivery timing, right from their TV sets using the TiVo service. According to the company, TiVo subscribers can build their pizza order right from the television set by selecting type of crust, toppings, and sauces, and get the pizza delivered by their local Domino’s Pizza in about 30 minutes. Karen Bressner, Senior Vice President of Advertising Sales, TiVo Inc said, “Our commitment to revolutionizing interactive advertising and commerce on the television is a direct result of the innovative solutions and features we provide. TiVo’s growing list of interactive features also includes the ability to find and purchase products on Amazon.com related to a customer’s favorite TV show or the convenience of being able to search for a movie that’s playing nearby and purchase tickets through Fandango - all by using the TiVo remote.” The new service is free of charge to all broadband connected TiVo subscribers (Series 2 or later) and supports both delivery and pick-up orders.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Digital Keystone
WNTK Radio
Marina Beach Film
Stealthcom Solutions
Electric Boat Corporation
WUWF
Korg USA
Dawn Communications
Kamehameha Schools
Shreya Broadcasting
WGN-TV
Liberty Coach Inc.
Sony DADC
Bowie State Univ.
KULR-TV
 

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