A Media Frenzy

When people ask the question, what's going to be about in 10 years time, we often put that into context of what we experience now. If I could have foreseen what we have now technology wise, I possibly would have second guessed the actual question...

Back in the days when I was studying the concepts of 3D imagery, it was the corporate companies who had their finger on the pulse. But now, its available in the family home. The idea that we would experience 3-Dimensional images using a genuine Z-Depth, not that of purely 2D gaming graphics, classed as "3D", was a mind boggle. True, Blu-rays of the 3D nature are going to be expensive, and in some peoples opinion unnecerssary. But as Odeon is finding already, audiences can take the experience into their own home, distribution may change altogether.

Which of course brings us onto VOD. Video On Demand is changing the way we access information. Apple re-releasing their TV service, means that now content is reliant upon quality streaming. Gone are the days of downloading and then playing, you now need to watch live with the added hatred of the "buffer" message every 5 minutes, if your broadband is not up to par. Couple this with the push right now to make the UK Super Fast thanks to fibre optics, we might be on to a winner here...

Other than this, interactivity is at an all time high with HTML5 changing the way we now interact with web content, possibly a death to Flash, which of course is a spanner in Apple's works. Knowing also that gaming is taking a leap forward in controller methods and now interacting with your console (if you haven't been following what Kinect is, where have you been...?) Many of us still question the idea of controlling the screen with our hands, but using Kinect as a means on not only control of character, but interaction between human and device, is making Sony's Move look like your landing a plane waving two snow cones in the air.

Possibly the most demanding time for studios right now, as people such as James Cameron take things to the next level. It will be a collaboration towards sharing as we go further on this digital highway, Ping and Facebook are joining hands, as our Twitter. Facebook's email system now looks to combine all communication into feeds, which for us tech geeks serves yet another mouth watering course of "convenience..."

Dial up? Only for pizza..

With the rest of the UK on a mere average 3.4 Mbps Internet speed, one lady has landed the opportunity to "turn on" 100 Mbps connection speeds for 30min bursts.

Although it costs "£1 a go", most of us online users understand the wait times / lag in games, frustration for slow connections during anything media related. With the fibre optic technology growing into a platform that is producing results, the opportunities for on-line delivery including VOD (Video On Demand) is endless...

Ive been a strong supporter of the DVD medium, but Ive always known that the Blu-Ray scare would not be the "best" we could offer in terms of delivery methods. It has to ultimately be an online delivery method that ticks all the boxes (no geographic limitation / no need to "hunt" for what you want / no restrictions on availability etc) and as Adobe always says: "Come for the Blu-Ray, Stay for the Flash" - Flash online delivery has always been the leader, beating quicktime infact, and provides great security of content - if controlled properly (take note BBC iPlayer...)

It begs the question of making a more anti-social culture, as more people order everything from a computer / TV set top box etc, but it does open the door does it not, to so many possibilities...

- JB

Speed demon

Its always been an issue to get the last mhz for your buck with CPU power. The dual core explosion changed things after Intels successful "hyper-threading" stage. Applications such as video and image processing software, and of course the gaming industry on the PC / Mac platform has welcomed gladly the updates CPU's recieve over time, but very recently, Intel are now launching their first octo-core processor, which effectivley is 8 CPUs in one.

Being designed primarily for server use, these CPU's eat high process tasks for breakfast, but no doubt as with the Mac Pro making use of the Xeon CPU from Intel for consumer use, await this newley released wizzing potential to be incorporated in the near future.

Full Article

- JB

The Apple round up

A gentleman by the name of Grady Booch (IBM) once said "The function of good software is to make the complex appear to be simple.." How true has this been in light of Apples 25 year sucession with the Apple Mac? Very.

Apple have been through a roller coaster recently, Jobs has taken a "bench poistion" in some people's eyes, and the outcome of the Mac Expo this year was slightly less than what people really wanted to see. As a Mac user myself, the intention to make things simpler has been Apples forte. Looking at how the OSX has developed over the years, functionality has been the strongest point for buying a Mac - it does what it says on the tin, no questions asked.

However, we seem to be missing a few vital introductions which seem to have been in the pipeline now for some time, namely the quad core iMac and the Mac Mini. Obviously with Intel just recently releasing their new quad core CPUs, the introduction of the new iMac shouldn't be too long. With a TDP of 65W, this is within the reach of keeping things cool inside these slender machines - and trust me, they do get hot - the aluminum body shell is effectively a "computer sized heat sink". There's also talk of Apple moving to a liquid based cooling method for the new iMac, which again is possibly the required "next step" to adopt as we move forward in the production of such powerful all in one computer systems. Understanding that the iMac's at present work with "mobile" CPU's (read that "laptop like" CPUs) the power of these systems is nothing compared with the Mac Pros - when these new quad core iMacs do hit the streets, they will hopefully offer serious competition for all "all in one" systems, bearing in mind the already present models can hold 4Gb of 800Mhz Dual Channel Ram, with the new Macbook Pro holding 8Gb - companies like Shuttle, Gateway, HP who offer the "PC alternative" may find their customers then given the incentive to move over once and for all.

Couple that with the release of Apples new Snow Leopard operating system - fully 64bit, and by the sounds of things, built to impress from the ground up, not simply another window dress of the bits we forgot before, this should be the Apple OSX we have been waiting for.

So instead of these, we had offered yet another Macbook Pro. 8 Hours battery life looks to be impressive, but still with a gloss screen as default? Those in the production of anything visual would prefer the matt screen with the option to go gloss for others - ie, watching films etc. But just as it is, its a pain for us to use with the rich contrasts and the constant glare from the gloss effect. Pair this with the idea of having to spend a lot of money (more than a Mac Pro at base level spec) on something that offers limited display out options via the mini port, with a non- removal battery and I wonder if this will be as successful as it should be.

Its been a good time for the Nvida / Apple relationship however, with Nvidia's new 9300/9400 M motherboard setup being used in the new Macbooks and finding its way quietly over the last week into their older white macbook's - perfect for those looking for a future proof portable option. Rumour has it, these same Nvidia setups will be introduced to the new mac mini also, making their smallest "basic Mac" - as described by many, a serious contender for SFF PCs.

If your interested into knowing how the Iphone / Itouch works (the touchy feely side to the hardware) - then check out this months copy of Custom PC magazine - explaining the use of "Capacitive screen technology", and as a side issue mac minis do have their use in large quantities..

- JB