Monday, July 14, 2008

which ones are real? which are rendered?

Some website update is currently going on. Stay tuned :-)

Gallery
This is gallery of computer-generated images produced using my volume renderer named "Volumetrics". On Technology page you can get more information about what 'volume renderer' is and how it is used to produce such images. Volumetrics can produce animation clips aswell as still images.

Sample commercial video, using Volumetrics for the cloudscapes.
If you are commercially interested in use of this technology with your software or in your animation or still image project, you can contact me to discuss the details.
(work in progress, i work on clouds first then landscapes) Images made with Volumetrics render engine, using new framework
Older images made with Volumetrics render engine, using MojoWorld's framework
(C) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (C) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (C) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (C) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (C) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (C) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (C) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (C) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (C) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (C) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (C) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. Created using MojoWorld by Pandromeda Inc. and Volumetric renderer by Dmytry Lavrov. (C) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (C) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. © 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. Created using MojoWorld by Pandromeda Inc. and Volumetric renderer by Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (C) 2005 by Dmytry Lavrov and Anne Postma. (C) 2005 by Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (C) 2005 by Dmytry Lavrov. http://dmytry.ancientspledge.com/ (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov. (c) 2005 Dmytry Lavrov.
(C) 2004..2008 Dmytry Lavrov.
Want to say something or ask some question? Or have some (commercial) job you'd want me to do (CG animation, still images for website design, programming, things like that) ? Contact: dmytry_lavrov@yahoo.com .

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WOM: Just Don't Do It

Why buzz isn't something advertisers can generate

July 14, 2008

-By Augustine Fou, SVP, Digital Strategy, MRM Worldwide

Much has been said about it. Much has been written about it. There is even an industry association for it. But "word-of-mouth marketing" isn't something you can, should or need to do.  Even the words themselves are misleading because they imply that there are actions advertisers can take to generate "word of mouth" or "buzz." Indeed, to brand advertisers who come from a long heritage of telling customers what their brand is, it's music to their ears. "Wow, there's a way to make people buzz about our brand -- to make them the servile poultry to carry forth the brand to fellow consumers who have otherwise skipped our ads? Cool!" So advertisers have jumped on the word-of-mouth bandwagon and charged their agencies and creative staff with making stuff that would generate buzz. In the resulting fits of creativity, we've seen a freakish, plastic-faced king tackle random people on the street and an enslaved chicken that users could remotely torture over the Internet. We've seen white boys rapping about spiked green tea, and the list goes on.  But, nothing could be further from the truth of word of mouth than these buzz-generating examples. Notice, I didn't say "word-of-mouth marketing."  Word of mouth is not something you do; it's something that just happens naturally when you have an awesome product or service and your customers are so thrilled with it they want to tell their friends about it. People show off their iPhones or MacBook Airs to their friends because they want to. They tell friends about Facebook and invite them to join. They share Amazon Prime membership with family members. I articulate the different attributes of FreshDirect, an online grocery service in New York, to my friends to convince them to try it.
continue reading ... 

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Sunday, July 13, 2008

Actual Google Phone Rumors Revived: Designed by Ammunition Group [Rumor]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/334582499/actual-google-phone-rumors-revived-designed-by-ammunition-group

Talk about a single, branded GPhone more or less died down after the announcement of Android, but it seems that you just can't completely kill a good rumor. According to TechCrunch, an Android phone made by Google may actually become a reality based on two new bits of information—the first being a quote in The Hollywood Reporter from a press conference with Larry Page, Sergei Brin and CEO Eric Schmidt. Update: Silicon Alley Insider says the quote is actually inaccurate, noting none of the other major news orgs there picked it up.

The reporter noted that "The trio of Google execs also used the opportunity to talk about the inroads the company is making with its own branded mobile phone as a replacement for the iPhone." [That appears to be a mixup by the reporter, with Sergey and Larry actually talking about not producing their own phone, according to Reuters's Ken Li's notes in SAI.]

But, TechCrunch does have its own source, who "swears" that the Ammunintion Design Group "is designing the Gphone and that it is a seriously beautiful device." They've worked has worked with companies like Palm, Hewlett-Packard, Dell Computer, and Logitech in the past (a phone they designed for Sprint is pictured above). Not a confirmation b! y any me ans, but TechCrunch usually has decent info—so take that for what it is worth.

The more probable explanation for any sort of design work on a handset for Google is that they could be prototypes for marketing or other promotion—no one can make the call whether it's for production yet. [Tech Crunch and Mediaweek via BGR, Silicon Alley Insider]


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Samsung's i8510 inspires 8 megapixels of awe

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/334055094/

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Yeah, we know pixel count doesn't equal picture quality -- but like it or not, it looks like 8 megapixels are poised to become the new 5 megapixels in the upper echelon of the cameraphone world this year. Samsung's never a company to shy away from a challenge like that, and sure enough, details are emerging on a so-called i8510 smartphone that features S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, FM radio, GPS, WiFi, and a whopping 16GB of internal storage -- not to mention a microSD slot that can take you up to 24GB. Oh, and there's the little matter of that camera, which features an dual LED flash and 120fps video capture at QVGA resolution. Add in DivX and DLNA certification, and we're kind of at a loss to figure out what's missing here. Boundless, unchecked hype, maybe? No word on a release date here just yet.

[Via mobil.cz]
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Fujitsu Siemens' netbook entry gets revealed

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/334478778/

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It looks like Fujitsu Siemens have broken cover on the next member to get in on the netbook party. That's right -- the company is launching a cheap, micro-sized laptop in the coming months... just like everyone else. According to reports, the 8.9-inch device will clock in around €300 or €400 (about $470 to $630), and will likely sport some version of Windows (we're thinking XP, as is the case with the vast majority of these). The laptop will be part of the Amilo line, but little else is known about it at this point.

[Via Lilliputing]
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The ASUS Eee PC 1000 shows up for pre-order at Amazon

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/334586605/

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If you've been tearing your hair out, pacing wildly around the room, and sweating bullets over the availability of the ASUS Eee PC 1000 (and we know you have), you'll be pleased to know that the grown-up sized version of the company's mini-laptop is now available for pre-order on Amazon. The site doesn't provide specific release dates for the systems (the $699.99, 40GB SSD equipped 1000, and the $649.99, 80GB HDD equipped 1000H), though we're figuring it can't be too long till these models hit shipping centers. In the meantime, we recommend going for long jogs.

Read - ASUS Eee PC 1000 40G
Read - ASUS Eee PC 1000H 80G

[Via I4UNews]
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Microsoft's Portable Transforming Arc Mouse Unfolds To a Beautiful Semicircle [Mice]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/333459581/microsofts-portable-transforming-arc-mouse-unfolds-to-a-beautiful-semicircle

Microsoft's portable Arc Mouse folds down to half its size for travel. But that semicircle shape can't be as comfortable as it looks. Then again, who needs to point and click and work when you can flip and drool? It comes in red or black for $60 and will be out later this year. [MaxPC, thanks Norm]

Featuring a revolutionary new design shaped like a crescent moon, Arc folds closed to reduce in size by almost half, giving consumers the comfort of a full-sized mouse with the portability of a notebook mouse. Arc is all about the fashion edge, with a stylish micro transceiver that you can leave right in your computer and it's available in two colors – red or black. It's the perfect gift for the trendsetter on the list. MSRP: $59.95


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Zing Laser Brings Laser Cutting Goodness to the Average Guy [Laser Engraving]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/333584103/zing-laser-brings-laser-cutting-goodness-to-the-average-guy

Fans of laser engraving can now prettify all their stuff with Epilog Laser's new Zing Laser, a machine that's roughly about the size of a bulky office scanner. The Zing Laser, one of the first fully functional low-cost laser etchers on the market, has 25 watts of cutting power and can engrave designs into wood, acrylic, plastic, leather, cork, glass, treated metals and more.

When hooked up to a personal computer, the Zing is recognized as a printer. Put whatever you want to etch on a 16 by 12 inch engraving area and then use Corel Draw to calibrate where the design will go before starting the cutting process. Get to customizing every Mac thing you own for $7,995.

Here's a video of an iPhone getting carved and the laser cutting through wood.

[Gearlog]


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NASA Wind Map Shows You Where The Greatest Gusts Blow [Wind Energy]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/333820473/nasa-wind-map-shows-you-where-the-greatest-gusts-blow

In an effort to figure out the best areas to harvest wind energy, scientists from NASA's Earth Science Division have used several years of QuikSCAT satellite data to produce some pretty awesome looking wind power density maps. According to them, if the areas with high wind power—an average wind of greater than 30 knots (45 miles an hour)—were tapped, they could potentially supply 10 to 15 percent of the world's energy needs.

The maps are especially important as floating wind farms become more technologically possible. Ocean wind farms have less environmental impact than onshore wind farms and also tend to be more efficient, since winds are stronger over the water and there are no hills or mountains to block a heavy gust's path. Placed in the correct areas, the farms could harvest up to 500 to 800 watts of wind power per square meter.

One area with extremely high winds is located off the coast of Northern California near Cape Mendocino, where northernly zephyrs are deflected to create a local wind jet that blows year-round. Similarly, Tasmania in New Zealand and Tierra del Fuego in South America have the potential to utilize similar jets. [NASA via Treehugger]


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Microchip breakthrough could keep Moore's law intact (again)

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/332792035/

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We're pretty certain we'll be hearing this same story each year, every year for the rest of eternity, but hey, not like we're kvetching over that or anything. Once again, we're hearing that mad scientists have developed a breakthrough that makes Mr. Moore look remarkably bright, as a new approach to chip making could carve features in silicon chips "that are many times smaller than the wavelength of the light used to make them." Reportedly, the new method "produces grids of parallel lines just 25-nanometers wide using light with a wavelength of 351-nanometers," although the grids aren't functional circuits just yet. If you're interested in more technobabble on the matter, head on down to the read link, but we'd recommend against if you're easily frightened by terms like "photolithographic" and "nanotechnology."
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Sans Digital offers up AccuNAS AN2L 2-bay NAS enclosure

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/333573354/

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Sans Digital caught our eyes earlier this month with a simple, albeit remarkably nifty CF to SATA adapter, and now it's doing so again with a 2-bay NAS enclosure. The AccuNAS AN2L is a RAID 0/1 chassis that supports file sharing in Windows, OS X and Linux, and it also enables playback of files via a PS3 / Xbox 360 or any other UPnP / DLNA-certified device. You'll also find that this thing doubles triples as an iTunes music server and BitTorrent client, which makes it all the more tempting, does it not? No word on pricing at the moment, but if you're strangely uncomfortable with loading in your own HDDs, the outfit will be selling these with 500GB to 2TB pre-installed for an undisclosed premium.
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Sony teaser points to laptop refresh on Monday

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/333656069/

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Sony Style is running a rather large teaser on its main page, featuring a quite distinctive power button and the blurb "Performance / Style / Mobility. Redefined." Hrm. We wonder what it could be?

[Thanks, Mathias S.]
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Tesla starts delivering Roadsters as production ramps up, hires hotshot engineering exec

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/333802971/

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Move over, Elon Musk -- the Tesla owners club is about to get bigger. The upstart electric-car company announced the delivery of the first nine production Roadsters to customers in California earlier this week, with several more to follow at the rate of four per week, and the plan is to start building 100 a month by December, when that new transmission is ready. That's pretty ambitious, but Tesla's brought in some big guns to help make it happen -- the company just hired Mike Donoughe as EVP of Vehicle Engineering and Manufacturing. Donoughe is fresh off a 24-year stint at Chrysler, where he was most recently in charge of revamping all of the company's mid-size sedans. Word on the street is that Donoughe could have written his own ticket at any major carmaker, so it's interesting that he landed at Telsa, where he'll be working on the Model S as well as the Roadster. Oh, and there's a new Tesla store in Menlo Park, in case you were looking to blow a quick $100K in Silicon Valley -- aren't we all?
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Kodak intros the C913, M1073 IS and M1063 cheapcams

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/333845128/

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We're not certain why Kodak is trickling out these middle-of-the-road digicams instead of announcing them all at once, but here we are. Joining the M1093 IS are the new M1073 IS (pictured) and M1063, while the C813 get a new friend in the C913. As you'd expect, almost nothing about these is all that spectacular: the $179 M1063 and M1073 IS are both 10 megapixel units with ISO1000 sensitivity and face detection, while the $120 C913 is a 9.2 megapixel unit with a 2.4-inch display and digital image stabilization. Expect to see these all in October, and check out the C913 after the break.

Read - M1073 IS
Read - M1063
Read - C913

Continue reading Kodak intros the C913, M1073 IS and M1063 cheapcams

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Thursday, July 10, 2008

Volkswagen Shows Us Cars From the Future [Ego]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/331050126/volkswagen-shows-us-cars-from-the-future

Volkswagen thinks they know what cars from 2028 will looks like (which is probably fair, since they can basically make the whole thing one big self-fulfilling prophecy). Still, it's exciting to see the designs. The one pictured here is Ego. It's a sporty two-seater without a front window (no, not because people in the future can see with their minds, but because it will be loaded with all sorts of cameras and sensors that are better than a window).

If you hop over to their site, you'll see how the display works to combine information from cameras, lasers, ultrasound and radar to warn you of upcoming problems on the road. The HUD is really not so dissimilar from modern day racing games.

Other touted features include intelligent navigation that borders on autopilot, but that's only if you're clever enough to get into a car with no door handles. For the full experience of 20 years in the future, head on over to the VW link (or, for the extremely patient, just wait 20 years). [VW via Yanko]


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