Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Adobe Relinquishes Ownership of Photos Uploaded to Photoshop Express [Photoshop]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/264245106/adobe-relinquishes-ownership-of-photos-uploaded-to-photoshop-express

So, one of the big sniggles about Photoshop Express, Adobe's free online photo tweaker and sorta-kinda Flickr clone, is that using the service basically gave full control of your photos to Adobe. No more! They just emailed us that as of April 10, they're only claiming "those limited rights that allow us to operate the service" and they don't "claim ownership of your content and won't sell your images." Score one for internet rights and your mom's Photoshop dalliances. [PS Express Terms of Use]

Smart Green Cell Station Makes Africa a Cleaner Place To Ask "Can You Hear Me Now?" [Green]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/264651617/smart-green-cell-station-makes-africa-a-cleaner-place-to-ask-can-you-hear-me-now

In an effort to clean up Africa's dirty and diesel-reliant mobile network, Swedish start up Flexenclosure has designed a green version of a cellular base station. Called the E-site, it runs primarily on wind and solar power and utilizes an intelligent operating system that adapts to local conditions.

The new design comes at the request of Ericsson, which wanted an alternative to a purely diesel-run base station. Those consume roughly 20,000 liters (5,283 gallons) of diesel per year - an increasingly costly expense with rising world energy prices.

The E-Site draws its power from a wind turbine in the network tower and solar panels on the roof. Clean energy sources charge a battery that then powers the base station at night. The E-site also has a small diesel generator, just in case the batteries run out.

What's even more amazing is the E-site's operating system, which can learn to adapt its power-generating techniques to different situations. For instance, if the batteries are running low at night, but the system knows the sun will rise soon, it can decide to wait it out until morning rather than head straight towards the diesel. Good thinking, E-site! [Cnet]

Toshiba IK-HD1 is World's Smallest HDTV Camera [Camcorders]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/264957048/toshiba-ik+hd1-is-worlds-smallest-hdtv-camera

With vital measurements of 1-6-inches cubed and 2.3-ounces in weight, Toshiba's IK-HD1 waltzes in to easily steal the "Smallest HDTV Camera, Ever" title. Packed to the miniature eyeballs with three CCD chips, the 1K-HD1 can capture video at broadcast-quality at 1080i, but it won't be making its way to your camcorder anytime soon. The tiny marvel is actually intended for professional broadcasting, and needs to be hooked up to a rather sizable control unit, which can be placed up to 90-feet away. It appears Mr Professional Broadcasting wins again. Dammit. [DVice]

Fraunhofer's Kolibri Cordless sensor snaps 3D images on the go

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/263978833/

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Sure, it might look like a Viewmaster 3D from your childhood, but this here stripe projection 3D sensor from Fraunhofer IOF is so much less exciting. The concept is simple enough: the Kolibri projects a stripe pattern onto the subject, and then the two "eyes" capture slightly distinct angles of the image to compose a 3D model of the object based on the deducted geometry. The technology has been available for a while, but this is apparently the first device to cram it into such a small and portable form factor. Yeah... we'll stick with the Viewmaster.

[Via About Projectors]

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Quake 3 hits the iPod touch, makes for portable LAN party

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/264742890/

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Future generations will most likely divide the timeline of history at this point: when Quake 3 achieved motion-sensing, wireless network play on two iPod touches. Just think, less than a year ago we were salivating (or at least mildly enthused) at the prospect of rocking Doom on this thing, and now Quake 3 Arena is yours for the taking -- or at least will be once we get any sort of hard info on this app.

[Via PMP Today]

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