| Coaches look for edge with sideline gadgetry
In the age of iPhones, Blackberrys, high speed Internet modems and every other technological advance never even dreamed of in the days of "Star Trek," high school football has joined the wave. For fans on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons, the focus is on the 22 athletes on the field. But just outside the lines there's an ongoing technological revolution. Equipment checks on game day go far beyond helmets and pads. Video cameras, audio headsets and laptop computers allow coaches to gather, communicate and analyze information faster than ever. Far from camera shy Film has largely gone the way of the dinosaur as the VHS tape is making way for the recordable DVD, and coaches end the practice day working with a machine that makes three DVD copies of a game at a time, all in about five minutes.
Kodak aims for 5-megapixel phone cameras
"We believe we've created a new camera sensor product that rivals that of real cameras, but it's small enough to be used in a camera phone," said Fas Mosleh, manager of CMOS market work for Kodak's professional and applied imaging group.
There have been nice cameras in high-end mobile phones such as Nokia's N95, but Kodak believes its technology, built into a 5-megapixel sensor product to ship by the end of the year, will help bring better cameras to mainstream mobile phones.
Semiconductor chips currently detect light essentially by counting how many electrons result from light striking a pixel on the image sensor. More intense light means more electrons, and that electronic signal can be converted into digital data.
But Kodak believes it can get some improvements by rewiring the image sensor design to detect the absence of electrons instead--in effect counting "holes" rather than electrons.
Marney Rich Keenan:
Somehow in between the saturated news coverage of the New Hampshire primary early this week, NBC's "Today" show managed to squeeze in an interview with the Blue Man. This was not one of the mute entertainers from the Blue Man Group, but an actual man named Paul Karason, whose skin is truly a bright blue. About 14 years ago, Karason developed a bad case of dermatitis on his face. He started self-medicating, using an age-old folk remedy called colloidal silver, which is made by extracting silver from metal using an electrical current (something the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not recommend). Karason, now 57, drank the concoction and also rubbed it on his skin. Ingesting the potion not only cured Karason of his dermatitis, but, over time, it also turned his freckles and once fair skin completely blue.
Trail camera can be hunter's best friend
One of the neatest inventions of the last decade is undoubtedly the trail camera. The mainstream media, Internet and our e-mail box is flooded with cool, unbelievable and astounding pictures of wildlife. Trail cameras have been around for years but only in the last five has there been an explosion in their use. With features increasing as prices drop, it won't be too long before every tree in the woods will have a recording device attached. If you aren't a hunter, you might not understand the hullabaloo. Hunters, however, understand that trail cameras have revolutionized the manner in which we scout for deer or other big game. Instead of sitting for untold unproductive hours before the season just to observe the area, you can simply put out a trail camera or two and more effectively monitor the daily routine of all the deer in your area.
'Revanche' wins Europa prize
As part of the kudos, "Revanche" will receive the support of extended theatrical exposure and additional promotion from the Europa Cinemas network. "This is a very well-made and dramatic film that we believe has the potential to grip audiences around Europe," the jury said in a statement. "The story is absorbing, the characters well drawn and the performances uniformly strong. This is true European cinema at its best an authentic and uncompromised view of a corner of Europe." Written and directed by Spielmann, "Revanche" stars Johannes Krisch, Irina Potapenko and Andreas Lust. The film was produced by Matthias Forberg, Heinz Stussak, Sandra Bohle and Spielmann for Prisma Film und Fernsehproduktion, in co-production with Spielmannfilm. The Match Factory is handling international sales.
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