Pictures - Virtual Reality Images

Images of pure imagination are added to the album "Virtual Reality". They were created with E-on VUE6 software.

http://picasaweb.google.com/gilshamiralbum/VirtualReality

Cameras - Remarkable Compacts - Part 1

Compact cameras are non interchangeable lens cameras with box shape proportions. The size may vary from shirt pocket size up to small "brick". The box shape is important for carrying. During operation, the lens may protrude outside. In some cases, during operation, the lens may even multiply the camera depth - It still complies. In addition, compact cameras are distinguished here from superzoom "compacts". The later are larger and do not have the "brick" shape - The lens is always protruding from the body.
.
The following cameras, appearing in a random order. They are representing innovation, capabilities, special sensor or lens and most important trend setter. The image quality, while well proven, is one of the factors here, not the only one.
.

1. Samsung WB 550

The 10X zoom lens, starting from a relatively 24mm wide up to 240mm, getting this camera inside. Compact cameras with high factor, collapsible, zoom lens are becoming popular now. Samsung was the first with such wide angle.
.

2. Sigma DP2

The Sigma DP2 is part of the high end, single focal length lens's compacts. The "high end" is coming from the higher image quality possible with premium, simpler optical design optics. In this group, the Sigma DP2 is special - It is using a relatively larger sensor (Almost DSLR size). More important, it is the only compact camera to use the FOVEON sensor - The only sensor providing a true RGB value from each pixel. Getting, heoretically, higher color resolution.
.
3. Sony DSC-TX1 and DSC-WX1

Both cameras are latest in Sony's "T" (Flat camera) and "W" (Wide angle lens camera) series. They are using the new Exmor-R CMOS sensor. As trend setter, they are one of the first compact cameras to use CMOS sensor. This sensor type provides high frame rate and lower battery consumption. The Exmor-R sensor is using a new design where the light is entering from the "other" sensor side - Not through the sensor's conductor layers. More light is getting to the sensor cells, contributing to lower noise at night shots. Sony is using the high frame rate capability to further extend the low noise figure, by combining a few shots taken at high speed, of the same scene. The cameras perform automatic panorama pictures, by stitching, automatically, pictures taken while sweeping the camera along the scene. Both cameras exhibit the potential of combing high frame rate with powerful image processing.
.

4. Panasonic TZ7 (ZS3)

The Panasonic TZ7 is another example of a powerful zoom lens (12X) inside a compact body. Due to a special lens design (Part of the lens is horizontally embedded inside the body), the lens is not protruding, as with other 10X, or higher zoom, lenses. The Panasonic lens is also wider then usual, starting at 25mm (up to 300mm). It was one of the first compacts with H.264, compact video format, enabled.

.

5. Samsung ST550

The Samsung ST 550 is the first compact camera that assist its user with self portraits, without using a swivel display. It is simply using a second LCD display facing forward.
.

6. Ricoh GR Digital III

The Ricoh GR Digital III is the latest model from a premium compact cameras line starting in the film days. It is a single focal length design with wide open aperture at F1.9 (The highest in compact cameras today). In addition a larger sensor is used here.
.

7. Olympus STYLUS TOUGH-8000

The latest in Olympus's tough cameras line. Olympus started this compact camera market segment and still leading. This camera can be submerged, freezed, dropped and still work under these conditions.
.

8. Olympus STYLUS-9000

High zoom factor (10X) compact camera - Olympus member in this highly popular market segment.
.

9. Nikon COOLPIX S1000pj

This Nikon Coolpix is the first, and the only so far, camera with integrated mini projector. The shots can immediately be shared by projecting them on a wall.
.

10. Panasonic LX3

The Panasonic LX3 is top of Panasonic's compact cameras and stands against the Canon G11 and the Nikon Coolpix 6000. It is using a larger sensor for lower noise images. The lens aperture is open wide at F2.0 while still providing a moderate zoom: 24-60mm.
.

11. Lieca X1

A new camera and the first compact camera to use an DSLR grade, APS-C size sensor. All in a very small body. To keep the camera small, with such huge sensor, a fixed focal length lens of 35mm is used. Images taken with the F2.8 lens should have the same quality of DSLR - First for compact camera.

.

12. Panasonic FT1 (TS1)

Panasonic entered the tough camera segment with this camera - The first tough camera with the compact H.264 video capability.
.

13. Ricoh CX2

Following the CX1 - The first compact camera to use CMOS sensor. This high zoom factor camera (10x) benefits from the sensor's high frame rate capability (5 fps). It can generate wide dynamic range images by combining two successive shots (taken fast enough) of the same scene with different exposure settings.
.

14. Nikon Coolpix 6000

Nikon version of the premium camera segment. It enables full manual control, as other premium cameras and automatic geotagging using internal GPS receiver.

.

15. Canon PowerShot SX200 IS

Canon version of the high zoom factor lens (12X) segment.

.

16. Canon G11

Canon best compact camera. Providing lower resolution (10Mp) then its predecessor the G10 (14.7 Mp), but with better image quality due to the larger pixels (See Panasonic LX3 who was the first to stop the megapixel race at 10Mp). It is using a tough construction (Not so small) with zoom lens starting at F2.0.

.

17. Canon Powershot S90

This canon can be considered as a slimmed down version of the G11. It is much smaller (actually one of the smallest compacts) but using the same sensor of the G11. The lens here is also starting at F2.0, special at this size.

For more remarkable compact cameras, please refer to part 2.

Cameras - Remarkable Compacts - Part 2

Before reading part 2 of "Remarkable Compacts" it is advised to refer to the prefix of part 1.
.
This section will add Fujifilm and Casio cameras
.
18. Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR


Fujifilm was, along the years, different from the "crowed". They developed their own sensors rather then using Sony (and sometimes Samsung) sensors. Their "Super CCD" and its derivatives claimed wide dynamic range capabilities. Doing so by using cells of two sizes to handle the highlights and the shadows - at the same time. This camera is the latest and expected to deliver higher dynamic range then any other compact camera - Delivering contrasty image without white clipping or noise in the shadows.

.

19. Casio EXILIM EX-FC100

Latest Casio technology delivering the highest frame rate of any compact (Actually, superior to any DSLR). This capability is used for stills (30 FPS at 6Mpixel) and video (about 200 FPS for VGA movie). The later enables a smooth slow motion playback.

.

The list will updated when new models will be released.

Pictures - Candid People Shots

Candid pictures of people during everyday life, as the picture above, are published in the following link:

.

http://picasaweb.google.com/gilshamiralbum/People

.

This album is still under construction and more shots will be added.

Cars - User Wishes

The car industry releases new models on a regular basis. Usually, every 5 years for American and European manufactures and every 3 years for Japanese and Korean manufactures. The new models are more of styling rather then technology. We are still using the same gas engine, where only recently electric (Hybrid) cars emerged. Electronics and computers are used, but at a very conservative manner. When looking at a brochure of a new car, the marketing is mostly based on the styling and some fashion oriented items: Safety, fuel efficiency, internal seat layout to name a few.
.
From a user point of view, there are many items to consider. Some of them are small afterthoughts while others are more meaningful. The items in the next list are based on technologies and capabilities available today. Some of them were already used in some form.
.
1. Visibility
.
When designing a new car today, two major factors are used: The car floor (Which handle the engine and the wheels) and a styled box built on this floor. The style should be eye catching and actually should drive the customer to be in love with the car (and buying it, of course). The modern car styling involves sometimes high windows line, large roof pillars that slope to the front and the rear ends. The result are dead sections, where the driver can not see anything. The highly popular minivan styling concept is the worse of them. The front pillars are slopping to the engine's front, blocking the side view which is essential when making a turn. Car users are asking car manufactures to design the car around the driver (and the passengers). The styling should be limited to not degrading the driver visibility. Practically, it will be difficult to change styling trends. Also, the pillars should be large enough from a safety considerations. The solution may use corner mounted cameras to improve the visibility. A warning system may also be used to trigger a real time warning signal in case some object is existing in the dead zones.
.
2. Protection
.
Modern cars scarifies the car protection for a better looks. Years ago, cars had bumpers and some kind of rubber protection strips along their sides. Not saying that modern cars are suffers from any safety issue, they are more vulnerable to everyday impacts. Bumpers evolved to huge, front and rear car parts. Low speed collisions (Even while parking), with higher impact then the bumper flexibility, may cause a deformation. Sometimes a complete bumper replacement is necessary - a large investments. Bumpers should be splitted to smaller parts. This way, a replacement when needed, will be much economical. Same for the rubber strips - Drivers want them: Lowering the scratches on the car is more important then the car streaming styling.
.
3. Suspension
.
Ride quality is a direct product of the car suspension. Car stability is also deeply effected by the suspension design. Here are two requirements which can not handled by a single design. Softer suspensions will contribute to higher comfortably, while harder suspension will better handle car's roll during turning. Modern European and Japanese cars are favoring the sports attitude to deliver a car which can ride faster on turning. We get harder suspension which makes regular driver life's tougher. The suspension design should use active (dynamic) controllers (Today's suspension is passive). A computer should control the suspension hardness according to the road quality and the driving style. For example, setting a softer suspension for low speed driving and make the suspension tougher on higher speeds, especially during turns.
.
4. Traffic management
.
Turning the engine on, each driver is by his/her own. Going from one location the other is involving decision making - the route. We are making a decision without any information available. To have a route based on traffic loading and optimal path, getting real time updates while driving, Two already available technologies may be used: GPS and cellular communication. The car location can be transmitted continuously. A central management will process the car's desired route (and destination), analyzing environment factors as loading, street profile and possible known disturbances (A football match). The outcome, per car instructions, will be transmitted to the car and will used as guidance information. This method is better the current GPS navigation which, usually, does not having such options.
.
5. Events handling
.
Car events are handled today on a partial basis. ABS and ESP system are translating car's status into actions. Others are displayed as warnings - The handling is up to the driver's skills. It is more as a separate systems, each doing its own function. A central car management system is desired. Each system will be linked to it, sharing real time events and, if needed, get instructions. It will function more as a PC working with its peripheral devices. For example, a sudden drop in the air pressure in one of the car's wheels will be a managed event: The manager will activate a process instructing the engine, brakes, steering wheel to process a safely stopping. A communication protocol (real time protocol) is desired and the car's components should interface with.
.
6. User interface
.
Today's car user interface is based on old concepts - Mechanical fixed dials with small LCD screens for additional info. Not going here to suggest a replacement for the steering wheel (A joystick ?!?), but, we can do better for presenting the information. The essential information, as the car's speed, should be displayed on the front glass. The driver will not have to pull his/her sight from the road. In place of the mechanical dials, LCD screen should be used. The driver can used a personal style to have the information. Some information is not needed all the time, so, screens can be exchanged according to the information needed. For example, MB S-Class is using LCD monitor. During night driving the gauges are moving aside to free space to the night vision system's display.
.
7. Maintenance
.
The car's major components to be maintained should be located for easy reach. Looking at the engine's bay today, it seems they are located where spare space was left. Computerized diagnostic systems may report the car status immediately upon entering service, or even create a service call automatically. It will make car be on the same maintenance level no matter the driver knowledge or the sensitivity to abnormal car behaviour.
.
8. Engines
.
The engines used today show nothing new from past 100 years. True, we have computers managing the engine and even having hybrid cars, using gas and electrical engine combination. We can do better. The target is reducing travel cost and pollution. Electrical engines used today as boosters. The main engine is still the gas engine. The desired solution should use electrical motors as the prime motors. They will be using batteries charged by household power (In addition to the braking energy). The gas engine will be used as emergency power generator - To be operated only when the batteries are fully discharged. It will charge the batteries and will not have any direct connection with the wheels. This solution is well suited to urban driving.
.
9. Layout
.
Cars, after all, accommodate their passengers. They are sitting between the front and the rear wheels, facing forward. Not going to suggest any major change with this concept. However, the passengers space may be enlarged to provide better internal space. The wheels should be positioned at the car's corners. This concept is already used in small cars. Going to larger ones, the wheels are pushed inside and the bumpers create large overhangs, front and rear. Designing cars this way, we will get larger inside with same, or even, smaller, external dimensions.
.
10. Safety
.
Nothing to add here - The effort should continue. We may be on track with mechanical safety. This is a passive act that handle the actual collision. Active devices, to achieve minimal space between cars, obstacle avoidance and others should be a standard. It will contribute to prevent sure collision situations.
.
11. Car management
.
Car management is fully controlled today by the driver - Using (or limited by) the options provided by the car manufacture. For example, we are limited to the stability and ride quality set by the suspension designer. The car management should be partially transferred to the car's computer. The driver should set the driving profile - City, highway, traffic jam, parking and so on. The car management will adjust the gear ratios, suspension style, steering wheel sensitivity, engine utilization and others. The outcome: A car which behaves optimally to the driving conditions. Note - Some additional systems should be added to the car to have such capabilities.

Pictures - Ein Kerem (Jerusalem)

This session is mostly dedicated to Ein Kerem's churches:
.
http://picasaweb.google.com/gilshamir61/EinKerem112009

Pictures - Jaffa Flea Market and more

The second photography session (Following the Jerusalem session) is providing characters and objects, daylight, Jaffa, Israel. Same Panasonics travel companions - TZ5 and FZ28
.
http://picasaweb.google.com/gilshamir61/JaffaFleaMarket112009