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Canon Shows Off New Camcorders

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 11:08 PM on February 4, 2012

Canon was recently at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to show off a new line of camcorders.  There are six new cameras in the Vixia line and the cool new feature is built-in WiFi.  With the WiFi users can now not only transfer their video to computers and other devices, but even upload and post it to places like Facebook and YouTube.  With this new ability comes a new app called “Movie Uploader” that will allow users to seemlessly handle all of their high-def video.

The new line of Canon cameras also allows users the choice of recording in AVCHD or MP4 format.  The cameras also have enhanced low-light performance, plus a new user interface, better stabilization, and higher zoom.  The entry level R series starts out at $349, so these cameras are affordable for average users, but go up to a level that is acceptable to professionals as well.

The video below packs a lot of information in about these new Canon cameras, so you will definitely want to check it out.  You can also visit the Canon web site to learn even more.

Interview by Nick DiMeo of F5 Live.

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Cinefy Bring Cool Hollywood Special Effects to Your Home Movies

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 10:38 PM on February 4, 2012

Cinefy One of the things that make Hollywood movies fun are the great special effects. Soon with the help of Cinefy by Chairseven you will be able to add branded special effects to the home movies you make on your iPhone, iPad and Android device. Right now there are over 50 effects packages with 120 animations. Everything from robots to dinosaurs to fairies to war scenes, just to name a few. So now can you make that great robots take over the world movie you have always wanted to. Not only do you get some great effects, but you also get access to the Friendly Music catalog and over 500,000 copyright cleared songs. Friendly Music scores music for shows like Entourage.

Once the app is downloaded you can choose the effects packages you want to download. You can download them over 3G, but WiFi is recommended. All downloaded packages are available to you no matter where you are. The Friendly Music catalog is only available when you are connected to the Internet. You can add any music that is already on your device to a Cinefy Video. The app itself will be $2.99. The effect packs will vary in price and size, at the time of release they hope to have at least 30 effect packages for free with over 70 animations. Cinefy has been in development for over a year and Chairseven is looking to launch it on iOs in 4-6 weeks and on Android in 6-8 months. Chairseven is looking into a desktop version, but they want to have the mobile version up and going before starting on it. They are in the process of signing agreements with various media companies to have access to their special effects packages. At CES 2012 they signed an agreement with MTV to have access to Death Valley Zombies. Cinefy was also a Mobile App Showdown Finalist at CES 2012.  I can’t wait until this app becomes available, I am looking forward to all the great YouTube videos that people make with these special effects.

Interview by Andy McCaskey and Courtney Wallin of SDRNews for the TechPodcast Network.

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Adventure Cameras by Contour

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 6:41 PM on January 28, 2012

Contour Contour came by the TPN.TV booth at CES this year and showed some great action sports cameras; the Contour Roam, the Contour GPS and the Contour Plus. Theses cameras are great for filming while hiking, snow boarding, biking, skiing and other action sports. They all use a micro sd card up to 32 Gb. You can get up to eight hours of video at 1080p and up to twelve hours at 780p. They all take removable lithium batteries which run for about three hours of video taping . They also adjust the white balance and the exposure to create crisp clear videos. These cameras are waterproof up to 1 meter. With the water proof case you can go down to 60 meters, great for scuba diving or snorkeling. All three cameras can connect by USB cable. Both the Contour Roam and the Contour GPS have an internal microphone only.

The Contour Plus includes the internal microphone but it also has a mic cable out jack, this along with the ability to connect a HDMI cable adds live streaming capability. Now you can live stream your adventures directly to Ustream using the Cerevo Live Shell. Now instead of telling other people about your adventures, they can watch them as they are happening. You can control the camera on the Contour GPS and Contour Plus thru the Contour Mobile App on the iPhone or an Android phone The Contour GPS and the Contour Plus both have GPS included so now you can map your adventures. The Contour Roam at $199 is the newest phone and should be available soon. The Contour GPS and the Contour Plus are available now and are $299 and $499 respectively. Not only does Contour offer great action cameras but they also have some great mounts, including ones that allow you to mount camera directly to your helmet, pole, roll bar, surfboard and many other objects. So if you are into adventure sports and filming, Contour has everything you need and want.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central and Don Baine The Gadget Professor of Geek News Central

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The Smallest Live-Streaming Video Solution Launches at CES

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 9:50 PM on January 12, 2012

Contour+ Contour announced a partnership with Japan-based Cerevo to unveil the world smallest and least expensive live-streaming video solution. Contour is a hands-free video camera maker and in 2011 they released the Contour+ and ContourROAM cameras.  The Contour+ works seamlessly with the Cerevo LiveShell for live streaming video solution.

The Contour+ weights only 5.3 oz and has a 170° wide angle lens. It delivers HD video up to 1080p at 25/30 fps or 720p at 50/60 fps. With the new Contour Connect App any iPhone and soon Android can be used to stop and start and recordings. Contours exclusive Bluetooth technology allows Contour Connect to turn the users cellphone into a wireless viewfinder, so the user can adjust shots in realtime. There are multiple mounts available allowing the camera to be attached to almost anything. What the Contour+ was missing was the ability to stream directly to the Internet.

Cerevo LiveShell

That is what Cerevo adds to the equation the Cerevo LiveShell. The Cerevo LiveShell attaches to the Contour+ by HDMI cable and then it can send out a live stream either by wired LAN or 802.11 b,g and n compatible wireless LAN. The Cerevo LiveShell can run for 2 hours on batteries. You can control the LiveShell thru a Web-based application on a smart phone or computer. The LiveShell has a maximum resolution of 480p. It is the first device that was given the “Ustream Compatible” seal of approval by Ustream. It does come with a power adapter allowing for 24/7 stable broadcasting. If you want to see an example, the Cerevo LiveShell is currently running in Akihabara, a section of Tokyo, Japan. The Cerevo LiveShell works not only with Contour products but a multiple number of video cameras, including cameras with analog inputs.

Contour began in 2003 when two University of Washington undergraduate students attempted unsuccessfully to film a ski run down a slope. The company now makes world-class hand-free video cameras, for the adventure and sport enthusiast in all of us. Cerevo is a Tokyo, Japan based company started in 2007 they specialize in live streaming. The Contour Connect is currently available in the iTunes store and should be coming to Android 2.2.1 and above in April. The app is free. The Cerevo LiveShell was launched in Japan in November 2011 and will be available through the Contour Web site starting February 1, 2012 for $299. The Contour+ is available now for $499.00. If you want to stream your adventures live to Ustream than you need to take a look at both the Contour+ and their new partner Cerevo LiveShell.

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Video’s Streaming Future

Posted by tomwiles at 9:34 PM on November 10, 2011

Many people are likely familiar with the radio/television on-air personality Glenn Beck. His television career included both CNN and the Fox News Channel. On Fox News, Glenn Beck had the most-watched nightly show of any of the cable TV news networks.

Recently, Glenn Beck left Fox News to form his own online streaming television network, GBTV, available at http://www.gbtv.com.

About a month ago, after viewing a few of the free Glenn Beck highlight clips from his two-hour nightly streaming television show, I took the plunge and subscribed.

I am very impressed with the production quality. GBTV, LLC currently has 120 employees. This is a genuine, highly-professional high definition television network that has a spectacular set and world-class production facilities that is just as good if not better than anything that Fox, CNN, etc. are capable of doing. Like any genuine television network, live streaming shows start and end right on time and incorporate a number of regular breaks. GBTV is creating genuine television programming that is broadcast directly to the Internet as opposed to satellite or cable distribution. As such, it removes the filter between the content creators and the end viewers, yet high broadcast standard production values are maintained throughout which lends what GBTV is doing an aura of genuine excitement. Real multi-camera live HD broadcasts can be sent directly to subscribers, thus eliminating the cable/satellite middleman.

There are a variety of subscription plans, including monthly and yearly plans. One can subscribe for $4.95 per month, or $49.95 per year. I subscribed to “GBTV Plus” for $99.95 per year, which includes the 6 camera HD shoot of the daily Glenn Beck Radio Show along with other streaming television programs that are coming onto the streaming service. GBTV is in the process of becoming a full-fledged streaming television network that has ultra high production values along with impressive content. Subscription plans include a 14-day free trial.

GBTV currently can of course be viewed on a computer. Other devices include the Roku, as well as iPad and iPod/iPhone apps. All programs remain available for streaming any time for a period of 30 days before dropping off.

I cut the satellite cord more than a year ago, because I felt I wasn’t getting $100 dollars per month worth of value out of my satellite programming. I am more than willing to pay for good content, but I want it on my terms, on a variety of devices, and on my schedule. GBTV offers a tantalizing glimpse at the future of high production value TV content.

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Posted in Apple, application, Commerce, content, internet, iOS, IPAD, iPhone, ipod, IPTV, ROKU, smartphone, video

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SEC College Sports Come to Boxee

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 2:56 PM on September 2, 2011

Yesterday Boxee announced that SEC Digital Network has launched their college sports app for the Boxee platform.  For those who don’t, SEC is the Southeaster Conference.  They cover all areas of college sports for the member schools.    You can visit their website for more information.  The app features news, specials, highlight, full games, and a lot more.

The feature set, as announced by Boxee, will include:

SEC Today
News and highlights, these daily updates keep you up to date on any major developments from around the conference. SEC Today also offers team previews for all of SEC football.

Specials
Watch classic documentaries focused on SEC Sports, profiles of great SEC players who’ve gone pro, or interviews of current SEC coaches.

Full Games
Rewatch some of the greatest SEC games of the past 20 years. Plus watch many of the best football games from last season. All of the games are totally free to watch, so stop worrying about wearing out those VHS tapes of last season’s football games and stream some of the best games whenever you want.

My Library
Shop the SEC OnDemand streaming VOD store for a library of over 700+ full-length historic and current SEC games. This season’s games are available as soon as midnight the following Saturday. All videos you buy there are automatically accessible on Boxee through the SEC Digital Network app’s My Library section.

According to claims, the app wil include exclusive content that won’t be available anywhere else.  If you own the Boxee Box, or use their software on a PC or Mac, and are a college sports fan, then this will be the best $0 you ever spent.  To find out more about Boxee, you can visit Boxee.tv.

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Great ISS and Meteor Video

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 10:53 AM on August 14, 2011

One of my favorite web sites, Universe Today, has linked up a video that really captured my imagination.  The video, captured by Bryan Stewart and posted to Vimeo, shows the International Space Station (ISS) passing overhead during the recent Perseid Meteor Shower.

The video is 1:06 in length and was filmed in Texas at 6:25am on August 10, 2011.  In addition to some great videography, it also features a soundtrack that is Carl Sagan set to music.  What more could you ask for?!

If you have never seen the ISS pass over, it’s a steady, non-blinking white light that moves fairly quickly across the sky.  Not meteor-fast, but you will only have 1-2 minutes of viewing time to follow it from one horizon to the other.

If you want to find out if/when it will be viewable in your area, I recommend the Heaven’s Above website.  You will to need to enter the coordinates of your location, but once you have it set up you can bookmark it with your coordinates and you will not need to ever enter them again.  In addition to the ISS, it also gives information on such passes as Iridium Satellites.

The video is posted below.  Enjoy.

ISS pass with perseid meteor from Bryan Stewart on Vimeo.

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Posted in Astronomy, iss, Science, space, video

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NFL Brings Preseason Games to the Internet

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 5:32 PM on August 3, 2011

nfl preseason live ad

It looks like the NFL, the last bastion of technology-phobia in sports, may be starting to come around.  While they haven’t announced anything regarding regular season games being available online, they did send out an email announcement today that all preseason games will be broadcast live on the internet.  I find it to be a step forward, while also still displaying their lack of understanding of modern media.

On the plus side, the NFL is actually broadcasting games live on the internet – all of them – every single preseason game.  On the negative side, you have to buy them all.  Granted, it’s only $19.99, which is pretty cheap for 32 teams each playing 4 games, but where is the per-game option?  What if I want to watch only the 4 games of my team?  Can we have a per-game price (read $1.99 or there abouts)?

In fairness, at least they are taking this step, and we should be happy with the progress.  And yes, I will pay the $19.99 and probably watch only 4 games.  But, I will also consider it as progress for the sport Americans love more than any other.  Maybe they still have a regular season surprise in store for us.  To subscribe, you can visit NFL Preseason Live.

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Posted in Streaming, video

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Thank You TiVo for Hulu Plus, But No Thank You

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 12:44 PM on June 11, 2011

TiVo has been rolling out Hulu Plus on their Premier boxes for awhile now and it became available to me around the first week of June. I had used and cancelled Hulu Plus, before so I wasn’t eligible for the free trial. However, the Premier TiVo is connected to our living room TV, and I thought Hulu might be something my husband would like so I went ahead and paid the subscription fee. After using it for ten days I have already decided I am going to cancel it at the end of the month. Part of the reason I am going to cancel is how Hulu works on the TiVo and part is Hulu itself. The first problem I ran into was trying to find it on TiVo, it is not under Video, which is where you would expect it but under Music, Photos and Showcase. The second problem is the number of clicks it takes to get to something you want to watch on Hulu. Lets assume you are watching live TV and decide you want to watch a show you’ve subscribed to on Hulu, here are the steps you have to go through

1.  Hit the TiVo button

2.  Hit the Music, Photo & Show Case button (wait for it to load)

3.  Hit the Hulu Plus Button (again wait for it to load)

4.  Move to and click the Que and Subscription button

5.  Hit the Subscription button

6.  Find and hit the show you want to watch

7.  Find the episode you want, click on it and again wait for it to load.

The above list assuming everything goes has it is suppose to, but inevitably I end up hitting the most Popular button by mistake and have to wait for it to load before I can get to what I really want. That’s the biggest problem, it is not the number of steps, it is that at almost every step you have to wait for something to load. They are not short load times either, sometimes it can take quite awhile. Half way through the process I am thinking do I really want to watch this show is it worth the effort.

Then I finally get to the show I want to watch and start playing it. But wait first I have to watch two commercials and then the show starts. At that point I am thinking ok I knew there were going to be some commercials I am not happy about it but I accept it. Then 10 minutes into the program two more commercials play, then 10 minutes later two more commercials, another 10 minutes two more commercials and finally just before the end of the program two more commercials. Each time a commercial plays I become less accepting and more frustrated, especially since there is no way to fast forward through them. Having to watch eight commercials during an hour show when you’ve are already paying $7.95 for the subscription is just too much for me. To make matters worse you get the same commercials over and over again.

I do appreciate that Hulu Plus is now available on TiVo, however for the above reasons and the fact I can get a lot of the same programs through Netflix and Amazon Video much quicker and without the commercials. I am not going to be renewing my subscription at the end of the month.


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Plizy Another Way to View Videos on Your iPad

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 12:22 PM on May 30, 2011


If you like to watch online videos on your iPad but are tired of trying to find ones that interest you, then Plizy maybe what you are looking for. It is a site created by CEO Jonathan Benassaya who has been an important part of the French Tech scene for quite awhile. It allows you to view videos from those you are following on Twitter and Facebook. If you hit the Add a channel button, you will see a list of various categories, from Animation to Travel. Each category has a list of sites within it. Click on the site you are interested in and it is added to your collection. Right now Plizy is connected to Revision 3, Vimeo, YouTube and DailyMotion. Each site you add becomes another square. If you connect Facebook or Twitter, they each become a separate square.  As new videos are added to a site your collection will update. If there is a new video a blue dot will appear under the that collection.  Clicking on the heart next to a video will save it as a favorite. As you like more videos, Plizy learns your preferences and starts to recommend videos based on them and who you follow on Twitter and Facebook.  You can share the videos out to Facebook and Twitter. You can also comment and like directly on the application. If you are in portrait mode and click on the conversations icon you can follow the conversation under the video without having to leave the application.

Right now Plizy is in invite only private beta. I like Plizy, but there are a few things I would like to see added or change before it goes public. I wish there was a way to reorganize the channels by moving the squares around. Unfortunately Plizy is not Air Play enabled, which is something that needs to be added before it goes public. Hopefully they will be adding other sites to their collection like Blip.tv. Plizy is entering a competitive and growing field. Showyou and Squrl are two other application that I have tried that are similar to Plizy. They aggregate videos from various sites, so you can watch them within a single application. Plizy ability to curate and personalize your video collection based on your preferences will be what separates it from its competitors.

Update (18:11 on 5/30/11) I have been informed that you can move the tiles around by clicking and holding on  them and then moving them or thru the edit button.  Also Blip.TV is one of the video sites that Plizy does gather from now.  Finally Plizy is now in public not private beta.

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Posted in application, Information, video

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