Which one is hot? The Gadget or the Girl?

A new show on Playboy TV is based on the notion that "boys love their toys" will pit girls against gadgets in an attempt to answer that age-old question: hottie or hot HDTV? In a twist on the reality TV staple For Love or Money, Playboy TV's Gadget or the Girl reality "program" will compel contestants to select between a weekend vacation with a girl of their choice or a surprise random high-tech gadget. What kind of gadget? The gear will range from a 60-inch plasma TV to an arcade game machine, but the guy won't know what his prize is until he opts for either the gadget or the girl. Remember, boys: there's always the chance you'll just be landing a deodorant-emitting suit. So tough??!! For each episode, a bachelor will be introduced to three women--presumably with some Playboy connection--and must immediately pick two to continue the game.

The threesome will go on a date, and at the end, the guy will choose one girl to be his solo companion for the evening. After a few hours together, he must decide if he is going to enjoy an exciting weekend getaway with the stranger, or give her up and leave with some potentially cool gear. The contestant will have no idea what’s in the box until they are willing to bet all.

If the girl successfully lures the guy to pick her over the mystery gadget, she'll score a prize, which we hope will be higher-end than a cell phone hair dryer headset or a floppy-diskette bracelet. Iliza Shlesinger, spunky winner from NBC’s reality TV series Last Comic Standing, will host the show. Hopefully, she'll bring some irony to the proceedings.

I doubt what the purpose of this show is, to show whether a man will choose the temporary comfort of a warm lady or the permanent pleasure of a cold gadget? If you’re given the choice between an awesome gadget and a weekend getaway with a hot girl, sometimes it’s best to go for the sure thing. But I'm old fashioned, so I take the bane over the gadget any day of the week.

Further readings

• Iliza Shlesinger, 'Last Comic Standing,' Gets Personal with Howard Stern (inquisitr.com)
• ABC goes fast and funny (tvsquad.com)
• Rob Cohen: I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! Episode 11 Recap: Losers and Winners (huffingtonpost.com)

Cool Digital Shooting Gadget - Sony A900

Gigantic billboards displaying incredibly lucid pictures really amaze me. Not because of the artistry and advertizing genius behind it, but because of the minute details that are clearly flaunted in the pictures.

I’ve tried my hand on digital photography and photo-editing too. But the digital cameras I worked with couldn’t provide adequate pixel resolution as desired. I envy the professional photographers who use state-of-the-art digicams in 10 or more megapixels. They must be the ones who took those pictures on giant billboards.

Well, whatever digital shooting gadgets those camera guys had. I would say the Sony Alpha A900 - the world’s first full-frame 24.6 Megapixel DSLR camera catches them gasping except for a few loyalists. What’s in this latest digital gadget?

The Sony A900 features the world’s first ever 24.6 effective megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, which is equivalent to a 35mm film frame, making it able to deliver extraordinary image detail and wide dynamic range. The full frame feature is definitely great for serious photo shooters, now you’re able to capture all the previously lost detail by capturing 100% of the coverage of photos visible in the viewfinder. One look at the camera’s distinctive pentaprism and nostalgic body design will evoke its full-frame optical performance. It features a bright, clear optical viewfinder with 100% field of view coverage that would impress even film photography loyalists. It represents the best in sensor and image processing technologies and offers enhanced functions, performance and reliability so photographers can push their creativity to the limit

The Sony A900 is also the first full-frame shooter that features SteadyShot INSIDE™, which is a feature that enhances in-body optical stabilization system, offers up to 4.0 steps anti-shake performance. Some other goodies are a 100k shutter cycle, a 3-inch 921,000-dot LCD screen (so it should look gorgeous), , and a 5FPS burst, up to 12 shots in RAW.

There is a new Intelligent Preview function which simulates the effect of White Balance, D-Range Optimizer and exposure level on the LCD screen without actually taking a picture. Even though you mess up with the previously preset settings, just a confirmation on the camera, the new setting will be used for taking your next picture.

The latest A900 digital SLR camera from Sony sets a new benchmark for photo enthusiasts who demand the unrivalled quality and creative possibilities of full-frame imaging. Also, it's got in-camera RAW editing—light stuff, naturally. Weirdly, unlike most high-profile DSLRs released in the last year, it doesn't have Live View, but has an "Intelligent Preview," that takes like a pre-shot so you can mess around with settings like ISO and exposure before you shoot

Ultra-Fine Images As The Human Eye Perceives Them
The camera’s Exmor™ CMOS sensor delivers the photographic expressive power of wide angles and perspective that only a 35 mm full-frame sensor can offer, and is designed to take advantage of the resolving power of high-precision α (alpha) lenses. Its high pixel count and large size provide enhanced image detail and a wider dynamic range for natural color reproduction and subtle tonal gradations.
The sensor is produced using proprietary Sony planarization technologies to ensure an ultra-flat surface across the entire imaging area. Instead of a single analog/digital convertor, the sensor uses over 6,000 on-chip, column-parallel A/D converters to convert analog signals to noise-resistant digital signals at the earliest possible stage. The result is reduced noise and high-speed transfer of data.
Image processing gets a boost in speed and power from the application of two BIONZ image processing engines. Large amounts of data captured by the 24.6-megapixel sensor can be quickly processed to achieve a fast shooting response. Additionally, this dual BIONZ processing system applies advanced noise reduction algorithms producing images of exceptional quality and detail, especially at high ISO sensitivities.

World’s First Anti-Shake System for a Full-Frame Sensor
The camera’s newly-developed, body-integrated SteadyShot Inside unit achieves an anti-shake effect equivalent to shutter speeds faster by 2.5 to 4 stops. This new unit provides stabilization for Sony, Minolta and Konica-Minolta wide angle, large-aperture lenses, which is difficult for lens-integrated systems.

State-of-the Art Optical Performance and Responsiveness
The ultra-bright viewfinder with 100% field of view coverage and 0.74x magnification enables accurate framing and preview. It features a high-power condenser lens, an eyepiece with high reflective-index glass, and a multi-layer, anti-reflective coating on every optical surface to deliver its extraordinarily bright and accurate view.

Additionally, the focusing screen is user-replaceable, with additional L-type (grid pattern) and M-type (super spherical acute matte) screens sold separately.

The camera’s newly-developed autofocus system consists of nine wide-area sensors with 10 assist points for improved tracking of moving subjects. A center dual cross sensor comprised of two horizontal and two vertical line sensors as well as a dedicated f/2.8 sensor are included to achieve greater precision, especially when using fast-aperture lenses.

It also offers high-speed continuous shooting of 24.6 megapixel images at five frames per second. A newly-designed mirror box features a unique parallel-link mirror mechanism that moves on two horizontal axes to accommodate both 100% viewfinder coverage and the body-integrated image stabilization system without increasing the camera’s size. The mirror box also has a new moving magnet actuator, a high-powered coreless motor for a faster shutter charge, and a magnet catcher to minimize mirror bounce and light refraction within the box.

Versatility to Unleash Creative Possibilities
The model’s innovative intelligent preview function takes the guesswork out of setting up a shot and the hassle of taking multiple shots to achieve a desired effect.
After pressing the depth of field preview button, the camera “grabs” a RAW preview image which is processed and displayed on the LCD screen. You can then fine tune white balance, determine the best level and effect of dynamic range optimization, adjust exposure compensation and check histogram data, all before you actually take the picture. Preview images are not recorded on the camera’s memory card, thus saving capacity.

Other key features aimed to expand creative options include the Dynamic Range Optimizer (DRO) with five levels of user-selectable correction as well as DRO bracketing for enhanced scene analysis and graduation optimization. EV bracketing with ±2EV range makes it easy to create high dynamic range composite images.

Thirteen creative styles can be selected to enhance images and then fine-tuned by customizing contrast, sharpness, zone matching and other parameters, while 3 user-programmable memories provide instant access to as many as 26 different mode settings.

Powerful RAW file processing control is put in the photographer’s hands with the included Image Data Converter SR3 software that delivers faster file processing speeds, easy adjustment of image parameters, Dynamic Range Optimization and a new Peripheral Illumination function that compensates for corner light fall off.

With the camera’s HDMI output and Photo TV HD mode, your creative output can be enjoyed on a compatible HD television. This mode brings the look of actual printed photography to the television, by fine-tuning such image parameters as sharpness, gradation and color.

Comfort in Your Hands
Its construction features rugged, lightweight magnesium alloy with moisture-resistant, rubber seals for buttons and dials, an anti-static coating to prevent dust adherence to the imager, and a high-endurance shutter rated for more than 100,000 release cycles.
It has a 3-inch, Xtra Fine LCD screen (921K) makes it possible to check focus and image quality with accuracy. It incorporates an easy-to-see display with a quick navigation menu to easily access common functions without interrupting your creative flow. A backlit LCD panel sits on top of the camera and displays key settings.

System Expansion with New Accessories
The A900 camera will be accompanied with an array of accessories like the recently-announced Sony HVL-F58AM flash unit with its innovative Quick Shift Bounce system, powerful performance with a guide number of 58, and wireless auto flash ratio control.

The Sony® VG-C90AM vertical grip offers the same ease of operation when shooting vertically as horizontally, with its button layout and low-position shutter-release button. It also houses two InfoLITHIUM® batteries (sold separately) for longer shooting and playback.

The DSLR-A900 body will be available in November for about $3,000 along with related accessories.

Intel® Remote Wake Keeps Snoozing Home PCs Ready

Intel Corp. has created a new line of motherboards that would allow a computer to be awakened from sleep mode to perform such tasks as receiving a phone call over the Internet or downloading a digital television show.

Now the world's largest microprocessor-maker hopes to convince computer-makers that consumers will want desktop PCs built around its Remote Wake motherboards, which should be available soon. Without this wake-up feature, PCs have to be left on in order to take calls or perform downloads, which burns energy and costs money.

"This is certainly something we're taking seriously," said Intel spokesman George Alfs.

Alfs said the genesis of the wake-up feature came from business customers. The technology was originally designed into business PCs that are part of corporate networks and was developed so that network managers could awaken PCs during the night to update their software.
Now, Intel's consumer division is trying to build the remote-wake capability into ordinary desktop PCs, and to demonstrate its potential uses has teamed with software firms like Jajah of Mountain View, which would be the first Internet telephone company to use Remote Wake to rouse a sleeping PC for an incoming call.

Intel also tapped Orb Networks in Emeryville to demonstrate how its software - which allows users to remotely download songs, photos, videos or other data - could be used in conjunction with the feature. Orb spokesman Ron Perrotta said the technology provides the ability to leave the PC in a low energy-consumption sleep mode and awaken it from afar in order to do something like download music files from home to an Internet-enabled mobile phone.

"Your computer can be asleep when you're asleep, and you can download without it being left on," said Robert Levitan, chief executive of peer-to-peer site Pando of New York, another Intel partner.

Please watch a demo of Intel® Remote Wake Technology.

PEER-TO-PEER OPTIONS – Backdoor Access to Olympic Footage

If you want to move beyond bite-sized recaps and highlight reels, P2P sites are your best obtions for backdoor access to unedited blocks of 2008 Olympics footage. Additionally, content is likely to be available sooner than the 12-hour delays expected with some of NBC's coverage. Try these web workarounds for full access to the Olympics (Just enter them in your Google or Yahoo search).

• isoHunt, Mininova and EZTV. These are top BitTorrent sites. Miss the opening ceremonies? Or the four-hour finale of table tennis? Try downloading torrents of popular Olympic events.
• Veetle. Stanford University's experimental web TV platform requires a downloadable player, but offers live broadcasts of soccer games, basketball and more.
• Sopcast. This free P2P internet TV player requires a download, but offers a wide lineup of channels broadcasting the Olympic games.
• TVants. This is a P2P Internet TV, which requires a free download. TVants can run on Windows or on Linux's WINE.
• PPMate. A Chinese P2P Internet TV network download. PPMate only run under Windows.
• TVU Networks. This P2P internet TV player requires a free download and only works with Windows, but is a good resource for watching global sporting events online.

Now here are other options that you can explore:

• Truveo and Blinkx . Catch Olympics videos from all different news channels in one place. Some sites like blip.tv also allow you download videos.
• Beijing2008.cn - This is the official portal for Olympic Games that hosts a large collection of videos, photographs, interviews with players from different countries, Olympic Game logos, history of the game, and other interesting material. You may want to visit for regular news about the games.
• CNN , New York Times, BBC UK and Yahoo! Sports. Other than video sites, most media websites have dedicated section for Olympics Games which also feature medal counts and breaking news from the Olympics.

ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF WATCHING THE OLYMPICS ONLINE

Countless sports fans will look for video coverage of the Olympic games online while trapped in their cubicles this week, and chances are at least some of them won’t head to NBC’s official web site but will try their luck elsewhere. In fact, NBC’s decision to delay the online video coverage of popular events for three hours is almost an invitation to waste a few hours of time on pirate sites and P2P TV forums.

The IOC is aware of this problem and is trying to address it by posting authorized videos on YouTube. Too bad these clips won’t be accessible to folks in the United States. So where will you and the U.S. Olympians go?

Here are alternative ways people will use to get their Olympics fix:

P2P Streaming. China is the motherland of P2P streaming, with almost a dozen vendors offering live TV transmissions. The leading Chinese P2P TV platform PPLive is officially licensed to show the games — but only to an audience within China. PPLive will restrict the transmissions to IP addresses from within the country. Hardcore fans might want to try to access the transmissions through a Chinese proxy server, but the chances this will work for a bigger audience are rather slim. After all, people usually tend to use proxy servers to access web sites outside of the PRC. Of course, there are other companies that seem to care less about filters and licenses. Both soccer and NBA fans have previously reported success with PPStream, PPMate, Sopcast, TVUPlayer and TVKoo.

Live video sites. Streaming video hosters like Ustream, Stickam and Justin.tv will see a bunch of people trying to relay TV coverage of the games. The sites will probably try to shut down some of these efforts, but there’s a good chance that some will fall through the cracks. Who knows, maybe we’ll even see new kinds of spot coverage coming right out of someone’s living room, Mystery Science Theater-style?

YouTube. Granted, the official Olympics coverage will not be available to visitors with States-based IP addresses. But that won’t stop users that access YouTube through a proxy server based in India or any of the other 76 countries that have access to the IOC channel. Users will also upload excerpts and highlights from the competitions on their own. Google will try to filter these submissions, but those filters won’t catch everything.

Torrent sites. BitTorrent has long been a good option for time-shifting TV, with some shows even finding their way online between the East Coast and the West Coast premiere, so we’ll likely see quite a few Olympic TV moments on torrent sites as well. Torrents should pop up on major sites like ISO Hunt, Mininova and The Pirate Bay as well as specialized, invite-only communities like Sportbit.org within hours of the major competitions.

Foreign TV. The BBC is broadcasting the Olympics online — with up to seven live streams, no less — and broadcasters in other countries will offer their own coverage on the web as well, oftentimes using fewer technical hurdles than NBC. Granted, most of these streams will be protected by IP filters, but once again, proxy servers should be able to solve this problem. And I wouldn’t be too surprised if someone figures out a way to access a stream of some obscure Russian TV station without any proxy.

ADOBE FLASH POWERS CCTV.COM'S BEIJING OLYMPICS’ INTERNET COVERAGE

In China, CCTV International Networks Co, Ltd. has teamed up with Adobe to bring Olympics online video to mainland China. CCTV.com owns the online video rights to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games for mainland China and Macau.

Choosing Adobe as a partner is a indication that Chinese Internet viewers and sports fans can expect a rich, immersive interactive Web experience. CCTV.com's Olympic Network TV Station, through Adobe technologies, including Adobe Flash and Adobe Flex, will bring the drama and excitement of the games to the Web.

CCTVOlympics.com, will deliver viewers with:

• An unprecedented Web experience created with Adobe Flex and delivered via Adobe Flash technology, which includes Olympic results, statistics, comprehensive bios, rules and expert analysis from CCTV's Olympic media team. Unlike NBC though, CCTV is not eschewing commentators and replacing them with bloggers, although, it also will be diving into the social web via "social networking features that will enable fans to share aspects of their Olympic experience with friends."
• 5,000 hours of on-demand protected streamed video content (3,800 hours of worldwide broadcast Olympic Games video and 1,200 hours of CCTV’s own video) including full event replays, highlights, features, interviews and encore packages.

Over the past year, CCTV International Networks Co, Ltd. has developed new media platforms based on the most advanced Internet technologies. By teaming up with Adobe, CCTV.com can provide sports fans and consumers an engaging online experience for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and beyond. Adobe was chosen as the partner because Adobe technologies enable the TV network to deliver a compelling Web 2.0 experience consistently to people across platforms.

Besides the Olympic Games, CCTV.com and Adobe will pursue other initiatives to develop new media based applications leveraging CCTV.com's brand and content and Adobe's advanced technology platform.

Online Olympics Streaming Videos via YouTube

YouTube is receiving a slice of the Olympic pie. The Google Inc. unit is providing about three hours a day of exclusive content from the IOC's Olympic Broadcasting Services on a dedicated channel during the Games. The content, including highlight reels and daily wrap-ups but not live coverage, now extends to 77 territories -- South Korea, India and Nigeria among them -- that aren't officially covered by Olympic sponsors.

Users in the U.S. and other markets where the IOC has vended digital video-on-demand rights on an exclusive basis are barred from watching the footage.

This is the first time in Olympic history that a comprehensive global online coverage is made available. The scheme provides Olympic footage to the "young generations of sports fans" who are already going online for entertainment. IOC supplies and uploads the content -- an estimated 500 to 800 segments over the course of the Games.

YouTube, on the other hand, will be able to sell ads around its Olympics channel, but only to Olympic sponsors. The tight timing and the exclusion of the U.S., where the online-ad market is far more mature than most other countries, means the financial advantage will be marginal. The arrangement is really more about the accessibility. YouTube anticipates snatching more sponsorship opportunities by extending the partnership with the IOC in the future.

The content is expected to reach only about 200 million people, because the territories covered have relatively small numbers of online-video viewers. By comparison, China -- which isn't allowing the YouTube broadcast -- has an estimated 180 million people who watch online video; they will be able to watch Olympics content from CCTV.com, the online arm of China Central Television, and its partners.

The growing number of people watching video online has been a challenge for Olympics organizers. While new media conduits, from blogging to online video sharing, could swell viewership of the Games, they also make it more intricate for organizers to control exclusive content, for which sponsors pay millions of dollars.