Surround sound

Surround sound, using multichannel audio, encompasses a range of techniques for enriching (expanding and deepening) the sound reproduction quality, of an audio source, with additional audio channels reproduced via additional, discrete speakers. The three-dimensional (3D) sphere of human hearing can be virtually achieved with audio channels above and below the listener. To that end, the multichannel surround sound application encircles the audience (left-surround, right-surround, back-surround), as opposed to "screen channels" (center, [front] left, and [front] right), i.e. ca. 360° horizontal plane, 2D).

Surround sound technology is used in cinema and home theater systems, video game consoles, personal computers and other platforms. Commercial surround sound media include videocassettes, Video DVDs, and HDTV broadcasts encoded as Dolby Pro Logic, Dolby Digital, or DTS. Other commercial formats include the competing DVD-Audio (DVD-A) and Super Audio CD (SACD) formats, and MP3 Surround. Cinema 5.1 surround formats include Dolby Digital, DTS, and Sony Dynamic Digital Sound (SDDS).

Most surround sound recordings are created by film production companies or video game producers; however some consumer camcorders have such capability either built-in or available separately. Surround sound technologies can also be used in music to enable new methods of artistic expression. After the failure of quadraphonic audio in the 1970s, multichannel music has slowly been reintroduced since 1999 with the help of SACD & DVD-Audio formats. Some AV receivers, stereophonic systems, and computer soundcards contain integral digital signal processors and/or digital audio processors to simulate surround sound from a stereophonic source.

Olympus C-470 Zoom

Olympus C-470 ZOOM

The Olympus C-470 Zoom sets a new standard for digital cameras. An impressive list of high quality features including four million-pixels, 3x optical zoom and the unique Olympus 1.8” anti-glare LCD screen are combined for the first time with an unbeatable competitive price.

Features

* 4.0 million pixels
* 3x optical zoom (equiv. to 35–105mm on a 35mm camera) f3.1-5.2
* 1.8 inch sunshine LCD (134,000 pixels)
* 8 scene programmes (e.g. Portrait, Night Scene and Indoor)
* Movie recording function with sound
* PictBridge support
* TruePic TURBO image processor
* Ergonomically designed body

Supplied with:

* 16MB xD-Picture Card
* New rechargeable battery (LI-12B, 1230mAh) and charger
* Olympus Master 1.0 software

The C-470 ZOOM is planned for release in October 2004, priced £219.99 ($299).

Above all, the C-470 ZOOM strikes a perfect balance between usability and Olympus’s renowned strict technical standards. With a resolution of four million pixels and the TruePic TURBO image processor (enabling better picture quality and reduced processing time), this camera captures images in the finest detail. This high performance is boosted even further by a precision 3x optical zoom lens (equivalent to 35–105mm on a 35mm camera) featuring three aspherical elements. Finally, for even better close-ups, a seamless 4x digital zoom provides a total magnification power of up to 12x.

Handling all this photographic power is made easy by a range of scene programmes. For most users and conditions the automatic shooting mode is perfect. However, the Olympus C-470 ZOOM also includes eight programme modes for more tricky situations such as portrait, indoor, beach and snow scenes. Users may also switch to a movie mode, with sound, in which recording is only limited by the amount of available memory.

With all these easy-to-use options it will be a challenge to put the camera down. Fortunately, the Olympus C-470 ZOOM comes with a new, long-lasting lithium-ion battery. And when it’s time to print the images, PictBridge support makes it easy to print directly on compatible printers, such as the Olympus P-10.

HSDPA(High-Speed Downlink Packet Access)

High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) is a 3G (third generation) mobile telephony communications protocol in the High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) family, which allows networks based on Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) to have higher data transfer speeds and capacity. Current HSDPA deployments support down-link speeds of 1.8, 3.6, 7.2 and 14.4 Mbit/s. Further speed increases are available with HSPA+, which provides speeds of up to 42 Mbit/s downlink.

GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a packet oriented Mobile Data Service available to users of the 2G cellular communication systems Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), as well as in the 3G systems. In the 2G systems, GPRS provides data rates from 56 up to 114 kbit/s.

GPRS data transfer is typically charged per megabyte of traffic transferred, while data communication via traditional circuit switching is billed per minute of connection time, independent of whether the user actually is using the capacity or is in an idle state. GPRS is a best-effort packet switched service, as opposed to circuit switching, where a certain Quality of Service (QoS) is guaranteed during the connection for non-mobile users.

PENTAX announces White K2000 DSLR camera

PENTAX imaging has announced a limited edition white version of the K2000 camera with a double zoom kit. The camera continues to use a 10.2 megapixel sensor and a 2.7-inch wide-view LCD monitor, and is still tailored towards newcomers: a custom image mode containing six preset options and a full auto picture mode potentially take full control of the scene rather than pushing the user into manual control. Other touches include ten different scene modes, a help button, and a dust alert function for the sensor. For the limited edition PENTAX includes an smc 50-200mm F4-5.6 AL lens and smc 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 Al lens, both of which come in the same white as the camera body. Pricing isn't available for the camera, though the existing model sells for $800; the white version appears in February.