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Think about a picture and what comes to mind is a flat image of something with very little depth. The technology to make actual 3D images has been around a while, but it's not mainstream and isn't seen often. Researchers at Stanford have created a new camera chip that can see in 3D that could lead to better images, especially at higher ISO settings where grain is a big issue. Anyone who shoots with a digital camera that offers adjustable ISO settings has seen the noticeable grain that shows up in images. The quality of the camera will affect how high the ISO setting can go before grainy images are a significant issue. The new Stanford chip has a three megapixels rating and rather than using one single large sensor, the prototype chip breaks the image up into many small and overlapping 16 x 16 pixel patches known as subarrays.
BobVila.com's Top 5 Energy-Saving Ideas for 2008
BOSTON, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Home improvement expert Bob Vila has been on the presidential campaign trail talking about energy efficiency. His popular web site shares five earth-friendly projects -- both large and small -- for your home in 2008. 1. Use energy-saving appliances. Refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, furnaces, heat pumps, air conditioning units and water heaters all have high- efficiency models. Before buying a new appliance, compare labels to find one that uses the least amount of energy and water with the lowest operating costs. Appliances with the Energy Star label are up to 50 percent more efficient than standard models, saving you up to 30 percent on your electric bill. "I've been promoting Energy Star appliances for over a decade," Bob Vila says, "and it still makes sense to invest in them because of the energy savings you'll get." 2.
Kroger plans mega store in Bonsack area
A giant in the grocery business plans to spread its footprint into a growing area of Roanoke County. Kroger officials said Friday that the company will build its largest Roanoke Valley store on a 22.8-acre site at the corner of Valley Gateway Boulevard and U.S. 460 in the Bonsack area. The 84,000-square-foot store will offer a gas station, as do some other Kroger stores. The Cincinnati-based chain is pumping $22.4 million into the development of this grassy site, which is near Integrity Windows, a large manufacturer of windows and doors that opened several years ago. Other retails shops and restaurants are planned adjacent to the new store. Four additional outparcels, for lease or for sale, would front U.S. 460. Kroger will own the retail center, having purchased the land from Fralin & Waldron, a Roanoke real estate company.
Halt to school furniture money upsets D.M. parents, teachers
We're down to a very basic, bare-bones school being built. We were thinking, 'OK, there's the furniture allotment, we'll still have that.' " He said the school now won't be nearly as nice as others that have already been completed.
Good said officials are "scraping to find money" for repair and maintenance across the district, which he points out has a "glut" of furniture in a warehouse and 67 semitrailer trucks. Some of the furnishings are from closed schools and some are donated.
Good said some elementary schools similar in size to Woodlawn had received money for furnishings: Greenwood, 316 37th St., $149,000; Perkins, 4301 College Ave., $110,000; and Windsor, 5912 University Ave., $111,000. Jaynette Rittman, principal at the newly renovated Garton Elementary School, was uncertain how much her school received for furnishings, but said student tables and chairs; teacher desks and chairs; bookshelves; filing cabinets; and cafeteria tables were bought.
Soundtrack Pro 2.0.1
Sound editors and video editors—the humans, not the software—often seem to live in different worlds. The latest version of Apple's Soundtrack Pro, version 2.0.1, part of Final Cut Studio 2.0.1, seeks to bridge some of those divisions, at least within the suite's workflows. Enhanced recording tools aid dialogue and Foley recording (which includes sound effects and incidental sound), and a new audio Conform facility promises to make reconciling video and audio edits easier. New pro audio features also cater to video production, making it easier to match audio recorded in different locations and to manage surround sound. The challenge for Soundtrack Pro 2 is balancing interface simplicity and the dual demands of video and audio production. Prosumer to pro to more pro Soundtrack Pro has gone through some major transformations, in both features and user expectations, in its four years of existence.
Conditions at Tri-Oval favor technical drivers
FOUNTAIN CITY, Wis. It was a drivers' course Saturday and Sunday at the Tri-Oval Speedway when the United States Snowmobile Association took over the track.Over 15 inches of ice covered the track itself, while mounds of snow were piled on the infield for the first-time event.
Usually, oval-ice snowmobile racing takes place on what else? an oval. But, of course, the Fountain City track is tri-oval in shape and that meant a little less speed and a little more conditioning.The Champs Sleds 600 Opens got up to speeds around 80 mph on the ice track. On a comparable half-mile track, the same snowmobiles will get up to nearly 100 mph.What that meant for drivers was more work steering, less throttle jamming."It favored a driver in good condition," Director of USSA competition, Jerry Korinek, said, "a driver agile enough to control the sled."This was the first year Tri-Oval Speedway owner Jeff Duellman held such an event.
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