Combine art, science and technology into compelling stories for the purpose of educating the public regarding health and wellness issues and the potential impact is very powerful.
Anatomical Travelogue, a medical imaging research and media production company based in NYC, brings together magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computer tomography (CT), ultrasound, confocal laser scans using volume-visualization software to transform data to life. The tool that enables this process is called The VisualMD.
Dr. Eric Silfen, Chief Medical Officer, Philips Health Care:
It is no longer just an abstract. But it becomes personal.
Take a look at the embedded video and if you’re interested in learning more about your body explore www.thevisualmd.com. It is quite fascinating.
Pre Central’s Dieter Bohn on the Palm Pre Plus:
… the Palm Pre Plus is a multitasking monster.
Dieter wanted to know how many apps the Pre Plus could run simultaneously without getting the memory error. The original Pre topped out at 13 apps. The Pre Plus? Dieter opened up 50 and the Pre Plus kept on going. The point is: don’t worry about how many apps you’ve got running on the Pre Plus. Batter power is, of course, a completely different matter.
The F2370H and F2380MX 23-inch 1080p LCD monitors from Samsung boasts the world’s highest contrast ratio at 3000:1 static and 150,000:1 dynamic. The F2370H has a price tag of KRW397,000 (about US$350) and the F2380MX at KRW417,000 (about US$368.00). Looks like the F2370H pivots. I must strongly advise not to be smitten with these huge contrast ratio numbers: these numbers mean very little if nothing at all. If out-of-this-world contrast ratio specifications are extremely important to you, you may want to look for a TV instead. An old-school KURO plasma TV might be a good place to start. Source: Akihabara News
Engadget’s Joshua Topolsky reviewed the revamped Pre Plus from Palm. Allow me to get straight to the points:
The Pre Plus still isn’t faster. Palm promises speed and better battery life in the next update. Overall Joshua likes the webOS platform:
Personally, Android is not ready for the general public. Android is for early adopters that like to tinker with their gadgets. I’m an early adopter but I’m not a tinkerer so Android is out for me. The iPhone 3GS is probably my ideal smartphone but AT&T ruins it. The Palm Pre Plus coupled with Verizon is quite compelling. I’d rather have a bigger display and a lot more pixels instead of a slide-out keyboard. The reason might be different than others: I need to type Korean and a virtual keyboard makes it infinitely easier. A physical keyboard just like the one found on the Pre Plus that can change into different languages would be really cool and better than a virtual one. My AT&T contract will expire right before Apple announces something on the 27th. In addition to the iPad, I hope Apple announces an updated iPhone that I can take to any carrier.
Miahi Preda at Mihai Mobile wrote an interesting piece titled, Nexus One display and subpixel pattern. What is so interesting? It highlights the sub-pixel format of the OLED display used in the Nexus One. The sub-pixel format is called PenTile Matrix and is manufactured by Samsung using the technology from Clairvoyante, a company that Samsung purchased not too long ago. The PenTile Matrix is a 2×2 sub-pixel structure and is different from the usual 3×1 sub-pixel structure of a typical display. The 2×2 sub-pixel structure was used for two main purposes.
Aging: First OLED phosphors continue to exhibit differential aging with the blue aging most quickly. The blue sub-pixel (as well as the red) takes up a larger area than the green. With a larger area the blue sub-pixel does not need to be driven with as much current to generate the brightness levels needed. And because it isn’t driven as hard it doesn’t age as fast. I’m not certain why red has such a large area.
Second the 2×2 sub-pixel structure allows for less complicated driver ICs. Simpler driver ICs mean less cost but it also means less power.
800×480? Technically the 800×480 “resolution” on the Nexus One OLED display is incorrect. I tend not to use the term resolution as it refers to density and not a format. I prefer to use the phrase “pixel format” to make sure that readers know what I am referring to. For instance, 100 ppi (pixels per inch) would be referring to the resolution of a display. On the other hand 1920×1080 would be pointing to the pixel format of the display. So back to the Nexus One.
The PenTile Matrix sub-pixel structure on the OLED display used in the Nexus One certainly does not have a 800×480 pixel format. I’m actually unsure as to what the pixel format is, but a simple calculation by a non-math major yields a pixel format equivalent of 533×480 based on the standard assumption that a pixel is composed of a 3 x 1 sub-pixel structure. That’s because each 4 pixel cluster in a PenTile Matrix has 8 sub-pixels going across and 4 sub-pixels going down. A regular 3×1 sub-pixel pixel has 12 sub-pixels going across and 4 down. But that’s sub-pixels.
Update 2010.02.23: I had the pleasure of meeting Candice Brown Elliott, Founder and CEO of Nouvoyance, Joel Pollack, Sr. VP of Strategic Sales and Marketing, and Tony Botzas, Director of System Apps and Engineering on February 3rd. I came out of the 2 1/2-hour meeting impressed and convinced that the 3.7-inch PenTile Matrix OLED display used in the Nexus One does indeed have a resolution that is equivalent to a 3.7-inch TFT LCD with a 800×480 pixel format using red, green, blue 3×1 striped sub-pixels. Read Display Showdown Part Ia: Nexus One for more information.
Resolution: I’ve spoken several times with Joel Pollack, Senior VP of Strategic Sales and Marketing at Nouvoyance, which was Clairvoyante prior to its acquisition by Samsung, and what I get from Joel is this: what is important is what the eyes see not the hardware sub-pixel structure. According to Clairvoyante at the time and now Nouvoyance, the resolution (and this is why making the distinction between resolution and pixel format becomes all the more important) is equivalent to a 800×480 pixel format display with a 3×1 sub-pixel structure. That means even though the PenTile Matrix OLED display has less sub-pixels it looks like it has the same number of sub-pixels as a typical 3×1 sub-pixel format LCD. But does it really?
I’m not 100% convinced that you can get the same visual resolution with less sub-pixels. It is interesting to see a comment on Mihai Mobile by a user named Bergamot:
That explains why the Nexus screen seemed visibly “dotty” in a way I’ve never seen an LCD look.
With less sub-pixels I am not surprised that a keen set of eyes sense a difference between the PenTile OLED display and a typical LCD. I have not seen the OLED display on a Nexus One for myself (at the time of this writing) but I would be very surprised if I didn’t feel the dotty-ness as well. As far as I know almost all Samsung smartphones with an OLED display sporting a 800 x 480 “resolution” makes use of the PenTile Matrix 2×2 sub-pixel structure.
Daring Fireball’s John Gruber:
In short, I love the pixel density and brightness (and, so far, the battery life), but I do not like the color reproduction.
I won’t get into a discussion regarding color reproduction here but it is interesting John notes the pixel density. Hopefully I’ve laid out a fairly clear argument that explains the PenTile Matrix OLED used in the Nexus One has less resolution, ergo less pixel density, compared to a LCD with a 800 x 480 pixel format using a 3×1 sub-pixel format.
We might be at a crossroads. 800×480: what does that mean? In light of different sub-pixel structures, 800×480 means almost nothing unless you get a bit more technical and show how the sub-pixels are arranged. Maybe it is time we shift our focus from technical specifications to actual experience. But then we would want to quantify the quality of our experience, wouldn’t we.
John Gruber at Daring Fireball had this to say about BumpTop for Mac, available now for US$29:
… I don’t just want better file management for my desktop. I want better file management everywhere. BumpTop is a Finder alternative that only handles one folder: ~/Desktop/. And the 3D stuff, with a weird perspective on “walls”, just seems silly.
Still worth a look according to Gruber if you’re swamped with files and folders on your desktop.
Verizon’s FIOS is the only fiber-to-the-home service that I know of in the US. Symmetrical 35Mbps means you get downloads and uploads at 35Mbps. Of course, you’ll need to pay: US$90 per month with a “Prime” triple-play bundle that includes TV, Internet and phone.
FAST UPLOADS: Why is there such a thing as a triple-play bundle? Content is content. I would think all you need is a proper UI to access TV, Internet and phone with a single data connection. Nonetheless, sites like Vimeo and YouTube should be happy: content providers can upload faster than they’ve ever been able to. ETF is $360, so make sure you are committed. Source: PR Newswire via Engadget
The rumor of an Apple event has been confirmed: Apple is holding an event on the 27th of January at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco at 10am PST. I’m not invited but I sure wish I was. Source: Engadget
CORD-LESS: I want to get rid of the cord attached to my mouse. All of the ports on the unibody MacBook Pro are on the left so if you want to use a mouse (and you’re right-handed) you have a long cord spanning the entire length of the chassis. Macally’s Turtle, a wonderful little mouse with a retractable cord, is my choice mouse because of two things: the disappearing cord when transporting it and the most satisfying click I’ve experienced in over a dozen mice that I have tried over the years. But I have a problem: because of how the lid mechanism is designed on the MacBooks the mouse cord can sometimes get in the way of the lid movement. The mouse cord gets stuck in between the lid and the chassis. It happens only once or twice a day but that was enough for me to earnestly look for a cordless mouse.
MAGIC MOUSE: As you can guess the cordless mouse I decided to try out is Apple’s Magic Mouse. There are 1270 reviews on Apple’s online store at the time of this writing. The overall rating is 4 out of 5 stars. Quite high. Here is a short list of what people like/dislike about the Magic Mouse:
What people don’t like about the Magic Mouse:
ERGONOMIC: It is interesting to see that some consider the design ergonomic while others disagree. Personally, I think it is quite ergonomic, probably the most ergonomic. My test for ergonomics is simple: Put your hand comfortably on your desk; remember the shape of your hand. Now put your hand over the Magic Mouse. Very little changed, and that’s why for me the Magic Mouse may be one of the most ergonomic mice available.
NOISY FEET: The rubber feet on the Magic Mouse is actually a bit noisy. It may be my 18-year old desk (actually a kitchen table) from Scandinavian Designs, but it is not. The Magic Mouse is noisy on almost any surface. The noise isn’t loud but just a bit higher-pitched than other mice. I think the solution is simple: make the rubber strips a bit softer.
CONFUSED: The Magic Mouse and the Mighty Mouse gets confused easily. Because of the inherent unibody design without distinct left and right buttons any mouse from Apple will most likely suffer. I have often clicked the “right button” on the Magic Mouse resulting in a left click.
BATTERY: I haven’t used the Magic Mouse long enough. The battery level is 89% after two weeks of use. I usually work home but in the last couple of weeks I have worked more at cafes. So this isn’t a clear indication of the battery’s longevity. After the Energizer batteries are depleted I will most likely replace them with Sanyo’s eneloop rechargeable batteries, which have had some positive reviews for use with slow-drain products such as mice.
I LIKE WIRED: I am biased against wireless mice and much prefer a wired version. In my experience, the direct connection transfers over to a more direct tracking performance. I can feel a slight lag, especially in Bluetooth-connected mice. Plus I like the mechanical feeling of the scroll wheel. Maybe that’s why I like to connect my MacBook Pro via an Ethernet connection when home and drive a stick shift VW. I just like direct, but, as I have said in the opening paragraph, when the wire gets in the way of my computing experience that’s when I am willing to seek wireless options.
LAG: Going from wired to wireless requires some getting used to, especially when you’re extremely sensitive to lag. I feel a slight lag and I don’t like it. After using the Magic Mouse for a while I went back to my Turtle. The experience was startling: the Turtle’s tracking was immediate. Is this to be expected in a wireless mouse? It depends on the wireless technology. My feeling is RF wireless is very close to wired in terms of direct tracking experience; Bluetooth is far behind. If you are sensitive to lag, as I am, you might not like the tracking experience with the Magic Mouse. I’m still using it despite the lag because the Magic Mouse is so much more than just a mere mouse.
DESIGN: Is it possible to make a mouse more simple in design than the Magic Mouse? Yes and no. The single piece of curved transparent acrylic showing a white background and Apple’s logo is quite a sight. Simplicity and elegance at their best on a mouse. But when I turned the Magic Mouse over I was a bit disappointed. Compared to the simple top the bottom was a bit cluttered. There were five elements: optical tracking cut-out, power indicator, on/off slider, black rubber for sliding and a black cover latch. I’m not a product designer so I don’t have any solutions to offer but to me all of these elements combined do not look simple enough, especially in light of the design simplicity embodied on top. Of course, this isn’t a big deal since the mouse bottom will be seen only a few times a year, to replace the batteries.
MULTITOUCH: A two-finger swipe to the left is equivalent to the “back” button on your browser. Want to go forward? That’s a two-finger swipe to the right. Unfortunately that’s about it for multitouch gestures out of the box. Fortunately there are tools to significantly augment the Magic Mouse. More on that in the next paragraph. Back to multitouch: Because the entire surface of the Magic Mouse is a capacitive touch sensor this curvaceous beauty can understand almost an unlimited number of gestures. The only clear limitation is the number of fingers you have!
BetterTouchTool: This is a must-have Mac utility that adds the ability to fine-tune tracking speeds and way beyond the limit for Apple’s default preference. You can also add gestures. I’m tinkering with BTT and have set a three-finger swipe down for Dashboard and a three-finger swipe up for Expose. BTT is absolutely brilliant.
Suggestions for improving the Magic Mouse:
The Magic Mouse is already far ahead of any other mouse available today, but it isn’t perfect. I would like a more direct feeling when tracking with the Magic Mouse, almost as if it was connected via a cord. Now that would truly be magical. Another improvement would be the left and right “buttons”. Apple needs to make the experience of clicking the left and right buttons more distinct. I have often clicked the right button and the Magic Mouse thought it was the left. Here are some far-fetching ideas that sound far-fetching but really isn’t:
INDUCTION CHARGING: Not everyone uses a mouse pad but Apple should seriously think about building an induction charging capability into the Magic Mouse and supply a induction charging mouse pad. I would certainly go back to using a mouse pad. Simple and intuitive.
BATTERY LEVEL: The sleek battery indicator on the unibody MacBook Pros are elegant and effective. I would recommend maximizing the same components and integrating it into the Magic Mouse so we can physically see how much battery is left. Of course with induction charging battery levels would always be topped but when you’re traveling this little indicator would come in handy just in case you were deciding whether to pick up those AA batteries along with your Red Bull. One of the lights would also work as a power indicator.
BOTTOM LINE: The Turtle by Macally has a more direct tracking feel and the click is more satisfying than the Magic Mouse’s click that requires a bit more push. But the cord gets in the way of my right-handed computing experience on the MacBook Pro, which has all the ports on the left. The Magic Mouse is simply beautiful, cuts the cord, and adds super-mouse abilities. This latest mouse from Apple isn’t perfect but it has the genes to become the very best.
IPS PANEL: HP’s ZR22w is a 21.5-inch LCD monitor sporting an IPS TFT LCD panel. The 21.5-inch H-IPS panel is by LG Display (model number: LM215WF2) and sports a 1920 x 1080 pixel format, 8ms GTG response time, 1000:1 contrast ratio, 250 cd/m2 brightness, 72% NTSC color gamut and 178/178 viewing angles.
ENERGY EFFICIENT: The H-IPS panel was designed to improve energy efficiency. The ZR22w is part of HP’s Performance Monitors. Connectivity options include DisplayPort, DVI, VGA and four USB 2.0 ports. The ZR22w comes with a 85%-efficient power supply unit; the chassis is made of at least 25% recycled resin; received Energy Star 5.0, EPEAT Gold and TCO Displays 5.0 certifications. Availability is slated for February 2010 with a MSRP of US$289. The ZR22w has been added to the IPS LCD Monitors database. Source: HP via TFT Central
DisplayBlog is written and produced by Jin Kim. Subscribe via RSS.