IVCA VISION NEWS
LETTER No.16
April
6- 2002
THE INTERNATIONAL VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS
ASSOCIATION
Keeping Amateurs informed on Developments in Visual Communication
around the world
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Saving Pictures
As a result of my information on saving pictures "SSTV Picture
Storage" in VISION news No. 14 we then learned that Oleg N.
Silkin RA3DCT, a programmer, has written a program that saves QSO pictures
etc,.see his article " CQ Log by RA3DCT "
at
http://www.ra3doa.ru for
details.
Winners of the Valentine Picture Contest
(Submitted By Tom KA4P)
1st place = Paul W5LZ
2nd place= Charles K4ZET
3rd place = Jim WB8NNJ
As the result of sending Valentine pictures on the Saturday 14.230 IVCA
net, the best pictures were selected and certificates will be sent out soon to
the above sweethearts!
New 3D Computer Monitors
( No colored Glasses required)
We have been using several programs in the past to
create and view 3D pictures that almost jump out of the SSTV screen when using
special viewing glasses, but we now have a new Monitor developed by the Deep
Video Imaging Co. that uses stacked LCD screens that puts the background
on the rear screen and foreground on the front screen giving the effect of
depth. The actual monitor is two LCD screens stacked one on top of the other
that requires a dual-head video card or a second video card, (note: this is
similar to the twin screen two monitor function of the standard windows
program except it requires a special $6000 monitor). The mouse can place a
pointer on the front or rear screen. The device is likely to find use in
medical and graphic applications but has little advantage in general computer
web and mail operation. Note:Years ago before the development of commercial
color CRT's for TV, we were trying to find how to develop a flat large panel
color TV screen and considered using two plate glass panels with a large number
of fine vertical wires or conductors etched on one, and horizontal wires etched
on the other, that were sandwiched together and sealed at the edges
and filled with a neon gas, then by a switching or commutating method selecting
the various X and Y wire conductor ends with signal voltage, a neon glow would
be produced where the two wires intersect. With three of these stacked panels
units, using various neon gas types we could have color TV or even
use lots of stacked panels to produce a depth or a 3D effect. The
larger the screen with more of the X and Y wires the higher the resolution .At
the time I figured this was only part of an invention, I made no attempt to
obtain a patent but did note that some one did later! ( That's how
years ago I almost invented large screen flat panel 3D color TV even before the
invention of the laser and holograms, IC chips and LCD screens etc.) HI.
Ray W5NOO
New Virtual Keyboard
Developed (beam me up Scotty)
If you thought the thin rugged
flat plastic pressure sensitive keyboard for PDA's etc.that you can roll up
for storage was a slick idea, we now have a new device by the Siemens Co. that
has a small optical projector that's approximately 2x1x3 in. size and
projects a visual keyboard picture display on to any surface that detects the
users physical interaction with the surface and also has a similar mouse type
function. It can be integrated with mobile
phone,laptops,tablet PC, PDA's etc. (and I thought the folding
keyboard and optical mouse or wireless keyboard and mouse was a slick
idea) This is just one new way to clear the hardware keyboard and mouse
off the desk top and eliminate the usual coffee spill damage!
New Wireless LAN
Connection Method " Bluetooth" (cheap and easy
wireless)
The long awaited BlueTooth wireless connection
method has finally almost arrived.The Amazing Technology Co. will soon be
selling the new small USB devices ( each the size of a typical pocket
knife) that permits two or more computers to exchange information at a
range of up to 150 feet, with a cost of $120 for the two USB plug-in
units equipped with fold out antennas. It works with Windows 98se / ME
/2000/XP operating systems (No support for the Apple/Mac systems) Pros= A
good price, easy setup and lot's of security. Cons= Slow speed compared to
802-11b wireless (Only 1Mbps compared the 11Mbps for 802-11b).
Available in April 2002. (A slick way for dial-up IBM computer
users to share a web connection, or printer, or files without the use of
interconnecting wires) Let's a portable Laptop use a wireless
connect to a desktop also! (I believe this beats the approach of using RF over
power wires, or phone line, or Nic's with cable etc.type systems, for LAN
type connection that are now used at present by the average multi
computer home or small office ).Ray W5NOO
Poor SSTV Operating
Practice
Help Wanted
(Ask not what the IVCA can do for you but what you can do for the
IVCA)
We still need some suggestions for some one to take
over as the IVCA Director and also as the Editor of the VISION News letter. Also
we need a volunteer to act as the Master of ceremonies at Dayton.(An
election will be held at the Dayton Meeting for new IVCA officers.As I am
no longer able to perform these duties due to my declining health and eye sight
problems. Contact me at the following and send any suggestions and get
details ray@junct.com Ray
W5NOO
More Help Wanted
(were getting desperate)
For the Vision News to be informative and usefull
we need the viewers to send in any news or comments or items of general interest
like computer tips etc. . (as we have no reporters and the editor
needs some help from the viewers as he is just running out of material) We
will also need some one to check the IVCA SSTV DX contest logs and declare
a winner . If you wish to be removed from the VISION group mailing notify
the editor!
Amateur Radio Vs the
New Wireless Hardware (You ain't seen nothing yet)
As we have indicated before personal video
communication is no longer limited the Ham Bands. We have an
increasing number of Cell/Video Phones and Personal Digital Assistant PDA's with
video devices in development and production that are wireless and equipped with
cameras and colored screens that are also even wireless web windows
capable computers that open up to display screens and keyboards or have
keyboards attached.The hardware will soon be arriving but in the USA we still
need the fast wireless networks to take full advantage of this amazing new
portable multi function equipment. .
Back Copies of the VISION
NEWS
If you would like to obtain all the back copies of the VISION news to view
or print just go the to the following web page that Frank DL1FH has, with a
click on the following URL
http://www.sstv.de/News/news.html
Junk Mail Problem (Too much spam)
I believe most find we have a problem with the increasing volume of
Junk or Spam e-mail. I receive around 70 Junk Mails a week and a virus or worm
or two but a filter provided by my web service provider ISP, permits me to
preview or open. or do a multiple delete of all of this mail. Hopefully
legislation in the USA is in progress to eliminate the Junk Mail problem.
Several programs will also help solve this problem. A free filter program is
available the "Spam Assassin" click
http://freshmeat.net/releases/60739/ for
a down load. (I've not used this filter program but it should help) Note: the
Yahoo IVCA group e-mail I believe will also start sending spam if you
don"t uncheck or turn the items off in Yahoo.. (looks like Yahoo finaly
figured out like lot's of the DOT COM'S that banner and popup adds would just
not cover operating cost and pay the bills!) Or as they say "no
free lunch" Ray W5NOO
Free Computer Software
If you don't have the $450 to spend for the Microsoft Office program and
don't have a good word processer or spread sheet etc.program you may wish to do
a search for the "
602Pro PC Office Suite" or click the
following URL
http://www.software602.com/products/pcs/ and
down load it. I now understand the previous program "Star
Office" is no longer free!
Computer
Tips
If you wish to find your dynamic IP address that
changes each time you boot up your computer when using a dial-up modem.
(The IP address information is required by some video mail etc.programs.) Just
click the windows desktop "Start" and then click "Run" and type
in "winipcfg" and press enter to see the IP number
information.
If you are running windows 95/98 before a bad
hard drive crash a very useful thing is to make an emergency start
up floppy disk ( used to get you back up and running after a bad crash
when you can't boot from the hard drive) just click on the windows
desktop my computer Icon and next click
the control panel Icon and next the
Add/Remove Icon then click the start-Up disk
tab and then click the Make Disk button. with a blank formatted floppy in the "A" drive. (this
saves CD driver information etc. and let's you boot from a floppy and then
use the windows program CD to reinstall windows etc.! (be sure to keep the
floppy in a safe place) Note: some computers come with a restore CD, some
don't Some times you can repair damaged windows files with a reinstall of
the window CD program on top of windows to repair or replace damaged or missing
files, rather than a complete format and clean install of the windows
program!! Also don't lose or damage your factory restore CD's with the various
hardware drivers etc. as I found computer mfg's will not provide a
replacement CD due to a licensing arrangement with Microsoft!.
Happy Viewing let's hear from
you viewers....... 73 Ray W5NOO
