Rugged Cams Releases New Outdoor Security Camera

Rugged Cams is introducing another Tough, Weatherproof and Waterproof Security Camera with a built-in "Swing-Out" Junction Box and Conduit fittings.

Rugged Cams recently released the Vanguard-700, a new and improved infrared outdoor security camera designed to withstand extreme weather conditions, including rain, cold and dusty environments. In addition, this outdoor security camera takes advantage of the latest technology to produce crisp, clear images at near-HD resolution during the day and throughout the night.

The innovative design of the Vanguard-700 begins with its tough outer case. This hermetically sealed case has an ingress protection (IP) rating of 67, which means that it is totally protected against intrusions by solid particles as small as individual dust grains. The IP67 rating also means that the camera is totally sealed and is completely waterproof.

In addition to being waterproof and dustproof, the Vanguard-700 can also withstand extreme temperatures. This outdoor camera has been tested to operate in temperatures as low as -40° below zero and as high as 158° F, and it includes anti-fog protection. This is all made possible by the inclusion of a fan and a heating element inside the sealed aluminum case.

Access to the camera’s interior is granted by a drop-down access door that uses a strong gasket to ensure that the IP rating is not compromised. However, this access door is not simply a door. It also doubles as a control panel that includes a navigation button, infrared control buttons and a video output connection. It is also where lens adjustments are made, safely sealing these adjustment knobs from weather and moisture.

At the heart of the Vanguard-700 outdoor security camera is a Sony 960H image sensor. This sensor can produce images with up to 700 vertical lines of resolution (800 lines in Night Mode), and 960 horizontal lines of resolution. This is very near Megapixel resolution, and a great leap forward for analog systems.

Many users of the Vanguard-700 attach the camera to a standard DVR, which records at a resolutionof 740 x 480. However, users can get up to 30 percent higher resolution during playback by using the Rugged Cam 960HD DVR.

One of the most important features of this outdoor camera is the Easy Pro Install System, which can be used by anyone with basic mechanical skills to mount the camera just as well as any professional. At the base of the mount is a built-in, swing-out junction box that allows the camera to be mounted in any direction and position. It can be mounted on a wall, a ceiling, a table or any other surface without a problem, and the 3-axis swinging arm makes fine tuning a breeze.

The Vanguard-700 includes several other features that make it one of the most versatile outdoor security cameras on the market today. It has a dual-voltage power converter that accepts either 12V DC or 24V AC. In addition, the 30 wide-angle, variable-power infrared lamps with Smart IR technology give the camera an effective outdoor Infrared Lighting range of 100 feet and an indoor range of 165 feet.

Chinese Cellphone And Tablet Makers Gain Share In MEMS Sensor Purchasing In 2012

 China-based manufacturers of cellphones and tablets in 2012 more than doubled their share of purchases of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) motion sensors, reflecting the rising prominence of the companies in the global market, according to an IHS iSuppli MEMS Topical Report from information and analytics provider IHS (NYSE: IHS). 

Chinese makers as a whole were the third major user last year of motion sensors for cellphones and tablets, accounting for 15 percent of the market, up from 7 percent in 2011, as presented in the attached figure.

“The purchasers fell into two groups: the first typified by big companies such as ZTE, Huawei Technologies, Lenovo and Coolpad; and the second made up of a multitude of smaller players,” said Jérémie Bouchaud, director and senior principal analyst for MEMS & sensors at IHS. “The two groups will evolve in different directions in the years ahead. The larger manufacturers will maintain their growth through 2016, but the boom that smaller players are enjoying at present—driven by the long-tail growth of smartphones—is a bubble that will not be sustainable. As top-tier suppliers start to optimize their lower-end platforms for this market, the window of growth for smaller players will shrink accordingly, expiring during the next few years.”

Shades of gray

Chinese firms ZTE and Huawei Technologies were at No. 8 and No. 9 last year—below top players Apple and Samsung, Nokia of Finland at No. 3, LG Electronics of South Korea in fourth place, HTC of Taiwan in fifth, Japan’s Sony in sixth and Illinois-based Motorola in seventh. However, ZTE and Huawei were ahead of No. 10 BlackBerry, the rebranded Canadian player formerly known as Research In Motion.

Outside of the legitimate Chinese market, the China gray-handset space also had a small presence in the global motion sensor industry given spending of $12.7 million, down from a peak of $41.1 million in 2009. The market here consisted solely of accelerometers supplied by American companies Memsic and Freescale, as well as STMicrolectronics and Bosch. There are no compasses or gyroscopes in this segment.

Apple and Samsung dominate

Apple and Samsung Electronics were the two largest buyers in 2012 of MEMS motion sensors for handsets and tablets with nearly three-fifths control of the total market last year, affording the two giants extraordinary leverage when negotiating prices.

Apple spent $422.4 million for a 31 percent share, while Samsung’s expenditure of $340.8 million gave it a 25 percent share. The combined share of 56 percent from the two—equivalent to $763.2 million—dwarfed the rest of the market, which included the underground gray-handset space in China, as well as other smaller buyers from Taiwan and the United States, as shown in the attached table.

“The heft and influence of Apple and Samsung in the consumption of motion sensors give the two titans incredible purchasing power in this key area,” Bouchaud said. “Apple and Samsung were leagues ahead of other companies like Nokia, LG Electronics, HTC, Sony and Motorola in purchasing motion sensors. Both companies in 2012 paid 20 to 25 percent lower prices than other buyers for all motion sensors on average. For 3-axis gyroscopes, Apple and Samsung paid prices that were 10 to 15 percent less than for everyone else.”

Apple and Samsung are expected to maintain their dominance until at least 2016, retaining approximately 55 percent of the market by then.

Overall, revenue last year for MEMS motion sensors used in handsets and tablets amounted to $1.34 billion, up a solid 21 percent from $1.11 billion in 2011.

Apple’s major contribution

California-based Apple was the biggest buyer of motion sensors for tablets, but fell behind top purchaser Samsung last year for the sensors in mobile handsets. Apple’s share last year was down from 36 percent in 2011, but the company can claim important milestones in the MEMS motion sensor market.

The first iPhone made the accelerometer popular as the phone could automatically orient to a horizontal or vertical position; the iPhone 3GS launched an electronic compass for navigation; and the iPhone 4 along with the first iPad created a new market for motion-sensitive gyroscopes.

Unlike most manufacturers, Apple so far has a single-source policy for motion sensors. French-Italian entity STMicroelectronics has been the sole supplier to Apple of accelerometers since 2007 and of gyroscopes since 2010, while Japanese-based AKM has been the lone supplier of the e-compass since 2009.

STMicroelectronics is also the supplier of 3-axis gyroscopes for the iPhone 4, 4S and 5, as well as for the iPad 2, 3 and mini tablets.

Apple, however, may be facing stiff competition from other buyers in pioneering new motion sensor applications. Samsung, for instance, is driving the adoption of pressure sensors for sophisticated indoor navigation, while Nokia and HTC have already introduced optical image stabilization to reduce camera shake in smartphones.

Samsung’s upstart challenge to Apple

Samsung overtook Nokia in 2011 to become the second-largest buyer of MEMS motion sensors for handsets and tablets. The South Korean behemoth increased purchasing by 69 percent, boosting its market share to a quarter of the total from 19 percent in 2011. Samsung’s new-found prominence puts it within 6 percentage points of Apple, narrowing Apple’s lead down from 15 percent in 2011.

Unlike Apple, Samsung has a diversified supplier base: three for discrete accelerometers; four for e-compasses; two suppliers for discrete gyroscopes; two for pressure sensors; two for 6-axis inertial measurement units combining a 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis gyroscope; and one for 6-axis compasses comprising a 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis e-compass.

STMicroelectronics was the main supplier to Samsung as it was for Apple, with German maker Bosch Sensortec and California-based InvenSense as Samsung’s next biggest providers.

Samsung’s inclusion of pressure sensors in the latest Galaxy Note 2 and S III smartphones is also notable, giving the company an important head start in this segment, especially as Apple is not expected to include pressure sensors in the iPhone until 2014.

The top suppliers overall

Four suppliers shipped more than $100 million worth of MEMS motion sensors last year, making up 84 percent of the market. STMicroelectronics was No. 1 with $640 million, followed by AKM with $236 million, Bosch Sensortec with $135 million and InvenSense with $121 million. 

OptiTrack Launches Prime 17W Motion Capture Camera at GDC 2013

OptiTrack has announced its newest Prime 17W motion capture camera, with 1.7 Megapixels (MP) and a wide angle field of view (FOV), the Prime 17W is equipped to maximize coverage in a variety of volumes.
The Prime 17W's ample 70° by 51° field of view and impressive 50' range offers users flexible system deployment and camera configuration. Though high camera counts are supported, the wide angle FOV was designed to deliver clean, continuous data with fewer cameras-making it an affordable solution for engineers, animators, and researchers interested in leveraging the Prime Series performance into their studios and labs. Also capable of tracking exceptionally fast moving objects, the Prime 17W's global shutter and 360 FPS full resolution capture rate make it ideally suited for UAV, robotic and sports tracking and other demanding high-speed applications.

"Every facet of the Prime 17W was thoughtfully constructed to afford users the greatest degree of freedom in assembling high quality motion capture systems, without a hefty price tag. We are challenging the outdated thinking that motion capture is complicated, and with this release are breaking down traditional barriers like budget and space limitations.

The Prime 17W is powerful, easy to install and can effortlessly squeeze large capture volumes into tight or narrow spaces," said Jim Richardson, CEO of OptiTrack.
Prime 17W features include:

• 70° by 51° field of view enables larger volumes in smaller spaces and with fewer cameras
• 1.7 Megapixel resolution allows simultaneous body and finger tracking
• Performance-matched image sensors and lenses for true edge-to-edge data
• Super low distortion, "fast glass" lenses for superior light transmission
• High speed, 360 FPS capture with global shutter easily tracks very fast-moving objects
• 50' camera-to-marker range
• GigE and PoE+
• Aim Assist button for simple, rapid single-user setup
• Genlock, SMPTE Time Code and external sync in/out

As with all OptiTrack cameras, the Prime 17W setup, when used with OptiTrack's Motive software solutions, produces the cleanest 3D data in motion capture, even capturing subtle finger movements with Motive:Body software. OptiTrack's Prime Series of cameras also includes the Prime 41, a 4.1 MP camera capable of capturing volumes of up to 75' by 150' that was launched in 2012. The Prime 17W is now available for $3699. For more details.

Nikon Launches High Lenes Cameras

The compact COOLPIX L820 offers a 30x zoom and capture images and videos at various distances. The zoom lenses and user-friendly features of the newest COOLPIX cameras make them ideal to have on-hand for any occasion.

"Nikon's new long zoom COOLPIX cameras provide consumers with the chance to capture a diverse range of subjects and scenes, whether near the subject or at a distance," said Bo Kajiwara, vice president of marketing, planning and customer experience, Nikon Inc. "Designed for the frequent traveler, the instant sharer, and the family memory keeper, these new COOLPIX cameras offer trusted Nikon technology, high image quality, Full HD video and a variety of other features that meet photographers' needs."

The Nikon COOLPIX P520 is the advanced performance ultra zoom camera. The new COOLPIX P520 boasts a 42x optical zoom-NIKKOR glass lens with an impressive zoom range from a wide 24mm to a whopping 1000mm.

The P520 also features an 18.1-megapixel backside-illuminated CMOS sensor and high ISO sensitivity to ensure quality images even in low-light conditions. Additionally, the COOLPIX P520 allows users to not only shoot images from a distance, but also at unique angles thanks to a versatile 3.2-inch Vari-Angle LCD monitor. Additionally, Full HD (1080p) video recording with stereo sound is possible with the simple touch of the dedicated movie record button. This ultra-zoom camera comes with built-in GPS capabilities as well, allowing photographers to log their journey with an easy-to-use display.

To share images and videos instantly with family and friends, the P520 is compatible with the WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter2. This optional accessory paired along with the downloadable Wireless Mobile Adapter Utility application1 allows users to transfer their images and videos to compatible smart devices and tablets for easy sharing and viewing with others.

The Nikon COOLPIX L820 is a comfortable long zoom camera, it has designed to capture stunning images at various distances, the compact COOLPIX L820 sports a high-power 30x zoom, a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor, and Vibration Reduction (VR) technology to help keep shots steady. With its wide-angle lens, covering from wide-angle 22.5mm to super-telephoto 675mm, users have the versatility to capture crisp, vivid images, whether up-close or at a distance. The camera's 7.6-cm (3-inch) monitor, ergonomic design, along with the convenience of AA-size batteries and a dedicated video button make it easy and fun for users to shoot comfortably. Users can easily access a wide range of features, including easy auto mode and smart portrait system, which enable them to enhance their photos with options like red eye fix and face priority AF. Other special effects include glamour retouch, filter effects and skin softening for optimal portrait enhancements.

The Nikon COOLPIX S9500 is the slim COOLPIX S9500 sports a 22x optical zoom (25-550mm) and is the perfect companion for anyone that wants to capture and share high-quality images and HD videos with a sleek and stylish package. Small enough to keep close in a shirt pocket or purse, the S9500 features an 18.1-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, ideal for capturing low-light images with clarity and sharpness. It also sports a legendary NIKKOR lens with Vibration Reduction (VR) to minimize the effects of blur and camera shake. For those who want to capture their journey through video, this camera also offers Full HD (1080p) movie recording with stereo sound. Additionally, a bright 7.6-cm (3-inch) OLED monitor assists users to clearly compose or view their recorded movies or captured images, even when in bright conditions. The COOLPIX S9500 also offers various shooting effects to enhance memories, including an upgraded Glamour Retouch function, Skin Softening and Quick Effects.

The S9500 offers a built in GPS function to provide the user the ability to log their travels and share where they have been. In addition, the camera offers built-in Wi-Fi connectivity so images and videos can be shared while on the go by transferring them to a compatible smart device equipped with the wireless mobile adapter Utility application1. It also enables users to remotely take photos with the camera from a compatible smartphone or tablet.

The COOLPIX P520 will be available of $450 in black, red, and dark grey in February 2013. The COOLPIX L820 will be available of $280 in black and red, while the COOLPIX S9500 will be available $350 in black, silver, and red. Both will be available in February 2013.