NEC’s Advancements in Facial Recognition

Posted by Michael Ballard on January 27, 2010March 9, 2015 Posted in Straight Talk Tagged biometrics, facial recognition, NEC, peparo, security, technology

Last week we installed one of the coolest demos I have had in the EBC since PaPeRo. It’s a facial recognition software that can detect your age, race and gender. This demographic information could be used, in a digital signage environment, to present you with targeted advertising based on your demographics.

For the most part the prototype has been pretty accurate. Every once and a while it thinks I’m the age of my parents (must be the reflection from my bald head). As long as I don’t start to get an ad that tells me I should take advantage of the new SENIOR DISCOUNTS, I’m OK with it.

NEC has been a leader in the biometrics space for over 40 years and recently won a content sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security for the greatest accuracy with facial recognition. Their False Rejection Rate was 2.1% and False Acceptance Rate was .1%. I’m still deciding if I should be afraid or excited.

Apple Not the Only Company to be Releasing a Tablet

Posted by Michael Ballard on January 12, 2010March 9, 2015 Posted in Straight Talk Tagged android, apple, big globe, cloud, google, NEC, slate, tablet, technology

This story comes via the Best Mobile Contracts blog site…it’s a good one!

alt Before you can even say Google Chrome, NEC has already announced that it will be releasing a Google Tablet in Japan.

Yes, just a few days after the Apple iPad has been confirmed, it appears that Google is right there matching their main mobile gadget competitor in every step of the way. With the HTC Google Nexus One already stealing most of the spotlight, it was a nice change of pace to see some non-Google news when Apple announced that they will finally be unleashing their much anticipated tablet. But just when the diversion was sinking in, NEC comes out with their tablet gizmo.

NEC Biglobe’s “Cloud Device” is a pretty little gadget that gives you a 7 inch LCD touch screen, on a device that is 7.8 x 4.7 x .5 in. large, weighs .8lbs and supports WiFi.

There is a lot of promise in the device and it is estimated that the NEC device will be using the Android OS (not Chrome) and will have a price tag of somewhere around $275 US.

Since the main purpose of the tablets is for casual browsing, it is expected that the hardware on this gadget will be somewhat close to the specs of the iPad , if not a little lower. The device is confirmed to support 3G/WiMax in Japan and will be compatible with microSD cards for expandable memory. According to the image screenshots the name of the product is WebStation and it will serve as can serve as a desktop clock or calendar when not in use.

Meter Readers No Longer Need to Live In Fear of Dogs

Posted by Michael Ballard on December 14, 2009March 9, 2015 Posted in Straight Talk Tagged energy, grid, lcd, microcontroller, power

300px-Elster_Type_R15_electricity_meter I always wondered why someone would want to job of entering into a stranger’s backyard in order to read the power meter. There’s so much that could go wrong: dogs, children, some guy with a shotgun, etc. Well, NEC just made that job a little easier….oh, and helping save the planet too! NEC has just introduced a LCD microcontroller for home power management. This not only eliminates the need for meter readers to risk their lives but it also integrates with Smart Grid technologies. Energy provides can better managed power demand and efficiency.

More information:
LCD Microcontroller
Smart Grid

Lock the Door and “Don’t Come Out Until You Have Something”

Posted by Michael Ballard on December 7, 2009March 9, 2015 Posted in Straight Talk Tagged intel, NEC, super computer, supercomputer, terminator, vector

What do you get when you put two really smart people in a room together and tell them to “do something really cool?” Hopefully a new supercomputer…or at least a new gaming console.

NEC has had a great presence in the supercomputing world for some time now. They have won multiple speed and performance contests over the years.

Intel…well, do I really need to say anything more?

NEC and Intel have decided to lock themselves in a room and develop new supercomputer technologies that, I’m sure, will blow our minds. Fancy terms like “vector pipeline management, memory sub-systems and high speed interconnect technology” have been thrown around as being the keys to a successful project.

We just need to make sure we don’t let them create a real life Terminator. The last thing we need is Arnold taking over the world.

Press Release

A Real Life Foreign Film

Posted by Michael Ballard on November 18, 2009March 9, 2015 Posted in Straight Talk Tagged culture, language, technology, translation

Real Life foreign film

I was watching an Italian film the other day that had subtitles throughout the entire movie (as most foreign films do). It was awkward at first, having to change my focus between the words on the bottom of the screen and the actor’s faces. However, after about 20 minutes I caught myself in sort of a “language zone”. I stopped focusing on the words and focused more on the actors. My brain was still processing the subtitles but I didn’t have to focus on them as much. It was like I could suddenly speak Italian!

This “language zone” (not an official term) is what I hope to experience when I start to use NEC’s new Translation Glasses. NEC has had real-time translation for a number of years now through cell phones. But now they have changed the communication method from voice to visual.

In addition to processing and translating the foreign language, the glasses will project (for only your eyes to see) in subtitles what that person is saying. You can maintain eye contact with the other person but understand exactly what they are saying. Before you know it you will be in the “language zone”.