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Technology

Review: Beyerdynamic Phonum

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Price: ₹24,999

Handsfree calling devices are often a great blessing especially when you need to discuss something and access another device at the same time in addition to facilitating group calls. Beyerdynamic is a German audio brand with almost a 100-year history behind it, and the Phonum is a Bluetooth speakerphone for conference calls.

The Phonum is beautifully designed, with a cylindrical cross-section, flat base and a mesh speaker dome on top. The flat base is metal with soft anti-slip padding, while the main unit has a polycarbonate exterior. The speaker dome is surrounded by a ring-shaped touch-responsive control panel that gives access to Bluetooth connection, Volume control, Microphone mute/unmute and Microphone mode control, which are permanently marked, in addition to Accept Call and Reject Call buttons that light up when you receive a call on your connected device. There are also eight LEDs indicating the microphone pick-up direction. The power button and USB-C port are at the side. Contrary to the most likely perception, the upward-facing speaker dome houses a 360-degree downward-firing speaker, which allows all participants to hear clearly. The speaker is designed for clear vocals and offers distortion-free output with optimal volume. The speakers feature echo cancellation for speech legibility. The Phonum can be connected with a smartphone or laptop via Bluetooth or with a non-Bluetooth device via USB.

Apart from the regular features of a speakerphone, what makes the Beyerdynamic Phonum special is the Gecko 360-degree technology and the intelligent microphone system. This system lets you customise the microphone pick-up pattern to suit the conferencing setup. The Microphone Mode Control button cycles between three modes of voice tracking. The Gecko Fix mode switches the microphone to single direction pick-up, which is ideal when there is only one speaker participating in the call. This filters out disturbances from other directions. In Gecko Follow mode, the microphone follows the speaker even if the person moves around, making it perfect for situations where one person has the floor. In Gecko 360-degree mode, the microphone assumes omnidirectional pick-up so that all people gathered around a table can freely participate in the conversation and is clearly audible. In each of these modes, the LEDs around the touch panel illuminate, indicating the microphone’s active pick-up direction. The strongest pick-up direction is indicated by the brightest LED, while the peripheral LEDs are dimmed, and those in the direction of least pick-up remain off. In omnidirectional mode, all LEDs remain switched off.

We found the Beyerdynamic Phonum to be extremely portable and quite responsive to touch input. Connection proved quick and seamless, facilitating quick set-up. In Follow mode, the microphone quickly changes direction according to the speaker’s position, making it a versatile conference device. If you plan to use this as a music player, you will be disappointed simply because the device is not designed for that purpose, and the volume is quite low for music playback. The device offers 12 hours of operating time on a single charge and features quick charging via the USB-C port. The Phonum is sold in India via headphonezone.in .

RATING

WE’RE IMPRESSED Light, portable and sturdy design, responsive touch panel, Gecko 360-degree system, good battery life, sturdy case

WE’D IMPROVE Speaker volume

THE LAST WORD Beyerdynamic Phonum is an extremely versatile speakerphone for any type of conferencing situation with a highly functional intelligent microphone system

Hikvision Reveals TandemVu PTZ Cameras

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Hikvision has launched its new TandemVu PTZ camera range, which integrates PTZ and bullet camera capabilities into a single unit. The cameras allow security teams to continue monitoring large areas with no interruptions, while simultaneously zooming in to monitor specific security incidents that occur.

7C series

The cameras provide high-definition imaging with 2 x 4MP lenses and a super-wide view of 180°. Its bullet unit features Hikvision’s ColorVu technology, which provides full-colour imaging, while its PTZ unit employs Hikvision DarkFighter technology that enables HD colour images down to 0.0005 Lux. Engineered with AI, the cameras can differentiate between moving objects such as falling leaves, heavy rain or animals. They can also, reportedly, differentiate between vehicles and people and use smart linkages to check on trespassers as they move within the PTZ coverage. The cameras boast of advanced security, owing to its AI chipset that allows deep learning algorithms available for complex scenarios, including automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), facial recognition and multi-target-type detection, among others. They use sound and light alarms that warn would-be trespassers before they enter a site or building. Hikvision reports that the cameras reduce installation, configuration and maintenance costs.

8C series

The latest devices have been grouped into two product families viz. the SF8C series and the SE7C series. The SF8C series provides two bullet lenses with 180° panoramic view, come with ColorVu technology, incorporate AI algorithms and offer 42x optical zoom capabilities. The SE7C series features one bullet lens, come with ColorVu and AcuSense technologies and support up to 32x optical zoom.

Nikita Distributors Expand Portfolio

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Moza Aircross 3 Kit

Nikita Distributors recently announced a range of product releases, expanding their portfolio.

Their latest additions include Godox Parabolic Softbox Kit (68/88/128/158), Samyang 135 mm f/1.8 Sony Mount lens, Moza Aircross 3 Professional kit, Vanguard Vesta 8320M (monocular), Vanguard Vesta TB 204 AB/CB (tripod), Vanguard VEO HD2 (binocular), Vanguard VEO ED 1050 (binocular), Nisi Enhance ND 5-9 stops 77 mm (variable ND filter) and Viltrox EF Z2 (adapter).

The Godox Parabolic Softbox Kit comes in 3 different sizes (88/128/158) and incorporates a quick-release system for rapid setup and breakdown. Its key features include reflective silver interior, soft diffusers, fabric grid and compatibility with a range of products using the adapter.

The Samyang AF 135 mm f/1.8 FE telephoto lens delivers an 18.9˚ angle of view for full-frame and 12.5˚ for APS-C. Its optical design is made up of 13 elements in 11 groups (1 U-ASP, 2 HR and 3 ED). Reportedly optimised for portraits, astrophotography, landscapes and video shooting, the lens’key features include a focus lock button, custom switch, and focus range limiter switch.

The Moza Aircross 3 is a 3-axis handheld gimbal stabiliser embodied in a compact (folds down to the size of an A4 size paper) and lightweight design with a fast charging battery (integrated with Spark Power Supply System 3.0), OLED UI, a single start/stop/shutter button, metal construction, and manual control. It is reported to support cameras that weigh up to 7 lb, which can be set up in different configurations such as Classic mode, Sling mode and Dual-Handle mode.

The VESTA 8320M is a lightweight and compact monocular, which comes with a PA-60 universal smartphone adaptor and Bluetooth remote control for digiscoping, while the Vanguard 1050 VEO ED is a binocular that features anti-reflection, fully multicoated, extra-low dispersion (ED) glass with phase-correcting coatings on the BAK4 roof prisms. The VESTA TB 204AB,VESTA TB 235CB is a lightweight and compact aluminium and Carbon fibre travel tripod kit that is designed for mirrorless and small D-SLR camera kits.

The NiSi Enhance ND-Vario 5-9 stops 77 mm is a variable neutral density filter that allows users to control depth of field. The nano-coating on its glass surface helps to prevent reflections, glare and repel water and dust. It can be rotated using the side lever and sports a slim frame.

Lastly, the Viltrox EF-Z2 Speed Booster is an adapter that enables a Canon EF lens to be used on a Nikon Z camera body. It comes with a built-in 0.71x optical multiplier and the electronic contacts are gilded with copper. A USB port is provided for firmware upgrades, and a 1/4″-20 tripod socket on the bottom of the adapter allows for tripod mounting.

The above mentioned products are available with all leading photography equipment dealer shops and e-commerce websites, distributed by Nikita Distributors.

Apple Unmasks Range of Devices

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iPhone SE

The iPhone SE comes in a compact and durable design that incorporates a 4.7-inch display, aerospace-grade aluminium and glass along with IP67 rated water and dust resistance.

It features iOS 15 and has upgrades including the A15 Bionic chip packed with a 6-core CPU, which powers advanced camera capabilities such as photo editing, gaming and augmented reality. It also features a 12-megapixel ƒ/1.8 aperture Wide camera that offers features such as Smart HDR 4, Photographic Styles, Deep Fusion and Portrait mode. Along with 5G, the device comes in three colours i.e. Midnight, Starlight and (PRODUCT)RED.

The iPhone SE will be available from March 18 onwards, in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB variants starting at INR 43,900.

ipad Air

The iPad Air features the M1 chip that comes combined with an 8-core CPU and an 8-core GPU for faster and more power-efficient performance, along with a 16-core Neural Engine that powers machine learning functions. It comes with an ultra-wide 12MP front camera with Center Stage function that automatically pans to keep users in view as they move. It also has a 12MP wide camera on the back for 4K video, scanning documents and AR functions. It comes with 5G and connectivity features include eSIM and Wi-Fi 6 support, along with a USB-C port, with data transfers up to 10Gbps. It has a thin and light design and comes in Space Grey, Starlight, Pink, Purple and Blue colours in 64GB and 256GB configurations. The device has a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display and landscape stereo speakers. Accessories include the Apple pencil which comes with wireless charging and pairing.

The iPad Air will be in stores from March 18, at a starting price of INR 54,900 (Wi-Fi) and INR 68,900 (Wi-Fi + Cellular).

Mac Studio

The Mac Studio is powered by M1 Max and the new M1 Ultra chips.

The device is built from a single aluminium extrusionwith a square footprint of 7.7 inches and a height of 3.7 inches. Its thermal design includes a system of double-sided blowers, precisely placed airflow channels to help cool the M1 Max and the M1 Ultra chips.

M1 Ultra builds on M1 Max and features the UltraFusion architecture that interconnects the die of two M1 Max chips, creating a system on a chip (SoC) and consisting of 114 billion transistors. It features up to 64GB of unified memory on systems with M1 Max and up to 128GB of unified memory on systems with M1 Ultra. The SSD in Mac Studio delivers up to 7.4GB/s of performance and a capacity of up to 8TB. Connectivity options include four Thunderbolt 4 ports, a 10Gb Ethernet port, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port and a pro audio jack for high-impedance headphones or external amplified speakers. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 are built in as well.

Studio Display

The Studio Display features a 27-inch 5K Retina screen with over 14.7 million pixels, 600 nits of brightness, P3 wide colour, and support for over one billion colours. Its design includes narrow borders and an all-aluminium enclosure with height-adjustable and tilt display (up to 30 degrees). A VESA mount adapter option is also available. It features True Tone technology that automatically adjusts the display’s colour temperature as the environment changes.

It also comes with the A13 Bionic chip, along with the 12MP Ultra Wide camera with Center Stage feature. The device includes a three-microphone array with a low noise floor and features a six-speaker sound system and four force-cancelling woofers that support spatial audio for music and video with Dolby Atmos. Connectivity options include three USB-C ports (up to 10Gb/s) and a Thunderbolt port (connected using a single cable that can also deliver 96W of power to a Mac notebook). The Mac Studio and Studio Display are available for on apple.com/in/store and in the Apple Store app. They will be in available select Apple Store locations and Apple Authorised Resellers, beginning Friday, March 18. The price for Mac Studio starts at INR 1,89,900 while the Studio Display starts at INR 1,59,900.

How AI Has Transformed the Gaming Industry

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Ever since the emergence of AI in the gaming industry, game developers have been programming software in a manner so that it acts as if it’s human and helps in making the digital world from the scratch through non-playable characters. However, at present, even the most out-of-the-box game design doesn’t spin around modern AI. Rather, it revolves around making a bunch of mind-boggling frameworks that result in emergent gameplay, which refers to complex situations in video games that emerge from the interaction of relatively simple game mechanics. The majority of the developers are making efforts in the direction of creating a sense of realism instead of game-breaking outcomes. The objective, in the end, is not to attain human-like intelligence, rather, it is to generate an experience that draws in and stimulates in a manner that imitates reality. Several giant game developing studios are gradually trying to push the envelope with regards to building frameworks that achieve the complexity of reality.

Although it may seem like Artificial Intelligence is a recent innovation in video games, it has been a developing resource for decades. It was incepted in the 1950s, and ever since those early years, AI has been an integral part of the gaming industry that has inclined to an incredible level of growth and development. Let’s explore further how AI transformed the gaming sector.

Smarter non-player characters (NPCs)

AI game developers make the best use of the technology by controlling the conduct of NPCs today. Earlier when the games didn’t have the opportunity to leverage AI, they used to become exhausting after playing for some time as it kept getting easier to defeat because of their anticipated behaviour. The real excitement and thrill of playing video games come from rivalling NPCs that respond erratically and surprise the players. Envision an FPS game in which enemies are equipped for breaking down their surroundings so that they can track down what’s significant for their endurance or make moves that seize your intelligent moves to increase their odds of winning. Moreover, imagine a scenario where they can learn from their behaviour and can seek shelter, perceive sounds and patterns, speak with one another and move in a manner you never saw or expected. Having new encounters despite playing such games numerous times keeps gamers energized and captivated to continue to return. A pioneer in game development can assist you with building such games that gamers enjoy playing for extended periods. The advent of AI has provided opponents with the capacity to securely explore in a dynamic environment without colliding with different entities.  

Real-time customisation

AI has redesigned the general gaming experience by continuous customisation of situations. Besides, AI makes a game more interactive by enhancing the experience of playing. For example, in case your team is losing, it will urge the fans to support your team to lift the morale and cause your players to perform better. Such a tendency of AI has now taken the general gaming experience to an all-new level.  

The shift in difficulty levels

Another excellence of AI-planned video games is player-experience modelling, which implies giving tailor-made insight to players in real-time according to their level of mastery. For instance, if the gamer is inexperienced, the AI possesses the potential to change its level and turn on the easy mode so that s/he doesn’t get baffled or exasperated for not being sufficiently equipped to make further progress in the game. Conversely, if s/he is an expert-level player, the AI will make the game difficult so that the player doesn’t get exhausted or bored. It can also determine the intent of a player through gesture recognition which empowers players to convey and cooperate with video games normally with no mechanical gadgets. 

Generation of procedural content

The technology has allowed the developers to consequently produce creative content, similar to scenes, things, levels, rules and quests. The gamers can now create weapons and armour based on the character level if they utilise procedural content generation in quest-driven games.

Summing Up 

The inception of Artificial Intelligence has made video gaming a lot more exciting as it has the power to provide unprecedented situations by altering the flow and force of the games. It would be more than appropriate to say that there’s nothing preferable for a player over getting fantastic as well as challenging experience simultaneously. As the future unfurls, we are going to witness an ever-increasing number of games with AI regulators which will improve the experience of the end-users like never before. Furthermore, AI will prove to be a testing ground for the developers to work on their code and configuration for creating an avant-garde game. Certainly, AI solutions have transformed the Indian gaming industry for the better. 

About the Author

Stewart Neal is the Studio Director of Sumo India Studios, an award-winning network of game development studios. With over 22 years of experience in the gaming industry, Stewart leads Sumo India’s Pune and Bangalore studios.