By Alex Villafania
INQUIRER.net

CANON has recently introduced a new line of camcorders aimed at spurring video enthusiasts to go high-definition. T

Canon’s new HD camcorders are the mid-level HF100 and the higher model HF10. Both feature AVCHD (advanced video codec high definition) recording at 1920×1080 pixels (2 megapixels) and record sound in 2-channel Dolby Digital. The two also have a solid-state drive of up to 16 gigabytes, one of the first camcorders to use internal flash-based memory storage. Likewise, the to also have separate SD card or MMC card slots that could accommodate high-capacity flash cards.

Here’s a video interview I conducted with Canon Southeast Asia assistant systems manager for Consumer Imaging Mohamad Yazid Bin Ali, who gave a demo of the HF10.

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By Erwin Oliva
INQUIRER.net

WHILE COVERING the Microsoft Imagine Cup annual software design competition, I got to meet several teams of college students from different top local universities. Their objective: design a software application that would help promote a sustainable environment.

One idea from Team Prairie Watch of the De La Salle-College of St. Benilde involved tagging endangered animals with a little webcam and streaming the
video that this little gadget captures on the web. They had a working prototype that looked promising. Another idea developed by Team Tala was a computer game that would teach kids about the environment. Team Tala was a mixed team of students from the University of the Philippines, Polytechnic University of the Philippines and the Philippine Christian University.

Here’s my video interview with Team Prairie Watch.

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By Alex Villafania
INQUIRER.net

DESPITE the almost non-existence of high-definition signals in the Philippines, Samsung is expecting that the growing demand for audio-visual equipment would push their latest product lines that are geared toward the HD market.

Samsung is already introducing its first Blu-ray standalone player to complement its widescreen displays. HD refers to high resolution digital image processing, usually by LCD (liquid crystal display) TVs, plasma panels and some projectors. Current broadcast signals are still in analog standard resolution, normally at 480p (progressive) and an aspect ratio of 4:3. However, HD can produce better images of up to 1080p with 16:9 aspect ratio.

Samsung Philippines president Spencer Shim said he is confident the company will be among the key drivers in the HD space, citing its performance in the Asian region where it said it had sold about 600,000 widescreen displays in 2007.

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VOLTAIRE TANGONAN, who has been handicapped since childhood, describes a typical workday as a call center agent for Convergys, an American firm that is one of the largest call center operators in the country.

Video taken by INQUIRER.net technology reporter Lawrence Casiraya.

YOU’VE got to hand it to the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. — this was a pretty interesting demo of their PLDT Guardian wireless security solution versus pilferage or inside jobs.

Video taken by INQUIRER.net technology reporter Erwin Oliva.