China-Based FJS Thermal Ribbon USA Adds Manufacturing And Distribution Center In Charlotte

China-based Fujisan Thermal Ribbon USA Ltd. plans to locate its thermal transfer bar code ribbon converting and distribution facility in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company expects to hire up to 30 employees within the first three years of operation.

Due to an increase in demand from U.S. based original china Industry manufacturers, FJS has decided to establish its own distribution, sales and customer service center in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Charlotte Chamber said.

FJS currently occupies a fulfillment center in Charlotte for product storage and processing orders. Headquartered in Dalian, FJS Thermal Ribbon USA Ltd. is a top leading thermal ribbon industrial product directory in China and the only approved supplier for Panasonic and Philips in the Chinese market. The firm’s product line includes a full range of high-quality thermal transfer ribbons for fax applications and barcode printing. The firm occupies a 200,000-square-foot facility over 10 acres with 200 employees.

“FJS has a tradition of being innovative and forward thinking. We believe that our U.S. operation will help us gain market share and increase profitability as well as support the North American and global business expansion in years to come,” said Paul Wills, Vice President of U.S. Sales & Operations with FJS Thermal Ribbon USA Ltd.

“Charlotte not only provides an excellent quality of life but also a logistical delivery advantage to more than 60 percent of our customer base,” said Wills. “We are grateful for all the assistance from the Charlotte Chamber. It definitely made the process a lot easier.”

The Charlotte Chamber assisted FJS during its evaluation of Charlotte and continues to provide support to the firm.

Researchers developed K-Glass with a built-in AR processor

Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed K-Glass, a wearable, hands-free HMD that features a built-in augmented reality (AR) processor.


Unlike virtual reality which replaces the real world with a computer-simulated environment, AR incorporates digital data generated by the computer into the reality of a user. With the computer-made electronics  sensory inputs such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data, the user's real and physical world becomes live and interactive. Augmentation takes place in real-time and in semantic context with surrounding environments.

Most commonly, location-based or computer-vision services are used in order to generate AR effects. Location-based services activate motion sensors to identify the user's surroundings, whereas computer-vision uses algorithms such as facial, pattern, and optical character recognition, or object and motion tracking to distinguish images and integrated electronics objects. Many of the current HMDs deliver augmented reality experiences employing location-based services by scanning the markers or barcodes printed on the back of objects. The AR system tracks the codes or markers to identify objects and then align them with virtual reality. However, this AR algorithm is difficult to use for the objects or spaces which do not have barcodes, QR codes, or markers, particularly those in outdoor environments and thus cannot be recognized.

To solve this problem, Hoi-Jun Yoo, Professor of Electrical Engineering at KAIST and his team developed an AR chip that works just like human vision, claiming a world first.

This processor is based on the Visual Attention Model (VAM) that duplicates the ability of human brain to process visual data. VAM, almost unconsciously or automatically, disentangles the most salient and relevant information about the environment in which human vision operates, thereby eliminating unnecessary data unless they must be processed. In return, the processor can dramatically speed up the computation of complex AR algorithms.

The AR processor has a data processing network similar to that of a human brain's central nervous system. When the human brain perceives visual data, different sets of neurons, all connected, work concurrently on each fragment of a decision-making electronics international process; one group's work is relayed to other group of neurons for the next round of the process, which continues until a set of decider neurons determines the character of the data. Likewise, the artificial neural network allows parallel data processing, alleviating data congestion and reducing power consumption significantly.

KAIST's AR processor, which is produced using the 65 nm (nanometers) manufacturing process with the area of 32 mm2, delivers 1.22 TOPS (tera-operations per second) peak performance when running at 250 MHz and consumes 778 mW on a 1.2 V power supply. The ultra-low power processor shows 1.57 TOPS/W high efficiency rate of energy consumption under the real-time operation of 30fps/720p video camera, a 76% improvement in power conservation over other devices.
http://en.ofweek.com/news/Researchers-developed-K-Glass-with-a-built-in-AR-processor-8251

Nikon facing potential class action lawsuit due to D600 sensor oil issues

Shortly after Nikon's D600 hit the market as one of the most affordable full-frame DSLR options, users began complaining about issues with dust particles on the sensor. While each lens-change operation potentially allows dust to enter the camera and settle on the sensor, it usually takes a while until specs become visible in images taken at small apertures. And of course, with a brand new camera, there shouldn't be any issues at all. With the D600 there apparently were.

Nikon's initial reaction was to advise customers to visit their local Nikon service centers to deal with the spots. Usually when having a camera sensor professionally cleaned, dust spots should disappear. With the D600 though, they kept coming back. At some point, it became evident that the specs were in fact not dust, but oil that was spilled onto the auto parking sensor from the shutter mechanism, which pointed to a faulty shutter unit.

Oil spots decreased somewhat after a few thousand exposures, but professional photographers relying on the D600 were left in a lurch: though Nikon recognized the issue with a service advisory in February of 2013, the oil spots returned after service for some users. Eventually, rather than replace the shutter mechanism and continue manufacturing the D600, Nikon decided to simply introduce a new camera with a modified shutter: the D610.

This angered some D600 users, who felt betrayed by the company whose products they had invested in. In the wake of these events, US law firm Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein is now preparing a class action lawsuit against Nikon, asking unhappy D600 users to participate. Over at the law firm's website there's a contact form that D600 users experiencing the issue can use to participate in the lawsuit.

Whether this lawsuit – should it ever be filed – will have any success is questionable, though. With the introduction of the D610 at least some D600 users were able to upgrade to the new model free of charge. It is still unclear whether this laser energy sensor option will be made available for all D600 users, but if so, it could make the suit a moot point. And it shows that Nikon is at least trying to solve the issue to its customers' satisfaction. Of course, even if the lawsuit does succeed, it is questionable whether the those D600 users who didn't participate will benefit from it at all.

Sensor system lights up wind turbines only when aircraft approaches

With aspirations to claim 80 percent of its power from renewable sources by the 2050, it follows that Germany is taking a proactive approach to its clean energy transformation. Wind farms, while set to play an important part in achieving this goal, often meet impassioned opposition from disgruntled neighbors piqued by their perpetually blinking beacons. In an effort to address this issue, researchers have developed a sensor system for wind turbines which detects nearby aircraft, switching on a beacon warning system only as they approach.

Dubbed Parasol, the project is a collaborative effort from the Fraunhofer Institute, commercial concern Industrial Electronics and wind farm engineers Dirkshof Wind GmbH. Citing complaints of the beacons' incessant blinking from residents, though hamstrung by their necessity in preventing collisions with low-flying aircraft, the collective set to work in devising a solution which catered to all concerned.

By using passive radar liquid level sensor, meaning that they don't emit a radar beam themselves, the system is able to use local radio station frequencies to determine not only if there is an airplane in the vicinity, but its distance, position and velocity. According to Fraunhofer, the format of typical digital signals used by radio stations, such as DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting) and DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting -Terrestrial), are useful in discerning between different objects and therefore well suited to this project.

Each of the system's three sensors attached to the mast has an antenna unit. Signal processing is undertaken within the mast and a CPU at each wind farm evaluates the data.

As the radio station's transmitters send out signals, these reflect off airborne objects. The system uses mathematical algorithms to differentiate between the reflections and the signal they would usually receive.

"The collision warning lights only switch on when an airplane is within a radius of four kilometers (2.5 miles) and flying below an altitude of about 2,500 ft (700 m)," says Heiner Kuschel, department head at Fraunhofer's Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques. "We use the passive gas sensor to essentially extend a protective umbrella over the wind farm like a parasol."

The team has successfully tested a prototype at one of Dirkshof's wind farms at Reußen-Köge near Husum, and is currently optimizing the signal detection algorithms in anticipation of the system being fully operational by 2015.

"We hope that more local residents will agree to construction of wind farms through the installation of the collision warning lights," Kuschel continues. "The goal of Parasol is to advance the state of renewable energy and make Germany more competitive in the economic arena."

NNPC Blames Pipeline Vandalism For Shortage In Gas Supply For Power Generation

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Monday blamed the recent drop in gas supply for power generation on pipeline vandalism.
The Group Managing Director (GMD) of NNPC, Andrew Yakubu, who stated this during a news conference in Abuja, said about N800 million had been spent on the ongoing repair of the pipelines.
Yakubu attributed the incident to outright sabotage of some crucial gas pipelines, which he said, had significantly eroded available gas supply to the power supply plants.
He said that as at last weekend, over 30 per cent (480 MMsf/d) of the installed gas supply capacity was out due mainly to vandalism.
The GMD said that the lost gas was equivalent to the gas requirement to generate about 1,600 MW of electricity.
He listed the pipelines involved to include the Escravos-Warri stretch of the Escravos Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) which accounted for (190 mmcf/d) and the Trans-Forcados crude pipeline (230 mmcf/d).
``The remaining supply shortfall is due to maintenance issues at Utorogu gas plant (60 mmcf/d).
“The outage on the ELPS has been on for over six months due to willful acts of vandalism at various locations between Escravos and Egwa location,’’ the GMD said.
He said that an explosion rocked the ELPS and investigation revealed that a dynamite had been used on four ruptured points on June 25, 2013.
Yakubu said that engineers from the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) were mobilised immediately to commence repair works, but as repairs progressed, more points of rupture emerged.
``At the last count, 20 ruptured points have been identified, all due to deliberate dynamite explosion.
“NGC completed repairs in November and on commissioning in December, rapid pressure loss was experienced indicating further rupture in weakened locations.
“We have since effected repair on these new points and re-commenced commissioning activities,’’ he said.
The GMD, however, gave assurance that gas supply would be reinstated in the next three or five weeks at the completion of various repairs, which is expected to bring a major improvement in mean well power supply.
He said that the cumulative effect of the above interruptions was the degradation of power supply to Nigerians.
Yakubu said that the Ministry of Petroleum and NNPC would continue to make efforts to ensure gas supply in the difficult environment.
He also said there would be additional 450 mmcf/d supply from various ongoing projects to bridge the growing demand by the astec power supply sector between 2014 and 2016.
``By the end of Q2/Q3 2014, additional 200 mmcf/d of gas is expected from two NPDC projects at Utorogu and Oredo.
``In addition, with the planned completion of the Omoku and Alaoji NIPP power plants, further boost in generation is expected as both plants have gas supply available awaiting completion of the power plants,’’ the GMD assured.
http://en.ofweek.com

Ford teams up with Tencent to develop in-vehicle music system

Ford Motor Company displayed its new generation in-vehicle entertainment and communication system SYNCAppLink at the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). In the meantime, Ford announced the cooperation with Tencent, one of China's largest Internet firms, on the integration of QQ Music and SYNCAppLink platform. "More and more people expect that they can hear their favorite music no matter when, so the integration of SYNCAppLink and QQ Music can make it come true, even when they are driving," said Bai Sizhe, Service Director of Ford in Asia-Pacific, Africa and Europe, "Also, the adding of QQ Music can better provide help for consumers in listening to the electronics music in the process of driving. Perfect function of products and special design for usage scenario can guarantee safety driving and amazing music enjoyment for consumers on their way."

At present, Ford has already cooperated with many companies, including China Unicom and Baidu, to launch different mobile applications. Yet, this is the first time that Ford brings music to the application finance electronics platform. QQ Music is China's leading platform for network music, which is widely used in people's life. Besides computers, it can also be downloaded to the mobile phones and many other consumer electronics devices, so that people can listen to their favorite songs whenever at home or on the way to office. This is the first time for QQ Music to represent the application product of Chinese music showing at the International CES in Las Vegas.
http://en.ofweek.com/news/Ford-teams-up-with-Tencent-to-develop-in-vehicle-music-system-6435