Tuesday, May 26, 2009

From LCD TV to LED TV to OLED TV

I notice that there is a new species of flat panel television called LED TV available in the electrical shops nowadays. Here are some of the fact finding.

Pioneered by Samsung, LED TV is in fact a LCD TV using Light-Emitting Diodes (LED) as its backlight, contrasting to the Cold-Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFL) backlight of normal LCD TV. This innovation has made Samsung to receive a prestigious award from European Image and Sound Association (EISA) in 2006, for its premium display technology in terms of true colour representation with a 46% larger colour gamut and the industry's highest contrast ratio of 10,000:1 by then.

According to Samsung, their LED TV provides improvements in 3 distinct areas:

1. Breakthrough picture quality with higher contrast, sharper motion and enriched colour.

2. Ultra slim design at only 1.2" deep with lighter weight.

3. Environmental friendly with 40% electric power savings than normal LCD TVs, produce less heat, and also lead and mercury free.

It is also claimed that the LED light source can double the TV panel life compared to the CCFL panels.

Beside Samsung, other manufacturers such as Sharp, Sony, LG, Panasonic, etc. have also produced their own series of LED TV. Of course, you will expect the price of LED TV to be higher than LCD TV of the same size.

Meanwhile, the television technology keeps on progressing, and the next generation will be a true LED TV called Organic LED TV (OLED) using the Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (AMOLED) technology, this time to be led by Sony.

The primary benefit of OLED displays over the LCDs is that OLEDs do not require a backlight to function, and consume even less power. This technology also enable the panel to be ultra-slim, weight even lighter, and more robust. Of course, better quality display can also be expected.

On the other hand, we can notice that the plasma TV gradually step down from the TV technology warfare, following the CRT TV, as there is not much technology breakthrough and also less R&D investment allocated by the major manufacturers.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Database synchronization/replication with SymmetricDS

SymmetricDS is an open source, feature rich, web-enabled, database independent, data synchronization/replication software. It is written in Java 5 and released under GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) version 3.

It uses web and database technologies to replicate tables between relational databases in near real time. The software was designed to scale for a large number of databases, work across low-bandwidth connections, and withstand periods of network outage. By using database triggers, SymmetricDS guarantees that data changes are captured and atomicity is preserved.

Supported databases including:
  • MySQL version 5.0.2 and above

  • Oracle version 8.1.7 and above

  • PostgreSQL version 8.2.5 and above

  • Sql Server 2005

  • HSQLDB 1.8

  • H2 1.1

  • Apache Derby 10.3.2.1 and above

  • IBM DB2 9.5

  • Firebird 2.0 and above


SymmetricDS allows for 2-tier and even n-tier synchronization, which can be configured to push data (trickle-back) or pull data (trickle-poll) at an interval, as illustrated below:



The software is installed either standalone, as a web application in a Java application server or can be embedded into another Java application.

SymmetricDS will be useful for data synchronization between a central database and multiple remote databases. This kind of requirement is often in:
  • HQ and branches
  • General office and retail outlets
  • Police HQ and stations
  • Ministry of education and schools
  • Ministry of health and hospitals & clinics
  • etc.

Click here for more information about SymmetricDS.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

20th CommunicAsia + 14th BroadcastAsia + 6th Enterprise IT + 3rd InteractiveDME @ Singapore

The 20th CommunicAsia, together with 14th BroadcastAsia, and 6th Enterprise IT, and also 3rd InteractiveDME will be held concurrently in Singapore Expo this coming 16-19 June 2009.

The combined shows of CommunicAsia, Enterprise IT and InteractiveDME focus on the latest hot technologies for applications, solutions and hardware. It covers all aspects of the ICT industry. Co-located with Broadcast Asia, the regional event for digital media and entertainment, convergence is a major focal point of this unique event.

The streams and forums held at the CommunicAsia 2009 Summit will focus on popular topics like Broadband Access Technologies, such as Fixed & Wireless broadband, WiMAX / LTE / HSPA / WiBro, Mobile Backhaul, FTTH & GPON / GEPON, Mobile Interactive Services & Technologies, involving Mobile Internet, LBS, Messaging, Mobile advertising & NGMN, Next Generation Networks, comprising of Service Delivery Platforms, IMS, VoIP, Video Over IP, Triple Play / Quad Play & Web 2.0.

Key EnterpriseIT 2009 exhibitors include Barracuda, BlackBerry, Blue Coat Systems, CBOSS, DZ Card, Eaton Corporation, Fortinet, Garmin, Harmonic, Huawei, Irdeto, LG Electronics, Microtex Energy, NAVTEQ, NTT Docomo, PCCW Global, Petracarbon, Rosenberger, Samsung Electronics, SES NEW SKIES, Singapore Technologies Electronics, TANDBERG TV, Thuraya, VINASA, Yahoo!, ZTE Corporation and many others.

Interactive Digital Media & Entertainment (InteractiveDME) targets applications and solutions providers, industry leaders and professionals from the communications, broadcasting, media & entertainment industries, covering 3D, Digital Signage, IPTV, Mobile Broadband, Mobile Entertainment, Navigation and LBS, Social Networking / Social Media Technologies, and more...

Key BroadcastAsia 2009 exhibitors include ABE, ANT, APT, Argosy, Axel, Axon, Beijing APU, Benchmark, BT Media, Cine Equipment, Conax, CTE, DMT, DVB, Elber, Electrosys, Evertz, Harris, Huatian, Indiasign, Klotz Digital, Lawo, Magna, Max Peak, Miranda, Monarch, Nautel, Netia, Playbox, RCS, Ross Video, RVR, Salzbrenner, Screen Service, Shenzhen Coship, Siel, Skyworth, Temix, Vizlink, VIZRT, VSN…and many more.

For more information:

Hint: Click on the "Older Posts" link to continue reading, or click here for a listing of all my past 3 months articles.