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Shoulder Pad Kit, 15mm | Half Inch Rails
A set of soft malleable plastic pads for 15mm rails that can be used as a simple shoulder pad. Watch the video to get a good idea of what they are.



MPEG-2 basic training | Ned Soseman | Broadcast Engineering
A technical introduction to the MPEG-2 compressor. The article describes how the MPEG-2 specification defines the decoder, but not the encoder. Different companies can write and use their own encoders, as long as the bit stream created is MPEG-2 compliant. The same policy is true for AVCHD enocders/decoders.
MPEG-2 has two main compression components: intraframe spatial compression and interframe motion compression. Encoders use various techniques, some proprietary, to maintain the maximum allowed bit rate while at the same time allocating bits to both compression components. This balancing act can sometimes be unsuccessful. It is a tradeoff between allocating bits for detail in a single frame and bits to represent the changes (motion) from frame to frame. Which is more important?


Can H.265 save us from the mobile video tsunami? | Ryan Lawler | Gigaom
Video is increasingly saturating networks, and the new H.265 spec might help lesson the traffic, though it probably won't be finalized until next year, and won't start appearing in applications until 2013.
The format, which is being developed by the ISO/IEC Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG) and the ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG), is expected to need 25 to 50 percent fewer bits for the delivery of H.264 video of the same quality.


Run and gun style streaming | Colleen Kelly Henry | Google+
A fairly extensive writeup about how to broadcast/stream live events. It's oriented towards recording a protest, but the tips could be equally applicable to covering other live events.

Note that this article covers the does and don't of setting up, and covering the event, but doesn't go into details about the services that you might use to broadcast, or how to use them. There is a list of services included: justin.tv, livestream, stickam, qik, YouTube live and ustream.



Kinect TV And Sesame Street Hack The Next Generation Of TV | Gregory Ferenstein | Fast Company
A look at an interactive TV project that uses Kinect TV on the Xbox. One of the stated goals is to "prepare children for the new media world."
Downloadable, linear episodes run like a normal television show but give children opportunities to play simple games with familiar characters and don virtual costumes that mold to their bodies and play around with the show's environment. A series of interactive children's books is also in the works.


Serious fraud at Olympus alleged, share price | Andrew Reid | EOSHD
It appears there's been some financial shenanigans going on at Olympus (or it might be just a nasty split between the British CEO and the Japanese board.)



Apple releases minor 4.4.1 software update for Apple TV [u] | AppleInsider
Apple released a 4.4.1 update for the AppleTV yesterday, but it now appears to have been pulled due to problems according to this report.





Animoog | Moog Music | iTunes
Finally, this is not video related, but if you're familiar with the Moog synthesizer, or a fan of electronic synths and keyboards, check out the iPad app Animoog. They claim it's the first polyphonic synthesizer designed exclusively for the iPad. Whether it is or isn't, for the next 30 days it's $0.99. After that, it goes to $29.99!



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