Implant changing thoughts into words.

Researchers at the University of California in San Francisco have created a working brain-computer interface that can turn brain signals into speech. The device tracks the electrical activity of the human brain and, on the basis of it, determines what sound should be generated. This is possible through mapping the electrical signals of the brain's neural network to the signals used to control the vocal tract components. Brain activity related to the movement and positioning of the tongue, mouth, jaw and larynx has been translated into a corresponding computer-generated sound.
The mapping is not simple, because the brain controls the work of 100 muscles at once! The method requires that each patient undergoes this process individually, which is time-consuming because it involves mapping all sounds to be spoken, but allows for restoration of the voice characteristic of a given person. However, during the work, some similarities among different patients could be noticed and a more versatile implant is currently under construction.

Today operating systems generate sound based on the movement of the eyes or, as in the case of the ACAT system (Assistive Context Aware Toolkit) constructed by Intel for Professor Hawking, based on facial movement. Their scope of use is limited by the speed of action, only a few words per minute.
The task of the scientists from California was to create a fast voice communication system that could be used by paralyzed people. The designed interface fulfills this main task - it generates words at a natural rate (about 150 words per minute), but the accuracy at the level of 69% is not satisfactory for effective communication and will require improvement.
The interface has been created for people who have lost the ability to communicate using speech. However, it has a chance for commercial use, e.g. as a brain-computer interface (BCI) for controlling electronic devices.

Pay-TV channels in a hotel TV system.

The cheapest and most popular way of distribution of television channels in a hotel installation is the antenna system providing terrestrial DVB-T broadcasts. However, hotel owners often want to offer also a number of satellite channels, FTA and encrypted ones. DVB-S/S2 to DVB-T TERRA transmodulators, recommended for this purpose by DIPOL, can easily and economically fulfill the requirements and extend the DVB-T channels with selected satellite programming.

On the left – the TDX-420C R81619 transmodulator with two inserted CAMs decoding encrypted channels.

On the right – the versatile, multi-stream CAM module A9948 available in PRO version. The module can operate with smart cards of different encryption schemes and can decode up to 7 channels (14 PIDs) simultaneously.

One TDX-420C R81619 panel can receive channels from two satellite transponders and convert them into two neighboring DVB-T multiplexes with maximum throughput of 31.66 Mbps.

High resolution IP PTZ Vimtag cameras with Wi-Fi connectivity.

DIPOL sells three new models of Vimtag cameras: VT-362 K1567, P2 K1573, and CP3 K1579, with video resolutions from 2 MP to 4 MP, operating on the basis of a cloud service. This kind of cameras is ideal for people looking for high functionality in a single device. They can be used as a home nanny, for the supervision of older people or as a simple home monitoring system. Bi-directional audio allows the user to hear the sounds in the location of the camera and communicate with anyone there.
Each of the cameras has the option of motion detection and can send push notifications to smartphones when an event is detected. In addition, the CP3 camera has intelligent functions such as tracking, face and sound detection. All the new cameras are PTZ devices enabling remote control and observation of the entire area, have 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi modules and LAN ports that can be used for direct connection to a router. The recordings can be saved on microSD memory cards with a capacity of up to 128 GB. The built-in infrared illuminators allow users to observe the scene in the absence of visible lighting. The models differ mainly in the type of housing and in video resolution.

To start using any of the cameras, the user should simply install the Vimtag application on his/her smartphone (dedicated for Android devices, iOS phones, or PCs), scan the QR code of the camera and follow the instructions displayed. Connection to the cameras is also possible via a web browser. To access all connected Vimtag devices, the user simply logs in to the previously created account. The procedure of configuring and adding a camera to the account is extremely easy and does not require port forwarding to connect to the external network.

The best antenna for LTE subscribers!

In many cases where a mobile device is at a longer distance from the base station or is shadowed by various obstacles there are problems with adequate signal strength. Usually the problems can be solved by connecting the device (especially in the case of a modem) to a suitable outdoor antenna. Sometimes such an antenna can also be used for the improvement of the communication with a concrete base station offering e.g. the advantages of LTE-A standard. In each case it is important to buy broadband antennas that can operate in the "old" and "new" LTE bands and can provide the advantages of band aggregation.

TRANS-DATA LTE KYZ 10/10 A741024 is an outdoor, directional log periodic MIMO antenna for use with LTE (4G), 3G, DCS, GSM devices with two antenna connectors. The antenna with 10 dBi gain has been designed for operation with LTE modems, some cellular phones, GSM, DCS, and 3G modems.

Key features of TRANS-DATA LTE KYZ 10/10 A741024 antenna:

• Outdoor directional logarithmic antenna,
• MIMO 2x2,
• Multiband: 806-960 MHz, 1710-2700 MHz,
• Multi-standard: GSM, DCS, UMTS, WLAN, LTE,
• Gain:
• 9.5 dBi (806-960 MHz),
• 10 dBi (1710-2700 MHz),
• Short circuit for DC,
• 10 m lead terminated with SMA plug,
• Housing made of durable ABS plastic resistant to UV radiation and weather conditions,
• Mounted to a mast with U-bolts (optionally to a horizontal pipe)

View of the TRANS-DATA LTE KYZ 10/10 MIMO A741024 antenna

What is the maximum range of TurboHD signal transmission?

In TurboHD systems, the video signal and power supply can be transmitted using coaxial cables or twisted pair cables. The transmission range depends on the cable type, required resolution and smoothness of the video. Exceeding a certain threshold results in a significant reduction in the quality of the image: loss of detail and blurring, and in the case of even longer distances, loss of synchronization and the disappearance of an image.

In the case of M75051 TurboHD 4.0 camera and an RG-59 cable,
the maximum transmission range is 700 meters

Incorrect blade adjustment causes cleaving problems.

Proper preparation of optical fibers is the basis for successful fiber splicing. Even the best and most expensive fusion splicing machine will not be able to properly connect dirty or badly cleft fibers. For this reason, care for the cleanliness of fiber optic tools is extremely important. A good, clean and well-adjusted blade guarantees correct, smooth end faces of the fibers.

Before changing the height of the blade, it is good to have a preliminary idea whether the blade in the tool is set too high or too low. Of course, it may happen that initially the installer will not be able to assess whether the blade is too high or too low. Then, a good practice is to deliberately lower or raise the blade to obtain effects similar to those presented above. After reaching one of the extreme positions, the optimum position can be approached gradually by successively lowering/raising the blade.
The effect of each change in height must be verified on the screen of a splicer. It is important to do it for two ends of the fiber, as it happens that one end looks correct, while the other - not. It is also important to tighten all the stabilizing screws after changing the height - they also have a slight effect on the position of the blade.

More advice on blade adjustment can be found in the "Cleaving optical fibers without secrets – blade adjustment." article.

An example of a bad result caused by a too high blade position – the fiber end face is jagged.
A characteristic feature of fibers cleft with a blade set too high is damage to the fiber core (in the bright area).

An example of an improper result caused by a little too low blade position:
the fiber is not evenly cleft throughout the entire cross-section
(visible a "tooth" that can have various shape and size)

Selecting Wi-Fi equipment will now be simple. When purchasing a WiFi router, the user must read the router's specification in detail to find out what standard it supports and to check if the standard is the latest, providing the fastest connections. Wi-Fi networks have been present for nearly 20 years, and the naming of standards for the average user is still complicated - the terms 802.11a/b/g/n/ac are not very informative for a typical user... >>>more

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