New and Emerging Technologies

New and emerging technology and Developments:

There are many new types of technology that are changing the way that we do just about anything now. For example 3D televisions were not even thought about two years ago, and now over half the population has one in their home. Televisions that doesn’t seem like television because you think that the screen is coming out at you. It’s amazing!

In the profession of digital graphics, there are new and emerging technology’s that are helping to make graphics look ten times better than before. This may be because of larger megapixel cameras, higher definition monitors for PC’s and other amazing devices that are taking over the world with new ideas and features.

Large flat screens are very useful in digital graphics as when a person is manipulating on a software package such as Adobe Photoshop.

Large flat monitors can be any size and can range from £60.00 up to thousands.

This particular monitor is from ‘Dell’ and is HD quality and also suitable for any computer works. This would cost £707.34. so therefore we can see that people in digital graphics may go for one like this as it is suitable for their work although it is rather expensive!

Other monitors may be more expensive than this. This may be large wide screen monitor with HDTV and also there are new monitors that are 3D which is good for gaming and watching movies and videos etc.

The new iPad 2 is very much suitable for digital graphics, as you can take photos, videos and then manipulate and edit what you have taken right from the device. The standard price for the basic iPad 2 is £399.00 but for the most hi-tech iPad with all the extras including 3G and WIFI built it would set you back a rather large sum of £1,017.95.

Software can be installed onto the ipad to let you edit and manipulate with images and videos. Software such as iMovie lets you edit movies and videos that you have taken on your ipad.

This device would defiantly be brilliant for digital graphics as you can do a range of various things with images and also spend hours upon hours with just about any and every application you digital graphics.


Other devices that you could also upgrade are printers for your graphics and also graphic tablets that you can use for you work.

Plotters and laminators are also useful as they allow you to structure and protect your images and graphics when printed.

The new and emerging technologies that are becoming known to us now are amazing and to come to think of it, in just a few number of years to come the devices will be even more amazing and worth while to investigate all over again for digital graphics!

A brilliant new technology that I have recently noticed it a product called the Roltop.

  This device is actually a laptop. It comes as a small cylinder type that can hang over your shoulder like a bag, however when you place the device on a table/flat surface than it rolls out onto a laptop. You then take the cylinder and this works as you charger/power supply. This device can then can be placed flat out as a tablet and can be used as a graphics tablet as a stylus is hidden in the side which would be very useful in digital graphics.

  Then device can even be placed as a screen for watching TV as it has a connection for TV output. This works as there is a small stand at the back for watching TV, movies videos such as on YouTube etc.

 

This image shows the Roltop and how it connects to power. Obviously this doesn’t have to be in power 24/7 as it is a laptop therefore it is as portables as you want it to be as a laptop, monitor and graphics tablet.

 I have to admit, I was amazed when I found this.

  This device is the ultimate tool and piece of equipment for the user and this is brilliant for people in digital graphics as it offers them a lot of tasks in the one device. You will not have to transfer your images that you made with your graphics tablet onto your laptop as in simple terms, it’s already on you laptop.

  I would be very happy to purchase this item if I myself was working in digital graphics and it’s said to be introduced and on the market in 2012, however the specific date and more importantly the price range is not yet to be announced.

Below is a video of the device for you to get a wider picture of what this brilliant device looks like and what it can offer you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYtgZyZGO2M&noredirect=1 

I have also inserted the companies website URL who have designed this amazing device.
From this website you can see more videos on the device and also information about it.

http://myrolltop.com/

While researching for other new devices myself and my tutor found a video which shows a range of technologies that Microsoft are considering to bring out.
This video is full of amazing new devices that we may have never thought of before. I suggest you taking a look at this and I can make sure that you will be wowed by what you see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9JBSEBu2q8


Now below I will add a few more videos which I have found interesting, however I will not explain these in detail as I have completed this for the examples above.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40tS8A-SJ6c&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB1ZLwXM9eY&feature=fvwp&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5kR-EyUmEY&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsREy3A8RbI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsdImcPj5SM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7qGtbeGSlc&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDXuKC11u9E&feature=related

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/buyers_guides/default.stm

Each of these videos are new technolgys and you will find them interesting.
Enjoy!

I hope that you find these websites and videos interesting and that you have also found my information interesting and informative.

Thank you.

Hardware in Digital Graphics

Hardware in Digital Graphics:

There are many types of hardware used in digital graphics. They can be used for a range of reasons but the most common piece of hardware that people would associate with digital graphics was properly be cameras.

In this report I will analyze both digital cameras and professional cameras.

I am also going to focus on the new iPhone 4 as it is a very good device for digital graphics for a range of reasons which I will explain.

Cameras:

Cameras have improved dramatically from what we used to use. Those little disposable cameras which could be purchased in the chemist. But now we have hi-tech digital cameras which range from about £50 up to anything to over £10,000.

  People in digital graphics value cameras highly as they use them to take any amount of pictures and then even edit, crop etc on the camera before even taking these to a computer. 

This is a digital camera. This is used to take the phones and they are saved onto a flash card. The flash card then can be inserted into the PC or alternatively a USB cable can be connected from the camera to the PC. Photos then can be taken from this and into a software package where the images can be edited.

A digital camera is useful in digital graphics as it helps to get the images to manipulate however for the best outcome and quality a professional digital camera will suit best.

This is a professional digital camera that may be used in photography and digital graphics. As you can see, the camera looks bigger and more expensive. Well it is. The bigger lens gives the picture better quality and also lets the camera zoom in more for the more difficult shots to be taken.

One disadvantage of this is that it is more expensive to buy, and if you accidently broke it, they are more expensive to fix!

 Cameras are defiantly the best hardware devices associated with digital graphics as you can do  a lot with them and they offer an range of ways which helps create your digital graphic!

iPhone 4:

The iPhone 4 is the next generation phone. This is not an everyday mobile phone although it may seem like one.

The iPhone has an 8 megapixel camera which allows you to take endless photos and also videos. Software can be bought through the iPhone which lets you edit photos and movies.

The iPhone will also let you send your photos and movies edited or not through e-mail so you can have your photos transferred to your PC, laptop, MAC etc, in seconds and without connecting the iPhone to anything. It’s brilliant.

I have recently purchased an iPhone and the images and camera quality is out of this world. You would really think that you have a hi-tech digital camera built into your phone, which you really do.

A disadvantage of the iPhone is that it is expensive to buy, it may take a while to get used the use it and some applications have to be paid for, after purchasing the phone itself.

 

However the iPhone is another great hardware device for digital graphics.     

Software in Digital Graphics

Software in Digital Graphics:

Types of software used in digital graphics are important as it’s needed to create and manipulate images. They can also help to create logos, poster etc. but in digital graphics they are very helpful to edit and manipulate images in various ways, styles etc.

Two of many very useful pieces of software are Adobe Photoshop and Sumo Paint.

        Adobe Photoshop:

Adobe Photoshop is a very useful piece of software that has to be paid for but is very useful when it comes to digital graphics. Photoshop can be used to create logos, posters, banners etc but it is also used by a lot of photographers and in digital graphics.

 One disadvantage of Adobe Photoshop is that the standard price from Adobe is £657.00 inc. VAT and £548.00 ext. VAT.

The key tools in Adobe Photoshop are very affective as you can manipulate and change images in many different ways, for example blurring an image and removing or changing the background. Photoshop is open to many advantages as images can be manipulated in any way. If you wanted to change an image, Photoshop allows you actually change that image and it may not look like it's original at all. Tools like the crop tool allow you to cut away parts of an image that you want to remove. This is useful if you are creating changing images for logos etc.
  A tool that is very useful for many tasks with Adobe Photoshop is the magic wand tool. This lets you select parts of the image/canvas which then is open for you to change the colour, the contrast, brightness etc. the list just goes on and on. 
 Yes, Adobe Photoshop is brilliant for those who are skilled to make images and graphics interesting.

This software would be used and respected by high earned advertising companies to create those logos, banners etc. These can be created professionally, exciting, interesting, informative and in any way this is for the purpose of a company all because of the wide varity of styles, fonts, colours etc used in Adobe Photoahop.

 I also find that Photoshop is useful for basic floor and wall plans. I have used Photoshop to create these as you can see below:

Photoshop has a variety of both bitmap and vector tools to help design, create, manipulate and change your images, picture, document etc.

Photoshop is defiantly brilliant to create and edit for graphic designers however one limitation is that it is very expensive.

Sumo Paint:

Sumo paint is another software package that can be used to create and manipulate and also edit images and pictures etc, however this would be quite basic compared to Adobe Photoshop and you will notice this if you use both.

However this is quite good in another way as it is worked from online and everything is free. All you really need is to sign up for the first time and you will be able to use if straight away. Sumo paint is basic as I’ve mentioned as it doesn’t have to tools compared to Adobe Photoshop, but it does have various tool for bitmap and vector so this is effective as you can still edit images.

Limitations for Sumo Paint are that it is limited to tool compared to Adobe Photoshop and that it is difficult to use, however you can get used to it.

Below are images that I have created in Sumo Paint and Adobe Photoshop. You will be able to see the differences between the effects that can be applied.

The image that I created on Sumo Paint is on the left and Adobe Photoshop is on the right.

Performance of a Computer System

Hard Drive:

The hard disk drive is a storage device that stores all files and information. It contains a read-write mechanism and has one or more hard disks in them. It also still is in power when the machine is off therefore all will still be there and there permanent until  we do otherwise.

Graphics Card:

A graphics card or video card is an expansion card which generates output images to a display.

These can improve the quality of an image on display and can also improve the gaming performance. A top-of-the-line graphics card is easy to spot. It has lots of memory and a fast processor.

Processor:

A processor is also known as a CPU chip. This processes the instructions for creating and manipulating a digital graphic.

Processors work hard to do the creating and manipulating that you need to do for an image etc.   Duel core and quad core processors are much faster than a single, therefore the performance is much better.

RAM:

RAM which stands for Random Access Memory is  Data is stored on a memory module to save and retrieve quickly.

Primary storage of Data and instruction used by the processor.

RAM is high speed and more Ram will improve the performance of the computer, therefore the more Ram the better.

Output Medium

The following are output medium devices that also can be used to create and manipulate digital graphics.




High Performance Printers:
Printers are devices that print what is on screen onto paper or other materials. Laser printers are hi-tech printers which use toners and print by using a laser.

Printers are essential  in digital graphics and to get the best quality, then the best printers are needed. The most common printers used in digital graphics are usually laser and coloured. Below is the standard price for one of these printers.

Price:   £3,127.49 ex VAT 

£3,752.99 inc VAT

 http://www.misco.co.uk/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=390823&sourceid=2007

Monitors for Digital Graphics:

 In Digital Graphics Monitors are also very important. Obviously without a monitor, then any task at all would not be able to be completed as the user can’t see what is on the screen.

}Again, the best equipment is used in digital graphics and this included the monitor:

APPLE Cinema Display 27" Full HD LED-Backlit Monitor

£899.00

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/apple-cinema-display-27-full-hd-led-backlit-monitor-08115737-pdt.html

Mobile Phones in Digital Graphics:

A mobile phone is useful in digital graphics, particularly in photography. A mobile phone with a good quality camera is useful with this. For example, if someone wants to take a photograph, then they can send it to someone else, or indeed take it to their own computer and then manipulate or edit in they way that they want.  

PDAs:

}PDAs are small portable devices that include a calendar, contacts lists other applications for helping business people organize their time. Some PDAs also have a camera built in to pictures can be taking.

Hardware Components for Digital Graphics

There are various hareware components that can be used to create and manipulate digital graphics. I will now describe these components.

Mouse:

The mouse is a pointing device for the computer. The person rests their hand on the mouse and as they move, this co-ordinates a curser on screen which we use as the main selector for the task that is being carried out on the computer.

In digital graphics we use the mouse to select any element etc. in the software that we use to edit images and to carry out any other task in digital graphics.

Screen/Monitor:

 The screen or monitor is the part of the computer that we are always looking at. Without the screen/monitor we couldn't do anything on a computer as we wouldn’t be able to see what we are doing. When we want to carry out any task on the computer we always look at the screen.    The screen is vital to the computer for us, and this is even more true when we are working with digital graphics. This is because when we are creating or editing something, we first of all need to see what we are doing and second, we need to see what that something looks like throughout the process and as a finished product.

Graphics Tablet:

  A graphics tablet allows you to draw or create a drawing onto the computer. It’s a small appliance which connects to the computer using a USB cable and comes with a stylus. You draw onto the tablet and then your drawing comes up on screen.

This is a very important part to people in digital graphics as they can design logos, edit images etc. This may be also a useful part to designers who need to know what they are designing to the fine detail and because this is connected to a computer then they can save and come back to it at a later stage. 

Digital Camera: 

A digital camera is a device in which people use to take photographs. This camera can be re-charged and also has the capacity to hold a memory card. Therefore there is no use for the disposable cameras as the images can be taken off and saved to the computer. These images can then be printed to a range of sizes.

A digital camera is very useful in digital graphics as it can be used to take images and photographs. Then we can takes these images or photographs and edit them on the computer. Digital cameras also allow you to edit images without connecting to a PC. It allows us to change the size of the images, make the image black and white, sepia and a range of other effects. 

Scanner:

A scanner is used to take printed images onto the computer. We sit and images into the scanner as shown in the images below and then close the lid. Then depending on the make of the scanner we either scan through the settings on the scanner or through the computer itself.

This is very useful in digital graphics as we can take images that we already have, scan them in and then edit them on the computer.

Images, documents etc. That can be placed in the scanner can be any size. Standard scanners are usually of A4 size, however larger or smaller scanners are available.

Flash Cards:

Flash cards are small memory cards that can be placed in cameras. They are an extra storage device that can hold data, documents, images etc, and they come in storage sizes from 1GB up.

Flash cards or SD cards as some call them, are very useful in digital graphics as a lot of images and photographs will be taken and because of the flash card, then these can be saved and stored on the camera.

USB Storage:  

USB storage is a device that is also known as a USB pen, key or drive. The device plugs into a USB socket on your computer, laptop, etc.

Once connected to the computer, data, information, images, documents etc can be saved and stored. Then once this process is complete we can take the device and connect it to another computer and work on.

This device would be very useful in graphic design as it can be used to work when editing images and then taking the image to another computer etc.

FireWire:

FireWire is a high performance serial bus for connecting devices to your PC.

FireWire provides a singles plug and socket connection which obviously connected into your PC and your ready to use it. Up to 60 devices can be connected using FireWire with data speed transfer up to about 400 megabits per second.