The Big Picture The production process for a live action TV show is fairly straightforward. Writers come up with a script, actors perform the script in front of a few cameras and a studio audience, the footage is edited, and the show is ready for broadcast. (This is a simplification, but that’s the production process […]
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In the U.S., the term “TV ratings” immediately makes people think of “Nielsen” because Nielsen Media Research has become the de facto national measurement service for the television industry in the United States and Canada. Nielson measures the number of people watching television shows and makes its data available to the television and cable networks,
These wristwatch-sized computers often come packed with a library of position-based information; it’s possible to buy a GPS watch today that will let you find your location — anywhere on the planet — within minutes of opening the box. But GPS watches go far beyond simple “hey, look where I am” gimmicks. With a little
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Since major running events typically attract hundreds and thousands of runners, organizers have to depend on something other than pen, paper and a stopwatch to clock everyone’s time. The 1990s saw the rise of personal timing devices, usually affixed to each runner’s shoelaces, and the technology continues to evolve, increasing the speed and reliability of
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This is where the exciting technology of contact lens displays saves the day. Imagine a pair of lenses wirelessly connected to a wearable computer — lenses capable of overlaying your perceived surroundings with information, warnings or even illusions. A glowing arrow would appear to float in front of your eyes, telling you which Peachtree street
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(Phys.org) —A team of researchers at Michigan State University has built a tiny robot (called the TailBot) that is capable of moving itself around on wheels, jumping and also manipulating its body while in mid-air (using its using actuated tail) to assist in a safe and controlled landing. The researchers note that others have built robots with similar abilities but to date, it is their belief that this is the first instance where all three abilities have been implemented in one robot.
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A diode is the simplest possible semiconductor device, and is therefore an excellent beginning point if you want to understand how semiconductors work. In this article, you’ll learn what a semiconductor is, how doping works and how a diode can be created using semiconductors. But first, let’s take a close look at silicon. Silicon is
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The first rudimentary methods of telling time involved simple observations of the natural world, perhaps by wedging sticks in the ground and monitoring the movements of the shadows. This particular experiment would have evoked the most fundamental part of a sundial, the gnomon (pronounced nom-on), which is the component that casts the shadow. It’s easy
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Source of Radiation When talking on a cell phone, a transmitter takes the sound of your voice and encodes it onto a continuous sine wave (see How Radio Works to learn more about how sound is transmitted). A sine wave is just a type of continuously varying wave that radiates out from the antenna and
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In the next few years, we might be filling our closets with smart shirts that can read our heart rate and breathing, and musical jackets with built in all-fabric keypads. Thin light-emitting diode (LED) monitors could even be integrated into this apparel to display text and images. Computerized clothes will be the next step in
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