LATEST ADDITIONS

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently took delivery of 30 Panasonic AK-HC900 high-definition video cameras to monitor the launch of <I>Discovery</I> this May as the space shuttle program finally returns to flight after the <I>Columbia</I> disaster just over two years ago. A number of the cameras will be positioned at two launch pads in shielded enclosures close to the orbiter to provide NASA with real-time, high-definition images of the launch for scientific-image analysis as well as vehicle-safety and status assessment.

When Apple introduced the iPod, many industry observers scratched their heads, wondering why Sony hadn't been the first to deliver such a product. After all, Sony had invented the Walkman&mdash;the first speakerless, portable personal audio cassette player, and Sony has a strong presence in the computer market. Perhaps heads get buried in the sand when you're promoting a new high-resolution audio format and the world is heading in the other direction. It's human and corporate nature.

See, touch, and demo the next generation of personal media players, home networking solutions, HDTV, digital music, and more—all under one roof.

The stage is set and the curtain will rise on April 28 for a return engagement of the popular Home Entertainment Show—the high-performance sound and imaging event of the year. HE-2005 will take place April 28–May 1, 2005, once again at the Hilton New York Hotel, only steps away from Broadway, marking the seventh time the event has been held in New York City.

High-end home theater owners may already be familiar with Silicon Optix, Inc. The company's Image AnyPlace video scaler provides a great deal of flexibility for installers when choosing where to locate a front-projection monitor in relation to the screen. The scaler's Image Geometry Correction circuitry adjusts the image for off-axis projection in two dimensions (two-dimensional Keystone Correction), so for nightmare-installation rooms the projector may be mounted at the top, bottom, or either side of the projection screen. The scaler also makes it possible to project images onto cylindrical, spherical, or completely irregularly shaped objects. (Imagine the thrill of watching movies on the top of your brother-in-law's shiny bald head.)