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This year the Consumer Electronics Show, in early January, is shaping up to be the year of the tablet. Yet the most (some would say “only”) successful tablet to date is the one that won’t be at CES. Apple sold 7.5 million iPads in the first six months and no doubt millions more this holiday season. Its shadow will hangs over the show, forcing a wide range of companies–chipmakers, computer hardware and consumer electronics companies, software developers and wireless carriers–to announce plans for tablets. Here’s what I’m expecting to see.

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My search for a high-definition camcorder came to an end recently with the purchase of a JVC Everio GZ-HD5.

I was hoping I’d be able to wrap this series up with this post, but it’s clear to me now that I won’t be able to. There’s simply too much to cover and I’m certain that at least a few are still scratching your heads (like I was), wondering why we shouldn’t just rely on the pixel matrices to calculate Pixel Aspect Ratio (PAR) from analog sources. It is critically important to understand that I am approaching this topic from a forensic perspective, with the goal of standardizing the methodology used for forensic processing, interpretation, and presentation.

The software giant, along with a Swedish technology company, is providing photo-identification technology free of charge to law enforcement to help detect and thwart child abuse.

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"TUKWILA, Wash. – A person of interest in the shooting death of Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton has been shot in the head by police this afternoon", reports www.King5.com.

Visit the King5.com Web site for the complete story and more recent updates.

Our all-new downloads area is LIVE and accepting uploads!  Registered members can upload files up to 100MB in size, and the new upload form will list all files the member has uploaded.  The files from our previous download library are still accessible via our Wiki and site search, but we've created all new sections and categories to make it easier to browse the new download library and did not import the old files into those listings.  When members log-in they'll also now find the 10 newest uploads listed on the community home page.

Speaking of the community home page, we've also added comments and "likes" to our community and user activity streams!  Now, similar to other social networking sites, you can comment on member wall posts, easily share URLs, and let members know you "like" their status or wall post.  Log in today to check out these and other new features.  -LC

The Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, Ontario Provincial Police, is seeking a qualified individual to examine and analyze audio/video recordings for the purpose of developing, enhancing and clarifying evidence, and presenting, defending and supporting associated findings in courts of law as required; undertake research and maintain ongoing research and forensic studies related to the sciences of digital audio processing, digital image processing and video recording technologies, both analog and digital. To attend crime scenes and recover evidence using sophisticated audio/video equipment for examination as required and to provide training and guidance to colleagues/front line officers and assist Manager in equipment maintenance and policy as they relate to these sciences.

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Several other things I should be doing on a Saturday morning, but I find myself anxious to continue this discussion. Maybe it’s because although multiple industry Best Practice documents talk about correcting Aspect Ratio, none of them discuss the proper way to do it. It could also be my new coffee maker, which I'm hypothesizing has increased my caffeine intake substantially, although I have not increased my coffee intake. Who knows. Anyway, let’s start by recapping Part 1.

In a ruling that promises to revamp jury deliberations in New Jersey, the state Supreme Court says jurors should be allowed to see video playbacks of recorded testimony upon request, subject to safeguards.

"As advances in modern technology make their way into the courtroom, the Judiciary -- like the rest of society -- must adapt," Chief Justice Stuart Rabner wrote for a unanimous Court on Monday in State v. Miller, A-94-09.

Full story:
http://www.law.com/jsp/lawtechnologynews/PubArticleLTN.jsp?id=1202486272702&Top_NJ_Court_Endorses_Video_Playback_in_Jury_Trials

So, I ditched Windows 8 Consumer Preview for Windows 8 Release Preview Friday night, and so far, so good.  I've even noticed that I've actually started using some the Metro style apps included by default, which I hadn't used at all in the Consumer Preview really.

If you're interested in checking out the new Windows 8 Release Preview visit http://preview.windows.com/

Lossless trimming is the ability to trim, cut or extract segments of audio & video without re-encoding the original multimedia streams, maintaining both the original frames/samples and their related metadata. It is a process as old as digital video itself, and one that can be extremely helpful when dealing with hundreds or thousands of hours of digital video evidence for a case.

Reduce file size, reduce duration and maintain the original frames & quality. Bonus, the process is even faster than traditional editing, as you don't have to wait for the video to be re-encoded!

Spatial vs. Temporal Compression

Spatial (Intraframe) compression is applied to each video frame independently, treating each frame as a stand-alone image. This is the type of compression leveraged by high-end video production facilities as it provides superior picture quality and efficiencies in the editing process. Every frame is a key frame.

Forensic Video Solutions, Inc., of Spokane, Washington is accepting applications from interested candidates for the position of Forensic Video Analyst. The successful candidate must relocate to Spokane.

The complete announcement, including details on how to apply, is available as a PDF file - click here (PDF - 39KB).

Ocean Systems has announced a new 3-day DVR Assessment & Video Recovery training course that will be hosted by the Tacoma Police Department April 8-10, in Tacoma, Washington. This course is recommended for anyone tasked with the recovery of digital video evidence from CCTV systems.

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