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Posts Tagged ‘Queen’

Digital camera inventors awarded with Queen Elizabeth Prize

04 Feb
Dr. Tompsett, Prof. Teranishi and Prof. Fossum at the ceremony, image: Queen Elizabeth Prize

This year’s 1 million Pound Queen Elizabeth Prize has recognized the work of some of the key scientists in the creation of digital imaging sensors. The award is shared by British-born Dr Mike Tompsett, Professor Nobukazu Teranishi from Japan, and Professor Eric Fossum and George Smith from the US.

George Smith and Willard Boyle, who are now both deceased, first had the idea for CCD sensors at Bell Labs in 1969, but it was their colleague Dr. Tompsett, who saw the potential of the technology in imaging. The first digital color photo, of Tompsett’s wife Margaret, appeared on the cover of Electronics Magazine. 

Professor Teranishi is the inventor of the pinned photodiode (PPD), which is a more efficient photodiode than previous variants. He undertook the work at NEC Corporation in Japan in 1980.

Eric Fossum worked in the 1990s at the NASA and Caltech’s Jet Propulsion Lab. His goal was to miniaturize digital cameras to reduce the payload of spacecraft. His work resulted in the development of CMOS sensors which can be found in most modern consumer digital cameras.

Digital imaging, together with other forms of digital technology, has transformed the world, and every day billions of digital images are captured by billions of devices, ranging from professional TV cameras to tiny imaging units in autonomous vehicles. At the time of their inventions the scientists might not have foreseen the scale of the impact of the technology but they are certainly more than deserving of this year’s award. 

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Rugged Luxury: Take Your Queen Bed On the Road In This Modern Camper

08 Nov

[ By SA Rogers in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

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If your camping style is somewhere in between sleeping under the stars and ‘glamping’ with all the comforts of home, Track Trailer’s MK4 ‘Tvan’ camper has your number. Designed to be towed behind standard trucks and SUVs, it’s basically a hotel room on wheels, packing a queen-sized bed, two kitchen configurations, air conditioning and a quick-erect tent to multiply the available space.

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The latest in a series of Tvan designs, this camper trailer enables the most rugged of adventurers to go deep into the wilderness, and it’s gotten a thumbs-up from explorers of Australia’s most punishing desert landscapes. The Tvan is manufactured in Melbourne and has been around since the early ’80s, and features MC2 suspension, a riveted steel and aluminum cabin body, hot-dipped galvanized chassis, and a rear folding platform for the tent, which stows away in its own compartment.

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The slide-out kitchen offers a surprising number of features, including four burners, a sink, counter space and three storage drawers, and it all packs up tight for travel, remaining secure even when you’re driving over rocky terrain. There’s an integrated windshield that deploys simply by raising it into position so windy conditions don’t blow out the flames on the range.

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The cabin itself is substantial enough to block out noise, sun, heat, cold and wind, and when the tent is in use, it secures to the hard fold-out floor, keeping it up off the ground. The rear hatch is assisted by gas struts to make it easy to open and close, and the whole thing is aerodynamic, making it easy to tow.

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[ By SA Rogers in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

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Out Cold: 12 Closed & Abandoned Dairy Queen Stores

29 Feb

[ By Steve in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

abandoned-dairy-queen-0
Chill out, soft-serve ice cream fans, these 12 abandoned Dairy Queen stores aren’t typical of the 75-year-old chain’s 4,000+ locations worldwide.

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Founded in June of 1940, Dairy Queen has carved out a viable, sustainable, and for the most part successful niche in the fast, er, “fan food” industry. Take it from Warren Buffett – the legendary investor’s Berkshire Hathaway holding company has owned International Dairy Queen Inc outright since 1998.

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Though abandoned by Dairy Queen, the chain’s original location on 501 N. Chicago St. in Joliet, IL still stands thanks to its 2010 designation as a city landmark. Originally built in 1895, the building was a DQ until the early 1950s – subsequent tenants included a lawn-mower repair business, a furniture store, a motorcycle shop and a plumber. Since 2007 the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God has dispensed The Lord’s message at the historic location, presumably accompanied by chilled communion wafers.

More Like Ender

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“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here…” the hope of enjoying some fan food (not fast food), that is. Credit Flickr user haymarketrebel with the above photo of a closed and abandoned Dairy Queen in Tustin, CA snapped on November 20th of 2013.

Grilled, Chilled, Killed

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Traditional fixtures of small-town America, larger and more restaurant-style Dairy Queen Grill & Chill stores began to appear in 2001. The above store, located in Savannah, GA sports the revised corporate logo that debuted in 2007.

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Too big to fail? Nuh uh: Flickr user C-Bunny snapped the shuttered store in April of 2011 and noted the presence of “Closed for Renovation” and “Notice of Bankruptcy” signs plastered to the glass drive-thru window. Which is it, DQ… why not both?

Stuckey’s to be You

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Flickr user Steven Wilson (ezeiza) has the hots for Dairy Queen: his dedicated online album features over 140 photos and counting! Wilson included but a single abandoned DQ; a combination Stuckey’s/Dairy Queen store in Lindsborg, KS that judging by the overgrown landscaping has been shut for some time.

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Out Cold 12 Closed Abandoned Dairy Queen Stores

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[ By Steve in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

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Royal Blush: Japan’s Abandoned Queen Chateau Soapland

11 Aug

[ By Steve in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

Japan Queen Chateau soapland abandoned brothel
Fleeting moments of pleasure, a lifetime of neglect: that pretty much sums up the Queen Chateau soapland, a now-abandoned “brothel with baths” in Mito, Japan.

The Queen of Clean

Japan Queen Chateau soapland abandoned(image via: Michael John Grist)

The abandoned Queen Chateau in Mito, two-hours northeast of Tokyo, epitomizes the often gauche and over-the-top architecture commonly displayed by Japan’s legions of Love Hotels and Soaplands. The latter, for those unfamiliar with the term, are thinly-disguised brothels where male clients are “bathed” and ahem, catered to by female attendants. Feeling hung out to dry in Japan? You must be at a soapland!

Japan Queen Chateau soapland abandoned brothel(images via: Mike’s Blender, Seb and Redjunction)

Formerly known as toruko-buro (literally “Turkish Bath”), the popular descriptor for these establishments was changed to the more innocuous “Soapland” in 1984 following a successful campaign by offended Turkish scholar Nusret Sancakli. It was decided that a nationwide contest would be held to determine what new term should be used for such establishments and Soapland was the winner. Only in Japan, amiright? In any case, the semantic switch occurred right around the time of the Queen Chateau’s grand opening in April of 1984.

Let’s Get Carded

Japan Queen Chateau soapland abandoned brothel(images via: Michael John Grist and Totoro Times)

The Queen Chateau soapland is situated on a hill in Mito’s otherwise-thriving red light district, a location that accentuates its multistory castle-inspired layout. If “Dracula” was remade by Vivid Video, this would be the Count’s bachelor pad. A tile mosaic of a playing card Queen – probably the Queen of Hearts though no suit is indicated – extends three-quarters of the way up the front facade. Impressive from afar, up close the many missing tiles reveal the extent of the building’s decay since it was abandoned.

Japan Queen Chateau soapland abandoned brothel(images via: Mike’s Blender and Michael John Grist)

A ground-level view from intrepid Haikyo (modern ruins) explorer Michael John Grist is a surreal scene that simply screams “neglect”. Rampant weed overgrowth and an accumulation of detritus & debris shroud the blocked main entrance, forcing any curious urban explorers and/or local homeless types (one of whom is rumored to have died inside) to gain egress via the back entrance formerly used by the hired help.

Welcome to the Pleasure Doom

Japan Queen Chateau soapland abandoned brothel(images via: Totoro Times)

As is SOP with most semi-shady erotic operations of this nature, the actual service providers received few considerations from the shadowy operators. In the case of the Queen Chateau soapland, the “staff” of 10 had only a windowless, communal basement room to retreat to when not on duty. The room’s furniture consisted of 6 bunk-beds and just outside are the ruins of a small dining room and a tiny bathroom.

Japan Queen Chateau soapland abandoned brothel(image via: Totoro Times)

A narrow concrete corridor leads from the staff area to the first floor lobby, where the main focal point is a disturbingly defaced mural of three charming bath companions. Can you say “sleazy”? I knew you could! A semicircular front desk did double duty as the building’s communications hub while off to one side, a sweeping stairway with an ornate wrought iron bannister beckoned clients to the nirvana awaiting them on the upper floors.

Please Don’t Stair

Japan Queen Chateau soapland abandoned brothel(images via: Michael John Grist and Seb)

Nowadays a different sort of reward is promised to those contemplating higher pursuits: the Japanese graffiti at the foot of the stairs reads “If you go upstairs you will die.” Since philosophically speaking (and to paraphrase a quote from the film Heavy Metal) “I die, you die, we all die” eventually, ignoring the warning and making the fateful climb won’t really change things in the long run. Luckily for you and I, brave urban explorers Michael John Grist, Jordy Meow and the jolly gang from 28 Days Later among others have photo-documented their experiences on our behalf.

Japan Queen Chateau soapland abandoned(image via: Totoro Times)

The road to Hell might be paved with good intentions but this stairway to heaven – sorry, Page & Plant – is carpeted with vermilion and gold shag… that last word is in no way coincidental.

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Queen Mary 2 Time Lapse Leaving Newport, Rhode Island

07 Jan

Short time-lapse of the Queen Mary 2. Leaving Newport, Rhode Island on September 28 2011. A few dolly moves using my hybrid dynamic perception dolly. Music “The Cabin” by stockfinster Shot with Nikon D300 Nikon D200 Edited on a HP 8560w mobile workstation with Adobe CS 5.5
Video Rating: 5 / 5

 
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Posted in Nikon Videos

 

Queen Victoria and Windsor Castle

26 Aug

Queen Victoria and Windsor Castle, originally uploaded by hitkaiser.

Went to the town of Windsor yesterday… horrible weather made it quite a crappy day for taking photos..

What was more disappointing was the lack of things to see..

Windsor castle may be huge, but its not much to look at from outside and the interior open to the public is tiny (and no photography allowed inside wtf!) – The chapel happened to be closed.

The cruise on the river Thames is supposed to give you views of a number of things including the castle.. which only happens in the last 5mins and even then its covered by trees.

Eton college… well its “allright”, again the inside was closed to the public.



MadridPixel

 
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Queen Victoria and Windsor Castle

18 Aug

Queen Victoria and Windsor Castle, originally uploaded by hitkaiser.

Went to the town of Windsor yesterday… horrible weather made it quite a crappy day for taking photos..

What was more disappointing was the lack of things to see..

Windsor castle may be huge, but its not much to look at from outside and the interior open to the public is tiny (and no photography allowed inside wtf!) – The chapel happened to be closed.

The cruise on the river Thames is supposed to give you views of a number of things including the castle.. which only happens in the last 5mins and even then its covered by trees.

Eton college… well its “allright”, again the inside was closed to the public.



MadridPixel

 
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Posted in Equipment

 

SF Welcomes Queen Mary 2 – in Sterescopic 3D (red/cyan anaglyph)

01 Sep

Put on your red/blue 3D glasses! The Queen Mary 2 cruise ship enters San Francisco Bay with a huge welcome!
Video Rating: 5 / 5

Take a ride on the train at the Roanoke Zoo. During the ride, make sure you duck your head under the tree branches.

 
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3D Barbarian Queen (no glasses needed 3D stereoscope)

20 Jun

For best viewing, watch the video fullscreen and in 480pmode. To see the images in 3D, hold your head up straight (very important or the two images won’t line up properly), look at the vertical center line and cross your eyes. The 3D image will appear in the center. If you don’t see the 3D picture right away, keep trying, it takes a bit of practice. Music composed, programmed, and performed by GlassFree3D Dedicated to the original Barbarian Queen; the late, great Lana Clarkson.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

A stereoscopic trailer of How to Train your Dragon movie, captured from a commercial. Download: www.megaupload.com rapidshare.com
Video Rating: 5 / 5