New forensic techniques for fingerprint

New forensic techniques for fingerprint detection help crack unsolved crimes

Violent crime, involving guns and knives, is on the increase across the world. While fingerprint evidence is central to solving such crime, recovering usable images is problematic with less than 10% successfully recovered. The University of Leicester is combatting this with new technologies to reveal previously undetectable fingerprints on bullets and knives involved in crimes of violence and on other metallic objects either of intrinsic value (precious or commodity metals) or involved in volume crime (including tools used for burglary).

Conventional technology to visualise fingerprints on spent shell casings has produced poor results because the underlying chemistry requires the sweat deposit left by the finger to remain intact. Additionally, fingerprints are often deliberately removed or damaged by the environment.

Dr John Bond and Professor Robert Hillman from the University’s Department of Chemistry have developed two different technologies to visualise fingerprints on metals after the sweat deposit has been largely lost. One uses microscale corrosion and the other utilises electrochromic polymers:

Microscale corrosion

Fingerprint deposits on metals can, in relatively short periods of time, cause corrosion. This corrosion creates an indelible image of the fingerprint, long after the fingerprint residue is lost. The method identifies microscopic amounts of corrosion and visualises the fingerprint by applying a high voltage to the metal and then adding ceramic beads coated with a fine powder. The beads interact with the corrosion products on the surface, revealing the original fingerprint pattern.

Electrochromic polymer

In this technique, the fingerprint material acts like a mask or stencil, blocking an electric current that is used to deposit a coloured electroactive film. The templating action directs the coloured film to the regions of bare surface between the fingerprint deposits, thereby creating a negative image of the print. Unlike conventional detection methods, the polymers used by the University of Leicester researchers are electrochromic, that is to say they change colour in response to an applied voltage.

These technologies have already had a significant impact, helping police forensic departments worldwide solve recent homicide investigations and re-open cold cases. In 2012, evidence from the corrosion enhancement technique was heard and accepted by the Superior Court of the State of California, setting a precedent in the US legal system.

New forensic products have been developed by commercial partners and are being sold to forensic practitioners worldwide, stimulating the economy. The microscale corrosion technology has been patented and commercialised with UK industrial partner Consolite Forensics. The research helped the company develop a new optical system to recover fingerprints from gun cartridges (CERA LT), offering a rapid and simple to use product with a fully integrated high resolution camera. The company launched the product in the summer of 2013, making its first sale to the Grand Rapids Police Department, Michigan USA. The electrochromic technology has been patented and is being developed in collaboration with the UK Home Office Centre for Applied Science and Technology.

The corrosion and electrochromic polymer technologies have been incorporated in the 2014 UK Home Office Fingermark Visualisation Manual, making them available to police forces across the UK.

Fingerprint Recognition
Fingerprint biometrics is the most popular, widespread, reliable and efficient biometric technology available today. Due to its versatility, fingerprint biometrics is applicable in almost all areas that require clear identification.

Fingerprint Biometrics Features

Fingerprints are distinct to each person thanks to unique papillary features and are different even in twins. Fingerprint patterns remain unchanged throughout the entire adult life and are easily produced for identification.

If a finger is damaged, other fingers that are previously enrolled into the system can also be used for identification.

Processing Fingerprints

Special biometric scanners are used to capture fingerprints. There are three major types of fingerprint scanners: capacitive, sweep and optical.

Capacitive scanners are the most affordable but they are not durable. Since capacitive scanners generate an image of the ridges and valleys that make up a fingerprint using electrical current, such scanners are extremely vulnerable to electrostatic charges. They fail to perform once a person with electrified fingers (wearing wool or silk clothing) touches a scanner. In addition, fingerprint images captured by capacitive scanners are of an extremely poor quality.

The most reliable scanners are optical ones. They are a little more expensive than other biometric devices, but are durable, cost-effective and user-friendly. Fingerprint images taken by an optical scanner are of the highest quality.

Sweep (thermal) scanners are somewhere in between. To capture a fingerprint, a finger is swept over the sensor and is captured in rows, sub-images or slices, forming a biometric template. To be successfully identified with sweep scanners, users have to apply a consistent speed and manner of applying a finger, which is no easy task.

According to the latest research, optical scanners are the best as far as hygiene-related issues are concerned.

NEC has dedicated over three decades in developing the most efficient and accurate fingerprint identification technology. And today, NEC is the world’s leading supplier of fingerprint biometrics for both law enforcement and identity management applications.

NEC fingerprint identification technology is empowered by a unique matching algorithm (i.e., the minutiae and relation method) that uses ridge counts and the relationship between minutiae. This enables us to provide the lowest false accept and false reject rates (FAR and FRR) - with the fastest 1:n database searches for identification.

In addition, Positive Identification (PID) adds another innovative and competitive edge to our fingerprint identification technology. Emerging from NEC’s proven AFIS technology, PID provides the most advanced pattern identification and fingerprint matching available today.
Features
The NEC Difference
Technical Highlights

NIST-Proven Accuracy

Features

NEC's AFIS delivers high-level benefits and offers a variety of advanced features to meet law enforcement identification demands.

Fingerprint and palmprint identification
Positive Identification (PID)
Advanced processing for finger, latent, palm and slap matching
Enhanced Search Sending to Other AFIS
Seamless interface to live scan units, mugshot systems, criminal history systems, etc.

The superiority of NEC matching cannot be overstated. NEC’s AFIS does not just match fingerprints to solve crimes. Unlike our competitor’s systems, the NEC AFIS is not only a tenprint registration system but also a fingerprint repository for the identification of dangerous criminals. Furthermore, the capability that distinguishes NEC’s AFIS technology from that of our competitors is its unsurpassed latent identification accuracy and speed - solving crimes is the number one AFIS priority.

NEC AFIS is the first AFIS that uses ridge counts and relationships between minutiae in its matching algorithm. This algorithm allows AFIS to match distorted prints while maintaining matching selectivity. In addition, NEC’s use of “zone” data reduces the number of false minutiae by ensuring that only minutiae in “clear zone” are used in matching. These features allow NEC AFIS customers to achieve high hit rates while reducing the number of candidates to be compared with.
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Technical Highlights

Minutiae and Related Method

The Minutiae and Related Method is a matching algorithm designed by NEC, which uses ridges and minutiae inside a clear zone of fingerprints to achieve accurate fingerprint identification.

Minutiae and Related Method
A finger minutia is a fingerprint ridge ending, or a ridge bifurcation where the ridge separates into two ridges - the characteristics that make each fingerprint unique. Because the skin at the ends of fingers, where fingerprint patterns are located is soft, the positions and directions of minutiae are subject to great deal of distortion, depending on how the finger is pressed against the surface receiving the print. The number of ridges between minutiae however, never changes. By encoding these ridge-counts together with the minutiae, that is the relation between minutiae, NEC AFIS provides the most positive matching for all types of fingerprints.

Invisibility Devices

 Invisibility Devices Technologies That Will Surprise You

In the Crysis games, you play a super Soldier in a suit who can turn invisible and toss aliens like Hacky Sacks. Outside of video games, scientists at the Dallas NanoTech Institute used sheets of carbon nano tubes, which are one-atom thick sheets of carbon rolled up into microscopic tubes, to bend light around the sheets, effectively cloaking them.

The key to the technique they used is the same effect that causes dying travelers in the desert to think an empty patch of land is an oasis, the mirage effect. The temperature difference between sand and air bend light rays, directing the light rays towards the hapless traveler’s eyes instead of bouncing them off the surface. This makes a “puddle of sky” on the ground, which any desperate dying traveler would think is water.

The carbon nano tube sheets were immersed in water and heated up, which also heated up the water, which caused light to bend away from the sheet , and obscuring whatever was behind the sheet. It’s impractical as a military cloaking device as you would have to wear a super-hot suit that has to be immersed in water, but it’s certainly cool as hell.
Hats off to scientists at the University of Rochester in New York, who have managed to produce a cheap ‘invisibility cloak’ effect using readily available materials and a lot of clever thinking. Through a combination of optical lenses, any object that passes behind a certain line of sight can be made to disappear from view.

‘The Rochester Cloak’, as it’s being dubbed, uses a simplified four-lens system that essentially bends light around any objects you put into the middle of the chain — you’re able to see the area in the background as normal, but not the item in the foreground. According to its inventors, it can be scaled up using any size of lens, and the team responsible for the setup has used standard, off-the-shelf hardware

“People have been fascinated with cloaking for a very long time,” said John Howell, a Professor of Physics at the University. “It’s recently been a really popular thing in science fiction and Harry Potter… I think people are really excited about the prospect of just being invisible.”

“From what we know this is the first cloaking device that provides three-dimensional, continuously multidirectional cloaking,” said doctoral student Joseph Choi, one of the team who worked on the project, when speaking to Reuters. “I imagine this could be used to cloak a trailer on the back of a semi-truck so the driver can see directly behind him. It can be used for surgery, in the military, in interior design, art.”
What makes this system so interesting is that it’s simple, inexpensive and capable of working at multiple angles, as long as the object remains inside the series of lenses. Howell and Choi say it cost them $1,000 to get all of the necessary equipment together, but it can be done more cheaply. A patent is pending for their invention but the pair have put together instructions on making your own Rochester Cloak at home for less than $100.

Scientists are getting closer to creating a real-life invisibility cloak.

A new study published in the journal Science shows scientists have created what they are calling a “ultrathin invisibility skin cloak for visible light.” The cloak has been shown to cover an object and—by manipulating certain wavelengths of light—render it invisible.

Light plays a central role in how we see objects. According to the Los Angeles Times, usually light bounces off of things and becomes distorted, which helps a person see the angles and curves of an object. However, the LA Times writes that the cloak is covered with “nanoantennas made of tiny gold blocks of different sizes that can counteract that distortion, making it seem to an observer like the light is coming from a flat surface.”

The cloak is 80 nanometers thick, which is a bonus since the study authors say prior attempts have been too bulky and therefore difficult to scale up. Still, the current cloak only covers a very tiny object, so there’s a long way to go before people can make themselves invisible or hard to see.

Other research teams are also looking into the creation of an invisibility cloak. In early July, University of California, San Diego researchers designed their own early version. “Invisibility may seem like magic at first, but its underlying concepts are familiar to everyone. All it requires is a clever manipulation of our perception,” Boubacar Kanté, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering said in a statement about his work. “Full invisibility still seems beyond reach today, but it might become a reality in the near future thanks to recent progress in cloaking devices.

The Latest Bionic Limbs technologies

Bionic and Prosthetic Technologies

Artificial limbs have existed for years, from olden wooden peg legs (think pirates) to the clunky prosthetic Terry Fox used on his cross-country fundraiser run. They were heavy and stiff, but fast-forward into the 21st century, we have ultra-light limbs made out of carbon fiber and titanium that cost up to a cool $45,000, and we now have bionic legs that can be controlled with your mind.

Gudmundur Olafsson lost his lower leg as a child when he was hit by a truck, but now he has been fitted with a modified robot foot made by the Iceland based company Ossur, which he has been using daily for more than a year that can move on command like a real foot. A minimally invasive 15-minute long surgery was performed to implant sensors in his residual limb. The star of the prosthesis is the robot ankle, which moves based on which sensor picks up an impulse in local muscle tissue. If Gudmundur flexes his calves, the robot foot mirrors him.

“It’s really surreal,” he says. “The first time, to be honest, I started to cry. You are moving the ankle, and I basically haven’t had one in 11 years.” It allows him to redistribute his weight evenly, and to stave off muscle atrophy that is common in amputees. No one’s sure when’s it’s going to come out, or how much it would cost, but fully-functioning minimally-invasive robot legs would give many people a new lease of life, and maybe in 50 years we would be able to swap our puny flesh arms for carbon-fibre robot arms.
Bionics & Prosthetics, Inc. is a leader in bionic and prosthetic technologies, providing only the latest innovations to clientele. By working with manufacturers, we have direct access to the most progressive advancements on the market. These components are tools for clients to reach their potential, stay active, and achieve their goals.

Prosthetists and assistants are involved in the research and development of bionics and prosthetics. As a result, clients and amputee staff members are often asked to beta-test new components. Next Step is privileged to demonstrate these technologies for medical personnel as well as our staff, clients, and communities.

Prosthetic Socket Interface Designs

Next Step believes that prosthetic components are only as effective as the fit of a socket interface. The socket is the most important part of the prosthesis, since it creates an interface between the residual limb and the prosthetic device. We sometimes make multiple clear check sockets and try different interface methods to guarantee that a proper fit is achieved during the prosthetic process.

Our prosthetists incorporate various socket designs to accommodate the shape and size of an individual’s limb. These include, but are not limited to, suction sockets, elevated vacuum systems, pin and lanyard suspensions, flexible sockets, custom liners, and lock-and-pin systems. A Next Step prosthetist determines which method is best for each client at the evaluation appointment.

Is also a certified Hi-Fidelity Interface (HiFi) provider. The HiFi Interface, developed by biodesigns in California, is a revolutionary upper- and lower-extremity socket design that gives amputees an intimate socket fit for increased prosthetic functionality. This interface features a patent-pending plastic interface for soft tissue release. It provides alternating areas of compression and relief to bring the user increased comfort and stability.

High-Definition Silicone Covers

In addition to other cover and skin options available in the on-site fabrication labs, Next Step offers high-definition silicone covers. These lifelike covers, or cosmeses, are created through our registered worldwide partnership with Dorset Orthopaedic in England. To prepare for the covering, a finished prosthesis is custom-molded in an intricate shaping process with our technicians, then color-matched to the amputee’s exact skin tone. Once the client is satisfied with the results, the cosmesis is crafted in England to feel and look realistic, down to individual freckles.

Bionic Technology in Prosthetics

Many believe that bionic technology is the wave of the future, but at Next Step, we are confident that the future is already here. Though other descriptions exist within the prosthetic industry, Next Step defines bionics as powered motion with a motor and real-time adjustment capability.

These components astound many with their lifelike functionality and ability to give feedback to the user. We are proud to offer such dynamic components to the amputees we serve. Additionally, we have access to sophisticated prosthetic devices that manufacturers and other prosthetic providers consider bionic.

While there are many bionic and non-bionic prosthetic components to suit a variety of needs, not everyone is a candidate for the most advanced devices and not every insurance plan provides coverage. We encourage clients to contact us for more information and talk with their prosthetists about what is right for them.

Bionic Components for a Prosthesis

The BiOM Ankle System from iWalk is designed to increase mobility with revolutionary propulsion technology, while reducing energy demands and stress on the body.
The Power Knee from Ossur is a motor-powered prosthetic knee that benefits the user with symmetry, strength, and endurance.
The Proprio Foot from Ossur gives heightened stability and mobility to amputees through lifelike powered-ankle motion.
The Symbionic Leg from Ossur combines the Proprio powered ankle and the Rheo microprocessor knee to create a bionic leg system.
The iLimb from Touch Bionics appears and functions like a biological hand, featuring natural joints as well as automated grip patterns and gestures.
The Bebionic from Steeper is an advanced myoelectric prosthetic hand that encourages a lifestyle of independence for the user.
The Boston Digital Arm System from Liberating Technologies supplies the necessary torque for a variety of tasks, with on-board software for control.
Non-Bionic Prosthetic Technology

The C-Leg from Otto Bock, the original completely microprocessor-controlled knee, has become a standard device in prosthetic care.
The Genium from Otto Bock is a newer development in microprocessor technology, and this knee unit is meant for high-activity amputees.
The Helix 3D Hip from Otto Bock incorporates revolutionary technology for a natural walking pattern by mirroring pelvic rotation.
The Rheo Knee from Ossur is a sophisticated prosthetic knee that allows for natural movement and functionality during any activity.
The Orion Knee from Endolite is a microprocessor knee with on-board programming and responsive technology to achieve a relaxed gait.

Conventional Prosthetic Components

There are a variety of conventional upper-extremity and lower-extremity products available to Next Step clients and prosthetists. We offer these prosthetic components for shoulders, elbows, hands, hips, knees, ankles, feet, liners, sleeves, socks, sheaths, and other supplies. Regardless of the technology employed, each item works in conjunction with a custom-made socket to achieve optimal prosthetic fit and function for the amputee.

Faster? Stronger? More powerful? Bionic bodies—and what they may be capable of—have captivated the human mind for centuries. From the bumbling Inspector Gadget to the near‐indestructible Terminator, the idea of using technology to build a ‘better human’ has resulted in continuous technological advances.

The term ‘bionics’ was first used in the 1960s. It combines the prefix ‘bio’—meaning life—with the ‘nics’ of electronics. Bionics is the study of mechanical systems that function like living organisms or parts of living organisms.

Artificial limbs, or prostheses, are used to replace a missing body part which may have been lost due to trauma, disease or congenital defect. The type of prosthesis a person can use is dependent on the individual, including the cause of amputation or limb loss, and the location of the missing extremity.

Basic artificial limbs have been used since 600 BC. Wooden legs, metal arms, hooks for hands—while these primitive replacements gave the wearer back some semblance of movement or function, they were often uncomfortable, difficult to use, had poor functionality and were cosmetically unattractive.

Today, researchers are striving to develop lighter, smaller, better‐controlled, more lifelike and affordable options. What’s different about the new generation of prosthetic limbs is their union with bionic technology, and the way they combine fields of study as diverse as electronics, biotechnology, hydraulics, computing, medicine, nanotechnology and prosthetics. Technically, the field is known as biomechatronics, an applied interdisciplinary science that works to integrate mechanical elements and devices with biological organisms such as human muscles, bones, and the nervous systems.

Another bionic limb breakthrough is known as ‘osseointegration’ (OI). Derived from the Greek ‘osteon’, meaning bone, and the Latin ‘integrare’, which means to make whole, the process involves creating direct contact between living bone and the surface of a synthetic—often titanium‐based—implant.

The procedure was first performed in 1994, and uses a skeletally integrated titanium implant, connected through an opening (stoma) in the residual limb to an external prosthetic limb. The direct connection between the prosthesis and bone has several advantages:

It provides greater stability and control, and can reduce the amount of energy expended.
It does not require suction for suspension, which makes it easier and more comfortable for the user.
The weight‐bearing is brought back to the femur, hip joint, tibia or other bone, reducing the possibility of degeneration and atrophy that can accompany traditional prostheses.
Traditionally, the procedure requires two operations. The first involves the insertion of titanium implants into the bone and, often, extensive soft-tissue revision. The second stage, around six to eight weeks later, includes the refinement of the stoma and the attachment of the hardware that connects the implant to the external prosthetic leg. Gradually, bone and muscle begin to grow around the implanted titanium on the bone end, creating a functional bionic leg. The external prosthesis can be easily attached and removed from the abutment within a few seconds. Recently, Australia‐based surgeon Associate Professor Munjed Al Muderis has been able to perform the surgery in a single operation.

Because the prosthesis is attached directly to the bone, it has a greater range of movement, control and, in some cases, has allowed wearers to distinguish tactile difference between surfaces (such as carpet versus tiles) via osseoperception.

Scanning electron micrograph image of bone-forming cells crawling over monetite crystals.Monetite crystals (CaHPO4) can be used with titanium to make it more compatible with the body. Image source: Wellcome Images / Flickr.
Gait-training, strengthening and rehabilitation are all important parts of the pre and post‐surgery procedure. Many of the recipients of the new technology have been up and walking independently within weeks of the operation, and have been able to regain much of their quality of life.

A continuing development in the field of OI is the introduction of products that use a porous metal construction, such as titanium foam. Traditional OI designs intended for the femur were not successful when applied to the tibia as the proximal tibial bone structure is highly spongy.However, with the development of titanium foam technology the application of OI has now been expanded to transtibial amputees. Associate Professor Al Muderis has pioneered a 3D-printed foam surface implant which is successfully used in transtibial amputees. These 3D-printed metal foams may promote and contribute to bone infiltration and the formation and growth of vascular systems within the defined area. In this way, the porous, bone‐like metal foam allows osteoblast activity to begin.

Latest Technology of Keyboard PC

72 Key Keyboard PC - Windows 10, Intel Bay Trail CPU, 2GB RAM, 32GB Memory, 1TB HDD Support, Bluetooth (Black)

At a Glance...
Intel Bay Trail Quad Core CPU with burst technology
Windows 10 operating system supports all your favorite packages
Supports up to 1TB external HDD
Easy to deploy, install and use and ready to go right of the box

This 72 Key keyboard PC lets you turn any monitor into a PC and has everything you need built right in with keyboard and touch pad so it's ready to go right out of the box.

Intel Bay Trail CPU and 2GB RAM

You can be forgiven for thinking that this is just a 72 key mini keyboard but after closer examination you would notice the HDMI, VGA, USB and Ethernet ports on the back which give away its true use as a powerful portable mini windows PC.

The fact that this mini PC is housed inside its very own keyboard is fairly impressive and means that wherever you take it you have the keyboard and touchpad ready to go so you don't need to take any extra peripherals with you. by using the keyboard PC's VGA or HDMI port you can turn and monitor, screen, TV or projector into your very own computer. A revolutionary step for people who hot desk or wanting to work on business trips but don't want to cart a heavy laptop around with them. At just 310 grams it can slip in your bag and takes up virtually no space at all measuring less than 30 CM.

With a Windows 10 operating system and powered by an Intel Z3735F Bay Trail processor with 2GB of RAM this PC is no slouch and is clocked at 1.33GHz but can easily utilize its Burst Technology to offer 1.84 GHZ of computational power through its quad core processor when needed.

Thanks to Windows 10 you get all the favorite user tools and access to the full range of MS software suite letting you perform all the tasks you would expect from a desktop computer, but at a fraction of the cost and space.

it has 32GB of built in memory and a micro SD card slot to add extra storage however should you need more then you'll be pleased to learn that this mini PC offers support for up to 1TB HDDs so your never short of storage options.

The Wintel K3 Mini PC really delivers with its compact form, powerful performance and affordable price so whether you looking for a back to school computer, hot desking with easy or replacing the old laptop this windows 10 mini PC has everything you need and comes with a 12 months warranty, brought to you by the leader in electronic devices as well as wholesale Windows Mini PCs..
Manufacturer Specifications

General
OS Version: Windows 10 (license)
CPU: Intel Baytrail-T CR Quad Core Z3735F
GPU: Intel HD Graphic (Gen7)
Processor Speed (max): 1.33GHz
RAM: 2GB
Internal Memory: 32GB
External Memory: Support up to 64GB Micro SD Card, 1T external hard drive
Supported Resolution: 1920x1080
Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
Bluetooth Rang: Up to 5 meters
VGA

Ports
2x USB
RJ45 port
HDMI
Micro SD card slots
3.5 mm audio out port
VGA
DC IN

Languages
Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Melayu, German, English, Spanish, Filipino, French, Italian, Magyar, Dutch, Portuguese (Brasil), Portuguese (Portugal), Vietnamese, Turkish, Greek, Russian, Hebrew, Arab, Thai, Korean, Chinese (simp), Chinese (trad), Japanese

Media Formats
Video: MEPG 1/2/4, H.263/H.264, RMVB, WMV/VC-1, MVC, AVS, MJPEG
Audio: MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG, FLAC, ALAC, APE, AAC, AC-3, DTS (need license)
Graphic: JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF
E-Book: Office Word, Excel, PPT, PDF

Dimensions
Main Product Dimensions: 287 x 124 x 25 mm (L x W x D)
Main Product Weight: 309g
Weight/dimension is for the main item of this boxed product, to help you compare product sizes before buying: please do not base your shipping calculations on this price - shipping prices depend on your cart contents, shipping destination, and shipping method: please use the checkout to select options and preview shipping price for your total order.

Product Notes
As a wholesaler, we provide no software support, advice, or training regarding the operating system and software.
Windows activation code included, to obtain the activation code scan the two-dimensional (QR) code on the bottom of the product.

Package Contents
Windows mini PC
Power Adapter
User Manual

Enjoy the following benefits:
Orders processed and shipped within 1 Working Day
12 month warranty
In-house QC
Member discounts
Award winning customer support
Quantity order discounts
Worldwide Shipping
Certification: CE, FCC, RoHS

HG 2.4G Auto Balance RC Stunt Robot

HG 2.4G Auto Balance RC Stunt Robot - Four Characteristics, Load Bearing, Dancing and Singing, Smart Gesture Sensors, Fight Mode

Auto Balance RC Stunt Robot


Looking for a fun and creative toy that is guaranteed to bring hours of joy? – Then search no further. The HG 2.4G Auto Balance RC Stunt Robot is the perfect toys for boys or children of any age. With its futuristic looks the HG 2.4G is a very special robot friend that has it all!

This self balancing robot toy comes with five different characteristics and can do more than simply "walk around" your living room. Thanks to its exceptional balance and load bearing function the HG 2.4G Stunt Robot is capable of carrying small objects. Why not serve the drinks and snacks on your child’s next birthday party with the help of this remarkable butler? The HG 2.4G Auto Balance RC Stunt Robot is guaranteed to put a smile on children’s faces and leave them with an extraordinary and fun memory.

When its dancing mode is activated this robot sings and dances along with all your favorite songs. No longer you’ll have to listen your tracks alone as now your robot pet is here to share the fun with you. Equipped with smart hand and gesture sensors this RC Robot can furthermore be programmed to follow the movement of your hands. Simply hold your hand in front of its sensor and the robot will follow your every move. In addition its fighting mode allows this fighting robot to move around rapidly and punch different objects or similar robots, allowing you to reconstruct your own miniature robot battles in the comfort of your living room.

The auto balancing robot is light in weight and easy to comand with the included remote control. Switching between either of the above mentioned characteristics has never been easier as a simple click of a button on the remote control will do the trick. Its built in color light indicates the mood which is currently applied by showing either a purple light when applying its load-bearing function, green light for its dancing robot mode, blue light for gesture mode, or red light when its attack function is activated.

With its friendly and futuristic looks this little robot toy is the perfect companion that is guaranteed to bring hours of joy and laughter to your children and all their friends. Easy to operate and safe to play with, this remarkable little pet is a splendid gift for boys and girls of any age.

This RC Robot Pet comes with a 12 months warranty, brought to you by the leader in electronic devices as well as wholesale electronic gadgets..
Manufacturer Specifications

General
Robot battery: 4.8V 700mA
Working time: up to 8 hours
Charging time: up to 4 hours
Remote Control Battery: 4XAA
Remote Range: up to 15m
Auto balance RC stunt robot
Mode 1: Load-bearing Function (Purple)
Mode 2: Dancing and Singing Songs (Green)
Mode 3: Equipped with Hand and Gesture Smart Sensors (Blue)
Mode 4: Fight and attacking Function (Red)

Dimensions
Main Product Dimensions: 210x 167x 81mm (L x W x D)
Main Product Weight: 399g
Weight/dimension is for the main item of this boxed product, to help you compare product sizes before buying: please do not base your shipping calculations on this price - shipping prices depend on your cart contents, shipping destination, and shipping method: please use the checkout to select options and preview shipping price for your total order.

Package Contents
Stunt Robot
Remote Controller
USB cable
Manual
Tray
Stand
Battery

Enjoy the following benefits:
Orders processed and shipped within 1 Working Day
12 month warranty
In-house QC
Member discounts
Award winning customer support
Quantity order discounts
Worldwide Shipping
Certification: CE, FCC, RoHS

Key Features...

Dancing, serving drinks, boxing, singing, and more. This Robot can do it all
Easy to control with its included remote control
Easily switch between the Robot’s 5 core characteristics with the touch of a button
Futuristic and fun, this toy is guaranteed to bring hours of joy

Package included:

1 x robot
1 x transmitter
1 x tray
1 x display stand
1 x instruction manual

New Technology aboout X5SW Quadcopter + Camera

X5SW Quadcopter + Camera - 6 Axis, Remote Control, FPV Camera, iOS + Android APP, FPV


Wi-Fi real time transmission of video and photos from this quad copters camera to you phone or tablet. Not only will this make flying easier, but also let you share the experience of taking to the air, and with its compact little camera will make capturing stunning photos and videos easy.

The 6 axis gyro makes the done smoother and more responsive for flight while the 360 degree aversion and dual speed options ensure amateurs and professionals can hone their drone fling skills on an affordable model.

A modest built in battery brings 5 minutes of flying time and with a 15 - 30 meter controlling range the X5SW camera drone gives plenty of room to fly. Red and Green LEDs help you keep the quad copter orientated and make it easier to fly at night or in low light.

If your wanting to get into drone photography or just looking for a cool new toy then the affordable X5SW is for you.

The X5SW quad copter comes with a 12 months warranty, brought to you by the leader in electronic devices as well as RC Toys and dones..
Manufacturer Specifications

General
Material: ABS
Frequency: 2.4G
Channel: 4 Channel
6-Axis Gyro (Built in)
LED Lights Color: Green and Red
Flying Speed (2 mode): High, low
Removable Battery
Battery for Copter: 3.7V 500mAh Li-battery
Flight Time: About 5 min
Charger Time: About 120 min
Mobile Phone Supported: iOS 7.0, Android 4.3 and above
APP: SYMA FPV

Camera
Wifi FPV Camera: 0.3MP (Picture + Video)
Photo Resolution: 640x480
Support Picture and Video

Remote Control
LED Screen
Transmitter: Remote control
Battery for Controller: 4x AA Battery (Not included)
Control Distance: About 15 to 30m

Ports
Power Port
Camera Port

Dimensions
Main Product Dimensions: 295 x 295 x 56mm (L x W x D)
Main Product Weight: 97g
Weight/dimension is for the main item of this boxed product, to help you compare product sizes before buying: please do not base your shipping calculations on this price - shipping prices depend on your cart contents, shipping destination, and shipping method: please use the checkout to select options and preview shipping price for your total order.

Product Notes
Please note that the packing for this product is plain to reduce shipping cost, if you need the colorful packaging, kindly contact customer support

Package Contents
RC Quad Copter
Remote Control
Camera
USB Cable
Holder
4 x Legs
4 x Propeller Shield
4 x Spare Blade
Battery
Screw Driver
English Manual

Enjoy the following benefits:
Orders processed and shipped within 1 Working Day
12 month warranty
In-house QC
Member discounts
Award winning customer support
Quantity order discounts
Worldwide Shipping
Certification: CE, FCC, RoHS

Color: White

Fits most RC cars and trucks. Lightweight upgrade instantly enhances overall performance in handling and durability
Takes 7 to 15 business days by standard airmail shipping. 80% of packages arrive within 10 business days. Most packages ship within 12 hours. Please allow 1 extra day if order is placed during the weekend.
Features: 6-axis gyro based on 4 channels ensures a stable and fast flight Capable of 360-degree 3D rolling, and other technical actions 0.3MP high-definition camera allows for a clear first person view from the sky Support cellphone control from Android smartphone and iPhone via Wi-Fi connectivity Headless mode avoids the difficulty of identifying the head and tail when you start to fly 500mAh battery, super long fly time Up to 50-meter long RC distance Left... more details below
Expediated shipping is shipped by DHL or Fedex. Arrives in about than 2-5 days. Major cities will receive orders earlier.

Key Features... 

FPV Camera lets you line up the perfect shot and capture footage from he skies
6 Axis gyro and 360 degree aversion make this a great drone for beginners
2.4 GHz wireless controller with 4C hannel support for a stable connection
Easy to see and fly at night with red and green LED lights

The X5SW quad copter brings a first person view (FPV) so you can experience the freedom of flight via through real time video transmissions over Wi-Fi. This is a great way to see the world and record brilliant footage from above.

4 Channel Wireless NVR Kit,720P Cameras + 4TB HDD Support

4 Channel Wireless NVR Kit- 720P Cameras, IP66, 1/4 Inch CMOS, ONVIF 2.0, iOS + Android APP, 4TB HDD Support


Experience professional surveillance video that leaves nothing out with this 4 channel DVR Kit that captures and records 720P video for superior picture quality that captures every detail. Each of the 4 cameras are equipped with a 3.6mm lens that can cover a 76 degree view so you need fewer cameras to cover your full property.

With motion detection and alarm recording as well as FTP snapshot uploads you can keep informed of of any incidents whenever there's movement detected. Using the iOS and Android phone app ;lets you view the footage remotely while on the go or alternatively you can log in from your computer where it's possible to replay the footage frame by frame

IP66 Wireless IP Cameras


Thanks to Wi-Fi connectivity this NVR kit is easy to setup as the cameras just need a simple power supply so cabling is kept to a minimum. With an IP66 rating the cameras are well protected from the elements and can be used indoors or out.

Each camera features a whopping 36 IR LEDs that are automatically activated by the IR cut when ambient light levels fall to low. All of these features means you can set the cameras up wherever you like and enjoy 24x7 security so you're always just a few clicks away from checking in on your home or business.

When it comes to storing the recorded data you can add up to 4TB or storage via the NVRs SATA port and as this surveillance systems adopts H.264 compression meaning the recorded data takes up less space without compromising the quality of your footage.

This 4 Channel NVR Kit with IP cameras comes with a 12 months warranty, brought to you by the leader in electronic devices as well as wholesale security systems..
Manufacturer Specifications

General
Operating System: Embedded Linux
Supports Remote View with Mobile Phones (Android 4.0 and iOS 6.0 above)
Control Mode: USB mouse
Resolution: Main stream: 1280x720, 720x576, 720x480, 640x480 Minor Stream: 640x480, 480x360, 352x288, 320x240, 176x144
Video/Audio Compression: H.264
Record Mode: Manual, Timing, Motion Detection, Alarm
Frame by frame playback mode: forward and back, play correctly
Motion Detection
Alarm: Sensor Triggered, Video Loss, HDD Error
WIFI distance: 200meters (open area), Indoors: 20 to 30 meters
Power supply Input: 110 to 240V, 50/60H
Output: DC 12V, 1A
Working Humidity: up to 95%

Connectivity
Ethernet: 10Base-T/100base-TX Mobile
IP mode: Dynamic IP address, static IP address, Supporting WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)Client do not need to know the SSID and security keys or pass phrases when connecting WPS-enabled devices
DDNS: TCP/IP, HTTP, NTP, IGMP, DHCP, UDP, SMTP, RTP, RTSP, ARP, DDNS, DNS, P2P
OS Supported: Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/windows7
Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n
Mobile Phone Browsing (Android 4.0 and iOS 6.0 above)
APP: ATCloud
Online visitor: Support 4 visitors at the same time
ONVIF 2.0(backward compatible)

Camera
Image sensor: 1/4 Inch CMOS 1.0 Mega Pixel
Resolution: 1280x720
Image Compression: H.264Farm Rate: 30FPS
IP66 rated waterproof
Wi-Fi

Camera Lens
Lens: 3.6mm
Viewing Angle: 75 Degrees
Minimum illumination: 0.1Lux at F1.2 (color mode); 0.05 Lux at F1.2 (black and white); 0Lux (IR LED on)

Camera Night Vision
Filter switch: IR cut filter
Infrared Light: 36 IR LEDs
IR Distance: up to 15M

Alarm
Alarm: Motion Detection
Detection Area: Support 1 Detection Areas
Alarm Notification: FTP Snapshot Upload, Event record to HDD

Memory
SATA Hard Disk Drive (3.5 Inch), up to 4TB (not included)

NVR Ports
1 SATA Hard Disk Drive Slot
HDMI
VGA
LAN
DV 12V
2x USB

Languages
English, Chinese (simp), Chinese(trad), Russian, Japanese, Thai, French, Arab, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Persian, Vietnam

Dimensions
NVR dimensions: 248 x 236 x 47 mm (L x W x D)
NVR weight: 730g
Camera dimensions: 155 x 73 x 65 mm (L x W x D)
Camera weight: 334g
Weight/dimension is for the main item of this boxed product, to help you compare product sizes before buying: please do not base your shipping calculations on this price - shipping prices depend on your cart contents, shipping destination, and shipping method: please use the checkout to select options and preview shipping price for your total order.

Package Contents
4 CH NVR
4x 720P Camera
4x Camera Wi-Fi Antenna
5x Power Adapter (4 Camera, 1 NVR)
Network Cable
USB Mouse
User Manual
4x Camera Screw Sets
Software CD
1x NVR Screw Set

Enjoy the following benefits:
Orders processed and shipped within 24-hours
12 month warranty
In-house QC
Member discounts
Award winning customer support
Quantity order discounts
Worldwide Shipping
Certification: CE, FCC, RoHS

Key Features...
NVR Kit with 4 HD 720P IP cameras has everything you need to protect your property
IP66 Wi-Fi cameras allow for a quick and easy setup offering more versatility for your security
Remote access, playback and viewing is all possible on the free APP for Android and iOS devices
IR Cut and night vision brings 254 x 7 security so your always protected.

3800 Lumens LED Projector - 5.8 Inch LCD Panel

High resolution projector with 5.8 inch LCD panel has a brightness of 3800 Lumens and contrast ratio of 2000:1 supporting WUXGA (1920x1200) inputs. 
3800 Lumens LED Projector - 5.8 Inch LCD Panel, 2000:1 Contrast Ratio, 1280x768 DPI Resolution (Black)

Home Theater LED Projector

This home theater LED projector has a 5.8 inch LCD panel and emits a beautifully detailed crystal clear image that displays at 1280x768 DPI resolution and has dimensions anywhere from 26 to 114 inches. The 3800 lumens output make the colors more vivid, which results in brighter sharper images for your enjoyment, along with a contrast ratio of 2000:1 you get quality images that can be projected onto a large screen without causing any noticeable degradation or being washed out so the image quality is ideal for your home cinema setup, a lecture theater, conference room or broadcasting the sports channel in a bar.

View The Latest HD Media

Keystone correction and manual focus allow for easy setup without the image becoming distorted and with a 3 second fast boot you needn't miss out on the action while waiting for this project to heat up as its ready to go almost instantaneously. The 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios are suitable for standard TV broadcasts as well as blockbuster films and the WUXGA (1920x1200) supported input lets you view the latest HD media. With input ports that support HDMI, USB flash drives, AV, YpBpRb and VGA inputs as well there are loads of options for connecting this stunningly priced high end LED projector your media for enjoyment wherever you may be.

This product is in stock now, we guarantee next working day shipping and offer a 12 months warranty on all our products. Brought to you by the leader in electronic devices and wholesale projectors, Chinavasion. 

At a Glance...
3800 Lumens Projector
Contrast: 2000: 1
5.8 Inch LCD Panel
Projection screen size / distance: 26 to 114 Inches, 1 to 4 meters
Fast 3 seconds boot
.
Manufacturer Specifications

General
Projection Techniques: 5.8 Inch LCD Panel
Standard Resolution (DPI): 1280x768
Compatible Resolution: WUXGA (1920x1200)
Brightness: 3800 lumens max
Projection screen size / distance: 26 to 114 Inches, 1 to 4 meters
Projection Lens: Manual focus lens
Contrast (standard): 2000: 1
Aspect Ratio: 4:3 / 16:9
Picture Flip: 360 degree flips
Projection Method: Front/ Rear/ Ceiling
Working Noise (dB): Less than 25 dB
Lamp: 170W led lamp, 20000 hours lamp life
Power Consumption (Watt):170 W
Fast 3 seconds boot
Built-in speakers

Ports
2x USB
2x HDMI
VGA
AV
3x YPbPr
AC
Audio

Media Formats
Video: MPG, AVI, MP4, WMA, RM, RMVB
Audio: JPEG, BMP
Graphic: MP3, WMA, FLAC, AAC, MA4

Language
Dansk, English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Magyar, Russian, Chinese


Dimensions
Main Product Dimensions: 339x238x128 mm (L x W x D)
Main Product Weight: 2930g
Weight/dimension is for the main item of this boxed product, to help you compare product sizes before buying: please do not base your shipping calculations on this price - shipping prices depend on your cart contents, shipping destination, and shipping method: please use the checkout to select options and preview shipping price for your total order.

Package Contents
Projector
Power Adaptor
User Manual
AV Cable
VGA Cable
Remote Control

Ordering from Chinavasion provides you with the following benefits:
Orders processed and shipped within 1 Working Day
12 month warranty
In-house QC
Member discounts
Award winning customer support
Quantity order discounts
Worldwide Shipping
Certification: CE, FCC, RoHS

Android 4.4 Mini DLP Projector

Android 4.4 Mini DLP Projector

This Android 4.4 projector has a quad core A7 CPU and 1GB of RAM for a strong performance and the native 854x480 resolutions can be displayed in 4:3, 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratios. With a 2000:1 contrast ratio and projection range from 1 to 5 meters this short throw projector has everything you need for portable entertainment.

A projection size of 30 to 120 inches means you can carry around a large screen in your pocket, great for those work presentations, movie nights with the family or long journeys. With the Kodi media player pre-installed as well as access to Netflix and other streaming apps there is a wealth of rich content for this mini DLP projector as it like a fully fledged TV box.

It has full support for all the popular video formats up to 1080P as well as compatibility with H.263 / 264 and 265 files that with advanced compression techniques ensure you can make the most of the 8GB of built in memory, however the micro SD card support allows for a massive 32GB of extra storage.

Coming with its own remote controller as well as two full size USB ports, navigation of this media projector couldn't be easier and you can even add a keyboard, mouse or game pad to turn it into fully functioning minicomputer or portable games station.

The projector contains a 4200mAh battery that brings about 2 hours of usage time so whether your surfing the web, playing games, watching films or presenting in front of the board there's sufficient usage time for all your needs. This mini DLP projector comes with a 12 months warranty. brought to you by the leader in electronic devices as well as wholesale mini projectors..

Manufacturer Specifications

General
OS version: Android 4.4
CPU: RK3128 CorteX-A7 Quad Core
Processor Speed: 1.2GHz
RAM: 1GB
Internal Memory: 8GB
External Memory: Support up to 32GB
Image System: 0.3 Inch DMD
Native Resolution: 854 x 480
Support Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Lamp: RGB LED
Brightness: 400 Lumens
Image Size: 30 to 120 Inch
Projection Distance: 1 to 5 Meters
Color Temp: 6500K
Speakers: 2W
Contrast: 2000: 1
Operation Mode: Manual / 2.4 GHz Remote Control
Supports SD Cards
LED Life: About 30,000 Hours
Screen Ratio: 4:3, 16:9, 16:10
Uniform Brightness: About 85%
Throw Ratio: 1.19:1
Focus: manual, +/- 40 Degrees
Remote Control: Supports infrared and 2.4GHz wireless remote control
WIFI: 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth V4.0
Battery: Built in battery 3.7V 4200mAh
Working Time: About 2 hours
Charging Time: About 1 hours
Support: Kodi 14
Temperature Operation: 5 to 40 Degree Celsius
Storage Packed: -25 to 60 Degree Celsius
Storage Unpacked: 0 to 45 Degree Celsius
Humidity Operation: 15 to 85% RH
Storage Packed: 5 to 93% RH
Storage Unpacked: 15 to 85% RH
Working Temperature: -10 to 35 Degrees Celcius

Media Formats:
Video: MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 Real-time video decoder, H.263, H.264, H.265, VC-1RV, VP6/ VP8, Sorenson Spark, MVC
Audio: MP3, WMA, MP2, OGG, AAC, M4A, MA4, FLAC, APE, 3GP, WAV
Graphic: JPEG, GIF, BMP

Ports
USB
HDMI
3.5 mm Audio out slot
DC IN
Micro USB
Micro SD card Slot

Languages
Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Greek, Romanian, Czech, Hungarian, Dutch, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Turkish, Chinese, Arabic, Polish, Russian, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, German, French, English

Dimensions
Main Product Dimensions: 144 x 78 x 16 mm (L x W x D)
Main Product Weight: 216g
Weight/dimension is for the main item of this boxed product, to help you compare product sizes before buying: please do not base your shipping calculations on this price - shipping prices depend on your cart contents, shipping destination, and shipping method: please use the checkout to select options and preview shipping price for your total order.

Package Contents
Mini Projector
Remote Control
HDMI Cable
User Manual
Power adapter

Enjoy the following benefits:
Orders processed and shipped within 1 working day
12 month warranty
In-house QC
Member discounts
Award winning customer support
Quantity order discounts
Worldwide Shipping
Certification: CE, FCC, RoHS

At a Glance...
Android 4.4 Mini DLP projector is a smart TV in your pocket.
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi bring wireless connectivity for streaming content, surfing the web or connecting peripherals
30 to 120 Inch image size with great color depth, brightness and clarity
Has IR Remote control, two USB ports, HDMI out and Audio Jack for comprehensive connectivity

Bring your movies presentations video games and pictures to life on the big screen with the M6 portable mini projector.

Featuring an Android 4.4 operating system and coming with Bluetooth as well as Wi-Fi connectivity this compact pocket size projector allows you to wirelessly connect to your Smartphone, tablet pc, laptop and many more devices. Now you can enjoy your favorite content without the hassle of any cables or wires.

USB FPGA module provides 360Mbit/s data transfer

The XEM6310 is a USB 3.0 integration module based on the remarkably-capable Xilinx Spartan-6 FPGA. In addition to a high gate-count FPGA, the XEM6310 utilizes the high transfer rate of USB 3.0 for configuration downloads, enabling speedy FPGA configuration and data transfer. With integrated SDRAM, power supplies, and platform flash, the XEM6310 is a worthy addition to Opal Kelly’s most popular form-factor.
Opal Kelly's FrontPanel SDK is an easy-to-use, robust API for communication, configuration, and interfacing to your PC, Mac or Linux hardware. FrontPanel handles all the interaction between your software and the FPGA internals, dramatically reducing the time and effort required to interface to a design.
Opal Kelly FPGA integration modules are designed to be the ideal turnkey solution for prototypes and OEM product integration. With the complete FrontPanel SDK, there's simply no faster, more reliable, production-ready way to jump start your FPGA design.
SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps (USB 3.1 Gen 2) from the USB-IF

The SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps (USB 3.1 Gen 2) Specification adds a 10Gbps speed mode that uses a more efficient data encoding and will deliver more than twice the effective data through-put performance of existing SuperSpeed USB over enhanced, fully backward compatible USB connectors and cables. The specification extends the existing SuperSpeed mechanical, electrical, protocol and hub definition while maintaining compatibility with existing USB 3.0 software stacks and device class protocols as well as with existing 5Gbps hubs and devices and USB 2.0 products.

Delivers 10Gbps USB data rate
     *  2x improvement over current SuperSpeed USB 5Gbps data rate
Improved data encoding for more efficient data transfer leading to higher through-put and improved I/O power efficiency
Compatible with existing USB 3.0 software stacks and device protocols
Works with both existing 5Gbps USB 3.0 hubs and devices, as well as USB 2.0 products

SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.1 Gen 1) from the USB-IF

As technology innovation marches forward, new kinds of devices, media formats, and large inexpensive storage are converging. They require significantly more bus bandwidth to maintain the interactive experience users have come to expect. In addition, user applications demand a higher performance connection between the PC and these increasingly sophisticated peripherals. SuperSpeed USB addresses this need by adding an even higher transfer rate to match these new usages and devices.

USB continues to be the answer to connectivity for PC, Consumer Electronics, and Mobile architectures. It is a fast, bidirectional, low-cost, dynamically attachable interface that is consistent with the requirements of the PC platforms of today and tomorrow.

SuperSpeed USB brings significant performance enhancements to the ubiquitous USB standard, while remaining compatible with the billions of USB enabled devices currently deployed in the market. SuperSpeed USB will deliver 10x the data transfer rate of Hi-Speed USB, as well as improved power efficiency.

SuperSpeed USB has a 5 Gbps signaling rate offering 10x performance increase over Hi-Speed USB.
SuperSpeed USB is a Sync-N-Go technology that minimizes user wait-time.
SuperSpeed USB will provide Optimized Power Efficiency. No device polling and lower active and idle power requirements.
SuperSpeed USB is backwards compatible with USB 2.0. Devices interoperate with USB 2.0 platforms. Hosts support USB 2.0 legacy devices.

Security solution for Iot devices

An end to end security solution for IoT devices that connect to Amazon Web Services IoT (AWS IoT) has been unveiled by Microchip, which worked with AWS to develop a way for IoT devices to comply with AWS’ mutual authentication IoT security model. According to Microchip, the solution will help companies to implement security best practice from evaluation to production.


Currently, AWS users must pre register their security authority so a trust model can be established. Then, each IoT device they must generate unique cryptographic keys and these keys must remain secret. Microchip says this can be a challenge for volume production.

The security solution handles this process during three production steps. First, the AT88CKECC kit will allow customers to meet the AWS security standard and connect to the AWS IoT platform during evaluation and engineering. It assists with meeting security standards during prototyping and pre production and can be customised for production.

The device is soldered on a board and connected via I2C to the host MCU, which runs an AWS Software Development Kit. There is said to be no need to load the keys and certificates required for authentication during manufacturing as the AWS-ECC508 will be recognised by AWS without any intervention. All necessary information is contained in a crypto companion device measuring 3 x 2mm.

Securing the IoT, a world where objects and people are securely connected to the network.

Hacking against cameras, hard drives, IP networks, Smart meters or cars. Smart TVs that monitor and emit unencrypted conversations on the Internet. In other words, millions of devices connected to each other and to the Internet that are accessible and provide information in real time. When personal and business information appears in the network with no filters or security, there is no second chance.

When millions of hyperconnected devices use different technologies, the real challenge is to provide scalable security solutions that respond to the needs of heterogeneity and scalability that the Internet of Things is imposing.

Embedded Critical System Protection
Secure devices with embedded operating systems

Protect IoT devices against attacks. Symantec Embedded Security: Critical System Protection protects leading embedded operating systems, including Linux, QNX, and Windows Embedded operating systems. Starting with a core technology that has protected vital financial servers for years, we’ve extended the technology to protect automotive, Industrial Control Systems (ICS), manufacturing equipment, ATM, Point of Sale (POS), and medical devices.

Pocket sized avionics computer

The avionics computer packaged in an aluminium housing

The aerospace sector is driven by a four letter acronym – SWaP; written in long hand, it translates to size, weight and power. That’s no real surprise; if you can make aircraft that are lighter, they will be – at least, in theory – more fuel efficient. And if you can make the electronics content smaller and less power hungry, that will also contribute to the overall savings.


It’s with this in mind that e2v has partnered with French electronics design specialist Adeneo to develop a pocket sized avionics computer that weighs less than 300g.

Eric Marcelot, e2v’s marketing and business development director, noted: “With the ever growing SWaP constraints within the aerospace market, we are proud to have developed a powerful, ultra compact computer that’s available commercially.”

The avionics computer, which will be available ‘off the shelf’, measures 70 x 50 x 40mm and is said by its developers to be suitable for a range of avionics applications, including unmanned aerial vehicles. The partners say the device will be ‘flight ready’ in 2018. At the heart of the device is e2v’s Qormino processor.

Adeneo, part of the Adetel group, undertakes electronics design for markets such as aeronautics, rail, industry, automotive and medical.

Nicolas Chantier, strategic marketing manager with e2v, said both companies have been long term members of Freescale’s Connect Partner Programme; a global network offering customers technology and engineering services. “So we have met before. And we are also members of the local aerospace cluster in Grenoble.


“That gave us a reason to meet,” said Chantier, “and to understand each other’s capabilities in greater detail. When we did that, it created a basis for future cooperation.”

The two companies are said to complement each other. “Adeneo has a broad R&D capability,” Chantier continued, “and works with big aerospace companies, but without being a prime contractor. It also has a good reputation as a component manufacturer.”

A demonstration version of the avionics computer

Marcelot continued: “We decided between us that we could create a computer with a small form factor and that we could take that to market together.” However, the partnership is not restricted to the two companies.

And that aim is highlighted by Marcelot’s view that the project to develop the avionics computer had multiple objectives. “While one objective was to develop the device as a demonstrator, it was also a valuable exercise for us to create the components and to show their performance in the computer.”

While developed with the aerospace sector in mind, the computer also has other applications. “We’re talking with all the prime aerospace contractors about how they could use the computer,” said Marcelot, “and they’re all interested. Talking to one doesn’t exclude us talking to the others. But we also have manufacturing companies looking to work with us.”

At the heart of the avionics computer is a three layer PCB developed by Adeneo which integrates the QT10A, the first member of e2v’s Qormino family. The QT10A features a QorIQ T1040 processor, along with 1Gbyte of DDR3L memory, which operates from a 1.35V supply. These elements are mounted on a custom substrate which e2v says creates a powerful processing solution.


Chantier noted that the T1040 had not been modified. “But we have mounted the part on a substrate that integrates processor and memory.” That integration is said to require only half the board space of a standard design.

He added: “Implementation of DDR memory at the board level can represent significant cost and risk for designers. We’ve taken care of that and the result should appeal to project managers.” One of the benefits claimed by e2v is that designers can focus on higher level tasks.

Alongside the Qormino PCB, the computer features two further boards: one housing a solid state disk; the other handling power and PHY functions. Peripheral communications pass through standard avionic connectors.

The computer is designed for rugged applications. “We haven’t sacrificed ruggedisation for size,” he contended. “It can be mounted where customers may not have planned to put a computer. Because it is so small, they can put it in small spaces to undertake such tasks as image processing or radar analysis.”

Aerospace companies are concerned with price, said Marcelot. “One way to address this is by putting more features into a product; the pace of innovation is faster than it used to be.

“Ten or 20 years ago, we were creating hi rel variants of devices such as Motorola’s 68020. While we still have long term programmes that address this, we also need to create new types of component. If we only did hi rel work, it wouldn’t be viable. We still deliver components, but need to integrate more things that used to be done at the PCB level.”

A further benefit of the Qormino approach, said Chantier, is that it can be provided as a sub system, but the design can also be licensed.

“Developments such as this avionics computer are not outsourcing,” Chantier continued, “they are a response to what customers are expecting. We aim to bring innovation to them, providing things they didn’t expect.

“Our partnership with Adeneo is working well. We have different specialities and different market positions, so we complement each other.”

Are the needs of the defence community significantly different? “We address a range of defence requirements,” he said, “and we don’t see much difference, except for the qualification standards. And, as many military apps are airborne, the trends are similar to avionics,” he concluded.

e2v has partnered with French electronic design specialists, Adeneo, to develop an innovative, powerful and pocket-sized avionics computer weighing less than 300g.

The new computer from e2v and Adeneo, achieves its ultra-compact size by combining e2v’sprocessing expertise and Adeneo’s state-of-the-art design and manufacturing capabilities. Adeneo has developed a three layer custom Printed Circuit Board design that integrates e2v’s QT10A powerful processing solution to create a rugged, ultra-compact avionics computer.

The new COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) avionics computer measures just 70 x 50 x 40mm, which offers both size and weight reductions in aerospace systems. Peripheral communications pass through avionic standard connectors that can be used in many aerospace applications, including Unmanned Arial Vehicles, and will be flight ready in 2018.

The QT10A, the heart of the computer, is the first product of e2v’s Qormino™ family, combining an NXP QorIQ™ T1040 processor with 1GB DDR3L memory on a custom substrate, creating a powerful processing solution.

Technology is helping to restore hearing loss

The common belief that nothing can be certain, except for death and taxes, can be traced back to the 18th Century. But perhaps the saying needs to be updated for modern times with the addition of age related hearing loss.

According to the NHS website, age is the biggest single cause of hearing loss, or presbycusis. Most people begin to lose a small amount of their hearing when they turn 40. This hearing loss increases with age and, by the time they reach 80, most will have significant hearing problems. High frequency sounds become more difficult to hear and it becomes harder to understand speech in background noise.

A more recent phenomenon is noise induced hearing loss; something that may become more prevalent as people spend more time listening to music at high volume whilst wearing headphones.

Age and noise are not the only ways that hearing is affected; various medical conditions or injuries can result in a diminution in our ability to capture and process sound. And some are born with malformed hearing.

One of the earliest attempts to overcome hearing loss was in the 17th Century, when ear trumpets were developed. Created from a range of materials – even animal horns – ear trumpets collect sound and feed it to the ear.

More recently, technology has come to the forefront in the battle against hearing loss. Bo Littau is director of category management with Danish company Oticon, founded in 1904 by Hans Demant, whose wife suffered from hearing loss. “Hearing aids aren’t new,” he said. “People have always had this need and technology is providing this support. While it has been an incremental journey, more recently, we’ve entered a period where there have been leaps in technology and the provision of more benefits, including other ways of connecting.”

Roland Heichel, head of corporate marketing with Sivantos – once part of Siemens and which traces its history as far back as 1878 – noted: “We see connectivity as a major driver; wireless allows hearing aids to receive information from other sources – such as streaming a phone call – and enables the instruments in a binaural system to exchange information. This is very important for localisation.”

Both Heichel and Littau stress the importance of localisation, noting the brain can process sound binaurally more readily than by using only one ear. “It’s a better way for the brain to process sound,” Littau said, “so we can link two instruments wirelessly.”

Littau pointed out that hearing aids were once large analogue devices carried on a cord around the neck and powered by large batteries. “The advent of transistors has made them much smaller,” he added. “People have had the need for hearing aids and technology is meeting this need.”

The move from analogue to digital technology has made a big difference. Littau continued: “Analogue amplifiers didn’t provide the support which many people needed. The amount of gain and equalisation was insufficient and, because everyone has different needs, we needed a programmable solution. Chips could be made small enough and a race started between a number of manufacturers. People want to live a normal life and it’s up to us to translate that need using technology.”

Heichel said people want hearing aids so they can understand more of the world around them. “They want to use phones, listen to television. We’re always looking for technology that will help them.”

The size and inconvenience of the analogue hearing aids of the past were some reasons why people shied away from them. Now, digital technology is enabling devices that fit inside the ear canal. While these overcome some previous problems, this creates some significant challenges for manufacturers.

Both Heichel and Littau agree the major design constraint is power consumption. Heichel said: “There hasn’t been much improvement in battery technology and capacity is a limiting factor.” Littau said: “They can’t draw more than 1.5mA; that’s a definite constraint for designers.”

Littau highlighted the challenge of changing batteries. “People using hearing aids are often elderly and often can’t fiddle about with small batteries.”

Typically, batteries will last for up to 14 days, depending on the hearing aid, but their life will be shorter for invisible aids. Rechargeable batteries are now coming into use. Heichel said their capacity of 22mAh provides enough power for a day’s use, but this requires overnight recharging.

Alongside the constraint of power is size, particularly with in ear devices. “Size is a limiting factor for the microphone,” said Heichel, “and we can’t make the speaker any smaller because we need to generate a certain amount of sound pressure. Meanwhile, the battery remains a relatively large component.”

Compromises can be made, however, with behind the ear devices. But sound then needs to be transmitted into the ear using a tube, which affects the acoustics and reduces the level of high frequency sound. Littau said: “The benefit of an in ear device is that it can take advantage of the ear, which is designed by nature to capture sound.” Littau says the speaker will typically generate 115dB.

So what is inside a modern hearing aid? Littau said there are three elements: an analogue front end; a DSP; and a radio module. “These could be used as three discrete components or packaged into one device.

“The front end is the first processing step, with three input stages, each with a 24bit super linear A/D converter.”

Oticon's Opn hearng aids are powered by a custom chip featuring a multicore DSP engine

Heichel said Sivantos’ aids featured ‘three or four’ A/D converters, along with two microphones. “If there’s a t-coil,” he added, “that will need another A/D converter.”

Both companies take the incoming sound and process it through the front ends. “Frequency range is important,” Littau said, “but the more sound you sample, the more power you use – it’s a trade off.”

Oticon’s front end takes a 10kHz wide sample and chops this into 64 channels that can be processed by the DSP. Sivantos’ devices have a 12kHz bandwidth filtered into 48 channels. “Resolution is reduced on lower performance devices,” Heichel noted.

Once sound has reached the DSP block, algorithms can be set to work. “We can do all sorts of things,” said Littau, “such as removing some sounds, amplifying others.” Amongst the tasks undertaken in the processing block are directional processing, noise reduction and feedback reduction. “The ‘whistling’ associated with feedback has more or less disappeared,” Heichel contended.

The amount of ‘muscle’ used to process sounds is impressive. Oticon has eight fixed point DSP cores in the processing engine, with seven of the eight currently in use. “The other core is a spare,” said Littau, “and has been designed in for future use.” According to Littau, the chip – manufactured on a 65nm process – is capable of running 600million microinstructions per second. “We could design for a smaller process, but cost is higher, so there is a compromise.

“Ten years ago,” he said, “80% of a similar chip would have been hardwired, because that was faster and more efficient. Today, it’s the opposite, bringing the ability to upgrade features or add new ones designed for particular functions.”

Heichel explained that Sivantos takes a different approach. “We use a highly parallel processing block, with the ability to turn off particular blocks, depending upon requirements. The unit analyses the environment and then decides which features need to be turned on, then performing functions such as amplification and frequency shaping.”

"We've entered a period where there have been leaps in technology and the provision of more benefits, including other ways of connecting." Bo Littau

But it’s probably the advent of Bluetooth and other communications technology that have enabled hearing aid technology to take steps forward. “We’re always looking for technology that will help users,” said Heichel, “and wireless technology helps us to tackle problems.”

Littau noted: “We’ve adopted Bluetooth LE over the last couple of years. It allows us to connect directly to sound sources equipped with the same technology. It adds another layer to the benefits and ease of use.”

While Bluetooth handles communications with other devices, there is also the need for both sides of a binaural hearing aid to communicate. “We use near field magnetic induction (NFMI),” said Littau. “The benefit is that, although it takes power to transmit from one side to the other, you get some energy for free on the receive side.”

A hearing aid block diagram

NFMI differs from regular radio technology in that energy is contained within a localised magnetic field. Using a frequency of 13.56MHz, data is transmitted over distances of no more than 1m. “The power required is low,” Littau continued, “but the range is enough to exchange data between instruments on either side of the head. And we can transmit a full audio signal in real time between both ears ”

One of these instruments is running all the time, the other is for external connectivity with Bluetooth LE enabled sources.

Linking with the IoT
With Oticon’s Opn technology, it is possible to program hearing aids to communicate directly with connected devices such as door bells, smoke detectors and baby alarms. Opn is the first hearing aid that connects to and interacts with the Internet.

“With Opn, we’ve taken a giant leap forward – for both hearing aids and the IoT,” said Søren Nielsen, Oticon’s president. “With Opn, the IoT starts to matter – you could say that this will change people’s lives.”

Sivantos adopts a similar approach. “Our aids exchange information,” said Heichel. “It’s important because, just like you see using two eyes, you hear using two ears.

“Our two ears help the brain to localise where sound is coming from; for example, by time delays. When information is exchanged, it enables very good directional hearing, particularly in restaurants.

“Our target is to recreate natural hearing; ideally, the user will just put the devices in their ears and forget them, because it’s automated. But this needs a lot of logic and algorithms to determine which features need to be turned on or off.”

In many cases, pride stops the hard of hearing from getting help in the form of hearing aids. But another reason is that hearing loss happens so gradually that you don’t realise it. “By that time,” said Heichel, “the brain ‘forgets’ how to use some sounds. Sometimes, people are surprised by what they can hear again; sometimes, they need to relearn how to hear.”

So what’s the future for hearing technology? “We will go where the needs are,” Littau said. “There will be a general need for devices which counter age dependent hearing loss; it’s just a matter of how we provide that and the benefits we can add.

“But future devices will need more processing power, more memory, more speed, more wireless and more sensors, all packaged in a device that fits in the ear,” he concluded. “And maybe we can develop a device that can also measure temperature and record the wearer’s EEG.”

Hearing Loss Treatment
It would seem that hearing treatment is a second-rate priority when compared to vision in our visually oriented modern society. People with hearing loss delay hearing impairment treatment because they are unaware of the fact that receiving early hearing treatment has the potential to literally transform their lives.

Hearing Aids
Research by the National Council on the Aging on more than 2,000 people with hearing loss as well as their significant others demonstrated that hearing aids clearly are associated with impressive improvements in the social, emotional, psychological, and physical well-being of people with hearing loss in all hearing loss categories from mild to severe. Specifically, hearing aid usage is positively related to the following quality of life issues. Hearing loss treatment was shown to improve:

Earning power
Communication in relationships
Intimacy and warmth in family relationships Ease in communication
Emotional stability
Sense of control over life events
Perception of mental functioning
Physical health
Learn the various types of hearing aids available including which aids are better according to the type of hearing loss.

Assistive Listening Devices
Detailed Discussion on The Impact of Treated Hearing Loss on Quality of Life (Links to BHI’s “The Impact of Treated Hearing Loss on Quality of Life”)

Many auditory and non-auditory devices — collectively known at assistive listening technology, assistive listening devices (ALDs), or hearing assistance technology (HAT) — are available to help people with all degrees of hearing loss. Assistive listening devices help people facilitate various forms of communication including electronic media, telephone reception and much more.

Hearing Loss Treatment Professionals
There are varying types of hearing loss treatment professionals (Links to BHI’s “Hearing Loss Treatment Professionals” page), including audiologists, hearing aid specialists, and otolaryngologists. Learn about each type of hearing loss treatment professional and find which type you need to discover hearing loss treatment appropriate for you.

Audiological Advances for Hearing Loss Treatment
Continued research in the field of hearing loss coupled with technological advancements has created breakthroughs in the identification of how we hear. This greater understanding has led to audiological advances for hearing loss treatment making help available for almost anyone with hearing loss. Read more.

Medical Advances for Hearing Loss Treatment
Between 5 and 10% of people with hearing loss are not candidates for hearing aids. When conventional amplification is not a viable solution, alternative options are considered. Read about the various medical advances for hearing loss treatment.

Hearing Loss Counseling
Hearing loss counseling is an important facet in overall hearing loss treatment; for most people hearing aids are not enough. Speaking with a qualified professional or people who also suffer from hearing loss are great ways to learn more about coping with losing your own hearing. Learn about auditory rehabilitation counseling.