Wednesday, July 31, 2013

LG outs diminutive Bluetooth headset with 8 hours of battery life

LG outs diminutive Bluetooth headset with 8 hours of battery life

LG's big ticket items may take up most of our attention span, but the South Korean firm's latest Bluetooth headset solution has caught our eye. Coming in at roughly the size of a matchbox (35.9 × 50.2 × 19.2mm), the BTS1 boasts an 8 hour battery life, features a built-in clip, supports the aptX codec and packs on-board controls for volume, pause and play, sifting through songs and handling phone calls. With the help of Bluetooth 3.0, the pack connects to smartphones, laptops, tablets and even TVs -- yes, even those in LG's 2013 line-up -- with the wireless standard baked in. Of course, you could always lean on a Roku 3 if you're hankering for a wire-free television experience for your earbuds. There's no word of a US release, but if you find yourself in PSY's homeland, you'll be able to score one for 59,000 won (roughly $53).

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Source: LG (translated), LG (Flickr)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/30/lg-bluetooth-headset/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Poland's first face transplant patient goes home

Poland's first face transplant patient, identified only by his first name Grzegorz, speaks at a press conference after he was discharged from the hospital, in Gliwice, Poland, Tuesday, July 30, 2013. The 33-year-old man said he owes his doctor "everything" following a skin-and-bone transplant on May 15, three weeks after losing his nose, upper jaw and cheeks in an accident at the brick factory where he worked. (AP Photo/Tomasz Griessgraber) POLAND OUT

Poland's first face transplant patient, identified only by his first name Grzegorz, speaks at a press conference after he was discharged from the hospital, in Gliwice, Poland, Tuesday, July 30, 2013. The 33-year-old man said he owes his doctor "everything" following a skin-and-bone transplant on May 15, three weeks after losing his nose, upper jaw and cheeks in an accident at the brick factory where he worked. (AP Photo/Tomasz Griessgraber) POLAND OUT

Poland's first face transplant patient, identified only by his first name Grzegorz, attends a press conference after he was discharged from the hospital, in Gliwice, Poland, Tuesday, July 30, 2013. The 33-year-old man said he owes his doctor "everything" following a skin-and-bone transplant on May 15, three weeks after losing his nose, upper jaw and cheeks in an accident at the brick factory where he worked. (AP Photo/Tomasz Griessgraber) POLAND OUT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) ? Poland's first face transplant patient was discharged from the hospital Tuesday, speaking with some effort at a press conference just 11 weeks after the extensive surgery that saved his life.

The 33-year-old man said he owes his doctors "everything" following a skin-and-bone transplant on May 15, three weeks after losing his nose, upper jaw and cheeks in an accident at the brick factory where he worked. Doctors say it was the world's fastest time frame for such an operation.

Doctors who performed the transplant at the Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology in Gliwice, in southern Poland, said the rehabilitation is proceeding faster than expected thanks to the "courage and determination" of the patient, identified only as Grzegorz, who cooperated in the rehabilitation and never lost faith in the good outcome.

He can breathe on his own, see, eat, taste and speak, although his speech is hard to understand because the face muscles still need to regain mobility. He has the sensation of pins and needles in his cheeks, which is a sign of the severed nerves healing, doctors said. When muscle mobility is achieved through intensive exercise, he will need surgery on his right eyelid, which remains motionless. At the news conference, his eyes were hidden behind sunglasses.

A pressure sore, originating from time Grzegorz spent at another hospital, still needs to heal, doctors said.

The surgery reconstructed the area around the eyes, nose, jaw and palate and other facial areas, with the transplant running from above his right eye, under his left eye and around his face to his neck.

He will need to avoid large gatherings and sick people to protect against infection. He will take medication for the rest of his life, the anesthesiologist, Dr. Sebastian Giebel, told the news conference. Potted plants, rugs and the man's dog had to be removed from his home because they were potential sources of infection, he said.

Grzegorz will be able to resume work, though he will have to avoid working in agriculture, where he could catch fungi infections from the soil, said Dr. Adam Maciejewski, who led the 27-hour operation.

His mother was making roast duck for his homecoming, said his sister, who identified herself only as Barbara.

"We will see what comes next, but we are and will be with him," she said.

The patient took the microphone to thank his doctors. "My speech isn't clear, but it's really important that it is there," he said. "I know it's still a long way." His words were transcribed in a broadcast by TVN24 after the press conference.

In a brief interview aired on TVN24 he said he remembered the accident, in which he did not lose consciousness, and remembers how colleagues led him to a helicopter ambulance.

"I did not feel pain," he said.

He was injured on April 23 at a concrete brick factory near the southwestern city of Wroclaw, while cleaning a packaging machine. It tore off most of his face, including the upper jaw.

He received intensive treatment at a hospital in Wroclaw that saved his life and eyesight. An attempt to reattach his own face failed, leaving an area close to the brain exposed to infections.

The damage was too extensive for doctors to temporarily seal the wound, and an urgent transplant was the only way to save the man's life. Face transplants are extraordinarily complicated and relatively rare procedures that usually require extensive preparation of the recipient over a period of months or years, but the Polish patient's condition was deteriorating so rapidly that the doctors had to act fast. They have experience in face reconstruction from operating on cancer patients and practicing on cadavers.

The donor, a 34-year-old man, was chosen from a national registry of potential donors after his age, gender, blood group and body features were determined to be a good match for the injured man.

The donor's mother, Teresa Banach, has said it was a "difficult decision, but I consented because I wanted to save someone's life. My son did not need these organs anymore." She also donated organs to other patients.

More than two dozen transplants of the face or parts of the face have been performed around the world. The first one was a partial face transplant on a woman maimed by her dog in France in 2005.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2013-07-30-EU-Poland-Face-Transplant/id-eae543059da142ac88a66fed5438ccc3

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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Indianapolis church mourns victims in bus crash

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ? An Indianapolis church mourned their youth pastor, his pregnant wife and a congregation member Sunday after the three died when their bus returning from a northern Michigan camp overturned a mile from home.

Saturday?s accident devastated members of Colonial Hills Baptist Church, who had been anticipating a joyful homecoming with the 37 people aboard the bus. The crash killed youth pastor Chad Phelps; his pregnant piano-teacher wife, Courtney Phelps; and chaperone Tonya Weindorf, deacon Jeff Leffew said.

The crash, which happened Saturday afternoon near Interstate 465, injured dozens. Seven teens remained hospitalized Sunday, including one in critical condition. Bus driver Dennis Maurer, a 68-year-old member of the congregation, told authorities that the brakes failed before the church-owned vehicle struck a raised concrete median and flipped on its side, Indianapolis metro police said.

Chad Phelps, the son of the church?s senior pastor, and his wife were both in their mid-20s, Leffew said, and were expecting their second child next month. Chad Phelps had become youth pastor at Colonial Hills late last year, he said.

? ... We?re going to have a long road, but God is good,? Leffew said Sunday during a news conference.

The Phelpses? first child, Chase, nearly 2 years old, was among the injured. He was treated and released from a hospital Saturday, IU Health spokeswoman Sally Winter said.

Authorities are still investigating the crash. The bus was nearly finished with a 365-mile journey, overturning just a mile from the church, where parents were waiting to pick up their children after a weeklong camp filled with prayer, zip lines and basketball.

Weindorf, 51, had five children, Leffew said.

?Tonya was at camp because she has a special-needs child who wanted to go, and she wanted to go and make it a good week, and according to her husband, it was a great week, and that?s who Tonya was,? Leffew said.

Leffew, 44, of Fishers, had sent four daughters to Camp CoBeAc, near Prudenville, Mich. Only one daughter was on the bus that pulled into the parking lot, and he raced to the crash site in northern Indianapolis. What he found was surreal ? clothing and other items strewn about and windows missing from the bus.

?You?re just praying that it?s not as bad as it looks,? he said Saturday. His daughters escaped with just bumps and bruises.

Indianapolis Public Safety Director Troy Riggs called the crash a ?great tragedy.?

?They were not that far from home. ... That only adds to the tragedy,? Riggs said Saturday.

Witness Duane Lloyd told WTHR on Saturday that he heard a loud noise behind him as he was traveling near the intersection and saw the crash around 4:15 p.m. ? about the time Chad Phelps had tweeted that the group would arrive at the church.

?I heard a skid. I looked back. I see this bus in the air and people falling out of the bus,? Lloyd said. ?I could have gone my whole life without seeing that.?

He said people approached and tried to help.

?People were literally trying to lift the bus,? Lloyd said. ?You just try to do what you can do.?

Three teenagers were still at IU Health Methodist Hospital, Winter said Sunday, including one in critical condition. Four teenagers remained at the Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health. Many of the patients had head, arm and leg injuries, fire officials said.

Leffew thanked rescue workers and good Samaritans who tried to help after the crash, as well as local churches and businesses that have offered their support.

?We are so grateful for that outpouring of love and care,? he said Sunday.


Source: http://yoursun.net/sunnews/bartow/5573319-458/sunnewspapersindianapolischurchmourns3whodiedinbus.html.csp

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DTM to return to China in 2014

From press release

The DTM will stage a race in China again in 2014. DTM rights holder and promoter, ITR e.V., and the Chinese Brilliant Culture Group have agreed upon a race for the international touring car series in a Chinese metropolis next year.

This round is to take place in the autumn of 2014, but, other than in 2010, will not be the final round of the season. The venue is yet to be decided. The decision whether the DTM will again be racing in Shanghai, or in Guangdong in the south of China, also known as Canton, will be taken at a later stage.

The DTM already raced in China in 2004 and 2010, each time in Shanghai. In 2004, Gary Paffett won an invitation race from his fellow Mercedes-Benz driver Bernd Schneider and Audi driver Mattias Ekstr?m. In 2010, Gary Paffett again won the race, but second place from Timo Scheider (Audi) was enough for his Mercedes-Benz teammate Paul di Resta to secure the title. While Audi and Mercedes-Benz have already raced in China, the race in 2014 will be a premiere for BMW.

Source: http://www.auto123.com/en/racing-news/dtm-to-return-to-china-in-2014?artid=158332&utm_medium=feeds&utm_source=feed-RACE&utm_campaign=feeds

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Atlantic Media president Justin B. Smith is named Bloomberg Media CEO

Justin B. Smith, who has been with The Atlantic since 2007 and is credited with ?saving? the publication, joins Bloomberg Media Group as chief executive.

?Like Mary Poppins, if a little more euro, Justin came, changed the family and, when the work was done, moved on,? writes Atlantic Media owner David Bradley.

?In truth, Justin did hesitate before accepting the offer. He has loved his work with Atlantic Media. But, it?s hard to see how he reasons to ?no? [to Bloomberg]: global CEO, global brand and reach, television, radio, conferences, three magazines and burgeoning digital.?

Letter of Appreciation

My Atlantic Media Colleagues,

As I settle into this writing, I think some will have heard by now of Bloomberg Media Group?s recruitment of Justin Smith as chief executive officer. In truth, Justin did hesitate before accepting the offer; he has loved his work with Atlantic Media. But, it?s hard to see how he reasons to ?no?: global CEO, global brand and reach, television, radio, conferences, three magazines and burgeoning digital traffic.

Though this will tax your time, I decided I would rather write a letter of appreciation for Justin than the traditional corporate press release. I want you to know what I hope Justin knows already ? what a gift he has been to this enterprise./CONTINUES

Our First Meeting

On reflection, I suppose our first meeting was a bit staged: dinner in Manhattan?s Carlyle Hotel dining room, seated beside the fireplace, talking for three hours. An aging owner, in an old-world setting, pitching a mid?19th century long-form literary magazine to a next-generation leader. I decided on Justin in one meeting.

Still, I seem to have gotten a detail wrong. I just assumed we were welcoming Justin into our storied magazine and its storied past. Justin understood?or at least decided?that he would time-travel the whole lot of us to media?s future state. Looking around now, we?re not in Kansas anymore.

Correctly, Justin would give credit to Scott Havens, James Bennet, Scott Stossel, Bob Cohn, Jay Lauf, Elizabeth Baker Keffer, Zazie Lucke, Kevin Delaney and their many Atlantic colleagues. But, I also think it?s fair to name as ?the Justin era? what Justin and those of you at The Atlantic and Quartz have accomplished: reversal of fortune for a magazine in a 60-year decline; doubling of revenues; return to profits; constant original creation including The Atlantic Cities, The AtlanticWire and Atlantic-initiated Quartz; growing events business; growing website; 25 million monthly Atlantic readers and visitors; and, just now, two more National Magazine Awards. David Brooks once told me that, if I turned around The Atlantic, it would become the only thing for which I would be remembered. Now, Justin has gone ahead and done it already.

An Intense Instruction

Justin led The Atlantic for two years and then Atlantic Media for an additional four. In one sense, my time with Justin reminds me of the time I spent with the Atlantic?s late editor, Michael Kelly ? the everyday, dialed-up to intensity. After six years, and speechless, any of us might ask, ?Wow, what was that about??

In my frame, Atlantic Media was earning its doctoral degree in modern media from one of modern media?s master practitioners. What Justin believed, he taught, and, as with Michael again, Justin?s beliefs were fierce: That the revolution underway in media is more radical than we?the industry?appreciate. That the contest between legacy and insurgent players is mortal, with advantage to the insurgents. That surviving legacy properties will have had to learn the disciplines of the insurgents?and that they can. That velocity is first among the virtues. That the speed of change is unprecedented. That ideas have their season but not more. From search to social media to native advertising to the next advantage. And, that Atlantic Media could and would and has leapt to the frontier.

More personally, watching Justin taught me truths about media I?d failed to learn in my first decade in the sector: the centrality of brand; the importance of brand excitement; the very particular importance of New York and New York talent to creating excitement. Justin exhorted me to ?go for my inner Don Draper;? as I didn?t have the least idea what Justin was talking about, this never really caught on.

As to Atlantic Media

Justin will leave us a changed ? and much better ? media company. That begins with his ? and now my ? Atlantic Media leadership team. Scott, Bruce, Tim, Jean Ellen, Kat, Zazie, Michael, Tom, Emily. As with Justin, I have complete confidence in this group. More generally, and as to ?extreme talent? across the board, I think Atlantic Media is at its record high-water mark. After reflection, I?ve decided that, rather than appoint a Justin successor, we will let the current leadership continue independent of any reporting structure?save to me?and grow to fill the empty spaces Justin?s departure leaves behind. In fact, I found this an easy call.

As to Bloomberg

Here, I need to redouble my effort. I just can?t seem to find it in me to dislike the Bloomberg enterprise. I?ve always trusted and liked Justin?s new boss, Dan Doctoroff. Even now, I?m affecting a furious countenance. It just needs work.

As to Justin

Like Mary Poppins, if a little more euro, Justin came, changed the family and, when the work was done, moved on. I will miss him.

With my best wishes to all.

David

Source: http://jimromenesko.com/2013/07/28/atlantic-media-president-justin-b-smith-is-named-bloomberg-media-ceo/

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Coming Monday: University of Tennessee softball players Ellen and Anna Renfroe h...

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Source: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151756413759511&set=a.496764974510.275001.43612894510&type=1

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Florida ed chief changed GOP donor?s school grade in previous job

Former Indiana and current Florida schools chief Tony Bennett built his national star by promising to hold ?failing? schools accountable. But when it appeared an Indianapolis charter school run by a prominent Republican donor might receive a poor grade, Bennett?s education team frantically overhauled his signature ?A-F? school grading system to improve the school?s marks.

Emails obtained by The Associated Press show Bennett and his staff scrambled last fall to ensure influential donor?s Christel DeHaan?s school received an ?A,? despite poor test scores in algebra that initially earned it a ?C.?

?They need to understand that anything less than an A for Christel House compromises all of our accountability work,? Bennett wrote in a Sept. 12 email to then-chief of staff Heather Neal.

The timing could not be worse for Bennett, who recently came under fire for revising the school grading formula in Florida.

Superintendents complained that the new formula would cause school grades to sink, despite gains in student achievement. Bennett ultimately recommended a ?safety-net? provision that prevented any school from dipping more than one letter grade. But some school system and union leaders blasted Bennett anyway, saying the credibility of the entire system had already been undermined.

Florida Democrats weighed in Friday, saying the latest development cast further doubt on Bennett.

?How can we trust Florida?s school grades ? already the product of political manipulation ? with Tony Bennett in charge?? Florida Democratic Chairwoman Allison Tant said.

But state Sen. Bill Montford, a Tallahassee Democrat and CEO of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents, said the situation in Indiana should not be compared to the situation in Florida.

?It does not shake my confidence in the commissioner at all,? Montford said. ?I think I speak for the majority of the superintendents of Florida when I say that.?

The emails, which also show Bennett discussed with staff the legality of changing just DeHaan?s grade, raise unsettling questions about the validity of a grading system that has broad implications. Like Florida, Indiana uses the A-F grades to determine which schools get taken over by the state.They also help determine how much state funding schools receive.

A low grade also can detract from a neighborhood and drive homebuyers elsewhere.

Bennett reviewed the emails Monday morning and denied that DeHaan?s school received special treatment. He said discovering that the charter would receive a low grade raised broader concerns with grades for other ?combined? schools ? those that included multiple grade levels ? across the state.

?There was not a secret about this,? he said. ?This wasn?t just to give Christel House an A. It was to make sure the system was right to make sure the system was face valid.?

However, the emails clearly show Bennett?s staff was intensely focused on Christel House, whose founder has given more than $2.8 million to Republicans since 1998, including $130,000 to Bennett and thousands more to Indiana legislative leaders.

Other schools saw their grades change, but the emails show DeHaan?s charter was the catalyst for any changes.

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/29/3530149/florida-ed-chief-changed-gop-donors.html

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Coroner: DJ Kidd Kraddick died of heart disease | blog.heart.org

Nationally syndicated DJ David ?Kidd? Kraddick likely died from complications caused by one of the most common forms of?heart disease, according to a?preliminary coroner?s report?released Monday.

Granville Morse, the deputy coroner of Jefferson Parish in Louisiana,?told The Dallas Morning News?that Kraddick?s heart was enlarged and several arteries were blocked, causing his heart to fail.

Kraddick, 53, hosted the Dallas-based radio show called ?Kidd Kraddick in the Morning.??It aired on more than 75 stations across the country, and was broadcast on the television show ?Dish Nation.? He died Saturday in New Orleans while at a golf tournament for the charity he started,?Kidd?s Kids, which sends chronically and terminally ill children to Disney World.

Dr. Vincent Bufalino ? a former recipient of the national Physician of the Year award from the American Heart Association ? said the circumstances sound quite familiar. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of Americans, and what Kraddick appears to have had occurs in about 350,000 of those roughly 1.5 million deaths annually.

The root of the problem is a buildup of ?plaque? in the arteries. That leaves less room for blood to get through.

?It?s basically like putting your finger over the end of a garden hose and blocking the flow,? said Bufalino, who is Senior Director of Cardiology at Advocate Healthcare. ?Eventually there?s not enough room for the blood to pump. Then the heart goes into a very fast heart beat ? so fast that it stops.?

Bufalino, who was commenting generally about heart disease and not about Kraddick?s case, ?stressed that there are several factors that can help identify who might be at risk.

?First, if you have a positive family history ? people under 60 who?ve had a bypass, a heart attack or keeled over suddenly ? then you?re at risk,? he said. ?Second is cigarette smoking. By itself, that doubles your risk. And diabetes is just as powerful. It will increase your risk several times. So if you?re a diabetic smoker with a family history, then you could really be in trouble.?

Having high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and being overweight or obese are also risk factors. (See graphic below.)

?The more of those you have, the more likely it is that you?ll develop blockages,? Bufalino said. ?The good side is that if we detect the blockages, then 90 to 95 percent of the time, we can treat them. We can prevent you from having an event. So if you have two or more of those risk factors ? regardless of which ones ? then you need to get screened.?

In addition to knowing the risks, Bufalino encourages people to know the warning signs, including shortness of breath and tightening in the chest.

?If you go up a flight of stairs and you?re panting at the top, that?s not normal, you should be evaluated,? he said. ?And if you have any type of burning or squeezing in your chest ? it doesn?t have to be the old ?elephant on my chest? feeling ? take it seriously. Don?t just assume it?s acid indigestion.?

As scary as all this may seem, there is also some encouraging news: Treatment has come a long way in just the 35 years that Bufalino has been practicing. That?s even more reason he hopes people learn to recognize their risks and symptoms, and act on them.

?When I was training in the late ?70s, if you got to the hospital with a heart attack, you?d spend three weeks there, then be disabled for six months or maybe the rest of your life ? and you had an 18 to 20 percent chance of dying while in the hospital,? he said. ?Flash forward to today. You can go from the emergency room to the catheterization lab and have a blockage opened in 90 minutes, spend three days in a hospital and be back at work in two weeks ? and we lose less than 2 percent of patients.

?Think about that: We went from 20 percent dying to 2 percent dying; that?s a 10-fold improvement in my generation. That shows you that if you suspect you have a heart problem, it?s not something you should sit at home waiting for it to get better.?

The American Heart Association offers many resources about heart disease:

Kraddick photo courtesy of 106.1 KISS FM.

Source: http://blog.heart.org/coroner-dj-kidd-kraddick-died-of-heart-disease/

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Monday, July 29, 2013

Real-time live camera view with effects for Windows Phone 7 and 8

(41 intermediate revisions by one user not shown)Line 13: Line 13:?

* We will read ARGB values directly from the camera, and see how this values can be efficiently packed and unpacked.

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* We will read ARGB values directly from the camera, and see how this values can be efficiently packed and unpacked.

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* We will discover a faster solution (reading values from the YCbCr buffer).

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* We will discover a faster solution (reading values from the YCbCr buffer).

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* We will discuss how to make this processing even better (to use effects on a smaller resolution).

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* We will discuss how to make this processing even better (to work with a smaller resolution).

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* We will see an idea how to make an interesting 8-bit style photo app based on these methods.

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* We will see an idea how to make an interesting 8-bit style photo app based on these methods.

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* We will see how to use this approach on WP8 thanks to MonoGame Framework

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* We will see how to use this approach on WP8 thanks to MonoGame Framework

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* We will compare all methods and measure the rendering time

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* We will compare all methods and measure the rendering time

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== VideoBrush component ==

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== VideoBrush component ==

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</code>

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</code>

???

Do not forget to add an ID_CAP_ISV_CAMERA capability. This is a very simple solution. The stream from the camera is quite distorted and wrongly rotated, but you can fix this by setting a RelativeTransform on the component. But what is a pity, you can't modify this stream in any way. You can't apply any filter or effect on the VideoBrush object, you don't have an access to the raw data of the pixels.

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Do not forget to add an ID_CAP_ISV_CAMERA capability. This is a very simple solution. The stream from the camera is quite distorted and wrongly rotated, but you can fix this by setting a RelativeTransform on the Rectangle. But what is a real pity, you can't modify this stream in any way. You can't apply any filter or effect on the VideoBrush object, you don't have an access to the raw data of the pixels.

???

== Reading from the ARGB buffer ==

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== Reading from the buffer ==

???

We will use a different approach. As you can discover, there are some GetPreviewBuffer methods on the PhotoCamera object. This is the way how we can get the raw data from the camera. But we would like also to display this data somewhere, in some fast and efficient way. WritableBitmap component from the Silverlight is very slow, writing data pixel by pixel using this component can take a hundreds of milliseconds. We will need to find another solution.

?

We will use a different approach. As you can discover, there are some GetPreviewBuffer methods on the PhotoCamera object. This is the way how we can get the raw data from the camera. But we would like also to display this data somewhere, in some fast and efficient way. WritableBitmap component from the Silverlight is very slow, writing data pixel by pixel using this component can take a hundreds of milliseconds. We will need to find another solution.

???

We will create a new combined Silverlight/XNA project for Windows Phone 7 (we will talk about WP8 later). We would like to combine the ease of XAML and Silverlight with the power of the XNA into one solution. We will use a similar approach to one described in the article [[Use Camera with XNA]].

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We will create a new combined Silverlight/XNA project for Windows Phone 7 (we will talk about WP8 later). We would like to combine the ease of XAML and Silverlight with the power of the XNA in one solution. We will use a very similar approach to one described in the article [[Use Camera with XNA]].

???

You need to have installed a Windows Phone SDK 7.1. Open your Visual Studio 2010 (Express or the Professional/Ultimate) and create a new Windows Phone Silverlight and XNA Application project.

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You need to have installed a [http://dev.windowsphone.com/en-us/downloadsdk Windows Phone SDK 7.1]. Open your Visual Studio 2010 (Express or the Professional/Ultimate) and create a new Windows Phone Silverlight and XNA Application project.

???

[[File:new_xnasilverlight_project.png]]

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[[File:new_xnasilverlight_project.png]]

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</code>

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</code>

???

We will create a helper object now. Lets create a new class CamReader and place here these declarations:

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We will create a helper object now. Lets create a new class '''CamReader.cs''' and place into it these declarations:

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<code csharp>

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<code csharp>

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</code>

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</code>

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As you can see, there is some preview buffer and the output buffer. The preview buffer will contain the raw values taken from the camera and will be 640x480 pixels big. Applying effects on this large resolution would be very resource intensive and slow. We do not need such a big resolution for our live preview. Our output buffer will be smaller, for example only 240x240 px.

+

As you can see, there is some preview buffer and the output buffer. The preview buffer will contain the raw values from the camera and will be usually 640x480 pixels big. Applying effects on this large resolution would be very resource intensive and slow. We do not need such a big resolution for the live preview. Our output buffer will be smaller, for example only 240x240 px. All computations and filter calculations will be executed on this smaller resolution. We can scale up this image later, it will be a little blurred, but it does not matter much for us.

?+

?

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This is how the CamReader.StartCamera method can look like:

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?

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<code csharp>

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public void StartCamera(Dispatcher dispatcher, Canvas fakeCamCanvas, Point outputSize)

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{

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? ? this.outputSize = outputSize;

?+

? ? ? ? ? ?

?+

? ? if (camera != null)

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? ? ? ? StopCamera(fakeCamCanvas);

?+

?

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? ? // Create a PhotoCamera instance

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? ? if (PhotoCamera.IsCameraTypeSupported(CameraType.Primary))

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? ? ? ? camera = new PhotoCamera(CameraType.Primary);

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? ? else if (PhotoCamera.IsCameraTypeSupported(CameraType.FrontFacing))

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? ? ? ? camera = new PhotoCamera(CameraType.FrontFacing);

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? ? else

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? ? {

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? ? ? ? System.Windows.MessageBox.Show("Cannot find a camera on this device");

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? ? ? ? return;

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? ? }

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?

?+

? ? // Wait camera initialization before create the buffer image

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? ? camera.Initialized += (a, b) =>

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? ? {

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? ? ? ? // Move to UI thread

?+

? ? ? ? dispatcher.BeginInvoke(() =>

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? ? ? ? {

?+

? ? ? ? ? ? outputBuffer = new int[outputSize.X * outputSize.Y];

?+

? ? ? ? ? ? previewSize = new Point((int)camera.PreviewResolution.Width, (int)camera.PreviewResolution.Height);

?+

? ? ? ? ? ? previewBuffer = new int[previewSize.X * previewSize.Y];

?+

? ? ? ? }

?+

? ? ? ? );

?+

? ? };

?+

?

?+

? ? // Initialize camera

?+

? ? // - we need to initialize VideoBrush to given Canvas, otherwise the stream wouldn't be loaded

?+

? ? var brush = new VideoBrush();

?+

? ? brush.SetSource(camera);

?+

? ? fakeCamCanvas.Background = brush;

?+

}

?+

</code>

?+

?

?+

=== Reading ARGB data ===

?+

?

?+

Now we can design a method for reading ARGB data from the camera:

?+

?

?+

<code csharp>

?+

public int[] GetBufferFromARGB()

?+

{

?+

? ? if (camera != null && previewBuffer != null)

?+

? ? {

?+

? ? ? ? // Get preview Image buffer (640x480)

?+

? ? ? ? try { camera.GetPreviewBufferArgb32(previewBuffer); }

?+

? ? ? ? catch { return null; }

?+

?

?+

? ? ? ? // Select outputBuffer pixels (outputSize = smaller than 640x480 preview pixels)

?+

? ? ? ? CopyValuesToOutputBuffer();

?+

?

?+

? ? ? ? // Swap Red and Blue channel (Silverlight -> XNA's texture)

?+

? ? ? ? SwapRedBlueChannel(outputBuffer);? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

?+

? ? ? ? return outputBuffer;

?+

? ? }

?+

? ? return null;

?+

}

?+

</code>

?+

?

?+

This method retrieves the data from the camera to preview buffer (640x480). Then the selected values are copied to the smalled output buffer (see the next paragraph for the method implementation). Output colors are swapped to correct XNA's Texture2D format and finally the output buffer is returned.

?+

?

?+

The output buffer is a linear array of integer values. Every integer has the compressed info about the whole RGB value of the pixel and its alpha (transparency). In the field outputSize we have the X and Y size of the output image.

?+

?

?+

=== Helper methods ===

?+

?

?+

Now we can design the method for copying values from the preview to the output buffer. Here you can find the most complex version. This method automatically crops the image by the correct output ratio. The image is also auto-rotated and scaled.

?+

?

?+

<code csharp>

?+

private void CopyValuesToOutputBuffer()

?+

{

?+

? ? // Copies data from preview buffer (640x480) to smaller output buffer in correct ratio

?+

? ? Point start = Point.Zero;

?+

? ? Point incr = new Point(previewSize.X / outputSize.Y, previewSize.Y / outputSize.X);

?+

?

?+

? ? if (previewSize.X / (float)previewSize.Y > outputSize.Y / (float)outputSize.X)

?+

? ? {

?+

? ? ? ? // Preview is wider, output buffer will be cropped at left/right side

?+

? ? ? ? start.X = (int)((previewSize.X - outputSize.Y * previewSize.Y / (float)outputSize.X) / 2);

?+

? ? ? ? incr.X = (previewSize.X - 2 * start.X) / outputSize.Y;

?+

? ? }

?+

? ? else

?+

? ? {

?+

? ? ? ? // Output buffer is wider (preview is taller, crop at top/bottom)

?+

? ? ? ? start.Y = (int)((previewSize.Y - outputSize.X * previewSize.X / (float)outputSize.Y) / 2);

?+

? ? ? ? incr.Y = (previewSize.Y - 2 * start.Y) / outputSize.X;

?+

? ? }

?+

? ? ? ? ? ?

?+

? ? // Inserts values to the output buffer

?+

? ? for (int y = 0; y < outputSize.Y; y++)

?+

? ? ? ? for (int x = 0; x < outputSize.X; x++)

?+

? ? ? ? {

?+

? ? ? ? ? ? // Auto flip / rotate the image to output

?+

? ? ? ? ? ? int sourceX = Math.Min(start.X + y * incr.X, previewSize.X - 1);

?+

? ? ? ? ? ? int sourceY = Math.Min(previewSize.Y - (start.Y + x * incr.Y) - 1, previewSize.Y - 1);

?+

? ? ? ? ? ? int i = sourceX + sourceY * previewSize.X;

?+

? ? ? ? ? ? outputBuffer[x + y * outputSize.X] = previewBuffer[i];

?+

? ? ? ? }

?+

}

?+

</code>

?+

?

?+

{{Note|We are using the integer division for calculating the increment (for performance reasons). This will work fine if the output buffer is sufficiently smaller than the camera preview. If the output and preview sizes are almost similar, this method may give you poor results.}}

?+

?

?+

?

?+

The next method converts the image buffer to the XNA format:

?+

?

?+

<code csharp>

?+

private void SwapRedBlueChannel(int[] buffer)

?+

{

?+

? ? for (int i = 0; i < buffer.Length; ++i)

?+

? ? {

?+

? ? ? ? // Converts a packed RGB integer value from Silverlight's to XNA format

?+

? ? ? ? // - we need to switch a red and blue channel

?+

? ? ? ? buffer[i] = (int)((uint)buffer[i] & 0xFF00FF00)

?+

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? | (buffer[i] >> 16 & 0xFF)

?+

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? | (buffer[i] & 0xFF) << 16;

?+

? ? }

?+

}

?+

</code>

?+

?

?+

And finally, we should include to our CamReader class the method for stopping the camera. It will be called when we leave the app, or switch it to background:

?+

?

?+

<code csharp>

?+

public void StopCamera(Canvas fakeCamCanvas)

?+

{

?+

? ? if (camera != null)

?+

? ? ? ? camera.Dispose();

?+

? ? camera = null;

?+

? ? previewBuffer = null;

?+

? ? fakeCamCanvas.Background = null;

?+

}

?+

</code>

?+

?

?+

== Integration ==

?+

?

?+

xxx yyy zzz

???

== Summary ==

?

== Summary ==

This article explains how to efficiently read a live stream from the camera on Windows Phone 7 and 8 devices and how to apply an effect filter on this stream.

Most of the photo apps on the market are pretty simple. They allow users to take a photo, then apply some interesting vintage filter and save the photo. But only a few applications have a true live viewfinder with a real-time applied filter. Would it be nice to see how the photo will look like, even before you press the shutter button? What about some other live effects, like a pixelated 8-bit style screen?

We will show you in this article how to make an app (in C# language) that can run on both Windows Phone 7 and Windows Phone 8 devices. Our goal will be to design a sufficiently fast implementation that can run flawlessly even on the oldest and slowest devices. We will go through several ideas and implementations and we will compare them.


We will be demonstrating these methods on the Windows Phone 7 (WP7) project. In the last chapter we will cover the differences between WP7 and Windows Phone 8 (WP8):

The most simple solution for showing a direct stream from the camera is the VideoBrush component. The code is the same on WP7 and WP8. You can add this code into your XAML page:

In the code-behind you can initialize the camera and set the stream to the VideoBrush:

Do not forget to add an ID_CAP_ISV_CAMERA capability. This is a very simple solution. The stream from the camera is quite distorted and wrongly rotated, but you can fix this by setting a RelativeTransform on the Rectangle. But what is a real pity, you can't modify this stream in any way. You can't apply any filter or effect on the VideoBrush object, you don't have an access to the raw data of the pixels.

We will use a different approach. As you can discover, there are some GetPreviewBuffer methods on the PhotoCamera object. This is the way how we can get the raw data from the camera. But we would like also to display this data somewhere, in some fast and efficient way. WritableBitmap component from the Silverlight is very slow, writing data pixel by pixel using this component can take a hundreds of milliseconds. We will need to find another solution.

We will create a new combined Silverlight/XNA project for Windows Phone 7 (we will talk about WP8 later). We would like to combine the ease of XAML and Silverlight with the power of the XNA in one solution. We will use a very similar approach to one described in the article Use Camera with XNA.

You need to have installed a Windows Phone SDK 7.1. Open your Visual Studio 2010 (Express or the Professional/Ultimate) and create a new Windows Phone Silverlight and XNA Application project.

To be able to read from the camera we need to place a fake Canvas to our XAML code. Add to GamePage.xaml page this line of code:

We will create a helper object now. Lets create a new class CamReader.cs and place into it these declarations:

As you can see, there is some preview buffer and the output buffer. The preview buffer will contain the raw values from the camera and will be usually 640x480 pixels big. Applying effects on this large resolution would be very resource intensive and slow. We do not need such a big resolution for the live preview. Our output buffer will be smaller, for example only 240x240 px. All computations and filter calculations will be executed on this smaller resolution. We can scale up this image later, it will be a little blurred, but it does not matter much for us.

This method retrieves the data from the camera to preview buffer (640x480). Then the selected values are copied to the smalled output buffer (see the next paragraph for the method implementation). Output colors are swapped to correct XNA's Texture2D format and finally the output buffer is returned.

The output buffer is a linear array of integer values. Every integer has the compressed info about the whole RGB value of the pixel and its alpha (transparency). In the field outputSize we have the X and Y size of the output image.

Now we can design the method for copying values from the preview to the output buffer. Here you can find the most complex version. This method automatically crops the image by the correct output ratio. The image is also auto-rotated and scaled.

And finally, we should include to our CamReader class the method for stopping the camera. It will be called when we leave the app, or switch it to background:


The "platform categories" will be displayed here in preview only - Copy paste relevant categories into text here

Windows Phone: [[Category:Windows Phone]]
[[Category:Windows Phone 7.5]]
[[Category:Windows Phone 8]]

Nokia Asha: [[Category:Nokia Asha]]
[[Category:Nokia Asha Platform 1.0]]

Series 40: [[Category:Series 40]]
[[Category:Series 40 1st Edition]] [[Category:Series 40 2nd Edition]]
[[Category:Series 40 3rd Edition (initial release)]] [[Category:Series 40 3rd Edition FP1]] [[Category:Series 40 3rd Edition FP2]]
[[Category:Series 40 5th Edition (initial release)]] [[Category:Series 40 5th Edition FP1]]
[[Category:Series 40 6th Edition (initial release)]] [[Category:Series 40 6th Edition FP1]] [[Category:Series 40 Developer Platform 1.0]] [[Category:Series 40 Developer Platform 1.1]] [[Category:Series 40 Developer Platform 2.0]]

Symbian: [[Category:Symbian]]
[[Category:S60 1st Edition]] [[Category:S60 2nd Edition (initial release)]] [[Category:S60 2nd Edition FP1]] [[Category:S60 2nd Edition FP2]] [[Category:S60 2nd Edition FP3]]
[[Category:S60 3rd Edition (initial release)]] [[Category:S60 3rd Edition FP1]] [[Category:S60 3rd Edition FP2]]
[[Category:S60 5th Edition]]
[[Category:Symbian^3]] [[Category:Symbian Anna]] [[Category:Nokia Belle]]

Add categories below using category selector.

Source: http://developer.nokia.com/Community/Wiki/index.php?title=Real-time_live_camera_view_with_effects_for_Windows_Phone_7_and_8&diff=205076&oldid=205036

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Sunday, July 28, 2013

It Is Not Good News That Obamacare Will Create Lots of Jobs to Steer People Through the System


"Which way is up?" reporting makes a big-time appearance in this Washington Post article telling us that Obamacare will create a boom in jobs since workers will have to be hired to steer people through the system. The article reports:

"About 7,000 to 9,000 new customer service agents will be needed to man phones and Web chats for the marketplace, called an exchange, the federal government will run for more than half of the states, a spokesman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said. Additional agents will be needed for exchanges run by the states themselves."

The next paragraph raises the stakes to:

"Altogether, tens of thousands of people could be hired over the next several years to set up and support the online marketplaces, according to some estimates."

Okay, let's make it three tens of thousands (a.k.a. 30,000). If we continue to create jobs at the rate of 170,000 a month (an assumption, not a forecast), then we will create 6.1 million jobs. This means that our 30,000 Obamacare jobs will be a bit less than 0.5 percent of net job creation over this period. That's a plus, but not exactly a boom.

More importantly, the jobs needed to steer people through the system are a waste from the standpoint of the economy as a whole. In an efficient system people can figure out how to get their health care without needing a consultant to guide them through a complex process. The fact that Obamacare may require people for this task means that it is adding waste to the health care system.

In a recession, anything that employs people can be seen as positive since otherwise they would sit home doing nothing. However if we envision at some point that we will be back to something resembling full employment, it would be much better to have a health care system that did not require tens of thousands of workers to explain insurance options to people.?

(Only one link allowed per comment)


busy

Source: http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/it-is-not-good-news-that-obamacare-will-create-lots-of-jobs-to-steer-people-through-the-system

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Omar Victor Diop: How Hollywood might have looked if films were shot in Africa: Senegalese artist recreates movie classics

  • Matrix and American Beauty given new look by Senegalese photographers
  • Artists wanted to pay homage to cinematic pieces that had influenced them

By Anna Edwards

|

They are instantly recognisable - iconic photographs that immediately prompt the viewer to remember classic Hollywood films.

American Beauty is immediately obvious by the scene of Mena Suvari spread across a bed of roses, while most would automatically think of the blockbuster Matrix when they see Keanu Reeves clad in a long leather coat while spinning through the air.

But now one artist has transformed these Hollywood images by giving them an African makeover.

The idea behind this series is to pay tribute to iconic moments of Cinema which have highly influenced them

The idea behind this series is to pay tribute to iconic moments of Cinema which have highly influenced them

Mena Suvari in American Beauty, shot in 1999, made an impact on the photographer duo, who wanted to pay homage to cinema that influence them

Mena Suvari in American Beauty, shot in 1999, made an impact on the photographer duo, who wanted to pay homage to cinema that influence them

Omar Victor Diop has created Onomolliwood - a fresh perspective of classic photographs using African models and slightly different details.

Instead of a bed of roses for the American Beauty scene, lush green plants were used to cover the model's modesty.

Breakfast in Tiffany's has an African model pulling the same coy smile, but wearing a white dress instead of Audrey Hepburn's classic black one.

The glittering jewellery, cigarette holders and scattered tea things on the table has been lovingly recreated.

The scene of Thelma and Louise, where Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon stare into the distance while police cars can be seen approaching them in the distance.

The scene is given a fresh twist in the project, with the same dusty background used, and the defiant-looking models gaze through the windscreen, just as the actresses did in the 1991 film, which also starred Brad Pitt.

The have headscarves wrapped around their heads, echoing the costumes used in the film.

But it is a motel, instead of a group of police officers, that looms behind the models.

The 1966 thriller Blow Up also features in the project, with the new photographs mimicking the scenes that film fans know and love.

Just like David Hemmings, an actor kneels over an actress who is splayed across the floor, apparently dead, as he takes a photograph of her.

Frida, the film based on the Mexican artist and starring Selma Hayek, is recreated by the pair of photographers - complete with Kahlo's famously bushy eyebrows

Diop worked with photographer Antoine Temp? to recreate the stunning shots.

'I wanted to imagine what these movies would look like if they were conceived and shot in Africa,' explains Diop, CNN reported.

'We started working with the movies we liked, the movies that had influenced us.

?

'I remember watching in the 1980s the same movies as the young people of Paris and New York and maybe Bangkok.

The two Dakar-based photographers recreated the Matrix scene where Keanu Reeves defies physics to contort his body to swerve a bullet

The two Dakar-based photographers recreated the Matrix scene where Keanu Reeves defies physics to contort his body to swerve a bullet

Strike a pose! Keanu Reeves' pose was perfectly recreated in the shot, but given a green tint to give it a fresh perspective

Strike a pose! Keanu Reeves' pose was perfectly recreated in the shot, but given a green tint to give it a fresh perspective

Thelma and Louise is given a fresh look in this shot, as the two models stare into the distance, just like the original stars did

Thelma and Louise is given a fresh look in this shot, as the two models stare into the distance, just like the original stars did

Geena Davis starred as Thelma and Susan Sarandon took on the role of Louise in the famous 1991 film

Geena Davis starred as Thelma and Susan Sarandon took on the role of Louise in the famous 1991 film

'At the end of the day we're all the same young people regardless of where you were born and where you were raised and somehow I wanted to show this also through the choice of movies in the series.

Omar Victor Diop is a Senegalese photographer whose extensive work ranges from fashion photography to conceptual projects.

He offers a new perspective on contemporary African aesthetics, his Facebook page says.

Diop has earned a reputation as a rising name in his hometown scene, Okay Africa reported.

The hairstyle, outfit and coy smile mimic Breakfast at Tiffany's - made famous by Audrey Hepburn

The 1966 thriller Blow Up is given a fresh look here, as Tempe and Diop wanted to conceive of a Hollywood if it had been Africa-based

The 1966 thriller Blow Up is given a fresh look here, as Tempe and Diop wanted to conceive of a Hollywood if it had been Africa-based

The film starred David Hemmings, who starred alongside Jane Birkin as a photographer who believes he may have witnessed a murder and unwittingly taken photographs of the killing

The film starred David Hemmings, who starred alongside Jane Birkin as a photographer who believes he may have witnessed a murder and unwittingly taken photographs of the killing

Though his work has been featured at exhibitions around the world, it was not until the success of his first conceptual project, Fashion 2112 in 2011 that he retired from a career in corporate communications in order to focus on photography.

Antoine Temp? is a French-American photographer who documents contemporary African cultural scenes through photojournalism and portraiture. He currently lives and works in Dakar, S?n?gal.

It is no wonder that the duo turned to Western films for their inspiration.

The Senegalese film scene is a relatively small industry. It has produced just five feature films in the last decade.

The artists had a long history and a variety of movies to choose from if they picked Hollywood productions - whereas the first Senegalese film was only made in 1955.

It was not until the Independence of Senegal in June, 1960, that the West African country's industry began to develop.

The 1970s is often considered to be the golden years' for the industry. Production flourished and a variety of award-winning films were made.

But by 1980, despite the country producing five full length films a year and numerous short films - no mean feat considering it had just a handful of directors and professionals to create such works - the industry began to collapse.

Funding became a crippling issue - the country could not provide the domestic resources and finance needed to help the industry flourish, and people could not afford to keep making the films.

Foreign funding was needed to produce the films, and instead of the movies being premiered in Senegal, they would have been expected to be shown abroad instead.

Salma Hayek and Mia Maestro starred in the biopic of the famous artist, who became known for her self-portraits, and the new photograph paid homage to the film (left)

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2380026/Omar-Victor-Diop-How-Hollywood-looked-films-shot-Africa-Senegalese-artist-recreates-movie-classics.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

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