Signs of the Times - October 2012 - (Page 18)

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE explore and report on the industry – in print, online or both. Company websites – and/or unsubstantiated blog and chat-room information – doesn’t pass through standard editorial processes. Such data lacks independent resource checks; therefore, the site data may rate as mere hearsay, opinion or advertising copy. Obviously, the survey responders misread the question, they didn’t analyze the “industry news” term. In March, 2010, a British nuclear submarine commander read a one as a seven and drove his billiondollar vessel into a large rock; the April 2011, $40 billion Gulf of Mexico oil spill occurred because workers misinterpreted a dial reading. It gets shoddier. I pulled this directly from a twitter page the day following astronaut Neil Armstrong’s death. First tweet: “Who is Neil Armstrong? The guy who rides the bike?” Second tweet: “LANCE Armstrong is the guy who lost his biking titles Digitally printed 3-D graphics with moving shadows A printing method invented by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz; Hewlett-Packard Laboratories (Santa Cruz, CA); and 3M (St. Paul, MN) has resulted in a conventionally printed image, which has been applied to specially produced reflectance paper, to respond to the direction from which it is illuminated and, by this technique, enable printed objects to appear to have depth and cast shadows as if actually illuminated by nearby light. Direct light from the left and the object in the scene (a face, for example) will appear as if light was hitting it from the left; move the light to the right for an opposite effect, the inventors say. For example, a printed face will display realistic, moving shadows as a light moves around it. The inventors say the effect is based on a reflectance paper that comprises an array of reflective dimples and, in printing, each (dimpled) pixel is partially covered by ink, which enables its reflectance to vary as a function of angle. See a video at http://graphics.soe.ucsc.edu/prf/ James Davis, an associate professor of computer science at UC Santa Cruz, said art historians and restorers use such techniques for documenting important works of art and historical artifacts. Sure, but imagine 3-D shadowed signs and logos – or, movie posters with oscillating spots? And, envision what the car wrap teams could do with this technique – 3-D gothic skulls with constantly moving, headlight-caused shadows? because of roids. NEIL Armstrong is the guy who landed on the moon.” First tweet: “Oh, he was the first man on the moon! Who was the bike rider then?” The second tweeter knows their stuff, right? Lance Armstrong lost his titles because of drug-use. No. Lance simply quit dealing with the harassment; he didn’t confess to drug use. He said, “Over the past three years, I have been subjected to a federal criminal investigation followed by Travis Tygart’s [the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO] unconstitutional witch hunt. The toll this has taken on my family and my work for our [LiveStrong] foundation, and on me, leads me to where I am today – finished with this nonsense.” In a radio interview, Tygart said his evidence was circumstantial. Armstrong said, “I have passed [drug tests] with flying colors. I made myself available around the clock and around the world. In competition. Out of competition. Blood. Urine. Whatever they asked for I provided.” He also said he played by the rules that were put in place by the UCI, WADA and USADA when he raced. The New York Daily News said Armstrong’s refusal to confront his accusers marked him as a loser. Armstrong’s LiveStrong Foundation has raised nearly $500 million to help people survive cancer. He said he intends “… to commit myself to the work I began before ever winning a single Tour de France title: serving people and families affected by cancer, especially those in underserved communities.” As I read it, that’s not a loser. Such examples remind managers to concern themselves with providing clear communications to all who read instructions, but even more to those who tend not to analyze what’s being said. They may be connecting the green wire. n 18 SIGNS OF THE TIMES / OCTOBER 2012 / www.signweb.com http://graphics.soe.ucsc.edu/prf/ http://www.signweb.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - October 2012

Sign of theTimes - October 2012
ST Update
Technology Update
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Electric
LED Update
Software Update
Technology Review
Technology Review
Sign Museum News
New Products
2012 Vehicle Graphics Contest
Entry-level Electronic Digital Signage
The Proposed ISA Reorganization Plan
Enter ST's 2013 Intl. Sign Contest
SGIA Expo 2012
The Value of Signs
Advertising Index
Editorially Speaking

Signs of the Times - October 2012