Signs of the Times - April 2013 - (Page 14)

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE Picasa, Social Grapple, Sparrow, Teracent, YouTube, Zagat and Zingku. Most unusual, I thought, is its ownership of Frommers Travel Guides, but one can imagine an eventual profit link with Google Maps. The search company appears to have a net-in-the-water approach to expansion. One axiomatic truth is you can’t own 77 or more companies without making a few dozen mistakes or hurting other’s feelings. Expectedly, then, Google’s lawsuits are myriad – Safari, BT Group, the U.S. Government, the E.U., and, surely, several hundred others share Google’s lawsuit headlines. (A Google search reveals 92,000,000 conversations that relate its name to lawsuits – the firm’s law offices must be in an aircraft hangar.) Most interesting, perhaps, is a suit filed by Australian surgeon Guy Hingston, who claims Google’s Autocomplete feature presents him in a false light. For some users, entering Guy’s name into Google’s search engine triggers the option to search for the phrase ‘”Guy Hingston bankrupt.” The Federal lawsuit Time magazine reported that Google – to avoid a major, federal, antitrust lawsuit that could follow a two-year Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation – had agreed to make voluntary changes to its search business. Time said the agreement concluded the Federal Trade Commission’s probe into whether Google had used power to unfairly harm rivals. The FTC Chairman said the agreedupon changes would ensure that consumers continue to reap the benefits of competition in the online marketplace, and in the market for innovative wireless devices. Google (dismissively?) said the fundamental purpose of U.S. anti trust law is to protect consumers, not the competition. Chrome plated Google controls close to 70% of the web-search market, and its Google Chrome web system is a powerful part of the allure. Google Chrome is Google’s (free) web browser that fully integrates into its online search system and other applications. The company claims Chrome is used by 37% of web browsers worldwide, which makes it the most popular. It features an intuitive navigation layout, safe-browsing security functions, high speeds and standards compliance. Another Chrome feature is that its home office periodically retrieves blacklist updates and warns you if you’re about to visit a harmful site. Further, one search-page crash doesn’t affect other open pages because each is an independent off, despite the required cost and training. Most print shops agree that reducing ink costs, while maintaining customer satisfaction, is a desirable goal. Proper color management makes this possible. So what is great color? The best measure of great color is what the customer says is great color – not how much ink you put down. Don’t ink unnecessarily. If the objective is to meet or exceed your customer’s expectation, while dramatically reducing ink costs, then first examine light-ink usage, e.g., the light cyan and magenta inks. Light inks comprise more clear liquid and less color pigment. Light inks’ sole purpose is to improve image smoothness for close-up viewing. Unfortunately, printers use a large amount of these inks, even when they aren’t needed. 14 SIGNS OF THE TIMES / APRIL 2013 / www.signweb.com search. That feature alone is worth the changeover. Google’s oddball cars On February 13, BGR.com writer Brad Reed said Google shares had reached a record high, and the company was, at that time, valued at more than a quarter trillion dollars. On that day, Google’s total market cap exceeded $250 billion. Apple is worth $425 billion. What does a company do with that kind of money? Apple invests in iStuff; Google invests in selfdriving cars. BGR quoted Forbes writer Chunka Mui, who said Google’s investment in driverless-car technology would become an absolute goldmine. Mui wrote, “The car puts up for grabs some $2 trillion a year in revenue, and it creates business opportunities that dwarf Google’s current searchbased business.” He listed his reasons: • A driverless car provides challenges to carmakers, auto insurers, energy companies and others that share in car-related revenue. • A driverless car significantly contributes to safety. Car accidents cause thousands of deaths and hospitalizations every year. Selfdriving cars can save thousands of lives. • Finally, even if it can’t drive itself, the driverless car has significant safety improvements. It’s better than a rabbit’s foot. n Reducing light ink can cut up to 25% of your annual ink costs. The caveat, however, is, while there is a cost saving, and the gamut won’t be hugely affected (dark colors are still dark, grey balance remains consistent), the prints will look less smooth when viewed close up. Thus, effective use of this technique depends upon the print application and the required viewing distance. For example, if the final prints will be viewed at a distance of more than 6 ft., choose a color-profiling mode that uses little or no light ink. Dean Derhak is a product director at SAi with 17 years of experience in RIP software technologies gained across roles in product management, marketing, sales, engineering and technical support. Dean can be reached at: deand@ThinkSAi.com http://www.BGR.com http://www.signweb.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - April 2013

Signs of the Times - April 2013
Contents
ST Update
Cut Your Ink Costs
Technology Update
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Electric
LED Update
Software Update
Technology Review
Technology Review
Sign Museum News
New Products
The 2013 International Sign Contest
Leasing Equipment
The ISA Sign Expo 2013 Preview
Industry News
Advertising Index
Editorially Speaking

Signs of the Times - April 2013