What Is Audio Video Interleave? Taking a Look at the Humble AVI File

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AVI files are in fact a lot more complicated than they seem. Regarded by many as 'the video file format' the truth is, they're not so much as a form of video as they are in fact a container. This video container format, invented by Microsoft in the early nineties has today become the most common type of video file around.

AVI files are essentially containers that start with a block of information, followed by a block of video or audio and ends with a special block that serves as the index of the file. Containing both video and audio - the audio / video block is encoded using various standards such as DIVX, XVID, MP3 and the likes.

The Audio Video Interleave (AVI) format is known as such because of the way it encodes video and audio in blocks next to each other. To make this possible, each block is prepended with a four character identifier that identifies the codec used. An example would be DIVX for DIV3 or DIV4 for DIVX encoded video, or RAW for uuencoded (raw) video, and 0055 for MP3 (Mpeg) audio.

AVI is the oldest container file format and it does have some shortcomings, such as the fact that unlike DVD format which supports chapters, menus and the likes - AVI doesn't. The other major disadvantage of AVI files today is that the index chunk which is the second most important is at the end of the file, making previewing content as it downloads a somewhat painful affair.

However, nonetheless for a format that's almost 20 years old, AVI files are still going strong. The fact that AVI is pretty much intertwined in windows and that it's a relatively lightweight and portable format that's also been adopted widely in media players, phones and the likes mean that it's likely to be popular for some time yet. While competing formats offer more flexibility supporting the likes of VBR (variable bit rate) audio and more advanced formats such as OGG Vorbis, AVI offers a lot of flexibility.

Today, there are many successors such as Windows Media (WMA & WMV) which have been popularized by many organizations, but it's the fact that AVI is so old that it remains still popular. This container format will most probably remain the standard for most standard definition content that is to be played on computers.

However, when looking at what are AVI files, the Internet has changed the way we use video a lot, as it used to be the case that streaming video was highly resource intensive. Thanks to high speed internet connections - AVI files are being used less and in their place is real time streaming media in the form FLV video and the likes.

The only drawback to streaming media is that it's only viewable over the web. When it comes downloading content and saving it to disk, AVI is still the popular file format of choice due to the fact it'll play back on just about any player that has the required codecs.

As a freelance writing professional, Ed Thomson has been creating content that interests readers for around five years. If you're interested in hiring a writing professional like Ed, he offers a range of professional writing services for blogs, web content and SEO.

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Using iPad Handwriting Recognition: Note Taking App or Handwriting App

The iPad Handwriting Recognition Uses

Having iPad handwriting recognition is one of the reasons that many lean towards making a purchase. Of course you may find that once you try to use the program it is not exactly what you were looking for. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel, since iPad does have programs that you can download for this option as well as other companies that offer it as well. You will find that the iPad note taking app is also something to consider as well, but there are differences that you should take a look at before you make up your mind. A little research on both can help you make an informed decision.

One of the biggest uses for the handwriting tool is that you have the ability to write PDF's on the fly when you need to for business, and it can make the writing of an essay for school so much faster and easier. Even if you are a Facebook user and you are looking to post on your wall it can make this much easier to do as well. Using a keyboard is not for everyone and the option of being able to write out your thoughts as opposed to typing them is a big benefit for many. A nifty little stylus pen makes it easy to write on your iPad.

Perhaps you are a writer and you like the ability to be able to take notes when a thought pops into your mind. This is a great way to keep all of your thoughts in one place so that you can go back and review them time and time again.

The Pros and Cons of iPad Handwriting Recognition

One of the biggest obstacles that many have when it comes to taking notes or writing papers on their iPad is the keyboard. It can be difficult to type on the touch screen even if you are an experienced and seasoned typist. By using iPad handwriting recognition you are able to hand write your thoughts and have them translated into text form. This is a pro to using the service. A con is that although you may be writing one thing, the tablet could be putting into text different words. Think of when you use voice recognition or the auto type on your phone and things just don't come out the way you said. Another plus to this application is that your handwriting is going to be as you write. There is no waiting for your paper to get published as it will be ready from the moment that you type. A con to this is that if you do not double check your work before sending it there is a possibility that it may have a few words wrong, or even be phrased in a way that was not intended.

If you are thinking about the note taking application as opposed to the iPad handwriting recognition application, there are pros and cons to this as well. When you are in school or perhaps a business meeting, using this application to take all of your notes can be fast and convenient. You are not making the noise that a keyboard would be and disrupting the meeting or the class. At a later time, you can go back and translate all of your notes to text. A con to this is that it doesn't always translate correctly and you still need to go back and make changes. In any event, since they are just notes, you will probably be typing them up differently anyway.

When you are comparing the two, iPad note taking app and the iPad handwriting recognition application, you are going to find that both are rather fair in comparison but the handwriting app has more capabilities. Whereas the note taking app is just that, for note taking, the handwriting app can sync up with your other applications that you may have installed such as Microsoft Word or Suites. When you are looking to convert in a hurry, it is a big plus.

The Decision: iPad Handwriting Recognition or iPad Note Taking App

In the end, the requirements that you have and your specific needs are going to make the final decision on the app that you use. When you are looking for an application that is going to give you the benefit and the options of covering your entire basis at once the handwriting app may be the choice that you want to go with. It is important to keep in mind that no matter what, you are dealing with a computer and they all have their flaws.

As long as you remember to check your work and writing before you make your final submission it can keep you from embarrassment of the worst kind. You don't want to turn in a paper that has misspelled words or something that does not even belong in the document in the first place. Just keep thinking about the time you voiced a text to someone, or used the recognition software for your texting application, and the wrong words came out. You knew that you would never send without checking again.

The iPad has come a long way since it first hit the market. Many changes have taken place and there are more apps than ever before that are available for you to download. This means that you should be able to find the software and the programs that you need for just about anything that you are trying to do. There are many different companies that offer the recognition app for your iPad. Each one may have a little something different so investigating what each one has to bring to the table can help you to make the decision on which one is best for you. The iPad handwriting recognition software has come further and further in becoming a functional part of the iPad and can help to keep our daily lives in order.

Having iPad handwriting recognition is one of the reasons that many lean towards making a purchase. Want to know more interesting info, visit our website about iPad Handwriting Recognition

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Are You Taking Full Advantage Of The Internet's Information?

The Internet is jam-packed with information that can be used by any individual who really wants to access it. You might be under the impression that you are using the web to its limits, but there could be a ton of sites out there that you may not even know about.. If you are a relatively new Internet user, you may not know about the whole potential of the "information superhighway." It can be used for more than looking at Facebook, watching clips on YouTube, or forwarding e-mail jokes to others.

Although some video sites are more like time-wasters, it is quite amazing how many videos are online. There are a number of funny videos on YouTube and other sites, but there are also quite a few videos that carry a little more weight and are important to access. If you are a conspiracy theorist, you may think it is a conspiracy how much video is available online. However, it is incredible what kinds of things you can watch, such as video taken during a war or footage shot over a hundred years ago.

Citizens in countries like North Korea or Iran are uploading videos online to show those of us fortunate enough to live in safer environments what is transpiring around the world. Aside from the staged videos, many of them demonstrate what goes on in the most dangerous locations in the world that we would otherwise never see on TV. The main reason many of these incredible videos exist online is that there is no need for sponsorship or advertising as there would be on television.

In many cases, there are no corporations telling individuals what they can or cannot post online. For example, you would never see a piece on the news on how an anonymous company is altering its products genetically, and how this practice has a negative effect on a certain insect. If that particular company advertises on the TV station, they want to continue receiving revenue through commercials. But when it comes to the Internet, videos are only a small part of what is available.

If you need info, about just about anything, the web is the place to look. We do live in an information rich world. There is in fact so much out there that it is hard if not impossible to take it all in. It is definitely impossible to believe all that is out there, which makes many people search for more to hopefully uncover some truth. Whether you have a sat phone, smart phone, or depend on wireless internet, you can access a ton of info to learn all about whatever interests you.

There are a wonderful variety of Wireless internet plans to keep you connected. Investigate how your Land line can work more for you as well.

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Robots Are Taking Human Jobs But This Is Actually A Good Thing For The Job Market - Here's Why

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Robots Taking Jobs

Many big companies have recently opted out for the traditional worker also known as humans, for a more metal-made employee known as a robot. Businesses like, Amazon, Gap, Staples and Crate & Barrel are all now employing robots to carry out duties that before were completed from warm-blooded people. The idea is simple but in order for a company to implement this robotic feature in their workplace, it's a bit more complex than just throwing "robot bodies" in the field. It takes about 6 months and a lot of capital to employ these bots. The company that is making this a reality for businesses like Walgreens, GAP and Toys "R" Us, is Kiva Systems.

Normally, products in warehouses are transported from point A to point B by humans in forklifts or by conveys. Kiva's method is different where the goods don't actually leave the storage racks. Instead, products are stored on portable storage units that are transferred via a robot worker. With a grid system installed in the floor, the robots are able to navigate throughout the distribution center delivering goods to their human co-workers.

Here's how it works in layman's terms. When an order comes in for particular product, a signal is sent to the robot. At that point, the robot steers itself over to the mobile unit based on data it receives from the grid in order to fulfill that assignment. Then the robot drives under the rack and picks it up and transports it to the appropriate area. Knowing the size of these facilities and the amount goods that go in and out of these places on a daily basis, this is certainly an investment worth entertaining.

Speaking of investment, the start-up cost involved adding these robots to your payroll will set a small company back roughly $2 million. For the larger companies like Amazon, it can cost upwards of $20 million. However, for this you can employ 1,000 robots in one distribution center just as Staples does. Kiva makes two types of robot model. Other than the difference with dimensions and power, the amount they are able to lift is what differentiates them. The smaller version is capable of lifting up to 1,000 lbs. and the larger model can carry loads up to 3,000 lbs. Kiva's approach to delivering products around is definitely a more efficient process versus the conventional procedure of having humans fumble throughout the floors searching items.

Robots Making Jobs

So now you ask, how can having additional robots in our public spaces really enhance the employment rate? Simple! Humans build robots. As more and more robots are being built, that an indicator that work is being carried out by us. A recent study conducted Metra Martek, a marketing firm, concluded that 1 million industrial robots currently in operation are directly responsible for creating 3 million human jobs. Looking ahead, over the next 5 years, robots will create another 1 million jobs for us.

Between 2000 - 2008, manufacturing employment rose in nearly every industrialized country, even as the use of robotics increased dramatically. This same pattern is now being seen in China, Brazil and other emerging countries as they rapidly increase their use of robotics. In Brazil, the number of robots almost increase nearly 400% during the study, with both production and job growth rising over 20%.

This study confirms that manufacturing employment is brighter in countries that continue to advance their robot investments. The report's author, Peter Gorle, also points out three crucial areas of growth in robotic deployment: Robots that perform tasks that would be considered unsafe for humans, robots that carry out jobs that would not be economically doable in a high wage economy and robots that carry out work that humans can't possibly do.

Conclusion

Robots are our future and our future is robots. The demand for robots is in high gear with no plans of breaking. The Federal Government has also jumped on the bandwagon. In November 2011, it announced they were giving $344 million to fund researchers of robotics from around the globe. This funding is for robot lizards, which is a robots that can run at high-speed and more importantly, run up and down walls.

On the flip side, people will be effected by robots entering the workplace. It common sense that when companies hire robots to perform human jobs, that means the person who was filling that position isn't needed anymore. The impact of what happens next will vary from each business based on the way they are structured. There's always the possibility to transfer within another department or relocate to another facility. However, at the end of the day, don't think you can work smarter and faster than a robot because you can't. Robots don't have stamina, don't need breaks and they don't carry all the extra baggage humans create (i.e. taxes, 401k, unemployment, lawsuits, injury, gossip etc.)

At the end of the day, this news is a good thing for our job market. At least until robots are able to build themselves. Then, we've got a major problem!

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