Are You Oversharing On Social Media?
When you go online, where do you set our boundaries? If you’re like many social media users, you simply may not have any. Acclimated to the bare-all nature of modern culture, we overshare until our entire lives are online.What many fail to realize, in part because of the relatively recent development of pervasive social media, is that once you put information out there, it lives online forever. You can try to delete yourself from the internet, but it’s much easier to refrain from putting everything online in the first place.Born DigitalOne of the leading long-term issues associated with oversharing on social media today is its impact on children. Born into a digital world, children are growing up with their entire lives online, including the most embarrassing tales from childhood. There’s even a word for this new mode of childrearing – “sharenting.” The information parents include can also facilitate fraud.The result of this sharing, according to Barclays, is a significant monetary loss. By 2030, the bank says that under-18s could lose as much as £676 million annually. Even little things, such as sharing the child’s birthday or the name of their school can make them more vulnerable. And as children grow and begin their own digital lives, they learn from these behaviors and begin to share such information on their own. This can cost them college admissions, jobs, and more.Ruined RelationshipsThe most common danger of oversharing information online isn’t actually these long-term, financial issues. No, in the immediate aftermath of putting everything on social media, many people end up ruining their relationships. For example, some people play out their entire romantic life on Facebook or Instagram, sharing explicit information and photos of every interaction. Simply put, you should be paying more attention to your partner than to your social media presence.It’s not just intimate relationships that can be damaged by oversharing on social media. Your friendships and family relationships can take a hit too because most of us connect on social media with everyone from best friends to distant relatives. Few detailed posts are appropriate for so broad an audience – and we don’t write them with all of those people in mind. Instead, many create social media specifically to make others jealous or manipulate others’ perception. Those posts aren’t neutral.Is There Ever An Upside?Surely social media sharing can’t be all bad, but you need to be smart about how you make yourself vulnerable. For example, it’s perfectly fine to show your romantic relationship online, but you shouldn’t be showing it off. Or, from a negative perspective, it’s okay to be realistic or even negative, but you shouldn’t be whining because whining is irritating and childish. Rather, negative posts should focus on seeking support or creating connections.That’s exactly how Elizabeth Savetsky approached social media in the wake of an ectopic pregnancy. Devastated and feeling alone, Savetsky wondered how many of her social media followers had experienced similar losses. She found that discussing her pregnancy loss on social media gave her an opportunity to connect and raise awareness around the issue. It wasn’t about being self-centered or self-pitying, but rather not going through a difficult situation alone.When sharing on social media, we all need to ask ourselves a few key questions, but the most important distinction we should make about any post is whether we’re putting ourselves on display or encouraging communication. If social media is supposed to be about relationships – about sociality – then communication should always be the goal. Right now, too many of us are missing that mark. Frank Landman Related Posts What it Takes to Build a Highly Secure FinTech … Why IoT Apps are Eating Device Interfaces
Trends Driving the Loyalty Marketing Industry Follow the Puck Frank is a freelance journalist who has worked in various editorial capacities for over 10 years. He covers trends in technology as they relate to business. 
Do you really know the best ways to stay safe online? A recent post on the Google Online Security Blog showed that average web users focus on different tactics than those favored by security experts.In the blog post, Iulia Ion, Rob Reeder, and Sunny Consolvo highlight the results of two surveys they conducted. One was with security experts and one with users of the web who weren’t security experts. The two groups were asked to list the three best practices for remaining safe online. As the graphic (from the original post) below shows, the opinions of the two groups diverged, although both had recommendations about password usage.Image from Google Online Security Blog post – New research: Comparing how security experts and non-experts stay safe onlineI thought it would be useful to look at these recommendations and provide some of my thoughts:Install Software UpdatesExperts’ top recommendation was to install software updates – why? All software is prone to bugs, and many of these can be exploited by “bad guys” to compromise a user’s computer. As these bugs are discovered and the exploits employed, vendors provide patches for their software which fix the bugs. If you don’t keep your software up-to-date, you are unnecessarily exposing yourself to the risk of being compromised.PasswordsExperts advise using strong, unique passwords, while non-experts only advised strong passwords. By using unique passwords for each site, you can reduce the impact of a single site being compromised or your password exposed. Think about it this way – if you use the same strong password for every site you visit, what happens if one site gets hacked and someone finds out that password? Now, the “bad guys” have your password for all the sites you use.Using strong, unique passwords presents challenges, like, how do you remember all those passwords, especially if they are non-memorable? That’s why the number four recommendation of experts is to use a Password Manager. Most reputable password managers keep your passwords encrypted, so they can only be unlocked with a master password or fingerprint – now you only need to remember one strong password, and the rest can be unique and non-memorable.Non-experts recommend changing passwords frequently, but that really only provides protection against passwords being exposed and used long after the fact. This recommendation is likely made because many enterprises encourage (force) their users to change their passwords every six months.Two-factor AuthenticationExperts also advise the use of two-factor authentication. This means that, in addition to your username and password, you must have something else to prove who you purport to be. Many services, like Twitter, will send you a text message with an additional authentication code, if you configure it that way. This means that even if someone has your username and password, they wouldn’t be able to log in as you from a new device (most two-factor authentication can be set to only prompt for the second factor every 30 days, or when logging in from an unrecognized device.)Anti-virus softwareThe number one recommendation of non-experts was to use anti-virus software. Why didn’t experts recommend the same? Since new bugs and exploits are being discovered all the time, anti-virus software often doesn’t catch the latest problem. If you believe that having anti-virus software will protect you from all threats, then you may be less cautious and let your guard down.ConclusionBeing an active participant in online communities and using online services entails some level of risk that your personal information will be misused. Adopting some of the expert-recommended practices outlined above will make it a bit harder for the “bad guys,” and doesn’t impose a large burden on you.Author: Stephen Judd (+Stephen Judd, @sjudd)This article (Security Practices Reviewed) was originally published Thursday August 27, 2015 on the Military Families Learning Network blog, a part of eXtension. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
The latest Sony product announcement brings some much needed focal lengths to their full-frame lens line.In an effort to become more competitive in the lens market, Sony has announced a few new lenses and converters designed to make their cameras more functional for professional use. While this announcement is clearly more exciting for photographers, there are a few implications for filmmakers out there, especially if you are an A7S owner.Sony FE 28mm f/2 LensThe new Sony 28mm f/2 lens is fairly basic, with not a lot of frills attached. The lens has a manual focus ring, as well as internal autofocus built-in. Unfortunately for filmmakers, the focus ring isn’t grooved to work with a follow focus, but for casual productions it should work just fine. Like all Sony lenses, the 28mm f/2 is dust and water resistant. Availability April 14th (Pre-Order) Autofocus Direct Drive Super Sonic Wave AF Mount Sony E-Mount (Full Frame) Thread Size 72mm Price $1,098 on B&H Thread Size 49 Availability March 17th (Pre-Order) Autofocus Linear Motor AF System Stabilization Optical SteadyShot Minimum Focus Distance 11.5 inches Autofocus Direct Drive Super Sonic AF Thread Size 62mm Aperture f/1.4 Physical Aperture Ring (Declickable) Minimum Focus Distance 12 inches Mount Sony E-Mount (Full Frame) Price $448 on B&H Minimum Focus Distance 11 inches Minimum Focus Distance 19.7 inches Price $998 on B&H Thread Size 72mm Availability May 5th (Pre-Order) Mount Sony E-Mount (Full Frame) Aperture f/2.8 Physical Aperture Ring Autofocus Linear Actuator Autofocus Stabilization None Aperture f/2 Internal Aperture Control Aperture f/3.5-6.3 Physical Aperture Ring Sony Distagon T* FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA LensIn terms of professional quality, the Distagon T* FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA Lens looks to be the most promising. The lens comes equipped with Sony’s patented super sonic autofocus technology making it incredibly fast and accurate.This video shows a quick product tour of the new 35mm lens:Sony also claims that the external aperture ring can be easily declicked, making this an extremely valuable tool for filmmakers looking for smooth aperture control. If paired with a camera like the A7S, the Distagon T* FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA lens will likely allow you to shoot in virtually any lighting situation. Mount Sony E-Mount (Full Frame) Price $1,598 on B&H Availability July 7th (Pre-Order) Sony FE 90m f/2.8 Macro G OSS LensThe Sony FE 90m f/2.8 Macro G OSS lens is a macro workhorse. The lens gives users the ability to quickly switch between autofocus and manual using a sliding focus ring, rather than a button. The lens also allows users to select focus ranges.For example, users of the lens can define focus ranges so that the lens doesn’t have to examine the entire focus range when finding sharp and accurate focus. The lens was also designed to produce extremely circular bokeh. Meaning the out of focus parts of your image will distort into smooth circles. Fisheye and Ultra-Wide ConvertersIn addition to releasing 4 lenses, Sony has also unveiled a few new wide-angle converters designed to take your existing wide-angle Sony lenses and make them even wider. The lens converters will work with the 28mm f/2 and the 16mm f/2.8. There are four separate teleconverters: a fisheye full-frame, an ultra-wide full frame, a fisheye cropped, and an ultra-wide cropped.By using the wide-angle converters with the respective lens, you can achieve up to 180 degrees of coverage. Prices range from $160 to $298 depending on the converter. All four are expected to be released in May, but you can pre-order them immediately.Want to learn more about these new lenses and converters? Check out a few of the following resources:Sony Announces 4 ‘FE’ Full-Frame E-Mount Lenses – DIY PhotographySony Unleashes Four New FE Lenses – PetaPixelSony unveils four much-needed lenses for the full-frame A7-II camera – EngadgetWhat do you think about these new lenses? Share in the comments below. Stabilization Optical SteadyShot Sony FE 24-240mm F/3.5-6.3 OSS LensThe Sony FE 24-240mm F/3.5-6.3 OSS lens is a good entry-level lens for those looking to have a decent all-purpose lens. Equipped with an autofocus motor and physical aperture ring, this lens might be a good lens to recommend to newbie photographers. Stabilization None
Want to know how to make your video editing stand out? These creative techniques are a perfect place to start.Video editing is a very technical process, but it’s also a creative process. Sometimes it’s easy to neglect the creative side of things and focus almost entirely on the technical. Video editors need to remember that they are the very first audience for a project. With that in mind, let’s explore ways for video editors to be creative with their edits. These explorations will focus on what we can do as an editor to aid or enhance the overall narrative by the way we edit the footage given. In the end, we will have realized our, or the director’s, vision.1. Don’t Be Afraid of ContrastWhen editing, you can sometimes miss contrasting opportunities. But make no mistake — juxtaposition is your friend. Use it to your advantage if the situation arrises. Take, for instance, the baptism scene from The Godfather. Editors William Reynolds and Peter Zinner use contrasting imagery to enhance the narrative by showing Michael Corleone renounce evil… while also giving into evil by calling for his enemies to be killed.Video from Movieclips2. Use Cuts to Imply ActionSometimes when video editing you may not have a particular cutaway or piece of footage that you need to fully convey a scene or action. The best example we can give for a creative editing solution to this problem is the shower scene from Psycho. In order to convey the killer stabbing Marion as she stands nude in the shower (and get around the censors) Hitchcock and editor George Tomasini used rapid jump cuts. This technique allowed them to clearly convey the brutality of Marion’s death by allowing the audience to fill in the gaps for themselves.Video from Movieclips3. Layer Images With MontageAnother creative way to aid the narrative is layering imagery in a montage. We see this concept really clearly in the opening of Apocalypse Now. Director Francis Ford Coppola and editor Walter Murch use a montage of images in conjunction with Martin Sheen’s character Capt. Willard to convey the unescapable horrors of battle. This is a very creative and effective technique that was first used in film as early as the 1930s.Video from klacka234. Bring Two Spaces Together With a Match CutA creative way to connect two spaces is through the use of a match cut (or graphic cut). This technique let’s you bring two environments together that are complete opposites and allows the imagery to communicate the needed information nonverbally. This powerful type of cut can be see in the opening ‘dawn of man’ sequence in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Near the end of this clip, we see early man throwing a bone into the air followed by a match cut to a spaceship falling toward the frame. This is a perfect example of using creativity to move the narrative forward.Video from Duduzerah ChannelMore Creative ExplorationWant more creative inspiration for video editing? Then be sure to check out Inside the Edit. While this resource is based on editing for television, its creative guidance and instruction is really great. Here’s a short preview of what Inside the Edit provides.Video from Inside the Edit Hey, video editors. What did you think of these techniques? Got any creative tips to share? Let us know in the comments below!
Learn how to quickly and easily replace watermarked audio tracks with the real thing in Premiere Pro.Watermarked audio tracks are a great way for video editors to “test drive” songs in their projects, and a lot of royalty free music providers (like your pals here at PremiumBeat) allow you to download them for free. You can edit watermarked audio tracks just like regular audio tracks. Then, once you decide the temporary track meets the needs of your project, you simply replace it with the watermark-free purchased track. No problem.So how does one go about replacing the temporary watermarked track with the permanent track? Let’s take a look at the process as it works in Premiere Pro.Step 1: Edit Your Project With the Watermarked TrackThe first step: edit your project with the watermarked track included. Set levels, add effects, add keyframes, and splice the watermarked track any way you like. This is one of the main reasons why this technique is so much better than replacing the track by hand.Step 2: Replace the AudioTo replace the watermarked track, navigate to the project panel in Premiere Pro. Find your original track listed in the panel. Right click on the audio clip and select Replace Footage. Select the watermark-free version of your track (as seen below) and click Open.Boom. Your audio is now replaced and your project is ready to go. You will, of course, want to watch through your project to make sure everything imported correctly, but as long as your watermark-free track is the same duration as your watermarked track, you should have no issues at all.Everything About Audio in Premiere Pro CCIf you want an incredible overview of exactly what you can and can’t do with audio in Premiere Pro, then check out this super-extensive tutorial from Adobe’s Colin Smith.What’s your favorite Premiere Pro audio hack? Share your secrets in the comments below!
1. Open Track in AuditionMoving the clip over is a two-click process. Right-click on the track, then select Edit Clip In Adobe Audition from the drop-down menu. This will open up Audition with the track automatically set on the timeline.2. Convert Track to WAVOnce you’re in Audition, hit Save As and simply change the format from MP3 to WAVE PCM (*.wav, *bwf). Hit OK and import the converted track back into Premiere Pro. The breaks, blips, and jumps should now be gone, sparing you the hassle of recording new audio or purchasing a new track.Got any tips for saving glitchy audio? Share your secrets in the comments below! Have you encountered a jumpy audio track in your Premiere Pro video editing workflow? Convert it to a WAV file in Adobe Audition!Top image via ShutterstockThere are few situations more frustrating than throwing an audio file into your Premiere Pro timeline only to discover that the track simply does not work. The audio jumps. It skips. It’s a total workflow interruption encountered by many Premiere Pro users.Why does it happen? One of the possible problems with the file could be that MP3s are sometimes compressed as variable bit rates, whereas Premiere exclusively works with constant bit rates. Fortunately, there is an easy fix if you have access to the often underappreciated Adobe Audition.
Image Via Cams.net.The OLPF requirements for a Bayer sensor are slightly different than that of a monochrome sensor, but the OLPF is still necessary in both cases. With a Bayer sensor, we need to account for the red and blue channels being of a lower resolution and that we’re not expecting to be able to extract out 100% resolution. The OLPF helps make the job of the demosaic algorithm easier too. This means we shouldn’t be comparing the measured image resolution of a Bayer pattern sensor (either via a simple model at ~71% or a real-world measured figure of ~80%) to a monochrome sensor at 100% because the necessary optical filtering in both cases is setting a reasonable upper limit to resolution.This leads us all back to how the disadvantage of the Bayer pattern becomes advantageous at higher resolutions. At lower resolutions, we couldn’t sacrifice any resolution to allow for both a good resolution on the output image and the necessary optical low pass filtering. As resolution increases and sensors get larger, we’re gaining the cinematic image and are able to adequately filter to avoid the worst of aliasing and still have great image detail. Image via RED.PB: Any upcoming projects you are able to tell us about, or anything else you’d like to share?GN: Recent productions shot on RED include Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Stranger Things 2, Victoria and Abdul, Wonder, The Disaster Artist, Mindhunter, and The Punisher — among many others.Looking for more interviews with filmmaking pros? Check out these articles.A Conversation with the DP of The Confession TapesInterview: Director of Photography Jake Swantko of Netflix’s IcarusInterview: Director of Photography Behind HBO’s The Defiant OnesInterview: Last Chance U Director of Photography Gabriel PatayInterview: Behind A24’s Menashe with the Director and DP PremiumBeat: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your area of expertise — as well as your role with RED and the work you’ve done with them? You’ve had your hands on RED color science since the beginning, correct?Graeme Nattress: Since a very young age, I’ve been fascinated by television technology, and when something sparks my interest, I want to find out everything about how it works. I was lucky to get a Sinclair ZX81 when I was 10 years old, and that took me down the route of learning how to program. My educational background is in mathematics, so now I tie together all these aspects in my work with RED.With RED, I’ve developed the original REDCODE compression, and I look after the image processing throughout the entire system: demosaic, colorimetry, raw development, and image processing pipeline. Image via Shutterstock.PB: What makes RED technology stand out within the industry?GN: REDCODE RAW compression stands out as a piece of technology because of how it made 4K on-camera recording practical while maintaining image quality and RAW flexibility. When the RED ONE was released in 2007, recording 4k RAW data was prohibitively expensive and cumbersome, requiring a tethered recording device. REDCODE changed that by using innovative compression techniques to take the RAW data down to a manageable size while retaining image quality and the full flexibility of RAW – the ability to change ISO, color space, white balance etc., without penalty. REDCODE has continued to improve along with the RED cameras, so now it is making 8k practical. Image via New York Film Academy.PB: How much of a factor does the demosaic algorithm play in a camera’s true resolution?GN: A good demosaic algorithm doesn’t just look at the green pixels, and that’s the first reason why the ~70% figure is on the low side of what is achievable. Demosaic algorithms generally look at an area around the pixel being determined (i.e. figuring the green value at a red or blue pixel location for example) and can accurately infer the missing value from not just the surrounding pixels of the same color, but also from surrounding pixels of the other colors.PB: What is the role of the OLPF when it comes to resolution?GN: For the purposes of this article, “OLPF” refers to the fixed filter on the sensor that renders natural detail, not the interchangeable spectral filter that RED commonly refers to as the “OLPF” (such as the low-light optimized or skin tone-highlight variants). Image via Shutterstock.When we look at the perception of resolution we’re much less concerned about the finest detail a system can resolve. We can better characterize the resolution of an image through the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) than a single number that represents the limiting resolution and our ability to perceive the finest detail. If we instead look at the MTF and specifically the resolution at which image contrast has been reduced by 50% (MTF50), we find that number will much more closely respond to our perception of image sharpness. The MTF50 figure can be improved by removing the optical low pass filtering, but only at the expense of aliasing. This means that if you want a cinematic image, high MTF50, and low aliasing, the best solution is a high-resolution single sensor camera using a Bayer pattern, and that’s why such a camera design has been embraced not just by RED, but by the entire industry.PB: Can you explain the difference between luma resolution and chroma resolution? Does one lend more sharpness or perceived image quality than the other?GN: Efficient transmission of digital images often relies upon “chroma subsampling” where the color or “chroma” of an image is transmitted at a lower resolution than the black-and-white or “luma” component of an image. To make the luma and chroma components, a transform from RGB to Y’CbCr is used, where Y’ is the luma component and Cb and Cr are the chroma components.The reduction of resolution on the chroma components is either barely or inconsequentially noticed because the human visual system is much more sensitive to luma differences than color differences. The Bayer pattern similarly exploits this facet of the human visual system, placing much more emphasis on luma detail (via the green pixels making up half the total number in the array) than the red and blue pixels (each making up one quarter each of the total number of pixels). The Bayer Array via RED. To produce a cinematic image, we need to use cinema lenses, which are designed for a larger imaging area than a 3-chip and prism system is easily capable of working with. If we keep the pixel size the same, this larger sensor leads automatically to a higher resolution, and at high resolutions, we can effectively deal with Bayer pattern limitations and still get a high-resolution image. This is why practically all modern professional camera systems use Bayer pattern sensors.PB: Some would say that a Bayer sensor renders the true resolution of the camera at around 70% of the sensor’s resolution (or number of photosites). Is this an overly simplified way of looking at it?GN: Yes, it’s more nuanced than that. First, let’s look at where that 70% figure comes from: in a Bayer pattern sensor, half the pixels are green, so if you assume they’re the only ones contributing to image resolution and that there’s no optical filtration ahead of the sensor, a monochrome sensor of the same number of pixels as there are green pixels on a Bayer sensor would have a horizontal pixel count of 1/root(2) or ~71%. To put that into solid numbers a 4K Bayer sensor has a resolution of 4096×2304 = 9,437,184 pixels. Half of those pixels are green (so 4,718,592 green pixels). A monochrome sensor of 4,718,592 total pixels would be 2896 x 1629 (4,717,584 total pixels due to rounding). The horizontal resolution ratio is therefore 2896/4096 = 0.707, our ~71% figure.In the explanation above, I made two key assumptions (resolution only comes from green pixels, and that there’s no optical filtering), and they’re critical for understanding not just that the 70% figure is on the low side, but also that we run into other whole system problems (remembering the camera is the start of a chain that continues through post-production and broadcast/delivery) if we wish to take it higher. Image via Film and Digital Times.All sensors are sampled systems, so we have to obey sampling theory or suffer the consequences. Sampling theory tells us what resolution we need to sample a signal (in our case, an image) to avoid aliasing (unwanted artifacts where high frequency signal content folds back into the sampled signal, causing unwanted distortion). In a camera, we use an Optical Low- Pass Filter (or OLPF) to remove high-frequency content from the image before it hits the sensor to stop unwanted aliasing artifacts.These OLPFs have the imaging benefit of helping us avoid the worst aliasing artifacts in our images but can only do so through lowering the ultimate resolution in the image. An OLPF strong enough to entirely eliminate aliasing would blur the image to such a point where it would be unacceptable. Similarly, omitting the OLPF would inevitably lead to aliasing artifacts that ruin an image. (In the stills world, there are cameras that omit the OLPF, but aliasing is not as problematic in a still because the problems can often be fixed by hand in an image processing application, and for very high resolution sensors, diffraction and lens MTF have a much larger effect on the detail passed onto the sensor.)It’s also important to remember that aliasing artifacts are not just problematic visually, but that they confuse broadcast compression encoders, forcing them to waste bit allocation on non-image detail, lowering the available bandwidth for the real image detail you want the viewer to be able to appreciate. Aliasing also moves in an opposite direction to real motion, further confusing any compression encoder working with motion analysis. Image via Studio Daily.With RED cameras, no aspect of technology stands alone. Each aspect is designed to work as part of an entire system encompassing not just the camera but the whole post-production and delivery chain. Design decisions made for a camera have influence throughout that extended chain.PB: How does the Bayer sensor strategy apply to the color science in RED cameras? Is it utilized in all RED cameras (assuming, aside from the monochrome versions)?GN: All RED cameras use a Bayer pattern color filter array, other than the monochrome versions. Back before RED started, 3-chip cameras were considered “professional” and single-chip (i.e. color filter array sensor) cameras were “consumer.” The Bayer pattern is a very clever way to make a single sensor see color, but has the disadvantage that each pixel only sees red or green or blue, but not all three together. At low resolutions, this disadvantage dominates what we see in the image, but at high resolutions the Bayer pattern “disadvantage” gets turned around. Image via RED.The original article suggests that to figure out the true resolution of your camera, multiply the alleged resolution by .7. This is because almost all modern digital cameras use a Bayer pattern color filter array, which is 2/4 green data, a 1/4 blue, and a 1/4 red. The rest of the image gets assembled using a demosaic algorithm, which fills in the gaps between the pixels and creates color and light where it might not have existed in the data before.However, after looking deeper into the subject (and considering some of the debate), I wasn’t satisfied with this overly simplified way of looking at it. What defines resolution? Is it subjective? Is resolution so high nowadays that the Bayer pattern doesn’t matter anymore? There is a lot to consider when looking at resolution. So, in order to gain some clarity from a true expert, I reached out to RED’s Graeme Nattress — a man who has been behind some of the most ground-breaking camera technology and color science in the history of the medium. Graeme was generous enough to answer my questions and bring a true expert’s perspective.Let’s dive in. There is a lot more to digital camera resolution than pixel count. In this interview, RED’s Graeme Nattress clarifies the topic.Cover image via Cinema5D.A while back, I wrote and published an article for RocketStock arguing that your camera’s purported resolution may not be the true resolution when all is said and done. The original article, titled “Why Your 4k Camera Isn’t Really 4k” spurred what was, in my opinion, a lot of very interesting debate and conversation. When it comes to resolution, there are quite a few factors at play — one of them being the modern approach to digital camera sensors and the use of Bayer pattern sensors. For more info on what the Bayer pattern is, check out the original post, or many others available — like this one from RED. There are also various other factors, like demosaicing, Optical Low-Pass Filters (OLPFs), etc. All of these things create the differing looks and color science among camera manufacturers. Image via Film Riot.Putting this the other way around: if you want a sharp image (with real sharp image detail rather than artificial electronic enhancement) with low or no aliasing, the best way to achieve that is to start with a much higher resolution than you need, properly optical low pass filter, and downsample.PB: It seems to me that the issue of resolution is much more nuanced and complicated from camera to camera than a specific number printed on the outside of a box. How subjective is the issue of resolution? Do you think that there is a level of it that is an issue of personal taste and the image you’re trying to achieve?GN: Some aspects of resolution are certainly objective. The problem is that simple objective numbers don’t immediately translate into knowledge of what the image will look like. To describe a sensor as 8K Bayer pattern is a very reasonable description of how many pixels that sensor has, and it certainly gives you an idea of the resolution of the system, but it doesn’t tell you what the measured resolution of an image will be, taking into account lens, optical low pass filtering, and demosaic. If you want to know that, you have to shoot the camera and measure images.The major nuance of resolution is that, in a sampled system, it goes hand-in-hand with aliasing, in that the more resolution you try to squeeze out of a given system, the greater the propensity of aliasing. It’s tempting to shoot a scene with and without an OLPF and marvel at the extra detail the removal of the OLPF provides, and think that’s how a camera should be. The problem is that for high quality motion imagery, we don’t know in advance what type of scene the camera will be pointed at, and it’s all too easy to find repetitive patterns (a brick wall for instance) that alias badly, and once those aliases are embedded in the image, you’re pretty much stuck with them. There’s a responsibility that comes with designing a camera to make good decisions, and I think that designing high-resolution systems with appropriate optical low pass filtering to achieve high-measured resolution with low aliasing is the correct approach. Image via Shutterstock.Looking at things the other way, say we had a 3-chip camera, each chip with 2k resolution: that’s 3 x 2048 x 1152 = 7,077,888 total pixels. We’ll have a 2K image from that configuration, but it’ll be from a smaller sensor than we generally use for a cinematic image due to the necessary prism, and we’ll have to optically filter to avoid the worst of aliasing, giving us a sub-2K-measured resolution. We won’t have to optically filter as much as with a Bayer pattern sensor, but we still need that filter to be there. Now let’s take those pixels, remove the prism, and reconfigure as a single Bayer pattern sensor: 3547 * 1995 (7,076,265 total pixels due to rounding). Even using the simple math of ~71% for the measured resolution of a Bayer sensor, that gives us a measured resolution of ~2500. So we can now see how a Bayer pattern exploits the human perceptual system to offer greater resolution than a 3-chip approach. We also get the simpler optical path of a single sensor system, and if we keep the pixel size the same, a larger sensor and all of that leads to a more cinematic image.PB: The majority of the time, we’re oversampling our resolution for a lower display output. Is there a point of diminishing returns with resolution as it relates to final output size? How does oversampling affect the final output image (i.e. shooting 8K for a 2K theatrical projection)?GN: Oversampling brings real benefits to the image. “Just” sampling can work very well (i.e. shooting 4K for 4K) but upsampling is something I see as problematic. By capturing at a very high resolution, you can afford to optically filter (to avoid the worst of any possible aliasing) knowing that the downsampled image (be it 4k or 2k) will still be full of detail and appear sharp. In the process of downsampling, noise is reduced in absolute level but also becomes more grain-like in texture, making any noise that is still visible in the image much less objectionable or even aesthetically pleasing.
Images via Deity Microphones.Looking for more from NAB 2019? Check out these articles.NAB 2019: Blackmagic Design Announces New Battery Grip for the BMPCC4KNAB 2019: SmallHD Announces Their Camera-Controlled 7″ MonitorNAB 2019: Sony Announces the Latest 4K Broadcast BeastNAB 2019: AVID Announces Stellar New Media ComposerNAB 2019: DaVinci Resolve 16 There’s no release date for Deity Connect, yet. However if you want to be notified first, you can sign up here.Receiver SpecsChannel – Up to 18 ChannelsFrequency – 2.4GhzAntenna – SMADual True DiversityReceiving Sensitivity – -83/-86dBmAudio Output Connector – Dual Locking 3.5mm TRSAudio Delay – 19msAudio Distortion – ≤0.5%Signal to Noise Ratio – ≥67dBFrequency Response – 50Hz-20KHzDisplay Type – 1.3″ OLED DisplayLithium Ion Rechargeable BatteryBattery Life – 10hrsBattery Recharge Time – 70 minutes via USB QuickCharge 2.0/3.0Mounting Options – Cold shoe mount & Magic tapeDimensions – 113mm*87.4mm*33.5mmWeight -248gTransmitter SpecsChannel – Up to 18 ChannelsFrequency – 2.4GhzLimiter – AnalogLow Cut – 75Hz / 150HzHigh Frequency Boost – 7Khz-20Khz Boost @ +1dB stepsAntenna – SMAMute Switch – YESAudio Input Connectors – Locking 3.5mm TRSAudio Delay – 19msAudio Distortion – ≤0.5%Transmitting Power – 10mW/25mW/50mW/100mW/AUTORange – Up to 100m / +300ftSignal to Noise Ratio – ≥67dBLevel Control – 21dB to -51dBDisplay Type – 1.3″ OLED DisplayLithium Ion Rechargeable BatteryBattery Life – 10hrs @ 100mw RF OutputBattery Recharge Time -70 minutes via USB QuickCharge 2.0/3.0Mounting Options – Belt clipDimensions – 92.8mm*63mm*26mmWeight – 148gMicrophone SpecsFrequency Response – 50Hz-20KHzDirectivity – Omni-directionalCapsule Type – Pre-Polarized CondensorSensitivity – -40±2dB re 1 V/Pa @ 1kHzDynamic Range – 110dBMaximum Input – -40dBMic Head Size – 19.2mmH x 10.4mmW x 10.4mmDPower Requirements – 1.5-3VCable Length – 1.6mWhat’s Inside the Box2x Deity BP-TXDeity DUO-RX2x XLR – 3.5mm Cables2x LavaliersDSLR Locking Audio CableDUO-RX Sync CableUSB-C Charging cable2x Transmitter Antenna2x Reciever Elbow Antenna2x Foam Wind Screen2x Lavalier Tie-ClipsWaterproof Hardcase with Custom Foam InsertCold Shoe to 1/4″20 AdaptedUSB-C to USB Type-A Firmware Update Adapter Deity continues their winning streak by releasing their first wireless audio recording system, on full display at NAB 2019.One of the fastest-growing companies in recent memory (thanks to some help from Aputure), Deity Microphones has been putting out some stellar products lately. Their most recent release, the V.Lav, was an impressive addition to their lavalier lineup — and a welcome product for many filmmakers. So, with NAB in full swing, Deity has finally released their staggering 2.4Ghz wireless system. Connect was first announced back in September, 2018, but the system is now on display and ready to rock at NAB with an actual release date of April 16th.In case you want a refresher, here’s what Deity has said about the new product:We wanted to create a transmitter that would be truly unique and different. Its compact form factor makes it perfect for hiding under outfits. With a run time of 10hrs @ 100mw and a recharge time of less than an hour, the BP-TX is ready for a full workday.Image via Deity.Deity has also pitched us the idea of their “Adaptive Frequency Hopping” and by that they mean the following:Deity Connect divides time into so-called time-slots, during which the transmitter and receiver operate on the same RF channel and the Transmitter emits one packet. The duration of a time-slot is 1.5 msec. Deity Connect uses an advanced Adaptive Frequency Hopping protocol that actually uses 4 core channels and 5 trail channels that it will test out and look for better channels than its 4 core channels. During each hop into a time-slot, the system sends 1 or 2 packets of data. At any given time, the BP-TX is hopping between the 9 different frequencies in a pattern. And because Deity Connect is a bi-directional transceiver system that is always scanning, mapping out the whole 2.4Ghz frequency band and coordinating its signal, it can plan ahead the 70 frequency hops.So if you’re like me, who does not know a whole lot about audio (I’m like, “What does this mean?”), Deity goes on to explain:WiFi and Deity’s Protocol are opposites. WiFi operates much like a rolling shutter in pulses and slows down the pulses to accommodate other signals and other devices on the 2.4Ghz band. Deity’s Protocol takes advantage of the passive nature of WiFi protocol and bosses it around by injecting itself between these pulses. And while it doesn’t just outright blast WiFi and stop it from working, it coordinates its time-slot hops with the pulses of all the WiFi devices around it. This allows for our signal to not get stepped-on nor stopped for other traffic. In layman’s terms, WiFi can be thought of as a beta signal and Deity’s Protocol can be thought of as an Alpha signal setting the pulse rhythm for all the 2.4Ghz traffic in the area.In even simpler terms, Adaptive Frequency Hopping is like a motorcyclist who is lane splitting during heavy traffic on a highway. Sliding in and out of lanes causing the cars to slide aside to make room when the motorcyclist buzzes by them. We are lane splitting using up to 9 lanes on an 18 lane highway.
Expand your filmmaking skill set in only a weekend with these DIY tutorials for fun, creative, and relatively simple filmmaking projects.For many filmmakers and videographers just starting out, the allure of investing in and buying tons of new gear is hard to resist. You need your camera, your lenses, your tripods, your monopods, your sliders, your 3-point lighting kit, your audio recorders, your 200-foot dolly tracks, etc.But truth be told, you really don’t need that much — even if you’re beyond just starting off and have been in the game for years. Yes, there is always something else you may want, but if you focus on creative visual storytelling, you can pull off just about any shot or look without spending tons of money on fancy new gear.An alternative is to skip the expensive retailers and simply make the gear yourself. There’s a wealth of resources for DIY filmmakers available online. All it takes is a free weekend, a trip to the hardware store, and a little time watching a tutorial.So, if you have a free weekend, save one (or two or three) of these DIY tutorials, and give your inner craftsman a little TLC by building out one of these projects on your own.1. DIY Balloon LightIn this video from Shutterstock Tutorials, we get a step-by-step breakdown of the materials, the process, and the use of a DIY balloon light — one of the biggest, brightest, softest (yet surprisingly cheapest) lights you could possibly make.Here’s the full write-up on how to get started.2. DIY Light Stand (Under $10)One of the classic DIY projects is the $10 DIY light stand (outlined by the team at Film Riot), which helps you create a pretty-simple-yet-surprisingly-sturdy-and-helpful light stand. All you need is a drill and a quick trip to the hardware store for some PVC pipe to begin lighting your projects first thing Monday morning.3. DIY Sidecar MountWhile most of these projects are useful for a variety of shots, this is one of the more specific and complex projects, so it may be a little trickier to tackle. That being said, you can use this to create some absolutely amazing car chases and action shots! And the best part is you don’t need to break the bank purchasing a highly expensive Russian Arm system. All you need is $50 in supplies. You can read the full article on the project here.Also, check out this similar $30 DIY Car Mount project tutorial, with subsequent write-up here.4. DIY Fig RigAnother classic DIY weekend project involves following the advice of Indy Mogul and creating your very own DIY fig rig. A “fig rig” is basically another word for a camera gimbal. In this case, one shaped into a makeshift circle, which you hold like a steering wheel for run-and-gun filmmaking — and it’s much smoother and more controlled than typical handheld movement. The entire process will cost you less than $30 (which is a fraction of what a name-brand fig rig or gimbal would cost). 5. DIY Lighting PlatesWhile this is technically more of a DIY technique than a single rig or project, it is actually a really cool project that you can use to create some truly impressive results. Plus, it’s just funny to watch Robbie run around being chased by a serial killer, silhouetted in a scene, that only uses one light! The technique is called “lighting in plates,” and it’s actually a “form of compositing that weaves several shots together to provide ample lighting coverage for the entire shot.”You can read more on the process and how to pull it off here.6. DIY Film Rain Machine (for under $15)Here’s a fun one for those who don’t mind getting a little cold and wet. A DIY rain machine can be a simple-yet-effective tool, and it can you save thousands of dollars. In this demo by Tom Antos, we get a more sophisticated and reliable machine that works better than making a PA hold a water hose slightly out of frame.Antos shares his DIY process, which should cost anywhere between $15 and $70, depending on the supplies you have available.7. DIY Product Shot SetupsThis DIY tutorial on shooting “cheap and easy” product shots is a fun weekend project that can add a whole commercial filmmaking skill set to your reel — as well as teach you how to use inexpensive lighting for expensive-looking styles. Looking at product materials, working with surfaces and sets, and creating interesting compositions are all part of the process outlined in this step-by-step article.Take it a step further and dive into the lighting and production of product shots in this tutorial.If none of these DIY projects pique your interest, here are some more DIY filmmaking resources to check out.DIY Filmmaking: How to Build Your Own Dolly for $507 DIY Filmmaking Hacks: Creating New Lights to Building Your Own Hi-Hat5 DIY Tutorials and Gear Hacks for FilmmakersDIY Filmmaking Tips: Building a Heavily Diffused $50 LightVideo Tutorial: Create a DIY Wireless China Ball Light
EVF UsabilityEVFs are most useful on bright, sunny days when glare makes monitors hard to see, or when the position of the camera makes it hard to see. If you’re shooting in a constrained environment — like the back of a car — a EVF pressed against your eye will take up a lot less room than a five-inch monitor on an arm.An EVF also adds more stability to a handheld shot because the rubber pressed against your eye adds a point of contact, making the camera less “tippy.”A final advantage of an EVF is when shooting intimate drama scenes. Because one eye is pressed to the EVF and the other closed, it’s less distracting for an actor than the operator/DP watching a small monitor just off their eye-line. Less light will escape compared to a backlit monitor, allowing the actor to focus on their scene partner.An EVF totally eliminates your peripheral vision. You’ll be dependent on other members of the crew to keep you from colliding with things. It’s never a good idea to do walking or moving shots with an EVF, unless someone you trust is spotting you, making sure you don’t get taken out by a car or walk into a low-hanging sign. In this article, we’ll examine the EVF, its usability pros and cons, and the best options for an indie filmmaking budget.Back in the glory days of film, the only way to see what the camera was seeing was by placing your eye to the eyepiece and framing up the shot. This meant that the cinematographer or operator was the only one seeing what they were capturing, giving them tremendous power on a film set.Once digital came along, with its SDI/HDMI-out cameras, the whole set could see the image in glorious high definition, color-graded, and ready for the big screen. If the PA didn’t think your ratios were right, they could point it out to the whole set, and the producer could agree with them.Cinematographers who worked in the days of celluloid love the EVF (Electronic Viewfinder), which is a tiny display inside an eyecup that only allows the person next to the camera to see what’s going on. Besides offering a one-person view of the camera’s sensor, the EVF has some key advantages and disadvantages worth noting.Camera Native vs. Third PartyEVFs on the market today break down into two camps: camera native and third party. The camera native ones, like the ARRI EVF-2 and the Canon EVF-V70, cost upwards of $6000 and have custom camera controls, as well as high-quality displays. They are, however, out of reach for most indie filmmakers. The Canon costs more than the Canon c200 Digital Cinema Camera.The third party ones, like the Zacuto Gratical and the PortKeys OEYE-3G, come in between $1000 and $2000, and connect to the camera via HMDI or SDI. They don’t add extra menu buttons or camera controls, but they give a great image and most have advanced features, like false color and peaking. The FutureEVFs definitely have their place on set, and as miniature high-resolution LED screens become cheaper — thanks in part to their use in cell phones — there’ll be more and more full-featured offerings for filmmakers of all budgets.Cover image via PortKeys.Looking for more filmmaking tips and tricks? Check these out.Bring Your Next Film to Life with The Art of the Pitch DeckWhat to Put in Your Short Film’s Mood BoardHarnessing the Power of Rehearsal for Your Films and Video ProjectsGold Mount vs. V-Mount: Which Is Your Best Choice?Tips for Getting the Smoothest, Most Reliable Handheld Footage
When luxuries become necessities people become soft.Leads that are generated by marketing are a luxury. Countless B2B businesses exist–and grow–without marketing generated leads. If marketing generated leads are a necessity, you have a serious challenge as a sales organization. It’s not that marketing shouldn’t generate leads. It’s that you should rely on your marketing department to open opportunities within your dream client accounts for you.A product or service that is already so compelling that your prospective buyers are lined up in front of your building waiting to buy is an extreme luxury. That luxury may belong exclusively to Apple, for now. If it is necessary for you to have a product that sells itself, then you’re not a salesperson. You are an order taker. A compelling product or service is a luxury, and a lot of sales organizations sell things that are necessary and not very sexy.Luxuries cannot become necessities without causing damage. If something that is “nice to have” becomes something you “need to have,” then you are dependent on something that you don’t really need, and you will be at a competitive disadvantage when competing against those who see your necessity as an extravagance.
Essential Reading! Get my 2nd book: The Lost Art of Closing “In The Lost Art of Closing, Anthony proves that the final commitment can actually be one of the easiest parts of the sales process—if you’ve set it up properly with other commitments that have to happen long before the close. The key is to lead customers through a series of necessary steps designed to prevent a purchase stall.” Buy Now If you are going to build consensus, you need the capacity to take a third person’s perspective, and you need to help the contacts you are working with to do the same.When you have a stakeholder speaking to another stakeholder, the person speaking is speaking in the first person. They are sharing their perspective. The person listening has their own idea about what is being said, and that is a second perspective. You have the third person’s perspective. You have to decide what you believe the speaker is saying, and you have to decide what you believe the second person thinks about what they heard.But wait. There’s more.There is another stakeholder who is absent from this meeting. That person has a perspective, too. They have their own idea about what the first stakeholder said, and they have their own perspective about what they believe the second person thinks about what they heard.The more stakeholders, the more perspectives. The more perspectives, the more there is to elicit and to manage.One of the problems in building consensus is that many of the stakeholders you are working with are sharing their first person perspective, without considering other perspectives. When we elicit their perspective, we don’t often ask our stakeholders to share with us to share with us what they believe their peer’s perspectives might be.The lack of perspective-taking means that people get left out of the process, challenges aren’t mitigated, and consensus isn’t reached. Or, decisions are made without considering others, and those who are left out entrench in their positions and kill whatever initiative was being pursued.
Essential Reading! Get my 3rd book: Eat Their Lunch “The first ever playbook for B2B salespeople on how to win clients and customers who are already being serviced by your competition.” Buy Now The email inbox. It’s a place for other people’s priorities and their requests of you. Eliminating one email by, say, replying to it with an answer, is almost guaranteed with 100 percent certainty to return another email, or more likely two more. Once all emails have been answered, one need only wait overnight to have the all of the deleted emails to be replaced again.Some of what is in your inbox, the priorities and requests of others, is important. Some of the “others” who have sent you an email are important to you, and some of those emails need a reply. But the fact that something requires a reply is not an indication as to its urgency. When something is urgent, email isn’t the most reliable form of communication, much as a traditional mailed envelope delivered by the postal service would not be the best method of avoiding something catastrophic after the invention of the telephone.You have clients. Your clients need your attention, and they need your help. From time to time, they will communicate with you by email. Some of your prospective clients, your dream clients, will reply to your request to meet with them by email. A few of them may even agree to meet with you. Almost none of these emails will be urgent, as it is a rare choice for clients who have a challenge that requires immediate attention. Because the likelihood of an email containing some urgent piece of news that requires your immediate attention is infinitesimal, you don’t need to sit watch over your inbox.Truth: You cannot do your best work with your email open and your smartphone notifying you of every potential outside attempt to gain your attention.Rule: If you are going to do quality work, work worth paying for, you must close the browser, close your email, and turn off your notifications while you do that work.If your client or dream client needs you for something now, they have your phone number and they will call you. If it is urgent, your phone will ring. If on the other hand, they chose to send you an email, they had no expectation that you should communicate with them in real time over an asynchronous medium. Nor did they have any idea when you might read their note.If you are nervous about missing something, know that nothing in your inbox is so important that it can’t wait an hour while you are head-down, focused, and giving your full and undivided attention to your real work. You can go an hour without your email. As you become braver, stretch that hour to 90 minutes and do more meaningful work.
Over the past few months, many of the social-only, inbound-only, the-only-school-is-new-school chattering class have revised their talk tracks. As it turns out, outbound is back in fashion (even though many of us refused to buy the hype, instead speaking what we knew to be true, namely that outbound is still necessary and faster). Much of what the social-chattering class has written lately has pertained to cold calling still being necessary.Outbound prospecting efforts are back in fashion because inbound itself could never live up to the promise at scale. What an individual can do is different from what an enterprise can do. The promise was “never cold call again,” and “stop selling and just be helpful,” even though this brave new sales world made salespeople even more conflict averse, afraid to interrupt their dream client, and be “helpful” meaning providing more information (this, from the same people who suggested that the internet provides all the information necessary and that clients know as much as the salespeople who call on them). Empty and shallow pipelines moved things back towards outbound.Speed to results matter. Inbound, like all the other ways one might prospect for new business, is a nice addition to the existing methods, if it isn’t nearly as fast. Because it is passive, it doesn’t produce meetings and the new opportunities that come from them nearly as quickly as more traditional methods. Opportunities now are better than opportunities a year from now. Helping client with the results they need now is better than helping them twenty-two months from now. Inbound provides tremendous support for outbound efforts by helping capture mind-share and nurturing relationships, both of which are critical. But the math on what it takes to produce results makes an inbound-only, social-only a poor choice.Sales enablement, sales training, and sales improvement are fashion businesses. When something catches fire, regardless of the real value, people who work in the sales training space work to capitalize on the trend by creating an offering which, at the time of this writing, is Account Based Sales and Marketing. But a better view is to be aware of what is new, and the potential value but always with an eye towards what has endured. As the future arrives at an ever faster clip, the things that have been true for hundreds of thousands of years are going to produce outsized results. The longer something has been useful, the longer it is likely to be so. Get the Free eBook! Learn how to sell without a sales manager. Download my free eBook! You need to make sales. You need help now. We’ve got you covered. This eBook will help you Seize Your Sales Destiny, with or without a manager. Download Now
PANAJI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday filed a complaint with the Election Commission, and a criminal complaint with the Cyber Crime Cell of the Goa Police against unknown persons for propagating fake news against Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.The alleged fake video, which went viral on Wednesday on the website www.primenews-goa.com, quoted Mr. Parrikar as saying, “These elections (the Panaji bypoll) are important for me, but if I lose, I can always shift to Delhi as Defence Minister.” The complaint filed by Panaji BJP general secretary Pundalik Rautdessai said, “An attempt has been made by circulating a distorted and false news item on social media like Facebook, WhatsApp amongst others, to create falsehood, malign the image of our candidate Manohar Parrikar and to misguide the electorate of Panaji constituency.” The complaint said the false news is being circulated under the name of Prime News, Goa, with an unnamed press cutting. Mr. Parrikar on Thursday described the video as “fake news”, and said this only showed the level of the frustration and desperation of his opponents. He was speaking at a press conference held at the BJP headquarters to release his election manifesto. “There is no such meeting, no such statement. What are they quoting and trying to make some sort of news out of? The best part is that the news channel they are quoting has also lodged a criminal complaint in this regard for damaging its name,” the Chief Minister said.Bypolls are scheduled in Panaji and Valpoi constituencies on August 23. In Panaji, Mr. Parrikar will take on AICC Secretary Girish Chodankar, and in Valpoi, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane of the BJP will face Roy Naik of the Congress.“When I am meeting people directly, where is the question of such a meeting happening? People know that these are some frustrated minds doing this. People also know my victory is sure. The only question is what the margin will be,” Mr. Parrikar said.Mr. Parrikar declined to comment on an article in the Renewal Novssorni Renevacao, a pastoral publication of the Goa and Daman Archdiocese, equating the NDA rule with the rise of Nazism in Germany.When asked if the election campaign had taken a communal colour, Mr. Parrikar said, “Not at all.”Mr. Parrikar’s election manifesto, released later, promises to streamline transport, provide continuous water supply, make Panaji congestion-free, and introduce biofuel-based public transport.
Elections to the Gujarat Assembly are scheduled at the end of the year but the BJP has finalised September as the month to rev up its campaign with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley heading to Ahmedabad. According to a senior office bearer in the party, Mr. Jaitley will travel to Gujarat on September 3. As poll in charge and Rajya Sabha member from the State, he will start off poll preparations there. Plan for videoconference Mr. Shah’s visit on September 10 is likely to be more high profile. He will address a Town Hall meet from Gandhinagar and video conference with people from 100 locations. September 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday, will see him address a public rally, the possible location for which could be Sadhu Bet, a riverine island facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada, and the location of the Statue of Unity, a large statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. At least three dam-related projects will be inaugurated on that day and 80 Narmada yatras, in different locations, will be launched to travel across Gujarat with political messaging from the BJP. A slogan, Garje che Gujarat or “Gujarat Roars” is in the process of being finalised but the launch of the slogan may not take place in September. As in all campaigns run by Mr. Shah, a numerical target has been set. For Gujarat, with an Assembly strength of 182, the target is a super ambitious 150 seats. Patidar and Una worriesThe party acknowledges that the Patidar agitation in 2015 and the Una flogging incident that targeted Dalits need to be dealt with but leaders are quite upbeat for having weaned 15 MLAs of the Congress away, with the Opposition’s main leader Shankar Singh Vaghela declaring himself as a dissident and quitting his MLA seat as well. “Among those who quit the Congress is Ramsinh Parmar, chairperson of the Kaira District Milk Cooperatives Association [popularly known as Amul Dairy]. This is a significant victory for us,” said a party leader involved in Gujarat affairs.
Banaras Hindu University on the boil Journalists to meet CMMeanwhile, a delegation of journalists is scheduled to meet Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to raise voice against the alleged police action against journalists covering the protest. At least two journalists were injured and they allege the police did not let them go to the hospital for treatment, said the UP state accredited correspondents committee. A delegation of UPSACC has also left for Varanasi.In an earlier statement issued by the BHU, the central varsity alleged the protest by the girl students was “part of a conspiracy to defame the institution.”The administration said that some professionals wearing the cloak of social and political activists were misleading students, making them pawns. Alleging that the protest was “totally politically motivated” and staged and planned to stain PM Narendra Modi’s Varanasi trip, the BHU said. Apart from outsiders, the protestors also included students who had faced disciplinary action in the past.“Large number of outsiders”Commenting on the security inside the campus, the BHU said it ran a 24-hour security mechanism in the 1360 acre campus but also cited that the varsity had a large number of outsiders commuting through it.People from outside come in large numbers to visit the Kashi Vishwanath Mandir, the 1550-bed Sir Sundarlal hospital and the 334-bed trauma centre and around one lakh people are in the campus at any given time given the flow of commuters and bikers who pass through it, the varsity said. The Banaras Hindu University administration has denied that it ordered a lathi charge on women students protesting against the inaction and victim-blaming after an alleged molestation case.BHU chief proctor O.N.Singh said the police acted in self-defence after the group of protesters, which he claimed was full of outsiders and “anti-social elements,” pelted stones at the security forces and tried to break into the hostels.“There was no lathi charge. The protesting crowd had a large number of anti-social and miscreant elements in it and they broke the Triveni Gate and tried to enter forcefully into the girls’ hostels. They pelted stones at the police, who acted in their defence. Some policemen also received injuries,” Mr. Singh told The Hindu.Mr. Singh said he had repeatedly appealed the students to maintain peace and claimed the administration did not resort to any excessive action.He also informed that the administration would advance the Puja vacation for students and asked students to vacate the hostels by 4 pm. A notification would be passed this evening to 10-12 hostels that were involved in protests, he said.
The baby in her first week. JAIPUR: Defying the odds of medicine, a newborn baby weighing just 400 grams has survived after her premature birth in Udaipur and gained normalcy after completing a six-month-long clinical course, with her parents and doctors having struggled hard to keep her alive and healthy. The girl was discharged from hospital on Thursday.Neonatologist Sunil Janged, who led a team of doctors and nursing staff for ensuring the girl’s incredible survival, claimed that she was the smallest newborn baby to survive in India and South Asia. The last reported such survival was a baby, Rajni, weighing 450 grams, at Mohali in 2012.The girl, named Manushi by the nursing staff of Jivanta Children’s Hospital, was born to a couple married for 35 years. When her mother’s blood pressure became uncontrollable halfway through her pregnancy and the ultrasonography revealed absence of blood flow to the foetus, a caesarean section was conducted on her on June 15, 2017. Manushi weighed 400 grams and measured just 8.6 inches when she was born, her minuscule feet being only slightly bigger than a fingernail. She was not breathing when she was born, but the couple decided to fight to keep her alive.“To salvage a baby of this size was a challenging task. There is no reported survival of a newborn weighing this small in the Indian sub-continent,” said Dr. Janged. As she was struggling to breathe, she was shifted to the neontal intensive care unit (NICU) and put on ventilator to expand her tiny and immature lungs.The initial days were difficult as Manushi’s birth weight dropped. Paediatricians attending on her started with parenteral nutrition, giving all essential nutrients directly into blood circulation. She was able to digest milk by the seventh week of her life and was able to drink from spoon after about four months.The small baby required respiratory support on and off as she used to hold breath during sleep. “The biggest challenge for our team was to prevent any infection to her and our team managed it very well. She required multiple blood transfusions during her NICU stay,” said Dr. Janged.There were many difficult days and many tears, but the infant clearly wanted to survive. In all, she was in the NICU for 210 days and she weighed close to 2,400 grams on her discharge from the hospital on Thursday.Manushi’s brain is structurally normal and her eyes are also developing normally. Babies this small have less than 0.5% chance of survival without brain damage because they have extremely poor function of all body organs, according to the medical experts.In the desert State of Rajasthan where the skewed sex ratio is a reflection on the way a girl’s birth is received, Manushi’s survival is a saga of grit, determination and struggle of her parents and doctors who saved the infant’s life and turned the tide against negligible chances of her survival.
An Army officer was injured in a blast in Poonch’s frontier area on Sunday.A district administration official said a Junior Commissioned Officer, Om Prakash, of the Army’s 5 Mahar, suffered splinter injuries in Mendhar area, which is close to the Line of Control. The injured officer was shifted to a hospital in Udhampur. The Army said the officer was in stable condition. The blast was not a “result of Pakistan’s shelling”.
A day after he was attacked by a mob in Pakur district of Jharkhand, well-known social activist Swami Agnivesh has demanded judicial probe into the incident.“If the State government wants an impartial probe, then it should order one by a sitting judge of the Jharkhand High Court, he said in Ranchi before leaving for Delhi on Wednesday. He lamented that an appointment with the Jharkhand Governor granted for Tuesday afternoon was cancelled without giving any reason. The attack was raised in the Jharkhand Assembly on Wednesday and the Opposition staged a noisy protest.However, senior Minister C.P. Singh, speaking to journalists outside the Assembly, called Swami Agnivesh a fraud and a foreign agent. “He planned this attack himself to gain popularity,” said the Urban Development Minister.