Archive for the ‘Reference’ Category

Canon Readiris Corporate 15 OCR software enables smart documents

Tuesday, July 14th, 2015

Readiris Corporate 15 is an advanced software solution for users in both small and large enterprises who need to digitise their paper information for easier archiving and sharing.

Automated document processing improves productivity, and work processes, while easy sharing of information increases mobility and efficiency in the workplace.

Automated document processing improves productivity, and work processes, while easy sharing of information increases mobility and efficiency in the workplace.

Canon, a global leader in photographic and digital imaging solutions, has unveiled its first IRIS offering in Singapore – Readiris Corporate 15.

An advanced optical character recognition (OCR) solution, Readiris aims to reinvent the way enterprises in Singapore work with paper, enabling them to now convert paper into digitised documents and images for users to seamlessly search, and share information in a smarter, more productive workplace.

More details from the press release below.

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POTD: Who designed & built Eiffel Tower in Paris, France?

Sunday, June 28th, 2015

Photo of the Day: The Eiffel Tower is named after engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. His company designed and built the landmark in Paris in 1889.

View of the Trocadéro framed by the bottom of the Eiffel Tower. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

View of the Trocadéro framed by the bottom of the Eiffel Tower. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

According to Wikipedia, “the design of the Eiffel Tower was originated by Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier, two senior engineers who worked for the Compagnie des Établissements Eiffel”.

This was the dude who brought the Eiffel Tower into this world - Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923). The bust was unveiled in 1929 and is now at the base of the Northern leg of the Tower. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

This was the dude who brought the Eiffel Tower into this world – Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923). The bust was unveiled in 1929 and is now at the base of the Northern leg of the Tower. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

The tower was to serve as a centrepiece for the Exposition Universelle to celebrate the centennial of the French Revolution.

Incidentally, the first time I visited the Eiffel Tower was in 1989, smack in the middle of the bicentennial celebrations of the French Revolution.

Gustave Eiffel bought the rights to the patent for the design which the original designers had taken out and eventually saw the Tower to completion in time.

As with all things new, the design met with opposition and criticism right from design stage till after completion – but history has proven that the design is technically robust and aesthetically appealing.

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POTD: Eiffel Tower in Paris, France

Saturday, June 27th, 2015

Photo of the Day: The Eiffel Tower is an iron lattice tower designed and built by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel in 1889 – as the entrance arch to the World’s Fair in that year.

Eiffel Tower as seen from the Pont d'Iéna. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Sepia tint added using Adobe Photoshop CC 2015. Photo credit: John Tan.

Eiffel Tower as seen from the Pont d’Iéna. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Sepia tint added using Adobe Photoshop CC 2015. Photo credit: John Tan.

At 324m tall, the Eiffel Tower is the tallest structure in Paris, and was the tallest in the world for 41 years from 1889 to 1930.

It was surpassed in 1930 by the Chrysler Building in New York City.

Roughly 80 stories high, the base is square with 125m on each side.

There are three levels that visitors can visit.

I like the lace-like design in the metalwork of the Eiffel Tower. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

I like the lace-like design in the metalwork of the Eiffel Tower. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

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POTD: 3rd time lucky at Chambord Chateau in Loire Valley, France

Sunday, June 14th, 2015

After having twice turned back from visiting Chateau Chambord when I’d already reached its gates, I decided to make my third and final attempt at visiting this biggest and most majestic of the numerous fabulous chateaus in the beautiful Loire Valley.

The frontal facade of the Chambord Chateau, with the moat in the foreground. The architecture is what one expects of a typical castle - an inner keep surrounded by corners and a moat. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

The frontal facade of the Chambord Chateau, with the moat in the foreground. The architecture is what one expects of a typical castle – an inner keep surrounded by corner towers and a moat. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

Why two unsuccessful attempts?

Well, my first attempt at visiting Château de Chambord was during the summer holidays back in school when I cycled 16km from Blois only to suffer an accident right in front of the castle.

One of many beautiful chandeliers in Chambord Chateau. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

One of many beautiful chandeliers in Chambord Chateau. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

I had to satisfy myself with some quick snapshots of the front of the Chateau before bidding goodbye to the chateau.

Decades later, I brought my family with two kids on a self-drive vacation to the chateaus in the Loire Valley.

By the end of the week and more than half a dozen chateaus later, we arrived again at the gates of the Chambord Chateau in the mid afternoon.

By then, the kids were so tired out from our earlier exertions of that day that they were so totally knackered we couldn’t bear to wake them from their sleep in the car.

And to be honest, my wife and I were up to our ears in chateaus by that time.

So my wife and I snapped the obligatory snapshots of each other posing with the (equally majestic) rear facade of the chateau within a stone’s throw of where our car was parked.

Enjoy a horse carriage ride on the extensive grounds of the Chambord Chateau. Horse lovers can also watch twice daily equestrian shows at the chateau. Taken with an Olympus OMD-EM5 Mark II with M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

Enjoy a horse carriage ride on the extensive grounds of the Chambord Chateau. Horse lovers can also watch twice daily equestrian shows at the chateau. Taken with an Olympus OMD-EM5 Mark II with M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens. Photo credit: KoolKat.

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NCS launches NCS Technology Evolution Book to celebrate SG50

Friday, May 22nd, 2015

The book looks back at the Singapore’s IT transformation from the beginning of its computerisation journey to realising the vision as the world’s first Smart Nation.

Chia Wee Boon (left), CEO of NCS presenting a limited edition NCS Tech Evolution book to Tay Ai Cheng (right), Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Librarian of National Library Board. “With the support from the National Library Board, the public can have access to NCS Tech Evolution. We hope everyone will enjoy reading this book, appreciate the contributions of the pioneers and many unsung heroes,” said Chia.

Chia Wee Boon (left), CEO of NCS presenting a limited edition NCS Tech Evolution book to Tay Ai Cheng (right), Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Librarian of National Library Board. “With the support from the National Library Board, the public can have access to NCS Tech Evolution. We hope everyone will enjoy reading this book, appreciate the contributions of the pioneers and many unsung heroes,” said Chia.

NCS, a leading Info-Communication Technology (ICT) provider in Asia Pacific launched today the NCS Technology Evolution book to commemorate the Nation’s IT transformation from the very beginning of Singapore’s computerisation journey.

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QNX tech powers MSI Global’s automated fare collection system

Thursday, May 21st, 2015

QNX Neutrino OS will be powering the fare collection system deployed in thousands of devices throughout Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand.

On bus terminal powered by the new automated fare collection system. “MSI’s experience with QNX Neutrino has been very favorable and we will continue to leverage the same secure OS for our future projects,” said Silvester Prakasam, fare system business unit head, MSI.

On bus terminal powered by the new automated fare collection system. “MSI’s experience with QNX Neutrino has been very favorable and we will continue to leverage the same secure OS for our future projects,” said Silvester Prakasam, fare system business unit head, MSI.

QNX Software Systems Limited, a subsidiary of BlackBerry Limited, today announced that the QNX® Neutrino® OS is powering a new fare collection system in Southeast Asia.

MRT gates at a Downtown Line station in Singapore using the new system. “Creating a solution that could gain widespread adoption was also a key consideration in our choice of OS, and with QNX Neutrino we were able to create a design that is fast and reliable, yet affordable to customers in cost-sensitive regions.” added Prakasam.

MRT gates at a Downtown Line station in Singapore using the new system. “Creating a solution that could gain widespread adoption was also a key consideration in our choice of OS, and with QNX Neutrino we were able to create a design that is fast and reliable, yet affordable to customers in cost-sensitive regions.” added Prakasam.

The system includes automatic gates, ticketing machines, and onboard bus equipment, throughout the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including Singapore, the Philippines, and Thailand.

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Canon boosts Cinema EOS lineup with EOS C300 Mark II, XC10 & XF-AVC

Thursday, April 9th, 2015

Canon today launched the EOS C300 Mark II and XC10 digital cameras and announced the development of XF-AVC, a new proprietary video format for the efficient recording of high-image-quality 4K, 2K and HD video footage. Prices TBA.

The Canon EOS C300 Mark II (EF mount) digital cinema camera (right) will be available from September 2015, while the XC10 4K video camcorder (left) will be available in mid-June.

The Canon EOS C300 Mark II (EF mount) digital cinema camera (right) will be available from September 2015, while the XC10 4K video camcorder (left) will be available in mid-June.

Both digital cinema cameras are capable of capturing 4K video and support Canon’s new XF-AVC video format, which allows for data compression without sacrificing image quality.

​The EOS C300 Mark II incorporates a Canon-developed Super 35 mm-equivalent approximately 8.85-megapixel CMOS image sensor and the Company’s latest imaging platform, Dual DIGIC DV 5, which promises exceptional processing power.

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Infographic: Singapore findings from CA Technologies security study

Thursday, February 26th, 2015

Yesterday CA Technologies released the results of its study on security in the application economy in Asia Pacific & Japan. Here are the results from the respondents in Singapore.

Excerpt of a graphical representation of the survey results for Singapore. To download/view the full enlarged infographic, click on the image above.

Excerpt of a graphical representation of the survey results for Singapore. To download/view the full enlarged infographic, click on the image above.

The study, sponsored by CA Technologies shows how mobility, APIs and an eye toward growing the business have brought a balanced view of control and enablement to security.

“It is paramount for Singapore organizations to stay ahead of the fast-changing IT threat landscape, especially in a geographic location that serves as a strategic regional and global hub for commerce,” said Chua I-Pin, vice president, Asia South, CA Technologies.

Singapore respondents were nearly equally split when asked if security was mostly about control or enabling the business.

49 percent of respondents said security was mostly about control, while 51 percent indicated that it was about both control and enablement.

Key Singapore findings from the study show:

1. Protection as top priorities

Protecting identities (48 percent) and protecting against data breaches (46 percent) were the top security priorities among Singapore respondents.

This was followed closely by improving/supporting compliance and audit (45 percent) and improving the mobile customer experience (39 percent).

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Infographic: New security approach needed for App economy

Wednesday, February 25th, 2015

A study from CA Technologies reveals the application economy demands a new approach to security in Asia Pacific & Japan.

Excerpt of a graphical representation of the survey results for APJ. To download/view the full enlarged infographic, click on the image above.

Excerpt of a graphical representation of the survey results for APJ. To download/view the full enlarged infographic, click on the image above.

Mobility, APIs and Business Enablement are sparking new attitudes towards security and are driving an increase in investment in these areas.

“As more organisations understand the impact of the application economy in the increasingly connected Asia Pacific & Japan business landscape, security is moving from being a back-room afterthought to being a core business function. In the world of ever-increasing connected devices, organisations will leverage security to deliver better customer experience and contribute to positive business outcomes,” said Kenneth Arredondo, president & general manager, Asia Pacific & Japan, CA Technologies.

Protection is still the main driver for security, but a new CA Technologies study reveals that Asia Pacific & Japan (APJ) organisations are approaching security from new perspectives, recognising its potential to deliver frictionless and positive customer experience and contribute to business growth in the increasingly competitive application economy.

The study is titled “8 Steps to Modernize Security for the Application Economy” and is sponsored by CA Technologies.

The study shows how mobility, APIs and business growth have brought a balanced view of control and enablement to security, leading to an increase in investment by APJ organisations.

Key findings from the study show four key trends influencing the perception and implementation of security in APJ enterprises:

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Epson partners MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One (F1) Team

Monday, February 2nd, 2015

Epson will become an Official Team Partner of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, providing its expertise in the product areas of inkjet printers, scanners, 3LCD projectors and wearables, including smart glasses and health/sports sensing products.

"We are extremely proud to enhance our global brand profile by becoming an official partner of the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team. The partnership aligns two world-renowned champion brands committed to the relentless pursuit of innovation, the attainment of global leadership positions and the creation of products and services that continue to exceed expectations and emotionally engage stakeholders worldwide," said Epson President Minoru Usui.

“We are extremely proud to enhance our global brand profile by becoming an official partner of the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team. The partnership aligns two world-renowned champion brands committed to the relentless pursuit of innovation, the attainment of global leadership positions and the creation of products and services that continue to exceed expectations and emotionally engage stakeholders worldwide,” said Epson President Minoru Usui.

The Epson logo will be visible on the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS race cars, along with branding on the helmet visors and racesuits of the team’s drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

The new livery for the 2015 season was revealed by MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS when Formula One testing began on February 1.

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