They invent, we innovate

There’s a difference between developing innovative technology and using existing technology innovatively, claims a tech fan.

BC: Where were you last night?

AD: Out partying with my cousin Arun...

BC: You seem to have started the New Year celebrations rather early this year.

AD: Well, the binges began a long time ago. We weren't sure if the world was coming to an end and hence decided not to take chances.

BC: So who's going to take charge of technology's safe passage into 2013 if you're going to be partying endlessly?

AD: Oh, don't worry about it. Now that your generation has crossed over and has begun using mobiles, handicams and iPods, it is an indication that technology's safe and sound.

BC: I don't believe you said that!

AD: Of course, a few are yet to come to terms with how things work. I have an old aunt who chides her maid for giving her missed calls because she thinks even missed calls to her mobile are charged.

BC: I’m speechless…

AD: Millions of Indians are, and yet manage to keep communication going without saying a word…

BC: Sign language? SMS?

AD: No, through missed calls. You can call it a silent revolution, but India is probably the only country where a missed call could have so many interpretations – from ‘reached safe’ to ‘call back’ or ‘buy something on your way back’…

BC: Free but effective, huh?

AD: When it comes to using existing technology innovatively, we seem to have a knack of finding newer ways of doing things.

BC: My neighbours used missed calls to communicate specific messages - one ring to keep the tea ready, two rings to open the door and so on.

AD: I recall my college friends who had hired an apartment and used to program their TV to act as an alarm clock.

BC: How did they do that?

AD: By setting the timer on for a specific time in the morning. The TV would switch on by itself and would blast in full volume, waking up everyone in the house.

BC: It reminds me of the washing machines in Punjab and Chandigarh that are used to make lassi!

AD: It’s hard to say which deserves more plaudits, the lassi or the machine…

BC: What about the knife sharpener that uses a cycle wheel? Who would have thought pedalling a cycle would result in sharpening a knife?

AD: Looks like India's progress is truly being made on wheels...

BC: Talking of wheels, rural India has created its own transport based on the world's oldest set of wheels...

AD: What’s so novel about a bullock cart?

BC: Add an engine from a water pump, a plank of wood and a set of tyres to it - and you have a multi utility vehicle for a large family. It's called a Maruta, derived from the name Maruti.

AD: One thing seems to be common to all these innovations - they are earthy and come from necessity.

BC: That's also proof that you don't need a lab, a Ph. D. degree and millions of dollars of funding to innovate. All you need is a different perspective and a drive to reach your goal.

AD: Ah, the sermon begins...

BC: No, that’s the reason why India never feared the end of the world.

AD: Really?

BC: Absolutely! We were always confident that even if the earth came to a standstill, we'd find a way to crank-start the planet and keep it moving. 

Adding dimensions to sound

A tech fan revels in new audio technology that will even make the superstar go, “How is it?”

AD: Hi, so how did you celebrate yesterday?

BC: If you’re referring to the 12-12-12 date…

AD: No, Chennai had a lot to cheer about yesterday. It became the first Indian city to play host to the Dolby Atmos technology, the latest in cinema sound…

BC: Who would have thought that there would be something superior to surround sound?

AD: Imagine sitting in a theatre with 128 audio tracks filling the theatre, with voices and music coming at you from 64 speakers located at various positions...  And the audio you hear is based on the position of the images on screen…

BC: So the sound moves along with the visual…

AD: yes, an object’s location on screen is mapped by the technology – and the sound pertaining to that specific location is played. It’s known as object oriented sound.

BC: How does this play out in a theatre?

AD: There will be two rows of speakers above the audience as well, in addition to the other speakers that are strategically placed in the theatre. These help sound travel across the theatre hall to give a 360 degree feel and make the audio a lot more realistic…

BC: I can imagine the entire horror movie factory licking its lips in anticipation of scaring the audiences more than ever. But what about theatres that have invested in 5.1 and 7.1 surround?

AD: Atmos can help create audio tracks to suit various formats…

BC: Sound has travelled a long way, literally and figuratively. Not too long ago, I recall theatres advertising stereophonic sound, when speakers were played in full blast for impact - and shattered our ear drums...

AD: Then came 5.1 surround, with five main channels and a low frequency channel…

BC: 7.1 surround came after that, right? So all the movies and the theatres they’re releasing in will adopt this technology?

AD: To start with, around 50 theatres across the country will be equipped with the Atmos technology. As for movies, only a few have tried it out, Disney-Pixar’s ‘Brave’ being the first to do so. Incidentally, the Life of Pi had also used this technology, but…

BC: …since Atmos has just come to India, we ended up seeing it our regular Dolby Digital surround.

AD: Right! Dolby and Pixar are becoming a winning combination when it comes to technology.  It was Pixar’s Toy Story 3 that saw the introduction of the Dolby Surround 7.1 system. A couple of years later…

BC: …Atmos was featured for the first time in Pixar’s Brave.

AD: But 2013 holds much promise, with Warner Bros bringing out the next edition of the Star Trek series using this audio format.

BC: 5.1 and 7.1 are now available for home entertainment too. What about Atmos?

AD: Right now, it’s restricted to theatres, but let’s hope…

BC: You said Chennai’s got a lot to cheer about. What else…

AD: Well, you must have seen the Tamil movie Sivaji, around 4-5 years ago. It’s back in 3D and incorporates the Atmos technology – the first Indian film to do so.

BC: I can understand remastering the film in 3D, but how did they change the audio to the Atmos format?

AD: Chennai’s not only got India’s first theatre that supports Atmos, but also the country’s first studio with the knowhow for handling the technology.

BC: It is said that a technological revolution is always announced from the rooftops. In this case, with all those speakers in the ceiling, they’re literally doing it.