[GRLUG] Jenison Electrician

[Bob Kline]

On Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 11:50 AM, Michael Mol <mikemol at gmail.com> wrote:

> On 1/27/2010 11:34 AM, Bob Kline wrote:
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 10:59 AM, <mikemol at gmail.com
> > <mailto:mikemol at gmail.com>> wrote:
> >
> >     On Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 10:45 AM, Bob Kline <bob.kline at gmail.com
> >     <mailto:bob.kline at gmail.com>> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> >         On Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 10:36 AM, <mikemol at gmail.com
> >         <mailto:mikemol at gmail.com>> wrote:
> >
> >
> >             On Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 9:30 AM, Casey DuBois
> >             <casey at grlug.org <mailto:casey at grlug.org>> wrote:
> >
> >
> >                 For something like that you need a real electrician,
> >                 however I'm not
> >                 sure how many if any have the thermal imager like we've
> >                 seen on TV.
> >
> >
> >             Most of my day job involves writing software that talks to
> >             them, but the
> >             hardware we talked to is danged expensive. That said, we've
> >             written software
> >             specifically for folks who do property analysis using
> >             thermal cameras.
> >             (Windows-only, sorry; Driver support issue.) If anyone's
> >             interested in
> >             starting such a business in the area...
> >
> >             -
> >
> >
> >         For people who want to sell you
> >         information about how to better
> >         insulate your abode?  Maybe
> >         starting with triple pane windows?
> >         Is that a hot (...) business in cash
> >         strapped MI?
> >             -- Bob
> >
> >
> >     To a point, yeah, it's about replacing poor windows and adding
> >     insulation. The nice thing a thermal camera can do for you is help
> >     you figure out which windows, doors, walls and areas of the roof you
> >     ought to shore up, and which you shouldn't bother with.
> >
> >     (Now, if I may deflect the subject into a personal rant)
> >
> >     What irritates me greatly is that the SDKs for talking to the main
> >     types of cameras we work with is only practically available for
> >     Windows.  In one case, the manufacturer only provides an OCX file.
> >     In the other case, the manufacturer opted for a 3rd-party API called
> >     GigEVision, but the number of implementations of that API is
> >     exceedingly small, and the group of companies controlling the spec
> >     manage it more tightly than the MPEG group; I'm not sure how one
> >     could legally build a FL/OSS implementation.  There's one
> >     non-Windows implementation, but you pay through the nose for it, and
> >     say Hello to system library version requirements.
> >
> >   It's still the case that many - most? -
> > companies will only talk to M$ about
> > their hardware.  Canon is notorious
> > that way.  All an aid to keeping M$'s
> > de facto monopoly intact.
>
> Erm...Believe me, it's not in the their interest to keep a Microsoft "de
> facto" monopoly intact. Most implementations for talking to GigEVision
> devices are pure-hardware, now, without a trip through userland
> software. I'd have to look into it again, but I believe most of the
> companies in the group behind the API are also in the industry of
> selling pure-hardware solutions.
>
> Tell me where that helps Microsoft.
>
>
That much doesn't.  But many companies
don't want the expense and bother of
supporting several platforms.  So they
withhold information from anyone but M$,
and that helps keep M$'s monopoly in
place.

    -- Bob
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