讀EE-DESIGN有感(轉貼): 當你能以更短的時間完成工作，你就越聰明！

錄自EE-DESIGN

你可能曾經從漫畫《呆伯特》(Dilbert)中感受到，在呆伯特的心中，他的老闆所做的許多事情看起來真是一點意義也沒有。呆伯特一定覺得很疑惑，為什麼他的老闆這樣竟然能當上老闆－－呆伯特似乎還真的不太明白呢！

你是否也曾經總想不透為什麼你的老闆能坐上這個位置，而且賺得錢比你還多？你常為此感到沮喪──因為你覺得自己明明懂得比你的老闆更多，但卻只領到那一點錢？老實說，在我的工程師生涯中，我的確曾經有過幾次和呆伯特同樣的感覺。

對於這樣的困擾與疑惑，其實答案真的很簡單！那就是──你知道的太多了！這聽起來不太可能，對吧？不如讓我用簡單的數學來證明：無論你多麼努力工作，只要你知道的太多，就是在賠掉你的錢。

這是我在去年夏天參與一場研討會時，聽到主講人提出的前提假設：

一直以來，我們總是聽到「知識就是力量」(knowledge is power)以及「時間就是金錢」(time is money)這一類勵志的話。而這兩個概念就是解釋這個答案的關鍵。你應該還記得「力」 (power)的定義就是每單位時間所作的功(工作)吧！以數學公式表示為：

Power = Work / Time

(力量 = 工作 / 時間)

現在，我們分別把「知識就是力量」以及「時間就是金錢」這兩項條件代入，即可得到新的公式：

知識 = 工作 / 金錢

如此，即可得到「金錢」的解：

金錢 = 工作 / 知識

從這個公式中即可知道，金錢正與你的知識成反比。你知道的越少，所能賺得錢就越多。說得極端一點，當一個人擁有的知識趨近於零時，無論做的工作多寡，所能取得的金錢都能趨近於無限大……。

當然，您也可以將這個公式解釋為：所做的工作越多，賺的錢也更多。但這是將該公式分解開來看的結果。想看看自己最後一次在夜晚與週末加班時工作還能拿到錢是什麼時候的事了？

總之，這個公式清楚地解釋了為什麼你的老闆比你更會賺錢，因為他(或她)擁有的知識並不如你。不過，千萬不要因此就誤認為知識沒什麼用處。看看我的朋友以另一種方式來推論「知識」的價值：

Knowledge = Work / Time

(知識 =工作/時間)

當你能以更短的時間完成工作，你就越聰明！

Ningbo: my next stop.

We fixed the office at Ningbo, which is the building behind us.

This is a great location near the bus & train station. Sub-way is also constructioning.

SW is a new LEGO game

我兄弟说: 新軟體開發型態 Application Framework :

" 軟體開發的方式從打孔機, 組合語言, 直譯語言Basic, 編譯語言 C, Pascal, Fortran, 到 SDK 與 API library, 一直到現在的 Application Framework.  Framework 顧名思義就是 "套好的框架".  軟體開發不再是, 如木工雕刻一樣, 一錘一斧將軟體完成 (這樣的方法若要完成一個 word pad 應用軟體恐怕要 1年), 在 Microsoft Application Framework 的架構下, 只需將需要的功能從開發環境中選擇與拼湊, 任何一個熟練的軟體工程師一個下午就能完成一個 Word pad 軟體程式!

缺點呢?  任何一個軟體工程師完成的 Word pad 都會長得一模一樣, 因為在 Framework 開發環境, 所有人都使用相同的Frame,  軟體作品不再是藝術品, 而就如同灌漿出來的佛像一樣, 是個有功能而無風格的產品! 這是軟體功能複雜到人腦無法設計與負荷後, 必然形成的開發方式, 而軟體工程師 即成為 "軟體IC" 的裝配工,  "人"特有的創意與藝術將只存在於應用程式的美工和音樂中! "

 

让我想到LEGO, it is easy to play, but hard to be an expert.

How CCTV deal with HD?

Many people know that HD (or Full HD) become a normal requirement to consumer products like STB (Set Top Box), Smart phone, TV, BDP (Blue Disk Player)… More HD contents were provided through internet, broadcasting, cable, or satellite, more user get used to it. Contents droved the demands of devices selling to consumers already, but Surveillance seems still struggling to moving forward.

 

Those leading companies of Surveillance like SONY, Bosch, Pelco, AXIS, GE, …are all trying to catching up the trend of the HD surveillance era. SONY tried to promote several ways to approaching that. It made the marketing event "GO MEGA" science 2008 in IFSEC, UK, and tried "SLOC" science 2011. They also promoted 960H in 2011 & 2012; but still, the market moved slowly.

 

Nevertheless, most of Taiwan based surveillance companies concluded the IP will be the future; we can see the result are quit close in this year (2012) those IPO companies got bumper return from the revenue growth, but indeed, they are suffering for the GP (Growth Profit) drops.

 

As the example of one of the leaders company, Geovision, they announced tones of models of IP Cameras within these 2 years. Utilizing the strength of their Brand & SW CMS, Geovision jumped up by their revenue as a fact. Geovision hired more people to take good care of these products, include PM, Engineer, and supporting team. Building up the LABs, setup factory, purchasing equipment…lots of money invested for the new business sector. If you check their financial report, you will find that EPS dropped. Not only Geovision, Those IP surveillance makers like Vivotek, ACTi, Dlink are also fighting with the ASP and GP drop on their financial report as well.

 

Do you know what that means? The HD ear comes now.

 

When the HD price dropped to 3 times of the SD solutions, volume comes with sales. Current the HD solution is still about 5 times of the SD, so everyone is preparing to catching that wave. HDSDI of HDCCTV alliance, DVB of ccHDtv, IP Mega solution with ONVIF are all ready & waiting for that.

SLOC, will SONY helps Intersil-Techwell win the market?

Intersil-Techwell were merged at 2010. And seems that Techwell didn't loss it's competence of development speed during this shake. After a long co-working with SONY, Techwell provide a very new approach to win-back the transitions from its newest interface, SLOC.

 

SLOC is dealing with not only IP but symutaniasly Analog CVBS signal is transmitted. This is a very innovative way to dealing with both side: Analog & IP no matter where you from, you can be easily adapt your camera like use to be with the existing COAX cable.

 

Is that a good way and benefit the user? Or benefit the manufacturer of ASIA? Might be you will get the ISP (Image Signal Processior) for IP-camera, HDCCTV camera from SONY which integrated SLOC interface next year.

 

Let's wait and see.

 

IP or HDCCTV? what's the market forecasting to 2012: view point from Taiwan manufacturers

When Mega IP solutions became a hottest topic to the Surveillance market at 2010, major market players who had been investing years on Sales & Marketing on the trade show events worldwide faced a hardest decision: should I build my own team to fight for the market or should I buy a Software to support my Hardware only?

 

There's no easy answer. And most of the key players chose different approach by their own.

 

This is part of strategic decision making. Too many masters of marketing had wrote this kind of articles already. Which one is the best? No one tells.

 

Come back to Taiwan, there are no big companies are playing the game world-wide. Just few good medium-size companies like AVTECH, GEOVISION, EVERFOCUS, DYNACOLOR, HUNT, HISHARP, AVERMEDIA, VIVOTEK… are focusing in this market and trying to be somebody in this small unique field.

 

They did, because of they were already ranked top 50 ww by A&S magazine.

 

What's their choice? I see most of them seeking for more conservative way which is IP. Nevertheless some of them like HDCCTV(HDSDI) more, but still deal with IP is because of too many marketing resource have been invested into the consumer field by the Service Providers, both internet and mobile. Thus, it will be much easier to educate the buyer or consumers, or create a fashion. They don't care what's the best solution for surveillance system or what will be an issue of security of content protection, privacy. These are too heavy to be considering.

 

I am not trying to convince everyone to against the market trend of IP. I think Mr. Tud of HDCCTV alliance will not do so neither. We are all focusing on a better solution for CCTV surveillance to be upgraded to HD. That's what the really demanding from market. In another word, better picture quality.

 

But how to? What will be the most cost effective way? I saw many hurdles in front of HDCCTV now. There are low quality cables like 3C2V or 66 Ohms cables installed in the field. If HDCCTV(HD-SDI) run on this kind of cables, the performances will be too bad to be accepted, no matter in distance or video stabilities. Then the signal amplifier will be needed. And the cost of system will go higher again.

 

Is there any better solutions? SLOC of Intersil Techwell? Or EoC (Ethernet over coax), IPoC(IP over Coax)… there are so many people are thinking of the same thing: will there a better way to save the installation cost and utilized the old construction to upgraded to HD of video. Yes, there must be some good existing technology there waiting to be used.

The third way of CCTV?

Mr. Todd Rockoff came to Taiwan last week to share updating information of HDCCTV Alliance and introduce the goal to this organization. In his presentations, he tried to point out the advantage of this Alliance and the key successful factor: compatibilities.

I go through his explanations of many features like:

1.      Better quality

2.      No latency of video

3.      Easy adapt, commission, and use

4.      Lower total system installation cost

5.      The third way to provide VSS(Video Surveillance System)

I think the key missing parcel is power supply over cables and the cost of cabling.

There are many solution providers trying to utilize the current installed Coax (coaxial cable) to provide upgrade VSS in the field, such as IP over Coax, SLOC (from Techwell-Intersil), or HDCCTV. But no one can be confident that they are the best solution. According to the history of technology migrations, it's not determined who can provide better technology, topology, cost-performances ratio, or visions. You can find the stories like IEEE1394, Iridium, and many others already there.

The key is the customer. That will be you, professional people in this field. Professions like it, then it will work.

To win this change, there's a chance for Taiwan, China, and Korea.