Underwater computer vision is a subfield of computer vision. In recent years, with the development of underwater vehicles ( ROV, AUV, gliders), the need to be able to record and process huge amounts of information has become increasingly important. Applications range from inspection of underwater structures for the offshore industry to the identification and counting of fishes for biological research. However, no matter how big the impact of this technology can be to industry and research, it still is in a very early stage of development compared to traditional computer vision. One reason for this is that, the moment the camera goes into the water, a whole new set of challenges appear. On one hand, cameras have to be made waterproof, marine corrosion deteriorates materials quickly and access and modifications to experimental setups are costly, both in time and resources. On the other hand, the physical properties of the water make light behave differently, changing the appearance of a same object with variations of depth, organic material, currents, temperature etc. == Applications == Seafloor survey Vehicle navigation and positioning Biological monitoring {possibly aquatic biomonitoring) Video mosaics as visual navigation maps Submarine pipeline inspection Wreckage visualization Maintenance of underwater structures Drowning detection systems == Medium differences == === Illumination === In air, light comes from the whole hemisphere on cloudy days, and is dominated by the sun. In water direct lighting comes from a cone about 96° wide above the scene. This phenomenon is called Snell's window. Artificial lighting can be used where natural light levels are insufficient and where the light path is too long to produce acceptable colour, as the loss of colour is a function of the total distance through water from the source to the camera lens port. === Light attenuation === Unlike air, water attenuates light exponentially. This results in hazy images with very low contrast. The main reasons for light attenuation are light absorption (where energy is removed from the light) and light scattering, by which the direction of light is changed. Light scattering can further be divided into forward scattering, which results in an increased blurriness and backward scattering that limits the contrast and is responsible for the characteristic veil of underwater images. Both scattering and attenuation are heavily influenced by the amount of organic matter dissolved or suspended in the water. Light attenuation in water is also a function of the wavelength. This means that different colours are attenuated at different rates, leading to colour degradation.with depth and distance. Red and orange light are attenuated faster, followed by yellows and greens. Blue is the least attenuated visible wavelength. === Artificial lighting === == Challenges == In high level computer vision, human structures are frequently used as image features for image matching in different applications. However, the sea bottom lacks such features, making it hard to find correspondences in two images. In order to be able to use a camera in the water, a watertight housing is required. However, refraction will happen at the water-glass and glass-air interface due to differences in density of the materials. This has the effect of introducing a non-linear image deformation. The motion of the vehicle presents another special challenge. Underwater vehicles are constantly moving due to currents and other phenomena. This introduces another uncertainty to algorithms, where small motions may appear in all directions. This can be specially important for video tracking. In order to reduce this problem image stabilization algorithms may be applied. == Relevant technology == === Image restoration === Image restoration< techniques are intended to model the degradation process and then invert it, obtaining the new image after solving. It is generally a complex approach that requires plenty of parameters that vary a lot between different water conditions. === Image enhancement === Image enhancement only tries to provide a visually more appealing image without taking the physical image formation process into account. These methods are usually simpler and less computational intensive. === Color correction === Various algorithms exist that perform automatic color correction. The UCM (Unsupervised Color Correction Method), for example, does this in the following steps: It firstly reduces the color cast by equalizing the color values. Then it enhances contrast by stretching the red histogram towards the maximum and finally saturation and intensity components are optimized. == Underwater stereo vision == It is usually assumed that stereo cameras have been calibrated previously, geometrically and radiometrically. This leads to the assumption that corresponding pixels should have the same color. However this can not be guaranteed in an underwater scene, because of dispersion and backscatter. However, it is possible to digitally model this phenomenon and create a virtual image with those effects removed == Other application fields == Imaging sonars have become more and more accessible and gained resolution, delivering better images. Sidescan sonars are used to produce complete maps of regions of the sea floor stitching together sequences of sonar images. However, sonar images often lack proper contrast and are degraded by artefacts and distortions due to noise, attitude changes of the AUV/ROV carrying the sonar or non uniform beam patterns. Another common problem with sonar computer vision is the comparatively low frame rate of sonar images.
Wunderlist
Wunderlist is a discontinued cloud-based task management application. It allowed users to create lists to manage their tasks from a smartphone, tablet, computer and smartwatch. Wunderlist was free; additional collaboration features were available in a paid version known as Wunderlist Pro, released April 2013. Wunderlist was created in 2011 by Berlin-based startup 6Wunderkinder (Engl.: 6Prodigies). The company was acquired by Microsoft in June 2015, at which time the app had over 13 million users. In April 2017, Microsoft announced that Wunderlist would eventually be discontinued in favor of Microsoft To Do, a new multi-platform app developed by the Wunderlist team that has direct integration with the company's Office 365 service. On December 6, 2019, Microsoft announced that it would shut down Wunderlist on May 6, 2020. After this date, the application would no longer sync but users could still import their content into Microsoft To Do. == History == In 2009, Wunderlist's CEO Christian Reber called on the social network platform XING for business partners to create a new to-do app. Frank Thelen responded and together Reber and Thelen developed first concepts for Wunderlist. The necessary seed funding was granted by High-Tech Gründerfonds and e42 GmbH. The first version of Wunderlist was launched on November 9, 2010. Initially, the program was created for desktop PCs and platforms such as Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. In December 2011, the app received approval for the iPhone. Subsequently, the developers released a version prepared for the iPad with the name Wunderlist HD. In September 2012, the developers announced a shutdown of their service Wunderkit. Instead they wanted to focus on creating a new version of Wunderlist, which was later on released in December 2012 under the name Wunderlist 2. In September 2013, the company announced it had over 5 million users. In July 2014, a new major update was released under the name of Wunderlist 3, with a new real-time sync architecture. Wunderlist reached 10 million users in December 2014. On June 1, 2015, it was announced that Microsoft had acquired 6Wunderkinder, makers of Wunderlist, for between US$100 million and US$200 million (~$258 million in 2024). Following its acquisition of the app, Microsoft announced in April 2017 a preview of To-Do, a multi-platform task management app developed by the Wunderlist team that was intended to eventually replace Wunderlist and incorporate most of its features. As of January 2019, To-Do had not yet reached feature parity with Wunderlist, with its team citing that the service had to be completely re-written to use Microsoft Azure instead of Amazon Web Services. Frustrated by the perceived lack of roadmap, in September 2019, Reber began to publicly ask Microsoft-related accounts on Twitter whether he could buy Wunderlist back. Shortly afterward, however, Microsoft unveiled updates to To-Do that make it more closely resemble Wunderlist. In December 2019, Microsoft announced that it would fully shut down Wunderlist as of May 6, 2020. The team responsible for creating Wunderlist, led by co-founder Christian Reber, created that Superlist app in early 2024. == Finances == In its initial round of funding, 100,000 euro was invested in 6Wunderkinder by Frank Thelen and others. In December 2010, High-Tech Gründerfonds invested 500,000 euro (approximately US$660,000) in the company. T-Venture also invested an undisclosed amount in the startup. In its Series A round of funding in November 2011, Atomico invested $4.2 million (~$5.76 million in 2024) while High-Tech Gründerfonds invested an undisclosed additional amount. In May 2012, High-Tech Gründerfonds sold off its stake in 6Wunderkinder to Earlybird Venture Capital. In November 2013, $19 million (~$25.2 million in 2024) was raised in a Series B round led by Sequoia Capital with participation from Earlybird and Atomico. == Awards == In 2013, Wunderlist for Mac was named App of the Year. Wunderlist was selected as a Google Play Top Developer in 2013. In 2014, Wunderlist won the "Golden Mi" award from Xiaomi, and also named as one of its Best Apps of 2014 was given a "Google Play Editor's Choice" award, and was named in Google Play's Best Apps of 2014 as well as Apple's Best of 2014.
IBM Retail Store Systems
This article describes IBM point of sale equipment from 1973 with the introduction of the IBM 3650 till 1986 with the introduction of the IBM 4680. IBM continued to announced new retail products until the sale of the IBM Retail Store Solutions business to Toshiba TEC, announced on 17 April 17 2012. == Background == IBM began selling retail point of sale systems starting in 1973 with the IBM 3650 Retail Store System aimed at department and chain stores and the IBM 3660 Supermarket System designed for supermarkets. The IBM 3650 was announced alongside other IBM vertical industry systems such as the IBM 3600 Finance Communication System, and the IBM 3790 communications system, the combination of which IBM described as a "revolution in terminal based systems". All of these systems relied on a significant number of developments across IBM: New chips: Large Scale Integration allowed advanced Field Effect Transistor logic chips that packed far more transistors onto a new metalized one-inch square ceramic substrate Gas panels: Developed as an alternative to cathode ray tubes, the neon argon gas panel provided clear and flicker-free images. Modem communications: Synchronous Data Link Control provided lower-cost communications over telephone lines New disks: The "Gulliver" disk file that supplied a hard drive smaller than three cubic feet and also the "Igar" diskette drive Smaller printers: A disk printer system called "spica" that used a rotating disk print element with engraved print elements that are struck by a single hammer as the disk rotates Belt printers: A new system, known as "Lynx," using a removable belt that was significantly cheaper, quieter and simpler than earlier chain printers Keyboards: New keyboard technology called "Calico" that could build a wide variety of keyboards using common manufacturing facilities Power supplies: Transistorised Switching Regulators or TsRs: compact power supplies that are one third to one-fourth the size of previous generations === Store Loop (SLOOP) architecture === The 36xx retail terminals are connected to the store controller via a loop also called a Store Loop, similar to that used by the IBM 3600 Finance System. If a terminal detects an error, it runs a self-diagnosis routine, displays an error code to the operator, and uses bypass circuitry to remove itself from the loop and allow the loop to continue operating. If the loop fails, the most downstream terminal transmits an error code to the controller. Intermittent errors are written to disk on the store controller. === Supplies Manufacturing === While IBM's Data Processing Division created the retail store systems, it's Information Record Division (IRD) also saw signifiant opportunity in manufacturing supplies for retail systems. As an example in their Dayton NJ plant they used a high-speed Webtron press to create up to 1 million magnet merchandise tags per shift. == IBM 3650 Retail Store System == The 3650 System is a family of products designed to computerise a retail store, both at the point of sale and for back office store management functions. It includes a method to generate encoded tickets for merchandise, rather than use the Universal Product Code (UPC). The key devices for the system were as follows: === Shop Floor === ==== 3653 Point of Sale Terminal ==== Designed for the store floor, it is a loop attached device with: a wire matrix printer with 3 stations: cash receipt, sales-check and transaction journal. a keyboard with 10 numeric keys and 19 function keys an 8 digit display and description lights. in addition to the 8 digits it also displays the following characters: "$", "." and "-" operator guidance panel with 20 backlit captions status indicators a cash drawer a check verification station. Options include a wand magnet label reader with a 4 foot flexible cord, and locks for the journal tape and the till cover. The terminal effectively loads its software remotely from the 3651 over the loop, which IBM calls an IML (initial microcode load). It can also be IMLed locally using a tape cassette recorder. IBM later offered a choice of OEM Wand Attachments that could be ordered by RPQ that could use OCR or scan UPCs, instead of a wand magnet label reader. Only one wand could be attached to a specific 3653. There are two models: Model 1, which is not programmable. Was announced 10 August 1973. Model P1, which is customer programmable. Has 36 KB of storage expandable to 60 KB. Was announced 13 October 1978. === Back office equipment === ==== 3651 Store Controller ==== Controls data flow inside either a single store or multiple stores and sends retail transactions to a mainframe using a modem. For point of sale it performed functions such as: Automatic price lookup from a master price file Automatic distribution of net sales by up to 54 departments Automatic application of applicable discounts and sales taxes Automatic control of food stamp maximums Check authorization facilities For back office it also helped report preparation such as: store summary individual cashier performance store office reconciliation sales by up to 54 departments Current inquiries for department sales; cashier performance & cash position; store cash position. Inquiries and changes to the master price records and operator authorization control records. Setting the time and date for the internal clock. Running the customer checkouts in training mode. Printing of messages received from the host mainframe Entry of messages to send to the host mainframe Reporting of customer stock returns Updating the system with data received from the mainframe Preparing shelf Labels Basic features include: Each loop attaches up to 63 or 64 terminals depending on traffic volumes and desired response times Has an error and operator panel. There were many models including: A25 Has a 5 MB internal disk. Has 60K of memory expandable to 76KB. Supports one store loop. Attaches to 3275, 3653 and 3663. Announced 19 May 1978, withdrawn 19 February 1981 B25 Same as a A25 with a 9.2 MB internal disk. Announced 19 May 1978 C25 Announced 15 May 1981, withdrawn 15 December 1987 A50 Has a 5 MB internal disk. Announced 5 May 1975. Announced 10 August 1973, withdrawn 15 December 1987 B50 Same as B50 with a 9.2 MB internal disk. Announced 5 May 1975, withdrawn 15 December 1987 A60 Has a 5 MB internal disk. Has an integrated 3669. Attaches up to 24 3663 terminals. Announced 11 October 1973, withdrawn 15 December 1987 B60 Same as A60 with a 9.3 MB internal disk. Announced 17 November 1975, withdrawn 15 December 1987 A75 Has 5 MB internal disk. Has 60K of memory expandable to 124KB. Supports one to three store loops. Attaches to 3275, 3653, 3657, 3784 and 3663 terminals. Announced 19 May 1978 B75 Same as A75 with 9.3 MB internal disk. Announced 19 May 1978, withdrawn 15 December 1987 C75 Same as A75 with 18.6 MB internal disk. Announced 19 May 1978, withdrawn 15 December 1987 D75 Same as A75 with 27.9 MB internal disk. Announced 19 May 1978, withdrawn 15 December 1987 There were also two additional models that could be used instead of the 3651: 7480 Model 1: Has a 18.6 MB internal disk 7480 Model 2: Has a 27.9 MB internal disk ==== 3872 Modem ==== Used to attach to a 3659 for remote loops. Each 3872 can attach three 3659s. ==== 3659 Remote Communication Unit ==== Connected to an IBM 3872 and provides a remote loop for up to 64 point of sale terminals. Announced 10 August 1973, withdrawn 15 December 1987 (Model 2, announced 17 March 1976, withdrawn 20 December 1982) Intended to be used in a back office location like the store manager's office or the data entry office ==== 3275-3 Display Station ==== It is a loop attached display terminal with printer attachment hardware ==== 3784 Line Printer ==== A belt printer for higher-volume end-of-day reporting. The maximum print speed is 155 Ipm using a 48 character set. ==== 3657 Ticket Unit ==== Used to print tickets and encoded labels to attach to store merchandise. It is a loop attached device. It prints the following: 1" by 1" adhesive backed labels with up to 11 characters at 500 tickets per minute. IBM sold these in rolls of 9000 1" x 2" tickets with up to 42 encoded characters and two lines of print of up to 21 characters at 250 tickets per minute. IBM sold these in rolls of 2800 1" x 3" tickets with up to 79 encoded characters and two lines of print of up to 32 characters at 167 tickets per minute. IBM sold these in rolls of 1900 It can also batch read the tickets for validation, separating good tickets from bad ones into two cartridges. Announced 10 August 1973, withdrawn 15 December 1987 ==== 7481 Data Storage Unit ==== This optional unit is used to record transaction data and initialize terminals if the store controller is not available. It uses a built in tape drive to store this data. === Early deployments === The first customer installation of a 3650 was at a Dillard's department store in Little Rock, Arkansas, in late 1974. They placed arou
Paperless society
A paperless society is a society in which paper communication (written documents, email, letters, etc.) is replaced by electronic communication and storage. The concept was first introduced by Frederick Wilfrid Lancaster in 1978. Furthermore, libraries would no longer be needed to handle printed documents. "Librarians will, in time, become information specialists in a deinstitutionalized setting". Lancaster also stated that both computers and libraries will not always give us the information that other people and living life will. == Literature == Brodman, E. (1979). Review of Toward Paperless Information Systems. Bulletin of the Medical Library Association, 67(4), 437–439. Buckland, M. K. (1980). Review of Toward Paperless Information Systems. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 5(6), 349. Grosch, A. (1979). Review of Toward Paperless Information Systems. College & Research Libraries, 40(1), 88–89. Kohl, D. F. (2004). From the editor . . . The paperless society . . . Not quite yet. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 30(3), 177–178. Lancaster, F. W. (1978a). Toward paperless information systems. New York: Academic Press. Lancaster, F. W. (1980b). The future of the librarian lies outside of the library. Catholic Library World, 51, 388–391. Lancaster, F. W. (1982a). Libraries and librarians in an age of electronics. Arlington, VA: Information Resources Press. Lancaster, F. W. (1982b). The evolving paperless society and its implications for libraries. International Forum on Information and Documentation, 7(4), 3–10. Lancaster, F. W. (1983). Future librarianship: Preparing for an unconventional career. Wilson Library Bulletin, 57, 747–753. Lancaster, F. W. (1985). The paperless society revisited. American Libraries, 16, 553–555. Lancaster, F. W. (1993). Libraries and the future: Essays on the library in the twenty-first century. New York: Haworth Press. Lancaster, F. W. (1999). Second thoughts on the paperless society. Library Journal, 124(15), 48– 50. Lancaster, F. W., & Smith, L. C. (1980c). On-Line systems in the communication process: Projections. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 31(3), 193–200. Miall, D. S. (2001). The library versus the Internet: Literary studies under siege? Proceedings of the Modern Language Association, 116(5), 1405–1414. Salton, G. (1979). Review of Toward Paperless Information Systems. Journal of Documentation, 35(3), 250–252. Sellen, A. J., & Harper, R. H. R. (2003). The myth of the paperless office. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Stevens, N. D. (2006). The fully electronic academic library. College & Research Libraries, 67(1),5–14. Young, Arthur P. (2008).Aftermath of a Prediction: F. W. Lancaster and the Paperless Society LIBRARY TRENDS, 56(4),(“The Evaluation and Transformation of Information Systems: Essays Honoring the Legacy of F. W. Lancaster,” edited by Lorraine J. Haricombe and Keith Russell), pp. 843–858.
Data plan
A data plan is a subscription plan from a cellular or other mobile service provider to provide internet data and connectivity. == Formatting == Data plans are usually created by a contract between the telecommunications carrier and the user of their service. This contract outlines a maximum amount of usable data, usually highlighted in either megabytes or gigabytes, allotted per month for the user. In most cases companies will allow a user to surpass the amount of data allowed in the contract, however, will have to pay a per-gigabyte fee, ranging anywhere from five to fifteen U.S. dollars. === Popularization of unlimited plans === Unlimited data plans have seen a large increase in usage by consumers since their initial introduction by U.S. network T-Mobile. These plans, instead of setting an overall maximum for the user, have an amount set-up that, when surpassed, will slow the speed of the network for that user. Unlimited plans typically cost significantly more than the traditional shared data plans, which is a major reason that carriers have set large boundaries and fees. The limits imposed on unlimited plans are designed to fight against attempts to misuse the network, such as a DDoS attack, but are more commonly reasoned as a method to increase the number of people that can use one tower simultaneously. === Data speed changes === When a network is near reaching peak capacity data speeds may be slowed down by carriers as part of most major telecom contracts. This, as stated previously, allows for more people to be utilizing one tower, reducing needed capital for the company. Since speed changes are allowed at the company's will, the user has no official guarantee of speed on most major networks. === Costs brought upon by additional data === In many cases both the user and carrier have to incur additional costs when a user utilizes more of a given data package, which has helped in the proliferation of data caps and other forms of shared data plans. Most of the charges that the carrier has to incur for additional data usage is partially or fully given to the user of the network. ==== Users ==== Users are required to pay flat-rate additional fees that occur when they go above the amount of data given to them in their contract, utility, or prepaid plan. The cost per gigabyte of this fee is usually higher than what the contract itself offers, which discourages users from over-utilizing data and incurring a charge for the carrier. Certain contracts, which do not offer paying additional fees for an increase in data, may result in a shutdown of service, or in extremely rare cases, termination of the service as a whole. ==== Carriers ==== Carriers incur costs for additional data usage, as it limits the number of customers, and associated contracts, that they can handle on one network. Creating more cell phone towers in a given area would be costly, and largely useless until particular spikes in traffic. When the peak usable amount of one tower is reached, it may cause negative public relations towards the reliability of the corporation as a whole.
Mistral Vibe
Mistral Vibe or Vibe (Le Chat until May 2026), is a chatbot that uses generative artificial intelligence developed in France by Mistral AI. Mistral Vibe is available in iOS and Android. Its services are operated on a freemium model. == History == In February 2024, Mistral AI released Le Chat. In January 2025, Mistral AI made a content deal with Agence France-Presse (AFP) that lets Le Chat query AFP's entire archive dating back to 1983. On 6 February 2025, a mobile app for Le Chat was released for iOS and Android, and a subscription tier, Pro, was introduced at a cost of $14.99 per month. In July 2025, Mistral AI released Voxtral, an open-source language model that understands and generates audio. Mistral introduced a voice mode for chatting that uses Voxtral, and projects, which allows grouping chats and files. In September 2025, Le Chat introduced the capability to remember previous conversations. In May 2026, Mistral AI announced the rebrand from Le Chat to Mistral Vibe and new features were introduced at the same time.
Outline of web design and web development
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to web design and web development, two very related fields: Web design – field that encompasses many different skills and disciplines in the production and maintenance of websites. The different areas of web design include web graphic design; interface design; authoring, including standardized code and proprietary software; user experience design; and search engine optimization. Often many individuals will work in teams covering different aspects of the design process, although some designers will cover them all. The term web design is normally used to describe the design process relating to the front-end (client side) design of a website including writing markup. Web design partially overlaps web engineering in the broader scope of web development. Web designers are expected to have an awareness of usability and if their role involves creating markup then they are also expected to be up to date with web accessibility guidelines. Web development – work involved in developing a web site for the Internet (World Wide Web) or an intranet (a private network). Web development can range from developing a simple single static page of plain text to complex web-based internet applications (web apps), electronic businesses, and social network services. A more comprehensive list of tasks to which web development commonly refers, may include web engineering, web design, web content development, client liaison, client-side/server-side scripting, web server and network security configuration, and e-commerce development. Among web professionals, "web development" usually refers to the main non-design aspects of building web sites: writing markup and coding. Web development may use content management systems (CMS) to make content changes easier and available with basic technical skills. For larger organizations and businesses, web development teams can consist of hundreds of people (web developers) and follow standard methods like Agile methodologies while developing websites. Smaller organizations may only require a single permanent or contracting developer, or secondary assignment to related job positions such as a graphic designer or information systems technician. Web development may be a collaborative effort between departments rather than the domain of a designated department. There are three kinds of web developer specialization: front-end developer, back-end developer, and full-stack developer. Front-end developers are responsible for behaviour and visuals that run in the user browser, back-end developers deal with the servers and full-stack developers are responsible for both. Currently, the demand for React and Node.JS developers are very high all over the world. == Web design == Graphic design Typography Page layout User experience design (UX design) User interface design (UI design) Web Design techniques Responsive web design (RWD) Adaptive web design (AWD) Progressive enhancement Tableless web design Software Adobe Photoshop Adobe Illustrator Adobe XD Figma Sketch (software) Affinity Designer Inkscape == Web development == Front-end web development – the practice of converting data to a graphical interface, through the use of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, so that users can view and interact with that data. HyperText Markup Language (HTML) (.html) Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) (.css) CSS framework JavaScript (.js) Package managers for JavaScript npm (originally short for Node Package Manager) Server-side scripting (also known as "Server-side (web) development" or "Back-end (web) development") ASP (.asp) ASP.NET Web Forms (.aspx) ASP.NET Web Pages (.cshtml, .vbhtml) ColdFusion Markup Language (.cfm) Go (.go) Google Apps Script (.gs) Hack (.php) Haskell (.hs) (example: Yesod) Java (.jsp) via JavaServer Pages JavaScript or TypeScript using Server-side JavaScript (.ssjs, .js, .ts) (example: Node.js) Lasso (.lasso) Lua (.lp .op .lua) Node.js (.node) Parser (.p) Perl via the CGI.pm module (.cgi, .ipl, .pl) PHP (.php, .php3, .php4, .phtml) Progress WebSpeed (.r,.w) Python (.py) (examples: Pyramid, Flask, Django) R (.rhtml) – (example: rApache) React (.jsx, .tsx) Ruby (.rb, .rbw) (example: Ruby on Rails) SMX (.smx) Tcl (.tcl) Full stack web development – involves both front-end and back-end (server-side) development Web framework Types of framework architectures Model–view–controller Three-tier architecture Software Atom IntelliJ IDEA Sublime Text Visual Studio Code