A new spin on the Internet: Black Diamond's surround Video ActiveX control enables Mac users to view and navigate 360 panoramic images.SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 7, 1997--MACWORLD-- ActiveX control A software module based on Microsoft's Component Object Model (COM) architecture. It enables a program to add functionality by calling ready-made components that blend in and appear as normal parts of the program. supports Macintosh Power PC for Microsoft(R) Internet Explorer Microsoft's Web browser, which comes with Windows starting with Windows 98. Commonly called "IE," versions for Mac and Unix are also available. Internet Explorer is the most widely used Web browser on the market. It has also been the browser engine in AOL's Internet access software. 3.0 and Netscape Navigator An earlier Web browser for Windows, Macintosh and X Windows from Netscape that provided secure transmission over the Internet. Soon after its introduction in 1994, Navigator, or just "Netscape," as it was commonly called, quickly became the leading browser on the Web. Black Diamond Consulting, Inc., announced today at Macworld, its' Surround Video Microsoft announced Surround Video as a vaporware competitor to Apple's QuickTime VR. It was breathlessly evaluated by reviewers as an equal to Quicktime VR, despite having never shipped as an actual product. ActiveX control for Apple Power Macintosh See Power Mac. (computer) Power Macintosh - Apple Computer's personal computer based on the PowerPC, introduced on 1994-03-14. Existing 680x0 code (both applications and device drivers) run on Power Macintosh systems without modification via a Motorola 68LC040 emulator. . The Surround Video ActiveX control enables Macintosh users to view and navigate 360 panoramic photographs or 360 rendered images in Internet Explorer 3.0 and Netscape Navigator, allowing for the development of dynamic desktop and Internet ready multimedia titles with interactive 360 panoramic images. Designed to fully support the Surround Video format for viewing and navigating 360 panoramic images, Surround Video SDK (Software Developer's Kit) See developer's toolkit and Windows SDK. SDK - Software Developers Kit (or "Software Development Kit"). (TM) combines a collection of tools that developers can use to add 360 panoramic images to an application with ActiveX controls which allow for the use of Surround Video images in HTML HTML in full HyperText Markup Language Markup language derived from SGML that is used to prepare hypertext documents. Relatively easy for nonprogrammers to master, HTML is the language used for documents on the World Wide Web. documents or Web pages. The images can either be photographed or generated via 3D rendering software. The Surround Video SDK takes full advantage of Microsoft Internet Explorer See Internet Explorer. 3.0's support for ActiveX technologies and allows for progressive rendering, real-time image correction, embedded image mapped hot spotting with URL URL in full Uniform Resource Locator Address of a resource on the Internet. The resource can be any type of file stored on a server, such as a Web page, a text file, a graphics file, or an application program. links. Lyle Speirs, president of Black Diamond, explains: "Our development organization is strategically committed to developing our own products utilizing ActiveX Controls as well as assisting ISVs and corporate clients in the implementation of this exciting technology. The Mac ActiveX control shows our commitment to ActiveX technology, the Macintosh platform and to providing cutting edge Internet tools." Speirs adds that Surround Video SDK supports IE 3.0 and provides the professional developer with a wide range of options for creating desktop or Internet-based business and edutainment software. "Users are able to interact with products and services from every angle with complete freedom of movement in photo-realistic backgrounds, while maintaining realistic perspective," says Speirs. "Microsoft is pleased to see the Surround Video control available for use with Internet Explorer 3.0 on the Macintosh," said Tod Nielsen Tod Nielsen, formerly of Microsoft, Crossgain, BEA, and Oracle Corporation, is the new Borland CEO (fall 2005). External links
The unique features of Surround Video include: -- Full support of Microsoft's ActiveX Internet strategy -- Interactive navigation to Surround Video images, URL links, Web pages, or any other Internet resources by using the Link Editor, an advanced tool for the creation of hotlinks -- Importing and editing of images via the Surround Image Editor, allowing for the authoring of seamless panoramic images -- Real-time image correction and progressive rendering -- Support for panoramic images in Internet applications -- A runtime Surround Video Library for distributing Internet applications -- Images can be incorporated into custom software and titles via the Surround Video SDK API, a single Component Object Model DLL (1) See data link layer. (2) (Dynamic Link Library) An executable program module in Windows that performs one or more functions at runtime. DLLs are not launched by the user; they are called for by an executable program or by other DLLs. that exports the interfaces that allow runtime image display, manipulation and navigation. -- Surround Video SDK controls support Internet Explorer 3.0 and Netscape Navigator on Apple Power PC, Windows95 and Windows NT 4.0, and the authoring tools support Windows95 and Windows NT (Windows New Technology) A 32-bit operating system from Microsoft for Intel x86 CPUs. NT is the core technology in Windows 2000 and Windows XP (see Windows). Available in separate client and server versions, it includes built-in networking and preemptive multitasking. 4.0 Pricing and Availability: The Mac Surround Video ActiveX Control allows Surround Video authors to provide the Macintosh audience with full viewing compatibility. The control is freely re-distributable by Surround Video authors and will ship within 30 days. The Surround Video SDK retails for $495.00. Black Diamond is a national consulting organization providing leading edge product development and advanced technologies for Internet multimedia software. The company is headquartered in Portsmouth, NH, with offices located in San Mateo, CA and Kirkland, WA. Black Diamond Consulting and Surround Video SDK are registered trademarks or trademarks of Black Diamond Consulting, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft, ActiveX and Windows NT are registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Apple Power PC, and Macintosh are registered trademarks or trademarks of Apple Computer in the United States and/or other countries CONTACT: Black Diamond Consulting, Inc., Portsmouth, N.H. Lyle Speirs 603/430-7777 lspeirs@bdiamond.com or Andrew Lickly 603/430-7777 andrew@bdiamond.com Black Diamond Web Site: www.bdiamond.com |
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