The Star Car looks much cooler with the decals put on it. The Star's Advertising Graphics and Prepress Manager Brian Petty did a great job designing everything.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Sunday, July 22, 2007
One sweet ride
I've spent a lot of time talking about the guts of the Star Car ... the wireless technology, the cameras, the computers, etc. What I haven't touched on is the neatly designed exterior.
The Star Car came to us from Carter Chevrolet a plain white color. Nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't exactly scream the message we want it to -- that the Star Car is here and news must be happening.
Above is a mockup created by one of The Star's several creative and talented graphic artists, Brian Petty. It mixes some blue into the design, and screams "Star Car" across the side and the hood. It also promotes Ifra and NewsGear, the companies that provided us a lot of the online technology and the know-how to install it. Last, but not least, it mentions Carter Chevrolet's contributions.
It's supposed to be back from the shop the middle of next week. When it's back, it will sport the awesome new paint scheme, and no one will have any doubt what the Star Car is.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Star Car in the dark
Thursday night's power outage reminded us all how important the Star Car is going to be for us. Above is a shot of the rack in the back of the Star Car ... it's wired to provide power, after the folks at Carter Chevrolet ran plugs to the back. On the rack are two 400-watt power converters (they change the power from DC to AC) and two surge protectors.
Basically, the electronics on the car are going to run off the vehicle's battery. As you already know, it's going to have a wireless signal.
Electricity and Internet. Two things we didn't have last night when the power was out.
But that didn't stop the staff at The Star from hopping on board and updating the Web. Everyone started making calls to get information about what was happening around the city, and Kevin Ellis, deputy editor at our sister publication The Gaston Gazette, worked with us over the phone to post breaking news about the power outage online. Thanks, Kevin!
When the Star Car is up and running, we won't need the newsroom to be up and running ... all we'll have to do is gather around the SUV and get back to work.
When the Star Car is up and running ... by the way, Skip estimates that we'll be training the staff in using the car next Friday. That means the vehicle is close to being on the road. Keep your fingers crossed, and very soon the Star Car could be rolling into your neighborhood.
Here's Mark Vanburen, working to install a laptop desk in the fron passenger seat. See the holes in the back? That's where power will be run. There's two more desks, too ... they'll be in the back seat.
In the next blog, I'll give you an overview of what we're doing inside the office to prepare for the Star Car.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
We can make it smarter, and more powerful
While the Star Car was at Carter Chevrolet getting its antennae attached and extra power routed to the back, Kerry and Jordan were back at The Star to put together the Energy Core IT 100.
"I call it a bureau in a box," Kerry said.
The box does everything, Kerry said. It's self-contained, acts as a Web server, fire wall and configures the network.
"Everything you'd ask your IT department to do," Kerry said.
Meanwhile, Carter Chevrolet Shop Foreman Roger Johnson and Service Manager Dennis Hastings were overseeing the Star Car's outfitting for more power and connectivity.
"Whatever you can imagine, he can probably do," Mark Carter said of Johnson last week.
Johnson made sure the Star Car had several DC outlets in the back to get power to reporters as they are working out of the back of the vehicle.
"I call it a bureau in a box," Kerry said.
The box does everything, Kerry said. It's self-contained, acts as a Web server, fire wall and configures the network.
"Everything you'd ask your IT department to do," Kerry said.
Meanwhile, Carter Chevrolet Shop Foreman Roger Johnson and Service Manager Dennis Hastings were overseeing the Star Car's outfitting for more power and connectivity.
"Whatever you can imagine, he can probably do," Mark Carter said of Johnson last week.
Johnson made sure the Star Car had several DC outlets in the back to get power to reporters as they are working out of the back of the vehicle.
Monday, July 2, 2007
The equipment
For the mildly curious to the technologically savvy, here's the list of items that are going to transform a Chevy Trailblazer into a mobile newsroom:
The heart of the beast
Dell Latitude D820 -Duo Core processor - 2 Gigs Ram
This Dell laptop computer will serve as the central hub of the mobile newsroom. The computer will allow reporters to link online, upload stories, videos and pictures from wherever they are and tell stories as they happen. From it, they will be able to edit video and pictures, access their blogs and do anything else they need to get information to the public.
Nitix Micro Network Appliance
A "bureau in a box" — it’s pretty much a computer server that offers a hard drive for storage, FTP server, Mail server, file sharing application.
LaCie Rugged All-Terrain Hard Drive
A portable hard drive that can be connected via firewire to any computer for additional storage.
Photoshop CS3
This photo editing program will be loaded onto the Star Car’s laptop, and will let reporters edit pictures they took on scene before posting them online.
Make a connection
Hawking Tech Outdoor 9dbi Antenna
This will be used to send out the wi-fi hotspot signal.
Trendnet LMR200 Reverse SMA to N-type cable
This is the cable that connects the rooftop array to the equipment.
498-DB Multi-Band Mobile Phone Antenna
This will actually be used for both the mobile phone and in broadband wi-fi hotspots.
Hawking Technology Wireless-G Range Extender
Can be used in the case of a reporter having to move further from the vehicle. Plug it in to the computer and it extends your ability to connect to the wi-fi from further away.
Linksys Wireless-G Ethernet Bridge
This will convert a wired Ethernet cell phone connection to become a wi-fi hotspot.
Canary Wireless Digital Hotspotter
This device can find and display any broadband wireless hotspots that might be available in the area.
Zip-Linq Retractable Cat5e Twisted Pair RJ45 Networking Cable
Basically an self-retracting Ethernet cable.
GoldX Firewire Active Extension Cable
Allows us to extend the range of firewire for use with the external hard drive or your Sony digital video camera.
Our office on wheels
Eqitome Multi-Articulating In-vehicle desk
This will be installed in the front passenger seat and will allow a reporter to work on a laptop (kind of like what you find in police cars)
RAM Mount Rear Seat Laptop Desk
Connects to the back of the front seats to allow passengers in the rear area to work from a laptop, etc.
HP Photosmart Multifunction Printer
Provides printing, scanning, emailing and faxing from anywhere.
Thermaltake XJOG USB White Dual LED Light
Connects to any USB port and provides lighting to the user.
Belkin Surgemaster Superior Series UPS
You will be using an American version of this device and it provides surge protection and power to equipment.
Eyes and ears in the county
Nikon Coolpix P2 Wifi
Provides remote picture shooting and instant transfer to a computer via wireless Internet. Pictures are high quality as well … with 7.2 megapixels, photos taken with the camera are full of detail.
Linksys WVC200 Wireless PTZ Internet Camera
This will be mounted at the front of the car and will provide video and still imagery. It can pan/tilt/zoom and also be remotely controlled. It connects to the wi-fi.
Sony HDR-SR1 Hard Disk Recorder
With a 2.1 megapixel sensor and an 80X digital zoom, this video camera will let us record high definition footage and then quickly upload the footage to a computer to be edited. It can shoot in low-light situations, take high quality still pictures and burn DVDs on the spot.
M-Audio Micro Track Audio Recorder
The MicroTrack is a rugged high-fidelity mobile 2-channel digital recorder that records WAV and MP3 files to CompactFlash or microdrives. It’s perfect for everything from professional field recording to corporate meetings, training, education and worship … in other words, anywhere the Star Car can go, reporters can get clear, crisp recordings of all the action.
Samson USB Studio Condenser Microphone
This can be connected to any computer via USB and provides a great sound microphone for voice-over and even interviews.
The heart of the beast
Dell Latitude D820 -Duo Core processor - 2 Gigs Ram
This Dell laptop computer will serve as the central hub of the mobile newsroom. The computer will allow reporters to link online, upload stories, videos and pictures from wherever they are and tell stories as they happen. From it, they will be able to edit video and pictures, access their blogs and do anything else they need to get information to the public.
Nitix Micro Network Appliance
A "bureau in a box" — it’s pretty much a computer server that offers a hard drive for storage, FTP server, Mail server, file sharing application.
LaCie Rugged All-Terrain Hard Drive
A portable hard drive that can be connected via firewire to any computer for additional storage.
Photoshop CS3
This photo editing program will be loaded onto the Star Car’s laptop, and will let reporters edit pictures they took on scene before posting them online.
Make a connection
Hawking Tech Outdoor 9dbi Antenna
This will be used to send out the wi-fi hotspot signal.
Trendnet LMR200 Reverse SMA to N-type cable
This is the cable that connects the rooftop array to the equipment.
498-DB Multi-Band Mobile Phone Antenna
This will actually be used for both the mobile phone and in broadband wi-fi hotspots.
Hawking Technology Wireless-G Range Extender
Can be used in the case of a reporter having to move further from the vehicle. Plug it in to the computer and it extends your ability to connect to the wi-fi from further away.
Linksys Wireless-G Ethernet Bridge
This will convert a wired Ethernet cell phone connection to become a wi-fi hotspot.
Canary Wireless Digital Hotspotter
This device can find and display any broadband wireless hotspots that might be available in the area.
Zip-Linq Retractable Cat5e Twisted Pair RJ45 Networking Cable
Basically an self-retracting Ethernet cable.
GoldX Firewire Active Extension Cable
Allows us to extend the range of firewire for use with the external hard drive or your Sony digital video camera.
Our office on wheels
Eqitome Multi-Articulating In-vehicle desk
This will be installed in the front passenger seat and will allow a reporter to work on a laptop (kind of like what you find in police cars)
RAM Mount Rear Seat Laptop Desk
Connects to the back of the front seats to allow passengers in the rear area to work from a laptop, etc.
HP Photosmart Multifunction Printer
Provides printing, scanning, emailing and faxing from anywhere.
Thermaltake XJOG USB White Dual LED Light
Connects to any USB port and provides lighting to the user.
Belkin Surgemaster Superior Series UPS
You will be using an American version of this device and it provides surge protection and power to equipment.
Eyes and ears in the county
Nikon Coolpix P2 Wifi
Provides remote picture shooting and instant transfer to a computer via wireless Internet. Pictures are high quality as well … with 7.2 megapixels, photos taken with the camera are full of detail.
Linksys WVC200 Wireless PTZ Internet Camera
This will be mounted at the front of the car and will provide video and still imagery. It can pan/tilt/zoom and also be remotely controlled. It connects to the wi-fi.
Sony HDR-SR1 Hard Disk Recorder
With a 2.1 megapixel sensor and an 80X digital zoom, this video camera will let us record high definition footage and then quickly upload the footage to a computer to be edited. It can shoot in low-light situations, take high quality still pictures and burn DVDs on the spot.
M-Audio Micro Track Audio Recorder
The MicroTrack is a rugged high-fidelity mobile 2-channel digital recorder that records WAV and MP3 files to CompactFlash or microdrives. It’s perfect for everything from professional field recording to corporate meetings, training, education and worship … in other words, anywhere the Star Car can go, reporters can get clear, crisp recordings of all the action.
Samson USB Studio Condenser Microphone
This can be connected to any computer via USB and provides a great sound microphone for voice-over and even interviews.
Friday, June 29, 2007
The sweet sound of sirens
The Star Car got another function today ... something very important to add before we start installing all these gadgets.
An alarm.
Joy, Jon and myself were outside examining how effective the alarm is Friday afternoon. Jon was tapping on the side of the SUV ... Joy started slapping the back of the vehicle.
Then, the siren sounded. It was the loudest I had ever seen...I just knew people could hear it miles away.
It wasn't really the car alarm. It was the air siren at the fire department. They laughed at me.
Nevertheless, the alarm system on the Star Car does work, and it sounded pretty awesome.
I'm sure we won't have to worry about thieves. After all, why would anybody want to stop The Star from giving you all the latest news as it's happening? It wouldn't be robbing The Star, it would be stealing from all of Cleveland County.
Next week, the folks at Carter Chevrolet are going to do some electrical work and help us mount the wireless antennae. Check back Monday for more as the Star Car becomes a reality!
An alarm.
Joy, Jon and myself were outside examining how effective the alarm is Friday afternoon. Jon was tapping on the side of the SUV ... Joy started slapping the back of the vehicle.
Then, the siren sounded. It was the loudest I had ever seen...I just knew people could hear it miles away.
It wasn't really the car alarm. It was the air siren at the fire department. They laughed at me.
Nevertheless, the alarm system on the Star Car does work, and it sounded pretty awesome.
I'm sure we won't have to worry about thieves. After all, why would anybody want to stop The Star from giving you all the latest news as it's happening? It wouldn't be robbing The Star, it would be stealing from all of Cleveland County.
Next week, the folks at Carter Chevrolet are going to do some electrical work and help us mount the wireless antennae. Check back Monday for more as the Star Car becomes a reality!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Dreaming
A fun little assignment I got from the powers-that-be at The Star: Create a list of all the ways the Star Car can be used. Here's what I came up with ... not a bad list, if I do say so myself. What do you want the Star Car to be able to do? Post your comment below.
Here are several scenarios the Star Car can be used in:
Drive to a crime scene. People in the newsroom can use the mounted camera to show online consumers what’s happening, while the reporter uses a handheld camera to shoot video from a different angle, a digital recorder to capture press conferences, and a blog to describe the scene.
Then the reporter can upload all this content moments after capturing it, so the consumer gets a near-live experience.
Attend a meeting like never before. Take a mobile video camera into the average meeting and transmit it almost live. Blog about individual talking points and post documents online using cell phone technology.
A standoff happens, and The Star is live on the scene as, hours later, the gunman still hasn’t surrendered. The mobile newsroom has a generator to make sure reporters don’t have to leave the scene when the news is happening.
There’s a tornado in the northern part of the county. The reporters can go storm chasing. Consumers can log online to watch as the Star Car goes to find tornadoes…and, just maybe, see the storm itself.
There’s a police chase, and the Star Car can follow along. So can online viewers, who can watch the Star Car as it’s tracked online using the on-board GPS tracking system.
The Star Car makes an appearance at a local school, where we teach kids to treat the Internet safely and let them upload pictures of themselves to www.clevelandcountykids.com.
Attend a movie premiere, and let the public post to a blog talking about their opinion of the movie from a computer in the back of the car.
Record and broadcast live from sporting events like football games. Point the SUV at the action and let the camera run, while a videographer shoots more stuff from a different angle.
Be in two places at once. The Star Car’s mobile range would allow one reporter to report on one aspect of a story while, down the road, something else is going on. For example, one reporter could talk to family members of someone hurt in a crime, while down the street another reporter provides near-live coverage of a suspect being arrested.
All possible because the mobile newsroom gives both some level of connectivity in the field.
Edit on the fly. Reporters become producers when they put audio and/or video on the computer in the car, edit it, post it online without having to return to the office.
The online public could ride in a Christmas parade with The Star as the car records the route.
A reporter is posting live story updates from somewhere. An online consumer could read the story, post a question at the bottom, and the reporter could get that question answered while still on the scene. It allows for total interactivity.
The bottom line: Reporters and editors can minimize the amount of time between the story happening and the public finding out about it in ways that no other news gathering organization can. News consumers aren’t just reading a story, they’re becoming part of the newsgathering process.
Here are several scenarios the Star Car can be used in:
Drive to a crime scene. People in the newsroom can use the mounted camera to show online consumers what’s happening, while the reporter uses a handheld camera to shoot video from a different angle, a digital recorder to capture press conferences, and a blog to describe the scene.
Then the reporter can upload all this content moments after capturing it, so the consumer gets a near-live experience.
Attend a meeting like never before. Take a mobile video camera into the average meeting and transmit it almost live. Blog about individual talking points and post documents online using cell phone technology.
A standoff happens, and The Star is live on the scene as, hours later, the gunman still hasn’t surrendered. The mobile newsroom has a generator to make sure reporters don’t have to leave the scene when the news is happening.
There’s a tornado in the northern part of the county. The reporters can go storm chasing. Consumers can log online to watch as the Star Car goes to find tornadoes…and, just maybe, see the storm itself.
There’s a police chase, and the Star Car can follow along. So can online viewers, who can watch the Star Car as it’s tracked online using the on-board GPS tracking system.
The Star Car makes an appearance at a local school, where we teach kids to treat the Internet safely and let them upload pictures of themselves to www.clevelandcountykids.com.
Attend a movie premiere, and let the public post to a blog talking about their opinion of the movie from a computer in the back of the car.
Record and broadcast live from sporting events like football games. Point the SUV at the action and let the camera run, while a videographer shoots more stuff from a different angle.
Be in two places at once. The Star Car’s mobile range would allow one reporter to report on one aspect of a story while, down the road, something else is going on. For example, one reporter could talk to family members of someone hurt in a crime, while down the street another reporter provides near-live coverage of a suspect being arrested.
All possible because the mobile newsroom gives both some level of connectivity in the field.
Edit on the fly. Reporters become producers when they put audio and/or video on the computer in the car, edit it, post it online without having to return to the office.
The online public could ride in a Christmas parade with The Star as the car records the route.
A reporter is posting live story updates from somewhere. An online consumer could read the story, post a question at the bottom, and the reporter could get that question answered while still on the scene. It allows for total interactivity.
The bottom line: Reporters and editors can minimize the amount of time between the story happening and the public finding out about it in ways that no other news gathering organization can. News consumers aren’t just reading a story, they’re becoming part of the newsgathering process.
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