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SigmaTel Restructures For Significant Growth in 2001
Under New Leadership, SigmaTel Announces Product Refocus and $11.3 Million in Funding
AUSTIN, Texas (April 18, 2001) - SigmaTel, a provider of integrated circuits (ICs), bringing digital consumer audio and wireless infrared solutions to the home and small business markets, begins the second quarter of 2001 with a revised strategic direction and an additional $11.3 million in funding. Under the leadership of recently appointed CEO, Ron Edgerton, SigmaTel plans to focus solely on its' digital consumer audio and wireless infrared solutions.
"I am confident this strategy will advance SigmaTel to the next level," says Edgerton. "Our team has a wealth of experience and the dedication to lead SigmaTel to a profitable position at the forefront of this industry."
SigmaTel continues to focus on its high-performance mixed-signal ICs for digital consumer audio and wireless infrared solutions. Products currently under development will address the analog-to-digital conversion requirements of emerging market segments, including the consumer audio market, the recently exploding MP3 player market, and an infrared communications (IrDA) market that is showing an ever-increasing number of devices in need of a wireless solution.
Previously, the company had undertaken the challenge of moving a broadband DSL solution from a chipset design to a system-on-chip (SOC) implementation; however, the process became demanding on design and financial resources. In order to cut corporate costs and increase revenue, SigmaTel has discontinued their investment in the G.Lite broadband product.
In conjunction with their restructuring, SigmaTel received additional equity funding totaling $11.3 million for general operation and new product initiatives. The investors are Creative Technology, Battery Ventures, TeleSoft and INVESCO Private Capital.
"This marks another important step forward for SigmaTel," says Edgerton. "In this marketplace it is imperative that we remain focused on our goal to attain profitability. SigmaTel's core mixed signal technologies will enable us to develop and design industry-leading solutions. The additional investment of $11.3 million demonstrates our continued confidence that SigmaTel's innovative technology and business strategy is well-positioned for accelerated growth and market leadership."
About SigmaTel:
SigmaTel, a provider of integrated circuit (IC) design, is converting the real world into a digital experience with its innovative mixed-signal solutions for the digital consumer audio and wireless infrared markets. Since its inception, SigmaTel has built a strong reputation as an innovative developer of mixed-signal ICs, by being first to market with several highly integrated designs. The privately held company is committed to providing customers with high performance products along with superior customer service and is based in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit SigmaTel's Web site at www.sigmatel.com.
SigmaTel Announces AC'97 Design Win with Compaq
SigmaTel to Provide Audio Solution for Compaq iPAQ; Consumers Get Higher Quality Audio, More Interactive Internet Experience
AUSTIN, TX (December 18, 2000) -SigmaTel, Inc., a provider of high-performance integrated circuit solutions for digital consumer audio, broadband communications and wireless infrared, announces a design win with Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ). SigmaTel's STAC9744 audio codec was selected for the Compaq iPAQ™ Home Internet Appliance IA-1.
With only two connections - a power cord and a phone cord - the iPAQ IA-1 is designed to offer users simple, quick and convenient access to the Internet, e-mail and online shopping and chat. In his Wall Street Journal review of the iPAQ Home Internet Appliance, Walt Mossberg said the device was "the best desktop Internet Appliance I've seen."
"The iPAQ Home Internet Appliance IA-1 is being lauded for its ability to bring the Internet to more people, and the SigmaTel AC '97 audio codec helps to bring the full audio impact of the Internet to these users," said Alan Hansford, vice-president of marketing for SigmaTel. "As a result of year-long discussions with Compaq, SigmaTel has the exciting opportunity to participate with a major PC manufacturer that has moved into the Internet Appliance market. With a rich and satisfying Internet experience becoming more and more dependent on excellent audio reproduction, consumers are increasingly taking audio into account when selecting a PC or Internet appliance."
By using the SigmaTel STAC9744 audio codec for sound reproduction, the iPAQ IA-1 maximizes the user's listening experience. The Total Harmonic Distortion, or the degree to which playback strays from the original recording, is 0.02% in the 9744, preserving the accuracy of the signal. The Signal-To-Noise Ratio is a very high 103 dB, which means soft passages are quiet with no hiss. The high-quality hardware sample rate converters on the 9744 can accept the different data sample rates that exist on the Internet, reducing the demand on the host processor.
As the industry leader in AC '97 codec sales according to Mercury Research's 2001 report, the STAC9744 is the latest high-end part to join SigmaTel's family of codecs that incorporate special features and new soft audio driver support.
Interested motherboard developers should contact SigmaTel at hostaudio@sigmatel.com.
About SigmaTel:
SigmaTel is a provider of integrated circuits that brings digital consumer audio, broadband communications and wireless infrared solutions to the home and small business markets. Since its inception, SigmaTel has built a strong reputation as an innovative developer of mixed-signal ICs, by being first to market with several highly integrated designs. The privately held company is committed to providing customers with high performance products along with superior customer service and is based in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit SigmaTel's Web site at www.sigmatel.com.
Cirrus Logic loses bid to bar SigmaTel from shipping audio codecs
By Mark Hachman
EBN
(03/07/00 09:03 a.m. EST)
FREMONT, Calif. -- Cirrus Logic Inc. and SigmaTel Inc. both applauded a ruling handed down by a Texas district court judge in the ongoing patent litigation case between the two companies.
Last Friday, a judge in the Western District of Texas struck down apreliminary injunction barring shipments of SigmaTel's AC'97 audio codecs. Cirrus claims those codecs infringe certain of its patents owned by a subsidiary, Crystal Semiconductor. Austin, Tex.-based SigmaTel denies the claim, and contends the codecs use its own proprietary technology.
Both companies cheered the acceleration of the trial, now set for July, and SigmaTel officials added that they planned to file a motion for summary judgment to accelerate the legal process further. The judge also ruled that Cirrus can not be named as a plaintiff, and that Crystal alone will represent its claim.
"From the very beginning SigmaTel has steadfastly denied the use of any Crystal technology in our products. With this major victory we are substantially closer to proving our innocence," said Spence Jackson, president and CEO of SigmaTel. "This ruling further increases my confidence in the judicial system, and I am now convinced that these type of frivolous lawsuits will not be rewarded by the courts."
A spokesman for Cirrus claimed the elimination of Cirrus from the suit was "irrelevant," and that based on previous, similar claims made against companies like TriTech Microelectronics Inc., Cirrus would ultimately prove triumphant. "It's the same judge, the same Texas court, the same patent, and the same [legal] basis," the spokesman said.
SigmaTel Introduces Single-Chip Audio Decoder Solution for MP3-Style Players
Smallest Integrated Digital Audio Design is Cost Efficient, Low Power and Highly Flexible
AUSTIN, Texas (May 7, 2001) - SigmaTel, a provider of digital consumer audio and wireless infrared integrated circuit (IC) solutions for the home and small business markets, announces its STMP3400 audio decoder for portable and MP3-style personal audio players. The STMP3400 is the smallest integrated solution for multi-format personal audio players-with superior audio quality, low power consumption, and maximum flexibility, all at an affordable price.
"Successful digital audio devices are very cost-driven in today's market," says Alan Hansford, vice president of marketing at SigmaTel. "Manufacturers are always on the lookout for the new, innovative products that offer maximum quality features at an affordable price."
"SigmaTel is strengthening its substantial audio portfolio with the STMP3400," says industry analyst Will Strauss of Forward Concepts. "With this compact and inexpensive solution, SigmaTel has the potential to expand its digital audio presence beyond the MP3-player market into new markets like cellphones, PDAs, and digital cameras."
SigmaTel's system-on-chip STMP3400 provides a complete digital audio solution for portable MP3-style manufacturers, including a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and DC-DC converter. With a low-cost and feature rich platform, the STMP3400 solution gives superior audio performance with the 18-bit SD DAC. In addition to standard SPI, I2C, I2S, and GPIO interfaces for communicating with other ICs, the chip has a USB 1.1 interface for downloading songs and uploading voice recordings. The small size and integration allow for multiple form factors and applications including portable handheld players, headphones, cell phones, and personal digital assistants (PDAs).
The STMP3400 enables maximum flexibility through its programmable digital signal processor (DSP) supporting MP3 decoding and in the future Windows Media Audio (WMA) digital audio decoding. If additional features are required, the upgradeable STMP3400 allows updated drivers to be downloaded, which enables consumers to take advantage of new features without changing the hardware design and incurring additional costs.
The STMP3400 enables players nearly 15 hours of playback time on a single AA battery. The integrated DC-DC converter is controlled by on-chip registers that significantly decrease overall power consumption.
The SigmaTel audio decoder has been designed into the ATLMultimedia ET301ST MP3 portable player. This ODM (Original Device Manufacturer) player is available for OEM customers that would prefer to buy a pre-existing player rather than design their own. The ET301ST can be uniquely branded for these customers.
"SigmaTel has provided us with the exact turnkey solution we need for quicker time to market," said Johnson Juang, general manager of ATLMultimedia (ATLM), a division of Eastern Asia Technology Limited. "The versatility of the STMP3400 audio decoder solution has enabled us to create higher quality, smaller and less expensive portable products for multiple form factors and multiple formats such as MP3, WMA, and other decoding algorithms."
The STMP3400 is available now for immediate design-in for $14 in quantities of 10,000. With the STMP3400, printed circuit assembly bill of materials costs are 30 to 50 percent lower than typical portable solutions.
For product press photos, please visit the SigmaTel Web site at: http://www.sigmatel.com/audio/3400photos/pr-photos.htm
About SigmaTel:
SigmaTel, a provider of integrated circuit (IC) design, is converting the real world into a digital experience with its innovative mixed-signal solutions for the digital consumer audio and wireless infrared markets. Since its inception, SigmaTel has built a strong reputation as an innovative developer of mixed-signal ICs, by being first to market with several highly integrated designs. The privately held company is committed to providing customers with high performance products along with superior customer service and is based in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit SigmaTel’s Web site at www.sigmatel.com.
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Comdex adds consumer electronics flavor
By Stephan Ohr
EE Times
(11/20/00, 9:35 a.m. EST)
LAS VEGAS — The first buzz at this year's Comdex suggests not only that it will be a rich environment for audio but also that it is coming to look a lot like the Consumer Electronics Show.
Indeed, with separate pavilions devoted to home networking, RF and wireless applications, and an entire exhibition center devoted to multimedia — with or without the PC — the show once called the Computer Dealer's Expo, Comdex may increasingly have less to do with the market for personal computers.
The crop of audio news from Comdex last week revealed an industry shifting its focus away from the PC to a mix of broader applications.
Audio chip maker Cirrus Logic Inc. (Austin Texas) announced a licensing agreement with LuxSonor Semiconductors Inc. (Fremont, Calif.) that will enable Cirrus to integrate and manufacture MPEG-2 video playback devices. The agreement is intended to enhance the company's position among manufacturers of DVD players by allowing Cirrus to provide them with both audio and video decoder chips.
The MPEG-2 capability intentionally complements Cirrus' share of the Dolby Digital decoder market among manufacturers of the high-end AV receivers used in home theater systems — already greater than 50 percent in a market that is expected to grow to 28.8 million units in 2004, according to Forward Concept.
Cirrus also used Comdex to reinforce its position in PC audio — a position every bit as enviable as Creative Laboratories. It promoted the CS4205 AC-97 codec, a device intended to reduce some of the cost complexity associated with docking functions in portable computers, said Brain Straup, director of systems engineering and chief architect of the part.
The device is "digital-centric," he said. It integrates a Zoom Video port (providing a digital signal path for signals coming from MPEG decoders), a digital mixer, digital tone controls, and an I2S serial I/O link. It also includes SRS Lab's 3-D sound processing algorithm, which broadens the sound stage produced by two speakers.
Meanwhile, Cirrus competitor SigmaTel Inc., also based in Austin, went the opposite direction by demonstrating devices that showed greater linkage to the PC environment. Its Dolby Digital audio decoder, for example, relies on Pentium hosts to perform much of the work of AC-3 algorithm processing. That is, the host would perform much of the work of segregating 5.1 audio channels (left front, right front, center, left rear, right rear, and bass subwoofer) from a single 192-kbit/second data stream.
SigmaTel's Comdex demonstrations, like the Dolby Digital decoder, was a promotion in behalf of "soft audio," in which the host processor performs most of the audio decode and equalization functions, dramatically lowering the cost and space required to implement playback, said Alan Hansford, SigmaTel's vice president of marketing. A bare-bones Dolby AC-3 soft decoder chip set could offer a 103 dB signal-to-noise ratio, for about $1.50, he said.
Soft AC-3 needs 233 MHz, said Hansford. The power of new-generation Pentium processors is an obvious enabler for simpler audio/video playback silicon. "You can run a movie on the Internet through a DSL connection; you can decode both audio and video with a 500-MHz host," he said.
SigmaTel, whose AC-97 codec sales now challenge Cirrus' according to market analysts like Mercury Research, also demonstrated its STMP34XX MP3 player chips.
Its MP3 player includes a flexible memory interface, a DSP and USB interface for connection with a PC host. It includes an 18-bit sigma-delta codec, an FM radio interface, an LCD driver, headphone output and microphone input. The intent is to replace about $24-worth of electronics with a $15 part, enabling MP3 players in the $79 to $250 price range. All the features are available with one device; the player manufacturer just needs to enable them for the kind of player he is building, said Hansford.
Apogee Technology Inc. (Norwood, Mass.) parked itself in the multimedia center at the Sands Expo Center and demonstrated digital amplifier technology that could live either inside or outside the PC environment. Apogee's "all digital" solution is effectively a two-chip class D amplifier that could convert a serial digital audio data stream into two analog channels, each driving 35 watts into 8-ohm speaker loads.
While Apogee showed the EB-2060X reference design that could easily fit on a PCI card, it also displayed DVD consoles whose outputs could be routed directly to speakers. The evaluation board for the DDX-2000/2060 chip set will easily fit inside DVD players, giving console makers the option to integrate all parts of the audio signal processing chain, said David Meyers, Apogee's director of business development.
The Direct Digital Amplification (DDX) technology promoted by Apogee converts a serial digital audio data stream into a pulse-width modulated stream.
The output of the PWM is effectively a three-state waveform, consisting of a positive-going pulse, a negative-going pulse and third state, which is momentary grounding of the output.
This momentary grounding — which Apogee calls DDX Damped Ternary — is similar to what switching power supply manufacturers Vicor refers to as "zero crossing." It elevates the efficiency of the amplifier, said Meyers.
Texas Instruments Inc. has deployed a similar technology for Class D amplifiers in which the pulses are phase shifted slightly at the zero crossing point.
Chip set demo
Neoh Chong Lim, managing director of FreeSystems Pte. (Singapore), one of the principals in Tritech Microelectronics — a company that was driven out of business by patent infringement suits from Cirrus Logic — demonstrated the Freespan digital wireless chip set.
As implemented in a high-fidelity wireless headset, the transmitter device converts an audio stream (in I2S format) into a Sony-Philips Digital InterFace (SPDIF) format that is transmitted at 2 MHz through an infrared output.
While the wireless headphones of xdream depend on line-of-sight infrared to transmit audio in a digital format, the system has a wider bandwidth than typical wireless headphones using FM wireless transmission, and there is no hiss in the perceived signal. The frequency response of the set is 20 Hz to 20 kHz, with an SNR better than 90 dB at 1 kHz.
The xdream wireless set consists of two pieces: a battery-powered headset with an on-off switch and volume control, and a transmitter that is attached to a host.
The use of both USB and RCA audio jacks on the transmitter means that the audio headphone can be used with PCs or as a standalone with some other audio playback system.
July 18, 2000 SigmaTel audio codecs offer high-performance audio solutions at a reduced cost
The stereo STAC9783 and STAC9784 are claimed to be the smallest AC-Link-compliant AC'97 audio codecs while delivering the world's highest performance for the PC and handheld devices and retaining low cost and eliminating unused functionality.
The STAC9783 employs 3V analog and digital power supplies for low power consumption, thus reducing system cost. It also supports a line-in and line-out for stereo output along with CD, microphone and auxiliary inputs. The STAC9784 offers the same features, except that it operates from a 5V analog power supply and can use either a 3V or 5V digital power supply.
The codecs incorporate sigma-delta technology to achieve a DAC SNR >90dB and line-through SNR >95dB. This low-noise performance is essential for emerging low-cost DVD solutions and game environments. Also included is SigmaTel's 3D stereo enhancement (SS3D) for increased speaker separation when using typical low-cost PC speakers.
Both the STAC9783S and STAC9784S are available in 28-pin SSOPs and are priced at <$1 each in high volume quantities.
SigmaTel Inc.
Tel: 1-512-3813711
e-mail : sales@sigmatel.com
URL : www.sigmatel.com
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Post # of 673438
The SigmaTel audio decoder has been designed into the ATLMultimedia ET301ST MP3 portable player. This ODM (Original Device Manufacturer) player is available for OEM customers that would prefer to buy a pre-existing player rather than design their own. The ET301ST can be uniquely branded for these customers.
"SigmaTel has provided us with the exact turnkey solution we need for quicker time to market," said Johnson Juang, general manager of ATLMultimedia (ATLM), a division of Eastern Asia Technology Limited. "The versatility of the STMP3400 audio decoder solution has enabled us to create higher quality, smaller and less expensive portable products for multiple form factors and multiple formats such as MP3, WMA, and other decoding algorithms."
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SigmaTel offers a single-chip audio decoder with an integrated DSP for music and a USB interface for easy music downloading from a standard PC. This single chip also provides an interface to flash memory, LCD, button and switch inputs, headphones, microphone, and FM radio input and control. This integrated decoder chip is ideal for devices such as dedicated MP3 players, PDAs, and cell phones. For devices like PDAs and cell phones, the audio decoder can act as a slave chip to the processor. The SigmaTel audio decoder has low power consumption and can run on a single AA battery for up to 12 hours. This MP3 chip includes a high performance DSP that supports MP3 and WMA modes for decoding digital music. The firmware for this decoder can be upgraded to support new emerging algorithms and supports SDMI, Secure Digital Music Initiative. The audio decoder chip includes SigmaTel’s high performance 18-bit Sigma-Delta technology achieving a DAC signal-to-noise ratio in excess of 95 dB. This chip integrates a flash memory interface that supports on-board NAND memory devices and a socket for SmartMedia cards, MMC, Secure Digital, CompactFlash, or IDE memory devices.
The Internet-audio (r)evolution
MP3 has launched digital audio into the mainstream, revolutionizing the way people collect and play music. However, our vision of what constitutes a portable player is evolving at a pace faster than Moore's Law dictates.
Nicholas Cravotta, Technical Editor
Internet audio is hot. With the juxtaposition of larger data pipes to the home, such as 56-kbps modems and digital-subscriber lines, and compression techniques, such as MP3, transporting substantial digital content has broken the barrier of con-
sumer accept-ability. In this first wave, myriad digital-audio players have hit the market to meet the demand of music enthusiasts and eager record companies.
The MPEG Audio Layer 3 (MP3) revolution is exciting to engineers for several reasons. First, there's the prospect of opportunities for a whole new breed of consumer products. The complexity of these next-generation digital-audio players, however, far exceeds that of tape decks. In fact, a simple MP3 player can no longer compete in today's market. Consumers already expect audio "platforms" supporting multiple audio formats and offering functions equal to or exceeding that of conventional home audio systems.
Second, Internet audio is the first step in an evolution from smaller text-based or static images to real-time, large-content transport. Building a digital-audio player—whether a portable or a high-end stereo—is more than just decoding a digital audio stream. It's the challenge of putting together the right features from the choices of algorithms, hardware, enhancements, and security.
As Hock Leow, chief technical officer at Creative Technology, puts it, "Building an MP3 player is like designing a PC but in a smaller form factor." If you're doing work that involves digital content and the Internet, following the digital-audio revolution is well worth your time. Engineers, electronics merchants, and musical artists are today debating issues that are creating the foundation for future opportunities, including streaming digital video and interactive content.
Compression classics
MP3 has a clear advantage over other digital-audio-compression standards because its enormous installed base of available content. (For technical details on how digital-audio compression works, see "Now hear this," in this issue). However, MP3 is neither the only nor the ideal compression scheme for all applications. For portable players, MP3 capability is a must, but MP3 has a bad reputation with record companies, which are likely to drive a different standard for online consumption. Thus, successful players also need to support other emerging standards.
Texas Instruments, for example, supports a wide selection of digital-audio standards beyond MP3 for its DSPs. For the portable space, the company supports Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) from Dolby, Windows Media Audio (WMA) from Microsoft, and Real Audio G2 from Real Networks. Other decoders include the Enhanced Perceptual Audio Coder (ePAC) from Lucent and the QDesign Media Codec (QDMC), which is used in QuikTime. In the minidisk sector, the company offers Sony's proprietary ATRAC3 codec. Also available is the Transform-Domain Weighted Interleave Vector Quantization (TwinVQ) algorithm developed by NTT Human Interface Laboratories. TwinVQ, which Yamaha brands SoundVQ, is best at relatively lower data rates of 16 to 40 kbps/channel and is an intermediate quality coder for MPEG-4. If you're interested in supporting home-theater sound, you can license Dolby Digital. Note that some algorithms require direct negotiation with the patent holders, and others have pass-through licenses, meaning that the cost of the chip absorbs the license fee.
AAC, also known as MPEG-2 advanced coding and as the codec for MPEG-4, is possibly the strongest contender to upset MP3. AAC takes advantage of the best features of MPEG-2, Dolby Digital, and AT&T's Perceptual Audio Coder (PAC). Impartial labs have tested AAC and consider it to be of high quality. It requires a lower bandwidth than MP3 (64 kbps/channel), but a typical implementation requires 30 to 40% more MIPS than MP3.
One of the hotly debated candidates is WMA. Windows platforms include WMA support, but non-Windows devices must license the technology. Digital-audio coding is a patent minefield, and even Microsoft has had to avoid using some patented techniques or else be forced to license them. Microsoft uses WMA not as a moneymaker but as a vehicle to drive electronic commerce. As a consequence, WMA does not include certain techniques that could further enhance quality. For example, WMA uses a long set of continuous samples (a large window), which makes it harder to code transient sounds, such as a cymbal crash. A window gets only one set of coefficients, so transients tend to get blurred in larger windows. Microsoft claims that 64-kbit WMA is comparable with 128-kbit MP3, but some audiophiles challenge Microsoft's claims regarding WMA's quality. (You can hear the difference between MP3, G2, and WMA by visiting www.media.globix.net/ms_webaudio.) If you think WMA support is important, partner with a chip manufacturer who thinks so too.
Why would you use WMA instead of the already-established MP3? Microsoft claims that WMA supports extensibility with functions that MP3 doesn't support, such as rights management, or content protection. For example, using WMA, digital-rights rules travel with the file that they apply to. When a player encounters a rule it doesn't recognize, the engine goes out to the Web and updates itself. The claim, however, that MP3 players cannot do this task is unfounded. Although a player that cannot upgrade itself in the field will quickly become obsolete once rights management sees adoption, this phenomenon is more a reflection of how you implement the standard than of the standard itself.
A player that supports all standards as they emerge does not currently seem like a viable option given the expense of licensing. Depending on a transcoder, or software that translates from one format to another, to translate all files into a single format for a portable device doesn't solve this problem, because you still have to pay for the coder, and the audio experiences a reduction in quality, much the same way making a copy of a copy reduces quality.
It is important to keep in mind that typical consumers probably don't care what format the music comes in; they want to listen to music without worrying about updating codecs. Fortunately, because you usually obtain compressed music over the Internet, managing software on the PC could ensure that the player automatically receives the latest software updates. For players supporting multiple decoders, consider how long it takes to shift from one decoder to another. For example, if the play list has a WMA file following an MP3 file, burning in or buffering an algorithm can allow fast switching and enable instant playback, avoiding a substantial pause as the decoder changes over.
Which standards will win out? MP3 is the first successful algorithm to market, but it does not own the market. You can either break out your crystal ball or play it smart and "future-proof" your design by building in reprogrammability and support standards as they gain acceptance.
Chips and salsa
From the chip perspective, you have a variety of options, from dedicated decoders to complete platforms capable of running personal digital assistants (PDAs). Micronas, for example, offers the DSP-based MAS 35xx, a fixed-function family of devices optimized for audio processing and perceptual coding. The MAS 35xx family employs a complex number scheme with shiftable resolution between the complex and the real parts of numbers, which increases the efficiency of some functions, such as reverse fast Fourier transforms (FFTs). Three independent buses—one for fetching algorithm code and two for processing tables—simplify bus-contention issues.
Other vendors include STMicroelectronics, which currently offers the STA013 and STA015 MP3 decoders. The STA015 supports adaptive differential pulse-code-modulation (ADPCM) capabilities. STMicroelectronics is expected to announce its next-generation parts within a few months. Samsung's latest offering, the CalmRISC, integrates a DSP, a microcontroller, and 128 kbytes of flash on a single chip and operates at 76 mW. SigmaTel plans to release its 35-MIPS STMP-97xx programmable DSP-based codec in the second quarter with a target price of $10 in large volumes.
The large DSP companies have taken the general-purpose DSP approach. Motorola, for example, positions the DSP-56362 as its MP3 processor, with versions that support Dolby Digital or MPEG with automatic format detection. The 100-MHz version of the 56362 costs $14.85 (10,000). Analog Devices suggests using its ADSST-Melody-5000, which includes the ADSP-2185M, as well as MP3 software and licenses. Texas Instruments recommends the TMSC5409 for its 100- MIPS performance and 64-mW power consumption. TI's C5410 is available for applications that need more RAM. The C5409 costs $10 (25,000); software is negotiable depending on the algorithms required. An evaluation module is available for portable audio designs. TI also offers companion power-management chip sets and promises more integration between these chips and the DSPs.
Cirrus Logic is aggressively hitting the MP3 market with its Maverick family, supporting MP3 and WMA and possibly in the future supporting AAC. The 7209 is its entry-level part for straight MP3 products, with an integrated direct digital-audio interface to Cirrus' Crystal DACs. In the future, the part will support I2 S, and support for Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a definite near-term possibility. The MP3 and WMA implementations each use about 40% of the total available processing power. The 7209 costs $11.95 (100,000) in a QFP. The 7211 integrates a DRAM controller but does not have the audio interfaces, and the 7212 has both the interfaces and controller. WMA fees are included, but MP3 fees are negotiable. Cirrus is already looking past the portable player to enabling audio playback in devices such as PDAs by basing the Maverick line on an ARM720T RISC processor rather than on a DSP. Portable players don't need a sophisticated OS, but, as audio moves into different devices, Cirrus believes, having an OS will increase flexibility.
Should you care whether the chip is DSP- or RISC-based? Some people believe that RISC chips do not streamline signal processing as well as DSPs do. RISC chips have additional features, such as echo cancellation, that may eat up headroom faster than DSPs, and RISC chips do not have as wide a selection of off-the-shelf features as do DSPs. On the flip side, it is common knowledge that interface and control functions are more difficult and use more memory on RISC-based processors than on standard processors.
If you don't want to give up DSP headroom for controlling interfaces that you could better use to enhance signal processing, consider adding a companion microcontroller, such as those from Microchip. Microchip offers the PIC16-C74B for about $2. When you pair it with the Micronas device, the combination costs around $6. The PIC doesn't have enough horsepower to handle encryption (the Micronas chip does that), but it can control the user pipe (for example, serial, and others) and pass encrypted data through to the decoder, as well as handle the display and other housekeeping tasks. The two-chip combination also has fewer pins than other devices.
Should you buy a dedicated MP3 chip? General-purpose devices give you more flexibility at the cost of more complexity and possibly a longer time to market. A better question is "How much functionality do you want to expose to the user?" Another key consideration is how long it will be before MP3 becomes a "check box," that is, a component rather than the entire application. In one sense, however, it doesn't matter as much how optimized the architecture is for a task as whether the device can do the task and whether the features you need are available off the shelf.
Remember that this market is still young. As the digital-audio market grows, so will the chips. Next-generation chip families will offer members with a variety of peripherals, from integrated DACs, dc/dc converters, LCD controllers, embedded ROM, flash interfaces, and so on. Consider also that you can base your design on a more powerful processor and offer MP3 as a software component, much the way the PC does. For example, Microware ported Mpeg-TV/Xaudio's MP3 algorithm to its Maui platform for the OS-9 operating system (with a less-than-$1 runtime fee in high volumes) and is working on supporting MP3 through a Java-based encoder. Without Java, memory requirements for OS-9 with MP3 and networking capabilities reach 512 kbytes. Java presents the interesting ability to link other functions, such as visuals tied to the audio, to the music file through a flexible Java interface.
Why consider a full operating system that requires extra memory, a high powered processor, and therefore higher power consumption? By doing so, you could implement your entire design in a single chip, reducing product complexity, increasing upgradability and feature flexibility, and decreasing time to market. Such a design is not for the low-end market but for high-end players or home-audio systems that have more cost flexibility.
Jazzing up your design
Typically, MP3 takes 20 to 25 MIPS, leaving significant headroom for other features on some of the general-purpose DSPs listed above. Going with a general DSP enables you to take advantage of the variety of standard off-the-shelf algorithms and functions developed for audio systems. Motorola's DSP56362, for example, can handle 25 postprocessing phases. It reserves eight such phases for supplied functions, including bass manager, delay manager, volume manager, and dither, and 13 postprocessing phases for functions, such as sound fields, 3-D virtualization, equalization, and runtime insertion and activation. Motorola offers a variety of third-party function blocks covering postprocessing features such as parametric equalization of the audio signal. Blocks hook into the system and into other blocks using I/O buffers. Documentation specifies how many MIPS and how much memory a block requires and details how to use each block. In some cases, the code necessary to stitch blocks together has already been written for you.
Postprocessing demands depend on the kind of box the final player is. Smaller boxes can compensate for lower quality headphones that cannot play lower frequencies with various off-the-shelf algorithms that use harmonics to fool the ear into hearing the missing frequencies. A stereo or set-top box could add 3-D virtualization to the audio or compensate for sound characteristics of the room. Additional features might include volume control, tone and loudness adjustment, bass boost to compensate for the lack of a subwoofer in headphones, speaker compensation, and error correction for files read from scratched CDs or minidisks. TI and its partners offer features you might expect to find on a home-audio system—for example, a five-band graphic equalizer; audible fast forward and reverse; stereo enhancement; sample-rate conversion; reverberation; and fixed equalization settings for jazz, pop, rock, and so on. And if you want to offer virtual five-speaker playback for headphones, take a look at Dolby Headphone, which is based on work done by Lake Technology.
Extra headroom, however, offers possibilities for going beyond just a playback device. Including a vocoder, for example, (the Micronas device offers G.723, G.729, or ADPCM) allows you to add to the MP3 player voice recording/playback functionality, thus enabling many complementary applications, such as language learning. Samsung and Ericsson, for example, have already announced cell phones that will support MP3 playback, with the MP3 decoder and headphone jack integrated into a battery pack. A platform such as a car audio system could serve as an audio server or jukebox.
You're also sure to see more enhancement algorithms, such as the Wow algorithm, which SRS Labs developed to improve the signal clarity of high frequencies, bass enhancement, and 3-D spatial effects. (The 3-D spatial effects increase the sound stage beyond a flat plane between speakers and cause the ears to perceive sounds beyond the range of the speakers, such as an object flying past the listener's head.) The Wow algorithm is source-agnostic because it works with uncompressed pulse-code modulation (PCM), the standard uncompressed digital-audio format on CDs. Its strength lies in enhancing audio that has lost quality through compression or compensating for speakers that cannot reproduce the original sound quality.
SRS has introduced the Wowthing (www.wowthing.com) as a consumer box. You unplug the speakers from the PC and plug them into the Wow box and then plug the Wow box into the PC. You can also get the Wow algorithm as a WinApp plug-in, which SRS offers free in an effort to develop online branding. (Visit www.srswowcast.com for a demonstration.) The algorithm takes 14 MIPS on a DSP such as the 563xx, and requires only 400 words of memory. Because the algorithm works sample by sample, latency is negligible. You can customize Wow for frequencies beyond standard ones, such as 44.1 kHz, by changing filter coefficients. Work is in place to release spatial enhancement for mono sources. SRS licenses to chip manufacturers and hopes to create customer recognition and demand, thus making the Wow algorithm a necessary check box.
Alternate tracks
Features are the key to differentiating between players and include the type of storage media, connection to content, and user interface. Picking the right storage media, often removable flash media, segments your player into markets based on the capacity, cost, and robustness of the media. Those MP3 ICs that don't support flash require a supporting microcontroller. Fortunately, chances are that either the IC vendor or the flash vendor has some sample code for supporting the various flash interfaces on various microcontrollers. If your player can reprogram itself, you can steal a few seconds of audio playback time and store firmware code on the flash device to eliminate a memory chip. For consumer audio, the prospect of Internet radio makes the idea of a stand-alone digital audio stereo more realistic. Microdrives become attractive because stereos don't have to be as robust as portable systems. Additionally, the Internet is not limited to sites that only people can view; sites could exist that only machines can view. For example, music gateways could exist for devices that manage both the flow of music and the electronic payment to access the music.
When players can connect directly to the Internet, they'll be able to stream audio. Streams use the same compression technology as stored playback but are optimized for typical streaming considerations, such as varying bandwidth, error control, and jitter buffers. Until then, most MP3 players are essentially peripherals and access PCs over a host communication ports, such as parallel, serial, USB, 1394, wireless, and IrDA. Downloads of more than 115,200 serial connections take less than 60 minutes; downloads over the extended-capabilities port or enhanced-parallel-port bus take less than 5 minutes; and downloads over USB take just more than 30 sec. USB raises the cost of a player, but speed makes these players attractive. Additionally, you'll need to develop or purchase software to manage downloading on the PC. Consumers will want to play files on both their PCs and their players , but, because so many free players, such as MusicMatch Jukebox, RealJukeBox, Sonic Foundry's Siren, and Nullsoft's Winamp, are available, you need not write the software yourself; you can license a player instead.
We're now seeing ancillary products that seem to have little to do with MP3 players. Creative Technology, for example, offers the Lava! MusicVideo player, which provides optional musician-designed visuals when you play MP3 files on the desktop, enriching the music experience and opening the door to limited graphics on a player (Picture).
So, where are next-generation MP3 players going? More and more players are standing on their own with larger displays and more complex features. You may want to even consider such MIPS-hungry features as encoding. Eventually, players will cut the cord to the PC and have a direct connection to live streaming sources. Whereas first-generation players may not have had a display, next-generation players will need to at least show a play list with current artist and song or perhaps support graphics to show, for example, the current song on a spectrum analyzer. By changing the interface, you can change the market you're targeting. Be careful about buying a decoder with an integrated interface, however, because it locks you into those interfaces and can limit your market options.
Encryption a-go-go
With the recent cracking of digital-video decoding (DVD), it is an understatement to say that record companies are wary of releasing digital content when it can easily be copied. The Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI) is an effort to protect digital data. Although implementing SDMI requires some processing (how much is yet to be determined) and engineering resources (Creative Technology, for example, has three people working full-time on the initiative and the spec), you can view it as an opportunity for new features.
SDMIcompliance involves not the decoder IC but the system as a whole. You must encrypt and authenticate content whenever it travels over publicly available buses. You must also bind content to removable storage; you can use a flash module in another player but cannot copy content onto a different flash module. (You accomplish this task by using an immutable unique identifier of the media when making keys.) SDMI is not so much a standard as a framework. It does not specify codecs, encryption, or rights-management techniques but rather requires that you implement such elements into the system's parts. There is still internal debate within SDMI about whether such a framework is sufficient to universally protect content. On the other hand, a single spec across diverse industries may not be desirable. SMDI portable spec 1.0 is available at www.sdmi.org. Getting the SDMI-compliant logo requires a call to the SDMI Foundation.
Three prominent companies playing in the digital-rights-management arena include Liquid Audio, InterTrust, and Microsoft. InterTrust separates the content from the rights. This separation allows a consumer to copy a song from another consumer, but he or she may not play the song until he or she purchases the rights to the song. Various business models are still in debate, such as allowing play of a piece for a specified number of times, allowing play for a period of time, outright ownership, or free demo play for two weeks from first play. Record companies will probably dictate your choice of rights-management vendor, however, once they decide which scheme to go with. This situation means that unless the rights-management companies get together and create a single standard, you need to support all common standards.
Rights management is a complex issue. Although vendors can store licenses on a hard drive as consumers acquire them, the possibility of a crashed hard drive means that vendors need to maintain license records to avoid the complete loss of a consumer's legally purchased licenses. Additionally, current rights-management models tie content to a single machine, which fails to account for the PC/player relationship or the multiple-PC home. Rights management also makes it difficult to translate between formats. For example, because MP3 does not currently support rights management, you cannot convert WMA files with rules to MP3.
The truth is, someone will always be willing to crack encrypted files. Content is best protected when you tie decryption to the same box as the audio output, so that you never expose keys and decrypted content to public buses. The problem is that, as long as PCs can play the same music, protected content is vulnerable. On the player side, programmable codecs create the possibility that someone could make fake codecs that can compromise the integrity of the entire system by exposing protected content after decryption. To avoid this situation, you need a certificate to authenticate that no one has tampered with code upgrades. Thus, you need a separate decryption engine, such as a public-key engine, to protect the system.
The best defense against hacking is making the cost of breaking an audio file greater than the cost of buying it. Another defense is to minimize hacking damage by localizing it to a single piece of hardware or content. DVD was built on the oxymoronic "universal shared secret," which means that one slip resulted in the compromise of every DVD system. In any case, if you impose too many hassles on consumers, they won't want the system. Encryption requires balance.
Of course, the absurd aspect of the record companies waiting for a secure scheme is that they release a full digital master with every CD they ship. As it stands, the content is already broken. And even if a successful encryption scheme is put into place, data protected by strong encryption today may conceivably be weakly encrypted in five years. In this sense, what role does security really play? Perhaps the record companies could learn from the game-software market, which has always dealt with piracy and yet still has done extremely well. The key to security is making it more inconvenient to hack than to buy or, better yet, to give people an incentive to buy.
It is clear that MP3 will not be the only format that players support. In the way that e-mail is a framework for the transport of different formats of data with plug-ins to support the display of each format, digital audio will need such transparency, recognizing the formats from the bit streams themselves. Additionally, players that offer only MP3 and limited features have a limited lifetime. Most of the chip vendors are targeting processors with significant headroom, signaling that MP3 will quickly become a component rather than an entire application.
We are in an exciting time, both of revolution and evolution, as digital audio breaks the ground for digital content across the Internet and as the forces of convergence already begin to pull at stand-alone players. The tempo is speeding up, and you have to stay on your toes if you don't want to miss a beat
nobucks- not sure
PortalPlayer Plans MP3 Platform
By Nate Zelnick
Sometimes it's better not to look too closely at a work in progress, such as the MP3 player, which mixes the insane pace of technology development with the cutthroat competition of the consumer electronics industry. In retrospect, we'll all wonder why it made sense to build a device tied to a file format when what people really wanted was to listen to music.
With MP3 players poised to flood the market, the loopholes that allowed Diamond to get its Rio into consumers' hands are growing into real problems. Diamond parried the litigious Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) attempt to kill its device by invoking the Digital Millennium Copyright Bill. That bill specifically exempts making copies using a PC to a device that itself can't upload files. But that same loophole means that MP3 devices will continue to live in the land of computer peripherals.
Walking the legal and technical tightrope, PortalPlayer Inc. plans to announce next week a low-cost, low-power MP3 "system on a chip." It hopes the new product will do for digital music what Rockwell's single-chip modems did for communications: create a platform that allows electronics companies to focus on integration and packaging rather than on building a better version of a discrete product.
PortalPlayer's Tango line provides both playback and encoding, and it has some nifty extensibility features so manufacturers and consumers won't get stuck in a technological backwater as compression formats and approaches evolve. More than just making MP3 a part of any kind of music machine -- whether it's in a car, part of a stereo deck, or in a portable package -- the addition of on-device encoding is a direct play to the wide swathe of music consumers who want music, not another reason to sit in front of their computers.
This is precisely what the CE industry wants and what the RIAA is trying to curtail. PortalPlayer has provided the hooks for the stalled Secure Digital Music Initiative, which the RIAA threw together last summer in an attempt to get ahead of the digital distribution curve. Tango supports SDMI phase one and allows for a firmware upgrade to phase two.
In fact, flexibility is clearly going to be PortalPlayer's strength. Instead of trying to pick a winner in among the song-storage techniques, Tango supports all available options including flash RAM, Sony's Memory Stick, compact Flash, and hard drive interfaces, and it can be extended to support others. A codec-on-demand feature can be used to deliver a Windows Media decoder directly to a device that has only MP3 playback if a consumer tries to add a song in WMA format to his playlist for seamless playback. To complete the package, PortalPlayer throws in its own Windows music-management software for OEMs to customize.
PortalPlayer hasn't yet announced companies that will adopt Tango, but expect devices based on its integrated package in time for the winter holidays.
Wearable computing: More than geek chic
By Carmen Nobel, eWEEK
Although widely considered geek chic, wearable computing systems are steadily gaining ground in vertical and consumer arenas alike.
At the center of the movement is wearable computing pioneer Xybernaut Corp. (NasdaqNM:XYBR - news), which, at its annual wearable computing conference in McLean, Va., at the end of the month will announce its latest product, the Mobile Assistant V.
The lightweight computer, which will include built-in DSPs (digital-signal processors) from Texas Instruments Inc. (NYSE:TXN - news), will sport more processing power, a longer-lasting battery and lighter headgear.
The Mobile Assistant V bests its predecessors by including the on-board DSP, an enhanced flip-out flat-panel display and a lithium-ion battery in te grated into the computer. Previous versions required a separate battery pack that users had to strap on.
The head mounts available for Mobile Assistant V will weigh only a few ounces rather than a pound. The unit will also feature enhanced speech recognition, a function vital to hands-free computing.
The Fairfax, Va., company also plans to release a developer's tool kit for the DSP this summer, when the computer is due to ship in volume.
IBM will manufacture the system and has tentative plans to co-market the product as well.
Current customers include many companies that have large field forces, such as FedEx Corp., Bell Canada, and the U.S. Army and Navy, to name a few.
Bell Canada, for one, has been testing the Mobile Assistant IV in various iterations, including some with flat-panel displays and some with head mounts. The company said it expects a widespread deployment later this year.
''With wearable technology, it doesn't matter if they're down in a manhole or up in a loft,'' said Brad Chitty, general manager of mobile communications services at Bell Canada, in North York, Ontario. ''They always have access to customer information as opposed to having to go back to the office or the truck.''
Chitty acknowledged there are applications better suited for handheld PCs that enable remote access to corporate applications as well. But he said that his company required more than a personal digital assistant can handle.
''We run proprietary software that isn't available for those small, thin clients,'' he said. ''We need a full, robust system.''
Xybernaut plans to extend its market focus in the coming months with a wearable machine that runs Windows CE.
''You'll have to package that with a cellular service, an ISP [Internet service provider] service, a trading service [and so on],'' said Edward Newman, president and CEO of Xybernaut.
IBM was more cautious.
''The efforts of the wearable industry are going to be focused on the early adopters for a while,'' said George Tatomyr, principal executive for wearable solutions at IBM's Purpose Optimized Network Solutions Group, in Rochester, Minn. ''The geek factor is an issue. In North America, especially, it will take longer to figure out what people would and wouldn't wear.''
Tatomyr added, though, that IBM still plans to release a low-end, Linux (news - web sites)-based, Dick Tracy-like computer wristwatch at some point in the next couple of years. The watch will be on display at the Xybernaut conference, he said.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/zd/20010507/tc/wearable_computing_more_than_geek_chic_1.html
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May 7, 2001 Your Car Has Mail
In-car computing: distraction or boon?
Story by Kevin Clemens
Ann Arbor--
In a day filled with phone calls, meetings, faxes, and e-mail messages, you would think most people would relish a little uninterrupted time at the wheel. Apparently not. The number of cellular phones in this country has grown from 345,000 in 1985 to more than 50 million today, and it’s a pretty safe bet that a lot of those phones are being used in cars. But soon enough, just talking on the phone while driving will seem like a relic of a simpler time. With the help of several emerging technologies and smaller, more powerful computers, teleconferencing, e-mail, and even Internet access will be possible while you zip through traffic.
Computer microprocessors are already used extensively in every modern vehicle. They are in charge of things like engine management, transmission shift patterns, anti-lock brakes, climate control systems, and even window operation and door locks. These microprocessors are very specific in the tasks they perform and therefore do not need a lot of memory or adaptability. This specialization makes automotive electronics cost effective, but it also means that more general tasks like sending messages or providing an electronic link to other computers is beyond their capability. Such applications require the kind of personal computer that is in your office, so several automotive and computer companies are trying to break the code on what Delphi Automotive Systems calls Mobile MultiMedia (MMM).
The vision for MMM encompasses an alphabet soup of cockpit features such as hands-free cellular phones, digital versatile disc (DVD) and MiniDisc (MD) players, direct-broadcast satellite televisions, and GPS navigation, as well as heads-up displays. It will also access information sources outside the vehicle for safety and traffic condition warnings, stock quotes, sports scores, or e-mail. Most car companies, unsure where all this in-car multimedia will lead, are helping computer companies and electronics suppliers by encouraging the standardization of computer interfaces and high-level programming languages like Microsoft’s Windows CE and Sun Microsystems’ Java Virtual Machine.
The hardware of the future is also uncertain. Last fall, Clarion introduced its AutoPC, which uses Microsoft Windows CE and integrates car audio and navigation systems with a wireless communication modem that receives messages on the Cue AutoFM radio subcarrier channel (created by digital mapmaker Etak). The Clarion AutoPC unit is the same size as a car radio and replaces it in the center console. Other suppliers like Visteon and Delphi are also working with Microsoft and Intel to develop their own automotive PCs. According to Jim Hall, vice-president of industry analysis at AutoPacific, “The technology for in-car PCs is happening so fast, it’s going to be really tough for car companies to put one in and stay ahead of the curve. Car companies will probably just offer a spot in the car that will allow it to take a standardized in-car PC.”
One thing computer companies and auto manufacturers do agree on is that these new systems must offer as little distraction as possible to the driver. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that a driver is 4.3 times more likely to have an accident when talking on a cellular phone. One solution to cutting down on distractions is the implementation of sophisticated voice-recognition software. Voice recognition, which is already available on the Jaguar S-type and the Mercedes-Benz S-class, allows the driver to utilize the car’s technology while maintaining control of the vehicle. Clarion’s AutoPC uses voice recognition and text-to-speech technology to allow a two-way conversation between the operator and the computer. For example, the driver can ask the unit what station the radio is set on and then ask it to change to one of twenty preset frequencies. Systems from Visteon and Delphi will also be able to recognize voice commands and read e-mail text aloud.
The use of powerful automotive personal computers is not all work and no play. The possibility of DVD movies and satellite television, with flat-screen video monitors for rear-seat passengers, has been a popular feature in recent concept cars. With fiber-optic cables for ultra-high-speed data transmission, the same computer that provides navigation data to the front seat can also entertain the kids in the back.
To anyone who has ever seen the late Stanley Kubrick’s movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, based on Arthur C. Clarke’s novel of the same name, this business of vehicles that listen to voice commands and report back in a humanlike voice is slightly unsettling. In that movie, the soft-spoken HAL 9000 computer slowly goes berserk and removes the humans from the spacecraft. With so much interest in turning the automobile into a mobile office/entertainment center, it’s important to remember the primacy of the driver in the vehicle of 2001.
Nokia Brings Combined Internet and Digital TV To U.S. Living Rooms
(January 05, 2001) Media terminal is first in a series of retail products for the home
LAS VEGAS (January 5, 2001) -- Nokia (NYSE: NOK) will bring its first consumer retail product – other than a mobile phone - to the United States by the end of 2001. The Media Terminal, a home infotainment center that seamlessly combines the Internet and digital TV broadcast, brings a unique product category to the market where consumers can utilize one central device for organizing and storing today’s popular technologies.
The Media Terminal offers innovative integration of digital video broadcast satellite (DVB-S) service, full Internet access and personal video recording -- all through the convenience of the living room TV. Nokia Navi(TM)Bars, an easy to use navigation browser, provides a smooth transition from TV to full web content. Capabilities for consumers include the ability to view a TV/Internet split screen; digital TV recording to a hard disc with pause-and-play and video-on-demand options; MP3, video and digital photo file storage; 3D and interactive games and digital TV/radio. They can also browse the web, communicate via email and chat, and set up personal bookmarks and address books. The Media Terminal easily connects to devices such as printers, scanners, digital cameras and gamepads.
Sleek and modern looking, the Nokia Media Terminal enhances the aesthetic environment of the home. Designed to be a seamless part of a home environment, it can be utilized in a living room, home office or kitchen.
“Nokia has taken the most popular entertainment and information devices and put them into a simple all-in-one product,” said Heikki Koskinen, vice-president and general manager at Nokia's Home Communications unit. “Unique in its own product category, the Media Terminal is the first entertainment device that fully integrates broadcast and broadband multi-media – making it the first real product of digital convergence for the home.”
Nokia is basing its Media Terminal on open standard technologies, including Linux, Mozilla, and HTML for which there are already a wide range of services and applications available. By giving access to its source code, Nokia provides an environment where developers can easily create new applications for the Media Terminal. The hardware technology is based on an Intel X86 architecture combined with a Nokia DVB-S receiver module, hard disk and additional network interfaces based on PCI modules.
“Our unique background in IP technologies, mobile telephony and digital broadcasting allows us to offer our customers the most innovative home communications products available,” said Koskinen. “Look forward to seeing more innovative consumer products from Nokia for the home and the converging mobile world.”
To date, the Nokia Media Terminal has been awarded an Excellence in Swedish Design award as well as the iF Industry Design Award.
About Nokia
Nokia is the world leader in mobile communications. Backed by its experience, innovation, user-friendliness and secure solutions, the company has become the leading supplier of mobile phones and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed and IP networks. By adding mobility to the Internet Nokia creates new opportunities for companies and further enriches the daily lives of people. Nokia is a broadly held company with listings on six major exchanges.
Further information:
Denise Crew, Tel. +1 650 625 2519 (office), +1 650 906 9409 (mobile)
denise.crew@nokia.com
www.nokia.com
Nokia Media Terminal Technical Specifications
Software
Linux Operating System
Mozilla open source browser
DVB System running on separate RTOS
Nokia Navi ™bars Lite (user Interface)
HTML 4.0, CSS1, HTTP1.1 and JavaScript 1.5 compliant
Netscape compatible plug-ins
Support for GIF, JPEG, PNG, MIDI, Macromedia Flash and PDF
E-mail client: SMTP, POP3, IMAP4, NNTP protocols.
Chat support
IP over MPEG (DVB standard)
IP Multicast and Unicast
SSL and TLS security protocols
2D and 3D residential and network games
IR and USB game pads support
Upgradeable software
Conditional Access
DVB, ATVEF and MHP Compliant
Parental Control
Support for USB-devices, e.g.printers
Support for 1394-devices, e.g.Digital Video cameras
Hardware
Intel Celeron ® 366 Mhz CPU or faster
20 GB Hard Disk or more
Full MPEG2/DVB compatible engine
Integrated V.90 POTS modem
Nokia designed RC
Memory
32-64 MB system memory (SDRAM)
4 MB SDRAM for video and system memory (DVB subsystem)
1+1 MB Flash memory for boot loader and DVB system
Graphics and Video Processing
Accelerated 3D graphics
Graphics and video stream mixing
Per Pixel Alpha Blending
Special Effects
Programmable 2D scaling (1:64 arbitrary)
Advanced flicker filtering
Macrovision 7 compliant
PAL and NTSC
Network Interfaces
2x (QPSK/QAM/OFDM) DVB front-end tuner
Digital satellite, cable and terrestrial transmissions
ISDN, ADSL, Ethernet and Cable modem
Audio / Video Ouput Interfaces
Multi-standard connectors supporting composite video
S-video or RGB
SCART signals for TV set and VCR
2x RCA connectors (analogue audio L/R)
1x S/PDIF coaxial digital audio output
External Interfaces
2x ISO 7816-3 smart card readers
(for conditional access and e-commerce)
1x PCMCIA connector (WLAN, GPRS)
2x USB connectors
2x IEEE 1394 connectors
1x RJ11 telephone connector
1x IR receiver (supporting RC-MM protocol)
1x RJ45 Ethernet interface (10/100 Baset)
1x Common interface port
Content Protection
Secure mechanism, using triple DES encryption/decryption
Digital Video Recording (DVR)
Up to 30 hours of data storing capacity
Power Supply
Custom switch mode power consumption
Standby approx. 5W
Dimensions
Width: 262 mm
Height: 104 mm
Depth: 314 mm
Environmental Conditions
Operating temperature: +5 °C to +40 °C
Storage temperature: -40 °C to +65 °C
Humidity: -25 to 90% rel.
Q: What is the Nokia Media Terminal and what will it do?
The Nokia Media Terminal is an innovative infotainment device that seamlessly combines digital television, full Internet access, and personal video recorder (PVR) technology. Direct from the living room environment, the Nokia Media Terminal opens up the family TV to an exciting array of multimedia applications and services such as interactive TV, full web access, and video-on-demand. With the user-friendly Navi™Bars navigation browser and dual-purpose remote control/keyboard, home audiences can easily navigate between TV and web functions as well as handle personal communications via email or chat. In addition, sofa surfers enjoy the benefits of a PVR enabling pause-and-play of live TV, a wide variety of games, as well as storage space for digital multimedia files such as music, movies and photos. Other services such as home shopping, media portal access and interactive magazine access are also available. The Media Terminal easily connects to other devices like game pads, printers and digital cameras --all from the convenience of the easy chair.
Q: How does the Nokia Media Terminal work?
The Nokia Media Terminal has an integrated hard disc, modem and WLAN interface. Like the Internet itself, it is based on open source platforms such as Linux, thus allowing the Media Terminal's services and abilities to continue to evolve at the same pace as the Internet.
Q: How does the Nokia Media Terminal compare to other devices on the market?
Nokia has taken the most popular entertainment and information devices and put them into a simple all-in-one product -- designed to provide viewers a brand new media experience. The Nokia Media Terminal has been created specifically for consumers in the home environment.
The media terminal provides such services as:
Full Internet Access
Sofa surfers receive full Internet functions such as web browsing, bookmarks, chat, email, and personal address books from the convenience of the TV. Through a user-friendly interface, Nokia Navi™Bars, and a dual remote control/keyboard, the Nokia Media Terminal provides a seamless transition between TV content and full web access.
Personal Video Recorder (PVR)
Users of the Nokia Media Terminal enjoy the benefits of a personal video recorder, including pause-and-play live TV broadcast, digital video recording, and video-on-demand through streaming video. With an internal hard drive, the Nokia Media Terminal provides storage space for digital multimedia files such as movies, music, and photos. For additional storage space or file backup capabilities, the Nokia Media Terminal offers local connectivity for an external storage device. The Nokia Media Terminal internal hard drive can hold up to approximately 10 hours of recording time or more depending on the streaming video format.
Interactive TV
The combination of high-quality digital TV and state-of-the-art Internet technologies enables a wide variety of multimedia services and applications, including: full web access/browsing; email; chat; video-on-demand; web and interactive games; MP3 player; digital video recording; on-line support portal/web site; electronic program guide; navigation browser; and, external peripheral connectivity.
Personalization
Consumers require products and services that seamlessly mold to their individual preferences and lifestyles. Users of the Nokia Media Terminal have the ability to bookmark favorite TV channels and web pages as well as a personal email address folder. With the Nokia-designed Navi™Bars navigation browser interface and dual remote/keyboard, users can easily maneuver between TV and web capabilities as well as access Internet-enabled functions such as email, chat, web browsing, secure on-line shopping, and saved bookmarks.
Q. Is the Nokia Media Terminal easy to use?
Nokia products are always designed to offer maximum ease of use. The new Nokia Navi™bar product allows for simplicity as well as personalization and management of services and information.
Q. How will the Nokia Media Terminal fit into the home environment?
Sleek and modern in appearance, the Nokia Media Terminal enhances the aesthetic environment of your home. The Nokia Media Terminal is designed to be an integrated part of the home environment, whether that is a living room, home office, or kitchen. Already the Nokia Media Terminal has been honored with several awards including the Excellence in Swedish Design Award, the iF Product Design Award and TechTV's Best of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Award.
Q: Is Nokia interested in working with partners, content providers and application developers in the development of offerings for the Nokia Media Terminal?
Yes. Since the Nokia Media Terminal is based on widely recognized open standards such as Linux OS, Mozilla browser and x86 PC architecture, the concept enables a platform that is as open as the Internet itself thus allowing new services and applications to evolve at the speed of the web. Nokia is supporting open source and is publishing source code - see www.linuxtv.org. Members of the open source community and other third parties will soon gain access to a special development web portal with the necessary resources to start developing/porting applications to the Media Terminal's operational environment.
Q: How much will the Nokia Media Terminal cost and when will it be available?
The Nokia Media Terminal will be priced competitively. The first Nokia Media Terminals will be available in Sweden in the middle part of 2001 and later on in the year in Europe and North America.
Microsoft Delivers Advanced Streaming Multimedia to Next Generation of Wireless Handsets
Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) and Microsoft Corp. today announced a collaboration to support Windows Media(TM) Audio, Video and digital rights management (DRM) technology on TI's DSP-based OMAP(TM) processors. Building on TI's ultra-low DSP-based OMAP architecture, TI and Microsoft will enable wireless phone manufacturers to easily design the next generation of digital-media-enabled wireless devices with turnkey Windows Media Audio and Video format support, and provide new digital-media-based wireless services.
"Windows Media is a leader in offering high-quality audio and video using very small bandwidth or file sizes," said Alain Mutricy, director of the Wireless Business Unit at TI. "Extending integrated Windows Media Audio and Video support on our DSP-based OMAP processors will help enable a new wireless age for rich media services."
As wireless networks throughout the world are upgraded to enable the delivery of high-speed, two-way data, customers will be able to access new wireless digital media services using wireless phones and other new devices. Windows Media is already being used in this way in Japan. In December 2000, NTT DoCoMo Inc. launched the first commercial service that uses Windows Media to deliver streamed audio and video to cellular phones via a high-speed Personal Handyphone System network.
These kinds of new Internet-based services will enable consumers to send and receive personal digital audio and video, and access downloaded and streamed digital music, Internet radio, short subject video, movie trailers, news clips, financial information and weather reports.
TI, RealNetworks boots wireless Internet multimedia experience
Posted : 19 Jan 2001
Texas Instruments Inc. and RealNetworks Inc. have entered a strategic alliance to provide Internet multimedia solutions for next generation wireless and digital audio devices.
Under the agreement, TI will integrate RealNetworks' RealPlayer technology into TI's high performance, low power DSPs, including its DSP-based Open Multimedia Applications Platform (OMAP) architecture and 4G Internet audio DSP, DA250. TI's OMAP processor is an applications engine that makes real-time communications-based technologies a reality in wireless handsets and advance mobile computing devices. This collaboration enables users of TI's OMAP and programmable DSPs to easily incorporate support for RealNetworks into their products and provide access to digital media in the RealNetworks format, which is used to deliver content on more than 85 percent of all web pages that feature streaming media.
As a result of this collaboration users of TI DSP-based Internet appliances such as portable Internet audio players, mobile handsets, and PDAs can watch breaking news and sports highlights, listen to music and receive the latest entertainment and weather updates through RealNetworks formats.
Sony Selects Texas Instruments' DSP-based OMAP(TM) and Symbian
for Its Next-Generation Wireless Phones
DALLAS, and LONDON (April 26, 2000), Tokyo (April 27, 2000) - Sony Corporation, Texas Instruments Incorporated (NYSE: TXN), and Symbian announced today that Sony has selected TI's programmable digital signal processor (DSP)-based Open Multimedia Application Platform (OMAPTM) processing engine, and licensed Symbian's software platform for its next-generation wireless phones. The combined experience, design skills and technologies of these three companies will extend options to mobile users who want one device that can make phone calls, access the Internet, and run advanced multimedia, application content and services.
"As a world leader in consumer electronics, Sony is ideally positioned to offer compelling mobile solutions based on TI's OMAP and the Symbian platform," said Katsumi Ihara, President, Sony's Personal IT Network Company. "The upcoming broadband data services and the rising demand for ubiquitous, omni-functional 2.5G and 3G mobile devices will require a powerful, power thrifty processing engine and open operating system. We believe that TI's OMAP and Symbian's technology are indispensable components to make these Sony devices a reality."
The Symbian platform provides an operating system, system layer, application engines and user interfaces that are designed for a wide range of Wireless Information Devices such as Smartphones and Communicators. Incorporating leading technologies such as Java, Bluetooth and WAP, Symbian has already licensed the platform to industry leaders such as Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola, Panasonic, Philips and Psion.
"We're working with industry leaders to create a standard platform that offers unparalleled computing and telecommunications integration for Wireless Information Devices. Key to this is Symbian's ability to develop, ship and license the platform widely throughout the industry,commented Colly Myers, CEO, Symbian. "As our latest licensee, Sony will extend the choice and diversity of wireless devices that are available for mobile users, and also encourage the development of content and services in the wireless industry."
Unveiled last May, TI's programmable DSP-based OMAP has established itself as a leading standard for delivering multimedia applications and wireless broadband data services through next-generation wireless Internet handsets, communicators and advanced mobile computing devices.
In conjunction with TI's recently announced programmable TMS320C55x DSP, OMAP achieves advanced wireless Internet and multimedia functionality, without compromising battery life essential to wireless communications devices. OMAP is software compatible with TI's world-leading 'C54x DSP, which is currently integrated into more than 60 percent of today's digital wireless handsets. The OMAP platform is designed to support all 2G, 2.5 G and 3G wireless standards and is available to OEM customers and Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) for the development of new applications in the wireless communications market.
"Sony's selection of TI's OMAP further reinforces its position as the de facto standard for the next generation of wireless devices." said Gilles Delfassy, Vice President, Texas Instruments, Worldwide Wireless Communications. "TI's expertise in programmable DSP-based platforms for wireless communications end-equipment will allow Sony to offer leading-edge solutions and capabilities. We are delighted to continue TI and Sony's over-three-decade relationship, and further expand our cooperation with Symbian."
Sony has selected TI's DSP based OMAP and the Symbian software platform in an ongoing effort to implement Memory Stick storage and data exchange technology into Sony's wireless phones.
# # #
About Sony:
Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, communications and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. Its music, pictures and computer entertainment operations make Sony one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of over $56 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1999. Sony's Home Page URL: www.sony.co.jp
About Symbian:
Symbian owns, licenses, develops and supports leading software, user interfaces, application frameworks and development tools for Wireless Information Devices such as Communicators and Smartphones. Symbian aims to promote standards for the interoperability of Wireless Information Devices with wireless networks, content services, and messaging and enterprise wide solutions.
With headquarters in London, Symbian has offices in Tokyo and Kanazawa, Japan; Ronneby, Sweden; Cambridge, UK and San Francisco Bay Area, USA. Symbian is owned by Ericsson, Matsushita, Motorola, Nokia and Psion. Symbian's web site can be found at www.symbian.com
About TI:
Texas Instruments Incorporated is the world leader in digital signal processing and analog technologies, the semiconductor engines of the Internet age. The company's businesses also include materials and controls, and educational and productivity solutions. TI is headquartered in Dallas, Texas and has manufacturing or sales operations in more than 25 countries. Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TXN. More information is located on the web site at www.ti.com/
*OMAP is a trademark of Texas Instruments. All other products and names may or may not be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
Microsoft CEO Outlines Mobility Vision and Opportunities For the Wireless Industry
Microsoft Delivers Advanced Mobility Solutions Today With an Eye on the Future
LAS VEGAS, March 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer today outlined Microsoft Corp.'s (Nasdaq: MSFT - news) vision for enabling a mobile data lifestyle and announced a series of key software technologies that begin to make this a reality. In his keynote at CTIA Wireless 2001, Ballmer emphasized the importance of the software industry partnering with the wireless industry to make robust wireless data services available to customers sooner rather than later. By working together to offer richer customer experiences on devices through connections to servers and services, Microsoft envisions enabling customers to always have access to the core information they need while on the go.
(Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO )
``Mobile operators have made significant infrastructure investments and are now exploring how to translate these investments into greater customer value,'' said Ballmer. ``Through software technologies based on XML and the Microsoft .NET platform, Microsoft is working to provide innovative wireless solutions, services and smart devices that end users want and that will help create growth opportunities for the wireless industry.''
Ballmer discussed the importance of the Microsoft® .NET strategy, and the mutual business opportunities that exist for operators, developers, device manufacturers and others in helping enable Microsoft's enterprise and consumer customers to extend their connectivity beyond the desktop. Some of the most frequent questions Microsoft now hears from its more than 68 million customers using the Outlook® messaging and collaboration client and the more than 90 million customers using the Hotmail® Web-based e-mail service involve accessing their data wirelessly.
Over the coming year, Microsoft mobile software will continue to mature and power a range of devices as well as provide server software for corporations and mobile operators that will enable them to deliver data and services across wireless networks.
During the keynote, Ballmer referenced a number of announcements Microsoft is making at CTIA this week, bringing this software to customers today and tomorrow and delivering on making the mobile data lifestyle a reality. These announcements include the following:
Microsoft Mobile Devices
Ballmer announced progress in the device space with the following new alliances and software solutions:
-- Microsoft smart phone software, currently code-named "Stinger."
Microsoft and High Tech Computer Corp. announced that HTC is the newest
company developing smart phone hardware based on "Stinger." "Stinger"
marries the best of the personal digital assistant with the advanced
phone features in a phone form factor. HTC joins Sendo Ltd., Samsung
Electronics Co. Ltd. and Mitsubishi Electric Corp. (under the Trium
brand) as announced hardware manufacturers for "Stinger."
-- Microsoft Mobile Explorer(TM) technology. Microsoft and Mitsubishi
Wireless Communications Inc. announced plans to bring two Microsoft
Mobile Explorer-enabled phones to market in the United States next year
-- the first MME devices for the North American market. Sony-Digital
Telecommunication Europe and Benefon currently ship MME-based phones in
Europe.
-- Pocket PC. Microsoft and J.D. Edwards announced that J.D. Edwards'
OneWorld Xe offerings will support the Pocket PC as the exclusive PDA
platform. This solution will enable enterprise customers to wirelessly
access secure corporate databases in real time while away from their
desks. Microsoft also highlighted new hardware from industry partners
building lower-cost Pocket PCs.
Microsoft Windows Media Technology
Ballmer also demonstrated a technology preview of Windows Media(TM) Player on the ``Stinger'' platform, the first time Windows Media has been demonstrated on a wireless handset. The new player -- currently under development -- will bring the quality and size advantages of Windows Media Audio to ``Stinger'' users and support Windows Media Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology.
This demonstration helps underscore Windows Media innovation in delivering the best audio and video quality in the smallest bandwidth while providing a tested second-generation DRM technology for the delivery of secure music and video. This builds on last month's announcement that chipmaker Texas Instruments Inc. will be adding Windows Media support on TI's DSP-based OMAP processors for wireless handsets, and the announcement in December 2000 that NTT DoCoMo, a world leader in wireless Internet, launched the first commercial service that uses Windows Media to deliver streamed audio and video to cell phones in Japan.
MSN
Ballmer introduced a new MSN®-branded Motorola T900 two-way messaging device offering consumers access to MSN Hotmail and MSN Messenger services. MSN, Motorola and Arch Wireless are working together to bring this affordable solution to customers. This MSN-branded mobile messaging service will offer consumers an easy way to stay connected to family and friends on the go using MSN Hotmail and MSN Messenger, the world's most popular online communication tools.
About Microsoft in Mobility
Microsoft seeks to enable ``intelligent communications'' -- not just connecting devices, but connecting people to each other and their data so they can make informed decisions. Microsoft mobility solutions reduce the complexity and constraints that hobble the flow of personal and business communications, helping individuals and organizations achieve their productivity goals.
Microsoft mobile solutions are a key component of Microsoft's end-to-end wireless strategy to provide mobile Internet solutions that utilize technologies such as Microsoft mobile devices, including Microsoft Mobile Explorer, ``Stinger'' and Pocket PC platforms, as well as Mobile Information Server, Microsoft Exchange Server, the BackOffice® family, Microsoft Windows Media Technology and MSN Mobile service.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software -- any time, any place and on any device.
NOTE: Microsoft, Outlook, Hotmail, Mobile Explorer, Windows Media, MSN and BackOffice are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
More information about Microsoft announcements and products highlighted at CTIA 2001 can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/events/ctia01/default.asp.
TI to plunk down $100 million for wireless software
By John G. Spooner
Special to CNET News.com
February 22, 2001, 4:20 p.m. PT
Who wants to be an OMAP millionaire?
Texas Instruments on Thursday announced plans to invest $100 million in software developers writing wireless Internet software for its Open Multimedia Applications Platform (OMAP) over the next 12 to 18 months. OMAP is essentially a blueprint--based on TI's digital signal processors (DSPs) and other silicon--for building next-generation cell phones and other wireless devices that will access the Internet.
The ecosystem for the wireless Internet will be created over the next few years, and TI wants to ensure it enjoys a prominent place in it. By seeding the market for OMAP-friendly applications, TI will, the theory goes, have an easier time persuading cell phone manufacturers, among others, to adopt its chips.
The program is "wide open," James Wainerdi, TI's OMAP marketing manager, said. "We want to stimulate software development communities to architect...using (OMAP) DSP technology."
Several potential areas of focus for developers include mobile commerce, multimedia, messaging, encryption and interactive gaming. "We don't know what the applications are going to be. I think the only limit is going to be the imagination," Wainerdi said.
To start the ball rolling, developers must submit an executive summary, including product details and target markets. TI's OMAP Developer Network Web site offers more details.
TI, which made the announcement at the 3GSM World Congress in France, will get a stake in companies it invests in and access to their technology.
BEATNIK AND TEXAS INSTRUMENTS ANNOUNCE COLLABORATION TO DELIVER ENHANCED AUDIO APPLICATIONS TO OMAP™-BASED WIRELESS DEVICES
Beatnik Audio Engine To Be Optimized for TI DSP-Based OMAP™ Architecture
DALLAS and SAN MATEO, Calif., (Feb. 27, 2001) -- Delivering advanced audio applications to the next generation of wireless handsets and mobile Internet appliances, Beatnik, Inc., a leading provider of enhanced audio solutions and content for digital devices, games and the Web, and Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE:TXN), today announced that Beatnik will optimize the Beatnik(r) Audio Engine(tm) (BAE) for TI's programmable digital signal processor (DSP)-based OMAP(tm) architecture. This strategic relationship will give consumers using OMAP-based mobile Internet devices access to high quality music and sound effects without extensive download times or storage. http://www.ti.com/sc/omap
TI and Beatnik will enable manufacturers to easily design the next generation of wireless devices with scalable and high-quality audio capabilities, applications and services. The BAE provides audio-based personalization and premium sound quality in consumer entertainment applications. For example, the BAE dramatically enhances the sound quality of ring-tones, games and user interface sounds on digital devices including mobile phones and PDAs.
"Beatnik will take full advantage of OMAP's ultra low power programmable DSP technology by optimizing the BAE for TI's OMAP architecture, to enable a wide range of compelling applications," said Lorraine Hariton, CEO and president of Beatnik, Inc. "This solidifies our goal to deliver enhanced audio and music to a broad range of wireless devices."
The BAE enables users to experience CD-quality audio and music through a variety of digital devices including mobile phones, PDAs and set-top boxes using extremely small file sizes and BAE memory footprint. It does not require special hardware and provides a low bandwidth audio solution for digital devices. The BAE can play back popular formats such as MP3, WAV, AIFF and enhances MIDI by adding custom samples to recreate the original sound of the music. This expanded capacity gives developers an unprecedented variety of sounds to use in their creative productions.
The BAE's true strength is its ability to play Rich Music Format (RMF®) files. RMF files are very compact and play back instantly when started. This technology makes it possible to create truly interactive audio environments and games on the Web and digital devices. RMF files are typically in the range of 10k to 400K while the equivalent MP3 file would be 1MB to 4MB.
In TI's DSP-based OMAP architecture, the BAE also functions as an audio management subsystem to mix and balance various audio file formats, including streaming audio, into a single data stream that can be output to the speaker or headsets. The application program interfaces will be exposed through various operating systems to allow third party applications developers to take advantage of the BAE's audio capabilities.
"Beatnik's advanced audio engine and content offers wireless consumers high quality music and sound effects without requiring extensive download times or storage" said Alain Mutricy, TI's director of worldwide wireless communications. "By leveraging the OMAP processor's high performance, low power DSP functionality, consumers will be able to enjoy an enhanced acoustic experience for significantly longer periods of time."
Unveiled in May 1999, TI's programmable DSP-based OMAP architecture delivers advanced wireless Internet and multimedia functionality without compromising the battery life essential to wireless communications devices such as digital wireless handsets, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and Internet audio devices. TI's OMAP architecture is quickly becoming the de facto standard applications platform for 2.5G and 3G with public endorsements by manufacturers such as Nokia, Ericsson, Sony and Handspring. Additionally, Symbian's EPOC operating system, Microsoft Window's CE operating system, Sun Microsystems' Java 2 Micro Edition platform are endorsed and supported on the OMAP processor available today.
Microsoft and Texas Instruments Unveil OMAP Wireless Processor Support for Windows Media
TI DSP-based OMAP™ Architecture To Accelerate Windows Media Audio and Video Support On 2.5 and 3G Wireless Handsets and Mobile Internet Appliances
Dallas and Redmond, WA (Feb. 20, 2001) -- In a move to deliver advanced streaming multimedia to the next generation of wireless handsets and mobile Internet appliances, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) and Microsoft Corp. today announced a collaboration to support Windows Media(tm) Audio, Video and digital rights management (DRM) technology on TI's DSP-based OMAP(tm) processors. Building on TI's ultra-low DSP-based OMAP architecture, TI and Microsoft will enable wireless phone manufacturers to easily design the next generation of digital-media-enabled wireless devices with turnkey Windows Media Audio and Video format support, and provide new digital-media-based wireless services. TI's OMAP architecture is quickly becoming the de facto standard applications platform for 2.5G and 3G wireless Internet appliances, while Windows Media is quickly becoming the leading choice for wireless audio and video delivery.
"Windows Media is a leader in offering high-quality audio and video using very small bandwidth or file sizes," said Alain Mutricy, director of the Wireless Business Unit at TI. "Extending integrated Windows Media Audio and Video support on our DSP-based OMAP processors will help enable a new wireless age for rich media services."
As wireless networks throughout the world are upgraded to enable the delivery of high-speed, two-way data, customers will be able to access new wireless digital media services using wireless phones and other new devices. Windows Media is already being used in this way in Japan. In December 2000, NTT DoCoMo Inc. launched the first commercial service that uses Windows Media to deliver streamed audio and video to cellular phones via a high-speed Personal Handyphone System (PHS) network. These kinds of new Internet-based services will enable consumers to send and receive personal digital audio and video, and access downloaded and streamed digital music, Internet radio, short subject video, movie trailers, news clips, financial information and weather reports.
"Texas Instruments is a pioneer in offering innovations in processing power and low-power consumption that fuel wireless handsets and advanced mobile computing devices," said Dave Fester, general manager, Windows Digital Media Division at Microsoft. "We are delighted that TI sees the breakthrough quality of Windows Media as a key asset to enable wireless digital media for consumers and businesses."
TI's support of Windows Media, first announced in 1999, accelerated the adoption among the consumer electronics industry of the Windows Media Format and DRM technology, which offers consumers secure CD-quality music at half the file size of MP3. TI's native support of Windows Media and DRM on its TMS320C5000™ platform of programmable DSPs helped fuel the dramatic acceptance of Windows Media by leading manufacturers of portable music players during the past year. Windows Media is now supported on more than 60 consumer devices, ranging from portable music players to digital home stereos.
As part of the collaboration, TI will extend support for the Windows Media Audio and Video formats and digital rights management technology on TI's high-performance, DSP-based OMAP architecture. TI's OMAP processor is an applications engine that makes real-time communications-based technologies a reality in wireless handsets and advanced mobile computing devices.
Unveiled in May 1999, TI's DSP-based OMAP architecture delivers advanced wireless Internet and multimedia functionality without compromising the battery life essential to wireless communications devices such as digital wireless handsets, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and Internet audio devices. TI's OMAP architecture is quickly becoming the de facto standard applications platform for 2.5G and 3G with public endorsements by manufacturers such as Nokia, Ericsson, Sony and Handspring.
Today's announcement illustrates the industry's rapid embrace of Windows Media for the wireless delivery of streaming and downloadable music and video. Windows Media delivers the highest-quality audio and video at any bandwidth and hits critical thresholds for wireless delivery. The Windows Media Audio 8 beta release, announced in December, delivers FM-quality sound at modem dial-up rates and is ideally suited for the GPRS networks being built today in Europe and the United States. As networks are upgraded to the 3G (i.e., UMTS) standard, the Windows Media Video 8 beta, also announced in December, will enable delivery of the highest-quality mobile video experience. The Windows Media Video 8 beta delivers near-VHS-quality video at rates as low as 250 Kbps and near-DVD-quality video at rates as low as 500 Kbps.
# # #
Nov. 17, 2000 embedded java/ibm
Making Java work on embedded systems
By Bruce Abbott, For InfoWorld Test Center
See correction below
A new breed of devices delivers a new set of problems. And Java can solve them -- sometimes
WHO SAYS YOU can't go home again? The Java programming language, originally designed for set-top appliances, left home to achieve fame and fortune on the World Wide Web. Now the prodigal son wants to return to its old stomping grounds as a programming language for embedded systems.
Developing for embedded systems brings a whole new set of complexities with it (see " Embedded intelligence "). You are dealing with new devices, skill sets, and constraints such as speed, memory, size, and time determinism that you didn't have before. Java can help with its object design, inherent Internet integration, and base of knowledgeable developers.
In particular, Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME), a subset of the Java API, is designed to meet the stringent memory requirements of embedded devices. Only the critical features of Java are included in the client. J2ME uses "profiles" to target various devices in two broad categories: those with 128KB to 512KB of memory and those with 512KB-plus. Different user interfaces and other packages may be available based on the device profile.
Ironically, some of the features that have made Java an excellent choice for Internet and desktop programming cause problems on an embedded system. The security of running in the Java virtual machine (JVM) sandbox and the lack of pointers make it difficult for Java to control hardware. Automated garbage collection makes programming easier but makes real-time determinism impossible. Further, Java walks slowly and carries a big footprint. The good news is that most of these problems are surmountable and viable solutions are available. So when we ask the question, "Is Java a good choice for programming embedded devices?" the answer is an unequivocal "sometimes."
When is Java the right choice?
For the microprocessor that handles interrupts to guide the Mars Lander, Java may not be the best choice. If your requirements are to design a lightweight, efficient, mission-critical, time-deterministic application to fire retro-rockets, communicate with sensors, and report orientation of the spacecraft, stick with C or Assembler.
For other applications such as tracking package shipments on a handheld device, Java is an excellent option. Devices that need to talk to one another or to the Internet can leverage the inherent features of the language. Applications that work with a server-side software already written in Java can leverage the design and code base in the existing domain.
No time like the present
One of the reasons for Java's popularity is that it is WORA (write once run anywhere). The same Java code can run on a Mac, a PC, Solaris, or even a mainframe because it is an interpreted language. A platform-specific JVM interprets the bytecodes to run on each OS platform. This takes time, although not as much time as it used to, thanks to just-in-time compilers. But who wants to wait eight seconds to make a phone call while Java allocates memory and loads the necessary classes? AOT (ahead-of-time) compilers interpret Java code in advance, transforming it to optimized, platform-specific binary code.
Cygnus Solutions boasts an AOT compiler that speeds code execution by a factor of as many as eight times. NewMonics has developed QuickPERC Compiler, which the company claims increases an application's speed by as much as 20 times in comparison to the regular interpreted mode.
Using an AOT, developers lose the benefit of being able to manage and maintain one version of compiled code in one central server location. But this is not a big loss in an environment that traditionally uses a more static codebase, such as an embedded system.
Size does matter
Although it is not uncommon for the average server to have several gigabytes of memory, a Java-enabled appliance may have less than 512KB. So running Java with a core class library of 1MB before you have even written a single line of code doesn't cut it on an embedded system. Stripping out all unused code, methods, and classes with AOT compilers has ameliorated this problem. Many vendors also have written their own platform-specific core Java classes that are smaller and more efficient while still adhering to the published Java API. Generally, object-oriented languages require more memory than languages such as Assembler and C. This has long since ceased to be a factor on the desktop, but it can be a factor in embedded systems.
The right IDE
It has been said that as much as 80 percent of the bugs in C programs come from problems with pointers, so Java got rid of them. Java's security model precludes the use of pointers to directly address system memory and real hardware. But those pointers come in handy when you want to address memory quickly and directly.
So an embedded system written in Java must make use of native interfaces -- calls from Java to C code -- to perform hardware-specific functions. But this means that you are managing multiple types of code in multiple languages, which in turn means developers must have an additional skill set or you need additional developers. And how do you link all of this code into one module and debug it when something goes wrong?
A powerful, feature-rich, multi-language IDE (integrated development environment) that supports code intended for multiple platforms is a big step in the right direction. Several are currently available, including Metrowerks CodeWarrior , which enables programmers to code in several languages in the same IDE, and IBM's VisualAge for J2ME. Because the problems these IDEs solve are complex, they too incur a steeper learning curve.
Time to take out the trash
One of the often stated reasons not to use Java in embedded systems is its inability to guarantee real-time determinism, which is to say the language will not process a particular portion of code in a predictable, repeatable amount of time. Java uses automatic garbage collection to reclaim unused memory, and developers have little or no control over when garbage collection takes place. When it does, it virtually pauses the entire application. To solve this problem, vendors have come up with different methods and algorithms for collecting garbage.
Solutions such as NewMonic's Real Time Executive and Windriver's FastJ can ensure that you will get absolute time determinism. Sun has a different approach, but it is also moving toward a guarantee of real time determinism. Various coding techniques such as the reuse of objects can also mitigate the impact of garbage collection.
Reuse is still important
Although using AOT compilers costs developers the ability to run the same compiled Java code on any platform, portable Java source code is still a big plus.
When a vendor manufactures a new version of its hardware, as long as the visible interface remains the same, the code that talks to that interface will not have to change. That is the essence of object oriented design. In fact, most of the higher application logic can still be debugged on the desktop.
Dollars and sense
Sometimes the decision to use Java comes down to a cost-benefit analysis. We all know memory and processor speed is cheap and getting cheaper. Although it makes sense to spend a few hundred dollars or even a few thousand dollars for memory on a server, the same logic might not hold true on a cell phone. If you can save $1 by using less memory on 20 million phones, you save $20 million. Other times, memory and speed are less of a factor.
Pouring Java into your project
If you are thinking about using Java on your next embedded-system project, "technology is unimportant compared to organizational cultural factors," say Greg Wickham, author of Embedded Systems' Compiled Java Experiences. "If you have a shop full of Java programmers doing Web design who are used to sacrificing machine resources to their convenience, you can't just turn them into ES programmers. Take an evolutionary approach to using Java: Don't do whole applications in Java right off. Then the Java guys start talking to embedded guys and they each gain expertise in each other's domain."
The further you stray from a generic environment running J2ME bytecode on a JVM, the more complex your application becomes to manage. The rule of thumb here is to go with as much of the standard J2ME as much as you can. Incorporate special solutions only if there are special problems.
And don't be surprised if some of the solutions for embedded systems such as AOT compilers and semiautomatic garbage collection make their way back to the desktop and server environment, making Java an even more attractive choice when it leaves home yet again.
Return to our Special Report on Embedded Systems
In the story above, we incorrectly referred to IBM's multilanguage IDE as VisualAge for J2ME. The product is called VisualAge Micro Edition.
Hai- sorry, I was too tired and lazy to look up the author. glad you are reading the investorshub board.
One Voice Technologies Announces Strategic Relationship With IBM
- World's First Intelligent Voice Interactive Technology™ (IVIT); Utilizes Industry-Leading ViaVoice by IBM. -
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - October 14, 1999 - One Voice Technologies, Inc., "One Voice," (OTC BB: ONEVE), developers of IVIT(tm) (Intelligent Voice Interactive Technology(tm)), today announced a strategic relationship with IBM( (NYSE: IBM).
One Voice's patent pending IVIT provides a layer of Artificial Intelligence that understands advanced linguistic concepts such as topic, subject and synonym. As a result, people can speak naturally to their computers, rather than being forced to speak pre-defined words and phrases. With IVIT, people simply ask their computer to launch applications, open files, search the Internet, pull up a stock portfolio, check weather listings or find current news - just as if they were speaking to another person. IVIT speaks back to users through a series of unique animated characters, which ask intelligent questions and read findings aloud. Through intelligent interactive dialogue and inference capabilities, IVIT asks questions to clarify users' requests and drills down to quickly find accurate information. One Voice's IVIT technology is the foundation for the company's upcoming IVAN' (Intelligent Voice Animated Navigator') application.
Utilizing IBM's ViaVoice speech recognition engine, One Voice's IVAN application will change the way people interact with their computers and the Internet. As part of the IBM Speech Product Line, the ViaVoice engine is a demand-generating enhancement of choice for speech recognition technology companies. According to One Voice Technologies Chairman and CEO, Dean Weber, the integration of IBM's ViaVoice speech recognition engine and One Voice's upcoming IVAN( application will forever change the way people interact with their computers and the Internet. "By adding a layer of Artificial Intelligence to IBM's powerful speech recognition technology, One Voice's IVIT enhances and simplifies computer and Internet interaction," said Mr. Weber. "We are pleased to work closely with IBM, a leader in speech recognition, to bring our exciting, fun and easy-to-use interface to millions of people around the world."
"IBM looks forward to working together with One Voice Technologies to reach our common goal to advance the adoption of speech recognition technologies and to provide voice recognition solutions that will make it easier for people to interact with their computers," says Ozzie Osborne, General Manager, IBM Speech and Pen Systems.
About IBM
IBM speech recognition technology is based on 30 years of speech recognition research and development. With a portfolio of more than one hundred patents, an established R&D business that includes researchers worldwide and a robust, proven speech technology available in many languages, IBM is a leader in speech recognition. For more information about IBM Speech Systems, visit the World Wide Web at http://www.software.ibm.com/speech.
About One Voice Technologies, Inc.
One Voice Technologies (OTC BB: ONEVE) was founded in 1998 by human interface experts and linguists to change the way people interact with computers and the Internet. One Voice's flagship patent pending technology, IVIT (Intelligent Voice Interactive Technology) enables users to retrieve information and navigate the web through intelligent and natural spoken language. The company is headquartered in San Diego, Calif. For more information, please visit www.onevoicetech.com or call Reba Rosenbluth at (858) 552-4466.
EDIG and VOICE RECOGNITION in the LAND OF THE GIANTS
Part I
http://www.agoracom.com/agora/nonmemforum/msgreview.asp?id=23638&refid=23632&orig=23632
Part II
http://www.agoracom.com/agora/nonmemforum/msgreview.asp?id=23674&refid=0&orig=23674
Part III
http://www.ragingbull.altavista.com/mboard/boards.cgi?read=500698&board=EDIG
Part IV
http://www.ragingbull.altavista.com/mboard/boards.cgi?read=500699&board=EDIG
IBM to manage handhelds, reveal EON kit workpad
February 9, 2000
Web posted at: 12:04 p.m. EST (1704 GMT)
by Ed Scannell and Dan Neel - CNN
(IDG) -- IBM is planning a series of announcements next month that will include new software for its RS/6000 and AS/400 platforms, and new desktop systems as part of its EON (Edge of the Network) initiative.
Later this month, the company will take a big step forward in bridging communication between its Unix-based servers and handheld devices, through an XML-based application that lets IT managers configure and manage devices including 3Com's best-selling Palm and IBM's WorkPad.
Called System Networking, Analysis, and Performance Pilot (SNAPP), the application resides on IBM's RS/6000 B50 server, known as Pizzazz. SNAPP helps users with the installation process and does not require the installer to have expert knowledge of the hardware or of Unix, according to those familiar with the product.
The technology is designed primarily for ISPs and ASPs (application service providers) with multiple racks of RS/6000 B50 servers to support their Internet sites.
Explaining how it works, sources familiar with the product said the software exchanges data back and forth from the server and clients, but eliminates the need for users to connect a monitor, a keyboard, or a mouse to each server for configuration and systems monitoring.
Because the software is XML-based, users can also modify the application to monitor and control other features of the host system including the processor and the performance of the disk drive.
Besides handling the initial RS/6000 configuration, SNAPP can also carry out system monitoring, Web server management, and system configuration reporting.
The version of the product for managing the Palm can be downloaded at www.alphaworks.ibm.com/tech/snapp. For IBM users, there is no charge. SNAPP requires the Palm OS Version 3.0 or later.
IBM this week will also shore up its AS/400 server, announcing a version of WebSphere Application Server Advanced Edition optimized for that platform. Company officials believe the new version improves the AS/400e's capability of conducting transactions as well as providing a more solid platform on which to build e-business applications.
Like other WebSphere versions, that for the AS/400 uses Enterprise JavaBeans technology, making it easier for users to connect AS/400-based data, in ERP (enterprise resource planning) or collaborative applications, to the Internet.
Also this week, IBM will formally roll out its new sleekly designed EON desktop systems. These will be accompanied by a broader line of Web-centric PC-based devices and Internet appliances. The devices are expected to leverage a variety of services aimed at small to midsize businesses and consumers with heavy emphasis on connecting to the Web, one IBM source said.
"This is a big step for them. They have been behind the other PC vendors in modernizing and streamlining their desktop designs," said Bruce Stephen, PC Research group vice president at International Data Corp., in Framingham, Mass
20Gig TREO on Wednesday!
or there abouts.....
Thank you for your response. You will remain on the backorder waiting list, for this item, until it becomes available on or around May 9, 2001. Once the item is received in our warehouse, it will ship out within 24-48 hours.
Please understand this is not a guaranteed date, but an expected date given to us by our vendor. We will try to fill your order as close to this date as possible. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
If you require any further assistance, please contact me by any of the methods listed below. Thank you.
VoiceTimes
Selected Survey Results
Three 'Concepts' were discussed:
a. an 'Add-on' device to a current PDA (i.e., Palm III or Palm V),
b. an 'embedded' version that had the speech technology built-in to the device,
c. a smartphone with onboard PDA-type functions.
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Motorola, IBM, Intel, Lucent and e.digital
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
By: trillium $$$$
Reply To: None Monday, 27 Nov 2000 at 9:59 PM EST
Post # of 555813
I spoke with Robert today:
I then inquired about Intel. I said, I heard Fred remark that he had gotten into trouble at last years shareholders meeting for saying too much. Asking if he meant the stipulation that Intel would announce more about their relationship with EDIG. He said he couldn’t comment on that. I told him one of the other shareholders had talked with Robert Jecmen and Jecmen had remarked that his immediate role was to bring his contacts he’s made at Intel to EDIG. He basically said that was right. I asked about the completion of the work with Intel. He corrected me saying “The contract signed in 98 was complete” ( Note the implication there’s additional work we’re doing with Intel) I continued saying if it’s complete will we see a patent out of this. There was a long pregnant pause. He said “Much of whats going on is tied up with other companies and business needs to be sorted out....” But basically he acknowledged theres a patent in there. Can’t remember his exact words. I asked about how Lernout and Hauspie’s problems affected things. He said it affected the whole VTT TTV industry because it is widely acknowledged as the best technology.
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i believe the embedded version of the VoiceTimes product survey is one of the prototypes that was worked on by edig/intel for the ibm/motorola telematics market
A reply from IBM regarding Voice Times Alliance:
The products we announced can and will use VoiceTIMES
specification verified devices. VoiceTIMES is the initiative to create
open specifications for mobile devices. The specifications that VoiceTIMES
is currently working on and will be working on in the future will be used
to access the mobile Internet through our software.
Perfect examples are our voice-enabled automotive solution and the PVA.
Both solutions use the VoiceTIMES specification for their internet access
devices.
Tom Houy
Manager, Client Systems Marketing
IBM Speech Systems
1555 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd.
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
http://www.ragingbull.altavista.com/mboard/boards.cgi?read=364361&board=EDIG
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ note the person who responded for IBM, Tom Houy:
NOW READ THIS:
Something to Talk About IBM PVA v. NAK
Users of next-generation personal digital assistants may find themselves hearing voices
By JEFF CHU
Look who's talking. It may soon be the Palm in your hand. Some personal digital assistants (PDAs) require users to write hieroglyphic-like shorthand onscreen with a stylus. Others reduce users to two-fingered typists hunting and pecking at elfin keyboards.
Cyrus Deboo for TIME
Neither interface makes much sense to Gary Saxer, company evangelist for speech-technology company Lernout & Hauspie. Speech, he says, is "magic. It's the natural choice."
Natural it may be, but, until recently, practical it was not. Pocket-sized computers simply haven't had enough processing power or memory to handle voice recognition software and data. But researchers at L&H and IBM, two leaders in the field, recently unveiled prototypes of speech-enabled PDAs.
The new devices allow users to perform tasks without lifting a finger. Say you need to look up Uncle Fritz's postal code. Instead of searching manually, you can say, "Open address book, find Uncle Fritz, find postal code." The PDA will read you the relevant details. While these handhelds aren't designed for full-scale web surfing, they are designed for network connectivity, and a range of online functions — from dictating e-mails to ordering pizzas — will also be possible.
L&H's talking PDA is called NAK, short for "nakulu," the Hawaiian word for echo. NAK, which looks like a hybrid of a PDA and a mobile phone, works its verbal magic using scaled-down versions of existing software — Voice Express for speech-to-text functions and Real Speak for text-to-speech — coupled with an Intel StrongArm II processor designed for handheld devices. Like other speech-to-text programs, Voice Express requires some "training" — about six minutes' worth — to understand new voices and accents. Most users need a couple of days of training themselves before they master the pausing that alerts NAK to forthcoming commands. As for Real Speak, it has an unlimited vocabulary and a velvety almost-human digitized voice.
IBM's PDA add-on, dubbed the PVA (Personal Voice Assistant), is a jacket that can be popped onto the back of an existing Palm-style device. The jacket houses a microphone, speakers, and the Embedded ViaVoice technology, which enables users to perform the PDA's basic functions with voice commands. A database storing 500-word sets of commonly-used words and commands also make the PVA speaker-independent. It can understand basic instructions from almost anyone, without training, whether the voice is young or old, high-pitched or low.
Of the two devices, NAK has greater versatility. Take message dictation, for example. L&H's technology transcribes a user's speech into text right on NAK, but the PVA doesn't have the horsepower to handle continuous conversion.[cksla: where the new intel xscale chip/Frio] The PVA user stores the dictation as an audio file, which is transcribed either by offloading it to a full-size computer equipped with ViaVoice or by sending it to IBM's WebSphere voice server.
Both prototypes exhibit the growing pains of gadgets in adolescence. If, for example, NAK doesn't understand what you're saying, you'll just have to repeat yourself until it does. The PVA doesn't always understand the user either, but if it can't figure out a command, it's trained to say, "I didn't understand that."
Refinements are on the way. IBM wants to add the capacity to dictate and send the kind of short messages sent to cell phones and pagers that have become so trendy in the European market. L&H would like to integrate ambient intelligence enabling NAK to make jumps in logic. If, for example, a London resident asks NAK, "How's the traffic?", NAK with ambient intelligence could look up the user's profile, note the hometown, and deliver traffic info for London.
Such gee-whiz features are too much for some in the industry. Jeff Hawkins, who helped create the original PalmPilot and now heads the team at Handspring, Palm's new competitor, has said that he doubts that users will choose speech as a preferred medium for data input. But William Meisel, president of speech industry consultancy TMA Associates, insists that speech is a "quick, natural method." He thinks consumers would buy voice-enabled PDAs, but only if learning to operate them "doesn't require a huge effort."
Voice-enabled PDAs will also face competition from the enhanced mobile phones on the way, but the companies are convinced they have a winning device. Tom Houy of IBM Voice Systems says, "When I hand these devices to people to play with, the biggest question is, 'When can I get one of these?'" Good question. Neither IBM nor L&H plans to make speech-enabled PDAs in-house. Both are seeking partnerships with manufacturers to integrate the technology into handhelds and market the enhanced devices. Consumers may see voice-enabled PDAs on store shelves as soon as early 2001.
But talk won't come cheap. IBM estimates the upgrade of an existing PDA will cost a couple of hundred dollars, a brand-new voice-enabled PDA at least double that. The price doesn't include recurring costs like airtime fees for accessing real-time information through wireless networks. Perhaps that seems a hefty price to pay to talk with an inanimate object. But think of it this way: at least these motormouths always come with "off" buttons.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Motorola and IBM Corp. recently announced plans jointly to develop Internet services for cars and trucks, including wireless voice and Internet access, navigation with real-time traffic routing, security and anti-theft protection, personalized information, e-mail and entertainment options. The venture will market its products to car manufacturers.
Motorola also is helping design a universal hands-free system that will integrate a new digital signal processor-based chipset from Lucent's Microelectronics Group and connection from CellPort Systems Inc. of Boulder, Colo. The universal system, which allows car owners to plug their own handsets into a vehicle's on-board electronics, will appear as an after-market product this quarter and is expected to be embedded in OnStar vehicles in 2001. The coming iteration of OnStar will allow users to dial any phone number, not just the OnStar network operations center.
http://www.ragingbull.altavista.com/mboard/boards.cgi?read=8375&board=GMGC
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1/25/00 Intel, IBM Bring Computing Into The Car
Intel and IBM announced today they are collaborating on in-car computing products that will enable automakers to provide wireless and Web-based services such as navigation, communication, and information. IBM will provide its Pervasive Computing software, which is a suite of advanced software for managing the in-vehicle information systems. The software suite includes IBM's VisualAge MicroEdition, which incorporates embedded Java, as well as voice-recognition and text-to-speech functions. This software is used, along with interfaces to the vehicle, to communicate information to the driver and the outside world via the Internet. The companies said Motorola Inc. will also support the venture.
IBM and Intel officials said the partnership won't compete with carmakers or auto suppliers developing technology to create Web-enabled vehicles. In fact, they're potential customers. "Automakers and their suppliers are our partners," said Walt Davison, IBM's marketing executive for the automotive industry. "We're not competing with them; were doing what we do best to help them do what they do best." IBM expects automakers to start offering vehicles with in-car computing systems next year. "The earliest consumers will see vehicles with in-car computing systems on the road will be in 18 months," Desai said.
18 months-- kind of sounds similar to mot's iRadio timeframe
Four New Delphi Communiport Mobile Multimedia Technologies Available to Consumers in 2001 Model Year
DETROIT, March 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Four new Communiport(R) Mobile MultiMedia
technologies will be available from Delphi Automotive Systems (NYSE: DPH) for
consumers in the 2001 model year, further moving the company's technology
leadership into the marketplace, Delphi officials said here today at SAE 2000.
The near-term technologies, on display at the Society of Automotive
Engineers (SAE) 2000 World Congress here at Cobo Center (exhibit #1829) on
March 6-9, include the following:
Communiport Infotainment PC that offers a full map turn-by-turn navigation
system, e-mail, Internet access, voice memo and integrated hands-free
telephone and address book.
Double-DIN Communiport(R) Radio Navigation System, which integrates
complete full-function color map-based navigation with radio, CD-ROM and audio
playback.
Delphi's new aftermarket rear-seat audio/video systems, with a 7-inch
full-color screen, game station, Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) player and power
supply so any consumer electronics products -- CD, VCR, DVD, MP3 player -- can
be used in the vehicle. The three implementations demonstrated included seat
top and floor mount units for the aftermarket, and an integrated headliner
system for OEM installation.
Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service (SDARS) technology. Delphi is the
first automotive supplier to license the SDARS technology and to enter
development agreements with both XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite
Radio. Delphi also recently completed the first-ever agreement to develop and
manufacture original equipment radios capable of receiving AM, FM and XM
Satellite Radio signals for new General Motors vehicles.
The company signed an earlier agreement with Sirius Satellite Radio
(formerly CD Radio, Inc.) to design and market an original equipment
three-band audio system capable of processing Sirius digital processing
signals. Both Sirius Satellite Radio and General Motors XM Satellite Radio
receiver systems will be highlighted.
Delphi's customers will announce specific applications and prices for all
three technologies at later dates.
"We're really pleased that we're able to bring more comfort, convenience
and connectivity to automotive consumers," said Dave Wohleen, president of
Delphi Delco Electronics Systems. "Delphi has one of the broadest mobile
multimedia portfolios in the industry, and our customers are confirming that
we can bring enormous value to their programs."
Delphi announced in January it had booked more than $2.5 billion in new
mobile multimedia business during the previous 18 months.
Communiport technologies include mobile multimedia hardware, content and
delivery including advanced audio, video and telematics equipment. The
portfolio also includes cell-phone-based Internet access as well as
entertainment programming and vehicle technologies ranging from navigation to
entertainment.
Communiport Product Portfolio Includes Voice Recognition
Voice Recognition. Delphi was the first major technology supplier to
deliver a voice recognition system in 1997. In 2000 and 2001, Delphi's voice
recognition system goes into high volume production. Delphi's speech
recognition program supports a variety of languages including English, German,
European French, European Spanish, Japanese and other languages. The voice
recognition technology eliminates the need to manually operate smart
infotainment systems functions to keep the drivers hands on the steering
wheel.
Other significant technologies in Delphi's Communiport portfolio, which
are at various stages in development, include:
MP3 music playback capability, one of the fastest growing electronic
entertainment mediums in history.
Mobile Internet Browsing, with e-mail and text-downloading using the new
Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and Wireless Mark-up Language (WML).
Bluetooth universal connectivity, which allows hands-free, on-board
operation of portable cell phones and other portable computing devices based
on the new standardized Bluetooth wireless interface technology.
Delphi Automotive Systems, headquartered in Troy, Mich., USA, is a world
leader in transportation and mobile electronics components and systems
technology. Delphi's three business sectors -- Dynamics & Propulsion; Safety,
Thermal & Electrical Architecture; and Electronics & Mobile Communication --
provide comprehensive product solutions to complex customer needs. Delphi has
approximately 213,500 employees, and operates 175 wholly owned manufacturing
sites, 41 joint ventures, 53 customer centers and sales offices and
27 technical centers in 38 countries. Regional headquarters are located in
Paris, Tokyo and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Delphi can be found on the Internet at
http://www.delphiauto.com.
Delphi's Communiport(R): Technology for Tomorrow, Today Demonstrated at Frankfurt Auto Show
FRANKFURT, Germany, Sept. 15 1999 /PRNewswire/ -- Delphi Automotive Systems'
(NYSE: DPH) commitment to increase drive-time productivity and to bring more
information, communication and entertainment content into vehicles is
demonstrated by its Communiport(R) Mobile MultiMedia (MMM) product line
exhibited at the Frankfurt International Motor Show.
Communiport is the name of a host of revolutionary integrated
communication and entertainment systems tailored for individual vehicle
manufacturers.
"With Communiport, we can custom deliver the features and functions to
suit individual vehicle manufacturers," said Dave Wohleen, president of Delphi
Delco Electronics Systems. "Extensive experience in reception systems,
instrumentation and displays, audio, human-machine interface, and vehicle
systems integration gives us a strategic advantage in successfully
incorporating these advanced multimedia systems into vehicles."
"Growing consumer demand for these products is being driven by the desire
to have more convenience, connectivity and entertainment options while
driving," said Wohleen. "These factors, coupled with the affordability of
powerful microprocessors and advances in wireless communications, flat panel
displays and voice processing, make these products very attractive."
The product line features advanced technologies that bring together audio
functions based on Digital Signal Processing (DSP), open computing platforms
and wireless communication. In addition, the product line includes full-map,
on-board turn-by-turn navigation and vehicle audio with hands-free voice
activation and text-to-speech response systems.
Communiport's infrared data interface enables information to be easily
transferred to and from a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) or Handheld
Personal Computer (HPC). In addition, the system will also adopt Bluetooth
wireless interfaces enabling system interaction and coordination with
virtually every make of PDA, HPC, cellular phone and other portable electronic
devices.
Innovative in-dash, center console head units feature flat-panel, color-
reconfigurable displays, intuitive speech technology, and reconfigurable
"soft" keys. Head units are configured in single, double and triple DIN-sized
modules. Communiport can also operate a head-up display which projects
critical vehicle safety and navigation information on the windshield, just
below the driver's line of sight.
Communiport computing platforms are powered by open operating systems and
application program interfaces such as Microsoft Windows CE(R) and Java(TM) by
Sun Microsystems. A Communiport center console unit was featured on
Cadillac's Evoq concept vehicle introduced earlier this year.
Delphi's Communiport product portfolio also includes integrated antenna
electronics, advanced playbacks such as CD-ROM, DVD, and MP3, and high-speed
data busses to provide seamless on-board communications.
Through wireless infrastructure and content service providers, Communiport
Systems enable pager messages and electronic mail to be sent and received, and
real-time news bulletins, stock quotes and other critical business information
to be downloaded from the internet using Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)
web browsing.
Integration of this on-board content with off-board information and safety
services provides travel directions, stolen vehicle location, remote door
unlock capability, and instant mayday/airbag deployment notification.
DELPHI'S MMM SYSTEM INTEGRATES ADVANCED TELEMATICS, ENTERTAINMENT
AND COMPUTING IN COMMON, OPEN ARCHITECTURE
Three breakthrough technologies that are going to revolutionize vehicle
on-board communication, entertainment and information in the 21st century have
been brought together by Delphi Automotive Systems in a totally integrated
Mobile MultiMedia (MMM) system.
Aiming to lead the industry in advanced MMM technologies, the latest
additions to Delphi's new Communiport MMM product line are being introduced to
the automotive environment at the Frankfurt International Motor Show. They
are:
* MP3 music playback capability, one of the fastest growing electronic
entertainment mediums in history;
* Mobile Internet browsing with email and text downloading using a new
Wireless Application Protocol and Wireless Mark-up Language; and
* Bluetooth universal connectivity, which allows hands-free, on-board
operation of portable cell phones and other similar devices based on the new
standardized Bluetooth wireless interface technology.
"The integration of these technologies demonstrates Delphi's commitment to
innovation as a global supplier of Mobile MultiMedia solutions, as well as
taking the lead in ending the electronic 'tower of babble' by adopting common
open standards and interfaces," said J.T. Battenberg III, Delphi chairman,
chief executive officer and president.
"This will result in lower costs, convenience and satisfaction for the
vehicle builders and ultimately the consumer by providing interchangeability,
flexibility, and improved reliability and cycle times," he said.
Communiport, which integrates a host of communication, entertainment and
information systems, "answers the growing consumer demand for more
convenience, connectivity, productivity and entertainment options while
driving," said Wohleen.
"MMM is going to revolutionize the customer experience in the automobile
by providing much of the information, entertainment and communication
capabilities people now have in their home or office," said Jeffrey J. Owens,
general director of engineering at Delphi Delco Electronics Systems.
For example, said Owens, "MP3 is already revolutionizing home
entertainment -- more than one million players will be sold by the end of this
year alone -- and consumers are going to insist that it be available in their
automobiles. Delphi intends to be a world leader in applying MP3 to passenger
vehicles.
"By the same token, motorists want the convenience of on-board Internet
browsing and the ability to download their e-mail and text files," he
continued. "With the WAP protocol, Delphi opens up new possibilities by
giving them that accessibility." The Communiport product line features
advanced technologies that bring together audio functions based upon Digital
Signal Processing (DSP), open computing platforms and wireless communication.
Delphi also is introducing a number of new cost-effective near-term
products, which are displayed in a demonstration minivan at the Motor Show.
They include:
* An affordable double-DIN Communiport Radio Navigator System. This
system integrates complete full-function color map-based navigation with
radio, CD-ROM and audio playback. It features a 5.8-inch display and six
reconfigurable control buttons in a highly integrated system that can be very
competitively priced.
* Delphi's new aftermarket rear-seat audio/video system. The system has
a 7-inch full-color screen, game station, Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) player
and power supply so any consumer electronics products -- CD, VCR, DVD, MP3
player -- can be used in the car.
DELPHI UNVEILS ONBOARD MP3 MUSIC PLAYBACK CAPABILITY
In response to what is perhaps the most revolutionary trend in music
history, Delphi Automotive Systems demonstrated one of the automotive
industry's first MP3 audio playback original equipment applications at the
show.
Delphi leads the industry by offering MP3 playback, which is the latest
addition to its expanding Communiport Mobile MultiMedia (MMM) product line.
Communiport offers a host of integrated communication and entertainment
systems tailored for individual vehicle manufacturers.
The Delphi MP3 playback device demonstrated in Frankfurt is integrated
into a Communiport navigation and audio system mounted into a passenger car
center console. Presence of the MP3 unit is only detectable by a small
vertical port for insertion of a compact flash memory card.
According to Wohleen, Delphi's MP3 demonstration shows that original
equipment applications are right around the corner.
"MP3 is becoming an important medium ... it's absolutely revolutionizing
the music business," Wohleen said, "and we're getting a great deal of interest
from automakers on our MP3 playback application development."
"You can expect to see the first Communiport MP3 playback vehicle
application within the next year," he continued. "The explosion of MP3 is
simply changing the way music is stored and distributed ... and it's our job
to make sure vehicle builders can react to these trends, no matter how quickly
they develop."
MP3 -- which is short for the audio part (layer3) of the MPEG (Motion
Picture Experts Group) specification -- is an audio compression standard that
emerged little more than a year ago and has been a growing Internet rage ever
since. It enables digital audio music files to be compressed by a factor of
ten without compromising sound quality.
With MP3 encoders, many music lovers are now "ripping" (compressing) music
off standard music CDs, converting it into MP3 computer files for their
personal use, then copying the files onto writeable CDs or compact flash
memory cards. This enables storage of 10 to 12 times more music on a CD-ROM
than on a conventional CD.
MP3 websites are among the most popular on the Internet today, mostly
drawing enthusiasts in the 18 to 35 year-old range, according to Dr. Robert W.
Schumacher, director of the Delphi Delco Electronics Systems' Mobile
MultiMedia Business Group.
Primary research from MP3.com, a popular Internet site, shows that
visitors to MP3 websites are five times more likely to have purchased a new
vehicle in the last 24 months. "As MP3 playback capability gains in
popularity, we are excited about taking the steps to put this revolutionary
technology into vehicles," said Schumacher.
Schumacher said Delphi is addressing all forms for the playback of MP3
audio files onboard cars and trucks.
These files can be played back four different ways on vehicles: via flash
memory, disk drive, CD-ROM and direct wireless download from the Internet or
from service centers. We have the capabilities to integrate all of them.
"Flash memory cards can go up to 64 megabytes today, which is about 60 minutes
of music, but their density is going up and the cost is coming down very
fast," Schumacher said.
"We're not far from the day that you can download an MP3 file wirelessly
from the Internet or from broadcast media, copy it to a flash card or disk
drive and enjoy it ... all while you're driving to work," he said.
DELPHI DEMONSTRATES TECHNOLOGY THAT
ALLOWS FAST, CONVENIENT VEHICLE ACCESS TO INTERNET
Delphi Automotive Systems demonstrated mobile internet browsing using the
Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), an enabler to convenient, efficient
internet access from cars and trucks.
Delphi's display and demonstration of the WAP capability at the Frankfurt
International Motor Show is among the first of its kind in the automotive
industry and represents yet another advancement in the company's Communiport
Mobile MultiMedia (MMM) offering.
WAP is an open, global specification that empowers mobile Internet users
with wireless devices to easily access and interact with web sites instantly.
Since HTML, the hypertext language of the Internet, is not appropriate for
use with wireless mobile applications, a WAP browser with wireless markup
language (WML) is used on telematics applications. The WAP browser with
markup language is designed to accommodate applications with smaller, more
limited displays like cell phones.
Communiport's advanced human/machine interface capabilities bring faster
and more convenient Internet data downloads, according to Hasse Johansson,
director of Delphi Delco Electronic Systems' Mobile MultiMedia Systems in
Europe. "WAP with WML condenses Internet data so that it can be efficiently
presented on mobile devices with small displays, like mobile phones."
Johansson said, "Communiport offers a larger color display as well as
voice activation and text synthesis for audio read back. When the two are
combined, you have an Internet access capability that's fast and virtually
hands-free.
"It's Delphi's way of conveniently and usefully accessing Internet data in
an automotive application. We are leaders with this technology because we're
developing a dedicated OE WAP browser application."
Johansson envisions the day when Internet access from a car or truck is as
easy as a verbal command to the Communiport system.
"Communiport is capable of becoming an onboard newsreader of Internet
information to vehicle passengers," he said.
According to Johansson, Communiport vehicle applications with WAP browser
capabilities will appear within the next two years, probably in Europe
initially. However, such applications are not expected to be limited to
luxury vehicles.
"Virtually everybody will be dependent on vehicle access to the Internet
in the future," he explained, "regardless of the vehicle they drive."
DELPHI CONDUCTS FIRST BLUETOOTH
AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY DEMONSTRATION
Delphi Automotive Systems literally sent a strong message in support of
open, common interfaces and standards by using Bluetooth technology to
practically demonstrate the capabilities of its Communiport Mobile MultiMedia
System. Using its Communiport MMM system and a Bluetooth cell phone, Delphi
demonstrated a totally new way of using a wireless digital mobile telephone
hands-free.
The demonstration -- conducted at the Frankfurt International Motor Show
-- provided a glimpse into the not-so-distant future when a driver will keep a
cellular phone in a coat pocket and still uses it to place a call. The driver
dials the telephone by voice through the onboard MMM system and the Bluetoooth
link.
Much like the famous Danish King (Bluetooth) who unified Viking kingdoms
under one crown during the tenth century, "Bluetooth technology has the
potential to standardize the mobile electronics industry through the use of
common protocol and standards," said Johansson. "We are excited to lead the
way with these innovative technologies and proud to be among the first to
demonstrate the benefit of these technologies for consumers."
The demonstration illustrated how the Communiport system can recognize a
digital cellular phone when the units are within 10 meters of each other.
Once the phone is recognized the driver can dial it via voice command through
Communiport thanks to the Bluetooth interface. According to Johansson, the
greatest benefits of the technology are convenience and flexibility.
"This clearly enables the first step in open wireless networking and the
resulting hands-free operation of various and different mobile communications
devices in cars and trucks," he said. "The day isn't far away where
miscellaneous branded devices like phones and handheld computers can
communicate with a vehicle's MMM system without cable or other mechanical
interfaces.
"That means improved safety for the driver, and it means freedom for
consumers to choose whatever brand or type of device they want without being
penalized due to it not communicating within a vehicle's MMM system.
"This is a great example of why Delphi is such an advocate of open
architecture systems and common connectivity initiatives."
Johansson said future Communiport applications will enable audio and voice
control interfaces between dissimilar branded devices thanks to Bluetooth, and
that the first high-volume OEM Communiport system outfitted with Bluetooth
technology is very near-term.
The Bluetooth interface technology is the product of a multi-industry
global wireless communications initiative advocating common wireless
connectivity. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) -- headed by
industry leaders such as Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia, and Toshiba -- now has a
membership of more than 200 companies, including Delphi.
Bluetooth technology -- which is based on the concept of electronic
devices interacting with each other via a short-range radio signal --
eliminates the need for proprietary cables to connect devices, and will
increase the ease and breadth of wireless connectivity.
Bluetooth interfaces enable users to connect mobile computers, digital
cellular phones, handheld PCs, network access points and other mobile
technologies on a very high radio frequency (2.4 GHz) carrier that is
unimpeded by line-of-sight restrictions.
DELPHI SHOWCASES MOBILE MULTIMEDIA
PRODUCT OFFERINGS FOR OEM AND AFTERMARKET
Delphi Automotive Systems is showcasing two new, cost-effective Mobile
MultiMedia product offerings for original equipment and aftermarket vehicle
applications.
The products -- which are being displayed in the Delphi exhibit -- are all
representative of Delphi's growing presence in the rapidly growing Mobile
MultiMedia global market, according to Schumacher.
"We're talking about very high-value technologies that can be applied to
very near-term commercial programs," he said. "Advanced technology and
systems integration will help us lead the emerging Mobile MultiMedia market."
The following outlines Delphi's near-term offerings on display in
Frankfurt:
Double-DIN Communiport Radio Navigation System
Delphi has developed a production-ready radio navigator that can be put
into any standard double-DIN instrument panel. The system integrates a full-
function, color map-based navigation system with premium receiver, CD-ROM and
audio system. It features a 5.8-inch display and six reconfigurable control
buttons in a highly integrated system that can be very competitively priced.
Aftermarket Rear-Seat A/V System
Delphi's new aftermarket rear-seat audio/video system is expected to be
sold globally and will be available as early as next year.
It is a completely portable unit console that secures either to the floor
or to the center rear seat position via the seatbelt and plugs into a
cigarette lighter/power source with a standard adapter and incorporates a 7-
inch, full-color screen, game station, DVD player and power supply so consumer
electronics products -- CD, VCR, DVD, MP3 player -- can be used in the
vehicle.
Delphi Automotive Systems, with headquarters in Troy, Mich., USA, is a
world leader in automotive component and systems technology. Delphi's three
business sectors -- Dynamics & Propulsion; Safety, Thermal & Electrical
Architecture; and Electronics & Mobile Communications -- provide comprehensive
product solutions to complex customer needs. Delphi has approximately 201,000
employees and operates 168 wholly owned manufacturing sites, 38 joint
ventures, 51 customer centers and sales offices, and 27 technical centers in
37 countries. Regional headquarters are located in Paris, Tokyo and Sao
Paulo. Delphi can be found on the Internet at http://www.delphiauto.com
Sun Microsystems and Java are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun
Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES FACT SHEET
COMMUNIPORT
NEWS -- Delphi Automotive Systems offers an advanced mobile multimedia
product line under the Communiport brand name. With Communiport, Delphi
features custom-designed, integrated entertainment and communications systems
for individual vehicle manufacturers.
OPERATION & BENEFITS
Communiport Product Line
* Communiport Systems are tailored for vehicle OEMs to meet
individual requirements.
* Integrates AM/FM/RDS receiver modules with computing functions.
* Will adopt Bluetooth, a wireless interface standard enabling
communication and coordination with virtually any make of personal
computing/communication devices.
* Features full map on-board turn-by-turn navigation.
* Hands-free voice activation and text-to-speech response systems.
* One, two and three DIN-sized head units.
* Center Console, flat-panel color reconfigurable displays.
* Intuitive speech technology.
* Reconfigurable "soft" keys.
* Communiport systems can operate head-up-displays.
* Operated by open-operating systems such as Sun Microsystems'
JAVA(TM) or Microsoft Windows CE(R).
* Integrated antenna electronics.
* Internet access via Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) browsing
enabling fast, hands-free access to the worldwide web.
* Advanced playbacks such as CD-ROM, DVD and MP3.
* Ultra-high speed optical fiber bus for Multimedia systems.
* Multimedia systems that support multiple bus standards such as USB,
IDB, CAN, J1850, D2B AND MOST.
* Transfer information from Personal Data Assistant and or Handheld
Personal computer through infrared data interface.
February 27, 1998 delphi/ibm
Plugged-in car of the future will be ready soon
By Mike Brennan
Knight Ridder Newspapers
DETROIT - Drivers have talked to their cars for years. Soon, cars will be able to talk back.
Some of these high-tech cars that can connect drivers and passengers to the world in ways never dreamed of before are on display at the Society of Automotive Engineers International Congress.
Auto suppliers are showing off ways for people to transform car entertainment systems into mobile offices complete with electronic mail and Internet access available by voice commands.
Most of the versions are simple add-ons to car entertainment systems that should show up on cars and trucks later this year.
But the one offered by Delphi Automotive Systems and IBM Corp. shows features not expected to be offered in cars and trucks until after the turn of the century.
Even the most basic systems won't be cheap. Clarion Corp. is expected to be one of the first on the market this summer, and its system will cost $1,299, not including a wireless modem. Delphi hasn't put a price tag on its more ambitious Network Vehicle.
The simpler devices on display at SAE depend on Microsoft's Auto PC software, which includes the Windows CE operating and voice-recognition systems. Each auto supplier is adding its own twist to let manufacturers customize their versions.
Although Delphi Automotive Systems's more advanced Network Vehicle doesn't travel through time, it does let passengers watch movies and television, surf the Net, play interactive computer games and more.
The downside is such high-tech entertainment could add thousands of dollars to the sticker price of future cars and trucks - if consumers are willing to pay for it.
``It's an expensive option and the initial market will be luxury carmakers who are selling it as part of the overall automobile,'' said Todd Haedrich, a technology analyst at Jupiter Communications in New York.
``What's interesting now is if you look at the two versions on display,'' Haedrich said. ``IBM has all the bells and whistles and tries to do everything all at once. It's also typical of the auto industry. Release a concept car five years ahead of the market.''
Microsoft, with its Auto PC, has taken a typical computer software industry approach.
``Microsoft's tradition is one of `Let's get something out there, establish some presence in the marketplace and then the next version will end up dominating,''' Haedrich said.
Microsoft's Auto PC will be on the market this summer with varying enhancements depending on what each automaker wants.
Saab, for instance, has installed an Auto PC in a 1999 Saab 9-5 on display at the show. Saab add-ons let drivers organize phone numbers and addresses, auto-dial the cell phone, send and receive e-mail, prompt Auto PC for driving directions and control the audio system with voice commands.
Nearby, Visteon Automotive Systems showed its second-generation version of the Auto PC that it calls the Information, Communication, Entertainment, Safety and Security, or ICES for short. Visteon extras include a cell phone, climate control and a bigger monitor on which consumers can play high-quality audio and movies.
So who wants to pay thousands of dollars to transform his or her car into an office and entertainment center?
``The initial consumer that will be most interested in buying an Auto PC is the business professional who's on the road a lot,'' said Rich Chutorash, director of advanced technology for United Technologies Automotive. UT Automotive also is developing its version of the Auto PC.
``We think a salesman, distributor or construction manager would be the most likely first buyers,'' he said. ``It probably will be something his company buys for him, rather than himself. The cost would be figured into the total lease price of the car.
``We believe this approach has the best chance to succeed,'' he said. ``It's a collision between computer technology and auto technology.''
Delphi takes that collision further. Its development partners include Web browser-maker Netscape Communications, high-end computer developer Sun Microsystems and computer giant IBM Corp.
Patrick Toole Jr., IBM's vice president for embedded and production solutions, said: ``A lot of features exist today, like navigation inside the car. It's an evolution of those features with voice and speech. You'll see more of an integrated cockpit leading to full multimedia in the car over the next four or five years.''
IBM PSA project worker:From: Paul Fernhout
Neil Scott wrote:
> The Archimedes Total Access System interface allows you to use your Palm
> Pilot to emulate the keyboard and mouse functions on a computer. It is
> surprisingly convenient to use since the keyboard and mouse functions
> are performed on the same device. It is very comfortable to use for
> doing text editing and making corrections. It is infinitely better than
> the twiddler.
Sounds interesting. Do you have a URL for this?
> IBM has demonstrated speech recognition on the Palm Pilot which means it
> is possible to talk, point, and make corrections from a single hand-held
> device.
I spent 18 months as one of the developers on this particular IBM
project. The Personal Speech Assistant is a neat device (IMHO). While I
still can't comment in detail on the device, in general the speech
recognition is not done on the Pilot itself -- rather it is done on an
add-on device which wraps around the Palm. Inside that box is a faster
processor. It does not support full dictation -- just command and
control of several hundred commands. For more details see:
http://www.pc.ibm.com/europe/pcnews/ibms_new_speech-enabled_device.html
http://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/02/29/hand.hear.idg/index.html
The PSA is one of several initiatives IBM has in the pervasive computing
space.
[Note: I don't claim to speak for IBM -- these opinions are my own.]
Other companies like Lernout & Hauspie and Microsoft have recently
announced their own hand-held devices you can talk to as well (L&H's
does dictation, I believe Microsoft just does command and control).
Vendors like AT&T/Lucent have demonstrated devices that do speech
recognition (again with the Palm) using wireless link to a centralized
server.
Based on industry trends, and the exponential growth in computing power
/ cost, you can expect to see some amazing handheld things in handheld
speech products over the next decade. A dictation product like IBM's
ViaVoice or Dragon Dictate takes around 200 MIPS to run well (obviously
more is better). A modern low-power CPU like the StrongArm can do about
200 MIPS (and a pair of AAAs can run this at full speed for somewhere
around 1/2 an hour).
http://research.compaq.com/wrl/itsy/talk-ee380/sld019.htm A new version
of the StrongArm coming out in the next few months will do 600 MIPS on
on 1/2 the power (or 200 MIPS on 1/6 the power). So you can do the math
and see what will be available when as MIPS/Watt doubles every year or
so...
Still, it is a well known fact in the speech industry that getting that
last few percent of accuracy under varying acoustic conditions and
multiple speakers is a difficult problem. So, this is a still a very
hot area of research.
-Paul Fernhout
Kurtz-Fernhout Software
From: Paul Fernhout (pdfernhout@kurtz-fernhout.com)
Date: Wed Mar 29 2000 - 18:28:57 PST
PART TWO- O Mio Babbino Caro
I last left off with the Interview of Intel's Wireless VP Ron Smith. I mentioned that I thought Smith's comment that the technology involving the car (telematics), PDA, and cellular phone are all basically the same was significant. It is my contention the the intel/edig project involves all three areas. In particular, IMO the intel/edig project has been involved in developing prototypes for the three voice-enabled PSA concepts discussed in the VoiceTimes survey on the IBM website- those being:
1]an 'Add-on' device to a current PDA (i.e., Palm III or Palm V),
2]an 'embedded' version that had the speech technology built-in to the device,
3]a smartphone with onboard PDA-type functions.
While the IBM voice-enabled PDA was first made public early this year, clearly this is something "IBM" has been working on for sometime. For example, at
CeBit '98, a concept car called "the Network Vehicle," developed as part of a technology initiative by IBM, Delco Electronics, Netscape, and Sun Microsystems, was demonstrated using a java platform.
The development of the network vehicle required the integration of a wide range of technologies from vehicle control networks to multimedia systems and driver/passenger displays. To ask for directions, read a phone number from the Work Pad, dial the cell phone, check on stock quotes, or lock the doors, the driver only needs to issue spoken commands.The network vehicle does the rest.
I can't seem to locate it just now but I recall reading an article about IBM and voice recognition and was struck by a comment about how Intel had been at IBM's lab for the last couple of years.
In February 2000 W.S. "Ozzie" Osborne, general manager of IBM Voice Systems demonstrated a prototype of its Personal Speech Assistant (PSA)/ Personal voice Assistant (PVA)at IBM's Santa Teresa Laboratory in San Jose. Some 2500 research scientists are exploring voice technologies throughout IBM.
The PSA/PVA is a snap-on speech recognition base for Palm devices. A prototype contains a speaker, earphone jack, microphone, and -- most importantly -- a coprocessor that provides the necessary computing power to support voice technologies such as speech recognition and text-to-speech. Using IBM's Personal Speech Assistant application, you can navigate through a to-do list, execute several hundred commands, and access your address book. For example, you can say, "Find Bill Smith," and the contact record for Bill Smith opens on-screen.
Dictating a memo is as simple as holding down the record button and speaking into the unit's microphone. The prototype stores audio files in the base's 4MB of flash memory; IBM's compression scheme can contain 30 minutes of audio. The base can also be designed to accommodate removable media such as Compact Flash cards or even a 340MB IBM Microdrive.
When you sync the handheld with your desktop PC, IBM's ViaVoice engine on your desktop automatically transcribes the audio clip and uploads the transcript to the handheld. Though not unwieldy, a prototype base adds slightly to the weight and length of an IBM WorkPad unit (running the Palm OS), as demonstrated. Now, recall FF's 6/99 statement:
"Our Intel product design will also be an important technical achievement for our team. A number of prototypes are being developed to Intel's specifications; they include PC downloading capabilities and can interact with third-party software that performs voice-to-text functions and text-to-voice functions. The integration of these functions with convenient hand-held devices is proving to be a rapid growth area for both business and personal use.
At this same press briefing, IBM previewed a speech console on the dashboard of a Chrysler that communicates with the driver about the condition of the car.
In 3/00 IBM followed up this demonstration with the release of an embedded version of its ViaVoice speech engine for handhelds. Additionally, IBM's embedded ViaVoice will enable other devices, such as cars and telephones themselves, to take voice commands. Recall Ron Smith's comments made 8 months later that the technology used in the car, PDA, and phone are substantially the same.
At the Mobile Insights 2000 conference in 3/00, IBM again demonstrated its speech recognition and text-to-speech technology on a Palm III personal digital assistant. The Personal Speech Assistant prototype shown on stage was attached to the back of a Palm III, similar to other Palm III add-ons. Inside the PSA unit was the Embedded ViaVoice software, optimized for both the Palm OS and an NEC embedded processor. In the demonstration, billed as only a technology demo, IBM official David Barnes made numerous voice-command and control calls to the unit, which responded by verifying appointments, taking short messages, and translating selected words into Spanish and Japanese.
Barnes reiterated that IBM is not interested in making the hardware but that its speech division will license the embedded speech software development kit to developers working on almost any platform. The SDK includes recognition for 500 words, enough for most command and control functions, as well as unlimited text-to-speech capability for reading e-mail messages. As part of the unit, flash memory was used to store longer voice episodes, which according to Barnes could then be hot-synced via the Palm cradle to a desktop that included a full version of ViaVoice. The desktop version would convert the voice .wav files to text and automatically send them back to the Palm. IBM would not say which hardware vendors may create products, but a number of PDA as well as car manufacturers are interested.
THIS IS WHERE E.DIGITAL'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE VOICETIMES ALLIANCE COMES INTO PLAY. The IBM's VoiceTimes' alliance webpage made a special point of discussing the PVA and survey results taken.
IBM Voice Systems presented a Technology Concept Demo at Mobile Insights 2000 (MI2000) that featured a voice-enabled IBM WorkPad handheld computer. This concept demo was dubbed the "PVA" (Personal Voice Assistant). The PVA demo was created as a concept demo, designed to demonstrate voice recognition technology in a handheld device. IBM made no promise to announce the PVA as a product, nor did IBM make any guarantee to announce a voice-enabled handheld device in the future.
The PVA demo was voted best of show. The demo showcased award-winning IBM Embedded ViaVoice technology that was used to activate standard PDA tasks such as Address Book, To-do List, Memo, Calendar, etc. Attendee feedback demonstrated that smart handheld devices (SHDs) such as PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) can be used more effectively when users are able to interact with them using voice commands.
The IBM PVA Demo showcased voice input and Text-To-Speech (TTS) output. It was shown on a lab-built cradle that housed a microphone, speaker, battery and the LRCC (Low Resource Command and Control) IBM ViaVoice Speech Engine. A Palm III or a Palm V could be snapped into the cradle through the onboard serial port. The hardware shown was conceptual in nature and was designed only to demonstrate the function and capabilities of voice-enabling.
Market Research
In order to gain insight into market preferences and requirements for a device like the PVA, VoiceTIMES, with IBM's help, hosted a web-based survey prior to and during the MI2000 Show. The survey captured users' demographic data and asked users for input regarding the features and functions that would make a handheld device more efficient for the user. The highlights of the results are being posted in 'VoiceTIMES' News, supporting the VoiceTIMES objective of furthering the development of voice technology.
Why did VoiceTIMES conduct this survey and how was it conducted?
The speech-enabled IBM WorkPad started as an IBM technology research project that resulted in a working demo. It was believed that this enhancement would be attractive to mobile users, giving them the ability to 'voice-command' the normal Palm application functions in addition to, or instead of, using a stylus. The demo also showcased IBM's leadership and expertise in distributing voice recognition technology to smart handheld devices.
IBM conducted focus group market research in January. There appeared to be interest in a 'voice-enabled' PDA. That market research was shared with VoiceTIMES and VoiceTIMES decided to launch an investigation of voice-enabled handheld devices. The most common concerns were pricing and product life cycle. After the focus groups were conducted, quantitative data was necessary to understand the marketplace for this technology advancement.
Selected Survey Results
Three 'Concepts' were discussed:
1]an 'Add-on' device to a current PDA (i.e., Palm III or Palm V),
2]an 'embedded' version that had the speech technology built-in to the device,
3]a smartphone with onboard PDA-type functions.
Immediate access to information was PVA/PDA enthusiasts' leading desire for voice-activated usage, while 'being able to contact others' was the leading desire for smartphone users. Most participants agreed that 'hands-free'/'eyes-free' operation was the feature that they found most important. The top four chosen activities were lookups and additions to phone numbers and calendar activities. Translation and web-surfing were the least useful activities studied.
Most participants would prefer to purchase a speech-enabled handheld device from an OEM was the 1st choice, and from e-stores as 2nd choice.
Final Message
Adding voice to PDAs and Smartphones is the next 'natural' step for enhancing smart handheld devices, and it supports the VoiceTIMES vision to expand Voice Technology.
Clearly the "hands-free/eyes-free" killer application is best designed for the telematics market. Magically, a few months later Intel announces its own PVA- Personal Veicle Assistant.
from Intel's website:
The PVA Arrives
September 22, 2000
An emerging category of wireless Internet client devices is designed to make the in-vehicle wireless Internet experience feature-rich and easy to use. It is called the Personal Vehicle Assistant, or PVA. Similar to its hand-held PDA counterpart, the PVA is a Web-enabled wireless Internet consumer electronic device with the power to make a wide range of Internet services available anywhere, at any time.
For PVA users, these services can include two-way voice communications, e-mail, personalized news, navigation, traffic data and roadside assistance services, in addition to a wide spectrum of personal productivity and entertainment applications. For ergonomics, the PVA will enable hands-free operation with a basic user interface as simple as a car radio. Entertainment opportunities will enhance the drive-time experience, with MP3 digital audio for drivers and DVD movies for rear seat passengers.
http://www.intel.com/design/wireless/telematics/pva.htm
Two powerful trends are driving the rapid growth of the Internet. The first of these trends is the expansion of the wireless Internet, with its promise of "anytime, anywhere" connectivity to an ever-wider array of compelling applications for personal communications, information, productivity and entertainment. In his keynote address at the Fall 2000 Intel Developer Forum, Ron Smith, vice president and general manager of Intel's Wireless Communications and Computing Group, used the term "e-Everywhere" to describe this growing set of consumer expectations.
This trend also involves the convergence of voice, data and multimedia streams over the Internet. With the growing availability of wireless Internet services, consumers are becoming accustomed to voice, data and multimedia communications, e-mail, Web browsing, and mobile commerce (m-Commerce) applications that are always-on and always-connected. Wireless solutions from Intel are helping to make a wide range of services available through easy to use hand-held devices in a host of form factors, ranging from feature-rich cell phones to wireless Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and personal vehicle assistants.
Today there is another powerful trend: the growing availability of wireless Internet services in vehicles. It is called "telematics," the term for the market segment that includes cellular voice and Internet services in vehicles. Just as the PDA makes the wireless Internet available in hand-held devices that can be used away from the desktop, Telematics extends the reach of the wireless Internet, making Internet services available during the periods we spend commuting and traveling by car.
The compelling user experiences provided by the wireless Internet have captured the attention of automobile manufacturers, equipment OEMs and developers, who are working to deliver a range of in-vehicle wireless Internet solutions.
The personal vehicle assistant makes drive-time more productive:
Navigation applications will take the guesswork out of reaching new destinations, while real-time traffic notification systems will help drivers arrive at their destination sooner.
Personalized information services will keep drivers and passengers up to the minute with the latest news, financial and business data.
A new set of "m-Commerce" applications may be used to reserve hotel rooms, purchase event tickets, make restaurant reservations, or even automatically pay highway and bridge tolls.
Emergency services will be available, such as roadside assistance and automatic collision notification systems. In addition, voice-activated communications will keep drivers in touch, all while the driver keeps his or her eyes on the road.
Entertainment opportunities will enhance the drive-time experience, with MP3 digital audio for drivers and DVD movies for rear seat passengers.
Intel's Role
Intel has made a major commitment to the expansion of the wireless Internet, including technologies and industry investments that support innovative personal vehicle assistant product development. Intel's Wireless Communications and Computing Group is working to develop and enhance the wireless Internet experience for end users.
One way to enhance personal vehicle assistant capabilities is through higher integration and lower total system cost. To meet these goals, Intel has made technology investments in the areas of signal processing, baseband, control and application processing, as well as power and memory management. [Clearly, one area that intel and edig are playing a role is with Motorola and IBM's development of the MobileGT architecture and the integration of a reasonably cost effective telematics solution.]
Recall that in part one I linked IBM's Visual Age java being used in the Mobile GT telematics solution to Intel's new XScale architecture. Intel recently specifically announced the XScale Microarchitecture is ideal for Personal Vehicle Assistants. "Designed for ultra-low power and high performance, Intel® XScale™ microarchitecture is the ideal microprocessor core design solution for personal vehicle assistants. This will enhance the automotive wireless Internet experience with high performance, scalability, and ultra-low power consumption.
High Performance The Intel XScale microarchitecture delivers industry leading mW/MIPS performance, based on Intel's 0.18 micron semiconductor process technology. It delivers the processing power required for high-performance Telematics applications including 3D navigation systems and multimedia."
In short, Intel and IBM have developed a telematics platform solution which clearly includes VR applications sounding very much like the intel-edig vtt project. Additionally, the voice-enabled PALM snap-on module described in detail on the IBM VoiceTimes webpage sounds like further prototypes related to the intel-edigital project. In fact, here is a direct reply from IBM regarding the VoiceTimes Alliance:
The products we announced can and will use VoiceTIMES
specification verified devices. VoiceTIMES is the initiative to create
open specifications for mobile devices. The specifications that VoiceTIMES
is currently working on and will be working on in the future will be used
to access the mobile Internet through our software.
Perfect examples are our voice-enabled automotive solution and the PVA.
Both solutions use the VoiceTIMES specification for their internet access
devices.
Tom Houy
Manager, Client Systems Marketing
IBM Speech Systems
1555 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd.
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
http://www.ragingbull.altavista.com/mboard/boards.cgi?read=364361&board=EDIG
cksla $$$$
Reply To: None Tuesday, 19 Dec 2000 at 11:05 AM EST
Post # of 1010
PART ONE--No Particular Place To Go
i have previously written about e.digital and voice recognition including some specific posts relating to a telematics application. I thought i would try to put together a more focused discussion on the telematics aspect using parts of previous postings as well as some new info.
In order to appreciate the specifics, i wish to remind you of the big picture, that is, both IBM and Intel are looking to provide total end-to-end solutions and in doing so develop building blocks within which they develop and sell products and services.
For example, for IBM one of its solutions is known as pervasive computing built upon four of its building blocks: microprocessors, java, speech recognition and Lotus Notes. In June, 1999 IBM officially took the wraps off pervasive computing discussing its efforts to extend its e-business umbrella into the world of automobiles, home appliances, smart phones and other handheld devices. IBM's goal: Provide the enabling technology to make these devices more intelligent and more connectable. IBM would aggressively offer IBM technology, such as silicon [microprocessors], Java, speech recognition, and Lotus Notes to the growing device business. IBM said that it would not be in the device business. You will not see IBM mobile phones, for example. That's not our business. [Instead], we partner with people in the device business.
PERVASIVE COMPUTING SUMMARY
The best way I can summarize the impact [paradigm shift] of Pervasive Computing is through the Microsoft Mission statement which for 20 years was ''to have a PC in every home and on every desktop.'' In April 1999, it was changed to ''empowering people through great software anytime, anywhere, and on any device.''
An article summarizing the platforms and devices involve in pervasive computing can be found at: http://www.softwaremag.com/archive/2000apr/DKara.html
IBM's pervasive computing webpage is:
http://www.developer.ibm.com/pvc /
INTEL AND EDIG'S ROLE IN PERVASIVE COMPUTING
How did e.digital become involved with Intel and IBM?
In 1993-1995 Norris Communications [now known as e.digital] developed the first digital voice recorder using flash memory. In developing this product, which is eventually OEMed to Sanyo, edig engineers worked closely with Intel and its engineers for about 3 years. edig used Intel flash memory for this project. [Per FF/RP 6/7/00 interview]. CKSLA comment: This appears to be the genesis of the intel/edig relationship that lead up to intel hiring edig re the digital voice recorder project announced in late 1998. Remember that during this period, Skip Matthews, an Intel manager for many years, was in charge of the flash memory area for Intel.
In 1996/1997 e.digital is involved in another unknown project with Lucent, Intel, and IBM. This is based on the following:
Partial Transcript of 6/99 interview w/ LU's Joyce Eastman:
Walter:What is so special about little e.Digital that big Lucent decided to work with them?
Eastman: I have worked with e.Digital on a different project that involved Lucent, IBM, and Intel. I was impressed with e.Digital's responsiveness. We developed a good working relationship. When Lucent decided to work on this project e.Digital seemed to be the natural choice. They were already trying to get into the music side of the business. The President of e.Digital owns two other technology companies and engineers at our Bell Labs know him well. I have been working with e.Digital for two years now.
VOICETIMES
April 13, 1999 – e.Digital Corporation along with IBM and five other leaders in speech recognition and mobile technologies today announced at the DemoMobile 99 conference the formation of the Voice Technology Initiative for Mobile Enterprise Solutions (VoiceTIMES). VoiceTIMES' goal is to coordinate the technical requirements needed for companies to build and deploy solutions using voice technologies and handheld mobile devices.
With the explosive growth of mobile devices and the increasing demand for network access, the VoiceTIMES initiative was formed to define specifications for how voice commands and information are transmitted and received by existing and future mobile devices. Currently, there are no standards in place for mobile speech-enabled devices. The VoiceTIMES alliance plans to deliver the specifications and industry cooperation to build interoperable, cost-effective mobile solutions with voice technology.
''We believe VoiceTIMES will allow e.Digital to expand development of speech-based mobile information gathering devices and leverage our product designs in to many additional industry solutions.'' (Falk}
''In today's world of pervasive computing, users want simple, fast and hassle free mobile computing devices to connect and communicate.'' said W.S. ''Ozzie'' Osborne, general manager of IBM Speech Systems. ''Through joint collaboration, the VoiceTIMES alliance aims to eliminate complexities for the consumer and solutions integrator, while providing future generations of standard compliant speech-enabled mobile products.
The Voice Technology Initiative for Mobile Enterprise Solutions or VoiceTIMES is an alliance of companies addressing the mobile enterprise industry. Working together, the members will be able to create optimal end-to-end mobile solutions, giving mobile users the option of plug-and-play mobile devices. VoiceTIMES will allow mobile users to compute — anytime, anywhere.
Q: How does this fit into the mobile industries overall strategy?
A: Just like with VXML, Java and the Internet, VoiceTIMES is driving open standards technology to one day eliminate the complexity of doing business. Through pervasive computing, VoiceTIMES hopes to create an infrastructure to provide open standards for the mobile industry.
Prior to the formation of VoiceTimes, in August 1998, e.digital announced that it had signed an agreement to design and develop a digital voice recorder for Intel Corporation. 6/28/99 Falk newsletter: Our Intel product design will also be an important technical achievement for our team. A number of prototypes are being developed to Intel's specifications; they include PC downloading capabilities and can interact with third-party software that performs voice-to-text functions and text-to-voice functions. The integration of these functions with convenient hand-held devices is proving to be a rapid growth area for both business and personal use.
In July, 1999, a S.D. newspaper article gives some inkling about the edig/intel project:
e.Digital
POWAY -- Someday soon, people may be able to harvest news articles, e-mail and other bits of text off the Internet and listen as this information is read aloud from portable devices.
The first steps toward that ambitious goal are happening here, inside the offices of e.Digital Corp. Giant chipmaker Intel is paying the Lilliputian Poway company for research and development costs aimed at making new speech-to-text, text-to-speech gizmos. The project, which began last year but stalled when the companies dumped a third-party technology partner in favor of another unnamed firm, remains hush-hush. The companies won't even reveal drawings of what the device looks like.
Still, Skip Matthews, a senior project development manager for Intel's Memory Components Division, coyly hinted at the project's capabilities. "What if you had a device that could read The Wall Street Journal to you while you're in your car?" he said, declining to elaborate.
8/1/99 Dr. Matthews joins e.Digital's Board upon retirement from a distinguished 25-year career with Intel Corporation with his last position being Senior Project Development Manager. "I was attracted to e.Digital because they were the first to adopt flash memory in an audio recorder. There is great potential for further application of e.Digital's technology in Internet music players and even more advanced audio applications such as speech-to-text and text-to-speech systems."
8/30/99 Falk newsletter update: We are continuing to make significant progress on the Intel voice recorder prototypes with the project taking some interesting new turns into areas of new technology development that we expect will be very beneficial to e.Digital. We remain on track with IBM, Intel, Philips and our other VoiceTIMES Alliance partners in setting new protocols for voice recording in portable digital devices. [CKSLA: Note the use of plural "prototypes". Clearly there is more than one type of device being developed as made clearer in Falk's 9/30/99 update when he refers to "new OEM relationships". Also note the reference to Philips who at the time of the formation of VoiceTimes alliance licensed IBM's TTS technology for use in future products.]
As much as IBM is developing the building blocks for the voice enabled wireless web so is Intel. Both IBM [Webpad] and Intel have and will develop internet devices, however, their primary role is to supply 3rd party OEMs the tools and platforms to build for these OEMs to build the portable, digital internet devices. e.digital is hitching its MicroOS and its advanced engineering capabilities to both their pervasive computing plans.
IBM and Telematics
In 1998, a PRannounced that IBM was working with Delphi and SunMicrosytems to develop a "network vehicle" with IBM providing java-based and VR technology. It is unclear whether IBM continues to have a working relationship with Delphi in the telematics area.
MOTOROLA
On 9/14/99, Motorola announced a relationship with QNX Software Systems Ltd., IBM, and Embedded Planet (formerly RPCG) to develop MobileGT Architecture, initially targeted for automotive driver information systems. MobileGT is an open, Java-centric architecture that can allow automobile manufacturers to easily and cost-effectively develop advanced driver information systems to fit their specific platforms. MobileGT's flexible, modular computing platform is scaleable across a wide range of products, allowing automobile manufacturers to leverage a common development approach while providing product differentiation through tailored and system integration. MobileGT can address a wide array of in-vehicle applications -- dynamic navigation, wireless connectivity and Internet access, natural language speech processing, car audio, virtual dashboards, multimedia and more.
MobileGT also incorporates IBM's VisualAge for Embedded Systems, Java(TM) Technology Edition virtual machine and development tools optimized for use with QNX Neutrino. This proven execution environment supports configuration-based deployment of applications, giving the developers the ability to build ultra-compact runtime components.
In follow-up, on January 14, 2000, IBM and Motorola said they will join to develop technology to help automakers add a variety of wireless and Web-based services automobiles.The companies will focus on telematics which includes communications and navigation capabilities such as real-time traffic routing. It also can include Internet capabilities such as e-mail.
The companies note that because cars move, telematics requires a network connection that is both precise and durable. IBM says it will contribute its expertise in computer hardware, software and network management.
Beyond those generalities, the companies offered few details, other than to say they already were approaching automotive manufacturers about potential products.
IBM/Mot formed a platform called MobileGT, an easily upgradable computer that can accept peripherals like cell phones, PDAs and other gear that might be used in cars. http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20000211S0057
With the coming of AMIC [the Automotive Multimedia Interface Consortium], the industry said it wanted Java, and that became a central theme for our group."
Lastly, in March, 2000, IBM and Motorola announced plans to join forces to help meet the growing demand for e-businesses worldwide to link data and applications to wireless devices. The companies today announced their intent to jointly develop an open, highly scalable offering that will form the basis of a "voice and data engine" which will offer businesses an easy way to develop and access wireless applications and services.
For example, carriers could use this offering to allow businesses to provide mobile workers real-time access to email, stock quotes, news, and corporate resources via wireless devices. By combining Motorola's device-aware front-end technology with IBM's middleware technology, this framework will provide optimal wireless data services to businesses around the world.
Mark Bregman, general manager of IBM's Pervasive Computing Division said "Working together with Motorola we will get to market faster with a product that operators need to give their business subscribers what they crave - access to information and services, virtually anytime, anywhere."
This relationship builds on the existing collaboration between IBM and Motorola to enable the delivery of innovative new telematics products. In January, the companies announced that they would work together to provide the end-to-end resources to help car manufacturers offer exciting new wireless services to their customers. The agreement builds on the strong position of Motorola's Integrated Electronic Systems Sector (IESS) group with IBM's systems and services expertise.
INTEL
At the same time IBM and Motorola announced its telematics relationship, so did IBM and Intel; Motorola said it would support the IBM/Intel work. On 1/25/00 Intel and IBM announced they are collaborating on in-car computing products that will enable automakers to provide wireless and Web-based services such as navigation, communication, and information. IBM will provide its Pervasive Computing software, which is a suite of advanced software for managing the in-vehicle information systems. The software suite includes IBM's VisualAge MicroEdition, which incorporates embedded Java, as well as voice-recognition and text-to-speech functions. This software is used, along with interfaces to the vehicle, to communicate information to the driver and the outside world via the Internet. The companies said Motorola Inc. will also support the venture.
Intel's role will be to provide extended-temperature versions of the Pentium processor as well as in-car computing reference platforms. The extended-temperature Pentiums will be able to withstand a range of -40 C to +85 C degrees ambient -- the range of temperatures in which automobiles operate.
IBM and Intel officials said the partnership won't compete with carmakers or auto suppliers developing technology to create Web-enabled vehicles. In fact, they're potential customers. "Automakers and their suppliers are our partners," said Walt Davison, IBM's marketing executive for the automotive industry. "We're not competing with them; were doing what we do best to help them do what they do best." IBM expects automakers to start offering vehicles with in-car computing systems next year. "The earliest consumers will see vehicles with in-car computing systems on the road will be in 18 months," Desai said.
http://detnews.com/2000/technology/0002/10/02100040.htm
IBM claims: Automotive pervasive computing is a reality -- where people use ViaVoice speech recognition and text-to-speech software to interact with their automobiles the same way that they interact with their computers. IBM is working with automobile manufacturers so that drivers can run diagnostics from the road, search the Internet for a stock price and even make a service appointment with the manufacturer simply by speaking to their e-mail.
In July 2000, IBM announced that engineers and developers can now deploy connected Java language-based solutions across a wider array of embedded targets using IBM's VisualAge Micro Edition tools, class libraries and virtual machines. While VisualAge Micro Edition remains optimized for QNX's Neutrino real-time operating system, IBM has also added support for the iTRON industrial real time operating system and Microsoft Windows CE in response to customer requests.
"Engineering decisions in the connected post-PC world must focus on customer choice. From the start, IBM designed and built VisualAge Micro Edition for portability and compatibility with published specifications," said Skip McGaughey, IBM director of embedded systems sales and marketing. "As our customers have approached us for new CPU, RTOS and development platform support, we have responded quickly, thanks to our investment in innovation and advanced technology."
Pervasive computing projects will require client and server components that run on multiple embedded targets.
Support for the ARM processor architectures is now included in VisualAge Micro Edition. This includes StrongARM SA-110 and SA-1110 processors and development reference boards from Intel.
On 10/16/00, Intel announced plans to collaborate with IBM* to deliver a non-proprietary, standards-based in-car client platform for the expanding Telematics market segment. This collaboration will speed up the delivery of a complete set of Telematics client reference kits supporting the Intel® XScale™ microarchitecture. These kits will enable developers and original equipment manufacturers to reduce their time to market and create leading-edge wireless applications. IBM's popular VisualAge® Micro Edition Java™ application development tools and deployment technologies allow developers to quickly and easily leverage existing applications for e-Business.
Telematics is the market segment that includes cellular voice and Internet services in vehicles. Examples of in-car computing devices and services include navigation systems, emergency roadside assistance, and an array of entertainment applications and services.
Intel's support of IBM's embedded Java application development environment, Java class libraries and the J9 virtual machine for Intel's Xscale microarchitecture reference platforms provides Telematics developers and OEMs with a highly portable and reusable platform. "We are pleased to provide the burgeoning Telematics application development industry and OEMs with what are arguably the strongest wireless building blocks in the industry," said Pat Kerrigan, marketing manager at Intel's In-Car Computing Operation.
"Automotive computing is an important and growing market segment that both Intel and IBM serve with advanced technology and products," said Skip McGaughey, director of marketing and sales for IBM's OTI embedded system group. "With this announcement, IBM takes the important step to broaden VisualAge Micro Edition to embrace Intel's Xscale microarchitecture. www.intel.com/design/wireless/telematics/converge.htm.
From the 11/00 interview with Intel's Ron Smith, VP of wireless:
KAREN LAKE: Talk to us about the Internet being accessible from the car and where that's going. Is that in your department?
RON SMITH: Yes, that is actually in my department because by definition if you're going to have access from a car, it needs to be wireless and it is in a wide area network because you're not going to be driving your car inside a building. You're going to be driving your car out on the highway.
This is a real exciting area. There are a lot of new things that are going on here. They have already crafted a name for this called telematics. Don't ask me the origin of that name because I don't know.
KAREN LAKE: Telematics is the market segment that includes cellular, voice and Internet services in vehicles. I interrupted you. Please keep going.
RON SMITH: That's right, it's in vehicles. It started out with these emergency services like OnStar, which is actually a call back, a voice service. But now people want to move toward more information services to bring the same kind of capability, Internet access, the location-based services, and so on, to a vehicle. We are actively engaged in that. In fact, just recently we announced a relationship with IBM with their VisualAge capability to help bring some more of that software interface directly to these kinds of devices. We have a number of things going on with a number of manufacturers. Of course, none of them are public yet so I can't really talk about them.{GUESS INTEL IS EVEN SUBJECT TO NDAS!}
KAREN LAKE: Is there really any difference in the technology from a car vs. a PDA vs. a cellular phone? Are they all just adaptations of each other?
RON SMITH: They're all just adaptations of each other. You have the same kinds of requirements. You have to be able to maintain the data when the power goes off.
KAREN LAKE: And that's the Flash memory thing.
RON SMITH: Right. So, you need a Flash memory. You want a low power environment with relatively high performance like you'd get with our XScale microarchitecture. In a battery-operated device, it's pretty obviously needed because you can't drain the battery in a car. You don't want to be draining the car battery, but there are a lot more Amp hours, if you will, in a car battery. But if you're going to store it in a dashboard of a car, you have a lot of space constraints. You can't afford to have cooling hardware associated with that because it's going to be packed into a dashboard with all kinds of other things. So it amounts to the same kind of technology requirements.
CONCLUSION: It is undisputable that IBM and Intel are working together in the telematics arena using a Java-based platform and that Intel and IBM together are working with Motorola in support of Motorola's MobileGT architecture which is Java-centric. The next part will focus specifically on how i believe e.digital fits into this picture. Note Smith's comments that the architecture for the car, PDA, and cellular phone are simply adaptions of each other.
Fred Falk-edig SHM-11/00 re voice technology:
One of our central efforts has been and continues to be product development for the speech technology market.
Our work on an advanced speech-to-text and text-to-speech reference design for Intel has been completed. The implementation and/or marketing, as well as the release of
information about the details of the design is at their discretion. We continue to work with Intel to further increase their market for flash memory. With the assistance of our board members, we have targeted specific initiatives and projects within Intel to develop other revenue-generating opportunities in emerging areas that utilize flash memory or other Intel technology. We believe we can be successful in these areas. We have strengthened our staff and continue working with OEM customers to target
opportunities in the world of digital dictation and other speech technology products. This includes developing products that unite speech-to-text functions and voice recognition features with the convenience of handheld platforms. Our core MicroOS-enabled architecture supports these applications and many others that take advantage of the growing demand for sophisticated handheld speech technology products. As the speech-to-text and text-to-speech market matures and reaches levels where OEMs are ready to use it in consumer products, we believe there will be increased demand for our design and development services.
The voice recognition software market is expected to grow to 12 billion dollars over the next five years, according to a recent article in "Red Herring" magazine. Among other
applications, voice recognition software will be incorporated into handheld products that perform all kinds of functions… from voice-activated inventory and delivery tracking to surfing the wireless Internet and placing orders via voice on web-enabled wireless phones. According to a recent study by ResearchPortal.com, over 56 million North Americans are expected to be using their cell phones in this way by 2005.
We are already working with OEMs to create and market a variety of products geared toward portable voice technology customers, and we expect a continuing revenue stream from current and future products serving the dictation and speech technology markets.