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PortalPlayer to Support Sony's Full Suite of Digital Media Technologies - November 22, 2000
PortalPlayer Inc., a Memory Stick licensee that produces platform solutions for digital audio has announced that it plans to support Sony's OpenMG, MagicGate and ATRAC3 digital media technologies in products it is developing for release in 2001. PortalPlayer's Tango Digital Media platform, the industry's first platform for portable consumer electronics products that support the encoding and playback of digital audio files without using a personal computer, already supports Memory Stick media. Planned support for OpenMG, MagicGate and ATRAC3 reinforces PortalPlayer's commitment to providing its customers with complete platform solutions that support both secure and open delivery and management of digital media. PortalPlayer offers complete system solutions for new consumer electronics products with digital audio downloading, encoding and playback capability. Platforms are targeted at next generation entertainment products including portable MP3-type player/recorder systems, hybrid systems combining CD and digital audio player/recorders, and hard-drive equipped digital audio jukeboxes.
Online Music Goes Legit
By Ronna Abramson
RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser couldn't help sounding triumphant last week. Hosting a conference call at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, he was announcing the creation of a new music service backed by three of the five major labels. It was a breakthrough, he noted, that came a full six years after he began talking to the record companies.
The long-awaited day had arrived when the labels would finally break down and distribute their catalogs online. But Glaser's elation over the new venture, dubbed MusicNet, didn't last long. By the end of the week, nearly a dozen companies - from major record labels to Microsoft to MTV - had joined an onslaught of players announcing that they, too, would jump onto the Web.
On one level, there seemed to be more hype than substance to the competing press releases and dueling announcements. They came, after all, during the same week that Sen. Orrin Hatch was turning up the heat on the music industry during hearings on digital copyright. When one record company exec told the Senate Judiciary Committee about MusicNet, Hatch was not amused. "Do I have to hold a hearing every week?" the Utah Republican asked. What's more, the announcements were vague: Most of them were short on details such as launch dates and revenue models.
But all the horn-tooting threatened to drown out an important development: After years of resistance, the Big Five record labels finally appear ready to move into digital distribution. Three of them - BMG, EMI and Warner - have joined with Glaser's RealNetworks to create MusicNet. As early as this summer, MusicNet will begin supplying songs from the labels' catalogs to online outlets ranging from tiny music sites to mass-market destinations like AOL (which owns Warner Music) and even to an all-legal Napster (whose partner is BMG's parent company, Bertelsmann). The other two labels - Sony and Universal - are creating a competing service called Duet, which last week announced that it will offer the labels' combined catalog to Yahoo, also this summer. Until now, the labels have spent most of their energy suing digital music distributors such as the wildly popular Napster and MP3.com.
In addition to the two Big Five-backed services, two other ventures were announced last week. Microsoft launched a new streaming-music channel on its MSN portal and said it plans to add a subscription-download service. MTVi, meanwhile, unveiled an alternative music channel that lets listeners pay per download. The cost runs from 99 cents for a single to as much as $18.98 for an album.
While the labels have undoubtedly made progress, they're also creating confusion by splitting into two camps - MusicNet and Duet. That's hardly ideal. "From the consumers' perspective the best alternative is one where all of the music is made available through a single service," says David Mandelbrot, VP and general manager of entertainment at Yahoo, which is negotiating with the companies behind MusicNet to offer the full menu of major-label options. But, Mandelbrot acknowledges, it's possible that Yahoo visitors may have to navigate two different platforms to play music - one from Duet and one from MusicNet.
Four new digital music ventures in just one week, added to the dozens of music sites already out there, sounds like a sure recipe for consumer confusion. It also suggests that the field is ready for a shakeout. Consider the case of EMusic.com, which, like many of the spunky upstarts that until now have dominated online music, makes little or no money. It amassed its 165,000-track collection through agreements with artists and independent labels. With its shares languishing below $1 and facing delisting by Nasdaq, EMusic announced Thursday that it signed a letter of intent to be acquired by an undisclosed "major media company," which the Washington Post reported was probably Universal. The label would likely turn EMusic into a distribution outlet for Duet.
The consolidation is certain to accelerate. If the same music is widely available through an array of sites, those outlets will face the difficult challenge of differentiating themselves. Smaller sites will be at a disadvantage as behemoths like AOL, Yahoo and even Napster market subscription services to their huge audiences. And MusicNet and Duet, with the major labels behind them, could price smaller players out of the market. "It is incredibly expensive, prohibitively so, for most competitive sites to get access to these kinds of subscription catalogs," hypothesizes Drew Denbo, affiliate relations manager at online radio company TuneTo.com.
Denbo may be right, but Duet and MusicNet so far have declined to disclose what they'll charge for music licenses. Yahoo isn't paying Duet for its catalog. Rather, Yahoo will promote and advertise the service and share an undisclosed portion of revenues, says Mandelbrot. Duet plans to offer a tiered system with monthly rates as well as a pay-per-download option.
In addition, nobody knows whether a subscription model will work any better than the largely unsuccessful pay-per-download approach. Listeners, after all, got used to Napster, which, until a federal judge reined it in a month ago, let users download for free just about any song they could imagine. It also remains to be seen how much users will be willing to pay for such services - and whether record companies will really make their entire catalogs available online for a small monthly sum.
Given all that uncertainty, some online music companies are reluctant to license music from MusicNet or Duet. "We'd love to offer something if it made sense," says Dave Goldberg, CEO of online music company Launch. "But until you know what the consumer value proposition is, it's impossible to judge whether you can actually offer something that consumers want."
Webnoize analyst Ric Dube predicts online music will increasingly mirror traditional record stores. Labels will distribute their music online through a few major outlets, akin to Tower Records in the brick-and-mortar world, that appeal to the lowest common denominator of music devotees, and other smaller players will have to find a way to appeal to a niche market.
But don't write off the early entries, counters Greg Wilfahrt, a spokesman for MP3.com. "We've been in this space for a couple of years and have an incredible lead," he says. MP3.com, whose stock is trading at just less than $2, has 15 million registered users and has reached agreements with the five major labels to offer downloads of their music on a single platform. MP3.com has also signed a deal with Harry Fox Agency, which represents the vast majority of American music publishers. The publishers' participation in online distribution is essential because they also hold copyrights to the music that the labels release.
Harry Fox CEO Ed Murphy says the agency has not been contacted by either Duet or MusicNet. Sony and Warner say they're in talks with publishers; the other three major labels are keeping mum about their plans to secure the publishers' clearance. However, Murphy says there's still plenty of time to iron out details, and the labels can bypass the agency to go directly to the publishers. The Duet music service "will have all of the licenses necessary to be able to offer those services online," says Yahoo's Mandelbrot. "Those licenses will exist between Duet and the publishers."
Maybe, maybe not. Until the music starts playing this summer, no one will know for sure whether the slew of announcements last week was anything more than a lot of noise.
JOINING THE CHORUS Las week, against the backdrop of a congressional hearing on Net entertainment and copyright, some big players announced new ventures WHO WHAT WHEN Duet The Universal/Sony subscription service will be distributed initially through Yahoo. It is planning to license its vast catalog to other Web outlets. Summer MSN The company launched MSN Music, a streaming radio service, and is negotiating with record companies as part of a plan to offer a download-subscription service. Beta launched last week MTVi The site signed deals with all five major labels to sell digital downloads while the songs stream on Radio MTV.com and VH1 at Work Radio. "In the near future" MusicNet With music from BMG, Warner and EMI, the clearinghouse and platform will be licensed to RealNetworks, which owns the venture jointly with the three labels and America Online. Late summer Napster! The song-swapping service urged Congress to enact a compulsory license for music delivered over the Internet. The company is being pursued by MusicNet, which wants it as a licensee. Who knows? Source: companies listed
Hane C. Lee in New York and Kristi Essick in Paris contributed to this report.
Wired for wear: IBM researchers demonstrate a wearable ThinkPad prototype
Mobile computer users, take note: could you use a powerful, clip-on computer that utilizes a tiny, headset-mounted display and responds to voice commands?
While this 233MHz hands-free computer isn't quite ready for your holiday shopping list, the prototype IBM Wearable PC -- a ThinkPad 560X shrunk to the footprint of a PalmPilot, complete with 340 MB of storage and 64 MB of EDO RAM -- is powerful enough to run IBM's ViaVoice speech software and light enough to clip to your belt.
Envisioned as an ultra-convenient information tool for maintenance, repair and system installation personnel, the Wearable PC prototype can display wiring diagrams, schematics inventory lists -– even videos. Users will be able to work and call up information on the eye-level display while keeping their hands free –- and leaving instruction books, blueprints, diagrams and other bulky references on the shelf.
Weighing in at only 10.5 ounces, including battery, the palm-sized computer prototype incorporates IBM's new microdrive disk and can also employ a small, hand-held TrackPoint unit for input. There's even an extra slot for another microdrive or flash memory card.
The system includes a microphone for entering commands and a "boom" that holds the computer's small screen a short distance from the user's eye. The screen's optical element presents a magnified image. Currently the image is 320X240 pixels in grayscale, although the display will be boosted to 600X800 pixels with color next year.
"Initially, we think the Wearable PC will find applications in business. I think you'll see people using these at aircraft flight gates, repairing your copier or tuning your car's engine," said Russell Budd, the IBM researcher who leads the virtual display work at IBM Research's lab in Yorktown Heights, New York. "Eventually –- well, who originally thought people would wear radios, tape and compact disk players?"
http://www.ibm.com/news/ls/1998/09/jp_3.phtml
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March 08, 2001 http://press.britishairways.com
Passengers greet the queue busting
British Airways stepped into the future today and became the world’s first airline to trial the Xybernaut “queue buster”, a portable computer check-in device.
British Airways check-in agents based in Terminal 4 donned cyber-style equipment designed to terminate queues by enabling them to rove the terminals to carry out on the spot check-ins.
The technology was only previously used by army engineers in remote locations to view on-line repair manuals.
The computer comprises a keyboard worn on the check-in agents forearm, a head mounted mini display comparable to a 15 inch full-screen and a battery worn on a belt.
The trial is taking place over three days, starting today and has been extremely well received by passengers intrigued by the technology and impressed with the efficiency of the futuristic device.
Commenting on the equipment Helen Wilson, British Airways’ Project Manager for Customer Services said; “ For our customers this technology has a genuine “wow” factor and takes the stress out of the airport experience.
“This is giving hundreds of our customers first hand experience of what we mean by 21st Century Travel”.
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British Airways Offers Flight Data Via Wireless Devices
By Matthew G. Nelson, InformationWeek
Dec 18, 2000 (9:58 AM)
Beginning Monday, checking in and booking a seat on British Airways will be a phone call away. British Airways Executive Club members will be able to use Wireless Application Protocol-enabled mobile phones and personal data assistants to log on to the airlines' Web site. There, they can check-in for flights, look up information on available flights, departures, and arrivals, and even get a graphical display of seats so they can choose their own seat on the plane. The technology comes from IBM. As part of a two-year, $17.5 million deal, the two companies will develop other features that customers can use with mobile phones, kiosks, and interactive television. IBM already is working with other airlines on similar projects, including Delta Air Lines, Japan Air Lines, and Swissair.''
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''British Airways' head of distribution, Kieron Gavan pointed out that, although airlines may be in alliances as far as schedules, passengers and operations are concerned, they are still forming groupings with non-alliance partners in B2B and B2C markets.''
''IBM's Lee Farnum pointed to the rise of pervasive computing incorporating the internet, biometrics, mobile communications and interactive and self-servicesystems
''You are seeing the dawn of the wearable PC and personal area network check-in. You will see hotel express and remote check-in,'' she added.''
V2, Reciprocal Partner on Black Crowes Promotion
V2 Records secured a deal with rights management and clearinghouse firm Reciprocal, which will deliver music to promote the new Black Crowes CD, Lions, later this month. Fans who purchase the CD can put it in a PC's CD-ROM drive to access streaming Black Crowes concert performances through a web site. The streams will be protected with Microsoft's digital rights management technology. The web site will offer one downloadable live track per week, which can be burned to a CD, as well as one full concert. The promotion runs through August. V2 Records is part of Richard Branson's Virgin Records.
LG ELECTRONICS OPENS THE DOOR TO HIGH-SPEED COLOR MOBILE HANDSETS
The Korean mobile industry is currently buzzing with the news that Korea's first handset with 2.5G color LCD developed by LGE will open new doors in this fast-changing market.
LG Electronics recently announced that it has become first in Korea to develop " CyON Color Folder," a high-speed color handset for CDMA2000 (2.5 Generation).
The new handset has a 12-line full color wide LCD screen (256 color STN) so that a wide range of multimedia data including characters and pictures can be checked at the user's convenience in a clear and rich color version. It also supports up to 144kbps of data transmission. The CyON Color Folder, in other words, is a new concept-based, ultra light (80g) 2.5G dual folder handset that can communicate large volumes of information at the shortest possible time.
Unlike the 4 gray phone that shows colors by differentiating color tones, the new product supports full color realization so that users can enjoy graphics in clean and vibrant colors.
LGE's new CyON Color Folder has an embedded MSM 5000 chip to support high-speed wireless data communication and faster mobile Internet access. For checking email, which usually involves going through various steps after accessing the Web, the new handset offers one touch Mobile-email so that users can check their email with the touch of only one or two buttons. The handset is therefore an innovative product that will open a new chapter in mobile Internet by making e-mail communication that much easier in the handset environment.
The color folder handset also has a "full color graphic UI (User Interface)," which is an enhanced version of the conventional "graphic UI" so that pictures or messages can be edited according to user requirements, thereby maximizing user convenience in the utilization of added features. It also enlarged the existing memory size (from 48M/4M to 64M/8M) so that large volumes of data ranging from voice, memo to PIM (Personal Information Management) can be easily stored on the handset.
It also has an easy and simple Hangul (Korean alphabet) input application - 'ez Hangul; Avata to store the handset owner's and others telephone numbers and email messages in characters; and fantastic color gaming applications so that the handset is not only a means for information management, but also a tool for entertainment. Simply put, it is a handset optimized for mobile Internet living.
Moreover, it has a 3-line LCD (mono tone) on the exterior window of the handset so that caller ID, time, handset status and even text messages can be checked without opened the folder.
LGE plans to offer the new handset to service providers from May this year to extend the high profile presence of CyON - the strongest force in mobile Internet market - into the color phone market.
Motorola: Handhelds, cell phones get cozy
By Richard Shim, ZDNN
April 9, 2001 7:31 PM PT
URL:
Motorola has made the equivalent of a conference call, connecting cell phones with handheld computers to develop a new combination device, the Accompli 008.
A press release on the device appeared prematurely on the Motorola Web site Friday, revealing unannounced details for the U.S. version of the device. The cell phone giant wasn't ready to announce the U.S. version yet but, because of the Web glitch, decided to fill in the blanks. Leslie Dance, a Motorola representative, said Monday that the Accompli 008 is already available in Europe and Asia.
The Accompli 008 joins the growing trend of integrating features from cell phones and handheld computers into one device. The two other top cell phone makers, Nokia and Ericsson, have already done so.
With forecasts for cell phone shipments this year dropping and its own financial troubles, Motorola may be looking for the next big thing.
"A variety of vendors are trying to diversify into devices perceived to have potential," Gartner analyst Alex Slawsby said.
In addition to the cell phone makers, handheld computer makers that license the Palm, Symbian and Pocket PC operating systems have also been announcing similar combination devices.
Right now, Dance said, Motorola is waiting for a U.S. carrier to pick up distribution of the phone so it can be released in the States. The Accompli 008, which incorporates Internet access capabilities, will retail in the United States for $400 to $500 depending on the carrier, Dance added.
Slawsby said that such a price tag keeps such devices out of the mainstream market. "The combo devices will play in niche high-end markets and will likely remain there until the prices come down," he said.
Motorola's relationship with handhelds isn't new. Its Dragonball processors are at the heart of handhelds that use the Palm OS. And last fall, Motorola announced that it will create a cell phone based on the Palm OS that incorporates some handheld features.
The Accompli 008, however, uses an OS developed by Motorola, Dance said.
The device will come with a microbrowser and will require 2.5G networks that support high-speed downloads and always-on Internet access. These networks are expected to be commercially available by the end of the year in parts of the United States.
The Accompli 008 weighs about 5.5 ounces and is 2.4 inches wide, 3.9 inches tall and 1.1 inches thick. The device's monochrome display has a resolution of 240 pixels by 320 pixels. A stylus can be used for text input and screen navigation, and the device offers handwriting recognition. It can synchronize with a PC to download applications and data via a serial cable or infrared connection.
The Accompli product line also includes the 009, which will come to the United States later this year and will also cost $400 to $500. It features a clamshell case, two-way e-mail paging and phone capabilities. The device comes with a color display and runs on GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) wireless networks.
The Accompli 009 weighs 5.7 ounces and measures 3.8 inches by 2.8 inches by 8.7 inches. The Accompli 009 comes with a headset, a small keyboard and "voice tags" that allow owners to preset phone numbers to certain voice commands. When the commands are spoken, the number is called.
Napster Acquires Gigabeat for Cash, Building Its Technology Tool Chest
by Mark Lewis
Song-swap service Napster has acquired filter technology company Gigabeat for an undisclosed amount of cash, said a source close the negotiations. The deal gives Napster advanced search and filtering technology and components for file identification that the service will apply to its current attempt to block copyrighted music, and its future subscription service.
Napster will acquire Gigabeat's technology and its staff of 18 engineers, including Gigabeat co-founders Narayanan "Shiva" Shivakumar and Wilburt Labio, two Stanford Ph.D.s with experience in content-based copyright infringement detection and data warehousing [see 03.26.01 Napster Eyes Gigabeat as "Missing Link" in its Commercial Service]. Gigabeat engineers have already been working on contract with Napster for the last several weeks, helping Napster comply with a federal court injunction that requires Napster to block access to hundreds of thousands of copyrighted recordings.
A federal judge in San Francisco will hold a hearing today on Napster's compliance, evaluating the Recording Industry Association of America's claims that Napster is willfully and flagrantly violating the court's order.
Napster's money for the deal likely comes from German media conglomerate Bertelsmann, which gave a credit line of $60 million to the Redwood City, Calif.-based firm last October. Napster, not Bertelsmann, is the entity acquiring Gigabeat, though Bertelsmann holds warrants for more than half of Napster's equity. The source declined to say if Gigabeat's investors would receive equity stakes in Napster along with cash payments. Investors include venture firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Sun Microsystems co-founder Andreas Bechtolsheim, Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia and several Stanford University computer science professors.
Napster executives were unavailable at press time to comment on the Gigabeat transaction. Gigabeat executives declined to comment.
Although Gigabeat's public face has been comprised of music recommendation technology, and a search engine that can locate Internet radio broadcasts, the company has a larger suite of applications for a full-scale music service. For example, Gigabeat's core technology is able to combine multiple databases of audio fingerprints, text information and user behavior information to identify files for different purposes. Those purposes could include filtering copyrighted music and identifying files in a closed system in which file transfers must be tracked to pay royalties to copyright holders. Additionally, Gigabeat's technology can work in conjunction with portable playback devices, which would be useful to Napster if it cuts deals with device makers that would allow users to export secured Napster tracks.
Still, as Napster assembles the team and technologies it needs, other deals are expected.
"You get not only the technology but you get a really great team of engineers that are really into this online music space," a music technology source said of the Gigabeat acquisition. Engineers only make up one-third of Napster's staff, and the company is trying to hire more engineers for its product development team, which is trying to build a commercial service for a July launch.
The building directory at Gigabeat's Palo Alto, Calif., offices lists Napster as occupying two suites in the building. This most likely means that Napster engineers working on the new system will join the Gigabeat team there. That would give them some needed distance from Napster's Redwood City-based "compliance team," which is trying to improve Napster's text-based filtering technology and add variant file-names to a database of material that must be blocked.
For Gigabeat, the acquisition comes after a year of carnage in the online music field. Few music technology firms have been able to secure new rounds of venture capital, and small online distribution companies have been unable to obtain major label licenses that would let them run their own subscription services. Simultaneously, major media company-backed commercial download systems remain limited and unprofitable, with the industry edging away from downloads toward streaming services that label groups will license to distributors.
Yet even in that climate, Gigabeat wasn't without other suitors. It was pursued by a company that intends to launch a subscription service that will stream music to consumers after they register corresponding CDs with the service, but that deal fell through early this year. A major label's investment arm also made Gigabeat an offer, but the company chose Napster instead. While the amount of Napster's offer was probably paramount, Gigabeat may have favored Napster because the two companies both have the business culture of a start-up, an outlook a major-label venture probably would have lacked.
3G, Internet, telecom bodies endorse video protocol
By Martyn Williams
THE MAIN GROUP coordinating the technical standards for current and 3G (third generation) wireless services, the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), is backing a Japanese proposal for transmission of digital video over networks in a move to bring compatibility to wireless and wireline networks.
With the backing of 3GPP, the new transfer format for MPEG-4 digital video now has the support of three major technical bodies. The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and International Telecommunications Union (ITU) announced support for the standard in October and November respectively last year, said the five companies that jointly proposed the system: Toshiba, NEC, Oki Electric Industry, Matsushita Electric. and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone.
"This brings the standardization of MPEG-4 and RTP (Real-time Transfer Protocol) over the Internet and wireless networks," said a spokeswoman for Toshiba. "People have been sending video over networks before but it has all been different formats. By using a standardized format, everyone can see everything with no problem."
The standardization is especially important if video telephone calls are to be successfully placed between telephones, cellular handsets and personal computers because the calls will transverse different networks.
The new transfer system is based on RTP, a system standardized by the IETF for IP (Internet protocol) networks in 1996 and intended for use on large scale networks. It is designed to run on UDP (Uniform Datagram Protocol), unlike today's TCP/IP (Transfer Control Protocol/IP)-based systems.
Current systems are designed with an emphasis on reliable data transmission. This means mechanisms are put in place to ensure as much of the original data stream as possible is recovered at the destination. One such mechanism allows the destination computer to request retransmission of lost data but this necessitates buffers -- something that delays time sensitive streams like real-time video.
In contrast, RTP has an emphasis on speed and includes no mechanisms for recovering lost data. On high performance networks this should mean video and audio are delivered in a more timely fashion. Another advantage lies in a time-stamp that is added to the RTP header inside each packet and which enables synchronization of audio and video.
Toshiba began working on the system at the beginning of 1999, just after the MPEG-4 standard was approved in late 1998, and has been leading the group. In October, 1999 it approached the other four companies and asked for their backing and support of development of the system, and went on to jointly propose it to the standardization bodies last year.
Technical details of RTP can be found online at www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1889.txt and www.cs.columbia.edu/~hgs/rtp/faq.html
Seybold conference to focus content, digital rights management
By James Evans
MEMBERS OF THE digital printing, publishing and creative communities will converge on Boston this week for Seybold Seminars, a conference that will focus this year on desktop and Web publishing, digital rights and document management, and e-books.
The annual conference for creative professionals kicks off Tuesday and runs through Thursday at the Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center. Speakers at this year's conference will include Christie Hefner, chief executive officer (CEO) of Playboy Enterprises and chairman of Playboy.com, Fred Ebrahimi, president and chief executive of Quark, and Bruce Chizen, president and CEO of Adobe Systems.
In years past at Seybold in Boston, a large percentage of exhibitors focused on front-end creative processes like color management, said Gene Gable, president of Seybold Seminars, which is run by Key3Media Events. That is changing, he said.
"(Show attendees) are going to see a lot more emphasis on backbone issues like content management and digital rights management," Gable said.
A strong emphasis also will be put on XML (eXtensible Markup Language) tools to assist with getting content on the Web, he said. Thirty-eight companies are listed as exhibiting HTML (HyperText Markup Language), SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) and XML products and tools.
E-books are also maturing gradually, and Palm and GoReader will have handheld reader devices on display at the show. Collaboration will also be a focus, with companies assisting in ways to maximize the use of existing content, text, pictures and other information, Gable said.
More than 200 exhibitors are due to attend the show, which traditionally draws about 18,000 show goers and has been around for 30 years. The show's namesake John W. Seybold, on Wednesday will be awarded the 2001 Isaiah Thomas Award in Publishing. The Isaiah Thomas Award, named for one of the U.S.'s great patriot printers, is awarded each year by the Rochester Institute of Technology's School of Printing Management and Sciences in recognition of contributions to the newspaper industry.
John Seybold was the founder of ROCAPPI (Research on Computer Applications in the Printing and Publishing Industry), the first company to create computer programs for commercial typesetting.
One of the larger vendors exhibiting this year is Adobe. It will have its new Acrobat 5.0 software on display, which lets users convert files into PDF (Portable Document Format) format, and is expected to demonstrate its forthcoming three-dimensional product for the Web, Atmosphere. Several digital rights management companies will be on hand to showcase products that assist with distributing and protecting content, including Entrust Technologies, Authentica and ContentGuard.
Other new products that will be on display this week include:
-- Reciprocal will launch its Reciprocal Storefront, which supports the distribution of content that has been packaged using DRM (digital rights management) technologies. The New York-based company's Storefront product is a Web-based content distribution application designed to help with selling, positioning and pricing content.
-- Torque Systems will introduce its BrightVu live content manager, which aims to assist workgroups and corporate users who want to collaborate on creating a variety of digital content. BrightVu, which includes both hardware and software, starts at $9,995, according to the San Francisco-based company.
-- Apago, a division of Essential Technical Services, will introduce its PDF/X-1 Checkup, which is an Adobe Acrobat plug-in that checks PDF files for compliance with the PDF/X-1 specification and is designed to automatically repair them if damaged. PDF/X-1 Checkup is marketed at advertising agencies, prepress houses, publishers and printers who need to need create and deliver digital ads, the Atlanta-based company said.
-- North Atlantic Publishing Systems will show its new NAPS Translation System, which assists with conversion from Quark files and Microsoft Word/RTF(Rich Text Format) to XML and from XML to HTML. With the NAPS Translation System, a publication can reformat print media content so that it can be used on a Web site, the Concord, Mass. company said.
-- PowerFile will launch its PowerFile Solo, a single-drive 200-disc DVD/CD (digital versatile disk/Compact Disk) jukebox, which aims to allow home and office users to store and access optical discs from one centralized jukebox on their desktop, the Los Gatos, Calif. company said. The product, which works on either Apple Computer's Mac or PC platform will retail for $899.
Students Willing To Pay For Music, Survey Finds
(04/09/01, 8:33 p.m. ET) By Christopher T. Heun, InformationWeek
In the eyes of record company execs, college students may be freewheeling miscreants—Napster devotees who refuse to pull their weight as trustworthy consumers. But the truth is quite different.
More than a third of college students who download music off the Internet free would be willing to pay $8.50 a month for the privilege, according to a survey of 1,800 students on campuses from Harvard to the University of Southern California.
The typical student is after singles, live tracks, international music, and new artists, the study found. They spend more time listening to tunes off their computers than they do the radio; half the students have been to a party where the DJ used a computer instead of a stereo.
Of course, besides superheated hormones and loads of leisure time, college students have two things most of the rest of us don't: access to fast Internet connections and high bandwidth. That makes downloading songs a lot easier.
"As broadband grows, more people will use computers for music and other entertainment," said Matthew Bender, analyst with Mercer Management Consulting, which conducted the study in conjunction with the National Association of Recording Merchandisers. "Movies and TV will either be streamed or downloaded. More multimedia things are just a step behind this."
For now, though, the music industry should take heart that the students are downloading a second set of songs to complement their CD collections, which are valued for their liner notes and cover art and are perceived to be of higher listening quality than the albums they download.
"We don't feel this is going to erase CD purchasing completely," Bender said. "This is a new opportunity. There's a whole other batch of music record labels could sell to people."
It's only a matter of months now before someone—either a record company, America Online Inc. (stock: AOL), or even Napster—introduces a subscription service, particularly in the light of Universal's decision to purchase EMusic.com Inc. (stock: EMUS), he said.
"Initially, [record companies] were behind, but they've caught up quickly," Bender said. "There's a lot of fear in the industry about this. One of the biggest surprises to some of the retailers is that people sample music on Napster and then go out and buy it."
suggest you do a lot of reading
from RB xybr board:
Reply To: None Monday, 9 Apr 2001 at 3:57 PM EDT
Post # of 49348
A very small tid bit of info:
About a week ago I was on vacation at Disney World. While I was at EPCOT, I went into the innoventions building where new inventions and products are profiled that may significantly impact the world technology scene. I noticed several IBM employees who were explaining several IBM products. I asked one of the IBM employees if they had heard about wearable computers. His response went something like this: "You bet I have, we should have a couple here within six weeks. Japan is developing them also. I believe that there will be a large world market demand for them in the near future". Unfortunately he didn't seem to know anything about xybernaut and how they are connected to the industry. No surprise there I guess.
Best Regards WildBill
Duke University
Information Technology Advisory Council
Minutes
March 9, 2000
Attending: Pakis Bessias, John Board, Kevin Cheung, Ken Hirsh, David Ferriero,Diane Reynolds, Patrick Halpin, Alfred Trozzo, Donna Hewitt, David Jamieson-Drake, Ken Knoerr, Roger Loyd, Melissa Mills, Caroline Nisbet, John Oates, Lynne O'Brien,Mike Pickett, Rafael Rodriguez, Robert Wolpert; Guests: Bob Currier (OIT), Rob Carter (OIT), Debbie DeYulia (OIT), Kathy Pfeiffer (SISS Project), Donna Giles (Graduate School and SISS Project), Chris Meyer (OIT and SISS Project), David Kirby
Review of Minutes and Announcements:
Roger Loyd requested that the spelling of his name be corrected in the minutes.
WEARABLE COMPUTING DEMO
John Board led this very interesting demo/discussion. IBM may market a wearable computer in a year, but can purchase today from other vendors. John's model is a Win98 pc, 640/480 screen resolution with screen about 3 inches in front of eyes, wireless 11mb network connection, Duke web site is up along with stock ticker. Designed for field maintenance, but company has thought through some consumer related issues. Looks too industrialtoday, but everything is here: keyboard on wrist, uses IBM ViaVoice to issues commands to a win pc,e.g., 'Open, Program, Windows Explorer' works reliably. Wireless range is about 100 ft, costs about $1k per transmitter so already fairly cost effective to cover a wide range. John was sure the Mac version would be prettier and more coloful. Ken Knoerr referenced a wearable TV; David Kirby has one of these too. David went on to say that wearbable computers can speed care and lower error rates in patient care environment so MC is exploring that. Patients expect medical staff to wear weird stuff.
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A version of the IBM wearable is also being tested by doctors on their rounds at Duke University Hospital in Durham, N.C. The big difference between the unit being tested by GE and this unit is that the Duke unit has a wireless modem PC card plugged into a standard expansion slot. The doctors can read e-mail, access patients' charts, and receive diagnostic reports wirelessly and more conveniently than they could if they had to tote around a notebook PC. Primary input is by voice, with the microphone supported by the headband.
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Xybernaut's industry partners IBM and Texas Instruments, and customers alike said that the MA4-TC represents the next major phase in computing, leaps ahead of today's PDAs (personal digital assistants). Weighing in at just under 900 grams and the size of a clock radio, the MA4-TC, is powered by a 400MHz Intel Pentium III processor and memory configuration that can be removed from the system by way of a TC (transferable core) that can be inserted into another mobile device or even a PC or network docking station.
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Some of the current drawbacks to wearable PCs' comfort and compactness will most probably be resolved by technologies already in the pipeline. Bluetooth and other wireless protocols should eliminate the inconvenient, and even hazardous, dangling cables between the CPU and the microphone, keyboard, head-mounted display, and other peripherals. They should also provide low-power, high-bandwidth access to the Internet. Already voice-activated, Xybernaut will add a wireless, Bluetooth-linked headset, speech-recognition technology from Dallas-based Texas Instruments, and a foreign-language translator to the device over the next two years.
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The IBM Wearable PC
The IBM® Wearable PC is a direct response to the following challenge: How small and how mobile can you make a PC without giving up any functionality? Quite small is the answer from IBM. In fact, the central processing unit (CPU) of this fully functional PC, which clips onto your belt, is about the size of a paperback book and weighs less than a pound. Its monitor, about the size of a pen cap, rests about an inch from the eye and is held in place with a headband. This configuration gives the user the illusion of reading a 14-inch screen at normal viewing distances. Only in this case, the monitor appears to be floating in front its users, following them even when they turn their heads.
Primary interaction with the Wearable PC is through voice or specialised pointing devices. The Wearable PC talks back via a speaker that's also built into the monitor, and comes with an eraser-sized mouse that works like a joystick. Because the Wearable PC is a fully functional PC, those longing for convention can plug it into a standard a desktop monitor, keyboard and printer.
As part of its Edge of Network (EoN) effort, IBM has begun unveiling products, technology, and alliances to push broadband, communications, processing, network software, and pervasive computing to the next level. IBM's Wearable PC is a proof point for that effort, delivering solutions to end users that greatly enhance connectivity. Providing untethered, easy-to-access information that is always on and always available, the IBM Wearable PC is a personal computing device that complements the active lifestyle of its end users.
Advantages
Extremely lightweight and portable
Users can perform desktop-quality computing tasks - including word processing, spreadsheet calculations and Web browsing - anytime and anywhere they choose.
The Wearable PC's voice-interactive design makes it especially practical for professionals who need mobile access to large amounts of data, while keeping their hands free for non-computing tasks.
These include surgeons, construction site supervisors, architects, utility plant technicians, aircraft maintenance workers and the physically challenged.
Technical Details
The Wearable PC is currently about as powerful as an IBM ThinkPad® 560X notebook computer, packing a Pentium-class chip that runs at 233 MHz. To save space, some of the components have been reduced in size and some of the connectors have been eliminated. The device has 64 MB of system disk space. Additional IBM MicroDrive disks or other compact flash devices can be attached via the CF2+ slot. PCMCIA adapters like wireless radios can be installed in an additional plug-in module. It can accommodate a satellite-driven Global Positioning System (GPS), which allows the computer to locate its position on Earth and display maps for directional guidance.
Availability
The Wearable PC is still in a prototype stage. Nearly 100 Wearable PCs have been produced, many of them going to IBM customers in a variety of fields for extensive field-testing. Feedback from these trials will have a major impact on future designs.
Why IBM?
The Wearable PC illustrates how IBM is focused on driving the changes in computing and producing long-term and short-term results in areas that impact IBM's core businesses/customers. Rather than simply testing its ideas in a lab, IBM incorporates real-world customer experience with its innovations (a "live lab" scenario). IBM creates "design concepts" like these to illustrate what is possible, test the marketplace, expand the thinking of product planners, influence the allocation of research funds, and demonstrate commitment to innovative, human-oriented products.
http://www.pc.ibm.com/europe/pcnews/ibm_wearable_pc.html
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The new IBM/TI MA V version under the xybernaut brand is expected to be out around this June.
March 13, 2000 / NT News /
IBM Reveals Edge of Network Strategy
IBM has begun to articulate its Edge of Network (EON) strategy, which joins servers, desktops, and laptops with the next generation of portable, wearable, and multifunction devices that will interoperate with modern PC networks. These EON devices—so-called because they sit at the edge of users' networks—include devices that rely heavily on the developing broadband and wireless networking technologies: Internet appliances, Net server appliances, future Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), multifunction phones, and wearable computers. The EON initiative is a logical extension of IBM's Pervasive Computing strategy from a few years ago.
EON devices include so-called legacy-free products, systems without serial or parallel ports that rely on USB and FireWire connections. According to IBM, EON devices are those that allow optimization and customization for users and are e-business ready, effortless to use, and in both the consumer and business markets. Several vendors have released PCs of this type, including Dell and Compaq. Among the several devices that IBM has begun to show are a broadband-enabled Internet appliance that lets telephone companies, ISPs, and ASPs set up and brand specifically for their service. Devices of this type will have vertical screens to better display Web pages.
As part of the EON strategy, industry watchers expect IBM to begin modifying its ThinkPad laptops in the second quarter of 2000 by adding Bluetooth wireless support and a built-in video camera. IBM's WorkPad, a version of the 3Com Palm PDA, will also come with Bluetooth. Bluetooth enables wireless transmission for up to 30 feet at speeds up to 1Mbps, and industry watchers expect it to be a viable alternative to office network wiring.
IBM hopes to provide end-to-end solutions that lead to major contracts based on the company's hardware, consulting, and services businesses. IBM plans to partner with telephone companies, ISPs, and application service providers (ASPs) in these projects. IBM will brand the EON strategy and promote it heavily with advertising. Many of the EON hardware devices will come from IBM's Personal Systems Group. These devices represent a change in direction to turn IBM into "the leader in the user device space in the post-2000 era," one IBM executive said.
IBM, a strong presence in the thin-client/server market, has thin-client devices that run Linux, Windows-Based Terminal (WBT), and Windows 2000 (Win2K). David McAughtry, vice president of marketing for EON and Net Devices, said, "This is an all-encompassing strategy, not a war between network computers and PCs. It's not a jihad of one architecture against another; we'll use any technology: Windows, Windows 2000, Linux, Windows CE. It's immaterial to us." IBM plans to support Red Hat Linux, SuSE Linux, and TurboLinux.
Who will be the Intel of hand helds
Competition abounds as Intel aims to be as dominant in wireless as it is in PCs
By Heather Clancy, CRN
2:32 PM EST Fri., Apr. 06, 2001
Intel,the company that made "Intel Inside" virtually synonymous with PCs,hasn't exactly been known as an underdog in the IT arena. But when it comes to the burgeoning handheld computing market, all bets are off.
The chip giant is finding itself up against high-tech titans such as Texas Instruments and Motorola, as well as intrepid silicon start-ups, as it jockeys for the lead in setting the chip architectures for next-generation wireless and Web access devices.
Intel has huge aspirations for this product segment, but the Santa Clara, Calif., company now faces some formidable competition. Case in point: Texas Instruments supplies the silicon underlying approximately 60 percent of the cellular handset market, including products from Nokia, Sony, Ericsson and Motorola, according to market-research estimates. "That's the team to beat," says Will Strauss, principal analyst at research firm Forward Concepts.
What's more, the hardware being built around the new wave of chips for PDAs and data-enabled cell phones bears little resemblance to the desktop architecture where Intel made its name. The form factor is different for almost every device, battery life and heat dissipation are critical issues, and integrated wireless communications is de rigueur, industry experts say.
"As an implementer of 'all-channel' access solutions that encompass browser-, broadband- and wireless-based technologies, it is not so much the hardware architecture of end-user devices that is our main concern, but rather the specific characteristics and capabilities that each possess," says Edward Pearson, partner and chief architect at Quidnunc, a New York-based e-business services firm.
Handheld devices, in fact, are expanding the computing paradigm, says David Feldman, founder and CEO of Palo Alto, Calif.-based ZF Micro Devices, one of dozens of small companies hoping to provide chips for handhelds and all types of embedded systems.
"When you say 'computer,' most people think laptop or desktop. That is so far from true," Feldman says. "The 'computer' is ubiquitous. It's not [what] they describe."
The debate over system design centers on handheld computers such as the Palm series and Compaq Computer's hot-selling iPaq Pocket PC, as well as smart phones and smart-card readers. And there's plenty at stake. By the end of 2003, the U.S. market will have an estimated 107 million Web-enabled cellular phones and 8 million Web-enabled PDAs, according to research firm Gartner. In business terms, smart handhelds will form a $26 billion market by 2004, research firm IDC projects.
"The whole wireless industry is banking on making this data infrastructure happen," says Ron Smith, senior vice president and general manager of the Wireless Communications and Computing Group at Intel. "A lot of this business, quite honestly, is happening outside of the United States."
Intel is busy recruiting VARs and integrators, including the likes of Razorfish, to build business solutions based on emerging wireless technologies, Smith says. "A lot of the applications, especially, will be defined around different business segments," he says. "For any of those vertical markets, you need a solution provider to work with."
Sometimes a particular application may warrant a specific device, Quidnunc's Pearson says. For example, if the user needs to access and view large amounts of text, a handheld device might be appropriate. But if the user only needs a brief message or information alerts, a data-enabled cell phone might be more applicable, he says.
Quidnunc also is focusing on building intelligence into the server side of wireless solutions, which would enable content to be mapped automatically to various handheld devices, Pearson says. For instance, a user might see the full functionality of an auction site on a desktop PC but only the bidding function would be available via a cell phone.
"The mistake made too often is to try to deploy functions to devices that are not capable of delivering them in a usable manner," Pearson says.
Despite such cautionary tales, Intel aims to parlay its reputation in the desktop PC design world into the mobile computing field. And solution providers tackling the wireless market say the chip maker is well-positioned to do so, considering its expertise in standardization issues, cash reserves and manufacturing connections.
"They have a lot of experience and a lot of value to add to the new emerging platforms of the next decade," says Dave Hall, senior vice president and CTO at CompuCom, a Dallas-based digital infrastructure services firm.
Hall cites Intel's role in helping to solve some of the challenges that plagued early desktop PC technology, such as hardware standardization, remote management and asset management. "It's a smart time for them to be getting into this," he says.
Intel executives are thinking the same thing. They say the company's wireless chip architecture,the Intel Personal Internet Client Architecture (PCA),provides the computing power inside handheld devices, and its flash memory and communications chipsets round out an integrated solution.
The next generation of Intel's StrongARM handheld chip (part of the PCA plan) will rely on XScale technology, designed to scale a device's power consumption up or down according to the application being used on a handheld device. Compaq already plans to support the technology in future products, and Intel recently landed an endorsement from Sonera, a leading mobile-data services provider based in Finland. Under the pact, Intel and Sonera plan to pool their investment funds to back companies working on mobile applications and solutions. Intel has dedicated at least $500 million to its communications fund, which specifically backs companies working with PCA or XScale.
Late last month, Intel also disclosed plans to work more closely with IBM, which will supply an embedded version of its WebSphere middleware for Intel's PCA. Solution providers say such developments are encouraging.
"What we're all about is really leveraging current technologies," says Dana Cambra, vice president of product development at iScribe, a Redwood City, Calif.-based mobile solution provider. "When you look at the money that is flowing into the area, right now the Pocket PC,because it is more open and standard,has more extensions to it from a wireless point of view."
Still, Forward Concepts' Strauss says Intel is fighting an uphill battle as it tries to win respect in the wireless industry. Its approach to standards, for one, is radically different, he says.
"Intel is used to becoming a de facto standard," Strauss says. "They are now in a market where the standards have to be in place first, because if you don't have standards, who else is going to be on the other end of the line?"
Over the next three years, the battleground for chip architectures will revolve around development of next-generation ARM silicon, Strauss predicts. Although Intel has a solid message in that arena, its rivals aren't standing still, he says.
This year, Motorola plans to segment its DragonBall line, expanding beyond its current 68K architecture into the ARM world. The 68K line will focus on power efficiency and offer a baseline approach to handheld devices, whereas the ARM-based chip will support wireless plug-ins and other media-access technologies, says Kyle Harper, manager of strategic operations for emerging markets at Motorola. The company has dubbed this architecture DigitalDNA.
If Texas Instruments is the company to beat in handsets, then Motorola might be Intel's fiercest rival in PDAs. Motorola's chip powers current generations of the Palm product series, and Motorola estimates that it has shipped more than 11 million units to date. About 75 percent of all handheld systems shipped through the end of last year used DragonBall, according to IDC estimates cited by Motorola.
One wild card is Palm's recent decision to begin using the ARM architecture in future generations of its handhelds, leaving the field wide open for Texas Instruments, Intel or Motorola. Palm hasn't disclosed which ARM vendor it will use, and company executives declined to discuss Palm's plans.
Other chip architectures are in the handheld mix as well, including new integrated silicon from several start-ups and technology from Hitachi, which holds sizable market share in Asia, says Sayeed Choudhury, marketing director for the consumer business unit at Wind River, an Alameda, Calif.-based provider of embedded systems software. Hitachi, too, is the only major supplier of cellular handsets that doesn't use ARM, Forward Concepts' Strauss says.
Despite the challenges ahead, Intel has two big advantages in building an identity as a handheld architecture supplier: deep pockets and serious manufacturing muscle, analysts and solution providers say.
"The challenge of a hardware vendor like Intel is to provide electronics you can package into a small form factor," iScribe's Cambra says. "It requires hundreds of millions of dollars of investment to do that."
Hey Matt: status og site upgrade???
SD ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP INCREASES TO OVER 225 COMPANIES, NEW SPECIFICATIONS FINALIZED AND E-COMMERCE WORKING GROUP FORMED
BURLINGAME, CA Mar. 20, 2001 - The SD Card Association (SDA) recently held its first meeting of 2001. The membership in the SDA has now increased to over 225 companies - a growth of more than 50% from the last meeting held in October 2000. The SDA is an open industry standards organization established in January 2000. Its mission is to set industry standards for the SD Card and promote its wide acceptance in a variety of applications.
"I am extremely bullish on the outlook for the SD Association and the card standard for this year." stated SDA president Ray Creech. "Our membership continues to grow rapidly and new products are being announced on a monthly basis. To-date, there are over 50 products that have been announced or are in the market. We believe that the unique benefits of size, security and interoperability that SD brings to the market are helping to lead this groundswell of interest."
The SDA's technical committee has now submitted three new application specifications; Video (MPEG-4, Motion JPEG), PIM (Personal Information Management) and Image (Bit Mapped Images), for final review and approval by the General Membership. These applications are expected to be approved by the end of April 2001. (A complete list of all specifications available from the SDA is attached)
The SDA Application Specifications are critical guideline documents that describe a recommended method for storing data onto SD memory cards. Adherence to these specifications provides a means of ensuring interoperability across a wide range of devices.
Beyond memory applications, the SDA has now completed a final I/O specification. "The specification will enable the SD Card slot to become a multi-purpose expansion port for a variety of new capabilities such as Bluetooth, GPS, Imaging and Communication." stated Bill Stanley, Principal Engineer for Palm Inc. and Co-Chairman of the I/O working group. "This will extend the capabilities of any SD enabled device." The I/O technical working group has submitted the specification to the General Membership for final approval that is expected to be complete by May 2001.
The SDA also formed a new eCommerce working group during the meeting, which is chartered to develop a specification that would enable SD host devices to perform secure financial transactions. An eCommerce enabled SD card will have the capability to register, authenticate and exchange information with a secure network server - particularly useful in emerging wireless applications.
The SD Card standard is being built into a wide range of new digital products such as cellular phones, audio players, automotive multimedia systems, handheld PC's and video and digital still cameras. The association's web site can be referenced at www.sdcard.org for more information about SDA membership, applications usage, member companies and upcoming meetings.
Parties interested in joining the SDA are encouraged to visit the website or contact Ray Creech directly at (831) 623-2107. Email is rcreech@sdcard.org
Software Tools Spark DSP Systems
http://img.cmpnet.com/edtn/customsolutions/edge/TrendsPart2.pdf
Audio chip makers' hopes tied to digital music rollouts
By Margaret Quan, EE Times
Apr 6, 2001 (11:10 AM)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20010406S0047
MANHASSET, N.Y. — Top suppliers of chips for the digital music player market hope the rollout of online music services aimed at boosting the availability of digital music on the Internet will have a positive impact on portable digital music player sales this year. They expect the added content to increase second-half 2001 sales over what turned out to be a disappointing first quarter for chips of all types, including those designed into portable music players, according to anecdotal reports.
However, some believe the limited availability of digital music content and the uncertainty over digital music copyrights is not the only thing that prevents consumers from purchasing the devices.
Rainer Hoffmann, president of Micronas Semiconductors (San Jose, Calif.), a subsidiary of Micronas Semiconductor Holding AG (Zurich, Switzerland), thinks the portable music player-only devices are still too expensive at prices of $199 and up.
"The major holdback [to growth of the market] is still the cost," said Hoffmann.
He suggested player prices "must come down to $149 and below" before they become a mainstream consumer purchase.
Nevertheless, three top chip suppliers, Cirrus Logic Inc. (Austin, Texas), Texas Instruments Inc. (TI; Dallas) and Micronas see as positive developments this week's launch of several new music services: the MusicNet music subscription service platform by Real Networks and three major record labels; Microsoft Corp.'s introduction of a beta version of its free streaming radio service on its MSN network; and plans by MTVi Group and music application service provider RioPort to offer paid song downloads through MTVi's Web site. (MTVi is a unit of MTV Networks owned by Viacom Inc.)
They believe the services will generate greater consumer demand for digital audio devices.
"Anything that helps the flow of content so that it's easier to get to is going to help," Scott MacDonald, vice president of marketing for Cirrus Logic's Embedded Processors Division told EE Times.
Jorge Kittl, TI's Internet Audio business manager, called the introduction of online music services] "key."
Both companies are leading suppliers of chips to the MP3-type Internet audio portable player market, according to research firm Forward Concepts (Tempe, Ariz.). That market totaled 3.5 million units shipped in 2000 and is forecast to reach 7 million units this year, the firm reported. By 2004, shipments are projected to reach 42 million units.
But reports indicate first-quarter sales of chips into this market may have been flat to disappointing. Thus there are expectations that having more music available online, combined with new MP3 device categories set to debut later this year, may help jump-start growth later in the year.
Cirrus Logic is the top supplier of chips into the digital audio player market, according to Forward Concepts, but in recent weeks retail store inventory of players that use its Maverick embedded processors has been light. That's expected to change in the second half of 2001, when the company expects to see new Maverick-based players on the shelves, MacDonald said.
The players will include a new generation of digital audio decoder-equipped CD players known as "spinning media" devices that are larger than MP3-only portables and play downloaded digital audio as well as compressed audio files stored on CDs that hold 650 Mbytes of music. These spinning media devices, along with a new class of digital audio streaming players that stream music and store it on a local server network rather than locally, are expected to contribute to growth for Cirrus Logic's Maverick chip sales this year.
Texas Instruments, the second-largest provider of chips for digital audio players, according to Forward Concepts, reported that it received new design wins from consumer electronics manufacturers Sanyo, Thomson Multimedia, Digisette LLC and Richfield Innovations Pte. Ltd. (RFI) during the first quarter. The devices represent a range of different form factors, including the Digisette Duo player, which functions as a stand-alone digital audio player and cassette-emulation device, and the RFI JazPiper player, which stores music on an Iomega PocketZip drive.
Texas Instruments' Internet Audio business manager, Jorge Kittl, declined to reveal digital audio player-related DSP sales figures for the first quarter and would only say that TI shipped over 2 million units into the digital audio player segment since the beginning of 2000.
Hoffmann of Micronas Semiconductor, the third-largest provider of chips for MP3-type players, believes the addition of new music services will help drive sales of players, but said he thinks the device price is also a barrier.
"Once you are above the $149 price point, you are getting only 10 percent of the consumer market," he said. Hoffmann called the market small for a consumer electronics device, even if it hits 7 million units.
Most MP3 players cost $199 and up, and though companies have been working to get the price point down, one of the stumbling blocks, the high cost of flash memory, is beyond their control.
As flash prices move down, the industry may see a new wave of market potential for MP3-only devices. Until then, Micronas expects sales of chips into stand-alone MP3 player devices to be flat this year, but predicts growth to come from sales into MP3 combination devices such as cell phones, said Hoffmann.
The company sells chips designed into a Samsung cellular phone that Sprint deployed in field trials in San Diego and an Ericsson accessory for the T28 cellular handset.
In addition to the launch of new music services, chip makers were encouraged this week by efforts in Washington to hash out the controversy over online entertainment and copyright law, which they believe could be hurting the MP3 player market.
On Tuesday (April 3), representatives from the music and technology industries, including InterTrust Technologies Corp. founder and chief executive Victor Shear, whose company develops digital rights management technologies for online content and commerce, testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Shear called for a remedy to the complexity surrounding copyrights and licensing in digital entertainment and suggested the government endorse the use of digital-rights-management (DRM) technologies.
MacDonald said Cirrus Logic remains "supportive" of secure music initiatives, as evidenced by security features added to its Maverick embedded processors in the form of MaverickLock hardware and MaverickKey protection technologies. The company also supports InterTrust and Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Media Audio DRM solutions.
Likewise, TI's Kittl said the company "clearly understands the needs of copyright owners" and built support for security features into DSP products such as the DA250, which supports major digital rights management technologies and is set to ship in volume by midyear.
Hoffmann agreed that clearing up uncertainty around digital music copyrights might have a positive impact on the market for digital audio players, but said Micronas must remain flexible about its chip-solution offerings. He said some customers support the use of DRM today, while others are not interested in adopting proprietary solutions until there is a DRM standard.
wonder how many of these are edig customers and/or partners we just don't know about yet:
SDA Member Companies
3Com **
AboMem Technologies Corp. **
Acer Laboratories Inc.
A.I. Corporation
Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.
***AIWA Co., Ltd.
Alchemy Semiconductor
Alpine (B) **
Alps Electric Co., Ltd. **
altec ComputerSysteme GmbH
America OnLine **
Amkor Technology
Amphenol-Tuchel **
Anpec Electronics Corp.
Apacer
A Point Technology Co., Ltd
ARM Limited **
Artic Semiconductor
Asahi Optical Co., Ltd.
Asustek Computer
Atergi Technology Ltd.
Atmel Corporation
Audio Basket
Audio-Technica
AVX Corporation **
Axisoft Technologies Inc.
BORG Instruments AG
Brain Boxes Limited
Brother Industries, Ltd.
Canon (B) **
Carry Computer Eng. **
Casio Computer **
Chia Shin Technology
Chinon Industries Inc.
Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
Clarion Co., Ltd.
Compaq Computer Corp. (B) **
Conexant Systems Inc.
Cypress Semiconductor
Daimaru Kogyo., Ltd
Datafab Systems Inc.
DataPlay
DataStor Tech Co., Ltd
DeLorme
Denso Corporation
D-Media Technology
Digital Stream Corp.
Divio **
DNP Corp. USA
Eastman Kodak Company (B) **
e-Digital
Electronic Mobile Computing
eMemory Technology Inc.
EMTEC Magnetics GmbH **
ERG Co., Ltd.
Faith, Inc. **
FCI **
Feiya Technology Corp.
Fujikura/DDK American Inc. **
Fuji Photo Films Co., Ltd. **
Fujitsu Limited **
Fujitsu Media Devices of America
Fujitsu Takamisawa Comp
Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. **
Gemplus
Genesys Logic
Gig.com
Grundig AG **
Hagiwara Sys-Com Co., Ltd.
HealtheTech Inc.
Hewlett Packard (B) **
High Tech Computer
Hirose Electric USA **
Hitachi Ltd. **
Hitachi Maxell Ltd.
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. **
Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
Hyperstone AG
Hyundai Autonet Co. **
IBM Corporation
I-Jam Multimedia
Imagination Technologies Inc.
Industrial Technology Research Institute **
***Innogear
Integrated Circuit Solutions Inc.
Integrated Memory Logic, Inc.
Intel Inc.
I-O Data Devices Inc.
I/O Interconnect
I-PEX Co., Ltd.
Iriso Electronics Co., Ltd.
ITT Cannon, Ltd (Japan)
Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Ltd.
Jess-Link Products Co.
J.S.T. Manufacturing Co., Ltd. **
Justsystem Corporation
KC Technology, Inc.
Kel Corp.
***Kenwood **
Ketech Limited
Kingston Technology Co.
Kinpo Electronic Inc.
Knowledge Edge, Inc.
Kobe Steel, Ltd.
Konica Corp.
Koto Co., Ltd.
KYE Systems Corp.
Kyocera Corporation **
Lead Data Inc.
Leoco Corporation
***LG Electronics Japan Inc. (B) **
LinkUp Systems Corporation
Lowrance Electronics Inc.
LT Peripheral, Inc.
Lucent Technologies
***Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (B) **
Matsushita Electric Wks **
MediaTek Inc.
Megachips
Melco Inc.
Memtek Products Inc.
Micronas GmbH **
Microsoft **
MICRO-STAR International Co., Ltd.
Midoriya Electric Co., Ltd.
Millie Design
Mitsubishi Elect (B) **
Mitsubishi Plastics Inc. **
Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. **
Molex **
Motion Sense Corp.
***Motorola Inc. (B) **
Navigation Technologies **
N.D.S Technologies **
NEC Corporation (B) **
Neodio Technologies Corp.
Net Personix Corp.
Nintendo Co., Ltd. **
Nippon Systemware Co., Ltd.
Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp.
Ntru
Northstar **
Novatel Wireless
Oki ED **
Oki Software Co., Ltd.
Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
OMRON Corporation
Onkyo Corporation
OnSpec Electronic Inc.
Oxford Semiconductor Ltd.
***Palm Inc. (B) **
Palmax Technology Co., Ltd
PC Card Packaging, Inc.
***Phillips Electronics **
***Pine Lab, Korea Inc.
Pioneer Corporation
Pixim Inc.
***Portal Player Inc.
Pretec
Preview Systems Inc.
Proconn Technology Co., Ltd.
Prolific Technology Inc.
Qualcomm **
Quanta Computer Inc. **
RealNetworks, Inc. **
REALVision Technology
Rexon Technology Corp., Ltd.
Ricoh
Right Technology **
RITDATA Tech Inc.
Ritek Corporation
Ryosan Co., Ltd.
Samsung (B) **
Samsung Electro-Mech **
SanDisk Corp. (B) **
Sanyo LSI Design System Soft Co., Ltd.
SCM Microsystems, Inc. **
Seiko Epson **
Sharp (B) **
Shin Shin Co., Ltd.
Shinko Shoji Co., Ltd.
Siemens AG (B) **
Silicon Media Inc.
Silicon Motion, Inc.
Silicon Storage Tech **
Simple Technology Inc.
Singapore Shinei Sangyo
Sipix Group Limited **
SmartData S.A.
SmartDisk **
Socket Communications Inc. **
SOI Elect. Co., Ltd
Speed Tech Corp.
ST Microelectronics
Sunderland Technologies Pte Ltd.
Symbian K.K. **
Symbol Technology Inc.
Systemneeds Inc.
Taiwan Zetatronic Industrial Co., Ltd.
Techno Science Co.
Telepaq Technolgy
Test Metrix **
Texas Instruments **
***Thomson CSE (B) **
Tokyo Electech Corporation
Tokyo Electron America **
Tokyo Electron Device Ltd. **
Tomita Traders
Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. **
TOPTECH CONNECTIONS
Toshiba (B) **
Toshiba Video Products JP
Toyota Motor Corporation **
Trek Technology **
Twinhead International Corp.
Tyco Electronic **
Unigen **
Universal Scientific Ind., Co.
Vertechs Co., Ltd
Victor Company of Japan, Ltd. **
Viking Components Inc.
Winbond Electronics Corp.
Xanavi Informatics Corp. **
Yamaha Corporation **
Yamaichi Electronics **
YE Data
Yokowo Co., Ltd.
Zoran Corporation **
Nostalgic Memories:
Just two days ago, I attended a meeting at SESAC with Lucent
technologies/Bell Labs, which was called to order by none other than Phil
Ramone. At the meeting, Lucent did blind A-B playbacks of their new
software encoder-playback technology (EPAC), compared to CD playback of
the same music. This type of technology has many applications, such as
making music files available on the internet for sale or retreival. There
is NO doubt that, very soon we will all be buying and selling music this
way. (Everything from pop hits to music libraries. Think: the audio
equivalent of Amazon.com) EPAC is truly outstanding. Undistinguishable
from the CD playback, in my view. Some of the attendees actually preferred
the decoded EPAC sound.
Then, we heard MP3 playback, a competing technology. Ouch! Sounds to me
like a super-compressed, flanging audio cassette. Truly awful, to the ears
of everyone at the meeting. But, we feared, potentially quite acceptable
to many lower-end consumers, AND ... there is no doubt that MP3 has gotten
out of the gate first. It is already in use.
Hey, it's Beta vs. VHS all over again. Damn it, DON'T SETTLE! Do whatever
you can to give Lucent/Bell the support they deserve for this outstanding
work. Do not let MP3 become the crappy little de facto standard (in my
opinion) it will surely become, if we sit around and let it. Please -- we
owe it to ourselves to take a stand for the quality that we all slave so
hard to create.
And furthermore: Lucent is implementing watermarking/encoding technology
-- in tandem with the sound technology -- which is designed not only to
help us create and claim our ASCAP/BMI/SESAC rights, but will ALSO prevent
consumer-level recopying of our music. This, too, was demonstrated for
us. It's nice to know, for a change, that a big important company like
Lucent (with 2000 PhD's and 10 Nobel Prize winners) has taken the effort
-- from the beginning, and without prompting -- to hold our interests as
dearly as their own.
As Phil Ramone warned, the implications are sweeping, regarding both
quality and copyright protection. We are witnessing our livelihoods and
professions at the crossroads. In the meanwhile, it's my understanding
that MP3 is already being used in unauthorized copying situations that
composers are unable to prevent.
Could the choice be more clear?
But don't take my word for it. Make it your business (actually, it already
is) to hear EPAC for yourself. For more information, contact:
Joyce Eastman
Manager=F3New Ventures Group
Bell Labs
480 Redhill Road
Atrium
Middletown, NJ 07748
jeastman@lucent.com
posted Jan. '99- NOT BY ME
Repost: DSP helps digital-audio players rock on, and on...
Internet audio products are getting smaller and less expensive by the day. While storage concerns still dissuade some from opening up their wallets, the ability to get more than a mere few hours' of playing time might pull the rope in the other direction.
With this in mind, Texas Instruments has just released a fourth-generation DSP (digital signal processor) and analog-based solution, the TMS320DA250, for the mobile digital audio market. Among the improved features, the platform carries the ability to support a wide array of memory devices, including SD Cards, Memory Sticks, CompactFlash cards, MultiMedia Cards, hard disks, Dataplay discs, Clik! devices, and CD-ROMs.
And in order to enable smaller, more compact devices, TI has embedded a dual multiply-and-accumulate chip (MAC) and USB capabilities in the design, eliminating the need for separate chips, which can take up valuable space on the board and make end-user devices large and cumbersome.
The DSP's uniprocessor design, TI codec, power amplifier, and battery manager make up a package that reduces battery consumption by up to 70 percent, compared with most other devices on the market, according to TI spokesperson Chris Schairbaum. What's more, the technology is futureproof, thanks to an ability to learn new music formats through field upgrades. Users will be able to visit a Web site to download sample audio tracks in new formats. The DSP will be able to read the new formats and then integrate them into its knowledge bank. Though the initial download may take several minutes, future downloads of similarly formatted music will be seamless and quick.
But perhaps of greatest interest are the DA250's energy-saving characteristics. Based upon TI's TMS320C55x DSP core, the DA250 cuts off power to functions when they are not in use--such as volume control or fast forward/rewind buttons. This contributes to playing time of up to 70 hours from only 2 AA batteries, Schairbaum says. TI plans to start building the DA250 in 0.17-micron semiconductor process, but then move to 0.10 microns in late 2001, which should reduce power requirements by another 50 percent.
With its DSPs already finding wide use in products from RCA/Thomson, Sony, Sanyo, Toshiba, Samsung, and LG Electronics, TI hopes the DA250 will prove to be an inviting option for audio-device manufacturers. The company bills the processor as forward compatible, leaving the door wide open for future product development. "Moving forward, we can now start to design devices that use music videos, and download Web broadcasts and graphics," Shairbaum says. "[That's] one of the main things our customers are excited about when they talk about this chip."
=======================
i figure we are in RCA; wonder if edig will ever make it in sony, sanyo, or LGE
OT: Tin-thought you'd find this interesting:
http://www.hanford.gov/empr/jul00/section-c2.pdf
''· 300 Area Accelerated Closure Plan team has been formed with Fluor Hanford, Bechtel
Hanford, Inc. and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory participating. The planning effort is
on schedule to support a June 29, 2000 transmittal date to RL.
· River Corridor Project (RCP) contributed to a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
(PNNL)-sponsored technical review on deactivation and decommissioning with two senior
members from the WAK Facility located in Karlsruhe, Germany on June 8, 2000. As part of a
Hanford site tour, RCP provided an overview presentation on the 324 Deactivation Project,
followed by a facility tour. A presentation was also given in the deactivation progress and
challenges at the Karlsruhe facility.
· In collaboration with Bechtel Hanford, Inc. (BHI), plans are being developed to demonstrate
the use of a 3-D GAMMA camera in the 324 and/or 327 buildings in late June.
· RCP participated in a demonstration of wearable computers developed by a German based
company called Xybernaut. The Xybernaut systems provide miniaturized, voice-activated
audio/visual for improving field productivity and safety. The systems allow for mobile access to
databases of manuals, procedures, drawings, video training, and numerous other applications.''
June 3, 1999 Niagara Mohawk Nuclear Power Selects Xybernaut(R) Wearable PC; Wearable PC Saves Time and Money in Inspections.
FAIRFAX, Va., June 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Xybernaut Corporation (Nasdaq: XYBR), the leader in wearable computing, today announced that the Xybernaut Mobile Assistant(R)(MA IV(TM)) wearable PC has been chosen by Niagara Mohawk, a subsidiary of Niagara Mohawk Holdings Inc. (NYSE: NMK), for a pilot program in the Nuclear Power Utility Group to improve the responsiveness and productivity of inspections.
"It is my belief that the time savings expected to result from the MA IV will create considerable productivity gains and cost savings when compared to the manual methods currently performed," said James Poindexter, Unit 2 Operations, Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, Niagara Mohawk. "This application for the MA IV is just the 'tip of the iceberg.' I project a multitude of additional applications for the MA IV, and my goal is to establish this wearable system as a productivity tool for the other departments at Nine Mile Point."
"The adoption of Xybernaut's wearable computer system by Niagara Mohawk will provide a model for other utility companies, which are monitoring the Niagara Mohawk pilot program," said Edward G. Newman, President and CEO of Xybernaut Corporation. "The MA IV is an ideal platform for inspectors to instantly capture and analyze data, then communicate the findings of this analysis while keeping their hands on test probes, measurement tools and the like. Using the MA IV will allow a critical problem to be identified on the spot and repair crews to be instantly notified. We are thrilled to be a part of this progressive approach to nuclear plant inspection, safety and security."
Xybernaut Corporation is working to have the MA IV certified for use with all nuclear power utilities and to provide the industry with wearable computer systems and engineering support services worldwide. Xybernaut's Professional Services Group is supporting the Mohawk evaluation by providing software for the man/machine evaluation.
The MA IV(TM) is now available and being shipped to end users worldwide. It is a full-function Pentium 233 Mhz belt-worn computer, with up to 128 MB of SDRAM, a 4.3 GB hard drive, two PC card slots, a color VGA head-mounted display suspended in front of either eye with microphone and earphone or an optional wrist-mounted VGA flat panel touch screen color display, a miniature keyboard, a battery pack, and integrated voice-recognition software. With U.S. base pricing below $5,000, wearable PCs are now attractive to those organizations seeking to take advantage of the increased productivity of wearable PCs compared with other computing platforms, and for many applications where computers have never been used before.
About Niagara Mohawk:
Niagara Mohawk, a subsidiary of Niagara Mohawk Holdings Inc. (NYSE: NMK), is a regulated energy delivery company with the largest service territory in New York State. The company serves more than 1.5 million electricity customers and more than 540,000 natural gas customers across 24,000 square miles.
About Xybernaut Corporation:
Xybernaut Corporation is the leader in providing hardware, software and service solutions to the wearable computing industry. The Company's patented wearable computer allows users hands-free access to information in the computer's internal storage, in local area networks and on the Internet on an as-needed, where-needed basis. Xybernaut's software is designed to provide users with the right information needed for the task at hand using consistent navigation techniques and screen presentations. Xybernaut's current customers include leading Fortune 500 companies and government organizations for many mobile knowledge delivery system applications, including installation, maintenance and repair, diagnosis, inspection, inventory control, manufacturing and data collection. Key industries using Xybernaut products include manufacturing, distribution, transportation, government, and insurance. Headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, Xybernaut has offices and subsidiaries in Europe (Germany) and Asia (Japan).
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). In particular, when used in the preceding discussion, the words "plan," "confident that," "believe," "expect," or "intend to," and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Act and are subject to the safe harbor created by the Act. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and actual results could differ materially from those expressed in any of the forward- looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, market conditions, the availability of components and production of the Mobile Assistant, general acceptance of the Company's products and technologies, competitive factors, the ability to successfully complete additional financings and other risks described in the Company's SEC reports and filings.
Visit Xybernaut's Web Site at http://www.xybernaut.com
RealNetworks Finds Another Place to Play with Intel
By Clint Boulton
RealNetworks Inc. Wednesday scored another endorsement of its seemingly omnipresent RealPlayer as chipmaker Intel Corp. agreed to make it the player of choice in its Web appliance.
Like most Web appliances, Intel's Dot.Station is geared to allow consumers to surf the Web or send e-mails without having to park in front of a largely immobile PC. Dot.Station will be primarily sold through service providers.
RealNetworks, which boasts more than 190 million users of its RealPlayer, said its multimedia tool is often the player of choice because consumer device manufacturers can deliver VHS-quality video and CD-quality audio to users at broadband rates.
"Consumer Web appliances represent a new market segment opportunity and we are excited to be working with Intel," Len Jordan, senior vice president, Consumer devices, RealNetworks Inc. "This partnership gives people more ways to experience their favorite Internet audio and video from nearly any room in their home."
Perhaps, but one ought not to turn a blind eye to the fact that Web appliances aren't doing all that hot for some companies. 3Com Corp. bailed on its Audrey product and Kerbango radio in March, and doomed Netpliance coughed up its i-opener product months ago.
Still, Intel is optimistic and said that Dot.Station was created for people who do not own PCs.
"Though new to the Internet, such novice users still want to see and hear the rich media content the Web has to offer," claimed Claude Leglise, vice president, New Business Group and general manager of Intel's Home Products Group.
Success of such appliances remains to be seen, and research firm Cahners In-Stat Group recently said the market will heat up over the next several years with sales growing over 40 percent per year between 2000 and 2005. Also, Cahners claims Intel has an advantage as a chipmaker because it estimates sales of Net appliance microprocessors will jump from $18 million in 2000 to $91 million in 2005.
RealNetworks is in a can't lose situation by putting its player in Dot.Station. Jupiter Media Metrix released a study Monday in which it found standalone media players -- the software that play digital audio or video -- increased 33.2 percent, from 31.3 million in January 2000 to 41.7 million in January 2001.
The research firm said boosts in bandwidth are catalysts for this increase.
"While aggressive bundling campaigns have long since pushed ownership of multimedia players to nearly 100 percent, usage over the past year has been driven by the increasing quality of the user experience," said Steve Coffey, executive vice president and chief development officer, Media Metrix, a Jupiter Media Metrix unit. "Greater connection speeds, more efficient content delivery, as well as better and more content are among the key factors that will continue to move this trend forward."
Moreover, RealNetworks is still the media player market share leader over rival players Microsoft (Windows Media Player) and Apple (Quicktime). The research showed that RealNetworks widened its lead among home users through RealPlayer, as well as its RealJukeBox audio-file player. In January 2001, 25.9 million U.S. Internet users at home used a RealNetworks player, up 47.6 percent from January 2000. Microsoft was next with 21.5 million users, a 31.2 percent increase.
RealNetworks and Intel are both fresh off of impacting the Net industry. The digital distribution company Monday outlined a plan for a music subscription service, which has since been widely debated. Intel Tuesday aired a philanthropic initiative to help search for a cure for cancer using the wonders of supercomputing, or peer-to-peer (P2P) technology, as the current buzz phrase goes today.
InternetNews - Streaming Media News Archives
WB to Promote Shows With Gizmoz
By Christopher Saunders
The WB Television Network has a new toy for promoting its shows among its key teen/young adult demographic: viral marketing and desktop applications, courtesy of New York-based Gizmoz, Inc.
Gizmoz makes an program that displays streaming video and sound, animation and text. Because the Gizmo is a so-called "thin app" -- a small shell of a program that contains remotely updated content, it's small enough to be downloaded quickly or e-mailed to friends. In fact, that's what Gizmoz, which focuses on the entertainment industry, hopes to encourage by adding "Mail to a Friend" buttons. The Gizmo application can also be posted on users' personal home pages.
Through its work for The WB, Gizmoz will produce "The WB Insider" Gizmo. The program will contain daily news and behind-the-scenes information about The WB's shows, characters and stars, as well as program lineups, trailers for upcoming shows, and links to TheWB.com.
Additionally, the product will feature a daily giveaway with prizes that include electronics, fashion and accessory items, CDs, home videos and exclusive items autographed by The WB's stars. While it seems unlikely to broaden the network's demographic, the idea is that existing fans of "Dawson's Creek" and "Felicity" will use their Gizmos daily to get the scoop on the programs, which will encourage them to tune in to the network and potentially view other shows. In fact, the network is already releasing details about and beginning to market its upcoming Fall 2001 season.
"Gizmoz are an incredibly exciting new technology," said Nancie Martin, who is senior vice president for new media at the network. "We believe Gizmoz's viral capabilities and continual outreach are powerful ways to reach our core audience of teens and young adults, who are quick to adopt new concepts. Gizmoz also make it easy to remind viewers of our programming schedule, and are a terrific way to implement our 'Everyday Giveaway.'"
It's the first time that Gizmoz has been tapped by a television network; previously, the company's efforts have focused on promoting upcoming music and movie releases, like the new album by Artemis Records' Kittie and Sony Pictures' "Joe Dirt".
"We believe that The WB Insider Gizmo will be a tremendously successful part of their marketing effort," said Gizmoz co-founder and chief executive Eyal Gever. "I know that the network and its online division will see a great benefit, as the Gizmo will allow them to foster a real sense of community with their fans. I'm sure they will see tremendous viral growth of their Gizmo campaign, as they have an audience of fans who are passionate about their network."
packetvideo and portalplayer included in ten private digital media companies judged most likely to succeed
Technologic Partners announced the ten private digital media companies judged most likely to succeed at its Digital Media Outlook conference held here this week. The selected companies were given the title Investors' Choice. Based on selections by an audience of about 300 leading investment and industry professionals, the ten winners were selected from among 48 invited companies whose CEOs presented their business plans.
``Despite the slowdown in the public markets, private venture-backed companies are creating innovative technologies and business models that deepen the role of rich media on the Internet and bring interactivity to television,'' said Richard A. Shaffer, principal of Technologic Partners.
In addition to voting by the audience, selection for the Investors' Choice award was based on recommendations from a panel of distinguished investors, which included Bill Frezza, general partner at Adams Capital Management; Doug Barry, general partner at Selby Venture Partners; John Corcoran, Internet/Digital New Media analyst at CIBC World Markets; and Lou Mazzucchelli, senior vice president at Gerard Klauer Mattison.
Here, in alphabetical order, are this year's Investors' Choice winners:
Anystream (www.anystream.com) provides enterprise-class products for encoding streaming media.
Context Media (www.contextmedia.com) provides products and services that wrap business rules around digital content for its protection and management.
eMotion (www.emotion.com) provides digital media management services and products.
Equator Technologies (www.equator.com) develops DSP chips for digital imaging and digital communications.
Omneon Video Networks (www.omneon.com) provides equipment for multiformat digital video networking and storage.
PacketVideo (www.pv.com) develops software for the delivery, management, and viewing of multimedia over wireless networks.
PortalPlayer (www.portalplayer.com) provides CE manufacturers with chips and software for non-PC digital audio recording and playback devices.
SkyStream Networks (www.skystream.com) sells networking products that enable the delivery of Internet video and audio over satellite and other existing broadcast networks.
Telecruz Technology (www.telecruz.com) provides low-cost software chips for the manufacture of televisions with interactive capability.
Vbrick Systems (www.vbrick.com) offers appliances for converting video into MPEG streams.
older post By: tubercle $$$
Reply To: 605793 by 3rdRail Saturday, 3 Feb 2001 at 4:01 PM EST
Post # of 654632
3rdRail is absolutely correct, no products to market YET. The operative word is YET, and then that's only with respect to music, although I understand the MP2000 may be selling in Asia. Who cares. That's why the price is in the $2 range. You people are all hung up on music, multicodec, TREO, etc. BFD. I admit that TREO revenues may result in some pop in the near term, but most of you discount the contribution that your company has already made. The CquenceMobile has been extremely well-received in the medical community. I understand that revenue to date has been limited, but please do not lose sight of EDIG's role in the voice-to-text/text-to-voice theater. Cquence's progeny will be huge and an Intel relationship, the likes of which most cannot fathom, will emerge in digital voice that will result in products to market and revenues which far eclipse that which can be expected from any handheld music players. I'm talking about products which will result in revolutionary and favorable changes to a variety of professions, including education. I'm not talking about entertainment. You will see. I may as well say it, KNOW WHAT YOU OWN.
Mobile multimedia revolution coming soon
By Michael Bartlett
April 04, 2001
The hackneyed phrase, ''the revolution will be televised,'' has been updated by Robert Tercek. Tercek, the president of applications and services at Packet Video, said the new version is, ''the revolution will be televised on your mobile device.''
Tercek is well known in Hollywood for establishing Sony Pictures Entertainment's online programming strategy and interactive TV production unit before moving to his present company. In his keynote addresses on the opening day of the IWireless World conference, Tercek told a gathering of wireless industry executives at the Beverly Hilton hotel that the evolution toward next-generation devices has already begun in Korea and Europe.
''Telecom will continue to grow quickly, despite the recent hiccups,'' he said. ''There has been a lot of talk about the 'next billion users,' and while that is a big number, many studies predict the growth will continue.''
Tercek quoted a recent study by IDC, a company that analyzes technology markets, that predicted 1 billion mobile phones will be in use by 2003, and 70 percent of those will have Internet access. There is plenty of room for growth, as he noted other studies that found 65 percent of the human population has never made a telephone call.
''Because it lacks a wired infrastructure, China soon will pass the United States to become the largest wireless consumer,'' Tercek predicted.
Step one of the evolutionary process Tercek foresees is a change in devices. ''I will make a radical proposition to you - that your next PC will be your mobile phone.'' He quickly added that this idea originally was put forth by technology guru George Gilder - 10 years ago. ''When Gilder first said it, no one could see how it could happen. Now, the advancements in technology have made it close enough to see.''
One reason Tercek believes the cellular phone will be an instrument of revolution is because cost of the handset traditionally has been subsidized by manufacturers or service providers to encourage consumers to pay for subscriber services. The price, he said, has continued to drop $30 per year, which helps fuel further growth.
Mobile phones soon will add TV qualities, Tercek continued. He said no one expects consumers to watch a two-hour movie or a four-hour sporting event on their cell phones, but video capability will add significantly to the value of the handset.
''The next-generation DSP (digital signal processor) in mobile devices will be very powerful,'' he said. ''Not only will these devices be able to play MPEG4 video, they will have many other capabilities, including voice command, which will allow users to talk to the phone, text-to-speech synthesis, where the phone will read your voice mail to you, GPS (global positioning system) navigation and directions, music and other audio, and two-dimensional and three-dimensional graphics.''
Other trends Tercek sees in hardware for mobile communication devices include flexible components, the addition of a camera that will let users take a picture and send it to their friends wirelessly, Bluetooth capability, and organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays that can be viewed in bright sunlight.
Tercek said he sees mobile phones today in the same position PCs were in the early 1990s. Back then, computers were considered tools for professionals to use for spreadsheets and word processing programs. ''Then multimedia PCs made the computer into game centers and a way to connect with the Internet. Phones will follow the same path,'' he said. ''Up until now, they have been seen as the tools of mobile professionals.''
The market with the greatest growth potential, according to Tercek, is with young people in America.
''Outside the U.S., there is a whole generation of kids who are used to doing things like sending short text messages with a wireless phone, not a desktop PC,'' he said.
Tercek said the Internet today is like a sprawling flea market. Trying to find one particular item at teeming bazaar with thousands of blankets spread out in a disorganized fashion is a bewildering experience, he said. ''In the future, business will take over part of the Internet and turn it into a content mall. There will be stores and items neatly packaged to separate people from their money.''
The future of telecom will be in the selling of ''service bundles,'' he said. These bundles will consist of the device, network access, messaging and content.
The company that is the best at the bundled service model is America Online , said Tercek, then comes Japan's NTT DoCoMo I-Mode. He said I-Mode was founded in February 1999 and grew so quickly it had 20 million subscribers by the end of 2000. ''It shows no signs of abating, and soon will pass AOL and become the largest,'' he said.
The key element for I-Mode is that it is geared towards young people and fun, which Tercek said sends a message about the future.
''DoCoMo thought people would use I-Mode mostly for shopping, but instead, they find that 55 percent of people use it for entertainment. DoCoMo has figured out that people want fun and ease of use.''
''In the days ahead, the wireless web principally will be about messaging,'' he added.
IWireless World continues through Wednesday.
More information on IWireless World is available on the Web at http://www.iwirelessworld.com .
Packet Video is online at http://www.pv.com .
The Samsung Mini-Phone and Television SCH-M220
Coming soon, Samsung's Mobile phone/TV skillfully combines two convenient features into a single, easy-to-use device. This flip-top mobile phone handset is equipped with a 1.8-inch high-resolution TFT-LCD (Thin Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Display). The SCH-M220 uses a high-performance antenna that receives both mobile phone and TV signals. The SCH-M220 is incredibly compact, as the internal telephone circuitry has been integrated as tightly as possible.
(LGE) will export a voice activated tri-mode wireless handset, "LG-TM510," to Verizon Wireless, the largest telecom operator in the United States.
.
"To begin with, we will supply 250,000 units to Verizon and then supply flip-type tri-mode products in the first half of this year and cdma2000-1x dual-folder handsets and cdma2000-1x smart phones loaded with Blue Tooth technology in the second half," said an LG
Platinum Equity Announces the Acquisition of Williams Communications Solutions
Business Editors
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 3, 2001--
Integration of Williams Communications Solutions and Milgo Solutions
Creates New Voice And Data Convergence Operations
Platinum Equity, a leader in acquiring and growing technology companies, announces today that is has completed the acquisition of Williams Communications Solutions (WCS).
Platinum is fulfilling its acquisition strategy to integrate WCS and Milgo Solutions, another Platinum Equity company and provider of mission-critical networking solutions. The integration creates an operation with clear market leadership in the deployment of converged voice and data solutions.
With headquarters in Houston, Texas, the combined companies will operate under the new name of Nextira. The Milgo office in Sunrise, Florida, will remain a critical component as a key solutions support center, as well as maintaining significant sales, marketing, and administrative functions.
With over $1.5 billion in combined year 2000 revenues and over 6,500 employees, the operation will deliver services and solutions to enterprises, equipment manufacturers, carriers and network service providers, and government agencies directly within North America and, via partnerships, throughout the world.
"This is a powerful combination of experience and capability," said Tom T. Gores, chairman and CEO, Platinum Equity.
"With its management team, partners, customers and employees, Nextira will lead the industry into the next generation of communications networking."
Drawing on the operational experiences of WCS and Milgo, Nextira will continue the legacy of delivering world-class solutions and life cycle services from planning and design, through the implementation, support, and management of voice, data, and converged communications networks.
It will also be a nation-wide service organization that carries an extensive portfolio of certifications and product expertise, and will provide best-in-class technologies from leading partners, such as Nortel Networks and Cisco Systems. Nextira will offer consultation and solutions development ranging from contact center applications to network infrastructure outsourcing.
"Nextira is built upon a solid foundation of quality and excellence, which supports our relentless pursuit of customer satisfaction. However, our own satisfaction is realized when our efforts contribute to our customers attaining their business objectives," said Bob Wentworth, president and CEO of Milgo Solutions, and the new president and CEO of Nextira.
Platinum Equity
Platinum Equity (www.peh.com) is one of the largest and fastest growing, private equity firms in the United States. Platinum is a multi-billion dollar organization specializing in the acquisition and operation of global, mission-critical technology companies. Based in Los Angeles, Platinum is a unique company recognized as a hybrid financial and strategic buyer with deep financial resources and broad operational expertise.
Due to their highly skilled executive management team, Platinum is able to stimulate and help drive the value of their portfolio companies. Since the company's founding in 1995, Platinum has acquired more than 25 technology-driven companies and several billion dollars of revenue from leading Fortune 500 Corporations including WorldCom, AT&T, Viacom, Dow Jones & Company and IBM.
Platinum has an established infrastructure in North America, Europe, Asia and South America and a workforce of more than 10,000 employees serving tens of thousands of customers throughout the world. All Platinum companies operate as stand-alone entities and are lead by their own management teams.
April 3 DoCoMo Chairman Urges Quicker 4G Mobile Development
By Michael Connor
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) - The chairman of NTT DoCoMo (news - web sites) Inc. (9437.T) on Tuesday said Japan's biggest mobile phone group would roll out high-speed, 3G services on time and wanted to step up development of even more advanced services.
DoCoMo Chairman Kouji Ohboshi told a forum sponsored by consultancy Accenture that DoCoMo was going ahead as scheduled with its third generation, or 3G, mobile services next month, even as the industry grapples with technical glitches.
Ohboshi also said DoCoMo, which is well known for its popular i-mode mobile Internet access service in Japan, wanted to develop even faster, richer services called fourth generation, or 4G, services, much sooner than the current target of 2010.
``In my personal view, I would like to introduce fourth generation about 2007,'' the chairman said in a speech, adding that data deliveries in 4G would be much faster and richer than the 3G services that have yet to hit markets.
3G mobile services have so far proven elusive for the world's big mobile telecoms groups, which have paid tens of billions of dollars to governments for licenses to airwaves spectrum in hopes of selling text messaging, phone shopping and other advanced wireless services. But disputes over spectrum allocations in the United States and worries that equipment manufacturers may not be able to quickly provide the needed technology have slowed the introduction of promised 3G services, such as CD-quality digital music deliveries.
Some analysts have warned that technology glitches may delay worldwide 3G offerings for three years.
Last month, Japan Telecom (9434.T), a leading rival of NTT DoCoMo, said it was pushing back by six months to July 2002 its first 3G services, partly because more testing was required.
Investors, skeptical about 3G, have knocked 60 percent off the value of European wireless companies in the past year amid fears that the companies wildly overspent on spectrum whose potential has not been fully tapped.
Some analysts have said alternative wireless devices now available, such as personal digital assistants and laptop computers linked to local area networks, may blunt the appeal of 3G by offering wireless Internet access.
DoCoMo, a spinoff of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (9432.T) which now accounts for more than 50 percent of Japan's mobile telephone market, has spent $15.5 billion investing in overseas companies, such as the U.S.'s AT&T Wireless (NYSE:AWE - news), with an eye to claiming worldwide leadership in 3G services.
Apr 3, 2001 HP, MS agree to tone down wireless claims
Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) and Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HWP) agreed to stop claims that Pocket PCs come with ``built in'' wireless Internet access in order to avoid charges of deceptive advertising, the Federal Trade Commission said on Tuesday.
In a proposed settlement with the agency, the two companies pledged to stop ``misrepresenting'' that their handheld computers ''came with built-in wireless access to the Internet and e-mail at any time and from anywhere,'' the FTC said.
A joint Microsoft-HP advertising campaign made the claim, the agency said, without mentioning that Pocket PC users must first buy additional equipment, such as a modem. --Reuters
PSION REVIEW EBook 2.2
Reviewer: Brian Higgs
Posted: 4/3/01
http://www.geek.com/hwswrev/psion/ebook/index.htm
At A Glance
Description Excellent etext reader for the Psion with the ability to read a variety of formats, including TCR, .txt, Psion Word, and Aportis doc files, both prc and pdb.
Highlights Can read almost any type of text file there is, especially for the Palm and Psion handhelds; very fast in displaying new pages, forwards or backwards, even with larger documents; scroll bar navigation, auto scroll, bookmarks management, and copy file to clipboard capability
Lowlights Does not highlight a found word or phrase--you have to search the displayed screen for the searched item; display choices are only Horizontal and Vertical, with no option to change the vertical from right to left
Manufacturer Simon Quinn
Location http://www.geocities.com/ebookepoc/
Size The EBook folder takes approximately 94 KB of disk space and the program approximately 110 KB of system memory when running.
Price 10 UK pounds
Installation
Installation was, as always, straightforward and flawless. Copy the Zip file to the Psion, unzip it, and run the .sis file. Of course, you can use either the Mac or the PC, with the appropriate software, to install the unzipped .sis file for you, right from your respective desktop. An icon appears in the Extras bar--just click on it and away you go.
Running the program
EBook comes with an EPOC recognizer (on ER5 machines). Because of this, files that have the appropriate extension(s) will show up with the EBook icon and can be double-tapped or started with the Return key. EBook can also be started from the Extras menu or you can go directly to the Sys/Apps/Ebook folder and start it from there. If it is the first time you have used EBook then it will ask you to navigate to the file you wish to open.
New to this particular version is the option of choosing from one of the last 5 files that EBook has recently opened. This is nice because you typically have a couple of files that you may want to go back and forth between and now you do not have to navigate with the Open browser to find them. You can do it nice and quick from within the program itself.
Tools menu with Autoscroll
Once opened you can move through the file by way of the scroll bar, which gives you a visual idea of how far into the document you are. You can also use the arrow keys to move one line at a time or hit the Return key or the space bar to move a page at a time. Another way to move a page at a time is to touch either the last or the first 25% of the screen. And last but not least there is auto scrolling. In the General Preferences menu you can choose a time interval at which the program will scroll the text all by itself--you never have to touch a thing, just keep on reading. Your choices, in terms of time, are from 1 second to 10 seconds before the program moves the text down a line. This is a very nice hands-free feature that I have used many a time while eating, not wanting to touch the computer at all while I was doing so.
Vertical mode
(all pictures are courtesy of Simon Quinn's www.geocities.com/ebookepoc/ site)
The other nice thing I like about EBook is the ability to view the text in vertical mode. With the physical shape of the Revo being what it is, it fits my hand perfectly and is just like reading a small novel. The very first version of this program did not have this capability but it is nice to know that Simon is upgrading this program all the time and making it better with each new version.
The other feature that I have used is the copy and paste feature. It allows you to extract all or some of a document and paste it into a format or save it into a format that you can then print or save to your desktop, where you can edit and/or print.
Not that I am encouraging any level of copyright infringement, but there were times when I found a document in one of the Palm or Psion formats and wanted to print it out for myself so I could have a copy of it for future reference. However, I couldn't do it because the files were compressed and the readers did not and still do not have the ability to print from within themselves. EBook's copy and paste feature gets us around this.
Bookmarks window
A nice way to keep track of where you are or want to go to in a document is to use bookmarks. EBook looks for any bookmarks when the file is opened and allows you to set bookmarks for your own use. The help file says that a maximum of 80 bookmarks is available to the user. This should satisfy most of us.
When reading a doc made especially for the Psion, like Handheldcrime editions, you can jump to the various chapters by viewing the bookmark window and choosing the chapter you want to read. Of course, you can also bookmark particular passages yourself for future reference.
Unless you stipulate otherwise the program will save your place in the document when you quit out of it so that you may pick up right where you left off. Not having to remember where you were and then manually scroll down and find the place where you last stopped reading is very nice.
The ability to find words or phrases is quite a handy thing to have, especially if you are looking for something in particular and it is in a rather large document. EBook can do this with relative ease, forwards or backwards. It just does not highlight the serched item for you on the displayed page--you have to look for the word or phrase yourself. If it were to highlight the searched item that would speed things up a bit.
Rating Defense
For Quality, I give Simon Quinn's EBook (version 2.2) 5 Geekheads. I would have to say that this is one of the "must have programs" that anyone should consider having on his or her Psion. The quality is outstanding and the technological advances Simon is slowly adding will only make this a stronger and even more useful application. There is little or nothing wrong with the newest version of EBook. If you bear in mind that Simon has released a number of versions of this program in the last year alone, it stands to reason that it will only get better with time. My favorite parts were that it:
runs very fast, displaying new pages as fast as I could look up to the top of the page.
remembers where I was and displays paragraphing properly.
never corrupts the document and has the capability to display fonts other than EPOC ones, even from other languages.
As for Geekness, I give EBook 4 Geekheads. I think that the ability to read compressed and non-compressed text files for both Psion and Palm platforms is a major accomplishment. It is backwards-compatible with the .tcr file extension, which was used on the Series 3 Psions, thus opening up a vast array of ebooks for us to read. What with its many options and preferences, EBook is a major bit of work technically speaking.
Simon Quinn's EBook v2.2 gets a Geek.com Pick.
Boom Predicted For Speech-Recognition Software
(04/03/01, 7:50 p.m. ET) By Antone Gonsalves, InformationWeek
The speech-recognition software market is projected to increase more than tenfold over the next four years, driven by the return on investment in making enterprise applications and telecom services available through cellular phones.
Cahners In-Stat Group expects the market to grow from $200 million today to $2.7 billion by 2005. The market research firm says speech-recognition software can save companies money by decreasing the number of people needed to interact with customers or employees by phone.
An example would be a call center.
"The call-center market is just going up and up and up, and it's really a no-brainer for many applications to replace agent functionalities with speech recognition," said Cahners analyst Brian Strachman.
The use of speech recognition will grow fastest among wireless telecom companies and businesses makingtheir intranets voice accessible, he said.
For example, a cellular phone customer or a sales representative could call in and ask that stock and product prices, respectively, be sent to their phone or PDA.
The potential savings of adding efficient delivery of services without adding workers should drive the speech-recognition market, with the greatest revenue going to companies with large subscriber bases, such as AOL Time Warner Inc. (stock: AOL) or Yahoo Inc. (stock: YHOO).
"For any kind of portal, they have to sell it to an existing subscriber base," Strachman said, adding that he believes it would be difficult for a startup to attract enough customers through voice-accessible services.
Speech-recognition software companies such as Nuance Communications Inc. (stock: NUAN), SpeechWorks International Inc. (stock: SPWX), and Lernout and Hauspie have benefited from the availability of greater computer processing power and advancements in the technology.
"Speech recognition has been around for a while, but it's just now starting to work the way it's suppose to," Strachman said. "And I'm talking about telecom-based speech recognition."
Cahners drew its conclusion based on polling vendors and on growth projections for markets that would benefit most by adopting more speech-recognition applications.
Post-Napster: Technology Will Tell The Tale
(04/03/01, 8:07 p.m. ET) By Mary Mosquera, InternetWeek
Now the hard work begins.
The courts may have told Napster Inc. to go straight. So now the challenge is getting a technologically simple online music service launched that protects copyrights, supports a business model, and gives consumers all the music they want.
Advances in technology and the will of businesses to overcome the complexities of delivering music legally over the Internet will be the key solutions to break the logjam of litigation and distrust, Internet and music providers told lawmakers on Tuesday.
The principal characters in the Internet music cauldron told the Senate Judiciary Committee in a standing-room only crowd that they were doing their part to advance a viable Internet music model.
But the representatives of Napster, the recording industry, technology service Liquid Audio, artists Alanis Morissette and Don Henley, and AOL Time Warner Inc. (stock: AOL) each said the others had to do more to break the logjam.
Downloading music from the Internet is more than an issue of protecting a recording company's catalog of songs, said Senate Judiciary Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).
It also entails evolving digital management rights technology, fair use rights for consumers, compensation for artists, competition, and security for copyrighted materials, he said.
Sen. Hatch Hopeful Congress Can Avoid Compulsory Music Licensing
by Greg Pastrick and Dave Brigham
After a four-hour hearing on online entertainment today featuring testimony from entertainment industry executives, technology companies and artists, Sen. Orrin Hatch said he hopes Congress won't need to mandate compulsory licensing for online music.
"I don't know that we can do without [compulsory licensing], but I hope that we can," Hatch (R-Utah) said. Representatives from the Recording Industry Association of America, the Motion Picture Association of America, AOL Time Warner, Napster, Liquid Audio and the Recording Artists Coalition, among others, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Hatch chairs [see 04.02.01 Stage Set for D.C. Hearing on State of Digital Downloading].
The committee members were trying to assess how much progress has been made in online music licensing since the committee held a hearing last July, and whether Congress needs to get involved.
Napster interim CEO Hank Barry pressed Congress to take action. "I believe it will take an act of Congress -- a change to the laws to provide a compulsory license for the transmission of music over the Internet," Barry said. "The Internet needs a simple and comprehensive solution, similar to the one that allowed radio to succeed -- not another decade of litigation."
RIAA President and CEO Hilary Rosen assured the committee that they needn't get involved in licensing procedures. "I have no doubt of the intensity of the effort currently being made and the determination [by labels] to be successful. The marketplace is working and we do not need additional legislation to assure progress."
The RIAA today issued a list of dozens of web sites where it says "licensed digital music can be found." The list includes high profile sites such as AOLMusic.com and ArtistDirect.com, as well as lesser-known sites including IChooseTV.com and Vidnet.com
As the public face of the music industry's lawsuit against Napster, Rosen pointed out that "the only reason Hank Barry's got all the music is because he doesn't license it."
MPAA Chairman and CEO Jack Valenti stressed several times that "creative property is private property," and encouraged the committee members to "stand guard" on existing copyright laws.
Don Henley, best known as a founding member of '70s rock giants the Eagles, was critical of the RIAA's attitudes toward artists. Testifying as a representative of advocacy group the Recording Artists Coalition, Henley stressed that artists need lobbying representation in Washington, D.C., because the RIAA does not speak for them. "Artists today are simply asking for a place at the table," Henley said.
Henley advocated for fair licensing, but said that compulsory licenses should be considered only as a last resort. He prefers digital performance royalties be paid directly to artists from online companies using music. He and singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette agreed that artists should be compensated for music licensed for interactive services, reversing the precedent set by terrestrial radio, where artists don't get paid for play.
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) asked those testifying why there isn't a digital equivalent of Tower Records online. AOL Time Warner Co-COO Richard Parsons said that AOL's new agreement with RealNetworks, EMI Recorded Music and Bertelsmann to develop and license a digital music platform fits the bill [see 04.02.01 RealNetworks to Launch Subscription Platform with Labels].
Called MusicNet, the four companies' joint venture will combine downloadable and streaming music with digital distribution technology developed by RealNetworks. Parsons said MusicNet licensees receive the full complement of digital rights alongside content from three of the major label groups.
Hatch has been critical of the major labels for failing to license their music to online businesses. Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment are developing a MusicNet competitor called Duet. Although MusicNet and Duet are examples of the majors' plans to license music for online distribution, they are also examples of the majors licensing music to each other.
EMI Recorded Music CEO Ken Berry said his label group would consider licensing music to Napster. "We await the outcome of the new commercial model before we'll sign a license," Berry said. Napster and Bertelsmann hope to release a commercial version of Napster's service this summer, offering compensation to artists and labels.
EMI is in merger talks with Bertelsmann's BMG Entertainment.
Liquid Audio develops software with which record labels and artists may sell downloadable music. Company CEO Gerry Kearby, however, told the committee that he doesn't blame consumers for pursuing pirated music on the Internet. "Napster has proven there is a market," Kearby said. "Now the rest of us must work collaboratively to compete."
Hatch said he believes Napster is trying hard to comply with the recording industry's requests to filter infringing material out of its system.
While it's unclear whether the committee could decide to introduce legislation to the Senate, it wouldn't be without precedent. In his statement, Leahy issued a laundry list of bills that he and Hatch have successfully passed through the Senate, ranging from the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act and the Satellite Home Viewers Improvements Act to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the Copyright Term Extension Act