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LifeFX puts a digital face on the Internet
Michael Bartlett / NB
CALIFORNIA, 25 Jan: "Rachel" talks, smiles, winks, pouts and can read from a script, but she is not an actress. She is a digital stand-in created by LifeFX to put a face on e-mail or websites.
At this week's Upside Events Showcase, LifeFX announced a licensing agreement with IBM Corp under which Big Blue's ViaVoice text-to-speech engine will embedded in LifeFX's player software.
Mr Steve Ardire, senior vice-president of business development and sales for LifeFX, said people who want to add a new element to their e-mail, or companies that would like a face to greet visitors to their website, can download the player from the LifeFX site for free.
"For those who are familiar with Flash, we call our player Flash with flesh," Mr Ardire said. "It brings a degree of humanity to the Web."
LifeFX has six stand-ins available today that will read outgoing or incoming e-mail messages through a computer-synthesized voice, Ardire said. LifeFX calls the result "Facemail." In spring 2001, the company will enable people to record their own voice and have the stand-in speak for them, Mr Ardire said.
"In the first quarter of 2002, we will have a LifeFX service bureau. People can send us one photo of themselves, eyes open, facing the camera, and we will create a stand-in with their face that will be able to display a wide variety of expressions," he declared.
Ardire said people could create "living memories" with their face and voice for future generations to remember how "grandma and grandpa" met. He said the technology also has business potential, as companies can create virtual customer care representatives and Web guides.
"We are trying to make the Internet more personal. Stand-ins are lifelike, dynamic online personalities that create emotional bonds with users," he said. "Fifty percent of communication is non-verbal, and most of that is by use of expressions. We think stand-ins that talk and show emotions will help companies build customer retention and loyalty."
Ardire emphasized that the stand-ins are digital renderings, not video clips. "Video is passive. The stand-ins are interactive. They will read a script or a chat session and will display whatever emotion they are told." More information on LifeFX is available on the Web at http://www.lifefx.com .
REPOST: PART THREE--The magician's underwear has just been found in a cardboard suitcase floating in a stagnant pond on the outskirts of miami.
Son, I saw what you and Jennifer were doing in the back of the Suburban. I definitely think it is time that you and I had THE TALK. Yes, I have lots to tell you about the subject of telematics.
Telematics Overview
"Telematics" in its broad sense is the combining of computers and telecommunications, rather than the more recent connotation of "automotive telematics." For our purposes, I will examine the more limited connotation, that is the use of wireless communications to extend voice, data and Internet services into vehicles.
Telematics refers to the consumer products, services and supporting systems that deliver information, communications and entertainment to in-vehicle and mobile devices. The nuts and bolts of telematics are straightforward. Integrate one of the current location-based technologies (satellite- or network-based){GPS} with a wireless communications system. Combine these technologies with a call-center response operation that can match latitude-longitude readings with various informational databases (i.e. emergency response agencies, roadside assistance providers, hotels, restaurants, etc.).
Such technology offers many safety-enhancing solutions. Safety is the one thing that must be designed into all Telematics products. Any product intended for use by drivers while the vehicle is moving should not require drivers to take their eyes off the road, or provide additional distractions beyond those already present in the vehicle. For this reason, speech recognition is very important.
Telematic Applications
Telematics first began as an embedded, in-vehicle electronic systems used for improving safety. Telematic devices would provide, among other applications, navigation information, linkups to service companies for roadside assistance, protection against theft, and wireless Internet connections for accessing email. Some of the first uses of telematics included:
1]Automatic emergency call and response upon airbag deployment.
2]Driving directions, based on a driver's current location.
3]Roadside assistance that pinpoints the disabled vehicle.
4]Remote control of vehicle's electrical functions.
Lock or unlock doors.
5]Stolen vehicle tracking.
6]Readily available customer assistance.
These were the first telematics applications which began appearing a few years ago in some models. The Lincoln Rescu was the first automotive telematics system developed in 1995 in partnership with Ford Motor Company, Motorola, and ATX Technolgies. In addition to the Lincoln Rescu, other auto manufacturers developed similar systems such as the BMW Mayday, Mercedes Benz TeleAid, General Motors OnStar, the Jaguar Assist, and the Infiniti Communicator. However, the common denominator was that each of them was essentially the same system designed by Motorola.
"The operating system is going to be transparent, you're going to buy your car based on the applications," said Tom Houy, manager for client systems marketing at IBM's [IBM] Voice Systems division. Automotive makers, whether Cadillac [GM] or Hyundai, are most concerned with safety, security and potential applications that will diagnose car problems, Houy said. For that reason, IBM is developing a telematics voice system that will allow users to retrieve data using vocal commands while they concentrate on driving.
"Voice is probably going to be the most chosen way to enter data and get information out of the system," Houy said. "To look at information, you have to get away from driving. That's why voice will be critical." IBM's voice-integration system, which is still under development, will combine location-based and personalized applications, such as access to weather forecasts and stock quotes and to e-mail capability, with car maintenance information and emergency roadside service.
Many consumers spend hours each week stuck in traffic, telematics will become more important over the next few years. Especially since work and home are slowly integrating, thanks to technology. Playing on the inevitable human thrust toward that integration, Intel [INTC] and Motorola [MOT] are fine-tuning their telematics products to cater to that reality. "The car up to this point has really been an island," said Brian Gratch, Motorola's director of marketing for in-vehicle communications. "Telematics is really emerging at its core as a security and safety issue, and it's really evolving to information and entertainment feature."
Motorola's Role in Telematics
Telematics is more than combining wireless communications and GPS location technology. It requires the skill to integrate automotive equipment standards, server support, a wide variety of content, live customer support and more -- and deliver them in a way that's relevant to drivers.
The global automobile manufacturers needed a large reliable company with experience in communications, electronics and computing. Motorola had such experience and has taken a leadership position in Telematics, capitalizing on expertise across key platforms: automotive electronics, wireless communications, computing and networking.
As a result, Motorola has provided automotive solutions to most of the world's leading auto manufacturers. Motorola is one of few companies with access to the proprietary vehicle data bus within many auto manufacturers' carlines, making it the fitting choice for developing on-board computing solutions across all makes and models. In recent years, combining its automotive insights with cellular technology and global positioning systems has allowed Motorola to develop Telematics systems for today’s cars. At the same time, Motorola has formed alliances with a broad array of technology and content providers to continue to develop further telematics applications and solutions for the networked car of the future.
Such future Telematics applications include:
Synchronizes with Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) devices to allow out-of-office information downloads.
Enhanced service center and network supports "car meetings" and other tasks.
Incorporation of real-time traffic information to enhance navigation effectiveness.
Remote vehicle diagnostics.
Development of "Personal Area Network," allowing seamless integration of car with other communication and computing platforms.
Automatic handoff between hands-free car phone and portable handset.
Wireless updates of all calendars, contact lists, etc.
Synchronization with local merchants and service providers for information "push" and e-commerce.
Secure access to private data networks, including office e-mail systems.
Customized information and entertainment on demand.
News, financials, weather and sports.
Audio books.
Music and games.
Voice-activated Web searches and information retrieval, plus e-commerce capabilities.
Over-the-air reprogramming of on-board computer.
You can find a few future telematics scenarios at this Motorola webpage:
http://www.motorola.com/ies/telematics/html/indextf.html
Motorola- beyond Safety Telematics
The question is will Motorola land contracts beyond the safety telematics and, if so, what connection does it have with e.digital? Clearly, Motorola will have significant impact on future telematics as well. Three prime examples are Motorola's work with GM's Onstar, MBZ, and Jaguar:
Motorola and Jaguar Combine the Art of Performance With the Joy of Convenience--http://www.motorola.com/ies/telematics/html/indexfq.html
Motorola, OnStar In-Car Devices To Be Widely Available In 2001 GM Cars
http://www.allnetdevices.com/wireless/news/2000/05/18/motorola_onstar.html
Motorola displays iRadio in Mercedes Benz
Unveiled at CES 2000, Motorola's iRadio was hooked up in a Mercedes.
http://www.prismadesignintl.com/Siradio1.html
http://kewlstuff.editthispage.com/stories/storyReader$211
The complete iRadio system is scheduled to begin beta testing any day and go into full production next year. However, Motorola has effectively been bringing out components of iRadio in stages. Last August, although the iRadio prototype was still a year away from the market, Motorola executives were beginning to talk about its advantages. "It's an Internet appliance for the vehicle," said Brian Gratch, director of marketing for the Chicago-based Motorola. "This is something optimized for the driving experience. At 50 miles per hour, this thing has to always work, rain or shine, for years."
Inside iRadio is a global positioning system, a cellular transceiver and automotive grade software. Simple versions of the futuristic device just started to appear in Mercedes Benz showrooms in 2001 models. But the telecommunications equipment won't be included in just high-end cars.Motorola is selling the components of iRadio to GM, Ford and Nissan as well as to BMW and Jaguar. "They're all incorporating the early functions of the radio," Gratch said in an interview with Boston.com.
http://digitalmass.boston.com/news/daily/08/10/iradio.html
Motorola's iRadio
The Motorola iRadio™ Telematics System is a revolutionary concept in in-vehicle information and entertainment primarily via wireless Web access. It brings to the car the recent explosion of information & entertainment previously enjoyed only at home and work. 60 years ago, with the first car radio, Motorola enabled the delivery of AM/FM radio into the automobile. Today, with the Motorola iRadio™ Telematics System, the driving experience is enhanced by the wireless Web to offer a total end-to-end telematics solution. The system is designed to leverage the digital convergence of entertainment, information and content and would be made available to end users through OEMs and audio manufacturers.
Offers driver-friendly, hands-free telephony and state-of-the-art voice recognition and text-to-speech technologies
Easy-to-use interface for music, Internet, e-mail and more
Integrates server-based (via the Internet) navigation and traffic information with wireless connectivity enabling you to have the most up-to-date information possible
Server-based real-time data keeps you connected virtually anywhere. Check stock quotes. Call up sports scores. Review your e-mail. Play your favorite song. Find the best route, the nearest gas station or a new restaurant down the road. The Motorola iRadio™ Telematics System makes it easy to control what you want to hear or locate, the moment you want to.
Complete with voice recognition and text-to-speech technologies, iRadio telematic system will enable drivers to capture music on demand, access turn-by-turn navigation and listen to real-time traffic reports. Users will also be able to download audio books, access their voicemail and e-mail and receive the latest news and weather information. Bluetooth and infra-red technology allows seamless connection to cell phones, PDA's and other consumer electronic equipment.
Drivers will be offered a range of service levels from basic to premium packages, much like ordering cable TV. A personalized Web page will enable the iRadio system to be configured anywhere drivers and passengers have an Internet connection -- at home or in the office. Users can access their personal profile from multiple vehicles and support multiple profiles in one car. As an end-to-end solution, Motorola's iRadio system includes a Java computing platform, an automotive application framework and the latest user interfaces and applications. These features will enable service providers, automotive OEMs and audio manufacturers to ultimately deliver iRadio to vehicles and end users.
In developing the iRadio system, Motorola has established several key long-term alliances with companies including IBM, Navigation Technologies, BCI Navigation and Command Audio. "The new enhancements to Motorola's iRadio system combined with our strategic alliances further reinforce Motorola's position as the leader in Telematics," said Marios Zenios, corporate vice president and general manager, Motorola Telematics Communications Group. "We are at the forefront of Telematics today as we continue to offer the in-vehicle technology drivers demand."
Motorola's iRadio system pricing is expected to be similar to that of mid- to high-end car stereo systems, with final cost determined by OEMs and audio manufacturers, and the level of services requested by motorists. Consumer testing of the Motorola iRadio system will begin in early 2001 and individual components are expected to be available in vehicles within 18 to 24 months.
A Little More Background Required
You must understand that iRadio is Motorola's immediate long-term goal in providing a complete telematics solution. What I mean by this is that over the past 5 years, Motorola has been taking baby steps toward phasing in the implementation of iRadio and continues to do so. Hopefully, you understand that iRadio is Motorola's moniker for its end-to-end telematics solution and not just a form of digital radio. While Motorola will begin beta-testing iRadio in 2001, it will not be ready to be fully deployed toward the latter part of 2002 (keep in mind that time frames continually shift (delayed) as we all know to well). Obviously, there will continue to be improvements but the complete telematics solution will basically have then been implemented.
While the safety aspects of the telematics solution has been fully implemented (for example, it is now standard in new MBZ, and arguably will become standard in other automobile lines as time goes by), the information and entertainment aspects are now being developed. One such example is GM's OnStar.
Motorola, IBM, and Telematics
September 1999
On 9/14/99, Motorola announced a relationship with QNX Software Systems Ltd., IBM, and Embedded Planet (formerly RPCG) to develop MobileGT Architecture, initially targeted for automotive driver information systems. MobileGT is an open, Java-centric architecture that can allow automobile manufacturers to easily and cost-effectively develop advanced driver information systems to fit their specific platforms. MobileGT's flexible, modular computing platform is scaleable across a wide range of products, allowing automobile manufacturers to leverage a common development approach while providing product differentiation through tailored and system integration. MobileGT can address a wide array of in-vehicle applications -- dynamic navigation, wireless connectivity and Internet access, natural language speech processing, car audio, virtual dashboards, multimedia and more.
MobileGT also incorporates IBM's VisualAge for Embedded Systems, Java(TM) Technology Edition virtual machine and development tools optimized for use with QNX Neutrino. This proven execution environment supports configuration-based deployment of applications, giving the developers the ability to build ultra-compact runtime components.
MOT FAQ:
What is MobileGT and how is it different from the Motorola iRadio™ Telematics System Technology?
A: It is the underlying component technology that enables a superior automotive driver information system solutions quickly and easily. MobileGT and the Motorola iRadio™ Telematics System are two separate telematics efforts from Motorola.
One specializing in the underlying component enabling technology (MobileGT) and the other specializing in providing an end-to-end telematics solution (Motorola iRadio™ Telematics System).
MobileGT is the underlying capability that helps build the final product, whereas the Motorola iRadio™ Telematics System is the end product with its own underlying core technologies.
Convergence of the two is a possibility in the future but is not necessary. The Motorola iRadio™ Telematics System can work on a MobileGT platform and MobileGT can support the Motorola iRadio™ Telematics System applications. At present both co-exist independently.
January 2000
In January 2000, Motorola and IBM agreed to partner to help automakers put the wireless web on the road so as to give the auto industry end-to-end telematics capabilities.
Because telematics requires a precise and durable linkage between the electronics and communications inside the car, and the content and applications in the network, it is a more complex, and much more robust solution than simply equipping cars with on-board intelligence.
Motorola brings to the alliance its expertise in advanced electronic systems and services, software enhanced products, wireless communications products and networks, as well as extensive experience in developing rugged, embedded electronic solutions for the automotive market. Its contribution to the joint effort encompasses the front-end elements such as on-board electronics, driver interfaces and enabling infrastructure that will deliver robust applications and services.
IBM brings to the joint effort its expertise in computer technology, hardware, software and IT services, as well as new software for managing pervasive devices across multiple networks. Its contribution focuses on the back-end infrastructure elements and are based on its pervasive computing technologies that allow applications, content and services to be delivered to drivers virtually any time, any where.
March 2000
In March, 2000, IBM and Motorola announced plans to join forces to help meet the growing demand for e-businesses worldwide to link data and applications to wireless devices. The companies announced their intent to jointly develop an open, highly scalable offering that will form the basis of a "voice and data engine" which will offer businesses an easy way to develop and access wireless applications and services. For example, carriers could use this offering to allow businesses to provide mobile workers real-time access to email, stock quotes, news, and corporate resources via wireless devices. By combining Motorola's device-aware front-end technology with IBM's middleware technology, this framework will provide optimal wireless data services to businesses around the world.
Mark Bregman, general manager of IBM's Pervasive Computing Division said "Working together with Motorola we will get to market faster with a product that operators need to give their business subscribers what they crave - access to information and services, virtually anytime, anywhere."
This relationship builds on the existing collaboration between IBM and Motorola to enable the delivery of innovative new telematics products. In January, the companies announced that they would work together to provide the end-to-end resources to help car manufacturers offer exciting new wireless services to their customers. The agreement builds on the strong position of Motorola's Integrated Electronic Systems Sector (IESS) group with IBM's systems and services expertise.
January 2001
Motorola's iRadio(TM) System incorporates IBM Software
Committed to maintaining its position as the leader in telematics, Motorola developed the iRadio system, an in-vehicle platform for automakers that combines entertainment, information, navigation, emergency calling and communication into one complete, driver-friendly system. In a move that further expands the iRadio system, Motorola announced that it will license Java technology and voice recognition software from IBM, for use in the Motorola Telematics iRadio system.
The Motorola iRadio system is a complete solution that offers the latest user interfaces and applications and IBM's VisualAge(TM) Micro Edition Java technology. A key feature of IBM's Java technology is that it enables new applications and services to be added and enhanced remotely without inconveniencing consumers.
Motorola is also using IBM Embedded ViaVoice(TM) Multiplatform Edition for voice recognition and text-to-speech capabilities. IBM's ViaVoice enables drivers to use voice commands, as an alternative input to faceplate controls, for accessing information such as weather, news and sports, select a favorite radio station or other iRadio system applications.
Marios Zenios, corporate vice president and general manager, Motorola Telematics Communications Group, said: The combination of Motorola's engineering integration capabilities and IBM's innovative software solutions and technology will help to shape a product that dramatically changes the concept of the car radio.``By using IBM's ViaVoice and VisualAge software the Motorola iRadio system will have tremendous flexibility and functionality -- two attributes that will help make iRadio a winner in the Telematics marketplace,'' said Friedrich Christeiner, IBM general manager, automotive industry.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010106/nv_motorol.html
Specific Telematic Applications
So much for the easy part. Now that we have gone through some of the basic overview in this area as I believe it will pertain to e.digital, it's time to get down to more specifics. The last section is absolutely critical, IMO, to understanding how e.digital could become part of the telematics "global standard" that Falk/Putnam so often refer. The January 2001 pr confirming Motorola's adoption of IBM's VisualAge and embedded ViaVoice solidifies IBM's telematic role and therefore, I would argue, e.digital's role through its VoiceTimes connection.
to be continued.............
REPOST: PART TWO- Once I was young and had so much more orientation and could talk with nervous intelligence about everything and with clarity and without as much literary preambling at this; in other words this is the story of anunself-confident man, at the same time of an egomaniac, naturally,facetious won't do-just to start at the beginning and let the truth seepout, that's what I'll do-.
Pervasive Computing Background-IBM style
On June 23, 1999, IBM officially taking the wraps off its latest catchphrase: pervasive computing.
IBM discussed its efforts to extend its e-business umbrella into the world of automobiles, home appliances, smart phones and other handheld devices. IBM's goal: Provide the enabling technology to make these devices more intelligent and more connectable.
IBM's pervasive computing group had been in business for a year and was based on four strategic principles. One, IBM would aggressively offer IBM technology, such as silicon [microprocessors], Java, speech recognition, and Lotus Notes to the growing device business. IBM said that it would not be in the device business. You will not see IBM mobile phones, for example. That's not IBM's business. [Instead], IBM will partner with people in the device business.
IBM's pervasive strategy includes the very rapid development of the infrastructure, modifying the infrastructure products -- that is mainframes, network management etc. -- to be able to handle the pervasive networks. IBM is modifying the classic IBM enterprise products for pervasive networks to offer the scalability, the security and the authentication that have been traditionally been available to PCs or dumb terminals, but to offer that to networks of millions and millions of different devices.
IBM has stated that you are never going to see a dramatic Pervasive Computing announcement. It's going to be a series of partnerships, pilot solutions and rollouts. It won't be like an IT rollout, where you go from 100 to 3000 or 5000. We'll be going from 5000 to a million.
Here is an article summarizing the platforms and devices involved in pervasive computing which can be found at: http://www.softwaremag.com/archive/2000 COLOR="FF0020">apr/DKara.html
Here are two of IBM's pervasive computing webpages: is:
1] http://www.developer.ibm.com/pvc/ and
2] http://www-3.ibm.com/pvc/
IBM example of Pervasive Computing
At this point I think it would be helpful to take a concrete example of IBM's style of Pervasive Computing and (staying within IBM's own webpages) see where it leads us and how I think it might apply to e.digital.
Both of the IBM pervasive computing websites referenced above list as an IBM product solution-
IBM's WebSphere Everyplace Suite. Let's take the "embedded edition" mentioned in the 2nd URL. If you click on that, it takes you to IBM's website for IBM's WebSphere Everyplace Suite embedded edition. It states in part:
Powering the next generation of e-business devices
The worldwide demand for access to information anytime, anywhere is rapidly accelerating the development of networked information appliances and the services they deliver. New markets are quickly emerging around a range of wired devices, such as set-top boxes and service gateways, and wireless devices like Web pads and Web-enabled cell phones. IBM WebSphere™ Everyplace Suite Embedded Edition integrates the essential software needed by developers, device manufacturers and service providers to quickly capitalize on these new markets.
Now click on "Device manufacturers" at the bottom of the page. That page lists several specific target areas for device manufacturers including:
In-vehicle information systems, Internet appliances, The set-top box, and Wireless devices. Click on "In-vehicle information systems".
We have now come to one of my favorite topics: telematics. IBM introduces this subject as follows: "Industry observers project that 50% of all new vehicles will be telematics-enabled by 2006. In-vehicle information systems (IVIS) cover a spectrum of evolving applications including navigation aids, productivity tools such as voice-activated e-mail access, travel information, real-time traffic advisories, entertainment packages and concierge services. The rapid growth of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and voice integration technology are both key enablers."
Notice that the embedded software for this solution includes: "IBM ViaVoice Embedded for Multiplatforms for the smooth development of speech-activated in-vehicle features". On the top of the page click on "Industries" and then click on "Automotive" under the Industrial section. From there click on the highlighted "In-Vehicle Information Systems and Telematics". You should now have arrived at IBM's webpage explaining its
"AutoMobile Network Solutions".
IBM's AutoMobile Network Solutions support automotive manufacturers in leveraging Telematics to deliver highly valued applications and services to their customers. IBM's "off-board" AutoMobile Network Solutions mean that computing and applications reside outside the vehicle.
It reduces the amount of expensive vehicle components onboard computer equipment that may become obsolete before the vehicle does. Thus, vehicle makers can offer in-vehicle information systems on all vehicles, not only on high-end luxury cars. With IBM's off-board concept consumers will easily get newest software upgrades at low cost from the network. IBM's pervasive computing e-business solutions for automotive are end-to-end offerings built with industry partners. IBM collaborates with companies such as Motorola, Qwest, and Intel, QSSL and others, and sopports AMI-C the (Automotive Multimedia Interactive Collaboration) standards. IBM has the unique ability to enable and integrate end to end IVIS solutions and deploy them globally.
Now click on the highlighted: "What is an In-Vehicle Information System (IVIS)?" In-Vehicle Information System (IVIS) offer a never-before possible level of safety and security, traffic congestion and route guidance information, advanced diagnostics capabilities, productivity, personalized information and entertainment in the automobile. Functionality can include:
vehicle location determination via Global Positioning System (GPS) capabilities
emergency response upon collision or breakdown
theft avoidance, prevention and detection
traffic and congestion alerts integrated with route guidance information
advanced diagnostics capabilities for automobile performance, updates, and maintenance
access to e-mail and other productivity applications
new levels of entertainment, such as music, games and even one day movies on demand
personalized news, sports and weather information all based on personal preferences
new levels of entertainment, such as music, games and even more one day movies on demand.
With IVIS, motorists use voice recognition and interactive audio technology or a simple touch- screen to get dynamic route guidance with real-time traffic information, remote vehicle diagnostics, and safety and emergency help. IVIS technology also enables drivers and passengers to perform hands-free phone dialing and Web browsing, listen to or compose e-mail, have access to a wider variety of entertainment, and get personalized news and weather reports.
At the bottom of this page, click on the highlighted "Key IBM AutoMobile Network Solution Initiatives". You have now arrived at IBM's webpage outlining its specific projects and partnerships in the telematics area. While there are many interesting topics, note this one: "IBM and Intel Corporation announce they are collaborating on in-vehicle computing productions and solutions. Intel will provide extended temperature Pentium processors. IBM will provide its Pervasive Computing software, which is a suite of advanced software for managing the In-Vehicle Information Systems."
How does any of this relate to e.digital? I will save the specific details for later, but think about Voicetimes, the embedded PSA discussed on IBM's VoiceTimes webpage. Remember Skip Matthews comment in a July 1999 newspaper article while he was still an Intel employee about the intel/edig project: Skip Matthews, a senior project development manager for Intel's Memory Components Division, coyly hinted at the project's capabilities. "What if you had a device that could read The Wall Street Journal to you while you're in your car?" he said, declining to elaborate
REPOST: PART ONE-A screaming comes across the sky. It has happened before, but there is nothing to compare it to now.
Introduction
Last October, I tried to put into some perspective on what I believed to be e.digital's place in the ongoing evolution of portable computing and speech recognition. As you might recall, I focused on the concept of pervasive computing and e.digital's place therein as an inaugural member of IBM's VoiceTimes alliance. Within that context, I speculated as to what types of projects that edig/intel have been working on, such as a speech recognition module for the PALM pilot and a similar product application for the telematics market.
Based upon additional news since that time and my further DD, whether you like it or not, I have decided to substantially edit my prior posts on this subject. I have purposefully stayed away from the music applications of e.digital's business except where appropriate cross-references are necessary. Lastly, I may borrow (steal) from other posters, press releases, news articles, and edig itself. I wish to thank many of you from whose own DD I have tried to build upon. If I have misstated anything set forth herein, please feel free to let me know. As I have readily admitted in the past, my technical understanding is quite limited.
Background on e.Digital's Technology
The convergence of Internet, wireless and digital content technologies is causing an explosion in demand for consumer electronic devices that are portable, powerful and connected. Voice, music, video, photography and text applications combined with Internet services are creating entirely new categories of products. As consumers embrace the digital lifestyle, demand for innovative, portable devices is soaring and manufacturers have an urgent need to accelerate product development cycles in order to stay ahead of the competition in the fast-changing digital marketplace.
e.Digital provides original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with comprehensive product development services for the next generation of digital devices. Its core competencies in embedded operating systems, digital signal processing, removable recording media and wireless communication protocols such as Bluetooth, along with hardware, firmware and software customization, help OEMs develop innovative digital products.
e.Digital's primary core technology is the MicroOS. e.Digital's proprietary MicroOS is an extremely compact, full-featured and highly customizable embedded operating system designed specifically for portable digital devices. MicroOS simplifies the design of products that use flash memory to store voice, image, text, or full-motion video files in portable devices. It also enables the portable devices we develop to easily exchange information with desktop computers, and through desktops, with intranets and the Internet. MicroOS manages data files as well as codecs, integrates security systems for content protection and handles uploading and downloading files to PCs. Important features include:
Power and memory conservation - eliminates the need for a high-powered CPU by paring down all code to run efficiently on a low-cost microcontroller preserving valuable memory for other applications.
Extends Flash memory capabilities - Memory management transparently deals with bad blocks, erase blocks, wear leveling and is independent of data and erase block sizes.
Advanced editing features - insert and delete allows editing of files by inserting material at any point without erasing what follows, and deleting of selected portions of a file without spaces, blanks, or silences being left behind.
When flash memory became available for data storage several years ago, it was primarily used as backup memory. Data or code written to flash was WORM (write once, read many), difficult to edit, erase, or write data. In 1995, e.Digital was the first company to create and market a voice recorder using removable flash memory, a product that was later branded and sold by Sanyo. Out of those efforts, e.digital developed a proprietary flash file management system named MicroOS that continues to be the basis of its designs to this day. MicroOS is protected by four patents containing dozens of claims. All of these patents and their rights are the exclusive property of e.Digital.
e.Digital Patents (Tinroad):
MicroOS(tm)is a small footprint (8KB) operating system for flash memory and other non-volatile memory that can be utilized in hand-held peripheral devices interfacing with the internet, whether by hard-wired or wireless means, and in digital voice/audio/video recording and playback devices. The key to understanding Edig’s potential is in their multiple patents on MicroOS and its applications.
http://www.delphion.com/details?&pn10=US05491774
Handheld record and playback device with flash memory
http://www.delphion.com/details?&pn=US05742737__
Method for recording voice messages on flash memory in a hand held recorder
http://www.delphion.com/details?&pn=US05787445__
Operating system including improved file management for use in devices utilizing flash memory as main memory
http://www.delphion.com/details?&pn=US05839108__
Flash memory file system in a handheld record and playback device
http://www.delphion.com/details?&pn=US05842170__
Method for editing in hand held
MicroOS in layman's terms (Tinroad):
Electronic machines understand only one thing and that's electric pulse 'on' and electric pulse 'off'. That's called 'machine language' and is digitally represented by 0s and 1s. When one presses an alphanumeric key, it sends a set of 0s and 1s to a next level operating system (like DOS) which gives a command to the machine to do an action (such as print a letter to the monitor).
The next layer of operating system runs on top of DOS and makes things more user friendly, such as Windows, CE or Mac OS, which are graphical user interfaces (icon representation). These are what the general public thinks of as operating systems. These systems have become quite bulky, and in their complexity create many conflicts with the vast number of applications available today.
Enter a new operating system: Edig's Micro OS which is directly compatible with MS-DOS. Micro OS is written in a programming language called 'C' that is highly flexible and already widely used for text, image and voice applications. Its compact size (about 6Kbytes) makes it ideal for handheld devices, which may include music players, still/video cameras, telephony, etc. Its duty, if you will, is to act as a flexible general file management system. It is particulary well-suited for the smaller footprint storage products such as flash memory and microdisks, but is fully capable for standard IDE hard drives as well, and also is not limited in the number or files it can manage (a drawback inherent in DOS).
The emerging products, for this example, will use a flash memory chip (about the size of a postage stamp) for storage. One flash chip can be used for multiple purposes... just like a floppy disk can be used for a computer and a Sony Mavica camera. This chip, which is re-writeable, will need an operating system that can function with voice, image, text and so on in a universal, flexible way and that can also support other TASK SPECIFIC operating systems.
This is where systems like Jini or Epoc (etc.) operating systems come in. These systems can be layered with the base file management operating system (such as our multi-patented Micro OS). They are not competitors.
Digital signal processors (DSPs) are like railroad switching stations that relay varied signals, for example directing voice to one channel, streaming images to another and so on. The DSPs are especially worth looking at when speed enhancements are announced. A noteworthy new DSP from Texas Instruments is reprogrammable via software, to allow it to adapt to evolving systems for file compression and encryption.
In summary, there are hundreds, thousands of integral layers which make up the complex products for the electronic markets of today. Most are based on old and slow, bulky systems. What is emerging are lean & mean wireless machines, capable of multi-tasking at far greater rates which require a flexible file management operating system.
MicroOS Applications:
MicroOS is applicable to any product that utilizes flash memory or rotating media as its primary storage medium including: Voice Recorders, One and two way voice pagers,
Digital cameras, Cellular phones, Portable Internet music players, Handheld PCs, and Set-top boxes. In e.digital's recently published brochure, e.digital identified some of the digital product categories it is currently developing solutions for:
Digital music players and jukeboxes featuring high-quality audio, multi-codec capabilities
and removable storage including: CompactFlash, Secure Digital Card, MMCard, Microdrive, PocketZip and DataPlay digital media.
E-book and multimedia tablet platforms combining music, video, text and voice storage, and play-back
functionality with larger displays.
Digital voice recorders with advanced digital features and infrared, cable or docking station PC connections.
Digital imaging including still and video integrated with audio in handheld products.
Cell phone audio components for recording and playback of voice and/or music files.
Set top boxes for real time streaming or downloading of digital music in Internet formats.
In-dash car audio systems for recording and playback of Internet music formats.
In-store kiosks for recording personal mix of digital music onto removable media.
Summary:
Arguably, e.digital has positioned itself to catch the next big wave; what many call pervasive computing- computing beyond the desktop. Pervasive computing concepts will induce big shifts in the structures of computing, telecoms and content industries. Pervasive computing will encompass several technology enhancements and market shifts that will enable the weaving of public networks and computing devices. A simple definition of pervasive computing is the ability to deliver any information, to any device, over any network.
For me, what most dramatically sums up this significant shift in the creation, use and exchange of information is Microsoft's change to its Mission statement. Microsoft's Mission statement for the last 20 years was ''to have a PC in every home and on every desktop.'' In April 1999, it was changed to ''empowering people through great software anytime, anywhere, and on any device.''
enola gay to deliver: Mobile Solutions
Information Access, Anytime, anywhere using a mobile internet device
Voice is driving the mobile Internet with the proliferation of a variety of mobile devices including wireless phones, SmartPhones, PDAs and even automobiles. Because mobile device keyboards continue to shrink, voice is the interface of choice for mobile users accessing information from the Internet and corporate intranets.
As the convergence of computers with telephones and handheld devices continues, what could be easier than just talking? The human voice becomes a web browser. Surf the Web in the car while a Text-To-Speech application reads back the content, then tell the car to turn on the radio when finished. Check the status of an order without having to punch a telephone keypad. Use a PDA to conduct a banking transaction without touching the keyboard.
IBM Embedded ViaVoice, Multiplatform Edition delivers IBM Voice Technology to mobile devices, giving manufacturers the power to develop solutions that allow voice access to information from anywhere, at anytime, on any device.
IBM Embedded ViaVoice, Mobile Device Edition delivers IBM Voice Technology to certain devices requiring small command and control vocabularies with low computational requirements.
VoiceTIMES is an alliance dedicated to the creation of open specifications for voice-enabled mobile devices. VoiceTIMES is driving mobile voice specifications and includes the convergence of Voice, WAP, WML, and VoiceXML as they integrate into mobile devices.
VoiceXML is an industry standard markup language, based in part on IBM's Speech Markup Language. Creating this language and working with industry leaders to make it a standard, IBM is leading the way to a voice-enabled Internet.
waiting for the enola gay to deliver: Adding voice to PDAs and Smartphones is the next 'natural' step for enhancing smart handheld devices, and it supports the VoiceTIMES vision to expand Voice Technology. swoosh!
tin/berge: in my heart of hearts i think there will be a few nuclear bombs dropped that will blow many people away, just hope it's sooner than later.
March 29, 2001 Palm and Handspring Offer Updates to Hand-Held Models
By WALTER S. MOSSBERG
THE PALM V hand-held computer has been one of the most beloved and successful digital products since the Macintosh. Slim and handsome and easy to use, this coolest of the Palm models has drawn stares of envy and lots of buyers since it appeared two years ago.
Next month, however, Palm will begin phasing out the Palm V series in favor of two new models: the m500 and m505. At first glance, they look identical to the Palm V and its more powerful twin, the Palm Vx. But these new models have been fundamentally overhauled to include all sorts of new features -- especially a new slot on the back that can accept expansion modules. The m505, due in May, even manages to pack a color screen into its thin frame.
Meanwhile, Palm's rival, Handspring, whose Visor PDAs popularized the idea of an expansion slot, has just launched its own answer to the Palm V -- the slim, metallic Visor Edge.
I have been testing these new Palm and Visor models and, with one significant exception, I liked them very much. As with the Palm V, you will pay a premium for their small size, but they work very well.
IN TINKERING WITH its baby, Palm was very careful. The two replacement models look like the Palm V except for a slightly different metallic color and a slight curve to their sides. On the screen, they still sport the familiar and elegant Palm user interface and there are still four function buttons below the screen.
Handspring's Visor Edge
But there are some differences. For one, the new "m" series is a bit shorter and narrower than the Palm V, with about the same thickness and screen size.
The battery life of the $399 monochrome m500 is a little better than the Palm V's famously good capacity, according to the company, even though it has what seems to me to be a whiter and brighter screen. Palm says the $449 color m505 gets about the same battery life as the monochrome Palm V -- no mean feat because color eats power faster.
The biggest change, however, is on the back, where Palm has for the first time built in an expansion slot, which uses a relatively new type of add-in card called SD. Palm says a wide variety of companies are at work on these cards. Eventually, there'll be little cameras, MP3 players and other gizmos that use the slot. For now, there are a series of more boring cards, costing $30 to $50 each. These range from blank storage cards to software cards preloaded with games, and travel and reference programs.
Smaller changes abound. One of the four function buttons, the one formerly assigned to the memo pad, is now devoted to a notepad program that captures drawings or quick, handwritten notes. There's a faster processor under the hood, and a bunch of new standard software, including programs that allow you to read downloaded books, to view Microsoft Office documents with formatting, and to view photos and short movies.
There's also a new, faster cradle for charging and synchronization, which finally uses a modern USB cable instead of an ancient serial one. The cradle, which mates with a new connector on the bottoms of the new Palms, is to become universal across all future Palm models.
BUT THERE IS ONE big problem with Palm's new "m" series: the screen on the color model, the m505. It's so dim, dark and dull that I can't recommend spending the extra $50 to get it. At some angles, it's tough to tell the screen is even in color. And even with the backlight on, which helps a lot but eats battery power, the m505's screen looks pallid and weak compared with the color displays on Handspring's Visor Prism or Compaq's iPAQ Pocket PC.
Palm says the m505 screen is based on cutting-edge color technology, and concedes it could have been much brighter. But Palm engineers deliberately dialed back the brightness to achieve great battery life. Palm still calls the result "brilliant color." I call it barely color. I agree that brightness must be balanced against battery life, but I think Palm went too far and should have at least included a control allowing users to brighten it.
Handspring's new $399 Visor Edge doesn't come in a color model, and it's a little bigger than the new Palm models. But compared with its earlier, chunky product line, the Edge is positively svelte. I think the metallic case, which includes a lid, is striking in each of its three colors: silver, blue and red. Even the longer, heavier metal stylus adds a touch of class.
The Edge is mainly a style play rather than an offering of any major new functions. To accommodate Handspring's famous expansion modules, including a phone, you have to snap on a special holder, which is free but adds bulk. There is one cool new software feature on the Edge: Fast Lookup, a search program that tries to guess what you're looking for as you press the buttons.
None of these new hand-helds includes a built-in wireless modem for e-mail and Web data retrieval. You have to add this functionality with costly, bulky optional components. But the two new monochrome models by Palm and Handspring are welcome redesigns. Just stay away from Palm's new color offering.
from napster: April 3rd Hearing / After-Hearing Concert / April 2nd Forum
April 2nd Forum Info
Why: Want to do your homework beforehand? Learn more about the issues that confront music file sharing and meet Napster founder Shawn Fanning at a forum on file sharing.
NOTE: NEW LOCATION
Where: The Ampitheater
Ronald Reagan International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC
When: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Monday, April 2nd
Napster Plans to Rally Supporters in Washington
By Michael S. James
March 29 — Napster is asking fans to show their numbers in Washington next week as senators mull issues related to the company's ongoing court battle with the recording industry.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing at 10 a.m. Tuesday to brief its members on new technologies and how they affect existing copyright law.
"Attending the hearing and contacting your Senators and members of Congress conveys that you care about the future of file sharing and digital music," reads a statement on Napster's Web site.
In lawsuits filed since Dec. 1999, prominent members of the recording industry said Napster, an Internet site that allows music fans to swap digitized files of recordings, is infringing upon their copyrights.
The ongoing court battle threatens the existence of Napster. The company, which already has suffered setbacks in court, evidently intends to rally support before Congress.
"If the Napster community shows up in force for this hearing, it will help educate Congress on why it is important not to let the recording industry shut down music file sharing," reads another page on Napster's Web site. "You can give voice to millions of other Napster supporters by attending this hearing."
Napster founder Shawn Fanning plans to speak to assembled fans about Internet file sharing at a forum in Washington on Monday evening, and Napster is organizing a post-hearing concert for up to 1,000 fans on Tuesday night.
Napster did not respond to requests for further details on the Washington rally.
Court Battle
Meanwhile, Napster and members of the recording industry continue a court battle that could determine whether Napster can survive.
On March 5, a judge issued an injunction ordering Napster to block access to songs and artists identified by the industry.
Napster responded with software to block the identified songs from being traded on its site, but critics said the blocking software could be bypassed by changing the spellings of artists names and song titles.
On Tuesday, the band Metallica and the Recording Industry Association of America complained to the U.S. District Court in San Francisco that Napster has failed to comply with the order, and still allows the songs to be traded.
On Wednesday, Napster President and CEO Hank Barry responded that the RIAA was to blame for lack of cooperation on the court order. He added that Napster has "blocked access to over 275,000 unique songs and over 1.6 million unique file names" since the judge's order, and has added tens of thousands of variations on artists' names and song titles to its blocking software.
Tuesday's Senate Judiciary hearing, entitled "Online Entertainment and Copyright Law: Coming Soon to a Digital Device Near You," is not expected to have an immediate impact on the court case, and is not specifically tied to any concrete congressional legislation.
Texas Instruments Addresses Its Vision for What's Mobile Cool in 2.5 and 3G; TI Executive to Deliver Remarks at Key Industry Forums
LOS ANGELES and SAN DIEGO, March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Texas Instruments Incorporated (NYSE: TXN - news; TI) wireless applications will only get cooler as software developers unleash the performance of new processing solutions and figure out what can be done in a wireless broadband world. Whether it's streaming video, mobile commerce, location-based services or fingerprint activate security access, wireless applications will be enabled by TI's DSP-based OMAP(TM) wireless architecture. Having the OMAP wireless architecture powering a wireless device proves what Mom used to say, ``It's what's on the inside that counts.'' (See www.ti.com/sc/omap.)
WHAT:
Alain Mutricy, general manager of Texas Instruments OMAP platform, will deliver remarks as part of an iWireless Forum panel entitled ``Mobile Cool,'' a look at next-generation wireless technologies. Mr. Mutricy will also join wireless leaders on a panel sponsored by the San Diego Telecom Council Mobile Wireless Special Interest Group.
WHERE: WHEN:
iWireless Forum
"What is Mobile Cool?" Monday, April 2
Santa Monica Room 11:10 - 12:10 a.m., PDT
Beverly Hilton
Beverly Hills, Calif.
San Diego Telecom Council
"The Next Generation of Killer Apps" Tuesday, April 3
Nokia Facility 7:30 - 9:00 a.m., PDT
12278 Scripps Summit Drive
Poway, Calif.
ABOUT TI'S OMAP ARCHITECTURE:
Unveiled in May 1999, TI's programmable DSP-based OMAP architecture delivers advanced wireless Internet and multimedia functionality without compromising the battery life essential to wireless communications devices such as digital wireless handsets, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and Internet audio devices. TI's OMAP architecture is quickly becoming the de facto standard applications platform for 2.5G and 3G with public endorsements by manufacturers such as Nokia, Ericsson, Sony and Handspring. Additionally, Symbian's EPOC operating system, Microsoft Window's CE operating system and Sun Microsystems' Java 2 Micro Edition platform are endorsed and supported on the OMAP processor available today
carrot: working with multiple OEMs on specific applications of these MicroOS- and MicroCAM-powered platforms for inclusion in a variety of branded products.
carrot: we have dedicated strategic engineering resources to the development and implementation of new product platforms that include digital video for portable devices, automotive and home stereo designs, cellular phone accessories, and set-top boxes.
One of the carrots: "We do expect announcements concerning other product platform developments beyond DataPlay and our HDD-based digital jukebox platform in our next quarter"
tin- no, believe me i more than appreciate the problems and difficulties that arise; have had my own today as a matter of fact on just the littlest of things. where i stand on this issue is firmly in the camp of ETTG, the problem is the statements (carrots) put out by RP like those set forth in my last post. Realizing what you just said, they should just grin and bear it until it actually happens.
WHY DO I FEEL LIKE FRED FALK IS NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN AND THAT I AM A DOG WHO SMELLS AND SEES THE BONE BUT, AS I APPROACH THE BONE, I FIND IT IS ATTACHED TO A STRING THEAT IS BEING PULLED FURTHER AWAY.
++++++++++++
Information from Robert Putnam.... 11/22/00
I had sent RP an email asking a few questions about revenues and our "imminent" OEM's. Here are some tidbits (in my own words):
Q: Is the "mid 6 figure, maybe 7 figures" for initial orders PER OEM or are they the total of potential OEM orders?
A: Those ranges apply to individual OEM's orders
Q: Does "multiple" in "multpile OEM's" mean more than 2?
A: Yes it does
Q: Revenue ranges for the MP2000?
A: $3-14...this will vary on size of order
Q: Revenue range for the Treo?
A: $14-20 assuming Hango does the manufacturing, which is most likely in most cases. For a smaller OEM's revenues or over $40 are possible, but the really large orders will not carry rates like that.
Q: Are all PC makers looking at Q1 delivevry?
A: Yes they are
Q: Will these imminent announcements contain revenue projections?
A: If the announcement is a joint one, it may not. However to spell things out clearly is EDIG's goal, so they may follow such a joint announcement with one of their own, stating what the contract means to them financially if they can.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Fred Falk March 29, 2001
Manufacturing of our HDD-based digital jukebox platform has begun with production of limited quantities.
Based on current information provided by our OEM customers and OEM licensees, we anticipate availability of consumer products based on our HDD-based digital jukebox platform in retail distribution channels within the next quarter.
Walt Mossberg, on CNBC, talking about,... and reviewing new product lines,.. for Palm and Handspring, says Alternative Internet Access Device Market will mushroom with exciting NEW, products, in the next 6-12 months
mike- as you probably know, since that time NTT has been working diligently to become a global carrier.
mike- and sometimes they even cross-dress:IBM and Sony Show First Results of Collaboration With Electronic Music Distribution
IBM's "EMMS" and Sony's "OpenMG"technologies become interoperable
Las Vegas, NV, November 15, 1999-- IBM and Sony Corporation today announced they have advanced their collaboration in making their respective copyright management technologies for electronic music distribution interoperable.
Earlier this year, the two companies announced their initiative to enable future Sony audio products, featuring "OpenMG" and "MagicGate" copyright management technologies, to play music content secured with IBM's Electronic Music Management System (EMMS). EMMS is a comprehensive e-business solution for the sale and secure downloading of music.
The first result of this collaboration will be available in Sony's next generation portable audio players packaged with Sony's OpenMG software - the "Memory Stick Walkman (NW-MS7)" and "VAIO Music Clip (MC-P10)." These new Sony products will securely play music content that is prepared, sold and downloaded using IBM's EMMS solution. The combination of EMMS, OpenMG and Sony's portable devices will enable record companies to give consumers new freedom to enjoy digital music away from their personal computers, while maintaining a comprehensive, secure system for copy protection and rights management.
IBM is also announcing today its plans to support for "ATRAC3," an audio compression technology developed by Sony. ATRAC3 compression technology is used by Sony's Memory Stick Walkman and VAIO Music Clip. A record company securing its content with an electronic music distribution system can optimize playing on Sony products by choosing ATRAC3. As part of their initiative to enable future Sony consumer products to play music securely delivered with IBM's EMMS technology, IBM Japan and Sony are participating in a wireless music distribution trial together with NTT Mobile Communications Network (NTT DoCoMo), a leading Japanese mobile communications service operator. This trial will enable consumers to receive and play music content over NTT DoCoMo's PHS 64K bps data communications network, using Sony's Memory Stick as a recording media for portable devices. The trial is expected to begin in the first half of 2000.
"IBM and Sony have been working to develop products that will assist the music industry in its digital evolution while enhancing the music experience for consumers," said Rick Selvage, general manager, IBM Global Media and Entertainment Industry. "As we work to move our technology from the laboratory into the real world, we look forward to continued collaborations with Sony in driving innovation in the digital music market, both by protecting rights of artists and record labels, and by providing consumers with new ways to purchase and enjoy music."
"Sony has been always an innovative company to propose new types of audio-video entertainment to consumers and industries. It is our belief that, by combining IBM's strength in security and network system integration technologies and Sony's expertise in consumer-oriented AV/IT technologies and products, both companies will be able to create a new market of music distribution in the digital network era," said Kunitake Ando, president and COO, Personal IT Network Company, Sony.
"In our experience during the music industry market trials, IBM's EMMS is an excellent system for digital download services. Sony Music is confident that the combination of these technologies will contribute a great deal to establishing a secure and user-friendly electronic music distribution market," said Al Smith, senior vice president, Sony Music Entertainment.
"Japan is the second largest music market in the world, and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., as a leading record company in Japan, believes that electronic music distribution will offer new ways of promoting our vast catalog to consumers in our territory. We are pleased that IBM and Sony together will have the opportunity to present an unprecedented model of electronic music distribution to the music industry, as we look for viable business opportunities secured by a high degree of copyright management," said Shigeo Maruyama, president and COO, Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc.
"NTT DoCoMo is pursuing new services over mobile communications devices, and I believe mobile music distribution will be one of the killer applications in Japan, where most young people own a cellular or a PHS phone. I look forward to working with IBM and Sony to create this new market," said Shuichi Shindo, executive vice president, NTT Mobile Communications Network, Inc.
MagicGate: Copyright protection technology for "MG Memory Stick" and compliant products. Authentication technology ensures that protected content is only transferred between compliant devices and media, and protected content is recorded and transferred in an encrypted format to prevent unauthorized copying or playback.
OpenMG: Copyright protection technology including Digital Rights Management which consists of three key functions: allowing music download through multiple electronic music distribution platforms, enabling to playback music files and CD ripping on PCs (OpenMG Jukebox), and transferring contents securely from PCs to portable devices.
ATRAC3: This sound compression technology can achieve roughly twice the data reduction rate of the ATRAC sound compression used for the MiniDisc.
EMMS combines an open architecture, scaleability and security features. Major components of the EMMS architecture include a content mastering system, tools for hosting music content and promotional materials, and tools for online music retailers supporting the sale of digital music to consumers. The system features a clearinghouse that tracks the sale of digital music content and manages access and usage privileges as designated by the music owner.
It is the intent of IBM and Sony to make their respective EMMS, MagicGate and OpenMG technologies comply with the guidelines of the Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI). Each company has designed its technology to meet the needs of the recording industry for robust and secure solutions for the management of digital music.
IBM is the world's largest information technology company, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. IBM is helping media and entertainment companies worldwide take advantage of the business opportunities made possible by digital technology. IBM offers a comprehensive portfolio of solutions, networking and service offerings that is transforming the traditional creative and business processes of media and entertainment companies and positioning them to leverage their intellectual assets into new commercial opportunities. For more information on IBM strategy for the media and entertainment industry, contact www.ibm.com/solutions/media.
Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, communications and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. Its music, pictures and computer entertainment operations make Sony one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of over $56 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1999. Sony's Home Page URL: http://www.sony.co.jp
mike- not really "new"; this MG drm is not new but is now developed for the mobile device platform; this is an issue of scalability. if i recall old MG pr, i believe it works with IBM's EMMS. this would be competition to itru's drm that works w/ mobile devices.
EMI Music Canada and Leading Canadian Independent Labels Choose Liquid Audio To Distribute Digital Music in Preparation for Canadian Music Week
Popular Canadian Web Site MuchMusic.com Also Chooses Liquid Audio as Digital Service Provider
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., March 29 /CNW/ -- Liquid Audio, Inc. (Nasdaq: LQID - news), a leading provider of software and services for Internet music delivery, today announced as part of Canadian Music Week that it has been selected by leading Canadian music companies to digitally distribute music. Major record label EMI Music Canada and leading Canadian independent labels, including The Donald K Donald Group of Labels (Aquarius Records), Justin Time Records, and Nettwerk Productions, are using Liquid Audio to offer secure digital music downloads online. Liquid Audio also announced the addition of a new Canadian affiliate to its music distribution network: MuchMusic.com is now offering secure digital downloads fueled by Liquid Audio.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990915/LQIDLOGO )
EMI Music Canada is among the largest Canadian record labels to begin offering commercial and promotional digital downloads of its artists' music online using Liquid Audio's secure encoding, hosting and distribution services. Additionally, Liquid Audio downloads are available from a diverse group of Canadian artists from both independent and major labels including Delerium, Econoline Crush, Gob, Gorillaz, Jet Set Satellite, Oliver Jones, Diane Krall, Sarah McLachlan, Kevin Parent, Serial Joe, Smoother and Sum 41. Additionally, Liquid Audio is providing the content and digital delivery services to enable new affiliate MuchMusic.com to offer secure music downloads on its Web sites. As a result, Canadian consumers now have access to a large number of regional and international artists' music at a number of music sites.
"Canadian artists and labels continue to make an important mark on the new music scene. Liquid Audio is working to make this music more widely available through our secure music delivery solution and distribution network," said Charly Prevost, vice president of retail promotion at Liquid Audio, Inc. "The addition of rich music content from EMI Music Canada, The Donald K Donald Group of Labels (Aquarius Records), Justin Time Records and Nettwerk Productions significantly enhances the variety of Canadian music available digitally through our affiliate network of sites -- which now includes important Canadian music site MuchMusic.com."
These premier Canadian independent labels and affiliate web sites are currently working with Liquid Audio to provide music content to consumers via the Liquid Music Network (SM):
The Donald K Donald Group of Labels -- includes Aquarius Records,
Tacca Musique, DKD Disques and dance label DKD D-Noy with a roster that
includes Sum 41, Serial Joe, Vann, 11:30, Rubberman and Liquid ltd.,
plus multi-platinum French stars Kevin Parent and La Chicane as well as
Annie Brocoli, Nicola Ciccone, Jorane and France D'Amour. Aquarius,
which was established 30 years ago, also has a high profile catalogue
including April Wine, Corey Hart and Sass Jordon. The company is
headed by former concert promoter Donald K Tarlton and his partner,
associate president Mark Lazare. The company's website, dkd.com, has
won several industry awards and the company is creating a web-based TV
operation, Gotahit.com, which it hopes to introduce later this year.
Justin Time Records -- Justin Time Records is Canada's preeminent jazz
label. Since 1983, the label has released more than 300 full-length
recordings by artists such as Oliver Jones, Diana Krall, David Murray,
the Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir, Ranee Lee, the Rob McConnell
Tentet, Paul Bley, Jeri Brown, Bryan Lee and the World Saxophone
Quartet. Justin Time Records has produced recordings which have
received five Juno Awards, four Felix Awards and two Gold Record
certifications.
MuchMusic.com -- An integral part of today's pop culture landscape.
Since August 31st 1984, "The Nation's Music Station" has been
delivering a high-tech, state-of-the-art, RealTime MusicTelevision
experience like no other.
Canada's first Music Video service, MuchMusic is LIVE to air 8 hours
everyday from its critically-acclaimed street front Environment in
downtown Toronto with specialty programming focusing on the latest
music-related news and information, and daily video flow that features
regular drop-ins by international musical and celebrity guests.
Impromptu performances, interactive interviews, and a diverse playlist
that embraces established and emerging artists from Canada and around
the world, in musical genres ranging from Alternative to Electronica,
HipHop to pure Pop and beyond. MuchMusic/www.muchmusic.com is owned
and operated by CHUM Limited.
-- Nettwerk Productions -- Labels roster includes music from Delerium,
Gob, Jet Set Satellite, Tara MacLean, Sarah McLachlan, Le Duc and
Izdatso. Nettwerk Productions is one of Canada's leading independent
record labels and management companies with over 80 staff and offices
in Vancouver, New York, Los Angeles and London. Nettwerk has released
over 160 full-length albums and sold over 10 million albums worldwide
in its 16 year history.
Nettwerk has always prided itself on being ahead of the pack. It has
demonstrated that not only in its choice of music to support and
release but also in its commitment to online and multimedia
technologies. Nettwerk was one of the first record labels to have a
website, to put its e-mail and website addresses on its releases, and
to release multimedia enhanced music CDs. Nettwerk Productions can be
found on the web at www.nettwerk.com.
Guangzhou Hosts Online Copyright Protection Forum
March 29, 2001 (BEIJING) -- A forum on online copyright protection was held recently in Guangzhou, the capital of south China's Guangdong province.
The Asia-Pacific Symposium on the World Intellectual Property Organization Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty was jointly organized by WIPO and the National Copyright Administration of China.
Copyright experts from WIPO, the European Community, the United States, Japan, Malaysia, China and other Asia-Pacific countries discussed online copyright protection measures to facilitate development of information industries at the forum.
"Support from WIPO and countries that are advanced in copyright protection will surely help China further improve its copyright protection system," said Shi Zongyuan, director of the NCAC.
WIPO formulated WCT and WPPT in 1996 to regulate copyright protection catering to the fast development of digital and network technologies.
Sony Develops Digital Content Rights Management, Distribution System
March 29, 2001 (TOKYO) -- Sony Corp. announced it has developed OpenMG Light, a system to manage and distribute copyrights for digital content for mobile devices.
Sony has developed the new system based on OpenMG , its existing system to protect copyrights of music data for PCs.
OpenMG Light is a server/client system to manage and distribute copyrights. Sony divided the function of OpenMG copyright protection system into OpenMG Light Server System for distributing digital contents, and OpenMG Light Client software for mobile devices to download contents from the Internet, and play them.
The major electronics company said it has realized a highly reliable copyright management system, allowing it to be integrated into mobile devices such as cellular phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) by adopting a smaller-scale software program for OpenMG Light Client and thus reduce the required processing.
Sony plans to offer the system to telecom carriers, music labels and related industries and companies.
Microsoft updates Windows Media Audio and Video
By George A. Chidi
MICROSOFT UPPED ITS multimedia arsenal Wednesday with the release of Windows Media Audio and Video 8, updates that improve software performance for companies that provide digital media content to users. Microsoft also released a new media player for Apple's Macintosh computers.
The Windows Media Audio and Video 8 release updates the company's digital media compression/decompression technologies, used by digital media content providers. Microsoft's Video 8 codec technology allows near-DVD quality video images at 500Kbps, with 640-by-480-pixel resolution at 24 frames per second, according to a Microsoft news release.
For a 500Kbps connection, users would need a broadband Internet connection about 10 times faster than dial-up access, equivalent to midrange DSL connections. Users can maintain near-VHS quality at rates of 250Kbps with 320-by-240-pixel resolution at 24 frames per second, the company said.
The audio codec format can compress a music file for delivery with near-CD quality sound on a 48Kbps connection, and provide CD-quality sound at 64Kbps, the company said. A typical MP3 music file is compressed at 128Kbps, making Windows Audio 8 files almost three times smaller by comparison, according to Microsoft.
Windows Media Audio and Video 8 technologies are compatible with Windows Media Player 7, which can be downloaded from Microsoft's Web site at www.windowsmedia.com. They also work with Version 6.4 of the player, as well as with the new Windows Media Player 7 for the Mac released Wednesday.
Both new codecs incorporate digital rights management features absent in the more commonly used MPEG and MP3 file formats. Digital rights management prevents users from unauthorized copying and distribution of the files, as has happened on the Napster file-sharing service.
Windows Media Audio and Video 8 will be supported by the upcoming version of the Windows operating system, Windows XP, which will include Windows Media Player 8, now in beta 2.
George A. Chidi is a Boston-based correspondent for the IDG News Service, an InfoWorld affiliate. Cameron Crouch of PC World, an InfoWorld affiliate, contributed to this report.
Sony Reorg Focuses on Devices
allNetDevices
03/29/2001
Sony Corporation announced a sweeping reorganization Wednesday that it said will turn the company's focus toward delivering content over the Internet to devices such as handhelds, set-top boxes, wireless phones and its PlayStation game console.
Specifically, the company said it would pursue development of "a ubiquitous value network" that provides always-on wired and wireless broadband access to its content on a variety of devices. The company said it would continually increase the connectivity of its devices to be consistent with that vision.
For instance, it will intensify efforts to encourage online gaming using PlayStation. An agreement is already in place to link owners of the game console to others in Japan using i-mode access, but the company will also will release a broadband-compatible unit with a hard drive later this year.
The company also said it would focus on network distribution of its content, including films and music. It said it is testing a system for distribution of digital film content in the U.S. and will launch that business later in the year.
In addition, the company said it would continue to work with Universal Music, a division of Vivendi, to develop a system to distribute music digitally. Sony also said it would expand its services to enable personal content such as images and videos to be distributed over the Internet.
Sony chairman Nobuyuki Idei said the company would pursue "soft alliances" with other companies to accelerate the change.
Sony Turns Focus To Mobile Devices
By TechWeb News
Mar 29, 2001 (6:41 AM)
URL: http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20010329S0001
Sony Corp. says it will upgrade its cell-phone handset operation into a full division and put more focus on mobile-computing products. As a sputtering U.S. economy and strains from its gaming division take their toll, Sony hopes to reignite its business by focusing more on mobile products, an area where Japan is leading the world and seeing brisk growth. As part of its strategic business plan for the 2001-2002 year beginning in April, Sony said it would increase the number of its major divisions, internally called “network companies,” to seven from the current five. The structure was first adopted in 1999. Sony's profits sagged in the crucial last three months of 2000; hit by production glitches on its flagship PlayStation2 game console and lingering strength in the yen, it cut its full-year net-profit forecast in half.
Are Net Appliances "Disruptive Technology"
allNetDevices
03/29/2001
In his "The Innovator's Dilemma," Clayton Christiansen describes "disruptive technology" as an innovation that does not threaten a particular market initially but that eventually revolutionizes that market. Are Internet Appliances (IAs) disruptive to the PC market?
In his analysis of the history of the disk storage industry, Christiansen argues that disruptive technologies start as cheap, low-margin, convenience-focused products that initially appeal to an emerging market but that eventually move upstream to become viable broad-reaching products across an existing market. He contends that the innovation of a disruptive technology lies in its novel application to a specific market, not in the complexity of the technology itself.
The nascent IA industry potentially is disruptive to the personal computing market. Christiansen suggests that, at the time of their introduction, disruptive products are cheaper, simpler, and more reliable and convenient than existing products. They're also attractive to emerging markets for the very same reasons they are unattractive to established markets - the disruptive products are usually considered under-performers in the established markets.
Avoiding Comparisons
IAs are different than PCs because they provide instant-on, simple-to-use access (convenience and simplicity) with no-crashing, no-Windows-needed quality (reliability). However, while most IAs are cheaper than PCs, they aren't cheap enough. That's why comparing the IA to the PC experience is inherently a problem.
To be successful, IAs shouldn't attempt to be good at personal computing; they should attempt to be good at specific tasks that leverage personal computing technology such as e-mail (Cidco Mailstation) or personal TV management (TiVo). The Web surfing IAs such as i-opener are not good first entrants into the market because their nature leaves them wide open for PC comparison and thus performance criticism.
Eventually, the IA will be a better (and cheaper) solution than the PC at common personal computing tasks (like word processing and desktop publishing), but this will come as pro-IA technology like Linux and high-speed access evolve.
Missing the Boat?
Gateway has said it is "pulling back from the nascent market for Internet appliances" and 3Com recently announced the end to its Internet appliance initiatives - Audrey and Kerbango. As IAs enter the market, they are being labeled as low-end performers when compared to the PC experience. Again, that's the problem: IAs are being compared to PCs by the PC market.
Christiansen warns that companies must recognize an emerging market and shouldn't focus on the current mainstream market. Will Gateway and 3Com find themselves in the company of industrial giants of the past that, as Christiansen notes, predicted the failure of disruptive technologies such as the 3.5-inch disk drive, hydraulic earthmoving equipment and simplified accounting software?
Don't Overperform
Average PC processor speed and storage capacity will, in the near future, overshoot the needs of the average consumer - some argue that already is the case. Christiansen labels this quality as "performance oversupply," which occurs when an established technology's functionality out-performs the needs of the market.
This notion supports the argument that the IA potentially is a disruptive technology. Here's why.
As high-speed Internet access becomes a reality, less and less computing power will be needed in the average consumer's hands. The "performance oversupply" of the PC will provide an opportunity for Internet appliances to become a viable solution for a large market of mainstream consumers. The path for an IA vendor should be to make some traction with a niche market now and prepare for the larger market that will evolve as high-speed infrastructure builds up around us.
The stars are close to alignment for the IA to become a disruptive technology. IAs are cheaper, more convenient and reliable and have lower performance than PCs. Established giants are wavering over potential success. In other words, we're almost there.
The IA promise meets Christiansen's definition of a disruptive technology, the execution is just not perfect (yet). Not surprisingly, Christiansen predicts and welcomes these problems. He recommends to get the product out before it's perfect and learn about your markets needs and values.
Daniel Stoller is the former vice president for product development for Internet Appliance Network (IAN). Before IAN, Dan started Root.net, an online concierge service, and built the online media group at SiteSpecific, (acquired by CKS Group in 1997).
The Incredible Shrinking Computer
By Niall McKay in Silicon Valley, Mar 29 2001
Researchers across the world are attempting to come up with a computing architecture that is pervasive, invisible, uses new interfaces, supports dozens of device-types and is completely reliable. The result?
Michael Dertouzos, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Laboratory for Computer Science believes that today's computing architecture creates human servitude. "We have been taken hostage by $500 PCs that force us to feed them data, nurse them, and obey their stupid commands."
The futurist and author of a new book called The Unfinished Revolution believes that it's high time that machines became "human centric."
Call it human centric, call it invisible, call it ubiquitous - the basic idea is the same: That computers are too difficult to use, and too invasive - requiring us to deal with file systems, applications programming interfaces and user interfaces. That they are too unreliable, and that we spend an inordinate amount of time inputting data - something that computers should be able to do themselves. And also that we spend too much time telling them what our preferences are when they should learn them on the fly.
The solution, put forward in 1988 by Xerox PARC's Mark Weiser, is Ubiquitous Computing. The idea is that we'll no longer interact with specific computing devices, but that computing capabilities will be all around us in everything that we use. Where we will no longer interact with a desktop computer but our desks become computers. Where the walls in our offices and homes come with embedded displays, cameras, and sensors so that we no longer need to tell computers what we need but they will learn it for themselves.
The network that ties all this computing capability together will become smart enough to deliver up the information we need, when we need it, without being asked.
Seems like over at the US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency in Washington, the guys and gals responsible for funding the research for everything from anti-biological warfare tools to the Internet to the graphical user interface have been wrestling with the problem as well. In 1999, they sent out a request for proposals to the research and development community - asking them to come up with an architecture that was pervasive, invisible, that used new user interfaces such as speech and vision, that supported dozens of different types of devices, and that was completely reliable.
DARPA's request for proposals sparked off a bevy of research projects both in the universities and corporate research institutions and refocused some existing research.
The sum of money DARPA offered was a mere $10 million. Small potatoes by today’s R&D budget standards - in 2000 IBM and Microsoft spent $5.8 billion and $4.3 billion respectively. However, this was simply for the discovery process. Indeed, any day now, DARPA is due to announce the second round which insiders expect will be a much greater amount.
The initiative is called the Ubiquitous Computing Project and five US universities including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of California at Berkley, the University of Washington, and Oregon Graduate Institute all stepped up to the challenge.
Meanwhile in the commercial world, literally dozens of computer and communications companies, such as, Microsoft, HP, SRI, Intel, Philips, Sun and IBM are working on similar projects.
Project Oxygen
The biggest and perhaps the most ambitious academic research project is headed by Dertouzos at MIT and is called Project Oxygen.
Over the next four years MIT, Nokia, Philips Electronics, Hewlett Packard, Acer and Delta Electronics will invest $50 million and the man hours of 250 researchers in an attempt to create a system that uses several devices that hear, see and respond to the users' needs.
By augmenting today's input device, the keyboard, with speech and vision technology the problem of inputting data will be the a thing of the past. Indeed, all we'll need do is tell the computer to record this transaction and its eyes (camera) or ears (microphones) will kick in and capture the data.
Several months ago I visited Dertouzos at his office in MIT. As I entered the room the Greek-born scientist swept his arm around the room and said "See if you can spot the technology."
Indeed, I could see no evidence of a computer or technology in the room. "That's what technology should look like," he said as he pressed a remote control to reveal a computer screen. "It should be all around you but you shouldn't have to see it."
According to Dertouzos, in the future, computation will be available everywhere like the air that we breathe. Hence the project name Oxygen. We will not need to carry personalized devices. In fact, any device will have the ability to personalize itself for us by downloading our data from the network.
MIT's Oxygen currently has three prototypes that work together in one single system. The Handy 21, a smartphone-like device, the Enviro 21 PC-like computer, and a networking architecture to tie the two together called Network 21.
The Handy 21 will be the users handheld computer (thus Handy) and will not have a keyboard. Instead it will have voice recognition software and a small screen. The Handy 21 will also have a camera, a microphone, speakers, GPS for tracking, wireless networking technology such as Bluetooth as well as a videophone.
In the home it will act as a node to the Envro 21 and as a remote control for household audio visual systems. When you leave the house, it will act as personal digital assistant. Pop it in your pocket, connect a wireless headset and chatter away with your buddies. Its GPS or tracking devices will guide you to your destination.
Indeed, it's much like the device that GSM vendors are telling us we will have when UMTS arrives. However, what's interesting about the Handy 21 is that all its circuitry will be digital so each time it changes function the software will be loaded to carry out that task. Furthermore, it will have two antennas - one for broadband access and another for narrow band access. That way, in the home it can use Bluetooth to deliver video telephone conversations to the user while outside it can use its narrow band connection to communicate with the rest of the world.
Keep in mind that MIT isn't claiming that it's inventing the device of the century. What it is doing is building a prototype for a ubiquitous computing environment.
The Enviro 21 will be the central control for the home or office. It will be liked to a network of sensors and actuators that will collect data such as the room temperature control the heating. It will also be linked to the security system and so on. The Network 21 will tie the whole lot together. Sounds dandy. But despite the fact that MIT's war chest is full of interesting technologies, there is still a great deal of work to be done before Oxygen becomes a reality.
Project Aura
Meanwhile, Carnegie Mellon University's Human Computer Interaction Institute in Pittsburgh is working on a similar initiative called Project Aura.
Aura works on the principle that every person should have a personal information digital aura. The aura spans desktop, personal and infrastructure computers.
But Aura is more focused on the tasks rather than the hardware. It uses speech recognition software, video cameras, language translators, or any currently available technology that will make one's life easier. Its goal is to remove the distraction from using computers. So what's new about Aura?
Well it's a #### of a system integration task for a start.
It uses computers, cameras, actuators, and sensors are embedded in the environment to allow the user to focus on tasks and ideas rather than having to boot up Widows start typing.
The Endeavour Expedition
At the University of California at Berkeley Dr. Randy Katz is heading up the school’s Endeavour (British spelling intentional) Expedition.
Sounds like some bizarre Star Trek episode but it's the school's invisible computing initiative. The focus is to design and prototype a self-organizing adaptive information system. This "fluid software" will allow data and software systems to automatically distribute themselves among a variety of information devices.
That way, Endeavour will enable the creation of applications that not only use mobile code but also nomadic data. Like Aura and Oxygen, the system will also be designed to interact with sensors and actuators (typically Micro-mechanical Devices or MEMS). However, UC Berkley has got a stage further in the creation of this vision with its Sensornet (which is part of Endeavour).
"The idea is to create context aware computing using software that can learn about its environment," says Jason Hong, a computer scientist at UC Berkeley.
Hong's particular interest is creating a set of low-level APIs that will enable devices talk to each other. For example, a Bluetooth enabled personal digital assistant may not have the ability to connect to the Internet by itself, but it maybe able to talk to a device that can. So it would send out a request that would say something like, "Does any device here have the ability to connect to the Internet?" A PC in the area may reply and the email would be sent from the Personal Digital Assistant to the PC via Bluetooth and then forwarded to the Internet.
Portolano Project
At the University of Washington, the computer science department's Portolano Project takes a slightly different approach.
The computer science department is taking advantage of the university's intention to build a new cell biology laboratory.
Professor Gaetano Borriello says that the computer science department decided that there were already too many invisible computing projects focused on the consumer market.
"However, the problem with most cell biology laboratories is that there is really no way to accurately record the experiment process," he says. "The great majority of what is done is in some biologists head and at best in a notebook somewhere."
So Professor Borriello and his team are outfitting every device in the new cell biology laboratory with radio frequency tags that can capture and record data.
For example, each sample for an experiment will have an active badge so when a biologist places it under a microscope the computer control system will know what material is being examined and at what settings. Pipettes containing chemicals will also be able to relay how much liquid is in them and how much was used in a particular experiment. The system will be augmented with speech and vision technology that will record the biologists' notes as they are working.
"Everything will be stored by a central database so that experiment can be accessed and viewed at later date," he says.
Infosphere
The Georgia Tech project's aim is to develop concepts, techniques, and tools for the next generation systems software in pervasive computing environments. The university is concentrating on two main areas of research.
First, the creation of information driven applications, such as micro region weather forecasting and virtual presence software. Second, Infopipe, system software that supports information flows through a number of environments to a number of devices. Infopipe will support and control the information flow from sensors to applications.
In the next installment, TheFeature delves into the corporate world. Microsoft, HP, SRI, Intel, Philips, Sun and IBM are all working on projects with similar goals - and from interesting perspectives. Check back soon...
Niall McKay is a contributing editor for the Red Herring magazine. He can be reached at www.niall.org.
Pfizer to form venture with IBM, Microsoft to sell software to doctors
Firms will go where others have encountered little progress
By Ann Carrns and Rebecca Buckman
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
March 29 — Drug maker Pfizer Inc., moving onto the turf of health-technology companies such as WebMD Corp., is expected to announce Thursday that it will form a joint venture with partners Microsoft Corp. and International Business Machines Corp. to sell software and services to doctors.
Briefing Book on Pfizer
THE NEW COMPANY doesn’t yet have a name or a chief executive, and the companies declined to specify how much money the participants are contributing. But in its stated goals, the venture echoes what companies such as WebMD have been trying to accomplish, with frustratingly slow results. That includes eliminating the costly administrative paperwork that ties up much of doctors’ time and automating clinical functions, such as prescribing.
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Big employers and health-policy makers increasingly are promoting the use of technology to reduce medical errors, such as those caused by illegible handwritten prescriptions. But companies such as WebMD have struggled because doctors have been slow to adopt such technologies in their daily practices, and it has been difficult to link up incompatible systems. Privacy concerns have been raised about electronic transmission of medical information.
But Pfizer and its partners nevertheless see great potential. “Technology is having, and will continue to have, an impact on health care, and, we believe, for the better,” said Peter Brandt, senior vice president of finance, planning and business development with Pfizer’s pharmaceuticals group. “For Pfizer to have a front-row seat is strategically critical.”
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The offering, he said, represents a “natural extension” of the relationship that Pfizer has with physicians through its pharmaceuticals sales force, known as “detail” representatives.
Pfizer’s 8,000 representatives won’t actually sell the software, but they will talk it up while visiting doctors to make drug pitches and refer physicians to the venture’s own sales force for follow-up. The venture mainly will target doctors who practice in small groups, rather than physicians affiliated with large clinics or research institutions.
Doctors may be wary of a software system backed by a drug company. But Mr. Brandt said there are no plans to use the new system to promote Pfizer products or to advertise to doctors. “Credibility with physicians is key to Pfizer’s core business, and we aren’t going to do anything to jeopardize that,” Mr. Brandt said.
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Plans call for the system to use the latest in Internet and wireless technologies, such as hand-held computers, to help doctors issue prescriptions, check lab orders, run their offices and even communicate by e-mail with patients. Details of how the service will be priced remain to be determined, but it is likely that doctors will be asked to pay subscription fees. The venture expects to make an acquisition of a closely held company in the next month to establish a basic product, and will build from there with a goal of introducing an expanded offering by the end of the third quarter.
IBM will provide computer hardware and installation services, and will act as the “help desk” for doctors’ practices to make sure the systems function smoothly. It is likely most practices would use the software on an “application service provider” model, in which the system is hosted and maintained off-site, allowing for easy updates and maintenance. Russell Ricci, general manager of IBM’s global health-care business, said all partners understand that the health-care-technology field is challenging, but “I so believe we can use information technology to fix a lot of what’s wrong with health care.”
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For Microsoft, the venture is a springboard to try out some of its powerful new server software for big businesses, a market in which the company is eager to gain ground. Many of Microsoft’s new servers — based on the more reliable Windows 2000 operating system — also tie into the company’s sweeping “Microsoft.NET” Internet strategy. That is Microsoft’s still-evolving attempt to Web-ify some of its existing products and develop new, Internet-based services that can run on personal computers and other devices, such as cellphones and hand-held computers.
Microsoft already has a nonexclusive strategic alliance with WebMD, under which WebMD has agreed, in part, to use Microsoft technology in its new software systems. Rich Noffsinger, Microsoft’s world-wide group manager for health care, said the new venture’s offerings will complement WebMD in part, and that Microsoft maintains partnerships with various health-oriented companies.
WebMD declined to comment on the new venture.
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Market For 'Intelligent Appliances' May Be Ripe - Study
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A. 2001 MAR 28 (NB) -- By Michael Bartlett, Newsbytes.
More than 230 companies are battling for a piece of market share of what might be the next hot technology product - the "Intelligent Appliance."
According to a new study from brokerage firm Bear Stearns, the future of Intelligent Appliances, or iAppliances, is bright.
The company defines an iAppliance as a handheld device that allows users to sent instant messages, make phone calls, listen to music, take digital pictures, watch video, schedule meetings and even surf the Internet. The device may be used at home or carried during the course of the day, and the connection to the Internet may be wired or wireless.
Bear Stearns said the development of iAppliances is being hastened by the concurrent deployment of three technologies. The first, Bluetooth, enables the wireless attachment of peripherals. The second, known as "Wi-Fi," enables wireless networks. The third is GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), or 2.5G technology, which enables cellular connections.
Ted Chung, a Bear Stearns associate analyst and co-author of the report, said the combination of the three should lead to a fundamental shift towards wireless computing.
"The convergence of the three technologies should really provide a boost for iAppliances. It is akin to a 'Perfect Storm' for the industry," he said, referring to the recent movie in which three weather fronts combined over the Atlantic Ocean to create a once-in-a-century storm.
Mobile handheld devices form one sub-segment of the iAppliance market, the study said. Spurred on by increasing use by business customers, this sub-segment is expected to experience significant growth in the next seven to 10 years. Bear Stevens predicts an increase from the present 20 million units to 200 million to 300 million units.
Wireless e-mail is one of the more popular applications of iAppliances, the study noted. It said wireless e-mail might become the standard on the majority of these devices.
According to Bear Stearns, consumers will continue to use multiple pieces of equipment rather than using a single device that tries to do everything. Andrew Neff, PC and iAppliance analyst for the firm, said there are a number of technological and logistical reasons that will prohibit the success of one all-encompassing iAppliance.
"That does not mean users will miss out, they still will be treated to incredibly convenient and valuable devices," Neff said. Consumers will use the best product in each category and will be unwilling to trade performance for the convenience of a single device. The separate units will increase their efficiency by communicating with one another, he added.
According to Neff, investors who wish to enter the iAppliance sector should identify companies that provide at least one of its component parts, which he said are hardware, software and network services. He said the key is that a company have the ability to maintain lifetime control over a customer and receive a continuous stream of revenue.
Three companies are well positioned to win market share, Neff said. He lauded Palm [NASDAQ:PALM] for its "three-pronged strategy of selling devices, licensing its operating systems and generating fees from services." He said other companies to watch include Sun Microsystems [NASDAQ:SUNW] and Immersion Corp. [NASDAQ:IMMR].
"Sun Microsystems provides critical infrastructure including industrial-strength servers and core technology," Neff said. "Immersion Corp. licenses its revolutionary TouchSense technology to the automotive, computer and other industries."
More information on Bear Stearns is available on the Web at http://www.bearstearns.com .
GEO and ARM extend collaboration to ARM PoweredTM EmblazeTM A3 videophone technology
July 23, 2000 - GEO today announced that it has signed an agreement with ARM, the industry's leading provider of 16/32-bit embedded RISC processor solutions, to extend the companies' collaboration to develop an embedded videophone platform. This agreement follows the previous deal signed between the companies for the development of the EmblazeTM A2 decoder chip combined with ARM® core-optimised software.
Under the terms of the agreement ARM and GEO will co-develop ARM PoweredTM EmblazeTM A3 video encoder and speech CODECs. GEO have used their expertise of video transmission over cellular networks to develop the Emblaze A3 videophone platform and ARM will use their unrivalled knowledge of the ARM core to optimise GEO's software for minimum memory and power consumption. Both companies will actively co-market the A3 solution and share future revenues derived from this cooperation.
GEO's ARM core-optimized A3 technology will enable two-way video communication encoding and decoding of video, voice and high-quality music, and will be used in their A3 videophone ASIC, an ARM920™ core-based platform, and as a licensable videophone software solution for use on any ARM Powered platform.
The Geo solution is the industry's first embedded mobile video architecture and includes all MPEG-4 compliant encode and decode of video, music and voice performed on an ARM processor, with no DSP or other hardware acceleration. The new platform offers significant power consumption and system cost benefits, due to the combination of Geo's systems knowledge and ARM's expertise in software optimization for its 16/32-bit architecture.
"We have been working with Geo on the development of their ARM Powered solution," said Dave Walsh, Software Systems business unit manager at ARM. "This collaboration will deliver real time-to-market advantages to customers implementing an embedded videophone platform on ARM cores. It will allow them to exploit the system cost, power consumption and flexibility benefits of a highly-optimized, software-only solution."
Sharon Carmel, Co-founder and CTO at GEO said: "We are very pleased to extend our relationship with ARM to the new A3 technology. ARM is one of the leaders in providing solutions for embedded applications. This relationship will promote both companies to sustained leadership positions in the mobile communication industry".
Emblaze
Emblaze (formerly Geo Interactive Media) is the leading provider of streaming video solutions over Wireless and IP networks. The company's world-wide patented Emblaze technology enables encoding and playback of live and on-demand video messages and content on any platform: PC's, PDA's, Video cellphones and TV.
Geo Interactive is the only company today that offers a commercial end-to-end solution for streaming of video over wireless networks from today's 2G networks (GSM, CDMA, TDMA), to 2.5G and 3G wireless networks. From media servers to video chips, Geo Interactive offers a complete solution for ISP's, Content Providers, Wireless Carriers and handset manufacturers.
Founded in 1994, Geo Interactive is listed on the London Stock Exchange (“GIM.L”) with corporate headquarters in Israel, US headquarters in New York, and representative offices worldwide including Los Angeles, London, Seoul and Tokyo.
WHOA NELLIE!!!!
read this in context with Logline's post: never know...
March 28, 2001 Firm demos streaming video on a cell phone
Israel-based Emblaze Systems rocked the CTIA Wireless 2001 exhibition in Las Vegas last week with a groundbreaking demonstration of multimedia streaming over a cell phone. The demo utilized the company's A2 video ASIC chip. In addition, the company now offers Emblaze A3, a full-duplex MPEG-4 codec that designers can use to incorporate two-way videoconferencing capabilities into cell-phone and PDA designs.
The Emblaze-enabled Samsung SPH-X2000 video cell phone is compatible with existing CDMA systems, offering speeds from 9.6 to 64 kbits/sec. In addition, the handheld unit can achieve a data transfer rate of 144 kbits/sec over CDMA2000 IX carrier networks.
Scheduled to take its bows in Asia and Europe before rolling over to America's shores, the Emblaze-enabled cell phone plays back video content that is being streamed over IS-95B and IS-95C networks. To display streaming video on the phone's color LCD, the viewer simply presses the handheld device's video function key to select from a list of available content. The experience is amazingly similar to watching regular TV.
Packaged in 133-FlexBGA, the A2Plus ASIC features a 1.8-volt core, 3-volt inputs and outputs, a maximum internal frequency of 100 MHz, and an average active power consumption of 150 milliwatts. The chip has the ability to tailor the viewing experience in terms of image size (up to QCIF resolution, 176 pixels by 144 lines) and quality to best match the available bandwidth. As bandwidth increases, the user can enjoy images within a larger display area as well as smoother transitions from frame-to-frame (up to 30 fps) along with improved image quality.
Optimized to run on an ARM CPU core, the A2Plus ASIC decoder with on-chip memory can enable a variety of multimedia applications, including on-demand video and audio, as well as live streaming, playback from memory, and still-picture viewing. The chip offers support for a variety of video and audio standards, including MPEG-4, H263 MP3, G.723.1, GSM-AMR, and AAC.
According to Rani Plaut, Emblaze's director of wireless terminals, the wireless player and encoder can be implemented in software and hardware in ways that can meet the design requirements of virtually any mobile device, operating system, and Internet browser. The main breakthrough, Plaut says, is the company's thin-client product featuring minimal memory requirements, low power consumption, and low CPU usage whenever video or audio streams are being decoded.
When deployed within a "typical" multimedia cell phone, the Emblaze A2Plus chip is integrated with an off-the-shelf baseband chip, which serves as the host. An LCD controller, together with its associated color display, supplies the cell-phone viewing screen functions. The A2Plus chip may also be interfaced with a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) for music playing, as well as a voice codec for voice capture and replay. When processing streaming video and audio, the baseband chip receives the compressed media stream from the source and then retransmits it to the A2Plus chip, which performs the decoding and sends the media on to the LCD controller, the voice codec, and/or the audio DAC. In addition, one or more optional flash-memory devices may be included to permit the phone to store content for later replay. Applications such as a video or an audio player may also be downloaded to flash memory for later use in tandem with the chip.
But what really sets Emblaze Systems apart from the pack, Plaut claims, is the end-to-end nature of the Emblaze multimedia technology. The modular architecture of the Emblaze Wireless Media Platform (WMP) can provide wireless carriers and content providers with MPEG-4 video encoding and streaming capabilities over current wireless networks. In addition, the platform can also be scaled up to next-generation networks and devices once they become available.
The Emblaze platform server is responsible for receiving, managing, storing, and streaming video content that has been received from an Emblaze Encoder, which receives, compresses, and transforms the incoming video feed into MPEG-4 format. If the Encoder is geographically located in close proximity to where the multimedia content is being created, then the content can be streamed directly to cellular users in real-time through the Emblaze Server. Or, the Emblaze Server can store the content that it receives for later distribution.
Emblaze Systems has also entered into a licensing agreement with Microsoft, under which the two companies will collaborate in the development and integration of Windows Media Technologies into Emblaze's wireless streaming technology. As a result, all future cellular phones or other devices using Emblaze technology will be able to access Microsoft Windows Media content.
Under the terms of the agreement, Emblaze will develop a customized chip that will be implemented on various RISC and DSP architectures—as well as software-only media players—to permit audio and video content to be accessed in the Windows Media format. Emblaze has also agreed to adapt its wireless backend technology to incorporate Windows Media Services running on Windows 2000 servers. In addition, Emblaze will be developing a system for carrier-grade delivery of Windows Media for telecom companies, cellular operators, and media networks. Both Microsoft and Emblaze will be jointly promoting the co-branded backend system to wireless device vendors and carriers worldwide.
—Mark Long, News Correspondent
Iomega, SonicBlue Forge Strategic Relationship
Software and hardware developer Iomega will work with device maker SonicBlue to incorporate Iomega's PocketZip storage disks into SonicBlue's Rio digital audio players. Earlier this month, Iomega announced plans to increase the capacity of PocketZip disks from 40MB to 100MB while keeping the same price. Scheduled to be available in the third quarter, the 100MB disks will continue to cost $10 to $15. Currently, Iomega's 40MB disks can be used in Iomega's HipZip player and devices from Frontier Labs and Sensory Science, among others. With the Iomega agreement, SonicBlue's Rio devices eventually will support several different media storage formats. Rio players currently use SmartMedia Flash memory cards and forthcoming models will support PocketZip and DataPlay disks. SonicBlue has an equity stake in Boulder, Colo.-based DataPlay, which is developing a 500MB disk scheduled for release later this year.
thanks.
tin/longs- i seem to recall that edig was scheduled to do some other show this spring (april?)but i can't seem to locate this. does this ring a bell. i was struck by the oddity of the show in relation to edig...
AVIOS 2001 The Conference and Exposition On Speech Technology Applications
"Separate and converging opportunities in the desktop, mobile, consumer and telephony markets."
The DoubleTree Hotel
April 2-4, 2001
San Jose, California
The Only Conference Dedicated To The Needs of Application
Developers, Designers and Project Managers In Speech Recognition, Text-To-Speech and Speaker Verification.
This is the show that gets down to the details!
The First Annual VoiceXML Forum Users Group Meeting in Conjunction with AVIOS 2001!
The DoubleTree Hotel April 5, 2001 San Jose, California.
Please check www.voicexml.org for details and agenda!
http://www.avios.com/
Palm, Motorola to make PDA cell phones
By Pui-Wing Tam, WSJ Interactive Edition
September 25, 2000 4:52 AM PT
URL:
Palm Inc. and Motorola Inc., in a move toward the convergence of cell phones and handheld computers, have agreed to co-develop and co-brand a new line of smart mobile phones.
Under an agreement to be formally announced Monday, the two companies plan to develop a phone by early 2002 that combines Palm's operating system with Motorola's wireless technology. The new device will feature a color-display screen that is larger than most cell-phone displays, and include Palm's address book and calendar features, as well as the ability to surf the Web. It will also be able to connect wirelessly or through a cradle to a computer to synchronize information, the companies said.
Palm, of Santa Clara, Calif., and Motorola, of Schaumburg, Ill., are designing the phone to fit a widely used digital cellular standard known as GSM, for global systems. But it will also work with other wireless systems in use around the world, the companies said.
The agreement is the latest step by a U.S. handheld-device maker to merge the handheld computer with the wireless phone. Last week, handheld-device maker Handspring Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., unveiled a mobile-phone attachment that transforms the Handspring Visor handheld into a cell phone and messaging device. Known as the VisorPhone, the GSM module will sell for $299 and begin shipping to customers by the end of the year.
Calling all PalmsOn Friday, Palm also announced that one of its hardware developers, RealVision, a Hong Kong company, has created a snap-on attachment -- complete with an earphone jack -- that allows users to make phone calls, as well as access the wireless Web. The GSM attachment works primarily with the Palm V series of devices. The product will be available in Asia and Europe in early 2001 for less than $299, but isn't expected to be immediately released in the United States.
Whether consumers will embrace these initiatives is a big question mark, however. Telecommunications firms such as Nokia Corp. and Qualcomm Inc. have in the past produced combined cell-phone and handheld-computing gadgets, but the clunky products flopped. Still, Palm's chief executive officer, Carl Yankowski, said: "Technologies have advanced tremendously since then, and now we have an opportunity to redefine the form factor and innovation of a new device."
Merle Gilmore, president of Motorola's Communications Enterprise, added that the new product is likely to be just the first in a family of co-developed devices with Palm. "We needed to have a co-development effort" with a wireless-data and wireless-voice firm for a combined product to really succeed, he said.
Analysts said the Palm and Motorola agreement, coupled with Handspring's recent announcement, indicates a new direction for the combined cell-phone and handheld-computing devices. "There's a real difference, since these new products may begin to look more like a handheld computer," said Christopher Fletcher, vice president of research house Aberdeen Group Inc. "The handheld-computing form factor may start to become the standard."
Fletcher added that Palm's operating system is also emerging as a winner, since both Handspring's VisorPhone and the new Motorola and Palm phones rely on the Palm platform. In contrast, handheld-device competitors such as Psion plc. appear to be behind in the race, he said.
Palm and Motorola are existing partners; in December 1999, Motorola took an equity stake in Palm. The new device is yet to be named, and both Messrs. Yankowski and Gilmore said it is too early to discuss pricing of the product. The co-branded devices will eventually be sold through Motorola's sales channels, which encompass worldwide retailers and e-tailers, among others.
Separately, anti-virus company McAfee, a unit of Network Associates, said it has identified a Palm virus that has the ability to infect and destroy application files. The virus, dubbed Phage, can spread through infrared transmission to other Palm devices, or can be passed on if it is downloaded onto a Palm device through a computer, said Vincent Gullotta, head of McAfee's anti-virus emergency-rescue team. But Gullotta said the virus, which was discovered on Thursday night, so far appears to be relatively contained.
Germany's T-Mobil Launches GPRS; Motorola's First-To-Market Solution Demonstrates Capabilities of New Mobile Data Service.
Business Editors, Telecommunications Writers
BONN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 23, 2000
Leading GSM network operator T-Mobil has announced the launch of General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) high speed mobile data on the T-D1 network in Germany. The network, enabled by Motorola (NYSE:MOT) Inc.'s Network Solutions Sector (NSS), is scheduled to launch today. The GPRS system, which includes infrastructure technology from Cisco Systems Inc., will be deployed countrywide across Germany, providing rapid mobile data service availability to all subscribers on the T-D1 network.
GPRS enables high speed access to Internet-based content and services via a mobile terminal, and opens up the mobile market to a wealth of data applications, including e-commerce, email, and data transfer.
The contract to implement Motorola's high speed Aspira(TM) GPRS core network end-to-end solution was signed in January this year. Motorola and T-Mobil conducted trials last year, with the first live GPRS call in Germany made on
the T-Mobil network in November.
T-Mobil's GPRS network will launch with Motorola's Timeport(TM) p7389i GPRS phone -- the world's first GSM tri-band GPRS handset.
A number of GPRS-enabled demonstration applications were showcased at T-Mobil's launch announcement event, highlighting the capabilities of the packet data technology and the potential of this innovative new service.
Working with California-based PacketVideo, Motorola's Aspira GPRS network carried a live video-over-GPRS demonstration, providing an illustration of possible applications including video conferencing, surveillance and remote monitoring via the mobile terminal.
The GPRS live video camera demonstration was enabled by PacketVideo's MPEG4 compliant software-based encoding, decoding, and transmission management products, which enable a variety of content and rich media applications to be delivered to mobile devices anytime, anywhere. Content was transported across the GPRS network to the end-user device. Web cameras were situated at T-Mobil's site in Bonn and at the EXPO2000 fair in Hanover, transmitting to a PDA client equipped with PacketVideo's PVPlayer(TM) decoding software, connected via infrared link to Motorola's Timeport GPRS p7389i handset.
High speed web browsing was demonstrated utilising California-based BlueKite.com's Data Reduxion(TM) technology, which optimises the bandwidth available for packet-based mobile networks such as GPRS, and for the existing mobile networks such as GSM and CDMA. The BlueKite.com solution brings the full content of the Internet to devices equipped with standard Web browsers. It turbo-charges wireless Internet access while increasing bandwidth efficiency. Wireless Internet services built with BlueKite.com technology are five times faster and 10 times more efficient. The result is wireless Internet services with wireline performance at a fraction of the cost.
Additional applications were integrated with the T-Mobil GPRS network by Invisix(TM), the Motorola and Cisco joint venture applications integration organisation, including an interactive Monopoly(R) game for the press event, proving the versatility of the GPRS solution and the different markets it can serve.
Jeff Gordon, Motorola corporate vice president and general manager of Motorola NSS for Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: "T-Mobil's success is a superb example of a leading operator working with a leading supplier to deliver an end-to-end, first to market solution for the new generation of mobile technology. We are delighted to be the enabler behind the implementation of GPRS in the new world of the wireless Internet."
Motorola has supplied T-Mobil's GSM system solutions since 1993.
Motorola's contract with T-Mobil is for the countrywide implementation of Motorola's total Aspira GPRS network solution, including the Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN), and the Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN), from Cisco. Motorola's GPRS architecture can be implemented over an existing GSM network, protecting operators' investment. Motorola's GSM infrastructure systems are GPRS-ready, requiring only a software load and PCU addition, with no modifications to existing hardware. Offering controlled evolution to third generation mobile communications, Motorola's GPRS data solution enables operators to take advantage of many new revenue opportunities. Through its alliance with Cisco, Motorola is driving market growth, developing applications and value-added services to provide operators with innovative, competitive and unique offerings for their subscriber base.
About Motorola
Motorola is a global leader in providing integrated communications solutions and embedded electronics solutions. Sales in 1999 were $33.1 billion.
For more information on Motorola's Aspira GPRS solution, please visit: http://horizongprs.motorola.com
For more information on Motorola, visit: www.motorola.com
For more information on Cisco Systems Inc., please visit www.cisco.com
For more information on Invisix, visit: www.invisix.com
For more information about PacketVideo, please visit www.packetvideo.com
For more information about BlueKite.com, please visit www.bluekite.com
Motorola Timeport p7389i GPRS phone
Motorola's Timeport p7389i GPRS phone allows easy and secure access to the Internet (a) and corporate Intranets almost anywhere in the world, users have mobile access to e-mails, train timetables, weather and traffic conditions, where roaming agreements are in place. The phone incorporates VibraCall(R) discreet alert and iTAP(TM) intelligent keypad entry software, which facilitates single-stroke text entry by predicting the word the user is trying to spell. It also offers speaker dependent voice activation, VoiceNote(TM) digital voice recorder and TrueSync(TM) multi-point synchronisation software. Users also have infrared (IrDA) wireless connection to a PC or PDA via a built-in modem, so they can access their ISP or corporate server to check email or surf the Web (a) on the move.
(a) Network and subscription dependent feature. Not available in all areas
Motorola and VibraCall are registered trademarks of Motorola Inc.
Invisix, Timeport, iTAP and Aspira are trademarks of Motorola Inc.
TrueSynch is a trademark of Starfish Software
Cisco is a registered trademark of Cisco Systems Inc.
PacketVideo and PacketVideo product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of PacketVideo Corporation
BlueKite.com and BlueKite.com product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of BlueKite.com
All other company, brand and product names contained in this release are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks which are the sole property of their respective owners.
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