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OT: Digimax India Inc launches Omnifi- Digital Car Audio Player
Yohan Contractor
April 23, 2004
http://www.techtree.com/techtree/jsp/showstory.jsp?storyid=5311
Omnifi's Digital Media Player(DMS1)is First Mobile Product in India to Facilitate Wireless Transfer of Digital Media from the Home PC to the Automobile.
The in-car Digital Media Player from Omnifi allows to wirelessly transfer CD-quality digital music, audio news and information updates from PC or Internet to Omnifi via 802.11b. The 20GB hard-drive (also upgradable to 40 GB) stores approximately 300 hours of digital audio content (MP3 or WMA). Includes DIN or surface mounted controller with LCD display, HDD cartridge & housing, wiring adapter, cables, and SimpleCenter software.
Omnifi facilitates users to easily stream the audio content stored on their computer hard drive or straight from the Internet to their vehicle without the burden of shuttling CD's back and forth. With the bandwidth 802.11B yields, a consumer's vehicle needs to be just 150 feet from the PC source in order to receive the signal. If the consumer's vehicle is outside this range, there is the option of bringing the shell-protected hard drive from the PC to the car using a standard USB connection.
With this new development in the mobile audio industry, Omnifi hopes to bridge the gap between digital PC-based audio content and a performance-oriented, mobile-based audio system.
The Omnifi mobile system consists of a remote-mounted, drop resistant, 20/40 Gigabyte storage unit. SimpleCenter software included allows for content scheduling, program syncing from the PC to the auto, complete organization of all of the digital media files and Omnifi's own News Center with hundreds of channels of information, and an easy-to-use 1-DIN front mounted digital media controller.
The Omnifi mobile system is expected to available in first week of May at all authorized Digimax India Inc car audio dealers.
Expected Price - Rs 50,000 + tax.
MH Now that is humor I can appreciate Touche! EOM
Oh he is buying 3 PVP units from someone else? Is that how many ex ediggers ordered? LOL
Kitty litter is where people like your kind end up. In piles
resqjuc You can dish it but can't take it. LOL Typical
The guys selling oranges on the freeway ramps are using Colliers same business model.... sans storefront "office". LOL
He has done well with the New company and his product(s) are in the Market place SELLING - SALES ....
What BS........... Yeah there are a few suckers born everyday. Buy a few music units you had nothing to do with, rent a store front "office", get some people with no where else to go to be your "staff", give them BS titles...and you too can be in BIG BUSINESS!!! ROFLMAO!~
Colliers JB? More like Colliers BS LOL I wonder who on this board got BS'd into lending..eerrr investing, them money?
Coliiers JB? LOL He isn't even "selling" the company he is buying froms...best. So far they are peddling older model. LOL
http://www.xclef.com/com_e.htm
LOL A never was "manager", a mail boy... errr e-sales specialist and a janitor... errrr enginer... to clean their store front "office".
Buy a no name cookie cutter player from Korea to resell, throw together a crappy webite where you bluster BS about what you would like people to believe who you are....and you have a company. LOL What losers with a capital L.
I bet there are a few suckers here that lent these guys money. ROFLMAO. When are they going public?
ipod killer? LOL Yeah They will leverage everything to put together a big order to sell to Best Buy..then surprise surprie..there is NO FIRM ORDER! OOOPPSS Sell them at a dime a dozen... LOL Looo oooo sers
OT: Microsoft beats the Street
World's largest software firm reports better than expected sales and profits, stock rises.
Thursday, April 22, 2004 Posted: 6:49 PM EDT(2249 GMT)
By By Paul R. La Monica, CNN/Money senior writer
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) -- Microsoft reported lower profits for its latest quarter, but the numbers topped Wall Street forecasts, a sign big businesses are finally starting to spend more on personal computers and new software.
Shares surged in after hours trading as investors bet that Microsoft can once again be a relatively high-growth company. Microsoft's good news could also help extend Thursday's big tech stock rally into Friday: shares of other large tech stocks with significant exposure to the PC market, such as Intel, Dell and Oracle, all rose more than 1 percent after hours.
"PC sales are strong and this quarter shows it. And Microsoft still has room for growth in the corporate segment," said Kimberly Caughey, an analyst with Parker/Hunter.
The Redmond, Wash.-based company reported fiscal third quarter net income of $1.32 billion, or 12 cents a share, a decrease of 38 percent from last year's earnings of $2.14 billion, or 20 cents a share.
However, this year's fiscal third quarter results include the cost of Microsoft's restricted stock program for employees and legal charges associated with the company's settlement with Sun Microsystems as well as a fine imposed by the European Commission for antitrust violations.
Backing out those expenses, Microsoft reported earnings of 34 cents a share, well ahead of analysts' estimates of 29 cents a share.
Sales increased 17 percent from a year ago to $9.2 billion. Wall Street had been expecting sales of $8.66 billion, according to First Call.
Mister Softee silences the doubters
Investors seemed to be encouraged by Microsoft's strong third quarter results as well as an upbeat outlook for the fourth quarter. Shares of Microsoft gained more than 5 percent in after hours trading according to Island ECN after rising 50 cents, or 2 percent, to $25.95 in regular trading on the Nasdaq Thursday.
The stock has been a weak performer for the past two years, missing out on the tech rally because of concerns about slowing growth in its core business -- selling the Windows operating system and Office software used on most of the world's computers and servers.
Microsoft's next version of Windows, dubbed Longhorn, is not due out until 2006. That has raised worries about whether Microsoft customers will want to buy any new Microsoft software until then.
But in its forecast, the company said it expects sales to be in a range of $8.9 billion to $9 billion for the fourth quarter and that earnings, excluding a 5-cent per share expense for its restricted stock compensation program, would be 28 cents a share. Analysts were predicting sales of $8.88 billion and earnings of 27 cents a share.
If Microsoft's hits the high end of its sales forecast, that would be an 11.5 percent increase in revenues from a year ago.
"Broad-based demand and solid execution across all our businesses drove outstanding results for the quarter," said Microsoft chief financial officer John Connors in a written statement. "Overall corporate IT spending continued to improve and we expect to see healthy demand through the end of our fiscal year."
During a conference call with analysts, Connors added that there has been strong evidence of a corporate recovery taking place in North America, Europe and Japan and that the company expects business PC growth will outpace consumer growth during the fourth quarter of its fiscal year.
In addition, Microsoft reported a smaller than expected decline in unearned revenue, which measures the amount of sales Microsoft expects to record from software license renewals in coming quarters, a key measure of future sales growth. Unearned revenue fell about $325 million from the second quarter, to $7.5 billion.
Investors were spooked in January when Microsoft reported that unearned revenue fell by $395 million in the second quarter and warned that unearned revenue could decline by an even larger amount in the third quarter.
A return to growth?
David Hilal, an analyst with Friedman Billings Ramsey, said Microsoft's results were proof that a corporate upgrade cycle for personal computers and servers has begun, welcome news for the company. "Enterprise spending arguably could be an even bigger boom for Microsoft than consumer spending," Hilal said.
Along those lines, Microsoft reported sharp year-over-year revenue gains in its three largest, and most corporate oriented business segments.
Sales in its client division, which includes the Windows operating system, increased 16 percent from a year ago. Server and tools sales rose 19 percent and revenue from the information worker segment, which includes Office software, increased 18 percent. All told, these three units accounted for more than 85 percent of Microsoft's total sales.
The company's smaller business segments, such as its MSN online unit and home and entertainment division, which includes the Xbox gaming console, posted strong results as well, with MSN sales rising 16 percent and home and entertainment revenues increasing by 17 percent.
MSN currently accounts for just 6.5 percent of Microsoft's total sales, but Caughey said that MSN should become a bigger part of Microsoft's business since the online advertising market has enjoyed a bit of a renaissance as of late. "MSN looks like an area for growth as well. There are more ads now than in a long long time," Caughey said.
Microsoft also gave its first look at guidance for fiscal 2005.
Its sales outlook was slightly below Wall Street's expectations, with total revenues projected to be between $37.8 billion and $38.2 billion. The consensus estimate among analysts was $38.5 billion.
Connors said the company will face tough sales comparisons in fiscal 2005 due to this year's strong growth in PC and server shipments. He added that Microsoft probably won't benefit as much from favorable currency comparisons next year. The weak dollar has helped lift sales at multinational companies like Microsoft.
But earnings for 2005, excluding stock compensation expenses, should be in a range of $1.31 and $1.33 a share, the company said. That's ahead of analysts' forecast of $1.28 a share.
That news could excite some of the growth investors that had thought Microsoft's best days were behind it. And Microsoft has recently started to intrigue some value-oriented investors as well. The company began paying a dividend last year and doubled it in September.
There has been speculation that Microsoft will raise the dividend again in the near future because the company has been rapidly settling many of its outstanding legal issues. In addition to the Sun settlement and EU fine, Microsoft settled a patent lawsuit with rival InterTrust as well as an antitrust suit with the state of Minnesota earlier this month.
Microsoft had $56.4 billion in cash on its balance sheet at the end of the quarter, up from $52.8 billion as of the end of December. Connors said at a conference in February that the company would give investors a detailed plan about what it intends to do with much of its cash no later than its next analyst meeting in July. Connors reiterated this during Thursday's conference call.
One fund manager that owns the stock said he hopes Microsoft will significantly boost its dividend, which yields just 0.6 percent. He added that despite this quarter's good news, Microsoft still faces slowing growth prospects.
"Microsoft is about as exciting as General Motors in the 50s and 60s," said Henry Hewitt, manager of the Light Revolution fund. "This was a decent quarter but so what?"
Caughey owns shares of Microsoft but her firm has no investment banking ties to the company. Hilal does not own the stock and his firm has no investment banking relationship with Microsoft.
1,000-song pocket about the right size
Last modified: April 22, 2004, 11:59 AM PDT
By CNET News.com Staff
One thousand songs is just about the right size for a portable media player, according to a survey by Jupiter Research.
The online survey found that 90 percent of consumers have no more than 1,000 songs on their PCs. And 77 percent of the consumers Jupiter questioned said they'd be interested in purchasing a portable media player with a capacity of 1,000 songs. The 4GB hard drive included in Apple Computer's iPod Mini, and in MP3 players from some Apple rivals, holds roughly that number of songs.
Apple's latest product was so popular in the United States that the Cupertino, Calif.-based computer maker had to push the player's global release back from April to July.
"Vendors such as Creative, Archos, Dell and Apple have all created hard drive music players that can hold up to and beyond 5,000 songs," the report states. "Hard drive players with such large capacity for content go above and beyond not only the music that most consumers want on their portable music player, but also beyond the digital music that they own."
Hard drive size isn't the only thing that matters to music lovers. When asked which features matter most, 55 percent listed a rechargeable battery, 52 percent said small device size, and 49 percent said the ability to connect the device to their computer. Vendors should be cognizant of these priorities, Jupiter said.
The Jupiter Research survey also found that 20 percent of consumers said playing MP3 files is important, versus 7 percent who would prefer files in Microsoft's WMA format and fewer than 1 percent who prefer the Advanced Audio Coding format, an open standard that was developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group and which is supported on Apple's iTunes music store.
Japanese audio companies prep Net-music service
By Yoshiko Hara, TechWeb News
Thursday, April 22, 2004
Eight Japanese audio manufacturers will launch a music distribution service directly to audio devices starting on 20 May.
Apple Computer will kick start the hard disk-based music distribution service with its iPod. Meanwhile, the eight companies are working to establish services that are independent from PCs and secure from unauthorised copying.
Sony Corporation, Kenwood Corporation, Pioneer Corporation and Sharp Corporporation formed a company in January 2003 to prepare a common platform for the distribution service.
The platform is based on Sony's OpenMG X copyright management technology and ATRAC3 audio compression technology, which is used for MD disks.
The four companies and four supporters -- Onkyo Corporation, D&M Holdings Incorporated (Marantz and Denon), Victor Company of Japan, Ltd. (JVC) and Yamaha Corporation -- expanded the preparatory company to establish Any Music Incorporated in February with a capital investment of ¥600 million (about US$5.6 million).
The original four companies hold a 15.9-percent share in the equity of the new company; the rest hold 9.1 percent.
Any Music will cooperate with LableGate Co Ltd, which was formed by major music label companies in Japan to distribute music over networks. It holds 38,000 music titles.
Along with a registration and monthly fees, users can download single songs or one album. Downloaded music can be moved to a portable audio player under the copy- control scheme based on Open MG X.
Any Music customers also will have access to information on songs being played on FM radio stations and will be able to make purchase CDs and download music. For this service, Any Music has recruited FM broadcasters and one of Japan's largest CD retailers as partners.
Coinciding with the launch, Sony and Pioneer announced audio systems compatible with Any Music. They include 40GB hard disk drives and will sell for about ¥110,000 (about US$1,000).
OT: Wolfson profit hope as orders hit record
JIM STANTON
DEPUTY BUSINESS EDITOR
WOLFSON Microelectronics, the Edinburgh-based semiconductor maker, today said its half-year profits could be "slightly ahead" of forecasts, on the back of rising demand for its products and improving margins.
It also said that it was continuing to see "a healthy build-up" of its first-half order book, "which is at a record level for the company".
And over the full year, the firm - originally spun out from a University of Edinburgh research project - said "our sales forecasts show continuing strong demand for our products" as manufacturers gear up for the cyclical demands of the Christmas and New Year periods.
The company, which listed on the London Stock Exchange last year, said there was growing demand for the microchips it makes, which sit at the heart of a host of hi-tech devices, including Apple’s iPod portable music player, Microsoft’s Xbox games console and Palm's Treo 600.
• In a statement ahead of its annual meeting in the Capital, the firm, which yesterday won a Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, said it was having to keep pace with growing demand for its high-capacity integrated circuits and chips for items such as portable MP3 music players and multimedia mobile phones. It also said it was increasing its influence in the DVD and digital TV markets.
Chairman John Carey said: "Wolfson continues to focus its activities on building a strong position as a mixed signal semiconductor supplier for high-performance digital consumer applications."
According to technology analysts, demand for the type of chips that Wolfson produces is expected to grow in excess of 25 per cent a year over the next few years.
In March, the firm announced full-year profits for the year to December 31, 2003 of £6.7 million - a massive jump from the £1.9m in its last full year as a private company. Sales also shot up by 125 per cent to £40.4m - the second year in a row that sales had doubled.
In the statement, Mr Carey said: "We have experienced an increased demand for our products, particularly from rapidly growing applications such as digital still cameras, MP3 players and multimedia mobile phones."
He said Wolfson would "continue to invest heavily" in research and development, adding that the firm was on course to introduce 12 new products by the end of the first half.
In response to growing demand for gadgets in countries such as China, where the economy is booming, Wolfson said it was beefing up its sales and applications teams in the Asia-Pacific region as well as its manufacturing production capabilities.
The firm said orders were now at record levels.
"This, together with invoiced sales to date, shows that revenues will meet or be slightly ahead of the analysts’ consensus for the first half of 2004," Mr Carey said.
A shuffle of the product mix had helped improve overall margins, as new higher-margin products rolled in and older or "legacy" products were phased out.
Crow to perform on airline flight to launch new Sony-United project
NEW YORK (AP) -- Sheryl Crow has performed across the country -- but never during one show.
On May 4, Crow is to perform on board a United Airlines flight marking the launch of United's partnership with Sony's new Connect Online Music Service.
"I like to think of it as taking in-flight entertainment to all new heights," Dave Keenan, vice president of UAL Loyalty Services, quipped to The Associated Press.
Sony Connect plans to have more than a half-million songs available for download for 99 cents; albums will cost $9.95. With United's "Music for Miles" program, frequent flier customers will be able to earn miles when purchasing downloads, as well as buy music with miles. Both sites will launch later this spring, Keenan said.
Crow, a select group of fans and invited guests will fly from Chicago to Los Angeles. Crow is slated to perform for 40 minutes with a guitar player for an acoustic set.
After landing, Crow will perform again at a party that will also celebrate the launch of a new Sony digital Walkman.
OT: Texas Instruments Brings Bluetooth and High-Quality Audio to Cellular Hands
HOUSTON, April 21 -- Continuing to drive faster time-to- market for the development of hands-free kits, Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN - News; TI) today announced the Hands-Free Kit (HFK) Development Platform matched with a complete Bluetooth® radio subsystem. The complete digital signal processor (DSP)-based platform provides real-time voice and audio-enhancing algorithms and includes a Bluetooth Daughter Card to empower developers to drive high-quality, cellular handset accessories to market faster, while reducing cost. For more information, see www.ti.com/hfkbt .
Meeting demand for affordable, high-quality hands-free accessories
Worldwide, the importance of hands-free technology for improving safety while driving is reflected in legislation restricting the use of handsets in 43 U.S. states, 90 percent of the European market and many other countries. Currently, consumers who want an after-market hands-free kit must choose between poor quality, self-installed units or professionally installed, high- quality, expensive units. By leveraging the programmability and flexibility inherent in DSP technology, developers can use the combined HFK Development Platform and Bluetooth Daughter Card to create lower cost products with superior audio quality, Bluetooth wireless connectivity and differentiated hands-free designs with customized features.
Included in the HFK Development Platform is Clarity Technologies Inc.'s award winning Clear Voice Capture (CVC®) echo and noise suppression software. CVC provides "full duplex" echo suppression for natural conversation and improved voice quality when used in high noise environments like automobiles by eliminating background noise, while also improving speech recognition accuracy.
An added benefit of the HFK Development Platform is its automotive-class power management system for safeguarding against the noise and voltages spikes of a vehicle's 12V battery. The HFK development platform has a separate FM transmitter so a caller's voice can be heard through the car sound system, eliminating the need for an external speaker. Integrated algorithms enable full duplex conversation with superior noise reduction. Additional HFK Development Platform features include: a dual-channel A/D converter, cPLD and three programmable LEDs and push buttons.
Bluetooth Now Available for After-Market Hands-free Kits
The Bluetooth Daughter Card incorporates the Special Interest Group- certified TAIYO YUDEN Bluetooth module based on TI's BRF6100 single-chip Bluetooth device and Stonestreet One's Bluetopia(TM) software stack. Ideal for mobile device manufacturers wanting to quickly and easily add Bluetooth functionality, the BRF6100 was the industry's first Bluetooth chip to use digital radio frequency (RF) technology. Leveraging TI's patented digital RF and 0.13u process, the BRF6100 is one of the industry's smallest, most power efficient and least expensive Bluetooth solution, and the full module is only 9.8 mm x 9.6 mm x 1.65 mm. The Bluetooth software from Stonestreet One, Bluetopia, is a full-featured protocol stack including the HCI (Host Controller Interface), L2CAP (Logical Link and Adaptation Protocol), SDP (Service Discovery Protocol), RFCOMM (Radio Frequency Serial Communications Port Emulator) and OBEX (Object Exchange) functionality. This protocol stack enables even developers new to Bluetooth to immediately begin product evaluation and development. Bluetopia also includes the following profiles: headset, hands-free, generic access and serial port.
Seamless Integration for Faster Time to Market
The Bluetooth HFK Development Kit integrates the hardware and software developers need, from low-level LED drivers to easy-to-use application programming interfaces (APIs) behind the complete audio and Bluetooth subsystems, to quickly develop quality, hands-free kit systems.
"Texas Instruments recognizes that with the growing demand for hand-free kits, our customers want faster time to market with high performance products," said Mathew Divjak, HFK marketing manager, TI. "To give our customers a competitive advantage we've brought together fully-optimized audio and Bluetooth providers to create a comprehensive and open development platform targeted specifically at the hands-free market."
The HFK Development Platform provides a solid baseline design, so developers are able to focus on differentiating their products with advanced features rather than wasting valuable time creating system-level software from scratch. The system-level software is available in a standard, off-the-shelf software package. Available overhead on the TMS320C5407 DSP, the processor of the HFK, is in the range of 30 MIPS, which provides sufficient headroom for implementing unique, value-added features. In addition, the C5407 has a large internal ROM available for program storage, potentially eliminating the need for external memory. TI also helps customers identify appropriate third parties who created optimized algorithms for such features on TI's DSPs.
Pricing and Availability
Available today, the HFK Development Platform (TDMSHFK5407) is priced at $1,495 and includes the C5407 DSP motherboard with CVC software from Clarity. Also priced at $1,495, the Bluetooth Daughter Card Kit (TMDSBTC) will be available in the third quarter of 2004 and includes the Bluetopia stack from Stonestreet One. Both the Development Platform and Daughter Card include a comprehensive board support package with Code Composer Studio(TM) (CCStudio) library examples, application notes, user guides and full schematics, which are useful for immediate development. Royalty-free evaluation and testing licenses are available for the software from Clarity and Stonestreet One. Developers must have access to CCStudio v2.2, a JTAG emulator, amplified speaker and a microphone for implementation. For more information see www.ti.com/hfkbt or contact the Product Information Center at (972) 644-5580.
About Clarity Technologies
Clarity Technologies Inc., a venture-backed company based in Troy, Michigan, established in April 1998, develops and markets a suite of award winning software products and algorithms (CVC® - Clear Voice Capture) that dramatically improve wireless voice communications, the quality and accuracy of voice-based user interfaces and speech recognition software programs, particularly in noisy real world mobile environments. Clarity is the only associate member of the Bluetooth SIG that provides noise and echo cancellation technology. ClarityLabs is a services division of Clarity Technologies, Inc. and provides companies with the ability to evaluate, select and integrate speech recognition technology for their voice-based applications in addition to providing porting services and soon an independent and objective voice quality certification process.
About Stonestreet One
Stonestreet One, based in Louisville, Kentucky, designs, develops and integrates short-range wireless solutions and has been developing custom Bluetooth solutions for a diverse group of customers since 1999. Stonestreet One's designs and software are enabling and enhancing wireless devices in industries such as mobile communications, biomedical, material handling, consumer products, aerospace and automotive. Stonestreet One is a Bluetooth design partner for a number of leading semiconductor, electronic component manufacturers and distributors. For more information about Stonestreet One, please visit www.stonestreetone.com .
About TAIYO YUDEN
Now in its 54th year, Tokyo-based TAIYO YUDEN CO., LTD is a worldwide manufacturer of surface-mount and leaded passive components, Bluetooth modules, power electronics modules, power supplies and recordable digital media. With aggressive Bluetooth research, development and strategic partnerships, TAIYO YUDEN has become the world's leading provider of Bluetooth modules. TAIYO YUDEN employs more than ten thousand people worldwide and reports annual sales of nearly US$1.5B. For more information about TAIYO YUDEN, please visit www.ty-top.com .
About Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP and analog technologies to meet our customers' real-world signal processing requirements. In addition to Semiconductors, the company's businesses include Sensors & Controls, and Educational & Productivity Solutions. TI is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has manufacturing, design or sales operations in more than 25 countries.
Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TXN. More information is located on the World Wide Web at www.ti.com .
TI releases handsfree platform with Bluetooth
April 21, 2004 12:15 PM EST
HOUSTON—Texas Instruments has released a new Hands-Free Kit (HFK) Development Platform and a Bluetooth subsystem to go with it.
According to TI, combining the digital signal processor (DSP)-based platform with a Bluetooth solution means higher quality, faster time-to-market and lower costs for developers than without the combination.
The development platform features Clarity Technologies Inc.’s Clear Voice Capture echo and noise suppression software to eliminate background noise and improve speech recognition accuracy. It also features an automotive-class power management system and includes a portable microphone or FM transmitter so a caller can be heard through the car’s sound system.
Meanwhile, the matching Bluetooth Daughter Card features Taiyo Yuden’s Bluetooth module, based on TI’s BRF6100 single-chip Bluetooth device, and Stonestreet One’s Bluetopia software stack.
“To give our customers a competitive advantage we’ve brought together fully optimized audio and Bluetooth providers to create a comprehensive and open development platform targeted specifically at the hands-free market,” said Mathew Divjak, HFK marketing manager at TI.
TI is selling the solution to companies that develop hands-free kits and automotive customers. Both the HFK Development Platform and the Bluetooth Daughter Card retail for $1,495.
Japanese Audio Companies Prep Net-music Service
April 21, 2004 (11:19 a.m. EST)
By Yoshiko Hara , TechWeb News
Tokyo -- Eight Japanese audio manufacturers will launch a music distribution service directly to audio devices starting on May 20.
Apple Computer Inc. will kick start the hard disk-based music distribution service with its iPod. Meanwhile, the eight companies are working to establish services that are independent from PCs and secure from unauthorized copying.
Sony Corp., Kenwood Corp., Pioneer Corp. and Sharp Corp. formed a company in January 2003 to prepare a common platform for the distribution service. The platform is based on Sony's OpenMG X copyright management technology and ATRAC3 audio compression technology, which is used for MD disks.
The four companies and four supporters - Onkyo Corp., D&M Holdings Inc. (Marantz and Denon), Victor Company of Japan, Ltd. (JVC) and Yamaha Corp. - expanded the preparatory company to establish Any Music Inc. in February with a capital investment of ¥600 million (about $5.6 million). The original four companies hold a 15.9-percent share in the equity of the new company; the rest hold 9.1 percent.
Any Music will cooperate with LableGate Co. Ltd., which was formed by major music label companies in Japan to distribute music over networks. It holds 38,000 music titles. Along with a registration and monthly fees, users can download single songs or one album. Downloaded music can be moved to a portable audio player under the copy- control scheme based on Open MG X.
Any Music customers also will have access to information on songs being played on FM radio stations and will be able to make purchase CDs and download music. For this service, Any Music has recruited FM broadcasters and one of Japan's largest CD retailers as partners.
Coinciding with the launch, Sony and Pioneer announced audio systems compatible with Any Music. They include 40-Gbyte hard disk drives and will sell for about ¥110,000 (about $1,000).
Based just on your own experience, who do you think is more likely to be playing games here, EDIG or F-T?
How about a third choice? owd3????
OT: Creative MuVo2 4GB
Challenge the masses of iPod mini users with Creative's entry in the new mini-MP3 scene.
By Andrew Hawn
If Apple's fancy collection of iPod portable players is too rich for your blood, don't fret. Cheaper players exist. At just under $200, Creative's MuVo2 is one of them. Though it may not be as come-hither looking or easy to use as the iPod mini, this is a competent enough MP3 player for most average users to enjoy.
Smaller than the mini, you say?
Smaller and more compact than the iPod mini, the $199 MuVo2 measures a scant 2.6 x 2.6 inches and weighs just 3.5 ounces. The MuVo2 will easily fit in a front shirt pocket or small purse and has a simplified two-button layout that allows you to move through music and navigate menus with only one hand.
For the price you get a pair of very basic ear buds, a take-it-or-leave-it carrying case, and Creative's less than user-friendly MediaSource organization and playback software. The player supports MP3, WMA, and WAV audio formats and held up to an impressive 13 hours of playback time in our tests. For a player this size, that's not bad.
Sound quality was no better or worse than any of the other drive-based players that I have listened to. However, I can say that I was impressed with the quality of my collection of 160-Kbps WMA tracks using better quality Ultrasone headphones.
Here are some of the MuVo2's main features.
4GB of storage capacity
Playback of MP3, WMA and WAV file formats
USB 2.0 connectivity
Useful as a plug-and-play hard drive for regular storage
Removable, replaceable lithium-ion battery
Driverless compatibility with Windows Media Player 9
The most useful thing about the MuVo2 is its simplified connectivity to Windows XP and Apple Macintosh systems. Requiring no drivers, you simply plug the MuVo2 into an open USB 2.0 port to drag-and-drop tunes to and from the portable player. Synching with Windows Media Player is boneheaded simple, but you obviously won't get the smooth-as-silk iPod synching functionality in the Mac environment.
Mac compatible, yes! Finger compatible, no...
The MuVo2's drive-based compatibility is a good thing, since Creative's software is needlessly confusing and hard to use. Also difficult to use is the two-button layout. The smaller-than-dime-sized main control button is a real pain, particularly if you have bigger fingers and need to move from one side of your music collection to the other.
It surprises me that Creative didn't think to use more of the player's available space to ease navigation, iPod style. The screen also seems needlessly small, but that's probably where it saves on all that battery life.
Like the iPod mini, the MuVo2 won't be for everyone, especially if you have a vast digital audio collection. But if you really have better things to do with the $50 that it will save you over the iPod mini, this player is good enough for the basics.
Watch TechTV's "Fresh Gear" airing Tuesday, April 27 for more details!
Pros: Very small size for a drive-based player; great battery life; good driverless compatibility
Cons: Useless included software; menu and track navigation is a challenge; difficult read display.
Company: Creative
Price: $199
Originally posted April 14, 2004
It is my understanding that arbitration WAS specified in the contracts
Hope TGE doesn't try to do something similar
The Chinese stealing technology/intellectual property?
Nahhhhhhhhhhh..........
LOL
Big disk makers spin up tiny drives
By Rick Merritt
EE Times
April 19, 2004 (11:50 AM EDT)
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Hard-disk makers Seagate, Maxtor and Toshiba are expected to enter the market for 1-inch or smaller drives as MP3 players kick this once-sleepy sector into a higher gear.
For many companies, the ultimate goal is finding the right form factor and interface to embed the drives in to high-volume cellular phones, a job some say could take years.
Preparations by the established drive makers come as startup Cornice Inc. (Longmont, Colo.) plans its second generation of embedded 1-inch drives — its first product line with separate models optimized for capacity, price and size. The drives will appear in several high-end cell phones starting early next year, said Scott Holt, the startup's executive vice president of sales and marketing.
Cornice has carved out a low-cost niche by linking host CPU and memory to a simplified 8-bit, 20-pin interface instead of using an on-board drive controller. Its next-generation drives will go another step in that direction by handing off read-channel processing to the host and squeezing the drive interface down to nine or 10 pins and a narrower signaling range.
The drives will shave peak power consumption from 250 to 230 milliamps and nonoperating power consumption from 80 microamps to less than 10. Curt Bruner, chief technology officer of Cornice, said the latter figure is key because the drives, used primarily for archival storage, spend most of their time in a standby state.
At the top hard-disk maker, Seagate Technology Inc., president William Watkins has said the Scotts Valley, Calif., company later this year will announce drives smaller than the 2.5-inch models it rolled out for notebooks last June. A Seagate spokesman called digital cameras and MP3 players — not cell phones — the initial targets. But the company refused to give product details and declined requests for interviews.
Toshiba, by contrast, is vocal about its plans to pioneer an embedded drive in a new 0.85-inch form factor, which will sample late this summer at 2- and 4-Gbyte capacities. Its primary targets are cell phones and PDAs. The drives will cut a third off the volumetric size of current 1-inch drives and consume about 0.5 watt.
Toshiba sees a variety of drivers for the small disks, including the embrace by cell phones and PDAs of broadcast TV, global positioning satellite services, pictures, and downloaded MP3 files and applications software. "There are many things that will be drivers and cell phones themselves will change," said Amy Dalphy, a hard-disk business manager at Toshiba America Information Systems (Irvine, Calif.).
Enseo Announces Four New, Industry-Leading Products for High-End Video-on-Demand and Digital Signage Applications
RICHARDSON, Texas --(Business Wire)-- April 19, 2004 -- Enseo, Inc.:
-- Alchemy HD Supports Multi-Channel, High-Definition MPEG Decode;
-- DVinci HD Adds Full-Color Graphics, Text & Web Animation;
-- PC104+ Offers Multi-Channel, Multi-Media Capabilities for Embedded Systems;
-- Alchemy Efx Combines Video and Graphic Effects
Enseo, Inc., a recognized leader in the digital video and graphics industry, announced the launch of four new high-end products in the areas of Video On Demand (VOD) and digital signage. The new products include Alchemy HD, the industry's first product for multi-channel, high definition MPEG decode; DVinci HD, which adds full-color graphics, text and web animations; PC104/+, the world's first multi-channel, multimedia product for embedded system applications; and Alchemy Efx, which supports mixing of live standard definition video, high-quality MPEG 1 / 2 video, graphics overlays and web effects.
Enseo will be featuring the four new products at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Convention April 19-22 in Las Vegas (booth #SL673).
"We are very proud of our efforts this year and the amount of significant technology that we have brought to the market," said Vanessa Ogle, CEO of Enseo. "We have made significant advances in Video-on-Demand with the introduction of our Alchemy HD product, as well as in the area of graphics and video with the multiple advancements with both Alchemy Efx and DVinci HD. Alchemy PC104/+ launches us into the Linux world and into other markets."
Alchemy HD
Alchemy HD stands out as the digital signage industry's first product for multi-channel, high-definition MPEG decode. It includes the ability to take standard definition MPEG video and up-convert it to high definition or take high definition MPEG video and simultaneously output standard definition. Alchemy HD is also a powerful audio tool as it decodes MPEG levels 1 and 2, MP3, and WAV files and outputs balanced differential audio as well as digital PCM, AC3 and Sp/Diff. Alchemy HD is available in one to four-output channel configurations.
DVinci HD
As Enseo's newest and most powerful high-end MPEG video / graphics mixer, DVinci HD offers impressively powerful capacity for decoding HD MPEGs of up to 45 mbps and for processing graphics with its dedicated 2D graphics engine. DVinci HD also delivers the ultimate in flexibility as it allows virtually any input source (SD, HD, MPEG 1, 2, and 4, analog SD or HD input) to be combined with true 32-bit graphics and output in all standard video formats. This encompasses DVI, SD resolution and HD resolution analog video through composite, component, S-video, and XVGA resolutions. High definition genlock as well as standard definition genlock is also supported with this product. DVinci HD also constitutes a powerful audio tool as it decodes MPEG levels 1 and 2, MP3, and WAV files and outputs balanced differential audio as well as digital PCM, AC3 and Sp/Diff.
Alchemy PC104/+
Alchemy PC104/+ is the world's first multi-channel product of its kind for embedded systems applications. This groundbreaking product combines the performance of MPEG video, the power of Enseo's Digital Media Engine, Alchemy, and the embedded PC104/+ architecture to deliver the first multi-channel, multi-media product of its kind. Alchemy PC104/+ is a multi-channel MPEG video and audio decoder designed for deployment in demanding VOD and media retrieval environments, such as airlines, cruise lines, military and industrial security applications, where the robust nature of the PC104/+ architecture may be exploited for multi-media capabilities for the first time. A unique PA audio override feature makes the product ideal for transportation entertainment systems and transit security or defense applications. Alchemy PC104/+ has current design wins and FAA approval for in-flight VOD applications.
Alchemy Efx
Alchemy Efx constitutes a breakthrough product for Enseo and for the digital signage industry because of its advanced capabilities for combining video and graphic effects. This product is available in a one-output channel configuration and supports full hardware decode of MPEG 1 / 2 standard definition video, full-screen or in a window, with either simultaneous or independent display. Full 32-bit graphics capability allows bitmap overlays, scrolling text or graphics, blending, and even animated web surfaces to be displayed on each channel blended with or next to the digital video. Drivers for Windows 2000 and Windows XP are included. Enseo's exclusive Author/On the Air application software for creating and scheduling the dynamic output of the product also is available. Alchemy Efx supports flexible video output, including composite video, S-Video, component RGB, and RGB VGA, as well as NTSC and PAL input and output for international venues.
About Enseo, Inc.
Enseo is a leading manufacturer of video servers and board level components for Video-on-Demand, Digital Signage, Visual Merchandising, Education and Broadcast applications. Enseo products offer the ultimate most flexibility available today for displaying video and graphics simultaneously on virtually any display device.
More than 10,000 installations have been completed over the last four years. Installation markets and sites include sports arenas, themed entertainment venues, museums, retail shops, schools, malls, financial institutions, cable channels, hotels, car dealerships, restaurant/bars, houses of worship, hospitals and cruise ships. Enseo, Inc. is located at 401 International Parkway, Suite 100, Richardson, TX 75081.
For product information, call 972-234-2513, direct e-mail to sales@enseo.com or visit the company's web site at www.enseo.com.
[ Back To TMCnet
The U.S. patent process imperils innovation.
April 19, 2004
When Microsoft and Sun announced their rapprochement this month, one tangible benefit to both was the resulting settlement of patent disputes. Like Cold War superpowers agreeing to reduce nuclear stockpiles, Sun and Microsoft have stepped back from their own form of mutual assured destruction. At their level, patent fights can have no winners—but every IT company craves a patent portfolio to put itself in, as it were, the nuclear club.
Like nonaligned nations scrambling to devise their own nuclear weapons programs, IT firms such as Apple, Amazon and Eolas have sought head-table status by pushing the limits of "novel, useful, and non-obvious"—the three-legged stool of patentability. Apple wants to patent the user interface of the iPod, Amazon claims to hold a patent on a way of using browser cookies and Eolas—in a rare but welcome sign of patent-office sanity—has just lost its patent on embedding rich-media objects in Web pages.
Patent applications such as Apple's 20040055446 make us want to say, "Oh, grow up." Apple claims to have invented the interface mode in which "a first order, or home, interface provides a highest order of user selectable items each of which, when selected, results in an automatic transition to a lower order user interface associated with the selected item." We saw this 25 years ago in VisiCalc, saw it improved in Lotus 1-2-3 and have since become accustomed to seeing it in almost every appliance with a display screen. Novel? No.
Patents such as Amazon's 6,714,926 inspire activists like the GNU Project's Richard Stallman to call for a boycott against the company. That patent's abstract begins, "A Web site system implements a process for storing selected data structures within browser cookies. The data structures may contain a variety of different types of data elements, including N-bit integers and other non-character elements." To us, this sounds like a description of what a cookie does combined with a description of what a data structure does. Nonobvious? No.
The patent-process malady may aptly be called a cancer: Its major symptom is uncontrolled, undifferentiated growth of a system that has wrongly measured its performance by the number of patents it grants. As technology cycles grow shorter, the current process takes too long and does too much; its flurries of ill-founded patents are invitations to enter a tournament in which the biggest litigation budget wins. Needed is better use of community expertise to winnow out meritless applications, followed by quick, authoritative approval of the worthy.
Too many patents, like too many weapons, make the world a more dangerous place for people who just want to get on with their lives—and perhaps even make the world a bit better by implementing and refining ideas. We urge industry, legislators and the executive branch to restore the U.S. patent process to its constitutionally defined purpose of promoting "progress of science and useful arts."
eWEEK is interested in your opinion. Send your comments to eWEEK@ziffdavis.com.
Despite issues, it's tough to dislike the Zvue personal video player
By Mike Langberg
Mercury News
Posted on Mon, Apr. 19, 2004
I want to dislike the Zvue, a personal video player that sells for just $149, but I can't.
HandHeld Entertainment, the San Francisco company which introduced the portable device late last year, over-promised and under-delivered. There's no user manual, the online customer support site is skeletal and the company's business model looks flawed.
Yet the Zvue (www.zvue.com), much to my surprise, actually does a decent job of playing back video on its 2 1/2-inch color LCD screen, and works well as an MP3 music player. At such a low price, that's remarkable.
If nothing else, then, Zvue is a look at things to come.
There's already a well-established market for digital music players, which use either memory cards or small hard disks to store music in MP3 and other compressed formats. The obvious next step is adding a color screen to these gadgets, so they can play back video as well as audio.
Two companies have pioneered in portable audio/video players: Archos (www.archos.com) with its AV300 product line and RCA (www.rca.com) with its Lyra RD2780. But these hard-disk-based models cost $400 or more.
Microsoft is about to stomp into the category with its Portable Media Center, a hard-disk-based design adopted by several electronics companies including Creative Labs, iRiver and Samsung. The first generation, due later this year, will probably cost well north of $300.
There are also persistent rumors Apple Computer is about to introduce a color-screen version of its wildly popular iPod. Then again, there are rumors Apple Chairman Steve Jobs will take the top job at Walt Disney and replace the company's mouse-ear logo with a silver apple. You just never know.
Meanwhile, at least for now, Zvue has the sub-$200 portable A/V player market all to itself.
The blue-and-silver Zvue looks like a chubby cell phone, weighing 8 ounces with the four AA batteries required for power, and measuring 2 3/4 inches wide by 4 1/4 inches high by 1 1/8 inches deep.
The color screen, 2 inches wide by 1 1/2 inches high, occupies the upper half of the Zvue's face, above several control buttons. There's no built-in speaker, so you have to listen to video clips and music through headphones.
There's a slot on top of the Zvue for inserting SD or MMC memory cards, those little black rectangles not much bigger than postage stamps. The Zvue comes with a paltry 32-megabyte (MB) card, so buyers will need to shell out another $75 for a 256 MB card.
Video, music and digital still pictures are loaded onto the memory card either by connecting the Zvue directly to a personal computer through an included USB cable, or by taking the card out of the Zvue and putting it into a memory card reader attached to a PC. You then just click and drag files from your PC to the Zvue's memory card.
Uses MP3 format
The Zvue plays music in the ubiquitous MP3 format and displays digital still pictures in the equally familiar JPEG format.
Video is a bit more complicated.
HandHeld Entertainment claims the Zvue will play many common video formats, including MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and DivX -- video files with names ending in .avi, .mpg and .divx. Zvue also plays a proprietary format developed by the company, HHe, for copy-protected video.
A program called Zflicks, provided with the unit and running on Windows PCs, massages video files to exactly fit the Zvue's screen -- which measures 240 pixels by 160 pixels -- and speed of 15 frames per second.
I tried several times to get .avi and .divx files to run on the Zvue, with no success. Only after running the clips through Zflicks did I get motion and sound.
The surprise, as I said above, was the good quality of playback once I got my video clips working.
Despite the relatively low screen resolution and the low frame rate -- half the 30 frames per second of broadcast television -- motion was smooth. The images weren't excessively fuzzy or drained of color, problems I've seen before with video on small screens. Audio quality, both for video and MP3 music, was good.
The Zvue fell short, however, in displaying digital still pictures. Even when cropped to the precise dimensions suggested by HandHeld Entertainment, JPEGs looked blocky and out of focus.
Still, I'd rate the Zvue as an acceptable way to check out the new idea of carrying videos as well as music in your pocket.
Be warned, however, that you must be strongly self-reliant to get started with Zvue, given HandHeld Entertainment's weak grasp on the concept of customer support.
The player comes with a one-sheet quick-start guide, and the company's Web site offers nothing more than a Frequently Asked Questions page with a mere 11 questions and answers.
At one point while trying out Zvue, my unit's screen suddenly went entirely white and refused to function further. I thought it had died. Only after calling a company spokesman did I discover the cause: low batteries. Putting in fresh AAs, which last six to eight hours, brought the Zvue immediately back to life. Why such crucial troubleshooting information isn't on Zvue's Web site is beyond comprehension.
That's not all of HandHeld Entertainment's problems. When the company first announced Zvue last summer, the product was promised for October ``at major retailers nationwide.''
Late launch
The launch slipped into December, and the company only met its self-imposed Christmas deadline by shipping a small number of units via overnight delivery on Dec. 24. Early units didn't include software for playing anything other than HHe video; an upgrade that included Zflicks didn't arrive until March. The company is still selling a stripped-down $99 version of Zvue with the video software and USB cable. Avoid it.
No major retailers are selling Zvue. For now, it's only available by ordering direct from the company and at Discovery Channel stores.
HandHeld Entertainment also made a big noise last year about selling video programs in HHe format on what it calls Zcards. But, as of last week, the available Zcard library consisted of just 12 titles -- mostly focused on snowboarding and skateboarding -- running 20 to 25 minutes and costing $14.99. Hardly a bargain when DVD movies go for about the same price.
If the company is selling Zvue at or below cost, which I'd bet is a distinct possibility, and hopes to make a profit from Zcards, then HandHeld Entertainment could disappear faster than a pet-food dot-com.
Finally, HandHeld Entertainment is walking an ethical tightrope. In a section of Zvue's Web site explaining how to acquire songs and video, the company points its customers to Kazaa and Limewire -- two sites notorious for enabling music and movie piracy. After I mentioned this to a company spokesman last week, the link to Kazaa suddenly vanished.
There are lots of legitimate ways to use a portable audio/video player. HandHeld Entertainment is showing an astonishing lack of judgment by, in effect, encouraging its customers to bootleg. If there's a lesson here, I suppose it's that even a clueless company can occasionally create a worthwhile product.
Tatung
PortalPlayer, Microsoft and HP connected. They have new PVP/jukebox (photo jukebox) coming out this summer as well as portable media player due about same time.
Tatung introduces second-brand for promoting digital home products, aims at revenues of NT$120 billion in 2004
Taiwan-based IT product maker Tatung yesterday introduced its second-brand, the elio, as a means to help expand sales of its digital home products. The company had marketed its products solely under the Tatung-brand for the past 85 years.
While introducing the new brand, company president WS Lin also unveiled its first elio-branded MP3 player, the elio PJ, for sale initially in Taiwan.
The elio PJ is a portable multimedia player featuring a 2.2-inch color display and a 20GB hard disc. It supports music downloads, audio recording and video display. The elio PJ will be available in June domestically and could be available for overseas sales by year-end.
Photo Jukebox
Tatung was also giving a first showing to the Photo Jukebox, a palm-size storage enclosure utilizing a 1.8-inch hard drive. This device can store digital still images, and play them as a slideshow, with the unit connected to a TV. This player-jukebox can also store and playback MP3 and WMA files. This product will be launched this first quarter, with capacities of either 20 GB or 40 GB. It is expected to retail for under US$300.
Tatung was also giving an initial showing to a portable (palm-size) MPEG4 video player. This is scheduled to be launched in a
June/July 2004 timeframe.
Senior manager Rebecca Hsiao commented that Tatung is now attempting brand operations, even though previously the company has focused almost exclusively on OEM/ODM. With careful channel management, Hsiao believes conflicts with customers or potential customers can be avoided: "We think the market is big enough."Tatung aims to reach NT$120 billion in revenues in 2004, a 43.5% increase over the NT$83.64 billion it generated in 2003, Lin said.
LCD and PDP (plasma display panel) TVs will continue to be the key drivers of the company’s revenue growth, Lin said.
The company will start marketing a 32-inch LCD TV in Taiwan in the second quarter, in addition to existing 17-, 20-, 23-, 27- and 30-inch models. Tatung also plans to bring 46- and 50-inch PDP TVs into the market in the second half.
Combined shipments of LCD and PDP TVs are expected to reach a million units this year, Lin said.
http://www.etmag.com/publication/magazine/2004-01/62.htm
http://www.tatung.com/news/cebit2004.htm
http://www.tweakers.net/reviews/487/5
http://www.portalplayer.com/news-and-events/photo_jukebox.htm
Related stories:
Four Taiwan vendors join Microsoft Windows CE 5.0 partnership program (Apr 7)
Tatung receives PDP and LCD TV orders from Wal-Mart, says paper (Mar 22)
Tatung to set up production base in Czech Republic this May (Mar 18)
Brief: Taiwan’s Tatung sells 200 million CPT shares at just 3% discount in GDR issue (Mar 9)
Tatung aims to ship 500,000-600,000 LCD TVs in 2004 (Feb 25)
Tatung to ship 42-inch PDP TVs to HP (Feb 18)
OTNETGEAR Wireless Digital Music Player Bags VH1 Divas Gift Giveaway
Friday April 16, 8:30 am ET
'Divas' Find MP101 Wireless Digital Music Player in Gift Bags at Benefit Concert
SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- NETGEAR, Inc. (Nasdaq: NTGR - News), a worldwide provider of technologically advanced, branded networking products, today announced that the NETGEAR MP101 Wireless Digital Music Player will be among the ultra-hip products in the exclusive gift bags presented to participants of the seventh annual "VH1 Divas" concert on Sunday, April 18th at 9:00 pm ET/PT benefiting the Save the Music Foundation.
The "VH1 Divas" concert will air live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas with performances by Patti Labelle, Jessica Simpson, Ashanti, Eve, Tom Jones, Cyndi Lauper, Gladys Knight, Debbie Harry, Joss Stone and The Pussycat Dolls featuring Carmen Electra. Usher, Tyra Banks, Nia Vardalos, Rebecca Romjin Stamos, Mischa Barton, Jessica Alba, and Darryl Hannah will also appear. Each VIP will be treated to a NETGEAR MP101 in appreciation for their support.
"We're very excited to have NETGEAR's MP101 wireless digital music player included in this year's 'Divas' benefit," said David James, NETGEAR's product manager for the MP101. "We developed the MP101 because we wanted people to be able to enjoy digital music throughout their homes on their existing stereos instead of being chained to their PCs. We're glad to be able to contribute to this worthwhile charity in our small way."
VH1's "Divas" specials raise funds for the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring instrumental music programs in America's public schools and to raising awareness of the positive impact that music participation has on students. More than $25 million worth of musical instruments has been donated to 1000 public schools in 80 cities.
NETGEAR's MP101 Wireless Digital Music Player is the industry's first affordable and easy to use wireless network adapter for home stereos, resulting in a whole-home "wireless hi-fi" experience. The MP101 connects any stereo system in the household to the wired or wireless home network, enabling consumers to enjoy their collection of digital music files stored on any PC from the comfort of any room in the home. Besides music files, the MP101 streams RealNetworks' Rhapsody(TM) Internet jukebox service, which offers music lovers legal access to 620,000 songs.
Compatible with 802.11b and 802.11g wireless networks, the MP101 features an antenna to enable an Internet connection to the home network at one end, and connects to the audio input jacks of any stereo system at the other end. The MP101's remote control and its large built-in LCD display enables users to select the desired playlist of MP3 and Windows Media format music files stored on any networked PCs, sending the music directly to the stereo speakers.
Backed by a one-year warranty and 24/7 technical support, the NETGEAR MP101 Wireless Digital Music Player is available at the NETGEAR online store (www.buynetgear.com) and through leading retailers and e-commerce sites for an estimated U.S. street price of $149. Included with the purchase of the MP101 is a 30-day free trial to RealNetworks' Rhapsody Internet jukebox service.
About NETGEAR, Inc.
NETGEAR designs technologically advanced, branded networking products that address the specific needs of small and medium business and home users. The Company's suite of approximately 100 products enables users to share Internet access, peripherals, files, digital multimedia content and applications among multiple personal computers and other Internet-enabled devices. NETGEAR is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.netgear.com or call 408-907-8000.
NOTE: NETGEAR®, and the NETGEAR logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Netgear, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Information is subject to change without notice. All rights reserved.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for
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Founder of eMachines doles out $72 million in employee bonuses
By Mike Freeman
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
April 16, 2004
Employees at eMachines received hefty bonuses after the Irvine company was acquired by Poway-based Gateway last month.
A spokesman for the low-cost computer maker confirmed yesterday that founder Lap Shun "John" Hui handed out checks to the firm's 140 employees. The checks amounted to at least 30 percent of their annual salaries.
Everyone from warehouse workers to executives received bonuses, with some top managers getting nearly $100,000.
The Orange County Register reported the story yesterday, quoting Hui and the chief executive at eMachines, Wayne Inouye, who is now chief executive of Gateway.
Gateway bought eMachines for $30 million in cash and 50 million shares of restricted stock in a deal valued at $289 million.
Based on the estimated value of Gateway shares at the time the deal closed, Hui distributed about $72.5 million to workers – or more than half the $129.5 million profit he made from the sale.
"Typically, an owner would keep everything," Inouye said. "But John felt very strongly that every employee should be rewarded and share in the transaction."
Hui, who kept about $57 million in profits, said rewarding workers is smart business. "I'm not a generous guy. I end up with the most," he told The Register.
The news about the bonuses apparently caught Gateway managers in Poway off guard. The company has been telling reporters for weeks that Inouye and other executives were unavailable for interviews, particularly leading up to the company's April 29 earnings report.
While Gateway is the acquiring company, most of the surviving top executives are from privately held eMachines. The company also has announced that it is moving its headquarters this summer from Poway to Irvine.
Of the total value of bonuses that Hui doled out, the bulk came from the 12.5 million shares of Gateway stock split among about two dozen top executives. Based on the price of Gateway shares when the deal closed, the stock was worth about $65 million.
The stock is restricted, meaning it can't be sold immediately. The restrictions, which limit stock sales to certain time periods, continue for an average of two years, a Gateway spokesman said.
The restriction was included as part of the sale agreement between Gateway and eMachines.
Still that left a significant amount for the bonuses that Hui provided to eMachines workers.
"I bumped into a lot of happy people when I handed out the checks," said Adam Andersen, former eMachines chief operating officer and now chief administrative officer at Gateway.
In 2001, Hui paid $1.06 per share, or $161 million, for then publicly traded but badly struggling eMachines.
Hui recruited Inouye from Best Buy to turn eMachines around. The company eventually was taken private. Last year, the firm had $1.1 billion in sales and said it was profitable.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Boeing shows Web service in China
Keith Wallis
Boeing will brief executives from China Southern and Air China over the next two days on its high-speed, in-flight Internet service as part of an Asian demonstration tour to promote its Connexion by Boeing data transfer facility.
The campaign comes just weeks before German airline Lufthansa commercially launches the system on a passenger route from Munich. Connexion by Boeing spokesman Terrance Scott said Lufthansa has yet to announce the destination served by the first six Connexion-connected aircraft which will start operating at the end of this month or early next. This follows the completion of installation work on the first aircraft, ironically an Airbus A340-300, in February. A340s operate routes to Hong Kong, Shanghai, the United States, Africa and the Middle East.
Connexion by Boeing is seen as a rival to the inflight email service provided by Tenzing Communications, whose investors include Cathay Pacific Airways and European aircraft manufacturer Airbus.
Speaking during a stopover in Hong Kong yesterday, Scott said Boeing's special promotional aircraft, a Boeing 737-400, will visit Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing. Fellow Boeing spokesman Mark Hooper confirmed the service will be shown to China Southern, Air China and the China National Aviation Corporation. The aircraft will then fly to Seoul and Tokyo before returning to the US. Japan Airlines has already signed a customer agreement, while rival Japanese carrier, All Nippon Airlines, together with Singapore Airlines have signed provisional agreements.
Connexion by Boeing promoted the system to China Airlines in Taipei on Tuesday. The Taiwanese carrier inked a letter of intent in January to install the system on its long-haul fleet of Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A340-300 aircraft. Scott said agreements with a further 14 airlines are being actively pursued. He added: ``It's not a question of if the system comes to Hong Kong, but when.''
Unlike the Tenzing system, Connexion by Boeing offers a high-speed Internet connection via laptop that allows passengers to send and receive email, streaming video and audio and unfiltered Web access including office email networks.
At about US$30 (HK$235) for unlimited use on long-haul flights, the Boeing system is about 50 per cent more expensive than Tenzing. While the Tenzing email service is installed using additional software or extra wiring to onboard communications systems, the Boeing equipment needs aircraft modifications including installation of an exterior antenna.
Scott said that while the live Internet link widens the choice for passengers, the main benefit for airlines is the system's wireless data monitoring communications between the ground and the cockpit. This will allow ground-based personnel to check the performance of a plane's engines and other systems and enable pilots to replace paper maps of airports and flight routes with a so-called electronic flight bag. This will be updated automatically in mid-air, advising aircrew of the latest flying and airport conditions en-route.
Scott declined to give details about the cost of installing the system, saying it depended on the type of installation and the number and type of planes in an airline's fleet. But he said the cost of Connexion by Boeing ``is significantly less than what airlines are spending now'' to install traditional inflight entertainment systems.
IBM to manage US customer service for Philips
New York
April 15, 2004
International Business Machines Corp. says it has a $US300 million agreement to manage customer service in North America for Philips Electronics, Europe's biggest consumer electronics maker.
Under the agreement, IBM, the world's biggest computer company, will provide support for more than 500 Philips products, such as big-screen televisions and MP3 digital music players.
Philips said on Wednesday the multi-year pact, expected to begin in May, is part of its overall "business renewal program" to increase efficiency, and is aimed at increasing "consumer and customer satisfaction and brand loyalty."
A Philips spokeswoman said the company is still determining the fate of certain staff that had previously handled services in North America.
IBM, which largely exited the consumer business long ago, is the No. 1 provider of technology services to corporations.
But the company has been expanding what it calls its "business process outsourcing" division, which provides services such as call centers to companies.
"This agreement ... is indicative of a new wave of services relationships for IBM," said Kathy Hegmann, an IBM executive, in a statement. "IBM will provide Philips with a new level of after-sales service, recognising that the consumer electronics trend toward digital technology and embedded software requires new skills and service capabilities."
IBM expects to handle more than 1 million inquiries per year from Philips customers, in areas that include parts and repair as well as Internet-based support.
Reuters
Profit at Apple Almost Triples on a Sharp Rise in IPod Sales
By LAURIE J. FLYNN
Published: April 15, 2004
AN FRANCISCO, April 14 - Apple Computer Inc. said Wednesday that its profits nearly tripled in its second quarter because of continued strong sales of the iPod portable music player and notebook computers.
For the three months ended March 27, Apple reported a net profit of $46 million, or 12 cents a share, compared with $14 million, or 4 cents a share, in the quarter a year earlier. Revenue was $1.91 billion, a 29 percent increase from $1.48 billion.
"We feel great," Steven P. Jobs, Apple's chief executive, said in an interview. "We sold a lot of Macs, but we've sold more iPods in the quarter than all the Macs put together."
Mr. Jobs said the company sold a record 807,000 iPods in the quarter, a 900 percent increase from the period a year earlier. The company sold 749,000 Macintosh computers in the quarter, up 5 percent.
The earnings beat Wall Street's forecast by a significant margin. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call had forecast earnings of 10 cents a share on $1.8 billion in revenue. Excluding a restructuring charge of $7 million, the company had a profit of 14 cents a share.
The company also forecast third-quarter revenue of $1.93 billion and earnings of 12 to 13 cents a share.
Apple announced its results after the close of regular trading. Shares of Apple closed down 29 cents, at $26.64, but rose as high as $27.07 in after-hours trading.
In the last year, several major new players have entered the market for portable music devices, including Dell. But Mr. Jobs said that the iPod had a 40 percent share of the MP3 player market and that the company had seen little pressure from competitors. In only two years, he said, Apple has sold 2.9 million iPods. In January, Hewlett-Packard announced a partnership with Apple that calls for Hewlett to resell the iPod and offer its iTunes service to its customers.
But the company's latest entry in the digital music market, the iPod mini, has been in tight supply since it was introduced in February, and Apple executives said that problem would continue in the third quarter. "The demand is a lot higher than we thought, and we're limited in how many we can manufacture," Mr. Jobs said.
Executives said they expected to solve the supply problem before the end of the fiscal year. "We feel we will reach a supply balance in Q4," said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's senior vice president for finance and its corporate controller, who will become the chief financial officer on June 1 with the retirement of Fred Anderson. As a result of the supply constraints, the introduction in Europe of the iPod mini, which weighs about as much as a cellphone and sells for $249, has been delayed until July from April.
Apple executives also denied that reports of problems with iPod minis were serious or widespread. In the last few weeks, some customers have described problems with static in the earphones. "We're highly confident with the minis we're shipping," Mr. Oppenheimer said. "The number of complaints we've had through AppleCare tech support is extremely small."
Mr. Jobs also pointed to success in the iTunes business and said the company recently reported that it had sold 50 million songs. During the last year, new rivals have entered the music download business as well, including low-cost notables like Wal-Mart Stores, which is offering songs for 88 cents each compared with 99 cents for iTunes.
William R. Fearnley, an analyst with FTN Midwest Research, said the company had strong momentum in several product areas and should focus on expanding its core Macintosh business. The company, he said, was on the right track with its introduction of a major upgrade to the Macintosh operating system, OS X, as well as with the G5, a powerful version of the Mac.
"We continue to like what they're doing," Mr. Fearnley said. "Now they need to grow the Macintosh sales and Macintosh's share."
GPX seems out to make a name for itself
By Mary Jo Feldstein
Of the Post-Dispatch
04/14/2004
A consumer-electronics maker based in downtown St. Louis is revamping its manufacturing and sales strategies, moves industry analysts say should position the company to compete better against larger rivals.
GPX Inc. wants to distinguish its products from the mass of inexpensive DVD and MP3 players on retail shelves.
So, the 30-year-old privately held company with about $150 million in annual sales has hired an in-house design team and changed its manufacturing structure overseas.
GPX used to buy manufactured products "off the shelf" from about 40 Chinese electronics makers. GPX would distribute the products throughout North America and South America to retailers like Target and Circuit City.
That process made it difficult to differentiate GPX's products from its competitors' products, Chief Executive William L. Fetter said.
"A lot of times, some of our competitors were buying the same product," Fetter said. "Unfortunately, what happened was we just became a brand on the shelf, and there wasn't something that distinguished us."
Now, GPX's designers ask retailers about customer needs and preferences. Then, in most cases, GPX designs the products, and they're manufactured by one of about 15 Chinese electronics makers. GPX also has a China, for making products that require more technical prowess and to test new designs.
Industry analysts say partnering with retailers is a good strategy for smaller electronics makers like GPX, which struggle to compete on volume with global companies such as Panasonic. But, they say, it's nothing new.
"That's not revolutionary," said Bill Armstrong, an analyst with C.L. King and Associates in Albany, N.Y. "Retailers are the ones who have direct contact with consumers. It only makes sense to bring them early."
And, Fetter said, using fewer manufacturers strengthens their ties with GPX.
For example, GPX allows the Chinese manufacturers to duplicate its products and sell them in Asia and Europe, markets GPX has yet to enter.
Such arrangements can help to offset design costs for companies without the resources or desire to operate globally, said consumer technology analyst Peter Kastner. "Design costs need to be amortized over the global units sold," said Kastner, a vice president with The Aberdeen Group in Boston. "Therefore, creating new markets which help absorb those costs is the wise thing to do, especially in markets where a firm has no intention of competing."
Some areas of the consumer electronics market - products that use digital technology - are growing. Others, like audio equipment, are not. GPX makes products in both categories.
Overall, sales of consumer electronics totaled $96.3 billion in 2003, a 2 percent increase over the previous year, according to estimates by the Consumer Electronics Association. Fetter said GPX hopes to capitalize on growth in the industry and eventually become a public company.
GPX announced last week it had been acquired by its management team, including Fetter, and Synergy Enterprises LLC, a New Jersey-based private investment firm.
Fetter said Synergy is more familiar with the electronics industry than GPX's previous owner, the Dutch conglomerate Hagemeyer A.G., which maintains a minority interest.
GPX Inc.
Address: 900 North 23rd Street, St. Louis 63106
Sales: $150 million a year
Employees: 100 in St. Louis, nearly 500 in Hong Kong and China
Products: GPX's products include DVD and MP3 players, radios, CD and cassette players, karaoke machines
Reporter Mary Jo Feldstein
E-mail: mjfeldstein@post-dispatch.com
Phone: 314-340-8209
Consumers and Retailers Hearing the Sweet Sounds of Digital Audio Reports In-Stat/MDR
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. --(Business Wire)-- April 14, 2004 -- The year 2003 was a stellar one for the digital audio market, with products and services gaining the attention of mass-market consumers and retailers, according to In-Stat/MDR (http://www.instat.com). The high-tech market research firm reports that unit shipments of portable digital audio players (solid state, hard drive and revolving media) reached more than 24 million units in 2003, representing revenues over $3 billion, with both unit shipments and revenues of portable digital audio players experiencing growth rates over 200%.
From the manufacturer side, product usage models are determining consumers' product choices, as some users demand compact, stylish products, while others are interested in products which allow them to carry their entire music collections with them at all times. To this end, manufacturers are offering diverse product lines in the flash and hard drive segments, with products offering a variety of capacities, features, sizes and price points. Marketing efforts for portable products in 2004 will stress new features, online music service and fashion affiliations, ease of use, and product styling.
"Online subscription music services have finally begun to attract significant traffic to their sites by offering portability and pricing models that are more attractive to consumers. However, while this is a step in the right direction, these services will still need to re-work their business models in order to attract consumers from peer-to-peer sites," said Cindy McCurley, an industry analyst with In-Stat/MDR.
In-Stat/MDR consumer survey data from U.S. consumers reveals that the MP3 player target market is expanding to include males and females almost equally, as well as consumers in all age groups. In addition, about 23% of U.S. households currently own some type of portable digital audio player.
In-Stat/MDR also cites the following key findings:
-- In 2004, online music revenues (physical media and downloads) will grow about 28% over 2003.
-- Worldwide portable digital music player unit shipments (including solid state, HDD and revolving media) will continue to see significant growth, with a CAGR of about 16% over the 2003-2008 period.
-- While many products seem to be getting more expensive as they add capacity and features, the average price consumers are willing to spend on a player is decreasing.
-- The flash segment of the market is growing more slowly than previous years, as many consumers gravitate toward hard drive players. The hard drive segment will see greater than 100% growth this year, as the microdrive segment gains traction as prices for these products decline.
-- 2003 brought changes to the market in terms of new competitors and market shares. In terms of the solid state and hard drive player market, Apple had a more than 7% lead over the nearest competitor.
-- While the CD/MP3 market represents a large portion of the portable digital audio player market, many manufacturers are exiting this segment due to the commoditization of the products and declining revenues.
The report, "Usage Models Drive Adoption For The Next Wave of MP3 Players & Digital Audio Services" (#IN0401167ME), analyzes and forecasts the worldwide market for compressed audio (MP3) players, online services and digital audio products for the home. Results from In-Stat/MDR's consumer survey regarding the digital audio market and a Technology Adoption Panel (TAP) survey on portable digital audio are also included. The report evaluates the global music industry with regard to sales figures, legal issues and market trends. In the portable audio segment, the report covers unit shipment market shares for 2003 for solid state and hard drive products. The report also provides five-year forecasts for unit shipments, revenues and regional segmentation. An overview of products, manufacturers, components and industry trends is also included. To purchase this report, or for more information, please visit: http://www.instat.com/catalog/Ccatalogue.asp?id=162 or contact Erin McKeighan; emckeighan@reedbusiness.com or 480-609-4551. The report is priced at $3,495.
About In-Stat/MDR
In-Stat/MDR (http://www.instat.com) offers a broad range of information resources and analytical assets to technology vendors, service providers, technology professionals and market specialists worldwide. The company stands alone in its ability to integrate both supply-side and demand-side research methodologies into a single comprehensive view of technology markets and products. This capability relies on a unique ability to cover the entire value chain from engineering-level technology, through equipment, infrastructure, services and end users.
In-Stat/MDR is part of the Reed Electronics Group, a division of Reed Elsevier (www.reedelsevier.com), a world-leading publisher and information provider. With more than 38,000 employees worldwide, Reed Elsevier operates in the science & medical, legal, education and business-to-business industry sectors, providing high value and flexible information solutions to professional end users, with increasing emphasis on the Internet.
iRiver PMP-100 Portable Video Player arriving in June
Tuesday April 13, 2004 9:44 AM EDT
By: Fabrizio Pilato
http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/337/C2715/
iRiver has plans to launch the PMP-100 and PMC-100, Personal Video Players with 3.5-inch TFT LCD colour display. The PMC-100 will run Microsoft's Windows Portable Media Center while the PMP-100 will use iRivers own software and has support for Windows Media Files, AVI, ASF, MP4, MPG / DivX 3.x,DivX 4.x, DivX 5.x, Xvid, MPEG4 SP, Advanced SP, MPEG1, MP3, JPEG, BMP, WMA Ogg Vorbis and WAV.
Both will be available with 20GB or 40GB drives. They should be out in May or June of 2004 for around $500. The PMP-100 will also be capable of playing 8-bit games and support to backup your digital camera with USB OTG.
The detachable lithium ion battery will run you for about 4-5 hours of video playback, far better then most players only with about enough juice to run one extended flick
Wolfson caught in middle of the Sino-US chips war
ANALYSIS
Bill Magee
CITY favourite Wolfson Microelectronics is pinning ambitious growth plans this year on somehow avoiding the global effects of an escalating microchips war involving the United States and China. The international row looks set to dominate the Edinburgh-based integrated circuit manufacturer’s first AGM as a publicly-quoted company on 22 April, and co-founder and chief executive David Milne told a recent board meeting that he is keeping an eye on the issue.
Analysts have warned that as the fallout hits Wolfson’s radar screen, its honeymoon period is fast coming to an end. It was the first technology company to float on the London Stock Exchange for three years last October, valuing it at over £250 million.
The hi-tech fallout between the two super powers has, according to analyst David Cunningham, of Bell Lawrie White, come at the worst time for Wolfson: "It could do without this uncertainty right now, especially as market leader and embarking on the next vital stage of its development."
Wolfson keeps costs down by outsourcing manufacturing to Taiwan and Singapore, where most of the world’s semiconductor factories are based, producing a suite of 50 mixed signal high-capacity integrated circuits for numerous digital applications. Highly-lucrative US customers include Microsoft, for audio input to its X-Box games console, and the Apple iPod MP3 player. Wolfson also inputs to DVD players, mobile phones, hand-held computers and photocopiers. Other clients include Hewlett Packard and Toshiba.
Another analyst said: "It’s all about US unease over China’s fast developing electronics economic power and if it does not give way, which is likely, the Americans will probably retaliate by blocking the flow of consumer goods from the east. Such an impact on the end product market would really hit Wolfson.
"In the weeks and months ahead, it is a case of keeping the head down and getting on with its business to avoid getting caught in the crossfire."
The firm recently moved into new city headquarters at Murrayfield House, from where Julian Hayes, vice-president (marketing), conceded that the firm could be hit. "China does appear to be flexing its muscles, but I would hope any impact [on us] from the fallout would be marginal," he said.
In the meantime, Wolfson cannot afford to be held back and Hayes has just returned from the US, where he knocked on the doors of several large key customers checking on their needs in the months to come. The firm has an office at San Diego, in the heart of Silicon Valley.
Wolfson is looking to secure a strengthened supply chain in China for its business, of which over 60 per cent is in the Asia Pacific region. Of the threat of trade barriers, Hayes said: "I am rather sceptical that there could be no consumer goods or toys in the shops."
However, according to one industry source, it will prove difficult to avoid being hit: "Make no mistake, Wolfson is caught bang in the middle of what has rapidly become a mighty row of global proportions."
THE World Trade Organisation (WTO) has intervened following a US government official complaint last month about Chinese tax rebates to domestic chip makers, claiming that China’s action unfairly discriminates against foreign, overwhelmingly American, imports.
China imposes a 17 per cent value added tax on imports and home-grown chips, but gives back 11-14 per cent to producers who show they research and design chips locally, claiming it is simply buoying its small, emerging chip industry.
US action also reflects a growing frustration over China’s huge manufacturing trade surplus with America, with the Chinese importing more than 80 per cent of semiconductors, a significant proportion from the US. As the fastest growing market for chips, China may buy more than £11 billion worth this year.
For Wolfson, at stake is a plan to boost its product portfolio by 40 per cent this year, building on a trebling of profits to £6.7m, for the year to end-December 2003. It relies totally on the international market for a smooth, constant and cheap flow of raw chips with volumes running into millions.
A WTO decision could come as early as next month or June and if it rules in favour of China, the US is likely to hit back by introducing tariff barriers against Asian microchip-driven consumer goods imports.
The industry source added: "There is no doubt that Wolfson has done everything right, establishing various local partnerships in the Far East and winning valuable contracts with big US players.
"However, any disruption to the international flow of consumer goods would have a catastrophic effect on markets, with a knock-on negative effect on the firm’s plans, its bottom line and share price."
A heavy presence in Asia has played in Wolfson’s favour, especially during the past 12 months when business has grown rapidly. Last November, a new sales office in China’s Shenzen province was followed by one in Seoul, South Korea last January, complementing presences in Taipei, Taiwan, and Japan’s Yokohama.
Japan has now joined the EU in questioning the Chinese tax rebates to local semiconductor makers. China has agreed to discuss the matter with the US, as the WTO stands by.
However, no-one is immune to American action. Last year, the influential US Semiconductor Industry Association persuaded the US International Trade Commission to impose a 44 per cent import duty on Korea’s Hynix, the world’s third biggest producer of memory chips, claiming unfair state subsidies.
On a happier note, Wolfson’s staff shared in a £26m windfall on flotation, but no dividend will be announced at the annual meeting.
Instead, all future earnings are being retained for investment in developing and expanding the business. That is, providing the Americans and Chinese don’t spoil the party.
Fliers kick back with DVDs from InMotion
By Dan Reed, USA TODAY
Posted 4/12/2004 10:09 PM
Packing a couple of DVD movies in his laptop computer case before boarding a long flight has become a matter of life and death for New York public relations executive Peter Shankman.
Passengers pick up player, DVD at airport or have them mailed. DVD is watched in flight and then items returned to airport or by mail.
"If I didn't have my DVDs, I'd kill someone by hour seven" of a boring transoceanic flight, he jokes.
Like a growing number of road warriors, Shankman has geared up to meet his own travel entertainment needs. He bought his new laptop with a 15-inch screen specifically for better in-flight movie watching.
A new generation of frequent fliers who, like the 31-year-old Shankman, came of age in an era of 150-channel cable TV, the Internet and instant messaging are filling airplane seats these days. And they're expecting to be entertained. Meeting the demand is proving a challenge to financially strained airlines. (Related story: What's out there for bored fliers)
To a limited degree, cool new technologies are beginning to show up in airplanes to scratch the entertainment itch. Some airlines are meeting — or planning to meet — passengers' demands for entertainment and Internet connectivity with services like DirecTV Inflight, Connexion by Boeing, Verizon AirFone and a satellite TV product from Matsushita.
But those technologies are expensive. Given the poor financial health of the big network airlines, they're not likely to be widely available in the USA for some time, if ever.
Meanwhile, one simple — though perhaps interim — solution is taking shape. InMotion Pictures, a 5-year-old Jacksonville-based company, is positioning itself as the Blockbuster of the jet set.
For $5, travelers can rent a DVD for five days and play it in their laptops or personal DVD players. Or, for as little as $12, they can rent a DVD and a travel-size player, too.
New satellite-based communications technologies aim to give every passenger multiple channels of live TV or high-speed Internet connections for movies, games, Web surfing and e-mail at 35,000 feet.
But it's not yet clear that travelers will pay more — as much as $30 per flight more — to cover the cost of such systems, plus the extra fuel burned from hauling the extra weight.
It's no surprise, then, that the USA's big, financially struggling carriers are more than a little reluctant to invest in expensive equipment that might never pay for itself.
For giants like American, United and Delta, equipping all of their big jets could cost $250 million to $500 million, the airlines say.
Still, the big carriers know they need to do something. But what?
It is, says veteran travel marketing expert Thom Nulty of the Corporate Solutions Group, an important question. "How do they best meet the growing demand for better in-flight entertainment and information systems without bankrupting themselves?"
InMotion co-founder Barney Freedman and his partners are betting that the big airlines won't make a big investment in something that has never been a moneymaker. "They have never, ever made money from in-flight entertainment." Freedman says
Nulty agrees. Most fliers, he says, put good meals, frequent-flier points, entertainment and Internet connectivity in the "nice-to-have" category. Few will pay extra, he says.
"What most people want is a seat that travels 600 mph," he says.
Renting DVDs and players to travelers may not be a technologically elegant solution to the in-flight entertainment issue. But it has the advantage of being something with which travelers already are comfortable.
Freedman says InMotion's market research shows that frequent fliers are four times more likely to rent movies on the ground than people who don't fly much. So by tweaking the concept perfected by Blockbuster — a minority investor in InMotion — to meet the unique circumstances of travel, InMotion is tapping into what it figures is a ready-made market.
Instead of limiting rentals of hot, just-released DVDs for two nights, InMotion gives passengers five days on a basic rental. DVDs and recorders can be returned to the airport location where they were rented, dropped off at an InMotion location at the traveler's arrival airport or returned by mail using packaging provided by InMotion.
The concept appears to be catching on. InMotion, which Freedman says has been profitable for a couple of years, has locations in 20 airports in the USA. Another opens in May at Dallas/Fort Worth International, and more are in the works.
InMotion also hopes to enter partnerships with airlines to make it easier for travelers to rent DVDs and portable players.
No deals have been reached, but they could range from allowing InMotion to rent DVDs and players from mobile carts parked at boarding gates, to Internet links making it possible for passengers to reserve a DVD or player when they book a flight online.
The Archos AV500 Will Combine a PDA with a PVP-emit
By Ed Hardy / Editor-in-Chief
Apr 5, 2004
A new category of electronic devices has been making headlines lately: the PVP. As the name suggests, Personal Video Players are relatively small gadgets that allow users to watch video anywhere they want.
Archos recently announced the AV500, which will take the concept of the PVP to the next level. This model will run Linux with Trolltech's Qtopia environment, which means that, in addition to being a powerful multimedia player, it will also be a full-featured handheld computer.
Multimedia
The AV500 will include a 704-by-480-pixel screen capable of displaying DivX and MPEG4 video at 30 FPS. Of course, it will be able to record in these formats as well. It will also support Microsoft DRM for WMA and WMV9 video. It will include a video-out port so it can be hooked to a TV.
It won't just be a video player. Users will also be able to play and record MP3s.
All these multimedia files will take up a lot of room, so there will be one version of the AV500 with a built-in 20 GB hard drive, and a second with a 40 GB one.
To make it easy to transfer pictures from a digital camera, this device can act as a USB 2.0 host.
PDA
The Qtopia environment is an icon-based graphical user interface for handhelds. It is used by a good number of Linux models, including Sharp's Zaurus line. It is bundled with a suite of PIM software that can be synchronized with Microsoft Outlook.
Qtopia usually comes with a Microsoft Office-compatible word processor and spreadsheet, though there has been no word yet if the AV500 will include these. It will definitely come with email software and a web browser.
It is not clear at this point what type of memory card slot this model will have, but PC Card and CompactFlash are strong possibilities, as Archos has said users will be able to add Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, GSM/GPRS to this device via removable cards.
The dimensions of this handheld have not yet been released, though it is smaller than Archos' current PVP, the AV300.
Exactly what the price will be for the AV500 is not yet known. Archos says it will be available by the end of the year.
Related Links
Zaurus with VGA Screen, Wi-Fi Now Available in U.S.
Mini iPod flaw?
It looks like the jacks connection to the main system board is extremely poorly engineered and so normal use will wear it out and cause lots of static after around 35-40 days... If any pressure on your iPod Mini results in crackling and static, you should return your iPod immediately to an Apple store for a free replacement. They're also theorizing over in the forums that the iPod Mini shortage may be a cover for this problem..."
http://ipodlounge.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=160079
RealNetworks Releases Final Version of RealPlayer 10, The World's First Free Media Player Supporting All Major Formats
New Player Now Available in North America and Japan
Major Content Owners Embrace RealPlayer 10 and Real 10 Platform
SEATTLE, April 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- RealNetworks(R), Inc.
(Nasdaq: RNWK), the leading creator of digital media services and software, today announced the final release of RealPlayer(R) 10, the first free media player that enables consumers to play content in any of the major Internet media formats, including RealAudio(R), RealVideo(R), AAC, Windows Media, QuickTime MPEG-4 and MP3. Released in "beta" form on January 7th in the U.S.
only, the final version of RealPlayer 10 is now available in North America, Europe (German and English versions) and Japan with additional international versions scheduled to launch later this summer.
RealNetworks also announced that several new partners, including Air America Radio, Car Talk from NPR, Movielink and Virgin Radio, have joined the more than 50 content and technology companies already supporting RealPlayer 10 and the Real(TM) 10 platform (see related press releases issued today.)
"Since the product's initial public release, consumers and reviewers have enthusiastically embraced RealPlayer 10 because they finally have a single product that works with their favorite portable devices and plays all the great free and premium content they find online," said Richard Wolpert, Chief
Strategy Officer, RealNetworks, Inc.
The free RealPlayer 10 is the easiest and friendliest RealPlayer ever, and offers consumers:
-- Support for every major media format and the ability to play music from all of the major online music stores;
-- An integrated music download store with more than 500,000 tracks encoded in 192 Kb/s AAC audio, delivering the highest quality audio of any download store (U.S. version only);
-- The ability to fast forward and rewind within streams without delay, and to pause live streams;
-- The best quality streaming video and audio ever through RealVideo(R) 10, RealAudio(R) 10 with AAC;
-- Support for over 50 portable music devices, including the iPOD, palmOne Treo 600 and Creative Zen NX;
RealPlayer 10 is available for immediate download in North America, Europe and Japan at http://www.real.com. Consumers can download a basic free version of RealPlayer 10, upgrade to the premium version of RealPlayer 10, or get a combination of the premium version of RealPlayer 10 and enhanced content
services such as RadioPass and SuperPass through a monthly subscription.
SanDisk Launches Cruzer Micro MP3 Companion Player in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong
SHANGHAI, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 7, 2004--
Reliability, Durability Are Key Features of New Cruzer Micro and Cruzer Titanium
SanDisk Corporation (Nasdaq:SNDK) today announced that it will start selling its newest generation of Cruzer(R) portable USB flash storage drives -- including the tiny Cruzer Micro and the extremely rugged Cruzer Titanium -- in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. As part of its product line, SanDisk also is introducing an MP3 music player that connects with the Cruzer Micro, as well as higher-capacity models of its already popular Cruzer Mini. The announcements were made at a SanDisk press conference in Shanghai, China.
As one of the world's smallest USB 2.0 high-speed flash memory storage drives, the Cruzer Micro is roughly the size of a half-stick of chewing gum and can be attached to a keychain. Its thin shape makes it easy to plug into a computer USB port without obstructing other USB connections.
The Cruzer Micro comes in three capacities -- 128, 256 and 512 megabytes (MB). That's plenty of space to store large office documents, presentations, images, video files or homework from school. But when you slide the Cruzer Micro into the dock of its optional MP3 Companion, it becomes an instant music machine, delivering at least a minimum seven hours of songs on one standard AAA battery. Features include a backlit LCD screen to identify songs and a removable belt clip.
The top of the line in the SanDisk Cruzer family is Cruzer Titanium, which represents the ultimate in durability and transfer speed. This sleek and strongly-built high-speed portable USB flash storage device can endure harsh working environments and thereby protect the valuable data of business and power users. It is housed in a stylish yet rugged metal casing that has been shown to survive a force of up to 2,000 pounds, based on a SanDisk test environment validated by an independent laboratory.
Cruzer Titanium is one of the fastest USB-type 2.0 portable flash drives on the market, with a write speed rating of 13MB per second and a read speed of 15MB per second. It is available in a 512MB version, with higher capacities planned for future introduction. The device is 75.1mm long, 20.82mm wide and 8.75mm thick, and it can be worn around the neck, attached to a keychain or clipped to a pocket like an ink pen.
"This is the flagship product in our USB flash drive line," said Nelson Chan, senior vice-president and general manager of SanDisk's retail business unit. "We believe that it is the premier USB flash drive on the market today, and ideal for consumers who appreciate style with power. With SanDisk's reputation for excellence and reliability, we expect both the Cruzer Micro and the Cruzer Titanium to set a new standard for these devices in the China, Hong Kong and Taiwan markets."
Also shipping to stores in those areas are larger capacity versions of the highly popular Cruzer Mini USB flash drive. New options consist of 512MB and a 1-gigabyte (GB) models, which enable consumers to transport up to 30 hours of digitally compressed music, more than 5 hours of MPEG-4 compressed video or more than 1000 high-resolution digital images (depending on camera type).
All Cruzer flash storage drives are "plug and play" capable with PCs and Apple computers when used with Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows ME, Mac OS 10.1.2+ and Mac OS9.2.1+. For Windows 98SE, users can install a driver that comes bundled with an included CD-ROM in some markets or can be downloaded from the Internet in other markets. The Cruzer Micro, Cruzer Titanium and Cruzer Mini will be shipped with CruzerLock software, a file encryption product that protects data so that others cannot access it if the device is lost or stolen.
Currently, SanDisk products can be found in more than 3,000 shops throughout China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and that number is expected to nearly double by the end of the year. Suggested retail prices for the new Cruzer models are as follows:
-- Cruzer Micro: 128MB to 512MB, US$54.99 to $169.99
-- Cruzer Micro MP3 Companion: $79.99
-- Cruzer Titanium 512MB, $224.99.
SanDisk, the world's largest supplier of flash memory data storage card products, designs, manufactures and markets industry-standard, solid-state data, digital imaging and audio storage products using its patented, high-density flash memory and controller technology. SanDisk is based in Sunnyvale, California.
The matters discussed in this news release contain forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties as described under the caption, "Factors That May Affect Future Results" in the company's annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company cannot guarantee that it will succeed in selling its products in Asia. The company assumes no obligation to update the information in this release.
SanDisk's web site/home page address: http://www.sandisk.com
I believe Dell is in the 4% range..give or take. eom
Desktop Sales
Total February 2004
Dollar Volume: $614,598,100
Brand________________February '04 Unit Share
1. Hewlett Packard____________34.7%
2. EMACHINES______________21.5%
3. Compaq__________________18.7%
4. IBM_______________________9.2%
5. Sony______________________4.5%
Source: NPD Group