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Glassworks Makes Waves for HP, Bang & Olufsen
By Katie Makal
Mar 11, 2003, 12:43 PST
London digital animation and effects company Glassworks worked on a commercial for Hewlett-Packard and Bang & Olufsen through U.S. agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. Creatives Steve Goodblatt and Mike McCommon devised the spot that was directed by Tim Hope at Passion Pictures. The commercial is to air in the United Kingdom in late March.
The concept of the spot sees Hewlett-Packard collaborating with Bang & Olufsen to invent a camera that can actually see sound waves. These waves show direction, volume and pitch, and how they might vary in different scenarios. For example, the sound waves from a dog's bark are large, booming and powerful enough to knock a boy off his bike, while those from a flock of birds in flight were much smaller, finer and tighter. Director Tim Hope wanted to convey a sense of how new this amazing camera is by giving the whole commercial a stylized, desaturated feel coupled with a heavy grain, grade and tight vignettes.
The spot takes place in a park, where a variety of characters explore the different ways in which their own sounds affect the world around them. An old man with a penny whistle creates gentle rings of sound like ripples in a pond; birds tweet with short, sharp flashes of noise; a couple whispers sweet nothings in each other's ears; and a boy cycles past, happily whistling to himself. Suddenly a dog barks -- time freezes for a second as the camera swings around the scene. The sound from the bark then bursts like a bubble. It shatters the tranquillity with booming waves of sound that spread across the park, blasting everything in their path, including knocking the boy on his bike off balance.
A breakdancer performs in the park; the sound waves emanating from the speakers in front of him are rhythmic and follow patterns with the music. The sound coming toward him forms a wall. The camera slows down and pans around him as he dances through it -- the effect is achieved using time-slice photography. The spot closes with a man in a flat overlooking the city closing his windows to shut out the noise from the park; he sits and relaxes in front of two speakers emanating calm, circular sound waves that drift over him.
This project took seven weeks to complete -- much of that time was used experimenting with different ways of visualizing sound. Glassworks worked closely with Tim Hope to create the right effect needed for the spot. The experimentation led Glassworks to work in a different way, with all of the 2D and 3D artists on the project working closely in the same room. Each effect could be then developed between both the 2D and 3D teams simultaneously, with excellent communication between the teams facilitating a highly creative atmosphere.
''The effects in the spot were achieved in many different ways after much experimenting,'' said Anders Thonell, 3D artist at Glassworks. ''Some of the animation was driven using the sound waves themselves and others such, as the dog bark, were completely hand animated.''
The time-slice technique, completed with the help of specialist company The Big Freeze, was used to achieve the dog bark effect. The rig used 90 cameras timed to trigger in quick succession to achieve the standing still effect that the technique produces. This footage was then stabilized in inferno*; and Glassworks used Twixtor to interpolate the live-action frames.
The camera tracking information was then passed to 3D to give the team the camera positioning. The dog bark effect contains four main aspects: first, the outline of the bubble itself, which is white, and hand animated to give the overall shape; the second was the shards of light and distortion that shoot outside the bubble. Both of these elements were completed in 3D. The 3D team created a model of the dog's head so that it could be immersed in the bubble itself. These 3D elements were then passed back to the 2D team, who used the background as refraction and applied it to the 3D elements, giving the final aspect of the effect.
The background and much of the park itself were also built in 3D at Glassworks. Thonell explained, ''We were provided with a lot of artwork from Passion Pictures as a guide to how the landscape should look. We used maps and drawings to calculate rough distances and did a lot of pre-visualistion work with Tim Hope. We built the 3D buildings almost like Lego blocks so that we could move them around and build them up and down until we had achieved the right look and feel.''
Other effects in the spot were generated in both 2D and 3D. Some of these effects used actual sound wave patterns as a guide for the animators; others were completed by hand. Grading was applied in 2D to give the commercial its stylized feel. It took seven weeks to complete using inferno*, flame*, SOFTIMAGE/XSI, Maya, 3ds max, LightWave and Twixtor.
Microsoft unveils in-car Windows
By Charles E. Ramirez / The Detroit News
Thursday, March 27, 2003
Auto software runs Telematics devices, entertainment, safety
DEARBORN -- Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday showed its next generation of software for high-tech in-vehicle entertainment, navigation and safety systems.
The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant unveiled the program -- called Microsoft Windows Automotive 4.2 -- during its first-ever Automotive Executive Summit at the Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn. The event focused on technology's role in the auto industry.
Microsoft's Windows Automotive 4.2 software is designed to operate Telematics devices. Telematics is an emerging technology that enables motorists to download information from the Internet, send or receive e-mail and make phone calls.
Microsoft said eight foreign automakers have equipped 18 models with the technology as part of navigation and safety systems. Honda's 2003 Accord is the lastest model featuring the software to appear in dealerships.
Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's CEO, outlined the company's business strategy and showcased its automotive-related products for more than 200 car company and auto supplier executives at the conference.
Ballmer, a Metro Detroit native, also discussed how Microsoft can help car companies shorten product development time as well as communicate better with stakeholders.
"I think we have the broadest set of technology to help the auto industry turn (information technology) into a competitive advantage," Ballmer said.
You can reach Charles E. Ramirez at (313) 222-2401 or cramirez@detnews.com.
"Others" have stated Vanouver office charged less. eom
E&Y in Vancouver charged less than the US offices eom
cover the manufacturing costs AND OUR PROFITS for the first 4000 units
e.Digital Corporation Interim Web Cast and Update
(D.Inkie)
Monday, March 24, 2003
Fred Faulk
I’m happy to announce that our next shipment of Odyssey 1000’s has arrived and we expect to fill all back orders this week.
We’ve also renegotiated our payment terms with Digital Way (the manufacture of the Odyssey 1000), which will create a more consistent flow of product without requiring us to tie up cash resources for long periods of time.
Based on customer feedback we expect to offer a number of new accessories for the Odyssey 1000, (none of which require large quantity commitments) that will further enhance the experience of owning this wonderful product.
We will also offer optional and in some cases free firmware upgrades throughout the year that will include new features like ID3 tag support, book marking, and more.
Our other OEM projects are progressing nicely. We recently received a sizeable letter of credit from Eclipse by Fujitsu 10 that will cover the manufacturing costs AND OUR PROFITS for the first 4000 units and as we mentioned in our last web cast they are expected to double their initial order to 8000 units based on the positive response from CES. Based on their forecast Eclipse expects to launch the product this summer.
Our SoftTech Hewlett Packard project is also progressing very well. We’ve already delivered a functional prototype that was demonstrated to the final OEM customer and the response indicates that they were extremely pleased with our design and its performance.
We’ve recently received payments from SoftTech that covers our NRE fees and tooling which is the initial phase of manufacturing.
Production and delivery to the final OEM customer is expected by early summer.
The portable in flight entertainment project is also on track. The industrial and mechanical designs have been finalized and our partner Digital Way is moving forward on tooling, parts acquisition, and other support for the manufacturing phase.
We are making great progress on the hardware and firmware development. Our partner APS is setting up the necessary infrastructure for the secure loading and delivery of music and motion picture content and the entire system including our portable devices is scheduled to begin testing with a major US airline this spring.
iRIVER PUCK Design Hard Drive MP3 Player
http://www.technet.cz/hw/hw_mp3/iriver_na_cebitu2003030311.html
http://www.hardware.no/nyheter/mars03/cebit/iriver.html
Hard disks leave the desktop
What started with Apple Computer's iPod portable music player is now becoming mainstream. Several hard-disk drive-based digital music players were on show at CeBIT, including two new models from iRiver, a leading South Korean MP3 player maker.
The IHP-100 is a rectangular model with an internal 1.8-inch hard disk drive with 10GB of storage space. The IGP-100 is a smaller, round player with a 1-inch hard disk drive with 1.5GB capacity. Both players connect to personal computers using the latest version, Version 2.0, of the USB interface standard and have a battery life of between 14 and 16 hours.
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Foul Play??????
King Of All MP3 Players
The Archos Jukebox is the fastest and most capacious MP3 player on the market.
BY CHRISTOPHER ALLBRITTON Popular Mechanics
Look out, Apple. Sure, your iPod MP3 player is sleek and smooth, but as always, upstarts from the PC world are looking to take what you've done and do it cheaper. One player in particular, the Archos Jukebox Recorder 20, is a force to be reckoned with.
Don't get us wrong. We love the iPod, but the Archos Jukebox is just as fast, works with both Mac and Windows operating systems, and has a hard drive that's twice as roomy as the iPod's. And at $319, versus $499 for Apple's 10GB player, the Archos is hard to beat. Which is why, just a few months after the iPod's debut, the Archos Jukebox is taking the crown.
Crowning The King
The first thing you notice about the Jukebox Recorder 20 is that it's heavy--12.3 ounces--twice as heavy as the iPod. And it feels rugged, with rubberized cushions on its corners to protect the drive in case you drop it. It uses a 4-button navigation disc with a central control button, individual On/Off switches and three selection buttons. Examining the top of the player reveals the earphone jack--Archos thoughtfully includes a set of folding headphones--and a digital input/output jack for connecting the player to your home stereo.
The bottom of the unit houses a DC power jack as well as a USB 2.0 port, which lets you transfer data at 480 megabits (60MB) per second. That's a vast improvement over USB 1.1, which tops out at 12MB per second. At that snail's pace, it would take forever to fill up this player's capacious drive. If you don't have USB 2.0, don't worry. You can easily add an internal card to a desktop, or a PC Card to a laptop, for under $80.
Another cool feature is the analog line-in port, which is used to record in MP3 format straight to the hard drive. Plug in a microphone and start recording.
The Archos draws its strength from a 20GB low-voltage hard drive with an internal 2MB buffer to prevent skipping. That's enough to hold about 270 compact discs, or almost 14 days of continuous music. No other portable MP3 player even comes close. You will have to change the batteries at some point, however--the four AA rechargeable batteries last about 8 hours before giving out.
In addition to the nifty navigation disc, you get a bright LCD screen--and the backlite and contrast settings are easy to adjust. You also can set the bass, treble and balance using the interface to the device's simplified equalizer. While in playback mode, the screen displays a song's title, artist, album, bit rate and the time point--everything in one glance.
The Archos is a bargain for the size of the hard drive, the speed of the data transfer and the included MusicMatch software. So fill up the King of all MP3 players with your favorite songs, then hit the road.
MP3 Grows Wheels
If music means MP3 to you, now you can play your digital tunes in the car.
BY REBECCA DAY
You've got hours of MP3 music sitting on your hard drive and a full tank of gas in the car. You used to have to choose between driving one or the other—both at once was too much to hope for. But, thanks to a new generation of CD portables and in-dash CD players that are equipped with MP3 decoders, you can finally take your tunes on the road.
Snazzy portable digital music players have been around for a couple of years, and many come with kits that let you play your MP3 files through a car stereo system. But bigger MP3 CD portables have two advantages over digital music players: versatility and cost. The versatility benefit is a no-brainer: MP3 CD portables and in-dash players let you play CDs recorded with MP3 songs as well as conventional CDs. It doesn't take long to notice the cost savings either. Blank CDs are a steal compared with the more expensive flash media. You can burn 10 hours of MP3 music onto a blank CD-R that sells for a couple of bucks. Squeezing 10 songs onto a 32MB flash memory card, in contrast, will run you about $50.
The new CD players themselves are less expensive too. The Philips line of MP3 CD players starts with the $99 eXpanium EXP201, which comes with a cassette adapter and a DC power cord for playback through a car cassette player. Costing almost twice as much is Philips's flash-memory-based RUSH digital audio player ($180). And, the RUSH stores only 1 hour of music at a 128-kilobit-per-second (Kbps) sampling rate compared with 10 hours for the CD portable. In between, Philips's new EXP401 3-in. eXpanium and EXP503 portable MP3 players (prices unavailable at press time) log 3 hours of compressed digital audio on a $2 half-size CD.
More Music, Less Hassle
MP3 has been a driving force behind Kenwood's in-dash and portable CD players this year. ''In the past you brought along a few CDs or minidiscs in the car,'' says Bob Law, vice president at Kenwood. Today, car stereo buyers (most of whom are 18- to 25-year-olds) record their own compilation discs, the way people used to make compilation tapes from their LPs. ''Now with one CD you have enough music to get there and back, even if you're traveling long distances.''High-volume, compressed-audio discs could threaten the future of the car CD changer, Law says. ''To an extent we're cannibalizing our own sales, but that's the nature of technology.
In a few years the car CD changer is going to be like the turntable—out-of-date and old-fashioned.''Portable CD players without MP3 playback could be an endangered species as well. The Kenwood DPC-MP922 ($180) comes with both AC and car power adapters and a cassette adapter. Kenwood sells one in-dash MP3 CD player in its standard line and two step-up models in its flagship Excelon line, including the KDC-MP8017 ($359), which the company claims has the fastest disc-access time of any MP3-capable in-dash player.
To support all MP3 playback devices, Kenwood sells a neoteric home audio component called Entre that enables you to burn an MP3 CD without using a PC.But even 10 hours of music may seem chintzy compared to what you get with Rio's Rio Car ($999 to $1899), which comes in four versions: 10GB, 20GB, 30GB and 60GB, which store 200, 340, 515 and 1000 hours of music, respectively. Rio Car, a removable hard disk that connects to a PC via a USB connection, lets you access tracks according to a playlist or by typing in the name of an artist or the name of an album.
Good Managers
Having 1000 hours of music at your fingertips is terrific, but creating that technology comes with its own unique challenge. ''Once you've got more than even a few songs, how do you get to each one of them?'' says Steve Sanders, product line manager for Rio. ''That's the big issue for MP3 car players.''Rio Car offers two approaches for music management. ''We've found that everybody has their own way of doing organizing tracks,'' Sanders says. ''Some people have artists under a particular genre or they have other ways to organize music that is very personal to them. Maybe it's 'music for driving home after work on Friday night.'''
Rio Car gives you the flexibility to create your own playlists and to change them.The second approach is to utilize the ID3 tags that are encoded on an MP3 file. They log the title, artist, album, year, genre and track info. With Rio Car, you can create your own playlist of songs from 1982, for example, just by punching in that year on the remote control. You also can search by typing in a name, say ''Beatles,'' using the alphanumeric keys on the remote control. After a few button presses, the band name will appear by way of predictive logic, which narrows the choices based on possible letter combinations. ''The idea is that you hit as few buttons as possible to get to the track you want,'' Sanders says, ''and that typically happens within two or three button presses.''
Makers have devised a variety of methods of making file management easy for users. But there are some limitations. Sony's CDX-MP450X in-dash CD receiver ($400) plays back MP3 files that are arranged in folders on a CD-R or CD-RW. The Sony receiver allows for up to 255 folders and up to 999 MP3 files to be squeezed onto a CD, but the highest compression rate—required to fit this amount of music on a disc—comes at the expense of a satisfying listening experience.
Generally, 128Kbps is considered the optimum balance between quantity and quality in the car environment where ambient noise compromises the listening experience. At 128Kbps, a 3-minute song consumes about 3MB to 4MB of disc space, which translates to 162 4MB songs on a CD.
Manufacturers have had to figure out not only how to manage music files and folders, but also how to display disc information. MP3-based CD players have the challenge of displaying more text than a typical CD player in order to accommodate ID3 tag data. On the Sony CDX-MP450X, for instance, the folder names cannot be longer than eight characters, and they have to be written in capital letters. However, MP3 file names can be up to 31 characters long either in capital or lowercase letters.
Blaupunkt's San Jose ($399) in-dash MP3 CD player uses a scrolling display method for ID3 tag information. Kenwood does the same.
The Aiwa CDC-MP32 ($400) limits the number of tracks it can read from an MP3 disc to 512, and, before initiating play, the display shows nothing more than the number of albums and tracks available. The Aiwa user manual warns that it may take 2 minutes for the player to scan a disc for artist and title information. By pressing the Display button repeatedly on the front panel you can scroll through track data, but you can't access tracks by genre or custom titles.
JVC's KD-SH99 ($429) employs Direct Directory Access, which lets you access up to 12 directories on an MP3 disc using the six function keys on the CD receiver. The KD-SH99 also has a front-panel input into which you can plug a portable digital music player.
Visteon, which makes factory and replacement radios designed for plug-and-play installation in Ford vehicles, has incorporated several features into its MACH MP3 to make it easy to find what you're looking for on an MP3 disc. When you're in MACH Track mode, the volume knob becomes a selector wheel that lets you fly through tracks without taking your eyes off the road. ''If you want to get to a song in the middle of the CD, you hit Track, and the display will show each track,'' explains Dave Cheney, Visteon's product team manager for MP3. Within a couple of twists you can jump from the beginning to the end of the disc, and you can access songs either numerically or by name.
Alpine's CDA-7878 ($799) lets consumers play back music according to how they've organized it into folders and files on a recordable CD. The 64-character Alpine display comes in handy when renaming files, a practice spawned by copyright issues associated with music-sharing services such as Napster.
''Right or wrong,'' says Stephen Witt, vice president of brand marketing for Alpine, ''users are renaming files to get around some of the issues in file transfer. The nomenclature they come up with includes some pretty lengthy names.''Alpine took the high road with its CDA-7878 MP3 CD receiver, utilizing the company's top-end sound control features in the MP3 deck. Bass Engine Pro, for instance, gives users control over output, equalization and tone, so they can adjust the sound to their own listening preference or to overcome acoustic anomalies in their vehicle.
Quantity Over Quality?
Positioning the MP3 CD receiver as a high-end audio piece presents strategic questions for hardware makers. ''Whatever you have recorded onto the medium is what you're going to get back,'' Witt says. Alpine's spin is that the high-end audio circuitry built into the CDA-7878 can give users the impression of an improvement in sound quality. ''The BBE [Barcus-Berry Electronics] circuit we've built into our head units psychoacoustically improves the low frequency output and phase of the signals,'' he says. ''That results in more clarity and a perception of improved sound playback.''MP3 has become the de facto term for compressed audio, but other formats, such as Windows Media, are emerging.
Within a few months, Rio Car customers will be able to upgrade the unit by downloading a Windows Media decoder from the Rio Web site.Fortunately for consumers, the days of having to commit to one format are numbered. Kenwood's Bob Law envisions car owners one day downloading new compressed music decoders to their car stereos.
Upgrading to a new platform through a USB connector or via CD-ROM could be here as soon as 2003, he says.With the recent announcement of the new and improved mp3PRO (available at www.rca.com) and quite a few other formats, the likelihood that MP3 will be the long-term format of choice is unlikely given the simple upgrades made possible by software, Witt says. ''A better mousetrap will be built.'' And, as processing power increases, so will the quality of the music formats.
Fly High with Wi-Fi?
By Glenn Harlan Reynolds 03/19/2003
As I write this, I'm somewhere over New Mexico, at an altitude of about 37,000 feet. What's frustrating is that I won't be able to send it in until I land.
I've written before about the likelihood that wireless Internet access will spread to all sorts of businesses, but one business that ought to be embracing it full-bore is the airline industry. After all, airline passengers are the ultimate captive audience, and the proportion of laptops among air travelers is awfully high. Furthermore, the large numbers of fat novels and spinning DVDs indicates to me that people are anxious for entertainment.
Yet airlines aren't on the cutting edge of communications technology, they're behind the curve. Lame in-flight telephone technology has been providing lousy connections, at high prices, for years (with the percentage of customers who use the phones plummeting). I've been on flights where the phone claimed to have a data port. In theory, I could hook up to it and check my email, but in practice it doesn't work very well, and it's far too slow to be useful. The one that's in front of me now doesn't even bother to pretend.
But I'd pay real money for in-flight Internet access: at least the price of one of those fat paperback novels (say ten dollars) and maybe more. And I suspect that the road-warrior business types that I see desperately plugging their machines into the data ports on pay phones at airports would pay more. So what gives? After all, the airlines are desperate for business - so desperate that Continental actually fed me on this flight. (Though whether the ''meatloaf sandwich'' they offered will encourage repeat business, as opposed to repeating bouts of heartburn, is another question.)
There are, undoubtedly, technical issues with using off-the-shelf 802.11b onboard an aircraft, though I'm not sure just how serious those might turn out to be. I guess it's possible, at least, that such signals might interfere with the plane's avionics (and I think that there's a very real issue regarding ultrawideband and GPS, if that becomes a standard down the line). It's certainly possible that just figuring out if that's the case might be expensive enough that it's not worth the trouble. But how hard would it be to put in an Ethernet port? After all, I'm strapped into a seat: once I'm on the plane, I'm not really going anywhere.
The Ethernet port would have to connect to something, of course, but satellite - or even cellular-based - Internet access wouldn't seem that difficult to accomplish. And the result would be a competitive edge for the airline that offered it, as well as additional profit on each flight.
If twenty people on an airliner used in-flight Internet access, which is hardly beyond the bounds of possibility, and if they paid, say fifteen dollars each, the revenue would be as much as an additional passenger. If the availability of the service brought in a couple of additional passengers, the benefits would be even greater.
Landing and checking google - since, you know, I couldn't do it on the plane - I found a few stories like this one suggesting that some people at Lufthansa and British Airways are experimenting with airborne wi-fi, but no signs of introduction by U.S. carriers.
So why aren't U.S. airlines jumping on this? Beats me. Perhaps the technical difficulties are greater than I realize. Or perhaps it's just another example of the same lack of concern for customers, and lack of imagination, that seems to plague the airlines in every other aspect of their business. That would explain it, I guess. It certainly explains the meatloaf sandwich
So you be lying one way or the other??? hmmmmmmm eom
512MB MXP 100 on SALE!
This is a solid-state combo you can take ANYWHERE. No moving parts means no skipping, ever! With a 512 MB CompactFlash card, MXP 100 holds up to 16 hours of music* and can play for over 12 hours between charges. This bundle is available for only $149 exclusively through e.Digital’s online store.
The MXP 100 (available in silver or sport yellow) has all the features you expect in finer MP3 players. It is the first MP3 player in the world to have VoiceNav® - “Just Say It to Play It”. It needs no training to recognize the name of your favorite track. It’s also a digital voice recorder. If you’re not into talking to your electronics, the comfy and convenient scroll wheel makes it easy to search and navigate to all your music and customize the sound.
To get more details, go to the e.Digital Store and select the color you like.
The MXP 100 comes in 2 colors
Highlighted features of the MXP 100
No moving parts = no skipping!
Comfortable design
Digital voice recorder
MP3 & WMA file playback
5 EQ presets
1 User-customizable 5-band EQ
Over 12 hours of playing time per charge
Blue backlit graphic LCD
Terrific sound quality
Weighs under 5 oz.
PC compatibility
Comes with these standard accessories:
Removable 512 MB CompactFlash card
Carrying case with belt clip
Stereo earphones
USB cable
Home Stereo adaptor cable
User-replaceable Li-Ion battery
Universal DC adaptor/battery charger
Setup CD
Quick Start Guide
Free subscription to WeDigMusic.com for unlimited MP3 downloads
Recent reductions in the price of Flash memory let us offer this bundle at a terrific price!
To order your MXP 100 with 512 MB CompactFlash now, go to:
http://www.edigital-store.com/edig/mp3-players-mxp-100.html and select
your color preference, or call e.Digital Customer Support at (858) 679-3195.
Or, buy the 512 MB CompactFlash card alone for $125 at:
http://www.edigital-store.com/edig/512mbcoca.html
*Windows Media Audio (WMA) formatted files at 64 Kbps = CD quality
Low-priced iPod still 'temporarily' out
(deBeer Agora)
By Ian Fried
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
March 17, 2003, 12:49 PM PT
Apple Computer's lowest-priced iPod MP3 player has been largely unavailable for the past two months, a situation that the company has called "temporary" but that analysts worry has become all too permanent.
For weeks rumors swirled that Apple was on the verge of replacing its 5GB, entry-level model with a model that offered twice the capacity at the same price, $299. Instead, for much of the past two months the low-end model has been listed on Apple's online store as "temporarily unavailable," leaving the $399 10GB model as the cheapest iPod available.
The low-end model is also unavailable through most other outlets. Dell, which started selling the iPod in October, still lists the 5GB Windows iPod on its site, but quotes a waiting time of more than 3 weeks. Amazon has been stating for some time that "This item is not stocked or has been discontinued."
An Apple representative on Monday reiterated Apple's position that the 5GB models are "temporarily" unavailable and would not elaborate further.
The situation has frustrated some on Wall Street, including Needham analyst Charles Wolf, who sees the iPod as a potential billion-dollar market for Apple, if the company could expand, rather than contract, its lineup.
"If they could hit $199, they'd have a 25 percent share" of the market for MP3 players, Wolf said. "It would sell like crazy."
Dropping the price may or may not be an option for Apple. It is not clear whether Toshiba intends to keep making the 5GB drive used by the device.
In a statement to CNET News.com, Toshiba said it is still producing the 1.8-inch 5GB hard drive to meet customer demand, but said most customers are now looking to 10GB and 20GB drives. "As a result, we currently have limited demand for the 5GB capacity," the company said.
As for higher-capacity iPods, a new 40GB model had been expected to be available in limited quantities by now, but there are several reasons why Apple may have opted not to introduce new models.
First of all, the new drives might not be available in sufficient numbers. If they are, Apple might want to wait until it is ready to introduce a music service it is working on.
"It's also possible that they might have postponed any introduction until after the war," Needham's Wolf said.
As for the financial impact of being without a lower-priced device, it is hard to say.
"They left money on the table. I don't think it was dramatic, it may not even be material," Wolf said. Although competitors have been dropping prices on hard drive-based machines, it is a seasonally weak time for sales of MP3 players.
"Everything is kind of light right now," NPDTechWorld analyst Stephen Baker said.
Still, Apple has been losing some share as its machines have become pricier while competitors' models have become cheaper. "Their unit share is down somewhat from Christmas," Baker said.
It is also somewhat of a let down for consumers who are teased on Apple's online store with the pitch "iPod--from $299" only to find that the cheapest available model is $100 more.
Apple first introduced the 5GB iPod in October 2001, with the device first selling for $399 before its price dropped as higher-capacity models were added.
Although Baker believes the iPod can fetch somewhat of a premium over rivals because of its smaller size and unique design, he said Apple would be wrong to think that it doesn't need to bring prices down to remain competitive. Baker noted that Apple has at times tried to eliminate the low-end of its iMac line in favor of more feature rich models, a move that he says has cost the company market share.
"To ignore the entry-level price point is probably not a good idea for the long term." Baker said
In-flight DVD players on Korean Air
Subject: In-flight DVD players on Korean Air
From deBeer
PostID 243261 On Friday, March 14, 2003 (EST) at 10:42:21 AM
In-flight DVD players on Korean Air
Korean Air is offering personal DVD players in first and business class.
The service is available on flights between Korea and London and Sydney, and will be expanded to New Zealand, Los Angeles, Washington and Rome routes from April 1.
Separate portable Samsung DVD players are provided to each passenger instead of using monitors attached to each seat.
Passengers can choose from a selection of movies, video and audio, and decide when to start and end the movie.
Korean Air said it was launching the DVD services in response to the rising demand from passengers for enhanced in-flight entertainment.
The carrier also plans to introduce other home entertainment systems such as interactive video services and video on demand.
14 March 2003
In-flight DVD players on Korean Air
14 March 2003(deBeer Agora)
Korean Air is offering personal DVD players in first and business class.
The service is available on flights between Korea and London and Sydney, and will be expanded to New Zealand, Los Angeles, Washington and Rome routes from April 1.
Separate portable Samsung DVD players are provided to each passenger instead of using monitors attached to each seat.
Passengers can choose from a selection of movies, video and audio, and decide when to start and end the movie.
Korean Air said it was launching the DVD services in response to the rising demand from passengers for enhanced in-flight entertainment.
The carrier also plans to introduce other home entertainment systems such as interactive video services and video on demand.
Apple takes No. 5 in January MP3 player sales
Thursday, March 13, 2003 @ 3:10pm
NPD Techworld reports that Apple is No. 5 in the MP3 player market in January 2003 with 6.1% of unit sales, behind RIO (18.8%), RCA (12.7%), Samsung (7.8%), and Creative Labs (6.9%), respectively. The total dollar volume for the month was more than $350 million. The marketshare is based sales at electronic/appliance stores, A/V specialty stores, and "Mass Merchants."
Apple iPod Number One In Music Player Market
by Brad Gibson
[12:15 PM CST] TMO Reports
The iPod is the king of portable music players, according to new dollar market share numbers obtained by The Mac Observer. During the fourth quarter of 2002, Apple's dollar market share reached 27 percent compared with 10 percent for second-ranked SONICBlue and its Rio players, according to market research firm NPDTechworld.
In terms of actual units sold, Apple placed third with an 11.2 percent market share, following closely behind Rio at 11.3 percent. RCA is first at 13 percent.
US Retail Dollar Market Share for MP3 Players Q4 2002 %
APPLE 26.98
RIO 10.13
NIKE-PHILIPS 9.18
ARCHOS TECH 8.1
CREATIVE LABS 8.06
All Others 37.55
US Retail Unit Market Share for MP3 Players Q4 2002 %
RCA 12.95
RIO 11.27
APPLE 11.23
SAMSUNG 8.63
NIKE-PHILIPS 8.53
All Other 47.39
The latest market share numbers show the Windows version of the iPod is the most popular product, controlling 58 percent of the units sold, compared to 42 percent for the Mac version. Of the three iPod models, the 10GB model is the best seller, according to the NPDTechworld numbers.
Apple's dominance of the portable music player market is impressive when you take into account that the iPod is one of the more expensive MP3 players on the market. At US$299 for the 5GB model, US$399 for the 10GB unit and US$499 for the 20GB product, Apple is competing in a space with both hard drive and non-hard drive products starting at US$99 up to US$250.
Making the market share numbers even more interesting is that they are based only on sales made by third-party retailers such as Best Buy and Target, and do not include iPods sold direct by Apple through its retail stores or online.
iPod holds its own vs. cheaper players
"The growth area in MP3 players is certainly the hard drive based models," NPDTechworld analyst Stephen Baker told The Mac Observer. "A big chunk of this business has moved away from cheaper players below US$200 towards hard-drive based models. You have to take your cap off to Apple for going into that higher-priced market and proving their was value."
Among Apple's competitors to the iPod include the Flash Memory-based Lyra RD1070 at US$100, the Lyra RD1080 with 128MB Flash Memory for US$130, the Rio Riot with 20GB hard drive at US$200, and the memory-card equipped Rio Sport at US$180.
Price vs. value is key
The trend in MP3 players is more focused on price versus value, according to Baker. "What most people have decided is that they see more value in spending US$200 to US$400 on an audio player that is based on a hard drive instead of one based on Flash Memory. They are willing to spend more money." Part of that value, said Baker, is not just the device itself, but its ease of use in downloading music simply from a desktop PC interface. "People are associating 'easy-to-use' with the iPod when looking for a portable MP3 player," he said.
Looking back to when the iPod was released for Windows in July of last year, Baker believes Apple's success in MP3 player dominance hinges a lot on the timing of when the company got into the market. "There's no question the iPod would still be a leading product as a Mac-only device, but Apple's expansion into Windows showed that they saw a gaping hole and took advantage of it. They made a strong position for themselves."
Rumored 40GB iPod: US$500 limit
Baker believes that if Apple were to come out with a 40GB iPod model, which has been highly rumored as of late, it must stay below US$500 to have a successful chance. "I don't think they want to move the top-of-the-line price points any higher than they are," Baker said. "This might give them the opportunity to reduce pricing on the lower end models. That would be in Apple's benefit to broaden the market and move down the price on the lower-end models. It would be tough to justify something priced higher than the 20Gb model, which is now at US$499....It's hard to see a lot of volume being sold in something that's above US$500. That turns into more of a niche product."
e.Digital sales in UK
(from Agora)
http://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk/shopping/pages/index.html
mpio and PONTIS together on CeBIT
From deBeer
PostID 242446 On Sunday, March 09, 2003 (EST) at 9:55:33 AM
mpio and PONTIS together on CeBIT
The two MP3 pioneers mpio (Digitalway) and PONTIS founded a common company, mpio-PEROS GmbH, located in Schwarzenfeld,Germany, for their sales activities in Europe.
At CeBIT the two companies will present themselves for the first time to the public.
The very new joint-venture will show some interesting new products at Hannover: The elegant mpio FL100 impresses not only with its small size, but even more with its extraordinary design, which has been rewarded as »iF design award winner 2003« An ultra slim CD player in a noble mirrored chrome look, a portable jukebox with 20 GB harddisk and two other new flash MP3 players complete the range of new mpio products.
PONTIS is also active again: The software of the proven SP600 was thoroughly reworked and new products are in the pipeline for autumn 2003.
CeBIT, Halle 27, Stand B11-11
http://www.pontis.de/media/m_site_e/foto_me2.htm
Included in the F10 HDD unit
http://www.gracenote.com/
milplease "Anecdotal evidence supports the possibility of the new iPod release soon; most sources agree that the release will happen before the end of the month (March)".
milplease New iPods soon to feature AAC audio; up to 40GB capacities
Subject: New iPods soon to feature AAC audio; up to 40GB capacities
From deBeer
PostID 241874 On Wednesday, March 05, 2003 (EST) at 12:14:53 PM
New iPods soon to feature AAC audio; up to 40GB capacities
Wednesday, March 05, 2003 - 09:38 AM EST
A varied collection of sources are now telling MacDailyNews that Apple will soon to debut new iPods with up to 40GB capacity and AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) audio support. While none of these reports can be confirmed conclusively, they all contain the 40GB and AAC information as common threads. The inclusion of AAC support for the iPod has long been awaited since the debut of QuickTime 6.
Information about AAC from Apple's site:
AAC was developed by the MPEG group that includes Dolby, Fraunhofer, AT&T, Sony, and Nokia companies that have also been involved in the development of audio codecs such as MP3 and AC3 (also known as Dolby Digital). The AAC codec in QuickTime 6 builds upon new, state-of-the art signal processing technology from Dolby Laboratories and brings true variable bit rate (VBR) audio encoding to QuickTime... what most listeners don't realize is that MP3's compression technology is more than a decade old. In those ten years, many advances in perceptual audio coding and compression have been achieved. AAC takes full advantage of these advances, resulting in higher quality output at lower data rates, allowing even modem users to hear a difference.''
When compared side-by-side, AAC proves itself worthy of replacing MP3 as the new Internet audio standard. Take a look at these AAC advantages over MP3:
- Improved compression provides higher-quality results with smaller file sizes
- Support for multichannel audio, providing up to 48 full frequency channels
- Higher resolution audio, yielding sampling rates up to 96 kHz
- Improved decoding efficiency, requiring less processing power for decode
In numerous comparison tests, AAC comes out on top. Check out these impressive results:
- AAC compressed audio at 128 kbps (stereo) has been judged by expert listeners to be ''indistinguishable'' from the original uncompressed audio source.
- AAC compressed audio at 96 kbps generally exceeded the quality of MP3 compressed audio at 128 kbps. AAC at 128 kbps provides significantly superior performance than does MP3 at 128 kbps.
- AAC was the only Internet audio codec evaluated in the range ''Excellent'' at 64 kbps for all of the audio items tested in EBU listening tests.
Visit the AAC website for more information.
Anecdotal evidence supports the possibility of the new iPod release soon; most sources agree that the release will happen before the end of the month (March). Sketchier information suggests that the new iPods and the debut of Apple's rumored Mac-only online music service integrated with iTunes are not necessarily tied together. The iPod can and probably will be released before the online music service is announced.
You can sample AAC audio quality for yourself (with QuickTime 6) here.
Let's see. Listen to CNETS Eliot Van Buskirk or IHUB's austonia?
What a hoot. Austonia "skeptical about this reviewer's experience with MP3 players" The laughs never stop.
The iPod Is Really Showing Its Age
(from Agora...deBeer)
February 20th, 2003
http://www.macobserver.com/editorial/2003/02/20.1.shtml
The iPod Is Really Showing Its Age
by John Kheit
The iPod is really showing its age. It has a great design, but is missing lots of new features that are considered standard these days, like USB 2.0 (which is important to Windows customers), FM radio, recording, and music transmission via FM (so you can play your tunes on car stereos). Most of the rumor sites are claiming that new iPods will just feature an increase in hard drive sizes and not much else.
If this is true, it will be a shame.
While Apple seemingly stagnates and rests on its laurels, there is a ton of innovation going on in the MP3/Media market (see videos).
In a series of MP3 player related articles, Elliot Van Buskirk of C/Net details how the iPod is looking long in the tooth and also examines some forward looking devices and features.
I agree with his assessment of the MP3 terrain, and also marvel at features found in new MP3 players like the Yepp 900, Digital Innovations' Neuros, and the Odyssey 1000, all of which offer FM radio recording (with track tagging!) and/or transmission. The Nomad Zen is the same basic size as the iPod, but it manages to add FM and recording abilities through a remote. These devices have pushed the bubble in MP3 players, but I think even more can be done, namely a PDA.
An iPad.
Personally, I don't know what Apple's problem is with regard to the PDA. I mean Apple sells the Palm Tungsten in the Apple Store, and some have gone so far as to provide market analysis and projections that speculate that an Apple branded device could add a cool $30 to $50 million in profits to Apple's bottom line. So why not do it?
Let's ignore the perception that Steve Jobs maybe spurning the PDA market because John Scully had him booted from Apple all those years ago (the PDA/Newton was Scully's baby after all).
Ostensibly, the reason behind Apple not having a PDA is a simple one: Steve Jobs said that Apple only wants to enter into markets where the company is a step ahead of the competition. Although the first mover "advantage" is of highly questionable economic value -- as Apple's and Microsoft's histories have shown -- let's assume there is something to it. The theory is that between Palm and all the Microsoft Pocket PC devices, and their supposed low margins, Apple would be nuts to enter the fray.
That assessment seems fair enough, but it ignores what seems to be a fairly huge opening in the market. As far as I'm aware, to date no one has combined a PDA with a hard drive. Basically the big innovation of the iPod was that it had a decent sized hard drive in a small and pretty MP3 playing package (other larger devices with hard drives did exist). Why not do the same with a PDA? Once you throw a hard drive into the mix, magic can happen. You can play videos, MP3's, store lots of contact information, and with a high-density screen, even surf the web.
Perhaps more importantly, Apple could provide a reference design and start making money on licensing such a platform to other manufacturers. Apple could base such a reference design on a stripped down version of OS X or Darwin and X11. If you think that's not doable then check out the Toshiba MEG50AS Mobilphile, which runs on Linux. The great thing about licensing is that Apple can have specialized 3rd party licensees, which could manufacture and provide fancier, more esoteric, and subsequently larger designs, while limiting Apple's investment and exposure in the PDA industry.
So Apple can produce the nice small baseline iPad and leave the feature-itis to licensees. Licensees can get really fancy and throw in a camera. Sound wacky? Several video cameras are coming out, but they are limited to using memory cards ranging from 256Mb to 1GB, which in turn greatly limits the resolution and duration of the MP4 videos they capture. If you use a hard drive, you can then skip capturing video from your camera and just move it into iMovie at full Firewire/USB 2.0 speed.
Also, the fact is that people seem to be clamoring for an iPad, or really, a personal communicator. Why do I say this? Because I notice lots of people are carrying tons of gadgets. They look like geeky versions of Batman -- carrying a cell phone, a PDA, an iPod, a pager and other gadgets. Further, Apple's loyal fan-base constantly and wistfully pray for such a device, promising sales should Apple deliver. The technology exists today to combine these things into a single device, and if Apple is serious about innovating, it could beat everyone to the punch.
So what features would I like to see in an iPad? Here are five proposed models:
I. A realistic proposal for Apple to build (a base iPad), including:
A high resolution color screen (something that provides 640x480 pixels of resolution or more in a 2.25" x 3.75" form factor will suffice, i.e., the entire face of the iPad would be a touch screen, with a virtual spin wheel) like in this mockup;
FireWire 800 or USB 2.0 for Windows (ideally both);
An AM/FM receiver and transmitter;
Recording, both line-in and FM recording (including song tagging and TiVo-like scheduling);
PDA functions (finally using the handwriting recognition that is currently languishing in OS X) including your basic calendaring, address book, to do list, memos, etc.;
A media player supporting MP3, MP4, WAV, Raw Video, etc.
II. A video version for 3rd party licensees, including:
A camera (with at least 2 megapixel stills and full motion digital video capture).
III. A communicator version for 3rd party licensees, including:
A cell phone (the Handspring Treo does a good job of combining some of these features).
IV. A navigator version for 3rd party licensees, including:
GPS navigation features.
V. And a Pro version, including:
Bluetooth; and/or
Airport Extreme (imagine syncing your data and media just by driving into your garage).
I've sprinkled links throughout to demonstrate that many such features have been combined, but none of them are "just right," which is where Apple could step in. Most nay-sayers will think that's just too much stuff for any one device, many of whom are wearing utility belts.
Interesting....Samsung Electronics unveiled a similar product during the Consumer Electronics Show last month but will keep it off the shelves for several more months to work out bugs
Turn out the lights, the parties over..........
More Rockford wi fi car audio system info
http://www.omnifimedia.com/reviews/
Sony, 8 Others To Begin Licensing Of Blu-ray Disc Format
TOKYO (Dow Jones)--Thursday February 13, 5:34 PM
Nine global electronics makers including Sony Corp. (SNE or 6758) announced Thursday they will begin from Feb. 17 licensing the rewritable format of "Blu-ray Disc", a next-generation large-capacity optical disc utilizing blue-violet laser.
The introduction of products based on the first optical disc format capable of recording high-definition digital broadcasts will allow users to enjoy greater picture quality at home, they said.
The eight other companies are Hitachi Ltd. (HIT or 6501), LG Electronics Inc. (Q.LGE), Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. (MC or 6752), Pioneer Corp. (PIO or 6773), Royal Philips Electronics NV (PHG), Samsung Electronics Co. (Q.SSE), Sharp Corp. (J.SRP or 6753) and Thomson (TMS).
-Tokyo Bureau, Dow Jones Newswires; 813-5255-
Rockford Corporation Selects D-Link as Wireless Networking Technology Partner For Omnifi(TM) System
Thursday February 13, 6:00 pm ET
D-Link and Rockford Form Strategic Alliance to Develop and Promote D-Link Networking Products With the Rockford Omnifi(TM) System
IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- D-Link, the worldwide leader in manufacturing of Broadband networking and digital technologies, announced today a strategic alliance with Rockford Corporation (Nasdaq: ROFO - News) to develop and bring to market a series of Omnifi(TM)-compatible networking products and solutions.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010327/DLINKLOGO )
Rockford's Omnifi(TM) devices eliminate the need to burn CDs to listen to digital music in the car, and give consumers the ability to download and transfer music and programs from the internet to the PC hard drive and from the PC to the consumer's car and home stereo systems.
The D-Link-Rockford strategic alliance is expected to lead to a broadening of the Omnifi(TM) applications and to extend the home networking technology beyond its current realm. Among the list of solutions planned to be developed is a USB radio that can be installed in the car or anywhere in the house, allowing consumers easy and convenient wireless access to music and media content through an 802.11b transmission.
"Rockford selected the D-Link USB radio because of superior performance in terms of increased range and because it provides an easy upgrade path to emerging wireless technologies including 802.11g and 802.11a as consumers continue to demand greater bandwidth," explains Steven Joe, president of D-Link. "The radio is just a beginning, we plan to work together to provide complete network solutions to the channels that we jointly identify as viable opportunities for our products."
In addition to developing devices and value-added service functionalities, D-Link and Rockford also are working to create and co-promote product packages and bundles designed to enhance overall product marketability and sell-through to consumers.
"D-Link and Rockford are a natural fit. As the networking and digital electronic technology leader, D-Link is the ideal partner for us to develop and market Omnifi(TM)-compatible devices," states Gary Suttle, Rockford's president and chief executive officer. "We anticipate exciting opportunities ahead and look forward to a successful relationship."
About Rockford
Rockford is a designer, manufacturer and distributor of high-performance audio systems for the mobile, professional, and home theater audio markets. Rockford's mobile audio products are marketed under the Rockford Fosgate, Lighting Audio, MB Quart and Q-Logic brand names. Rockford's home theater products are marketed under the Fosgate Audionics, MB Quart and NHT brand names. Rockford recently completed an investment in SimpleDevices, which licenses its standards-based SimpleWare(TM) and SimpleCenter(TM) software to consumer electronics, PC, automotive and network equipment OEMs.
About D-Link
With $519 million in revenue, D-Link is a worldwide leader and award-winning designer, developer, and true manufacturer of networking, broadband, digital electronics, and voice and data communications solutions for the digital home, Small Office/Home Office (SOHO), Small to Medium Business (SMB), and Workgroup to Enterprise environments. With global manufacturing International Standards Organization ISO 9001, 9002, ISO 14001 Certifications and National Technical Excellence awards earned for R&D and manufacturing, D-Link delivers product excellence, quality, reliability, compatibility, high-performance within standards, and easy installation software, educational materials, and manuals.
The company has increased its world-class production capacity to more than a million square feet of manufacturing facilities in six state-of-the-art factories in four countries -- Taiwan, China, India, and the United States. With millions of Ethernet adapters and millions of hub and switch ports manufactured and shipped, D-Link is a dominant market participant and price/performance leader in the network and communications market. D-Link has been profitable every year since its inception in 1986, and continues to grow at a rate that will allow the Company to experience continued prosperity. D-Link sets the standards for market affordability, while focusing on "Building Networks For People."
D-Link is a registered trademark of D-Link Systems Inc. All other company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. Copyright (C) 2003 D-Link, All Rights Reserved.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: D-Link
Anti-piracy efforts could increase iPod, MP3 player prices
by Dennis Sellers, dsellers@maccentral.com
February 13, 2003 12:45 pm ET
If the Canadian Copyright Board anti-piracy plan goes through, the price of iPods would increase by 33 percent, according to a BusinessWeek Online article.
The board is considering a plan to raise the levy on every CD-R sold from 21 cents to 59 cents, as well place a levy on the hard drives found in MP3 players. Twenty-five other countries, including most of the European Union, have introduced similar plans.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) blames a two-year plummet in CD sales on music piracy involving the downloading of music and "burn your own" CDs. The RIAA says that CD sales slid 7.2 percent in the first half of 2002, an ongoing trend.
However, not everyone agrees. In fact, some even hold the view that the RIAA is presenting a misleading view of CD sales trends to bolster its ongoing war against music pirates. For instance, George Ziemann, a musician and the owner of the MacWizards Music production company, reasons that sales may be down because the music industry released 27,000 new titles in 2001, a 25 percent drop from the high of 38,900 in 1999.
However, the RIAA claims it hasn't released an official tally of annual new releases since 1999. On the other hand, the research firm Nielsen SoundScan said new releases in 2001 totaled around 31,734, still a 20.3 percent drop, BusinessWeek Online reports.
The article adds that other factors may also be contributing to the CD sales slump. From 1999 to 2001, the average price of a CD rose 7.2 percent, from $13.04 to $14.19; during the same time consumer inflation was virtually flat. And the hefty sales of DVD players and discs offers competition to CDs, especially when you consider that the cost for DVD disc with a movie and soundtrack isn't substantially higher than that for a soundtrack-only CD.
Internet piracy is "undoubtedly" affecting the music business, but "it seems irresponsible for music-industry officials to present these sales statistics as proof that piracy is overwhelmingly responsible for the industry's woes while conveniently ignoring the economic and technological context that puts those numbers in perspective," BusinessWeek Online concludes.
Looking forward to CNET review. They have a O-1000 link up
http://electronics.cnet.com/electronics/0-6342420-1304-20845399.html
Very good review!!!!!!!!!!!!! eom
Internet May Be Key to Helping Sagging Airline Business
Laurie Kassman
Washington
12 Feb 2003, 14:45 UTC
Airlines suffering from the general economic downturn may be looking for new ways to boost business and lure more customers. Some are turning to the Internet for help.
Business travelers who complain about being out of touch on long flights may find that is no longer a problem. New technology now allows passengers to send and receive e-mail and surf the internet 10,000 meters above the ground.
Peter Lemme is the Chief Technology Officer at Tenzing Communications. The Seattle-based company has produced a messaging system that will let airline passengers access their e-mails back home. All passengers will have to do is connect a laptop to the in-flight telephone system either a seat-back phone or a special plug in the arm rest.
"They power up their laptop and actually connect to an on-board server and at that server, they enter some credentials, log into the system, and identify the e-mail account they want service. And, from that point forward it looks very much like the e-mail service on the ground," Mr. Lemme said.
Cathay Pacific Airlines has outfitted 30 of its aircraft with the system.
Mr. Lemme said a variation being used by Virgin Atlantic employs the seat-back video screens of in-flight entertainment systems. That, he said, requires the addition of some software programs.
"They simply enter a message into the in-flight entertainment system, effectively the same system you watch movies. It has a virtual keyboard on the screen and you maneuver the cursor using a handset, kind of like what you have on a video game when you have to enter the winning name and you hover over a letter and hit "enter" and pick one letter at a time," he said. A messaging service is just the start.
The Seattle-based communications firm Connexion by Boeing is offering full internet service at high speed through an ethernet hookup in the armrest of an airline seat or through a wireless connection.
Spokesman Sean Griffin said the system uses an antenna on board the airplane that relays data between satellite transponders similar to the way a satellite tv operates.
"The antenna relays the signal to a satellite 22,000 miles above the earth and relays and amplifies it to a ground station on the earth, which sends it to the internet to retrieve exactly the information you're looking for," Mr. Griffin said.
Mr. Griffin said Lufthansa Airlines has been test marketing the system on its flights between Frankfurt and Washington, D.C. He said about one fourth of the 400 passengers on board have used the system.
"Our market research says travelers would be willing to spend somewhere between $30 and $35 for a flight of about seven to eight hours. They see on a longer flight a lot of wasted time in which they are bored and they can't do the kind of work that helps them manage their life on the ground," Mr. Griffin said.
Market analysts are still not persuaded there is a large market for the new technology but British Airways, Scandinavian Airlines and Japan Airlines are already set to test market the service in the coming months.
Mr. Griffin says three top American airline companies had signed up for the internet hookup but had to put their plans on hold after the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington sent the airline industry into a downward economic spiral.
He said the delay in servicing U.S. airliners is not linked to security issues and suggests an internet connection may even enhance airline safety.
"The fact that we are broadband means our service can host a lot of applications. And we have demonstrated recently the ability to really help folks on the ground understand where the airliner is, what it's doing and to stream live video from the airplane to the ground. So this capability could enhance aviation security considerably," Mr. Griffin said.
The cell phone as a potential connecting device for the inflight internet service remains off limits. Mr. Griffin said use of a cell phone in flight is still prohibited because of interference with the onboard-computerized data systems
LOL When Gigamash questions FF, RP and the rest it is DD. When others ask questions and look around they are "anxious shareholders". Give US a break............
RE: Upcoming reviews
Posted by: Tenderloin
In reply to: None Date:1/15/2003 4:29:19 PM
Post #of 30881
Subj: RE: Upcoming reviews
Date: 1/15/2003 12:19:10 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: Eliot.VanBuskirk@cnet.com
To:
Sent from the Internet (Details)
Yes, although since we only review release models, it will be at least a month until I get the first one (Odyssey, I believe).
In response to the following.........
Any upcoming reviews on e.Digital Odyssey 1000, Samsung YP-900 or the Digitalway HD 200 hard drive MP3 players that were showcased at CES? Thank you
'D.inkie'
Did Maycoms version have VoiceNav? It shows it having ID3 tags. The one I posted about is different than the radio version you are talking about.
Tinroad Powered by e.Digital MicroOS 2.0 operating system
http://www.emaycom.com/eng/products/source/mp-2100.htm
It seems it does not use VoiveNav, but has ID3 tags
Here are the specs for their version of the MXP
GENERAL FEATURE
Compact, user-friendly design Digital music player & voice recorder
5 band equalizer with 5 presets and one user-defined setting
MP3 and Windows Media content playback
Li-Ion rechargeable battery for over 12 hours of playback
Compatible with Microdrive or CompactFlash type removable media LCD backlighting
SPECIFICATIONS-GENERAL
5 band equalizer with 5 pre-sets(Jazz, Rock, Classical, Pop, Flat) and one user defined setting
Bitmapped LCD with backlighting (64 × 128 pixels)
MP3 and Windows Media¢â file playback
Multiple play modes (normal, shuffle repeat, intro)
ID3 tag support
Li-lon rechargeable battery (3.7V/1200mAh) for over 12 hours of playback
5V DC adaptor for simultaneous unit power and fast battery recharging in under 3 hours
Fast content transfer to player using USB v1.1 PC interface
Audio out jack - Standard 3.5mm
8MB DRAM buffering
Powered by e.Digital MicroOS 2.0 operating system
Product Dimensions : 109mm × 64mm × 22mm in size, and weighs 139g
lickily
I like the idea of the O-1000 being tested. If we are going to continue selling the O-1000 online, the more exposure for e.Digital and it's website the better! Also, as you mentioned, more money for us!
What is puzzling is why the mixed messages from the company in regards to testing of the O-1000? Just not necessary IMO.......