Video pirates: Watch out for fingerprints

- John Blau,IDG News Service

New video fingerprinting technology from Koninklijke Philips Electronics could help stem the flood of movies and other video content being traded illegally on the Internet.

The technology is able to identify video segments - as short as 5 seconds - by comparing unique fingerprints, or bit strings, extracted from the video segments and comparing them with fingerprints in a special database, Ronald Maandonks, CEO of the Philips Content Identification unit, said Wednesday. "What we've developed is a very fast matching system," he said.

Interest in protecting video content has grown with the proliferation of broadband connections that allow users to download large data files - such as video clips - relatively easily, quickly and inexpensively over peer-to-peer networks.

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Sun's Niagara 2 doubles down with twice the threads

By Stephen Shankland, CNET News.com

Sun Microsystems' "Niagara 2" processor will be able to run 64 simultaneous instruction sequences, twice that of its predecessor, when it debuts in servers during the second half of 2007, a Sun engineer said on Tuesday.

The current UltraSparc T1 "Niagara"-based servers can run 32 threads -- eight processing cores that each can run four threads. Niagara 2 still has eight cores, but each can run eight threads, said Greg Grohoski, one of the chip's architects, speaking at the Hot Chips conference in Palo Alto, California.

"We received first silicon around the end of May, and we booted Solaris in five days. We should have systems to market in the second half of next year," Groholski said. Though he didn't release any performance statistics, he said Niagara 2 goals include more than doubling the processing throughput and more than doubling the throughput per watt consumed.

The first Niagara was an ambitious design that Sun used to try to restore customers' shaken faith in the company's chip engineering skills. And Sun has had some success, selling US$100 million worth of Niagara servers in the second quarter of 2006, only a few months after the radically different design was launched in late 2005.

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Ericsson Wins Billion Dollar Contract in India

Bharti Airtel has awarded Ericsson an estimated US$1 billion contract, including expansion and an upgrade of its GSM/GPRS network and managed services. The deal will enable Bharti Airtel to rapidly extend its GSM footprint in the country and increase its network capacity. The three-year services agreement will see Ericsson manage design, development and deployment of Bharti's network, including capacity and coverage, enabling the operator to expand in rural India and reach out to all towns and cities in 15 regions.

Ericsson will also upgrade the network with mobile softswitch (Media Gateway and MSC Servers), the solution that paves the way to an all-IP network. Bharti Airtel will be able to reduce the operational costs and introduce new services in a cost-efficient way.

Source

eBay Fees Push Merchants Away

eBayers are leaving the marketplace, citing fee hikes and sluggish sales.

Upset over recent fee hikes and slowing merchandise sales, hundreds of merchants say they plan to close their shops on eBay.

On her web site, eBay seller Melinda Burnett has tracked about 700 merchants who say they have closed, or intend to close, their virtual storefronts on the world’s largest auction site.

Analysts say the possible closures, which would represent a fraction of eBay’s 500,000 storefronts worldwide, were expected after the company on Monday raised the fees it charges merchants for listing items on its site. eBay now charges merchants $0.05 per item, up from $0.02, on items selling for less than $25. For items over $25, eBay is charging $0.10 per listing, compared with $0.02.

eBay also raised the commission it charges sellers for each item sold. The San Jose, California-based company now charges a 10 percent commission, up from 8 percent, on items that sold for $25 or less, and a 7 percent commission, up from 5 percent, on sales of up to $100. eBay, however, didn’t change the commission for items that sold for more than $100 on its site.

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Logitech Launches Revolution Mouse

By Tim Sprinkle

Don't call it a revolution, but Logitech today released a pair of new cordless, laser-guided mice that, the company claims, will redefine how users interact with their computers. The MX Revolution and the VX Revolution for notebooks are both designed to simplify navigation with a free-spinning alloy scroll wheel and built-in search software.

Priced at $99 ($79 for the VX), the Revolution mice are currently available in the U.S. and Europe and feature seven programmable buttons and a high-sensitivity laser for accurate pointing on smooth surfaces.

It all starts with the wheel, the MicroGear Precision Scroll Wheel to be exact. Unlike traditional scroll wheels, this alloy model can spin freely for up to seven seconds, a development that drastically improves scrolling efficiency in large documents. What that means is, you'll be able to literally roll through hundreds of pages or acres of photo space with a single flick of the finger

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MetaSwitch takes aim at cable industry

By Carol Wilson

Having firmly established its softswitch technology in the independent and competitive telephone markets, MetaSwitch is expanding its focus to the cable TV industry, announcing a new product platform designed to let cable companies provide business VoIP services.

The company’s new product -- cleverly called COMPETE! -- Cable Operator Multiservice Platform for Enhanced Telephony Evolution – is already in deployment at 10 cable operators, MetaSwitch announced today, including Clear Creek Telephone & TeleVision, Cunningham Communications, Penasco Valley Telecommunications and Vidia Communications. COMPETE provides hosted PBX, unified communications and integrate T-1 capabilities for cable companies that are now turning their attention to the business market.

The move into the cable industry was a natural one, said Andy Randall, vice president of marketing at MetaSwitch, especially since some of his company’s independent telcos also operate as cable companies. In addition, the cable industry’s growing interest in business revenues and the shift to an IP Multi-media Subsystems (ISM) approach by Cable Labs helped pave the way into this new market.

Source

Sprint picks WiMax for 4G mobile network

By Stephen Lawson, IDG News Service

The network will offer downstream speeds of between 2Mbps and 4Mbps to 100 million customers by next year

Sprint Nextel, not satisfied with just 3G (third-generation) mobile data, will roll out a faster 4G network using WiMax later this year.

The network, which will start to be rolled out by the fourth quarter and reach as many as 100 million people around the U.S. by the end of next year, will offer downstream speeds of 2Mbps to 4Mbps, Sprint said Tuesday. Combined with fast uplinks, WiMax will offer enough bandwidth for mobile videoconferencing, transfers of large enterprise files and other applications, executives said.

Partners Intel, Motorola, and Samsung Electronics plan to help by equipping notebook PCs and a variety of mobile devices to use the 4G network.

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Sony introduced Mylo (my life online)

Sony Meet Mylo

Sony introduced a new category of portable devices Tuesday with the Mylo, a personal communicator that plays music and supports instant messaging and VoIP communications via services such as Google Talk, eBay’s Skype, and Yahoo Messenger over a Wi-Fi network.

The device’s name, Mylo, stands for “my life online,” and the device came out of development work Sony did several years ago for its old line of Palm OS-based Clié PDAs. The device will be available in September.

Read 4 more articles @ source

Unlocking Your Teen’s Profile
DHS Warns About Windows
Lego Improves Its Robots
Circuit City Burns Rumors

Open Source Telephony - Introduction of CCXML

Voice Browser Call Control: CCXML Version 1.0

This document describes CCXML, or the Call Control eXtensible Markup Language. CCXML is designed to provide telephony call control support for dialog systems, such as VoiceXML [VOICEXML]. While CCXML can be used with any dialog systems capable of handling media, CCXML has been designed to complement and integrate with a VoiceXML interpreter. Because of this there are many references to VoiceXML's capabilities and limitations. There are also details on how VoiceXML and CCXML can be integrated. However, it should be noted that the two languages are separate and are not REQUIRED in an implementation of either language. For example, CCXML could be integrated with a more traditional Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system or a 3GPP Media Resource Function (MRF), and VoiceXML or other dialog systems could be integrated with other call control systems.

This document describes CCXML, the Call Control eXtensible Markup Language. CCXML provides declarative markup to describe telephony call control. CCXML is a language that can be used with a dialog system such as VoiceXML [VOICEXML].

CCXML can provide a complete telephony service application, comprised of Web server CGI compliant application logic, one or more CCXML documents to declare and perform call control actions, and to control one or more dialog applications that perform user media interactions

Read the full article @ source

Profiting from five trends that are changing mobility

David Haskin

Casual observers understand that wireless and mobile technology is evolving rapidly. It's tougher, though, to understand how to benefit from these new trends in mobility.

"In five years, we'll see a very different landscape when it comes to mobile and wireless issues," said Derek Kerton, principal at The Kerton Group, a mobility consultancy. "It won't be a matter of whether things are coming soon but, rather, it'll be a matter of 'How do you like it?'"

1. Increasing competition among wireless service providers
Benefits: More choices, lower prices, more attractive service plans.
2. Data everywhere
Benefit: Real-time mobile business applications, more productivity.
3. Mobile voice over IP
Benefit: Expands mobile phone coverage, which increases productivity and potentially lowers costs.
4. Fixed-mobile convergence
Benefit: Consolidation of fixed and wireless lines, lower cost, easier administration.
5. Personal hardware and software in the office
Benefit: Early trend-spotting, inexpensive field testing.

Read Full @ source

Samsung SGH-X820, the world's thinnest phone.

By Sascha Segan

As the world's thinnest phone, the Samsung SGH-X820 is an amazing device: It is as good at making calls and surfing the Web as it is at turning heads. It makes the Motorola SLVR L7 look like a brick, and puts other thin phones to shame with its 2-megapixel camera and elegant, fun interface. The super-slim profile means you must forgo a memory card slot, and the battery life is on the low side for a GSM phone. The coup de grace: It's available only through independent retailers.

At 0.3 inches thick (by 1.9 inches wide and 4.4 inches tall) and only 2.2 ounces, the X820 is nearly two-dimensional. Turn it on its side, and it disappears. Yes, it's wide and flat, but so are almost all thin phones. The keys are comfortable and well spaced, and the 176-by-220 screen is unusually sharp and bright, readable in even blazing sunlight. Watch out for the unpleasant visual effects of sweat and face grease on the matte-black surface, though.

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Next-Gen DA, Assisting Carrier Revenue Through Outsourced Directory Assistance

By Tara Seals

Americans spend more than $7 billion calling 411, making it not only a lucrative revenue stream but a proven communications channel for carriers. Seeing the opportunity, outsourcers are offering network operators ways to leverage the service everyone uses to gain value-added revenue, and differentiate their offerings.

The average ILEC charges around $1.25 for a call to directory assistance. Adding more features to the mix can maximize margins. “These additional services generate tremendous pull-through benefits for the carrier,” says a spokesperson at Envox Worldwide, which makes a voice service development platform. “This is not surprising when you consider that 90 percent of every call to wireless directory assistance is profit, with that profit split 50/50 between the operator and the wholesale [directory assistance] provider.”

Turnkey and hosted packages from iTouchPoint Enhanced Directory Services, Metro One Telecommunications Inc., Tellme Networks Inc. and others include operator-assisted voice and automated voice services, along with SMS and Internet-based delivery channels. They also deliver national directory assistance along with turn-by-turn driving directions and traffic conditions, an entertainment guide with movie listings, theater, events and performance schedules, restaurant reviews and reservations, stock quotes, flight information, sports, weather and more.

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Hinting at Apple's next-generation AirPort products

By Katie Marsal

Special Report: The next-generation Wi-Fi specification expected to begin making its way into Apple Computer's AirPort wireless products next year could offer raw data rates that are more than five times faster than today's wireless products.

The emerging 802.11n specification -- the successor to 802.11g -- will differ from its predecessors in that it will provide for a variety of "optional modes" and configurations that dictate different maximum raw data rates, according to a white paper released this week by Apple wireless chip supplier Broadcom.

These optional modes will enable the emerging standard to provide baseline performance parameters for all 802.11n devices, while allowing hardware manufacturers to enhance or tune capabilities to accommodate different applications and price points.

With every possible option enabled, 802.11n could offer raw data rates up to 600 Mbps, the company said. However, most WLAN hardware will not need to support every option, and therefore most 802.11n hardware is expected to advocate support for raw data rates of up to 300 Mbps.

Demand for Wi-Fi technologies has experienced phenomenal growth during the past several years, evolving quickly from novelty into necessity. As a measure of this expansion, WLAN chipset shipments in 2005 surpassed the 100-million-unit mark, a more than tenfold increase from 2001 shipments of less than 10 million units.

So far, demand for the technology has been driven primarily by users connecting notebook computers to networks at work and to the Internet at home as well as at coffee shops, airports, hotels, and other mobile gathering places. As a result, Wi-Fi technology is most commonly found in notebook computers and Internet access devices such as routers and DSL or cable modems. In fact, more than 90 percent of all notebook computers now ship with built-in WLAN, according to Broadcom.

Courtesy

Scientists are working on a project to use insects for developing electronic nose.

Swapnil Bhartiya, EFY News Network

Saturday, August 12, 2006: India, New Delhi: No matter how much you hate bugs and insects, it's now upto insects to tell us about smells and odours. A new $4-million collaboration among The Australian National University, Monash University and CSIRO's Food Futures National Research Flagship will help scientists in their efforts to produce a new generation of electronic nose, the ‘Cybernose’.

The Cybernose will involve putting sensor proteins from insects and nematodes into an electronic nose to replace the current generation of electronic sensors that are not discriminating enough. The microscopic nematode worm will be central to the Cybernose research due to its highly sensitive molecular recognition system, allowing it to sense smell and flavour qualities in grapes.

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Tata, Star Launch DTH Service in India

The Tata Group, in an 80:20 partnership with Star Network, has launched Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite television service across 300 cities in the country at an investment of almost Rs 2,500 crore.

Operational August 8 onwards, the DTH service named "Tata Sky" will be available simultaneously in all these cities to subscribers, and will initially offer 55 channels including Star, Sony, ESPN, Disney, National Geographic, NDTV, Asianet, and TV Today. However, the Zee group of channels will be absent from the Tata Sky service.

Tata Sky is the third DTH venture in the country, the other two players being Zee Group's Dish TV, and Prasar Bharti's DD Direct.
Tata Sky will initially offer 55 channels for Rs 200. The one-time installation and activation charges are Rs 3,999. In comparison, Dish TV that includes 75 channels, is available to viewers for Rs 180. The installation cost is Rs 3,290, which also includes three months' subscription.

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What's next after AJAX?

By Rohit Khare

The rapid spread of the term AJAX (asynchronous JavaScript and XML) -- from Weblog to Wall Street Journal within weeks! -- might lead developers to assume it’s a breakthrough that heralds the death of desktop applications. There’s certainly a kernel of truth in that: The recent spate of new Web applications under the AJAX banner have redefined end-users’ expectation of what’s even possible within a Web browser by offering smooth scrolling, incremental updates, and more responsive input forms.

Nevertheless, so-called fat-client UIs still retain one fundamental advantage over Web UIs: real-time event notification. AJAX alone does not address IM, stock tickers, and other collaborative applications that require “push” data streaming.

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Transmitting Radio Signals Through The Earth

By cellular-news

Following the terrorist bombs in London, UK last year - there was much media comment about the lack of communications in the underground train network. With that in mind, it is interesting that Vital Alert Technologies has signed agreements with the USA's Los Alamos National Laboratory to develop radio services which can penetrate the ground and reach underground workers where conventional radio networks are not available.

The Underground Radio product, originally developed by Los Alamos for the Department of Energy, is being commercialized by Vital Alert Technologies for use by emergency rescue crews in urban centers and by the mining industry.

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Mobile Computing Tips: Flash Memory and Small Storage

Feature: What's Up With All Those Portable Storage Formats?
Flash memory storage devices for portable gadgets all do pretty much the same thing: store files and applications. Secure Digital, SmartMedia, and other flash memory devices have no moving parts, are small, and don't require batteries, so they're ideal for portable devices such as PDAs and digital cameras. But can differ in size, price, capacity, and other features. In addition, some (like XD Picture Card) are debuting, while others (such as SmartMedia) are exiting, stage left.

CompactFlash:
Developed by SanDisk and introduced in 1994, CompactFlash is currently the most widely used flash memory card format for portable devices.

Memory Stick:
Launched in 1998, Sony's flash memory device was designed to store still images, digital video, music, computer data, voice recordings, and other content.

MultiMediaCard:
Introduced in 1997, the MultiMediaCard was developed by SanDisk and Siemens. These postage-stamp-size storage devices were originally designed with mobile phones and pagers in mind, and are currently supported by such devices as the Palm M515 and the Palm I705.

Secure Digital:
Developed by Toshiba and Matsushita, Secure Digital cards are nearly identical to MultiMediaCards, with several exceptions. The most important difference is that as the name suggests, Secure Digital cards offer built-in encryption to safeguard data. These cards are growing in popularity because of their tiny size and the security they offer. Currently, Secure Digital card capacities top out at 512MB.

SmartMedia:
Toshiba introduced the SmartMedia card in 1995 as the Solid State Floppy Disk Card. These cards are small, which makes them convenient for use in digital cameras and other petite portables, but their wafer-thin form factor limits storage capacity.

XD Picture Card:
Just announced this summer, the XD Picture Card (the XD stands for Extreme Digital) was developed by FujiFilm and Olympus to compete with similarly sized Secure Digital and Memory Stick Duo cards. According to Olympus, the XD Picture Card will enable manufacturers to design smaller digital cameras and will offer higher capacities as well. The two companies plan to introduce digital cameras that use the XD Picture Card later this year.

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Hannspree dials in with 12-inch "time square" LCD

By: Michael Kwan, Mobile Magazine

Getting an LCD TV these days is an awful lot cheaper than it used to be, and manufacturers seemingly have to do more than simply improve picture quality to grab your attention. Hannspree has always had some rather innovative designs, and today is no different as they unveil the "Hanns time square", a 12-inch LCD with some extra sports-styled dials you don’t normally see on a TV.

The stereo speakers swing out from the sides, covered in rubber and metal -- this results in a "hug me" kind of look -- but what really makes this television different from the rest of the crowd is what you find on the back of those speakers. Simply flip it all the way around to the front, and you'll find a working clock, thermometer and hygrometer. A little extra functionality to keep you informed on the time, temperature and humidity.

The Hanns times square is capable of resolutions up to 800 x 600, with a 400:1 contrast ratio and 130-degree viewing angle.

Pictures @ Source AVING

Monthly Growth in Telecom Subscribers Crosses 5 Million Mark in India

TELECOM REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF INDIA - PRESS RELEASE No.75/2006
(10th August 2006)

The subscriber base for telephony services continued to maintain its growth during the month of July 2006 also. During the month 5.22 million net subscribers were added as compared to 4.80 million net additions during June 2006. 5.28 million mobile subscribers were added in July 2006, while fixed line subscribers declined by 0.06 million. At the end of July 2006, total Fixed lines were, 47.36 millions and mobiles were 111.23 million. The gross telephony subscribers in country reached 158.59 million at the end of July 2006 as compared to 153.37 million in June 2006.

The tele-density reached 14.40 at the end of July 2006 as compared to 13.95 at the end of June 2006.

In mobile segment 18.19 million subscribers were added during first four months of
current financial year as compared to 7.62 million in the corresponding period of FY 2005-06. The additions of fixed line telephony subscriber is only 0.58 million for the four months of FY 2006-07 as compared to 1.26 million during corresponding period in the previous year. The gross addition of mobile and fixed line subscribers in the first four months of FY 2006 is 18.77 million as compared to 8.88 million during the corresponding period in previous FY.

Courtesy

Skype, iSkoot sign mobile phone deal

By Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service

iSkoot app will allow users to have the same Skype features on a mobile phone as on a PC.
Skype will help market an application that will put its contact list and VOIP (voice over Internet protocol) and instant messaging services on high-end mobile phones. The program, called iSkoot, will allow users to have the same Skype features on a mobile phone as on a PC, said Jacob Guedalia, chief executive officer of iSkoot of Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Skype and iSkoot will market the application to mobile operators, who could eventually offer service packages that include iSkoot, Guedalia said. ISkoot would share in that revenue, he said. Handset manufacturers will also be courted to preload iSkoot on devices.

The iSkoot interface allows users to see who on their contact list is currently online, and to check their SkypeOut account balance. The user can change their status, such as to "away," which will then be visible to others logged in to Skype at their PCs. The contact list can be refreshed, a feature enabled through the user's data plan, according to iSkoot.

Read More @ Source

Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006

By David McAmis

Information exchange has been a key part of doing business since the middle ages -- with the introduction of computers into businesses, this exchange was made easier but could still be difficult when exchanging heterogeneous information between different computer systems.

There have been a number of standards over the years for EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) but in the fast-paced world of application development, it was hard to keep a standard up to date and even harder to adapt applications to fit those standards.

A better approach is EAI or Enterprise Application Integration, where data and messages from different systems can be interchanged and used to drive business processes. There are a number of software tools that can be used for EAI and at the forefront is Microsoft’s BizTalk Server.

BizTalk Server 2006 provides a framework and toolset that can be used to exchange information and messages from a number of different systems, regardless of their make or manufacturer.

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Sprint Goes WiMax

Taking a flyer on next-generation wireless systems, Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S - message board) says it will use mobile WiMax technology to create a high-speed wireless network that will serve 100 million subscribers by the end of 2008.

The firm is teaming up with Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC - message board), Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT - message board), and Samsung Corp. on the massive project. Motorola and Samsung will provide mobile WiMax infrastructure and multi-mode devices for the network, while Intel will provide chipsets. All three will contribute undisclosed amounts of money for the infrastructure and marketing of this new network.

Sprint Nextel itself expects to spend $1 billion on the network in 2007 and up to $2 billion in 2008. That will enable the company to offer much higher data transfer speeds for broadband wireless users. Sprint Nextel CTO, and president-designate of the firm's new 4G unit, Barry West says users could see up to 4 Mbit/s on the downlink.

Source

Microsoft Fixes a Dozen Security Flaws, Nine Critical

By Matt Hines

Microsoft released a dozen security bulletins on Aug. 8 in an effort to patch a variety of security issues affecting Windows and Office, including nine critical vulnerabilities present in popular applications such as Internet Explorer, Outlook Express and PowerPoint.

Ten of the dozen security bulletins addressed issued by the Redmond, Wash.-based software maker include patches for its flagship Windows operating system, including the seven labeled as critical, Microsoft's highest severity rating.

For the third successive month, the company also issued patches for critical vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office.

Among the critical Windows flaws, Microsoft issued a cumulative bulletin for its Internet Explorer Web browser, which promises to resolve several vulnerabilities that could allow outside attackers to take over a device running the software via remote code execution attacks.

Source

Wireless home TV on the anvil

The whole world is going wireless. As the name implies, wireless systems do away with tagging wires that demand precious space and these applications are more secure than wired applications. With so much happening on the wireless front, it is not surprising to see TV also going the wireless way.

ViXS Systems - a video processing, networking chipsets and software development organization – is collaborating with Maxim Integrated Products to develop wireless video solutions that help OEM and ODM customers to create top-quality video distribution products such as wireless LCD and plasma televisions, HDTVs, projectors, media center PCs, home gateways, personal video recorders (PVRs) and DVD recorders. Maxim Integrated Products is a manufacturer of linear, mixed-signal, RF integrated circuits (ICs).

MAX2829 single chip 802.11a/b/g RF transceiver made by Maxim can operate over worldband frequencies of 2.4-2.5 GHz and 4.9-5.9 GHz. the design of its low-noise and high-linearity receiver and transmitter increases the range and the throughput performance for wireless TVs. This RF receiver supports the recently introduced Matrix II 802.11 a/b/g baseband/MAC chip. Matrix II is the first single-chip processor that facilitates dual-stream, high-definition wireless distribution of video.

Courtesy

Samsung to unveil 40-inch backlit LCD TV in September

Max Wang and Emily Chuang, DigiTimes.com

Samsung Electronics plans to launch in September a 40-inch LCD TV that features an LED backlight, according to a recent report from research firm Displaybank. The 40-inch LED TV targets the European market with a price tag of US$3,000, noted the report, which added that the new TV will source panels from S-LCD, a joint venture between Samsung Electronics and Sony.

The release of the LCD TV with LED backlighting is mainly to strengthen Samsung's brand image, the report indicated.

Sony launched 40-and 46-inch LCD TVs with LED backlighting in November 2004. The company offered the 40-and 46-inch models for 1.1025 million yen (US$9,629) and 840,000 yen (US$7,334), respectively, according to Sony. However, sales of the two TVs did not meet expectations due to unfriendly pricing and the immature technology of LED backlighting, sources indicated.

According to DigiTimes Research, prices for a 40-inch LED backlight unit (BLU) are standing at about US$610 this year, compared to US$210 for a BLU featuring conventional cold-cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs). By 2009, the price for a 40-inch LED BLU is expected to fall to US$315, DigiTimes Research predicts.

Shipments for LED backlighting used in TVs will outpace that for CCFL technology in 2010, according to a forecast by Insight Media.

Source

Lenovo to Load Linux on ThinkPad Laptop

By John G. Spooner

Lenovo Group is planning a full embrace for Linux.

The PC maker, at the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo beginning Aug. 14 , will announce a plan to pre-load Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 on one of its ThinkPad notebooks, sources familiar with the two company's plans said.

Lenovo, whose ThinkPads have long been a favorite of Linux users, will become the first PC manufacturer in recent history to allow individual customers to buy one of its notebooks, a ThinkPad T60p mobile workstation model, with the operating system pre-installed, the sources said.

Lenovo has projected itself as a strong supporter of the operating system in the past—it has certified most of its ThinkPad and ThinkCentre PC models to run Novell/SUSE, Red Hat and TurboLinux distributions—but to date it has only pre-installed the operating system on a custom basis for large customers.

Lenovo officials declined to comment for this story. However, in June 2006 they indicated a desire to more fully invest in the operating system.

Read more @ source

Google puts up 'Beware of malware' signs

By Ina Fried, Special to ZDNet

Google has started warning people when search results could potentially lead them to malicious code.

The search giant is using data from the Stop Badware Coalition to flag sites that are potentially host to malicious software. Google, along with Sun Microsystems and Chinese PC maker Lenovo, announced support for the group in January.

People who attempt to go to a Web site that has been identified as risky by the coalition are taken to a warning page.

"Warning -- the site you are about to visit may harm your computer!" the page states in bold type, then suggesting users can "learn more about malware and how to protect yourself at StopBadware.org."

The interrupt page suggests that users can try returning to the search page and choosing a different result, trying another search, or they can continue to the potentially malicious site.

Read more @ Source

How will IPTV change TV viewing?

What is IPTV?

You are used to TV being delivered on cable and accessing over a 100 channels. IPTV or Internet Protocol Television is different. Via IPTV, television content will be viewed through technologies used for computer networks.

How will the TV viewing experience change?

Simply put, it will become more interactive and personalised. Today, if a TV channel asks you to participate in game shows, you cannot use the remote to reply. With IPTV this will change.

IPTV uses a two-way broadcast signal sent through the service provider's backbone network and servers, allowing viewers to select content on demand, time shift (allows you to watch what you want to watch and when you want to watch), and take advantage of other interactive TV options. To take advantage of this, viewers will need a broadband connection and a set-top-box to send and receive requests.

How will businesses benefit from IPTV?

In businesses IPTV may be used to deliver television content over corporate LANs and business networks. The customised content delivery enabled by IPTV means reduced opportunities for theft of content.

And because the network is extremely secure, IPTV is an excellent platform. In fact, as advertisers get better at understanding the behaviour of consumers, they will have a significant opportunity to decrease the use of low-impact broadcast ads and increase the use of personalised ads that drive meaningful business results.

Courtesy

The Vega Ultra Portable

Posted Aug 7th 2006 11:23AM by Peter Rojas

Hard to believe that anyone would willingly stare at Windows XP on a tiny screen (the five-inch display on the OQO and the 4.5-inch display on the Sony UX are already pushing the bounds of XP's usability), but some info and images have turned up over at AVING about one with an even smaller display, the new Vega Ultra Portable. No slide-out QWERTY keyboard like either the OQO or the UX, but the Vega does sport what looks like a full numeric keypad on the front, as well as a 4.3-inch touch screen, an AMD Geode LX800 processor, 30GB hard drive, 256MB of RAM, and integrated WiFi. Should be out sometime next month, at least in South Korea.

See the Picture @ source

Mobile Music Market to Shift From Ringtones to Full Track Downloads

Annual mobile music revenues will top US$14 billion worldwide by 2011 -- according to the latest report from Juniper Research -- with Asia Pacific expected to contribute 40% by this time, Europe 27%, North America 18% and Rest of the World 15%.

Juniper predicts that with the advent of new technologies and increasing competition fuelling the drive for product innovation, there will be a significant shift in market emphasis from ringtones to over the air (OTA) full track music in the next five years.

During the period 2006-2011 total revenues from mobile music services (including ringtones, ringback tones and OTA full track music) will see the proportional market share for ringtones fall from 81% to 51%, with OTA full track music rising from 9% to 32%.

Read @ Source

Alcatel in High-Growth Markets

Alcatel's Digital Bridge initiative promotes the innovative use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) in under-served, usually rural, areas in emerging markets. In addition, Alcatel is a founding member of "Connect the World" - a global initiative launched by the International Telecommunication Union. We have also established partnership centers in Tunisia and Egypt that are open to local partners in order to foster exchanges, share experience and incubate regional projects.

In June, Alcatel launched its first mobile services hosting center for Sub-Saharan Africa in Dakar. This center will enable operators of all sizes to rapidly and economically introduce innovative mobile services adapted to local needs and accessible to the largest possible number of Africans. Thanks to our long-term focus and our sustained commitment we've developed a deep understanding of emerging market needs, and through the local relationships we've developed, Alcatel has established a dominant position in today's fast-growing markets.

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Chimei LCD TVs to hit China market by year-end

Max Wang and Emily Chuang, DigiTimes.com [Thursday 3 August 2006]

Nexgen Mediatech, which handles LCD-TV business for the Chi Mei Group, is scheduled to enter the LCD-TV market in China by year-end, according to today's Chinese-language Commercial Times. The report also indicated that Nexgen will place LCD-TV orders with Sampo Technology, a member of Sampo Group, to avoid high tariffs in China. Sampo Technology will assemble Chimei-branded TVs in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, added the paper.

Nexgen Mediatech commented that the company is currently in an evaluation stage and has not yet decided whether to partner with Sampo Technology. Nexgen currently has LCD-TV plants located in Taiwan, China, and Germany, the company said.

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Virtual Base Station for Mobile WiMAX

A Base Station (BS) is a multi-channel two-way radio that is fixed in a particular place and it may be medium or high powered. Two-way, single channel radios such as mobile phones, PDAs and wireless routers use a Base Station. A Base Station receives signals from a mobile phone and also transmits signals to it. Now, innovative trends in the industry have led to the development of a ‘virtual base station’.

The concept of ‘virtual base station’ is the result of the ground-breaking efforts of the US-based Adaptix, Inc. The company is bringing out new products based on this optically-connected ‘virtual base station’ concept, which offer the service providers the ability to develop an economical Mobile WiMAX service network. As more and more people all over the world use mobile and wireless services, traditional network architectures are under pressure and this has led to the search for new approaches. ‘Virtual base station’ is one such approach.

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BT Uses Infosys OSS

Infosys developed an Operations Support System (OSS) for a down-stream rate adaptive ADSL technology, instead of fixed rate technology. The new rate adaptive technology allows BT to offer higher broadband speeds, and the development of error correction methods ensures customers receive the most reliable service. Infosys partnered with BT throughout the programme life cycle from design to trials by applying best in breed quality software development techniques and applying its Global Delivery Model to deliver quality software in stringent timelines. Infosys is currently working closely with BT teams on piloting the migration to new services.

Subhash Dhar, VP & Head CSP, Infosys: “The joint solution has enabled BT to get the most out of ADSL technology to provide higher speeds to a national footprint. At the same time, it creates a large potential market for applications and services demanding higher speeds. The technology also enables BT to better manage the line stability and customer experience.”

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Wireless Network Design for Dummies? Not Likely

By Elliott Drucker, Wireless Week

In the next few years, you can expect a number of major wireless network initiatives to launch in the United States. Judging from the buzz surrounding the upcoming AWS spectrum auction, some initiatives possibly will be undertaken by large and successful "new economy" companies that are newcomers to the wireless arena. Others will probably involve the use of unlicensed spectrum to deliver urban broadband services through Wi-Fi or WiMAX technologies.

But regardless of spectrum used or services intended, the various enterprises involved with design and deployment of new wireless networks are almost certain to find that the tasks are a lot harder, more time consuming and more expensive than anticipated. And this will be particularly problematic because most new networks will aim to provide service at cost points below what incumbent wireless providers charge. That business model will not succeed if a capital-intensive network deployment fails to achieve coverage and capacity goals.

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Risk 101 - Lessons in VoIP Deployment Security

By Bob Decker

AS IP TELEPHONY BECOMES the standard of communications for both business and residential users, understanding and mitigating the security risks associated with it become even more paramount. It is important to understand the various threats and how to mitigate each one.

Configuration Consternation. In their default configurations, many of the IP telephony devices may have a variety of exposed TCP and UDP ports. The default services running on the open ports may be vulnerable to distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, buffer overflows or weak passwords, which may result in compromised IP telephony devices. If any of the open services are not password-protected or have an easily discernible password, an attacker may gain unauthorized access to that device. The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) services offered by the devices also may be vulnerable to reconnaissance attacks or buffer overflows. Many IP telephony devices are constructed to periodically download a configuration file from a server through Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) or other mechanisms. An attacker potentially could divert or spoof this connection and trick the device into downloading a malicious configuration file instead.

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Oracle to distribute Red Hat?

-Martin LaMonica

Larry Ellison has stirred up the Linux market again, sparking speculation Oracle may start shipping a cut-price version of Red Hat.

Comments by Oracle chief executive Larry Ellison have sparked speculation across Wall Street that the database giant could become a Red Hat distributor.

In an interview with Forbes published last Thursday, Ellison reiterated statements made to the Financial Times in April, when he said that Oracle should distribute and support a full "stack" of software, including Red Hat Linux, the dominant Linux distribution to businesses.

Those comments did more than just fuel a great deal of online chatter and speculation; they also sank the stock of Novell, Red Hat's largest Linux competitor.

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UMA : Next Year's Model?

— Dan Jones, Site Editor, Unstrung

Being able to seamlessly move voice calls between cellular, WiFi, and other wireless networks is seen as a potentially big step forward for enterprise users, but it probably won't happen for at least a year or longer, according to users and analysts.

One of the first convergence technologies expected out of the gate is unlicensed mobile access (UMA). This form of FMC has been embraced by carriers and vendors alike and is currently being tested by Nokia Corp.

"The technology is promising and exciting, however, we’re not making plans -- or even planning to plan -- for UMA integration yet," says Gary Goerke, information systems manager at Farmington Hills, MI-based real estate firm Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust. "I would say the timing is greater than 12 months even for cutting-edge, early adopter companies."

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Blu-ray Disc - next generation in optical storage

In February 2002, a large group of companies announced the introduction of the Blu-ray Disc (BD) format, the next generation in optical storage. The new format offers an immense storage capacity (up to 50GB) that is perfect for High Definition video recording and distribution, as well as for storing large amounts of data. The format shares the same form factors as existing CD and DVD optical discs allowing for backwards compatibility.

The Blu-ray Disc format was designed to offer the best performance and features for a wide variety of applications. High Definition video distribution is one of the key features of Blu-ray Disc, but the format's versatile design and top-of-the-line specifications mean that it is suitable for a full range of other purposes as well.

Like High Definition Television Recording and Video Distribution, Mass Data Storage,
Digital Asset Management and Professional Storage and more.

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