-
Alais/Wavefront Announces Unigraphics Plug-In
Canopus DV editing family grows with the addition of RexRack
REALAX Announces Aggressive One Time Pricing for 3D Modeler
Superscape's Viscape works with VRML and SVR
REALAX Brings out RXCAE.FEMVIS for Visualization
@Home Network Surpasses 10 Million Upgraded Homes Passed Mark
WAVE Comments
Coryphaeus Software Changes its Name to Centric Software
EAI Shows How its Software Works on Visible Human
Virtual exams result from U.S. "Visible Humans"
Fakespace Announces PUSH Display 
884.2 Story of the Issue
884.3 Chips
C-Cube Delivers Combined MPEG and DV Digital Video Production Solution
884.4 Fab
TSMC Validates Simplex Interconnect Extraction Software Using New Cosmic Standard
884.5 Standards
884.6 Deals
EAI completes acquisition of Transom Technologies
Motorola, VM Labs To Invest In Content For Project X-based Boxes
Magellan and Mitsubishi Electric's VSIS Announce Strategic Partnership
884.7 Set-Top Box
884.8 Legal
884.9 People
884.10 Coder and Decoder --------------------------------------
***Alais/Wavefront Announces Unigraphics Plug-In
(September 28)Alias/Wavefront announced a plug-in that will allow direct data
exchange between Alias/Wavefront's software products and the CAD
products by Unigraphics Solutions. This product is called UG
Direct Connect and it will provide a collaborative working
environment where design intent is maintained through the
design, engineering, and manufacturing cycles.http://www.ugsolutions.com
http://www.aw.sgi.com***Canopus DV editing family grows with the addition of RexRack
(September 23)Canopus is shipping RexRack, a turnkey editing system based on
DVRex-M1 video editing solution.DVRex-M1 is a digital video editing solution supporting DV and
analog audio and video formats. The DVRex incorporates software
and hardware CODEC technology along with an advanced PCI
interface. The product has overcome the 2GB .AVI file size
limitation.The VideoRack contains VideoRaid pci external hardware-based RAID
0 disk array. This two-drive array, specifically designed and
optimized for desktop video editing applications, captures up to
60 minutes of digital video and audio footage.RexRack includes a rack-mount design and includes a 400MHz,
Pentium II with 128MB RAM, DVRex-M1 with RexEdit software and YUV
output, a 16MB Canopus SPECTRA 2500 2D/3D graphics card, Medea
Corporation's VideoRack with 60 minutes of video storage, a CD-
ROM Drive, floppy drive, mouse, keyboard, and Windows NT 4.0.
RexRack is available directly from Canopus and through authorized
system integrators for a suggested retail price of $6999.00.http://www.canopuscorp.com
***REALAX Announces Aggressive One Time Pricing for 3D Modeler
(October 2)REALAX has announced RXscene 4.5 its 3D modeler and editor. At
the same time REALAX announced an introductory offer until the
end of Nov 98 with a special price of $995 for the stand-alone
version for the Windows NT platform. This is nearly $5000 off the
normal price. Buyers will also get the realtime viewer RXview and
the RXmovie for free.http://www.realax.com/
***Superscape's Viscape works with VRML and SVR
(October 1)Superscape has launched Viscape Universal a 3D Web browser for
exploring both VRML and Superscape's own SVR enabled 3D Web
pages. The product is now available for free download fromhttp://www.superscape.com
Viscape Universal is also available for corporate licensing.
Key features of Viscape Universal:
· navigation system requiring no user set up
· graphics renderer that runs on all systems using Microsoft
DirectX
· enhanced VRML content using Microsoft Directshow
· supports fully-spatialized sound
· uses accelerator cards for optimum performance
· compliance checking on VRML files for exploring more advanced
applications with sophisticated behaviors, and
· supports Java and ECMAScript***REALAX Brings out RXCAE.FEMVIS for Visualization
(October 1)REALAX Software AG has announced its latest release of its finite
element visualization tool RXcae.femvis Version 2.0.RXcae.femvis offers the following:
The ability to interact with both entire objects or selected
components.Remote or not easily accessible parts can be viewed using the
RXcae.femvis flythrough using transparency or selected
deactivation of individual components features.RXcae.femvis is compatible with most CAD/CAE standard formats.
RXcae.femvis is available for the Windows NT and SGI Irix
platforms.http://www.realax.com/
***@Home Network Surpasses 10 Million Upgraded Homes Passed Mark
(October 1)@Home Network announced that the @Home service is commercially
available to more than 10 two-way upgraded million homes, the
equivalent of more than 17 percent of its potential service
footprint in North America. The increase reflects significant
network upgrades and service deployments by @Home Network's
North American cable partners. The @Home service is now available
in 169 communities in 27 states and Canadian provinces.@Home Network has reached affiliate agreements with eighteen
leading cable companies-worldwide, including Tele-Communications
Inc., Cablevision Systems Corp., Comcast Corporation, Cox
Communications, Bresnan Communications Company, Insight
Communications, Jones Intercable, GardenState Cable, Cogeco Cable
Inc., Lenfest Communications, InterMedia Partners, Marcus Cable,
Midcontinent Cable Co., Century Communications, Rogers
Cablesystems Limited, Shaw Communications, CasTel and Palet
Kabelcom.http://www.home.net/
What a strange announcement. That is, the number of subscribers
to @Home is a fraction of those passed. The question posed is -
If there are so many homes that can take advantage of the network
why is the penetration so low?***Coryphaeus Software Changes its Name to Centric Software
(October 1)Coryphaeus Software is now longer. Its new name is Centric
Software(TM), Inc. All business operations -- office locations,
phone numbers, etc. -- remain the same.http://www.centricsoftware.com
***EAI Shows How its Software Works on Visible Human
(October 1)Internet Anatomy, an online resource being developed by
Engineering Animation was shown on the National Library of
Medicine's Visible Human data a press briefing at the Visible
Human Project Conference, in Bethesda, Md. on October 1.Featuring a 3D anatomical database that was produced from these
Visible Human images, Internet Anatomy takes advantage of Direct
Model, a graphical rendering toolkit developed by EAI and Hewlett
Packard, that enables on-the-fly manipulation and interrogation
of large 3D models. This marriage of the Visible Human data and
EAI technology allows students to interact with 3D gross anatomy;
zoom in and out for close-ups and expansive views; and rotate
muscles, bones, and organs in 3D space for explorations from any
anatomical perspective.Internet Anatomy allows students to dissect gross anatomy without
destroying the original structure of the anatomical model or
surrounding tissue and organ relationships -- an impossible feat
with a cadaver. Anatomy can be removed, highlighted, made
transparent and "turned on and off." Students can also customize
self-guided quizzes for mastery of anatomical concepts.http://www.eai.com
***Virtual exams result from U.S. "Visible Humans"
(October 1)As reported by Reuters the Visible Humans effort has significant
potential.An executed Texas murderer and a Maryland housewife who died of a
heart attack have become immortal and, in the process, offered a
thrilling ride through the human body, government scientists said
on Thursday, October 1.They are the Visible Humans, literally frozen and scanned and
photographed to offer the closest look ever at the human body.
Their images may make painful and embarrassing procedures such as
colon exams a thing of the past.The information from the $1.4 million project is finally being
turned into commercial products such as a "virtual colonoscopy,"
the National Library of Medicine says."This thing has worked," Dr. Donald Lindberg, director of the
National Library of Medicine, told a news conference. "It's been
a remarkably good investment of public money."The project got physically under way when a committee at the
National Institutes of Health chose the body of Joseph Paul
Jernigan, a 39-year-old murderer who was executed by lethal
injection in Texas in 1993. In 1995 the 59-year-old woman's body
was chosen. Both had donated their bodies to science.The bodies were scanned from every angle possible using computed
tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). They were
then frozen in a blue gel and digitally photographed as they were
shaved down bit by bit. In the case of the Visible Man, more than
1,800 1 mm (0.04 inch) slices were made. More than 5,000 slices a
third of a mm (0.01 inch) were made of the Visible Woman.The photographs themselves can be run through a computer, giving
the effect of stripping away skin, fat and muscle right down to
bone, or of sliding up and down through the body.But the CT and MRIs can also be compared to the photographs of
actual skin and bone to provide a database of information that
tells scientists how an image compares to real flesh.Several companies and universities are taking advantage of this
technology to make realistic anatomy atlases and to provide
training for doctors and technicians.Wake Forest University in North Carolina has used the information
to design a "virtual colonoscopy." A patient can be CT-scanned
and his colon examined on a computer screen -- a welcome
alternative to having a colonoscope put up the rectum. "It takes
all of 30 seconds," Dr. David Vining of Wake Forest University,
who helped develop the product, said. "We can travel inside and
fly inside the bowel." The image does produce the sensation of
flying. The inside of the colon appears like a tunnel on the
computer screen, as the camera "flies" through, picking up the
subtle bumps that are precancerous polyps. Vining hopes the
product, to be available within six months to a year, will make
colonoscopy as common as mammography.Doctors recommend regular colon exams because colorectal cancer
is the second biggest cancer killer of Americans, after lung
cancer.High Techsplanations in Rockville, Maryland, is making a similar
product that acts as a teaching aid for doctors learning how to
use devices such as endoscopes and bronchoscopes, which are
threaded down the throat to examine the lungs.Endoscopy is at best uncomfortable, as a patient must sit very
still while the doctor pushes the camera and cable down the
throat or elsewhere in the body. The only way to practice is to
actually do it. "Prior to the availability of a technology like
this, you had to do it on a patient," Greg Merril, president and
chief executive officer of High Techsplanations, said. He said
1.3 million injuries have resulted from clumsy and inexperienced
doctors using endoscopes. But the company's endoscope simulator,
based on the Visible Human data, allows a doctor to practice the
delicate manoeuvres needed to navigate the body's passages and
take biopsies.The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, has used the information
to help brain surgeons image tumours before they cut into a
patient's brain. They showed an operation done using the virtual
reality images. "It makes the operation safer," Dr. Frederick
Meyer of the Mayo Clinic said in a video presentation.***Fakespace Announces PUSH Display
(October 1)Fakespace announced that it has released a new model of its PUSH
Desktop Display for immersive visualization of computer-generated
simulations and 3D models. The single unit price is $9,995.The PUSH 640 Display uses VGA-quality (640 X 480 pixels per eye)
stereo optics mounted on the PUSH platform. The binocular
immersive viewing system allows users to navigate with six
degrees of freedom in large virtual spaces and examine virtual
models from different viewpoints while seated at a desk.As an alternative to a head-mounted display (HMD), the PUSH
platform provides access in typical engineering work environments
because it is not worn or attached to the head. A user can easily
look away from the eyepiece.The PUSH Desktop Display has a footprint of 18.5" W x 16" D x 19"
H. A user looks into it much like a binocular microscope, and
controls accurate movement within a visualization by exerting
gentle pressure on the display system's handles to easily move in
any direction within a "virtual space." Optomechanical sensors in
the desktop base and viewer module track these movements and
synchronize them with the application software. Buttons on the
handles provide vertical motion and can be programmed for
additional interactive control of the virtual environment.Fakespace designed the PUSH 640 in collaboration with i-O Display
Systems of Menlo Park, Calif., which supplies the full-color VGA
optical assembly. This active-matrix thin film transistor liquid
crystal display (TFT- LCD) provides 640 x 480 pixel per eye
resolution and two user-selectable fields- of-view (FOV); a 34
degree field-of-view with a 4:3 aspect ratio, or a 42 degree FOV
with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Fakespace integrates the compact
display package with the patented PUSH platform and its VLIB
(Virtual Library) software, which interprets 3D model data,
created in engineering and visualization applications, to create
stereoscopic images and supports navigation through virtual
models or visualizations.Both Fakespace and i-O Display Systems are reselling the PUSH 640
to their respective markets and customers. i-O Display Systems
also offers a two- dimensional (2D) only version of the system.Fakespace will continue to market the CRT-based PUSH, at a single
unit price of $25,000.http://www.i-glasses.com
http://www.fakespace.com***VR Shows Promise for Plastic Surgeons
(October 2)According to a study to be presented at the 67th Annual
Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgeons (ASPRS), October 3- 7 in Boston VR is of
value to Plastic Surgeons."Virtual reality has been available previously, but this study
shows that with miniaturization, it can also be used to teach
microsurgical skills such as suturing tiny nerves, arteries and
veins," said William P. Graham, III, MD, chair, Section of
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Pennsylvania State
University, Hershey, Pa. "This very sophisticated device provides
an extraordinary learning experience."The study described the development and validation of a virtual
reality trainer for the simulation of microsurgical vascular
anastomosis (the surgical joining of two blood vessels which
allows flow from one to the other). The instrumentation included
three components:a graphics computer to provide three dimensional graphics,
microsurgical instruments attached to haptic devices to
provide tactile feedback to the surgeon's hands, anda personal computer to control the haptic devices.
The haptic device measures how the microsurgical instrument moves
and conveys that information to the computer which causes the
tool to push back so the surgeon feels the same kind of
resistance that would occur in a real life procedure. The
computer creates this feeling of resistance by calculating the
force with which the instrument is handled; then it causes the
object in the visual image to move as a real object would when
touched.By viewing the area through three dimensional glasses, the
surgeon sees and feels the results of each movement he or she
makes. In addition to miniaturization of the instrumentation,
other advances in virtual reality make this training tool unique.
The graphic image viewed by the surgeon is updated at 30 cycles
per second to ensure realism. Hand movements are continually
tracked and positioning arms of the force feedback frames are
updated 1,000 times per second. This provides visible results
instantaneously in a computer graphic that looks almost real.This study was conducted by Paul J. Gorman, MD, Plastic Surgery
Research Fellow.Virtual reality training in microsurgery provides a number of
benefits for plastic surgeons. It allows surgeons to train in a
safe, predictable and reproducible setting. In addition, aspects
of the surgeon's performance can be measured, such as accuracy,
tissue damage and surface damage. Results of virtual reality
surgery can be recorded allowing surgeons to review their work
and enhance their skills. It also provides an effective way for
experienced surgeons to learn and practice new techniques or
procedures. "Our ideal perception would be to use virtual
reality training almost as a complete substitution for basic
training in microsurgery," said Dr. Graham. "It would be valuable
for both vascular surgery and neurosurgery." Eventually, as other
modules are developed, all disciplines of plastic surgery will be
encompassed. Because of its capability for measuring, virtual
reality may also be used in the future as a tool for granting
credentials and hospital privileges to surgeons.The American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons
represents 97 percent of all physicians certified by the American
Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). By choosing an ASPRS member
plastic surgeon who is certified by the ABPS, patients can be
assured that the physician has graduated from an accredited
medical school and completed at least five years of additional
residency, usually three years in general surgery and two years
of plastic surgery. To be certified by the ABPS, a physician
must also practice plastic surgery for two years and pass
comprehensive written and oral examinations.http://www.plasticsurgery.org
***Philips Semiconductors Debuts R.E.A.L. DSP Technology
(September 14)Philips Semiconductors announced the commercial launch of its
R.E.A.L. DSP (Reconfigurable Embedded DSP Architecture Low-
cost/Low-power) technology.R.E.A.L. DSP is based on a dual Harvard architecture and an
advanced dual multiplier/accumulator Data Computation Unit (DCU)
by Philips Semiconductors. The new technology processes block-
based algorithms twice as fast as single multiplier/accumulator
cores operating at the same clock frequency. Unlike many fixed
DSP cores on the market, programmers do not have to force other
types of algorithms onto this architecture. Each of the
processing blocks in the DCU can be optionally controlled in
parallel by 96-bit user- defined application specific
instructions (ASIs), allowing the designer to select an
instruction set that is uniquely tailored to the application.Philips Semiconductors' R.E.A.L. DSP technology is intended to
produce DSP cores that become integral parts of complete 'system-
on- silicon' solutions. The R.E.A.L. DSP development platforms
integrate into Philips Semiconductors' normal ASIC design flow,
enabling an extensive range of memory types, microcontrollers,
peripherals and I/O sub-systems to be added to the final
integrated circuit.The design platform allows parts of a DSP algorithm to be
optimized early in the design cycle. Application specific
execution units (AXUs) can then be incorporated into the data
path or address calculation units of the core, where they are
controlled from within ASIs. Additionally, AXUs can be added at
the placement and routing stage in the ASIC design flow.Fully defined and parameterized at the VHDL level, R.E.A.L. DSP
cores can be reconfigured to suit applications, allowing the
intellectual property and software development effort invested in
one design to be transferred into new designs. A full suite of
program development, simulation, emulation and debugging tools
are available, including a C-compiler for generating the control
code that surrounds DSP algorithms. Additionally, R.E.A.L. DSP
cores achieve a BDTImarkT benchmark score of 24 at 60 MIPS.R.E.A.L. DSP's instruction and flexible development platform
enables interactive co-design of DSP algorithms and architectures
so that an optimum hardware and software solution can be achieved
before any silicon needs to be cast.http://www.semiconductors.philips.com
***C-Cube Delivers Combined MPEG and DV Digital Video Production
Solution
(September 8)C-Cube Microsystems introduced DVxpress-MX, an all-digital,
mixed-format video production solution to allow MPEG and DV to
co-exist in broadcast and studio environments.DVxpress-MX is a single-chip codec that makes DV and MPEG video
content interoperable for the first time, allowing data to pass
from the camera to the editing workstation and then to
distribution entirely within the digital domain.Leading video and broadcast solution providers including
Panasonic Avid and Adobe are endorsing DVxpress-MX as the
industry enabler of a new category of all-digital, mixed-format
video production systems.These organizations will be able to utilize systems based on
DVxpress-MX to address the market need for communication between
MPEG (4:2:2/4:2:0) content and standard DV content, including
Panasonic's DVCPRO and DVCPRO50. DVxpress-MX will allow users to
manipulate a combination of DV and MPEG streams for television
studio, post production editing and remote broadcast
applications, taking advantage of the unique benefits of each
format.DVxpress-MX introduces two new capabilities to the industry:
mixed-format editing with special effects and DV to MPEG
transcoding. Editors can manipulate any combination of DV-25 or
DV-50 megabit streams along with any 2 to 50 megabit MPEG
streams, allowing a true mixed-format editing environment.Regardless of bit rate or format, the streams can be processed
and viewed side-by-side for realtime compositing and
implementation of a spectrum of special effects. Frame accurate
control of DVs Intra-coded frames as well as MPEG's Intra-coded
(I), Bi-directional (B) and Predictive (P) frames is maintained.Mixed-format transcoding supports predominance of MPEG-based and
DV-based resources including network news, digital satellite
broadcasts, DV cameras and DV video tape recorders (VTRs). With
DVxpress-MX, these streams can enter editing systems or servers
and remain in digital form throughout the post production
process.The final cut may be compressed using the MPEG standard for DTV
broadcast or for DVD masters. Alternatively, the output can be
compressed in DV to write back to Video Tape Recorders (VTRs).
From acquisition, to post, to distribution, to storage, DVxpress-
MX keeps the video in the digital domain regardless of whether
the output will be DV or MPEG.DVxpress is a family of single-chip codecs for realtime
broadcast, studio and video production editing environments.
Based on C-Cube's DVx architecture, DVxpress-MX is the only
silicon solution to deliver mixed-format editing with special
effects and DV to MPEG transcoding.The DVxpress family is the first MPEG architecture to offer FAME
(Frame-Accurate MPEG Editing) for frame accurate control of MPEG
video. DVxpress is also the first single-chip solution to deliver
multiple-stream decoding and realtime special effects, allowing
system providers to offer professional-level capabilities in
prosumer-level products.DVxpress-MX is sampling now to vendors in the video production,
broadcast servers and distribution industry. Volume production
shipments are scheduled to begin in December. Systems based on
this solution are anticipated to be available beginning first
half of 1999.http://www.c-cube.com
***Lucent Technologies announces COM-2 System-on-a-Chip Process
(September 14)Lucent Technologies' Microelectronics Group announced a new 0.13
micron (L-effective) fabrication process that will offer
communications chips with industry-leading performance, density
and power at cost-effective levels. This process, which includes
a 0.09 micron fast gate-speed transistor module, is the next
generation in Lucent's modular system-on-a-chip approach.Using modular CMOS IC technology, Lucent's new COM-2 process will
for the provide single-chip solutions for networks that operate
at multigigabit speeds. Using this process, chips can reach a
record density level of 160 million transistors. The COM-2
process can also be employed to achieve extremely low levels of
power consumption that could, for example, enable battery-
dependent devices such as wireless phones to operate for a month
without recharging.Lucent's CMOS approach enables chip designers to put a variety of
elements on a single chip -- precision analog, digital logic,
embedded memory (including flash) and field-programmable gate
array (FPGA) along with high-speed BiCMOS and fast gate-speed
transistor enhancements. Now offered in this process technology
is the fast gate-speed transistor module, which uses smaller,
higher-speed CMOS transistors to deliver a performance boost to
digital logic elements such as digital signal processor (DSP) and
microprocessor cores.Using the COM-2 approach, wireless phone manufacturers will be
able to combine on a single chip all the circuitry needed to
transmit and receive calls, including high-performance radio-
frequency (RF) elements that until now had to be implemented on
separate chips made with a different process technology. As a
result, wireless phones could potentially be a fraction of the
size of today's smallest phone and wearable much like a
wristwatch or pendant jewelry.The COM-2 process will make it possible for network equipment
manufacturers to put on a single chip all the circuitry they need
to send and receive data at 10 gigabits per second (Gb/s). This
is fast enough to transmit the contents of 10 thousand novels
each second or carry 160 thousand telephone calls, and it is four
times faster than the data rates handled by today's single-chip
designs.By having a common process technology across Lucent's IC product
segments, customers get access to Lucent's large collection of
system-on-a-chip building blocks. These include cores such as
Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, ATM, SONET, Fibre Channel,
analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog audio and video
converters, ISDN, digital signal processors, microprocessors,
microcontrollers, PCI, PCMCIA, SCSI, ATA, serial port interfaces,
Universal Serial Bus (USB), and IEEE 1394.The six-metal-layer process, combined with Lucent's next-
generation development platform for design tools, will deliver
high density chips for a CMOS process: 100 thousand usable logic
gates per square millimeter. CMOS transistor switching speeds
will exceed 40 gigahertz (GHz) as a result of Lucent's dual-poly
process, and deliver at voltages as low as 1.0 volt. Lucent's new
process reduces power consumption to an ultralow 4.3
nanowatts/MHz/gate.Breakthroughs in thin gate oxides at Bell Labs have been applied
in the COM-2 process's dual gate-oxide approach, which enables
customers to mix transistors that operate at 3.3, 1.5 and 1.0
volts. This gives them the ability to combine digital logic, high
performance I/O circuitry and precision analog functions needed
for a complete communications system on a single chip. The
process also supports backward compatibility to current
generations of systems with its 5- volt tolerant I/O circuitry.With Lucent's new process technology, it will now be possible to
put on a single chip an entire 10 Gb/s SONET OC-192 or SDH STM-64
interface, which includes a high-speed front-end, add/drop MUX
and data framing functions. Such a chip would have four million
gates and consume six watts of power, compared to today's multi-
chip solution, which requires a complete shelf of fan-cooled
electronics.For the wireless industry, Lucent's process will make it possible
to cut power consumption in components such as DSPs by threefold
while more than doubling performance. DSPs fabricated in today's
quarter-micron technology, for example, perform in the 80
million-instruction-per-second (MIPS) range and consume about 720
microwatts per MIPS at 1.8 volts. DSPs fabricated using Lucent's
new 0.13 micron process will exceed 240 MIPS and consume only 250
microwatts per MIPS at 1.5 volts. At an even lower 1.0 volt, DSPs
will approach 150 MIPS and consume less than 110 microwatts per
MIPS. This kind of performance will push third-generation (3G)
mobile communications standards such as wideband code division
multiple access (CDMA), which, in turn, will support applications
such as web browsing and full-motion video on hand-held portable
information appliances. This level of performance could even make
practical such processing-intensive functions as speech
recognition in a hand-held device.Lucent plans to fabricate its first 0.13-micron chip models in
the second quarter of 1999, with volume production ramping up in
the first half of 2000.http://www.lucent.com
http://www.lucent.com/micro***TSMC Validates Simplex Interconnect Extraction Software Using
New Cosmic Standard
(September 14)Simplex Solutions and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing
Corporation (TSMC) announced that TSMC has validated the accuracy
of Simplex "Fire & Ice" extraction tools with silicon.TSMC found the results to be within 10 percent of silicon
measurements on a test chip manufactured with TSMC's 0.25 micron
logic process.The test chip used the COSMIC standard, which is an "active"
approach to measuring capacitance at the femtoFarad level. COSMIC
uses an on-chip sensor circuit for the measurements, achieving
accurate capacitance values that are 1,000 times finer than can
be obtained with other, passive approaches. The passive approach,
which measures capacitances accurately to only the picoFarad
range, is not sufficient for the microscopic scale of deep
submicron wires in today's chips.http://www.TSMC.com
http://www.simplex.com***SCSI Trade Association Ratifies Ultra3 SCSI
(September 14)SCSI Trade Association (STA) has ratified features for the next
generation of higher-performance SCSI devices. Ultra3 SCSI
technology is expected to support data speeds up to 160
MBytes/second and improve overall performance and manageability.Products incorporating Ultra3 SCSI are expected to be available
next year and will be fully compatible with previous-generation
SCSI products.Devices based on the newly defined Ultra3 SCSI will provide
additional bandwidth, higher reliability and more flexibility.
Ultra3 SCSI devices are likely to be most effective in
applications requiring large file transfers, such as data
warehousing and data mining or video processing.As defined by STA members, Ultra3 SCSI products can include any
of the following features: double transition clocking, CRC
(Cyclic Redundancy Check), domain validation, packetization, or
QAS (Quick Arbitration and Select), as defined in the SCSI SPI-3
standard. Benefits of these features include:-- Double transition clocking enables speeds of up to 160
MBytes/second without increasing the interface clock rate.
-- CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) improves the reliability of SCSI
data transmission through enhanced detection of communication
errors.
-- Domain validation detects the configuration of the SCSI bus
and automatically tests and adjusts the SCSI bus transfer rate to
optimize interoperability.
-- Packetization reduces protocol overhead and provides scaleable
performance improvements with speed. Packetization also can
provide faster transfer of command and status information and the
ability to transfer multiple commands and multiple threads of
data per connection cycle.
-- QAS (Quick Arbitration Select) provides faster arbitration to
reduce disconnect and reconnect time on the SCSI bus.http://www.scsita.org
***Ditek Software Acquires GWN Systems' GIS/Mapping Technology
and Development Team
(September 23)Ditek Software announced that it has acquired the mapping and
geographic information systems (GIS) software development
technology assets of GWN Systems. Ditek purchased the technology
and development group from Ferguson Simek Clark (FSC), a
Yellowknife, NWT, engineering and architectural company. The
financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.Under the terms of the acquisition, GWN's software development
staff will be offered employment with Ditek Software and will
become part of a new Edmonton-based division of Ditek which will
be called GWN Technologies. FSC becomes Ditek's consultant of
choice for implementing and marketing integrated Ditek/GWN
technology in such markets as China, the Philippines and Costa
Rica.http://www.gwnsys.ca
http://www.ditek.com***EAI completes acquisition of Transom Technologies
(September 23)Engineering Animation announced that it has completed the
previously announced acquisition of Transom Technologies.Transom Technologies, a privately held company in Ann Arbor,
Mich., is the leading provider of human modeling and simulation
software. Transom Technologies' flagship product is sold under
the name Transom Jack.http://www.eai.com
http://www.transom.com***Motorola, VM Labs To Invest In Content For Project X-based
Boxes
(September 16)Multimedia Wire reports Motorola plans to invest in content to
grow sales of its Blackbird set-top box technology, which
features VM Labs' Project X media processor.Much as 3D graphics chip manufacturers pay developers to optimize
titles for their chips, Motorola will fund Blackbird content
development in conjunction with VM Labs.***Magellan and Mitsubishi Electric's VSIS Announce Strategic
Partnership
(September 15)Magellan and VSIS have announced the formation of a strategic
partnership for the development of global positioning system
(GPS) semiconductor and system products for high-volume, low-cost
consumer market applications. Terms of the agreement were not
disclosed; a product announcement will be made in early 1999.http://www.vsisinc.com
http://www.magellangps.com***Nokia Unveils Digital Terrestrial Set-Top Box Technology
(September 14)Newsbytes reports that Nokia has shown a digital terrestrial TV
set-top box (STB).Known as the Nokia Mediamaster 9850T, the unit builds on the
Nokia 9xxx systems already available in the digital satellite STB
market. The unit will be supplied to OnDigital, the UK's digital
terrestrial TV service, which goes live on November 1.The new unit is the first of several boxes expected during the
coming weeks and months for the new range of digital terrestrial
TV and teletext services which are expected to arrive over the
next few years across Europe.The 9850T supports the complete MPEG-2 (Motion Picture Experts
Group type 2) standard, including support for widescreen
(letterbox) TVs and "pan and scan" facilities. The unit also
includes facilities for digital radio and comes with a serial
data interface for connection to a PC.Built into the unit is a high-speed modem and telephone
connection for use with Internet access services. It also allows
users to register pay-per-view options and, where the broadcaster
requires, allows viewer usage patterns to be uploaded to the
broadcaster computers.This monitoring facility, which is also apparently found on
selected digital satellite STB boxes.http://www.nokia.com
***Man Banned for Life from Doing Business on Internet
(September 16)The Federal Trade Commission has reached a settlement with a Lake
Worth man that bars him from doing business on the Internet.
Craig Lee Hare was accused by the federal agency of selling new
and used computers through online auction houses, and never
shipping the computer.The FTC estimates that with at least 25 bidders paying as much as
$1,450 per computer, Hare made between $20,000-30,000 from people
throughout the United States and Canada.The man succeeded in his ploy for about 9 months spanning 1997-
1998. He would register with Internet auction houses and take
bids through an anonymous e-mail. He then contacted the bidders
telling them to send him cashier's checks or money orders for the
items that they had bought.He was charged with 4 counts of using unfair/deceptive acts in
mail or telephone commerce. The two auction houses that Hare
used, Ebay and Up4Sale, were not charged.The FTC has probed about 40 cases of possible fraud in business
done through the Internet. The first was in 1994, and involved a
man who ran ads on American Online offering credit repair kits.
Hare, is the first case though, where the offender was banned for
life from doing business on the Internet.http://www.up4sale.com
http://www.ebay.com***Forbes ASAP's "High Tech's 100 Wealthiest"
(September 17)Forbes ASAP announced that the combined wealth of its 1998 "High
Tech's 100 Wealthiest" list totals more than $150 billion, most
of it created in the last 6 years. The entry requirement for the
list doubled last year from $40 million to $80 million.There are 15 billionaires on the list, 44 who were under the age
of 45 and 4 under 30. Leading the list is Microsoft's Bill Gates
with an estimated worth of $58.73 billion, as of August 3rd.
Microsoft had two other employees on the list, Paul Allen with
$16.98 billion and Steve Ballmer at $12.99 billion.Intel's Gordon Moore is estimated at $7.62 billion and Bill
Hewlett at $3.41 billion.Internet companies also took top spots on the list. Both
Amazon.com's Jeff Bezos, $2.14 million, Dave Filo of Yahoo!,
$1.01 billion made it onto the list.The youngest member of this elite group was Chris Klaus, the 25
year old who founded Atlanta's Internet Security Systems Inc.,
worth $187.5 million. The oldest member is J.R. Simplot who
earned his first million nearly 60 years ago and who has made
most of his $449.1 million from an investment in Micron
Technology made in 1981.Forty-one members of last years list did not make repeat
appearances.http://www.forbes.com
***Zoran's SoftDVD Shipping With Diamond's Graphics Accelerator
Board
(September 8)Zoran announced that Diamond Multimedia is shipping Zoran's
SoftDVD decoder/player with its Viper 550 AGP graphics
accelerator and with its Monster Sound MX300 audio card.
SoftDVD enables MMX equipped PCs to play DVD content without
having any dedicated decoding hardware. All video and audio
decoding, navigation, decryption and 3D audio functions are
preformed in software.http://www.diamondmm.com
http://www.zoran.com--------------------------------------
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