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***Intel Introduces Intel 752 Graphics Accelerator Chip and Integrated 3D and Core Logic on Intel 810 Chip (April 27)
Intel has announced the Intel 752 graphics accelerator chip as a part of the Intel Graphics Technology (IGT) family.
The chip includes the following:
· 3M Triangles/Second Peak Polygon Rate
· 100M Pixels/Second Full Featured Fill Rate
· Full Sideband AGP 2X Support with Dynamic Arbitration
· 16-tap Anisotropic Filtering
· Discrete Triangles, Strips and Fans Support
· Variable Length Vertex Formats
· Per Pixel Accuracy
· Bump Mapping
· Flat and Gouraud Shading
· MIP-mapping with Bilinear Filtering Eleven Levels of Detail
· Color Alpha Blending for Transparency
· Fogging and Atmospheric Effects
· Specular Lighting
· Edge Anti-aliasing
· Backface Culling
· Z-buffering
· Per Pixel Perspective Correct Texture Mapping
· Texture Sizes from 1x1 to 1024x1024 Pixels Rectangle or Square
· Single Pass Texture Compositing
· Texture Color-keying/Chroma-keying
· Hardware Motion Compensation
· Software DVD at 30 fps, Full Screen
· Dynamic Bob and Weave Support for DVD Playback
· CCIR601 and CCIR656 Support
· Full Bi-directional VMI Support
· Video Conferencing Support
· Intercast and VBI Support
· Brightness, Contrast and Saturation Controls
· Separate Gamma Control for Overlay
· Capture Formats:
YUV 4:2:2 YUV 4:1:1
YUV 4:2:0 RGB 15
YUV 4:1:0 RGB 16
· Integrated 250 MHz RAMDAC
· 128-bit 2D Acceleration
· Simultaneous Fetch and Store
· 2D Clipping and Scissoring
· Arithmetic Stretch BLT
· Support for Up to 133 MHz 4MB, 8MB, 16MB (SGRAM or SDRAM)
· CMOS 0.25u process
· 421 BGA
· 1.85V Core with 3.3V CMOS I/O
· Supports Flat Panel
· Up to 1280 x 1024 @ 60 Hz
· 112 MHz Dot Clock at 24bpp
· Silicon Image TMDS Transmitter
· SiI154Supports TV Out
· Dual Voltage Port Support:
1.8V and 3.3V
· NTSC and PAL
· Programmable flicker filter
· Chrontel 7005*, 7007*
· Bt 869*
· Supports TV In
· Philips SAA7114*
· Bt 835*Software Drivers for
DirectX 5.0 and DirectX 6.0
OpenGL ICD
GDI
VFW and WDM
Windows 98
Windows NT 4.0
Linux
BeOSResolution Colors Refresh Rate
640 x 480 24 100 Hz
800 x 600 24 100 Hz
1024 x 768 24 100 Hz
1280 x 1024 24 85 Hz
1600 x 1200 16 85 HzThe Intel 752 will be available in volume production in early June for third-party graphics vendors and OEM manufacturers to ship products later in the month. It is priced at $19.50 in 10,000-unit quantities.
Intel announced the Intel 810 chipset which integrates 3-D AGP graphics and supports Instantly Available PC technology, which allows computers to quickly resume operation with low levels of power, and Intel Accelerated Hub Architecture, which doubles the size of the communications channel within the chipset for better multimedia performance.
The Intel 810 chipset also removes outdated "legacy" technology such as ISA in order to improve reliability and ease-of-use.
Three versions of the Intel 810 chipset will be available in June: the Intel 810DC100 capable of interfacing with 4 MB of optional display cache, for $32, the Intel 810 chipset for $29.50, and the Intel 810-L chipset, a reduced cost version, for $25.50. Chipset prices are in 10,000 unit quantities.
Where is the beef?
The i752 is a dramatic shift in Intel's approach to the 3D market. This is a low priced part with lackluster features. It does not have a dual pipeline architecture which is common in all the 3D performance chips present or recently announced. We assume it runs counter to the movement where 32bit full color rendering dominates. The RAMDAC clock speed is a generation behind. At $19 the part seems overpriced.The i810 looks like a warmed over i740 in a chip set. Given that the i810 will not support Socket 7 it is focused only on the Intel segment of the low cost PC market.
One wonders - is Intel going to be a leader or follower in 3D on the PC? In a over a year since the i740 was announced it has fallen behind the industry.
***First VR World Congress
(May 4)
The first VR World Congress is to be held 5,6,7 July 1999 in Brussels, Belgium. Participants will include users, researchers and suppliers of Virtual Reality (VR) systems, products and services. The VR World Congress will explore ways to accelerate the widespread commercial adoption of VR - and to shed its image of entertainment, theme parks and helmets. VR is being used to train surgeons, design buildings, prototype automobiles, evaluate candidates for employment, visualize complex data, plan factories, simulate for education, sell products, communicate sophisticated messages, prepare employees for work and emergency situations and much more. It is also bringing the World Wide Web to life with 3D images that are more interesting and easier to understand than text.
Initial Sponsors include blaxxun interactive (Germany), CadCentre (UK), InterSense (USA), RTZ Virtual Worlds (Spain), Memondo Graphics (Spain), Systema Informatics (Greece), Virtual Reality Technologies (Germany) and the European Commission.
Early indications are the Congress will be a sell-out. Investigations are already being made into holding similar events in the USA and Japan.
Details from:
VR_World_Congress@cyber-wizard.com
***MathEngine Acquires Lateral Logic
(April 20)
MathEngine has announced the acquisition of Montreal-based Lateral Logic.
With this acquisition, Lateral Logic's collision detection and high-end physical simulation will be added to MathEngine's technology, the MathEngine SDK. The addition of Lateral Logic's technology to MathEngine's dynamic compiler capabilities will allow real-time physical simulation on platforms ranging from consumer game consoles to multiple-processor high-end workstations.
Lateral Logic was established in 1994 and has developed behavior solutions for interactive 3-D graphics applications in visual simulation and virtual prototyping.
Life Forms 3.5 has been announced with motion editing, rendering, and retargeting motion between models.
http://www.credo-interactive.com
***NTT and IBM Support IrDA for Wireless Phone Connection to ISDN Phone (April 26)
NTT in Japan is now installing IC card operated IrDA ISDN public phones in major cities in Japan. At the same time IBM has released a WorkPad in Japan with a "Beam and Sync" to an IrDA public payphone which will connect through a 128kbps ISDN circuit to the remote server.
***ATI's RAGE PRO TURBO graphics chip inside Gobi's free net machine (April 28)
ATI Technologies has been selected by Gobi as the provider of graphics and video acceleration for it computers using RAGE PRO TURBO graphics and Intel's Celeron processor and Microsoft's Windows 98. Gobi has an Internet access program where it is offering a computer and unlimited Internet access for only $25.99 a month. Gobi will also replace the system every 36 months, to ensure subscribers continually have access to the current specification computers. The only other costs additional to the monthly subscription fee are a $29.99 set-up fee and a $45 shipping and handling charge.
This conference is run by MicroDesign Resources (MDR) the publisher of the Microprocessor Report. In the last 30 days MDR has been bought from ZiffDavis and is now owned by Cahners Electronics Group publishers of Electronic News and home also for the market firm Cahners In-Stat. The conference is an annual event and it is the leading forum for the announcement of new processors. The attendance is 500 and the quality and level of attendees is best of class. A program director is Jim Turley, the principal analyst in this area at MDR.
Many do not realize that the embedded market for microprocessor has well passed the PC. In his comments, Jim Turley, illustrated the contrast between the markets. He stated that in a number of ways embedded CPUs have surpassed the PC and these include:
Embedded CPUs have 10 million transistors while the Pentium II has on 7.5 million;
The Sony Playstation 2 chip is 2X the die size area of the Pentium III;
Multiple .18 micron chips were announced at the conference;
A microprocessor which uses copper interconnect was announced at the conference;
Chips with clock speeds at 500MHz were announced;
In 1999 all microprocessors, from 4 bit to 32 bit, are at a run rate of 4.38 billion units of which the PC only accounts for 100 million;
In 1998 there were 244 million embedded 32 bit microprocessors and of this only 100 million were PCs; and
No single company controls the embedded market with more than 17% share - this is a very competitive market compared to the PC microprocessor market.The keynote was given by Donald A. Norman, of the Nielsen Norman Group, and it was entitled "The Invisible Computer - Embedded Processors and the Consumer Market." Donald is most recently known for his book "The Invisible Computer" that has gotten much attention in both the press and the computer industry. He described how technology moves rapidly and people move slowly. Thus, it takes a long time for the consumer market to develop. There are two camps, one of which was represented at the conference: technically centered and consumer driven markets. As he stated - "Everyone likes what those in technology have to say but they ignore it."
Donald went on to describe how ease of use is a cohesive system argument. He illustrated this by stating that in spite contributing much to making computers easy to use the Apple Macintosh has actually gone down in ease of use. Small factors may seem unimportant but in the context of a system they are important. Another example of ease of use is the 3Com Palm. Its success, as Donald stated, comes from using "trailing edge technology." Further, it only does a few things but does them well. In a further characterization of the consumer market he stated this market is about selling emotion. 20% of the market is driven by early adopters and 80% by what he called the late adopters. In his view today's computers do not deliver on their promise - they are too hard to use. Computers do everything but does nothing well with the possible exception of word processing.
He sees Moore' law in the following context in 10 years things will be 100X more powerful and in 15 years they will be 1000X improved in performance. A key element in future markets will be AORTA - Always On Real Time Access. Communications everywhere will make a major difference in markets and with individuals but it will take a long time. Given that the adoption rate of cable and DSL modems may run at only 3 - 4 million a year, it will take 20 years to reach US penetration.
He sees that in the future there will not be an Internet, as such. Internet access will be built into everything. In fact, we are not in a era of computers but communications. Everything will be digital. This is also the age of intelligent sensors.
A key missing component is standards. He stated that this is not about standards which are internal to products but those which consumers see. For example, why cannot a phone with an IR transmitter be used to change channels on a TV?
In his view consumers need more time and any device which reclaims time fulfills a need. Other needs include education and health care. The retirement is also a major market.
In response to his question - who will build it - he stated it will not be the marketing types and not the technologists. Donald emphatically stated that the computer industry does not understand the consumer. Examples cited of consumer centric companies include Sony, Philips - maybe. Ones that clearly do include AOL, Disney and P & G. In a human centered design there are four parts: manufacturing, marketing, user experience and engineering. Design for the user experience is lacking today.
Tom Starnes the Director and Principal Analyst for Embedded Microcomponents at Dataquest gave an interesting talk about the market. Some of his facts include:
The 1998 worldwide semiconductor market was $135 billion and embedded microprocessors accounted for 19% of that and compute processors were smaller at 17%. A key difference between these two markets is that in the compute business it is nearly dominated by Intel while just the opposite in the embedded market; The top semiconductor growth applications include: xDSL modem, DVD player, cable modem, Auto GPS, LAN switch, workstation, digital cordless, set top box, optical disc drive and remote access; and The applications of 32 bit embedded microprocessors in 1999 will be by order of volume: communications, consumer, automotive, embedded data processing and industrial.A highlight of the conference was the announcement of the Next Generation StrongARM processors by Intel. This processor was acquired when Intel bought the semiconductor operations from Digital Equipment Corp. The goal of the product family is high performance and low power. They have implemented a superpipeline within the processor with 7,8 stages. The end result is impressive:
.18 micron process technology;
600MHz clock rate;
750 MIPS (Dhrystone 2.1 at 1.3v)
.2 mW/MIPS at .75vIntel expects to sample in Q1 2000.
Another highlight was the presentation by Hidetoka Magoshi, Sony Computer Entertainment, on the Playstation Emotion Engine and Graphics Synthesizer. These are highly customized chips with just one purpose. The performance is very high:
6.2 G flops at 300 MHz
4.8 G integer byte operations/sec at @300MHz
4 Mbytes of embedded DRAM in the Graphics Synthesizer
Memory bandwidth 48G bytes/sec @ 150MHz
1.2 G Texels/sec @ 150MHz fill rateMDR estimates that the cost to build for the Emotion Engine at $130 and $130 also for the Graphics Synthesizer. When asked about the cost of these chips Magoshi-san responded he did not care about the cost of the chips - "cost is resolved over time. We have our own fab. My objective is to design the most powerful chip in time." That they certainly have done.
A highlight of the talk was the demo. Stunning. No PC can hope to compete with this. The last demo was of a small tub with a duck and submarine toys swimming. The water realism was like nothing we have seen in 3D before. The objects were real in appearance and action. The Sony Playstation 2 is like no other entertainment platform. If this can play DVD movies also, it is the beginning of an all purpose entertainment platform and the end of the game console as a isolated market. Nintendo and Sega will have a very hard time to compete.
***Universal Wireless Communications Consortium Unveils High-Speed Data Packet System for 3G Communications (April 21)
The Universal Wireless Communications Consortium (UWCC) announced an agreement to utilize an enhanced high-speed packet data system, called EDGE Compact, that will improve spectrum efficiency, deliver data up to 384 KBPS, and inter-operate on both TDMA and GSM networks.
EDGE Compact will support data rates up to 384 KBPS with minimum spectral clearing (nominally 600 kHz plus guard band). Effectively, this represents a 3x200 kHz carrier solution based on the EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution) technical proposal agreed to by the UWCC and the European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI). EDGE is a high-speed data component of the UWCC's third generation (3G) technology proposal known as UWC-136.
The UWCC is a Bellevue, Wash.-based international consortium of more than 100 wireless carriers and vendors supporting the TDMA and WIN technology standards. Its Board Members include: Alcatel USA, Argentina TDMA Association, AT&T Wireless Services (USA), BellSouth Cellular Corp. (USA), Cellcom (Israel), Celumovil (Colombia), Compaq Computer Corporation, Ericsson Radio Systems, Cable and Wireless (United Kingdom), Hughes Network Systems, Industar Digital PCS (USA), Lucent Technologies, Mobikom SDN BHD (Malaysia), Motorola, Movilnet (Venezuela), Nokia, Nortel Networks, Rogers Cantel (Canada), SBC Wireless (USA), Telecom New Zealand (New Zealand), and VimpelCom (Russia).
***Trident Cyber 9525DVD Hardware 3D Embedded Memory Graphics Accelerator (March 24)
Trident Microsystems announced that the Cyber9525DVD embedded memory graphics chip is the 3D graphics multimedia solution for Sharp's ultraslim PC-PJ2 notebook computer.
The Cyber9525DVD enables Sharp's sub slimnote design by eliminating the need for an internal cooling fan. The embedded 2.5MB of SDRAM, based on Samsung's .35m Merged Memory Logic technology, is integrated on the same die with Trident's high-performance graphics chip in a four-metal layer process.
***Worldwide Semiconductor Market Dropped to $134.8 Bil. in 1998 (April 23)
Last year, the worldwide semiconductor market suffered its biggest decline since 1985, as 1998 semiconductor revenues of $134.8 billion declined 8.4 percent from 1997's sales, according to Dataquest Inc.
In 1998, the DRAM segment suffered the steepest decline, with revenue dropping 29.5 percent from 1997.
Intel continued to put distance between itself and its nearest rival, and now it is 2.8 times as big as No. 2 vendor NEC. Siemens experienced the strongest growth among the top-tier vendors, as it grew 9.2 percent in 1998.
The other growth area was in digital signal processors with 5.4 percent growth, an increase that was due to the continuous increase in the rollout of digital mobile phones and cellular infrastructure, plus the boom in remote access device deployment by Internet service providers.
***CableLabs Issues Specifications for DOCSIS 1.1 Modems (April 22)
Cable Television Laboratories(CableLabs) has issued two new specifications that allow for advanced features and security in high-speed cable data modems.
These capabilities soon will be built into cable modems that may be sold at retail. Certification of those modems will begin in mid-2000.
The first specification, known as DOCSIS 1.1, defines functionality that allows cable operators to provide guaranteed bandwidth, i.e. quality of service (QoS), to cable modem customers.
The 1.1 specification is the foundation for PacketCable, a CableLabs-managed project aimed at identifying, qualifying, and supporting Internet-based multimedia products over cable systems. The release of the DOCSIS 1.1 specification follows the release, on March 12, of the first of a series of PacketCable specifications. PacketCable-based products will enable classes of services utilizing cable-based packet communication networks.
DOCSIS stands for Data over Cable Service Interface Specification and is the former name of the CableLabs Certified cable modem project, an effort that has resulted in high-speed modems being certified for retail sale. The functionality incorporated into DOCSIS 1.1 is compatible with earlier DOCSIS 1.0 cable modems and headend equipment.
The second specification, known as Baseline Privacy Interface Plus (BPI+), further enhances the data privacy and service protection offered by the earlier DOCSIS 1.0 specifications. The security specification strengthens service protection by incorporating digital-certificate-based authentication of cable modems and customers. BPI+'s enhanced service protection supports the offering of premium multicast services to customers.
To accomplish interoperability and certification for 1.1, while at the same time continuing to pursue additional certification of DOCSIS 1.0 modems, CableLabs is assembling a team of 19 contributing engineers. Engineers from the following companies are participating: Askey, Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Ericsson, General Instrument, Motorola, Philips, 3Com, Panasonic, Digital Furnace, Thomson, Terayon, Toshiba, and Com21.
http://www.cablelabs.com
http://www.cablemodem.com
http://www.cablenet.org
http://www.opencable.com
http://www.packetcable.com
***Intel and MetaCreations Announce Availability of Specification for Scaling and Streaming 3-D Content (April 15)
Intel and MetaCreations announced the availability of a specification for scaling and streaming 3-D content on the Web, the MetaStream 3-D file format designed for the Intel Architecture. The open specification, developed by Intel Architecture Labs and MetaCreations, will enable Web application developers to obtain the benefits of the MetaStream format and thus speed the proliferation of photorealistic MetaStream 3-D content. The companies intend to jointly continue to develop the capabilities of the MetaStream 3-D file format and companion tools, such as the MetaFlash 3-D camera being brought to market later this year by Kodak and Minolta and MetaCreations newly announced Canoma software.
Intel and MetaCreations published the open MetaStream file format
(.mts) and sample code at:
http://www.metastream/developerThe companies are also planning to submit the format specifications to Internet standards organizations. The MetaStream 3-D file format addresses the need for 3-D files that stream efficiently over the Internet and scale to the user's processing power. The MetaStream 3-D file format allows online shoppers to inspect and interact with products offered for sale and is currently being used in Web sites including autobytel.com and ModaCad's styleclick.com.
MetaCreations MetaFlash technology employs a developed flash and software that converts digital photos into texture-mapped 3-D wireframe models that can be output to the MetaStream 3-D file format. The MetaFlash technology has been licensed by Minolta and Kodak and will be brought to market with their cameras later this year. MetaCreations also markets software tools for the creation of 3-D content based on the MetaStream open file format. 3-D graphic design software packages Ray Dream Studio 5 and Ray Dream 3-D from MetaCreations are MetaStream file format compatible, and MetaCreations' Infini-D 4.5 and announced Canoma feature built-in MetaStream capabilities. In order to increase the quantity of MetaStream content on the Web, MetaCreations has also made a free MetaStream exporter for 3-D Studio MAX available on the MetaCreations Web site.
Minimum system requirements for MetaStream compatibility are a Pentium processor-based system, a 28.8 modem and a Netscape Communicator 4.0 or Internet Explorer 4.0 browser. As previously announced, MetaStream will be shipped by Microsoft as a component of Windows 98 and 2000. A free MetaStream exporter for 3-D Studio MAX is also available as a free download from the MetaCreations Web site.
http://www.metacreations.com/products/max250.
http://www.intel.com/pressroom
http://www.metastream.com
***Lucent and e.Digital to Develop Handheld Music Device (April 21)
Lucent Technologies says it is working with e.Digital to develop a handheld device for listening to music downloaded from the internet.
E.Digital will manufacture the device, using Lucent's Enhanced Perceptual Audio Coder (EPAC) and digital signal processors (DSP's) made by Texas Instruments Inc.
Lucent says unlike other handheld devices on the market that play downloadable music using the MP3 format, the e.Digital device will play EPAC files.
EPAC uses psychoacoustic modeling - that is, a representation of how humans hear sound - to compress music in a way that is not noticeable to the ear. Music is compressed at a rate of 11 to 1, thus reducing the transmission time/bandwidth and storage by the same ratio, while still retaining its fidelity.
***Internet Radio Networks Get Into The MP3 Act With Digital Bitcasting's Help (April 15)
MP3 radio hit the Internet recently when DiscJockey.com began streaming MP3 audio to listeners all over the world. A second Internet radio site, TTALK, will soon follow. Now listeners can legally "tune in" on their PCs to hear CD-quality audio. No need to download audio files.
The technology making this possible comes from Digital Bitcasting Corporation, a multimedia technology company. Bitcasting's server software lets webcasters stream MP3's over the Internet. Users turn their PC's into stereos by downloading RealPlayer G2 with Bitcasting's upgrade. They can listen, but can't save to disk without making a deliberate decision to work around the content provider's restriction.
DiscJockey.com, has over 110 channels and a monthly average of 100,000 unique visitors to its website. TTALK, the Internet's original live and on-demand audio newscaster, will add streaming MP3 audio to its site in the first week of May. TTALK has over a dozen technology news and information programs bringing listeners the latest in Techformation from around the globe.
Digital Bitcasting Corporation provides MPEG solutions for networked multimedia applications.
http://www.bitcasting.com
http://DiscJockey.Com
http://www.ttalk.com
***Pinnacle Systems Announces iThunder Internet Video Server (April 16)
Pinnacle Systems announced iThunder, a realtime video server for Internet Broadcasting. iThunder has been designed to enable broadcasters, corporations and other organizations to easily 'Webcast' their video programming over the Internet.
iThunder is the newest member of Pinnacle Systems recently announced Thunder family of multi-channel video and audio clip servers, which provide broadcasters and other content creators with disk-based solutions for storage and playback of broadcast-quality programming. iThunder includes RealNetworks' RealSystem G2 server and allows users to distribute video over the Internet as easily as they can send it to videotape or to air.
The rack-mountable iThunder Internet video server will enable broadcast, cable and satellite operations to broadcast to the Internet at the same time that they broadcast to air, eliminating the need to handle Internet video material in a separate production process. Corporate applications for iThunder include Internet distribution of video-based training, product demonstrations and sales programs. iThunder also makes browsing of video clips available over the Internet, allowing creatives and their clients to view projects from their desktops-or anywhere in the world-instantly.
The Thunder family of video servers features all digital CCIR 601 internal processing with support for multiple digital recording formats, including MPEG2, DV25 and DV50. Designed as play-to-air servers for broadcast, Thunder systems can also replace aging tape transports in TV stations and post houses. The Thunder MCS 2000 and MCS 4000 systems provide simultaneous record and playback on multiple channels, realtime transitions between clips, and clip-browsing across a network.
iThunder will begin shipping this summer. Prices for iThunder start at $9,995.
***Wireless Broadband Services to Grow
(April 20)
The future of Internet access is very much wireless, despite the head start cable modem and ADSL service providers have had in rolling out services, according to Allied Business Intelligence. While wireless is barely in the picture at this moment, it is apparent that the wireless sector will also benefit from the Internet and data movement. ABI sums up the wireless broadband access market in Wireless Broadband 99. Fixed Access Delivery Methods and Marketplaces, which covers LMDS, MMDS, satellite, 38 GHz and fixed wireless technologies.
There were fewer than 100,000 wireless broadband subscribers in 1998; by 2004 that number will rise to over 4 million, or close to one-fifth of the total broadband access pie. LMDS and satellite services will be the two leading wireless broadband technologies. Although the wireless sector share is much smaller than the wireline share, it is due to the slower rollout of wireless technologies.
A roadblock for wireless broadband providers could be a slow uptake of high-frequency devices, effecting the price of customer premises equipment. However, the cost factor will be a stumbling block for consumers, not businesses that the wireless broadband providers are targeting. In fact, while wireline technologies may be better suited for the home, wireless broadband access may be better suited for business applications.
Allied Business Intelligence has already seen the future, and it is in large part wireless. The recent purchase of MMDS properties by such large players as Sprint and MCI Worldcom and the impending satellite systems due to begin service in 2004 will add even more diversity to the wireless access portfolio.
***@Home Network Launches 'Click Cinema' (April 20)
@Home Network launched a 24-hour broadband digital film portal, Click Cinema, which aggregates entertainment content from companies including AtomFilms, D.Film, iFilm.NET, and Zeum. @Home is expanding its digital interactive entertainment content to include short films, videos, and animation.
@Home subscribers can produce their own short films to be submitted for possible viewing by the largest residential broadband audience today.
Through Click Cinema, subscribers can watch Academy Award nominated short films featuring Hollywood stars, festival award winners, and digital animation.
This new medium for short-form entertainment represents a substantial shift in the way movies are distributed. A much wider range of people will be able to write, shoot, mix sound, edit, and create graphics and visual effects. Artists and hobbyists no longer need film festivals, auditoriums or basement walls to showcase their work. The Web enables filmmaking to be freed from traditional constraints, allowing even the least-known artists to reach a potential world-wide audience.
Click Cinema will provide subscribers with the necessary tools to learn about digital filmmaking, submit short-form independent films for public viewing, and interact with @Home's editorial staff to share their opinions of the films being shown.
Click Cinema, located in the "Showcase" section of the @Home service, will premiere one new film or video each week, including short narrative films from AtomFilms, experimental animation from D.Film, independent short movies from iFilm.NET, and children's claymation from Zeum. The films will be optimized by @Home to appear in larger frame sizes and better quality due to a faster frame rate than what has been available on the Internet. Video formats used for Click Cinema are QuickTime 3.0 and RealVideo 5.0, neither of which needs to be downloaded due to @Home's built-in support for both technologies.
***Iomega and Sega Collaborate On Gaming Device (April 20)
Iomega Corporation announced that Iomega and Sega have signed a non-binding letter of intent to include Iomega's Zip 100MB drive in a collaborative product that will be designed to attach to Sega's Dreamcast system.
The product will also be designed to increase the capabilities of not only game playing, but Web-based activities such as content saving of e-mail and Web searches. In addition, Sega intends to sell private label Dreamcast Zip 100MB disks, offering both the device and disks in game-oriented channels.The collaborative product is expected to be offered as an option to Sega Dreamcast customers in the third quarter of 1999. Dreamcast began shipping November 27, 1998 in Japan and is expected to begin shipping in the U.S. and in Europe during the third quarter of 1999.
Through a 128-bit architecture, offering high-speed processing capability, 26MB of RAM, 64 channels of sound, graphics, 3D rendering, a 1 Gigabyte GD-ROM, and a modem for Internet gaming, Web access, and e-mail, Dreamcast has distinguished itself as a benchmark gaming system.
Via Zip Built-In, will be designed to make the Dreamcast system versatile enough to bring game playing, Web browsing and e-mail together in an integrated system. It will also be designed to allow users to download game updates from the Web to Zip disks. The system will be designed to work independently or in conjunction with Dreamcast games.
***RealNetworks Announces First Quarter Revenues (April 20)
RealNetworks announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 1999.
RealNetworks reported net revenues of $23.5 million for the first quarter of 1999, an increase of 88% from net revenues of $12.5 million in the first quarter of 1998. Net loss for the first quarter of 1999 was $0.7 million, or ($0.02) per share, compared to a pro form net loss for the first quarter of 1998 of $2.2 million, or ($0.07) per share (excluding a one-time charge for in-process research and development from the March 1998 acquisition of Vivo Software, Inc.).
The Company also announced that its board of directors approved a two-for-one split of its common stock. Shareholders will receive one additional share for every share held on the record date of April 27, 1999. The additional shares will be mailed or delivered on or about May 10, 1999, by the Company's transfer agent, ChaseMellon Shareholder Services.
***XM Satellite Radio Near DARS Deal with General Motors (April 16)
XM Satellite Radio is on the verge of winning a deal to supply its digital audio radio service (DARS) receivers to General Motors Corp.
CD Radio, the only other DARS provider licensed to operate in the United States, reported the development in an 8-K document it filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. CD Radio recently had set up an office in Detroit to pursue automaker contracts.
CD Radio officials reported in the 8-K that GM representatives said the automaker expected to conclude an agreement to provide XM Satellite Radio's satellite radio broadcasts. The decision led CD Radio and GM to end their discussions for a deal. The value of the GM contract was not disclosed.
XM Satellite also may have had an advantage in gaining the GM contract because Hughes Space and Communications is manufacturing the XM satellites under a contract valued at $550 million. Hughes is providing vendor financing to XM Satellite as well, as part of its manufacturing agreement.
CD Radio officials say they remain in discussions with several other automotive manufacturers to include its receivers either as standard or optional equipment in new vehicles. The company's long- term objective is to promote the adoption of CD Radio receivers as standard equipment in automobiles sold in the United States.
A strong possibility is that CD Radio could strike a deal with Ford Motor Co. the second-largest U.S. automaker.
XM Satellite officials declined to comment about any deal with GM, but acknowledged that they were talking to many organizations about supplying their DARS service when it is expected to become available in 2001.
***Teligent Adds Hughes as Broadband Wireless Equipment Vendor (April 15)
Teligent will use point-to-multipoint microwave radios and electronics equipment supplied by Hughes Network Systems under a five-year agreement carrying a potential value of $250 million. The Hughes Electronics Corp. subsidiary thus joins Northern Telecom Ltd. (Nortel) as a vendor for Teligent's ongoing buildout of local, long distance, high-speed data and Internet access networks in selected U.S. markets. Nortel, which signed a five-year, $780 million equipment supply and financing deal with Teligent in November 1997, will continue in its role as Teligent's principal network integrator.
Hughes will supply AIReach, its spectrum-efficient broadband wireless system, under the deal. The company has designed the equipment to integrate access multiplexing into a single, unified networking solution capable of achieving transporting speeds of 45 Mbps in RF channels with a width of 12.5 MHz. In this way, Teligent said, the Hughes-supplied equipment will mirror the capabilities of Nortel's in terms of integrating voice and data traffic on an ATM platform.
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http://www.3dlinks.com
Comments on or questions about WAVE may be sent to:
or any of the individuals below:
John N. Latta:----------jnl@fourthwave.com
Kamela Hutchins-------khutchins@fourthwave.com
Amanda Rogos--------arogos@fourthwave.com
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