The WAVE Report on Digital Media
3D --- Media Creation --- Shared Space
---Published by 4th Wave, Inc.---
Issue #0331------------------9/6/03

 

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0331.1 Hot Topics

0331.2 Story of the Issue

0331.3 3D

0331.4 Cable Modems

0331.5 WLAN

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0331.1 Hot Topics

***StereoGraphics and Kortek Form 3D Monitor Partnership (September 3)

StereoGraphics Corporation, a supplier of Stereo3D visualization
products, today announced a strategic partnership with Kortek, a
Korean company that manufactures industrial monitors.
StereoGraphics and Kortek will join forces to create the next
generation of Glasses-Free 3D monitors.

StereoGraphics has already experienced success in Glasses-Free 3D
monitors with its SynthaGram product line. The SynthaGram is
being used in industries such as retail point of purchase, casino
gaming, and tradeshow displays, to engage the viewer and create a
3D viewing experience that does not require special eyewear.

StereoGraphics is now partnering with Kortek to co-engineer a new
line of industrial-grade monitors that can meet much stricter
specifications and withstand harsher environments. Kortek
specializes in creating a Total Display Solution for demanding
high-use environments such as casinos, military operation
facilities, advertising displays, retail point of purchase,
computer monitoring centers and industrial sites around the
world.

StereoGraphics and Kortek plan to have a wide range of industrial
strength Glasses-Free 3D monitors in production by December 2003.

http://www.stereographics.com


***Ligos Announces H.264 Video Development Plans Based on Intel
Platforms
(September 3)

Ligos Corporation today announced their intention to develop and
bring to market new products based on the emerging H.264 video
codec standard and Intel-based platforms. The two companies will
work together to combine an H.264 implementation optimized for
Intel-based platforms, with the customization and features
necessary to enable a video experience across a broad spectrum of
applications and environments.

Intel researchers have optimized the H.264 codec for Intel-based
platforms. Ligos will expand and incorporate the Intel-optimized
H.264 technology into future Ligos products for the PC, handheld
and broadcast video markets.

H.264, also known as AVC or MPEG-4 Part 10, brings a new level of
efficiency in terms of compression and quality to digital video,
enabling a variety of applications such as high-definition DVD,
video-on-demand, digital home products, video over IP, and
delivery of video over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular networks.

Work is already underway to extend the H.264 implementation with
features for optimized applications on Intel-based systems and
devices with availability from Ligos targeted for later this
year.

Ligos Corporation is a worldwide provider of software-only media
stream management technology.

http://www.ligos.com


***Broadband Physics SDM Technology Reaches 200 Mbps
(September 2)

Broadband Physics, Inc. is pleased to announce that its Sub-Band
Division Multiplexing (SDM) technology is poised to deliver
almost 200 Mbps of useable Information Rate digital capacity for
potentially the same silicon cost of today's 40 Mbps Quadrature
Amplitude Modulation (QAM) technology.

According to the company CEO, Mark Laubach, SDM is capable of
delivering five times more standard definition digital television
program streams to the set top box for the same cost as today's
subscriber modulation silicon. Mark attributes the increased
ability on better mathematics, which better reflect the physics
of the line characteristics.

Broadband Physics is in the process of completing its development
and expects to validate SDM's performance through engineering
field trials early this fall.

The company is a Silicon Valley fab-less semiconductor start-up
company creating silicon systems for fiber speed access over
existing cable networks. Broadband Physics, Inc. is a private
company founded in 1997 and headquartered in Cupertino, CA.

http://www.broadbandphysics.com

0331.2 Story of the Issue

***Proxim Tsunami MP11a Product Line Extends 802.11a for Access
and Backhaul
(September 4)

Proxim Corporation, a developer of wireless networking equipment
for Wi-Fi and wireless wide area networking (WAN), has announced
their new Tsunami MP.11a, an outdoor wireless solution based on
the IEEE 802.11a wireless LAN standard. Aimed at service
providers and enterprises, the MP11a line offers up to 54 Mbps
raw data rates for metropolitan-range point-to-point or point-to-
multipoint service, including non line-of-sight (NLOS)
capability. The products use three separate 5GHz frequency
bands, and are appropriate for global deployments. Applications
could include multi-camera security and surveillance networks,
high-density metropolitan wireless networks, data backhaul, and
last mile business or residential access.

The 802.11a standard was originally designed for local
networking, using portions of the 5GHz spectrum. Based on OFDM
modulation (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing), the
802.11a standard provides raw data rates of up to 54 Mbps, and
handles time-delay and multi-path interference well, making it
appropriate for dense urban environments. But while WLAN
implementations of the standard typically have a range of no more
than a few hundred feet, Proxim's MP11a product line can have a
range of up to 32 miles (in the U.S.), or 7.5 miles (in Europe).
The maximum ranges are based on the deployment environment, and
on signal power, which is limited by regulatory bodies such as
the FCC or ETSI.

OFDM has become the modulation of choice for fixed wireless
systems in recent years. The newly ratified IEEE 802.16a fixed
wireless standard includes 2 types of OFDM modulation, and both
the WiMAX and ETSI organizations have settled on OFDM256 as the
modulation of choice for their standards efforts. OFDM is
popular because of its ability to sort out reflected and time-
delayed signals, and use them to provide service. As a result,
OFDM systems can provide greater range or data rates in
environments with many reflections, such as urban settings.
Wireless signals that are reflected off of buildings can be
gathered by an OFDM system, allowing it to "see around corners"
and provide reliable NLOS service.

However the advantage is not as great in many residential
environments, since there are not as many reflecting surfaces to
bounce the signal into blind spots. In addition, residential
deployments often have to deal with foliage, which absorbs,
rather than reflects, high frequency wireless signals. In some
cases OFDM can pick up signals reflected around the foliage, but
the effect is not as great as in a dense urban setting. When
reflected signals are not enough, the solution often is simply to
turn up the power, or reduce the range from base station to
subscriber.

Tsunami MP11a System

The Tsunami MP.11a line consists of a base station unit, two
classes of subscriber unit, and a variety of external antennae.
The Business Subscriber Unit offers support for an unlimited
number of local devices. The Residential Subscriber Unit supports
up to eight local devices, and includes a customer installable
" indoor" window antenna. The Tsunami MP.11a Base Station Unit can
connect up to 100 Subscriber Units of either type.

Both subscriber units and the base station are equipped with an
N-type male antenna connector, for flexibility in antenna choice.
Proxim offers four base station antennae in either sector or omni
configuration, and three subscriber antennae in either panel or
window-mount configurations. Customers are also free to choose
from a variety of more specialized third-party antenna options,
compatible with the N-type connector on the units. This may be
important for point-to-point deployments, which typically use
focused antenna systems to improve gain and increase security.
Higher gain antennae will improve received signal quality,
allowing either higher data rates over a fixed distance, or
similar data rates over longer distances, than lower-gain
antennae.

The Tsunami MP.11a line is designed to operate in the U.S. or
international markets, including operating in the 5.47-5.725 GHz
license-free band available for use in Europe. It provides the
OFDM modulation, Transmit Power Control and Dynamic Frequency
Selection features required for European deployments.

Like other products in the Tsunami MP.11 family, the Tsunami
MP.11a utilizes Proxim's Wireless Outdoor Router Protocol (WORP),
which provides over-the-air connectivity in outdoor environments.
WORP also prevents unauthorized access to the network by Wi-Fi
systems. In addition, the Tsunami MP.11a supports Asymmetric
Bandwidth Management, which allows adjustments to the send and
receive data rates independently. This enables service providers
to offer differentiated services and pricing for business and
residential customers.

Advanced technical features include channel bonding, to connect
channels for greater range. The MP.11a products also provide for
Layer 2 bridging--they are 802.3d (MAC bridge) compliant. They
also provide layer 3 routing functionality with RIP-2 automatic
routing updates. The MP.11a Base Station and Business Subscriber
Units are 802.3af compliant and can be powered over Ethernet.
The Base Station can be placed outdoors but requires an
environmental enclosure. It is specified to operate from 0 to 55
deg C.

Proxim Tsunami MP.11a products are available now through Proxim's
international network of resellers. The Tsunami MP.11a Base
Station Unit has a U.S. list price of $1295. The Tsunami MP.11a
Subscriber Unit has a U.S. list price of $695 and the Tsunami
MP.11a Residential Subscriber Unit has a U.S. list price of $495.

http://www.proxim.com

0331.3 3D

***Discreet Announces Version 6 of fire and smoke Systems
(September 4)

Discreet, a division of Autodesk, Inc., today announced new
platform support and versions of its non-linear editing and
finishing systems, fire 6 and smoke 6. Discreet's editing
systems play a role in digital intermediate workflows for 2K
film, high definition television (HDTV) and standard definition
(SD) projects. The new version 6 releases are expected to
deliver new pricing, mixed resolution workflow, and new visual
effects technology from Discreet's image-processing research
group.

fire 6 and smoke 6 will feature a new flexible software design
for multi-resolution post production, including the ability to
work at any resolution at any time, and to mix resolutions within
projects and timelines.

Linux and Irix Platforms

fire 6 and smoke 6 will be available on several new platforms.
These include the SGI Onyx 350 for fire 6, as well as the Silicon
Graphics Tezro visual workstation and the IBM Intellistation Zpro
6221 Linux workstation for smoke 6.

smoke on Tezro is capable of playing up to two real-time streams
of 10-bit/component, uncompressed RGB, 4:4:4 HDTV (1080i and
1080/24p), allowing for high picture quality and fast editing and
rendering of effects. The Tezro platform will also enable smoke 6
to deliver real-time 10-bit RGB playback at 2K resolutions. fire
6 on Onyx 350 will allow users to interactively work with up to
32 2K layers in the 3D compositing environment.

New Creative Features for Finishing

fire 6 and smoke 6 will offer a range of new creative features,
including Discreet's Master Keyer; integration of Discreet's
Colour Warper technology for color manipulation; 3D capabilities
including bi-cubic deformation of surfaces in 3D; the ability to
import 3D models via FBX; media management and archiving tools
including integrated OMF support; and the ability to exchange
audio media/compositions with applications such as ProTools.

Discreet plans to release fire 6 and smoke 6 in early 2004. For
pricing and configuration details, please contact Discreet.

http://www.discreet.com


***Caligari Announces gameSpace 3D Developer Environment
(September 4)

Caligari, a producer of 3D modeling and animation software,
previewed its latest product offering, gameSpace, at the Xtreme
Game Developers Xpo on September 6 and 7. gameSpace is an
environment for creating characters and mods for popular game
formats including Quake 2, Quake 3 and Unreal.

Offering a first-person-perspective modeler environment, a suite
of design tools, import/export utilities for multiple game
formats and content libraries, gameSpace is designed for start to
finish game content creation. The immersive first-person-
perspective environment is intended to be familiar to game
players, to help them create graphics quickly and inexpensively,
according to Caligari.

Modeling, texture and animation capabilities in gameSpace are
provided through a game-optimized version of trueSpace 6.6,
Caligari's 3D modeling product. Import/export utilities are
provided for some game engines, to help developers develop and
reuse content for multiple titles. Modeling features include
polygon modeling/point editing for in-game content, and
Subdivision Surfaces for producing high polycount versions.

gameSpace includes a rendering engine that, supports full
rendering to any image size with no watermarks, for production of
promotional artwork, background images, beauty renders, 2D
sprites, etc. Images can also be rendered using procedural
shaders, turning gameSpace into a texture creation tool. Finished
textures can then be placed back onto 3D models using included
texture-mapping tools.

Animation tools include IK and "bones" to enable control over
joints. gameSpace also includes a non-linear editor.

gameSpace will be available in late September for $299.

http://www.caligari.com

0331.4 Cable Modems

***Motorola Demonstrates Broadband Products for 'Connected Home'
Strategy
(September 3)

Motorola, Inc. Broadband Communications Sector demonstrated the
technologies and products central to their "connected home"
initiative this week, at the CEDIA EXPO 2003, at the Indianapolis
Convention Center and RCA Dome.

Motorola believes that their "connected home" products can
provide new revenue opportunities for the CEDIA markets, by
helping installers bring broadband content into, and distribute
it throughout, the home. Broadband applications could include
high-definition television (HDTV) with integrated digital video
recording (DVR), wireless home networking, and Internet home
control and monitoring.

The Motorola connected home products on display included:

Home Entertainment

Motorola DCT6200 High-Definition Cable Set-Top. The Motorola
DCT6200 set- top is a solution for digital video recording and
high-definition television. The cable receiver enables direct
digital connections to consumer audio and video devices via 1394-
DTV and DVI interfaces, includes an integrated DOCSIS-compatible
cable modem, and supports applications such as video-on-demand
(VOD) and interactive program guides (IPG) on supported cable
systems (*monthly subscription through a local cable operator is
required).

HDT100 High-Definition Off-Air Tuner. The new Motorola HDT100 --
making its debut at the CEDIA Expo -- provides access to free
high-definition (HD) television signals. This tuner converts HD
signals to match any TV -- whether high-definition or standard --
and delivers sound through Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound
decoding or pass-through to your home entertainment system. The
HDT100 supports an on-screen menu, and digital closed captions.

Motorola DCP501 Home Theater System. The Motorola DCP501 combines
the capabilities of a DVD player, CD player, MP3 player, top-
quality AM/FM stereo receiver, and interactive digital cable
receiver with an audio/video receiver that supports 5.1 Dolby
Digital, Pro Logic II and DTS decoding technology. The unit's
all-in-one design is intended for bringing an entertainment
experience into the family room, den or bedrooms.

Home Networking - Wireless and Ethernet

Wireless Home Networking Devices. Motorola showcased its recently
introduced family of 802.11g wireless home networking products.
The product line includes adapters (Ethernet, notebook, PCI),
access points (Ethernet WAN and wireless LAN), broadband routers
(Ethernet WAN/wireless and Ethernet LAN), and Ethernet routers
and switches. Products include:

- Wireless Broadband Router -- creates a wired and/or wireless
network
- Wireless Access Point -- creates a wireless network
- Wireless Ethernet Bridge -- connects Ethernet devices to a
wireless network
- Wireless Notebook Adapter -- connects laptops to a wireless
network
- Wireless PCI Adapter -- connects desktop PCs to a wireless
network
- Ethernet Broadband Router -- creates a wired network

Cable Modems and Gateways

Motorola SB5100. The DOCSIS 2.0-certified Motorola SB5100 cable
modem provides a tripled upstream capacity of 30Mbps on supported
cable systems, states Motorola. The modem's top-mounted stand-by
button provides security by preventing unauthorized access to
users' PCs. The stand-by button simply disconnects the USB and
Ethernet connection to the PC without disconnecting the cable
modem from the RF network.

Motorola SBG900 Wireless Cable Modem Gateway. The DOCSIS 2.0-
certified Motorola SBG900 is designed to provide a way for
broadband users to set-up a wireless network in their home. This
802.11g wireless cable modem gateway integrates a number of
features and functionalities into a single unit, including:

- 802.11g wireless access point
- DOCSIS 2.0-compatible cable modem
- 10/100base-T Ethernet and USB ports
- Content filtering and parental controls
- Wireless security, including 64/128-bit WEP encryption
- Network security features, including an advanced firewall
- Configurable signal area, allowing installers to adjust the
signal strength to cover only a desired area.

Motorola SBG1000 Wireless Cable Modem Gateway. The Motorola
SBG1000 was one of the first wireless cable modem gateways.
Motorola states that the product replaces the need for an
individual cable modem, 5-port router/switch, wireless access
point, advanced firewall security and print server by combining
all this functionality in a single product. In addition, the
SBG1000 offers added benefits such as a USB port, content
filtering and parental controls, wireless security including
64/128-bit WEP encryption, configurable signal area, and virtual
private network pass-through.

Home Monitoring

Motorola Internet Home Control and Monitoring. Motorola offered
CEDIA installers a preview of its new family of Internet home
control and monitoring products, designed to enable the remote
monitoring of consumers' homes using a broadband connection. The
family, which includes a home gateway, cameras, sensors, and
motion detectors, utilizes wireless and broadband technologies.

http://www.motorola.com/broadband/


***Volo Communications Begins VoIP Over Cable Bundle Trial
(September 3)

Caerus, Inc. announced today that its communications service
provider subsidiary, Volo Communications, Inc., will begin a
trial immediately to offer consumer and business customers in
Florida unlimited calling with enhanced features, high speed
Internet access, VPN services, and other voice and data services,
via the local cable access network. The full suite of new
products includes:

-- Unlimited residential local and long distance voice over IP
(VoIP) services and enhanced calling features - all for a flat
rate of $25 per month
-- High-Speed Cable Internet Access
-- Corporate and Residential Video Streaming Services
-- Virtual Private Networks - for telecommuting employees and
remote offices
-- Storage and Data Recovery Service

Unlike other VoIP service offerings that traverse the public
Internet, these services are offered over Volo Communications'
private IP backbone network, which offers MPLS services between
switches over one national backbone network, rather than across
1,000s of Internet subnetworks.

The VoIP services included in this package bundle local and long
distance phone services along with enhanced calling features, for
a fee of $25 per month. Enhanced calling features include
Voicemail, Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, Caller ID, 3-Way
Calling, Repeat Dialing, Call Transfer, Caller ID Block, and
Virtual Phone Numbers. These services are accessible from a
standard PC, telephone or IP phone.

Customers will have control over their choice of features, which
can be changed as needed through a Web-based interface. Customers
will be able to perform online account management, including Web-
based Voicemail retrieval and view account activity. Volo
Communications also allows customers to select their own area
code or keep their current number, if they like.

http://www.volocommunications.com

0331.5 WLAN

***Aruba Wi-Fi Switching System Certified by Wi-Fi Alliance and
HIPAA-Ready
(September 2)

Aruba Wireless Networks today announced it has received Wi-Fi
certification from the Wi-Fi Alliance for its Aruba 5000 wireless
LAN switch and Aruba 52 dual-purpose 802.11 a+b access point. In
addition, the company said that its Wi-Fi switching products
conform to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act of 1996 (HIPAA), a key requirement for health care providers.

The dual-band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz spectrums) interoperability
tests, performed by Agilent ICL, are compliant with the Wireless
Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA) Wi-Fi test plan document
version 1.1a. The 802.11a and 802.11b dual-band interoperability
tests are performed only if the access point (AP) simultaneously
supports both 802.11a and 802.11b.

The Wi-Fi alliance tests, covering a variety of switch and AP
configurations, check to see if the device communicates properly
with a representative cross-section of previously tested and
certified Wi-Fi member devices. Aruba's products were tested for
interoperability with a variety of products from 3Com, Atheros,
Agere, Cisco Systems, D-Link, Intel, Intersil, Lucent, Proxim and
Symbol. The parameters configured for AP interoperability are RTS
threshold, fragmentation, WEP, SSID, preamble mode, power save,
channel and rate.

Aruba's wireless LAN switching conforms to the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPAA outlines new
security standards intended to protect an individual's health
information, while permitting the appropriate access and use of
that information by health care providers, clearinghouses and
heath plans. The HIPAA standard mandates safeguards for the
physical storage and maintenance, transmission and access to
individual health information. Key criteria to HIPAA compliance
include access control, authentication and advanced encryption.

HIPAA also requires "irrefutable" unique identification of
authorized users and the rejection of unauthorized users. Aruba's
WLAN switching systems meet this requirement by supporting multi-
factor authentication. Aruba's Wi-Fi system is also able to
uniquely classify, detect and deny access to unauthorized or
illegal rogue devices that appear on the wireless network.

Aruba stated that their Wi-Fi switches are a secure means to
provide 802.11 access within large-scale healthcare environments,
because they combine physical layer RF security with data link
encryption, 802.1X authentication, network-layer tunneling and
per user firewall policies.

Third-Party Interoperability

Aruba has successfully completed interoperability tests with its
Aruba 5000 WLAN switch and the following third-party access
points: Agere (AP-1000), Cisco (340, 350, 1100, 1200), Netgear
(HE102, HE314, FM114P, MR814), Linksys (WAP 55AG, WAP 54G, WAP
11), D-Link (all models), Avaya (AP-3, AP-4, AP-5), Symbol
(Spectrum24), Proxim (Orinoco AP 2000), Intermec (Mobilian),
Buffalo (Airstation), Melcor (all models). With Cisco, any Wi-Fi
compliant third-party AP, Aruba provides:

-- traffic load balancing
-- stateful 802.1X authentication
-- wireless RMON statistics
-- seamless mobility per user firewall security service
-- power and serial over Ethernet (SPoE)

Aruba Wireless Networks is a privately-held wireless networking
company that develops enterprise-class Wi-Fi switching systems.
Backed by venture capital firms Matrix Partners and Sequoia
Capital, the company began shipping its WLAN switching system to
customers around the world in June 2003.

http://www.arubanetworks.com

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