0420.1 Hot Topics

Microsoft Demonstrates Major Innovations Across Windows Server System, Highlights New Capabilities Designed to Reduce the Complexity of IT

0420.2 Story of the Issue

CHI 2004

0420.3 Pen Technology

New Technology Helps Companies Speed Processing of Information Collected by Mobile Workers

0420.4 Wireless

Older Generation of Wireless Users Less Receptive to Wireless Marketing, Survey Finds; Early Adapters More Likely to Accept Wireless Marketing

0420.5 Companies

Famous Indian Brand Goes to Auction

0420.6 Network

AMD Introduces the AMD Alchemy DBAu1550 Development Board, Accelerating Design of Network Access Devices

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0420.1 Hot Topics

***Microsoft Demonstrates Major Innovations Across Windows Server System, Highlights New Capabilities Designed to Reduce the Complexity of IT

San Diego, Calif.
May 25

On the second day of a sold-out Microsoft TechEd 2004 Conference, Andrew Lees, corporate vice president for Server and Tools Marketing at Microsoft Corp. introduced to more than 11,000 customers and partners the Windows Server System Common Engineering Roadmap, Microsoft's long-term plan for delivering common services across Windows Server System products, including services designed to support and implement Microsoft's Dynamic Systems Initiative. Lees detailed the first delivery of that plan, the Common Engineering Criteria for 2005, a set of capabilities that will be available in all Microsoft Windows Server System servers released after Jan. 1, 2005. Microsoft also announced additional Windows Server System innovations that, combined with the Common Engineering Roadmap, reduce the complexity of IT. Finally, Lees announced the June 1 launch of an expanded and enhanced product support life-cycle policy. The updated policy will provide customers with a minimum total of 10 years of mainstream and extended support for business and developer products.

The initial element of the common services architecture roadmap, Lees said, is the Windows Server System Common Engineering Criteria for 2005. These capabilities will be supported by Microsoft and industry partners to aid IT professionals in delivering increased business value and providing more secure, efficient and uninterrupted service across the organization. Lees highlighted several of the Criteria, including these:

Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) Management Pack support. Customers will be able to use the power of MOM 2005 to remotely manage and monitor Windows Server System servers. Management Packs will be available at product release, and will be updated on the same schedules as the products.

Support for Windows Installer and Windows Update with transaction capabilities. Beginning in 2005, all members of Windows Server System will support the ability to install and update with the consistent technologies of Windows Installer and Windows Update, and both of these will support transaction capabilities so IT professionals can quickly roll back the changes if necessary.

Architectural guidance, best practices support and training. Windows Server System products will offer comprehensive training and prescriptive guidance at the time of release so IT professionals can immediately begin using them in a prescriptive, powerful and tested manner. This element of the Common Engineering Criteria represents Microsoft's commitment to providing the consistent and comprehensive support and training customers need to be successful, all available at product release.

In addition to announcing the Windows Server System Common Engineering Roadmap and Criteria, Microsoft unveiled new offerings and resources aimed at reducing complexity for customers. They include these:

Windows Server System Infrastructure Environment. Further reducing the complexity related to deploying and managing applications, the Windows Server System Infrastructure Environment provides a complete set of guidelines, solution guidance, patterns and practices for building solutions based on Windows Server System. Included in the Infrastructure Environment is the Windows Server System Reference Architecture, previously known as the Microsoft Solutions Architecture.

General availability of Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2003 Feature Pack. Through integration with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, the Windows Storage Server 2003 feature pack enables customers to store Exchange database and log files on network attached storage (NAS) devices. By combining this data along with other file and print serving, overall storage can be consolidated by as much as 50 percent. In addition, the feature pack includes support from industry leaders such as EMC Corp., Dell Inc., HP, CommVault Systems Inc., Dantz Development Corp., Computer Associates International Inc., LEGATO Software, NSI Software Inc. and VERITAS Software Corp., providing customers with a wider choice of solutions to meet their specific needs.

Best Practices Analyzer Tool for Microsoft SQL Server 2000. Available today, the Best Practices Analyzer for Microsoft SQL Server 2000 provides database administrators (DBAs) with best practices and recommendations from the Microsoft SQL Server development team to enable them to more easily and effectively manage their SQL Server installations. This innovative new tool also includes a series of system checks to help customers prepare for SQL Server 2005. The Best Practices Analyzer will be used across Windows Server System environments to ensure that customers are developing the best applications possible in a more efficient manner.

Native encryption available with SQL Server 2005. By supporting native data encryption with SQL Server 2005, Microsoft will provide customers with a higher level of enterprise security. By incorporating encryption into the database, customers will be able to more effectively protect their corporate data and restrict unauthorized access to data files.

Microsoft Exchange Intelligent Message Filter (IMF) for Exchange Server 2003. IMF, available to all Exchange Server 2003 customers, is designed to work as a component of an overall anti-spam and anti-virus solution, and complements existing enterprise server-based content filters from industry partners. IMF reduces unsolicited or junk e-mail in messaging environments by providing new capabilities that increase protection and resiliency of the messaging infrastructure, and delivers innovative e-mail protection, security and hygiene solutions to meet customer demands.

http://www.microsoft.com/

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0420.2 Story of the Issue

***CHI 2004

John Latta
4th Wave

Vienna, Austria
April 27 – 29, 2004

The WAVE Report found that CHI 2004 is refreshing in the diversity of thinking. In many respects, this is the product of looking into the future. It is also scary in that, if only a fraction of what is presented here comes to pass, the role of the box, or PC as we know it, will be substantially diminished. Such is the evolution of technology. The WAVE Report also believes that there is also myopia at CHI 2004. Much of what is show here needs a digital infrastructure, a topic we have written about extensively. Yet, the existence of such an infrastructure, at least in the near term, is problematic. Display technology is also taken for granted and large size displays at reasonable prices are still in the future.

We continue to look for how all this technology will make for better lives for individuals and families. Even here we saw some interesting clues. What makes CHI 2004 different is that it is focused on the human aspect of applying computing technology. Something we rarely see outside of this venue. In all these aspects CHI 2004 is refreshing - a hype less gaze into the future.

CHI 2004 Connect

It would appear at first glance, easy to dismiss this as an academic conference from a SIG of the ACM. But the same rapid dismissal would not apply to SIGGRAPH, the annual event in computer graphics, also from another ACM SIG. When it comes to the interaction between computers and humans, nearly all research leads to CHI. Thus, it is a barometer of activities which could define the future of computing and how humans will interact with these devices. With over 20 years of CHI conferences, it is not sampled in a day. However, our focus is more direct – trends in interaction devices and in particular the pen.

Yet, as one samples the threads here one cannot escape the following impressions:

There are shifts in the role of computing – away from the box to ubiquitous and pervasive computing environments;

Displays and mobile devices are but two artifacts of this shift, not the basis for it; and

The environment, including Ambient Intelligence, is another factor in this shift.

What is important is that the metaphors we associate with the computers interface now, such as the mouse and keyboard, do not directly associate with these new environments. As talks reflected here, the interface can be as simple as the eyes for observation, the feet, a pen and many others. The desktop is more of a boundary condition, not the environment of the future.

Sony Extends Pen Computing Concepts into CE

Jun Rekimoto, Director, Interaction Laboratory, Sony Computer Science Laboratories gave the plenary presentation on Next Reality: The Future of Connected Everyday. Rekimoto-san has been involved in the development of human computer interfaces at Sony for 10 years. There were a number of threads in his presentation but if one just considers those that included the pen as a device for direct manipulation, much as the mouse is, the insights are valuable. In this context the pen is a manipulation device not a writing instrument. From the early pen efforts came the concept of Pick and Drop between two tablet computers. He then described how this can be extended to Augmented Surfaces which had similar Pick and Drop capabilities but with a common table interaction surface. The product result was AirTACT which interacts with a Sony WEGA Plasma television and which does not use a pen. These share the same Pick and Drop functionality between the two devices but called in the CE context Throw, Catch and Swap. Recall from our CEATEC 2003 article we had a difficult time describing just what AirTACT does. Now we know – it is a CE manifestation of concepts which originated with pen computing research.

Sony - Next Reality: The Future of Connected Everyday

In many respects the Sony presentation by Rekimoto-san was recognition of the general observations outlined above. He began his talk by stating that we are moving away from a personal interface that includes only one computer – the individual will use many devices. The present, i.e. the PC, is reflected in a single screen that as a result has limited modality. But in real life our activities are spatially distributed and we use a natural dynamic combination of tools. It was in this context that Rekimoto-san built the foundation of his views for the future.

The historical context of his research was most interesting. Beginning in 1997 he developed the concept of Pick & Drop. This is the means to associate an object on a computing surface with a pen and to manipulate the object based on the movement of the pen. Examples were shown how an object can be moved between two tablets or a tablet and a public display surface. This implies that there is an infrastructure behind these devices that knows what is present on them, the direct manipulation objects and the location of the pens. The essence of the concept is that the pen virtually carries the data. There is a movement between two computer spaces across physical space, that is, from one computer space to another. The pen is the means.

This was extended further with the augmented surface which is a hybrid computing environment that consists of a table, wall and mobile computers. The pen is less obvious but the metaphor of object movement between compute devices still applies.

What was most striking is that Rekimoto-san extended these principles to direct manipulation in a real world. The basis for this is direct manipulation that includes: pointing, place, proximity and touch. This then led to the product expression in the Sony WEGA plasma television and the AirTACT. The basis for this is the manipulation of objects, such as pictures or video using the action functions of Throw, Catch and Swap. The AirTACT is one means of accomplishing this movement and it mimics the tablet computers used in the earlier research.

Next he showed a device called TACT which is a Wireless VoIP phone. But it is more than this – it is also a personal key device. It uses Linux and has 802.11b built in. The device looks no larger than 1” wide and 3” long and Rekimoto-san held up a sample. It could be said that TACT is a replacement for what began as the pen. Yet, the product expression is not the issue. The concept is that in the ubiquitous environment which Sony is describing has a personal device which allows for direct manipulation. And they already have the first products on the market with AirTACT and likely TACT.

Intel – Ubiquitous Computing Design Principles: Supporting Human – Human and Human – Computer Transactions

At first we came away wondering – what is Intel doing studying the retail transaction process. They went so far as to simulate such transaction environment in what they called an informance. This is not like a focus group but a simulation of the retail setting. It all seemed far fetched until we saw the thrust. In a ubiquitous computing environment one of the realizations is a user check out environment. That is, with RFID tags and associated reading equipment in a POS check out environment, no cashier would be required. Intel simulated both an ideal check out and one with exceptions. It was the exception condition, such as the recognition of an RFID tag by two check out stands at the same time and split orders which raised questions on the retail check out process. This caused buyer confusion and lessened the value of the process with the buyers. Many of the issues which surfaced dealt with learned patterns of checkout and the confidence that consumers have in a future check out environment.

In the end we came away impressed that Intel is studying factors which will indirectly impact their business. In what was shown today, it was an early assessment of the feasibility of the technology to offer greater consumer convenience. Along the way that found that the rosy picture of the future may not be so easy to accomplish.

HP Innovates for Families

Tucked away in the poster papers was “In-Car Concepts for Working Parents” by HP in Bristol, England. Based on research with working parents they found that they are not only dependent on the car but that it is the source of stress and “everyday problems.” One of these is the inability to pick up children from day care or school at the appointed time. HP has developed a concept that links trusted individuals and when a parent is running late a trusted individual is contacted to pick up the child along with alerting the school. We were impressed that this work addresses a real issue using technology. Based on discussions there is more to come from this research as HP seeks to apply technology to real family problems.

Europe Shapes the Research Agenda with Technology Investment

The EU has been active in funding research into the future of how computing will impact lives. For example there are two major projects, one just completed and one just started:

The Disappearing Computer – 17 projects - € 23m – Finished 2003

Convivio – Funded Network for Excellence in People Centered Designs
Runs from 2003 - 2005

Philips has also been quite active in its Ambient Intelligence research. In a talk by Boris de Ruyter he described a CE perspective which aligns with its business. In contradistinction to the US, here in Europe there is frequently a close alignment between the research directions sponsored by the EU and similar investments and participation by companies. Thus, the activities on Ambient Intelligence, for example, have become European centric in focus.

Philips Makes Major Investment in Ambient Intelligence

Ambient Intelligence is big here in Europe. Philips defines it as the combination of ubiquitous computing and intelligent social user interfaces. Put in another way Ambient Intelligence makes possible electronic environments that are sensitive and responsive to the presence of people. The CEO of Royal Philips Electronics, Gerard Kleisterlee, has stated the following:

“The Age of the Box is about to end. In a few years from now we will no longer measure the quality of our lives by the number of boxes that surround us. User friendly functions and interconnected devices will become invisible because they will be integrated into the walls of our houses, into our furniture, and into our clothing.”

Philips has built a functioning home with extensive monitoring capability called the HomeLab. This is a laboratory for feasibility and usability studies in Ambient Intelligence.

Making Ambient Intelligence Real

Consistent with the value of Ambient Intelligence are the ideas of Pine and Gilmore in The Experience Economy. The evolution of the experience market goes from commodity status to the delivery of goods around the commodities and the evolution of staged experiences which use those commodities. One example cited in the book which aligns with this development is coffee, i.e. Starbucks being a case in point. Philips extends these concepts into the four types of experiences that it seeks to provide in its products: Freedom, Intelligence, Aesthetics and Immersion. It is from this that the value of Ambient Intelligence emergences.

In the Philips view Ambient Intelligence has the following attributes: Embedded, Context Aware, Personalized, Adaptive and Anticipatory. In the presentation a number of examples were given of how this can be expressed – mostly today in its research, especially in the HomeLab. These include:

Smart wall displays;

Context Aware Remote Controls

Phenom – context sensitive objects which trigger photo experiences;

Connected Home – Using concepts similar to Sony’s Pick and Drop;

Smart Mirrors – Mirrors with embedded displays – being sold as a product;

Ambient Lighting – Lighting that changes with the visual experience of what is being watched on the display;

Fraunhofer – Smart Environments and the Disappearing Computer

Robert Steitz, who has been instrumental in the European research investment strategy discussed above, gave his perspective of the disappearing computer as reflected in the research at one part of the Fraunhofer institute. He is responsible for the AMBIENTE Research Division at Fraunhofer.

For the past 15 years his work has focused on going past the desktop PC and WIMP interfaces. This has largely focused on the business side of how workspaces can support cooperation and communications. The research has included: SEPIA, DOLPHIN, BEACH, Roomware and Passage. A change has taken place in the last three years where the research has moved to public and individual applications of this effort. This included informal communications, home environments and social surroundings. As Robert stated, this is the transition from information worlds to experience worlds. Note how this is consistent with the Experience Economy outlined above.

In a play on worlds Robert asked are we not misdirected to continue to speak of Human- Computer-Interaction? When the computer disappears should it not be Human- Information-Interaction. Or even more important Human-Human-Interaction and Cooperation. As well as any, such a view reflects the nature of the shift in thinking away from the computer box here at CHI 2004.

Extending these concepts to buildings Robert asked: in the age of ubiquitous computing and mobility do we still need buildings? The requirements now placed on buildings mean that they will be the place for planned cooperative group activities and spontaneous informal communications. This gives rise to the need for Cooperative Buildings. He mentioned a research environment in France which has such a building that is being used for research.

A component of such buildings is Roomware. We first noted this at CeBIT in the International Forum Design. This furniture combines computing functionality, displays and design into furniture. The second generation of Roomware was presented at CHI 2002.

Next Robert addressed The Disappearing Computer. The purpose of this effort was to explore how everyday life can be supported and enhanced through the use of collections of interacting artifacts. Together, these artifacts will form new people-friendly environments in which the “computer-as-we-know-it” has no role. Pretty radical thinking. Yet, one must keep in mind that this was a research project funded by the EU, and from their perspective not radical. The result of this initiative netted these objectives:

Developing new tools and methods for the embedding of computation in everyday objects so as to create artifacts.

Research on how new functionality and new use can emerge from collections of interacting artifacts; and

Ensuring that people’s experience of these environments is both coherent and engaging in space and time.

The Fraunhofer efforts here included the development of Ambient Agoras. One example was a display that was called a InfoMall which allows access to an InfoRiver. Another is a GossipWall and yet another is the HelloWall.

One of the most ambitious efforts, also with EU funding, is CONVIVIO. This already has 16 founding members across universities, research institutes and industry. There are 200 regular members. This effort directly builds on the activities that were spawned from the Disappearing Computer but goes beyond it. There will be Summer Schools, Conferences and Workshops and a Vision Building.

The Drift Table – Does it have to be practical to be engaging?

Running counter to the notion that a BM is everything the Equator project developed the Drift Table. This was characterized as “Designing for Ludic Engagement.” What is Ludic Engagement? As Bill Gaver of the Royal College of Art, the presenter, stated:

Ludic – playful, exploratory, curiosity driven, such as playing with ideas

The Drift Table is very simple in concept. It is a table about 4’ on a side that is about 4’ above the floor. There is a small portal in the center of the table. In this portal one sees an aerial picture of a small section of the UK. Based on the weights applied to the edge of the table the velocity of the movement of the image will speed up based on the location of the weight. There is only one control – reset which aligns the portal over the home where the portal lies. The data base contained in the portal is 1TB which is the complete photo coverage of the UK.

The most interesting aspect of this was the user responses. The highlight was a video of one user and his response to the table.

One is certainly left wondering – this is an example of ambient intelligence and it is striking as to the impact. If there is a BM around this is an altogether different question.

Gesture based Remote Control

Another poster paper by Samsung Electronics explored the use of gestures in a television remote control. What was most interesting was the evolution of the gestures. The paper showed a final set of gestures that supported: power, channel, volume, mute, menu, help and enter. The example of the product design implies this may be reduced to a product. The result is one step away from remote control push button misery. Well done research.

Sony Innovates in Control and Wireless Cables

We continue to be impressed with the various examples of Sony innovation being presented here at CHI.

One was called a Haptic Chameleon. This is a proposal for a control device which changes shape based on the actions of the user. The analogy used was that of molding clay with one’s hands. The implication is that grasp has value and meaning to the user. The gain given from the personalization this affords is that this could reduce the number of controls. That is shape can be a multidimensional control. The initial demonstration was done using the PHANTOM robot based test bed. However, Sony has not found a medium or material yet to actually implement the Haptic Chameleon.

Sony also proposed tranSticks. This is a virtually connected wireless cable. In the form factor of a MemoryStick there are pairs of these tranSticks. These tranSticks have a hardware key that only allows them to interface between each other. Thus, once a tanStick is plugged into one device and the other part of the pair in another device it is like a virtual cable. There are no discovery issues. The concept is impressive in simplicity. Just from the questions it is also clear this is early in its development at Sony. The down side of this technology it is likely that it will be proprietary with Sony and consistent with the patterns we have seen in digital consumer electronics.

DiamondSpin – Begs for Direct Manipulation Technology: Is it the Pen?

Just as we thought CHI was winding down, two of the most interesting presentations leapt out. Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratory (MERL) has been doing work for at least 4 years on table computing. Today the paper was on “DiamondSpin: An Extensible Toolkit for Around-the-Table Interaction.” What struck us was the level of refinement in their work to provide a means to support work and collaboration interaction around a table. But they also asked important questions about the Windows UI and the means for interaction. The current implementation of the table uses a touch surface. As the video rolled and we observed the types of interaction this enabled, the following was extant:

Would not the table as an interaction surface be an excellent use of Longhorn with a pen as a direct manipulation device?

Sony Leaps Out-of-the-Box Again with Gummi

Sony presented the paper: Gummi: A Bendable Computer. 1 minute into the presentation we were blown away. Basically Sony has developed a concept to use a computer and display implemented in flexible circuits. They went beyond this and showed how the shape and its bendable attributes are the basis for the user interface. This is not a Windows interface and very much goes along the lines of the attributes we reported on in the Flexible Displays and Circuits conference in 2003. Clearly the design concept is well ahead of the technology but just the fact that Sony is seriously considering how such technologies can be used is well ahead of anything we have seen.

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0420.3 Pen Technology

***New Technology Helps Companies Speed Processing of Information Collected by Mobile Workers

New York and Costa Mesa, Calif.
May 25

New technology from Accenture (NYSE:ACN) and FileNet Corporation (NASDAQ:FILE) enables insurance field agents and other mobile workers to quickly and electronically perform tasks that once required mounds of paperwork.

The technology, designed for use with low-cost, commercially available digital pens in conjunction with FileNet Enterprise Content Management (ECM) solutions, allows mobile workers to capture and transmit information to a central repository, where it can be immediately put to work to initiate business processes, circumventing traditional paper-based systems that are time-consuming and error-prone.

The Digital Pen Connector software -- written by Accenture Technology Labs, the research and development organization of Accenture -- captures the pen strokes, translates them into usable data, and delivers the data to the FileNet ECM system. FileNet ECM then integrates the data in a central content repository for sharing and launches business processes according to the requirements of the business.

The solution provides a low-cost alternative to equipping workers with costlier pen-based devices, such as tablet computers or personal digital assistants, and should benefit industries that rely heavily on paper-based processes.

Insurance carriers, for example, could use the technology to make quicker use of information gathered by field agents and adjusters, who would capture data using the digital pen and a pre-printed form. The pen precisely captures what's written and where it's entered on the form, enabling insurers to attach contextual intelligence to the captured data. The pen then stores the information for transmission to a central computer. The transmission can be completed wirelessly, via an Internet upload or by other common data-transfer methods. Once the data is captured, it is transmitted to a central application where it can be processed, stored and integrated with business processes using FileNet ECM.

Other industries could also benefit from the technology. In hospitals, for example, nursing staff could use digital pen and paper to record patient observations and then transmit the information to the hospital's central server, from where it could be easily accessed by attending physicians. In manufacturing, assembly line workers could use the technology to manage inventory.

http://www.filenet.com

http://www.accenture.com

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0420.4 Wireless

***Older Generation of Wireless Users Less Receptive to Wireless Marketing, Survey Finds; Early Adapters More Likely to Accept Wireless Marketing

New York
May 26, 2004

Despite the recent marketing trend to use wireless telephone messaging as a channel to reach customers, this practice is generally considered invasive and undesirable by older generations of consumers, according to a survey by FIND/SVP's Guideline Research Division, a leading provider of custom market research. The survey of a representative group of online consumers found that about 65 percent of participants said voice mail or direct phone contact was the most despised method of contact for marketers.

The survey also found that approximately 56 percent of respondents would prefer not to receive text messages from the companies they already have dealings with; while 44 percent said they would be receptive to receiving marketing messages through their phones. It is important to note that the average age of survey respondents was approximately 42 years old.

While the survey indicates a lack of desire for consumers to receive marketing messages through these new methods, early adapters to technology, such as Generation Y, are more likely to be open to this type of contact, according to Keith Kirkpatrick, a consultant for FIND/SVP Inc., who commissioned the survey and discusses the trend of wireless marketing in detail in his recent Trend Report titled, "Reach Out and Text Someone."

The respondents(1) who said that they would be receptive to various select services via wireless messaging expressed interest in the following:

-- 55 % said wireless bills/account updates

-- 54 % said direct response surveys

-- 38 % said new product availability updates

-- 34 % said financial services (i.e. banking, stocks, insurance)

-- 33 % said sports-related scores and stories

(1)These respondents include 379 of the original 1000 people surveyed who said they would be receptive to select services and multiple responses were permitted.

The potential for wireless messaging will continue to grow as more phones are developed and sold with advanced technologies that allow for this type of marketing, according to the Trend Report. Therefore, the shift from wire line communications to wireless presents a myriad of opportunities, including the dissemination of photos, picture brochures and other enriched collateral. In the end, according to the Trend Report, the companies that best adapt the old-world approach to selling and understanding their customers will be the clear winners in marketing via this new channel.

The survey, conducted in January 2004, was administered via the Internet among a nationally projectable sample of more than 1,000 randomly selected adult consumers. Results of the survey were assessed in one of FIND/SVP's monthly Trend Reports for clients.

http://www.findsvp.com/insights/trendlines.cfm

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0420.5 Companies

***Famous Indian Brand Goes to Auction

Gilroy, Calif.
May 25, 2004

One almost never sees a famous brand on the auction block, especially a well-known American icon brand that has been synonymous with motorcycling for more than 100 years. From dirt tracks to board tracks and to Daytona, from the roads of America to the battlefields of World War II, Indian Motorcycle has played a romantic role in America's history.

For the first half of the 20th century, Indian dominated the newborn motorcycle industry, approaching a 45% market share. Due in part to devoting its production to unprofitable military motorcycles for use in Europe and around the world, Indian ceased production in 1953. From 1953 until 1998, Indian did not exist as a business. After the Federal Court cleaned up and consolidated the rights, a group of investors purchased the rights to the Indian name in 1998 for approximately $20 million. Production resumed in 1999, and Indian continued production until September 2003.

While Indian motorcycles were known for combining heritage, distinctive styling and leading-edge technology, the brand achieved a rarefied status, that of a LIFESTYLE BRAND. People that have never and will never ride a motorcycle instantly recognize and love the Indian brand and logos. The ability to expand this iconic brand beyond motorcycling is as broad as one can imagine.

Following the closure of the plant in Gilroy, California, last September, CMA Business Credit Services, an assignee headquartered in Burbank, California, sold the plant and operating assets for the benefit of creditors. The remaining piece, the Indian Intellectual Property, has also been assigned to CMA for the purpose of conducting an auction among qualified bidders on June 29, 2004. CMA has set a minimum bid for the auction and will be selling the Indian Intellectual Property "as is, where is," without representation or warranty.

http://www.anscers.com/indian

WAVE Comment: While this article is less than technologically oriented, it is certainly a sign of the times and we thought of interest to our readers.

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0420.6 Network

***AMD Introduces the AMD Alchemy DBAu1550 Development Board, Accelerating Design of Network Access Devices

Austin, Texas
May 26, 2004

Advanced Micro Devices announced the AMD Alchemy DBAu1550 security network processor development board, designed for network access devices. Using the new board, developers can accelerate the design and production of next-generation wired and wireless devices that leverage the security features in the high-performance, low-power AMD Alchemy Au1550 processor, which operates at only a half a watt. Used by OEMs, the development board will aid in speeding product design and decreasing time-to-market for devices such as gateways and network attached storage (NAS) units, wireless access points and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) environments.

The AMD Alchemy DBAu1550 development kit includes the Au1550 security network processor featuring an integrated security engine that implements the entire VPN packet protocol in hardware. Integrating this feature enables accelerated IPsec packet-processing in hardware, providing designers the ability to create a product based on the Au1550 processor that is designed to improve security performance. With the DBAu1550 development kit, customers have the ability to configure peripherals, operating system features, file systems, memory types and the debug environment.

The AMD Alchemy DBAu1550 development board is based on the AMD Au1550 security network processor, the newest product in the AMD Alchemy Solutions product line, which features an integrated security engine and supports both IPsec and SSL types of VPN protocols and includes a True Random Number Generator (RNG). Additionally, the Au1550 processor is capable of sustaining unlimited VPN tunnels simultaneously. These features are made possible with intellectual property technology licensed from SafeNet, allowing AMD to deliver proven security capabilities for networking devices. These security features address the needs of Small Office/Home Office and enterprise customers designing networked environments that need a flexible security platform and demand a high-performance, low-power processor at a lower system cost.

Key features of the AMD Alchemy Au1550 security network processor include:

Security Engine

-- Supports both IPsec and SSL VPN standards

-- Accelerates entire VPN packet processing task in hardware

-- Implements DES, 3DES, AES, ARC-4, SHA-1, MD5

-- Provides True Random Number Generation

DDR or SDR Memory Controller

-- Supports DDR and SDRAM, up to DDR400

-- Greater flexibility in speed vs. bandwidth tradeoffs

Descriptor-based DMA (DDMA)

-- Designed for linked list of DMA operations

-- 16 channels

Static Controller

-- Supports NOR and NAND Flash

-- PCMCIA and Compact Flash support

Operating system support

-- Windows CE.NET

-- Linux

-- VxWorks

Low-power consumption

-- Supports Battery and Power-Over-Ethernet applications

http://www.amd.com/connectivitysolutions/au1550

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