 |
The WAVE Report on Digital Media
3D --- Media Creation --- Shared Space ---Published by 4th Wave, Inc.--- Issue #0439------------------10/8/04 |
The WAVE Report is Searchable on
http://www.3dlinks.com
http://www.wave-report.com
--------------------------------------
0439.2 Story of the Issue
0439.3 Network Switching
D-Link Expands Small to Medium Business Product Offering to Include 'Web Smart' Switch Line
0439.4 Network Processors
0439.5 Enterprise Customer Support
0439.6 Virtual Computing
Introducing Microsoft Virtual PC for Mac Version 7: Putting a Little PC in Your Mac
0439.7 Wireless Routers
NETGEAR Ships 108 Mbps Dual-Band Wireless Router With Atheros XR Extended Range Technology
0439.8 Free Wireless Access
0439.9 Workstation Life Cycle Extension
Dataram Extends the Life of Sun Blade 150 Workstation with 4GB of Total Memory
0439.10 ThinkPad Biometrics
IBM Unveils First Biometric ThinkPad, Offering Security at Your Fingertips
--------------------------------------
***National Cyber Security Awareness Month
The National Cyber Security Alliance’s (NSCA) National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) focuses on raising awareness of cyber security nationwide and empowering home user, small business, and education (K-12 and higher education) users to improve their cyber security preparedness. This initiative is structured in four week-long components, targeting specific audiences:
October 4-10: Home User
October 11-17: Small Business
October 18-24: Education
October 25-31: Child Safety Online
NCSAM is the launch pad for a on-going national awareness and education campaign designed to empower all Americans to stay safe online. The month-long, October initiative features a series of high-profile programs, including: an opening event, September 30th in Washington, D.C.; congressional activities; organizational endorsements; research – including a perception poll and comprehensive study; focused national and regional events; the launch of a cyber security awareness public service announcement program; national media outreach initiatives, and a closing event in California, October 25th. The program provides audiences with online resources that empower them to improve their cyber security preparedness. Through these activities, home user, small business, and education audiences will learn about computer security essentials: protection against viruses, worms, hacking, spyware, phishing, identity theft, and more. Resources are available on the NCSA main website that include:
Top 10 Computer Security Tips
Free Security Scans
Beginner’s Guides
National Cyber Alert System Guidelines
What is the National Cyber Security Alliance?
A not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) is the go-to resource for cyber security awareness and education for home user, small business, and education audiences. A public-private partnership, NCSA sponsors include the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Trade Commission, and many private-sector corporations and organizations. NCSA provides tools and resources to empower home users, small businesses, and schools, colleges, and universities to stay safe online. For more information, and to see the top 10 cyber security tips, visit
http://www.staysafeonline.info
***Biometric Consortium Conference 2004
By John Latta
Crystal City, VA
Sept. 9-22, 2004
Biometrics is hot. Yes, much of this is driven by the US Government as a result of 9/11 concerns. There is progress being made in the technology, its application and the public acceptance of biometrics. This conference is similar in many ways to the First International Conf. on Biometric Authentication, ICBA 2004. While the event in Hong Kong had a strong academic orientation this conference has a balance between application of biometrics and research.
There is a line in the technology sand between authentication and identification. While authentication is the validation of a person based on a biometric against a biometric template of that person or only a few persons, identification is the determination of that individual across a very large population. The focus here is very much on identification. This is certainly the more difficult problem. At the same time we are seeing a wide range of technologies on the floor, especially facial biometrics and other biometrics.
Biometrics is focused on creating a means to establish identity which can be stored in a medium or even made portable. The assumption is also made that those who seek harm with not establish their correct identity on a voluntary basis or seek to conceal it. In the PC industry, identity is conveyed via a password or smart card or both. However, the leap to automatic means of biometric identification on a networked PC has serious drawbacks. One of the problems is how to preserve the identity in a secure manner so that when the individual seeks entry the comparison with the stored identity has a very low false accept rate. There is no absolute precision in Biometrics. In spite of these limitations, it is being used in many ways:
US-VISIT Program
Trusted Traveler Pilot
Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)
ePassports
Part of the discussion here is that we are heading, a biometric step at a time, to a national Biometric identity card. This has not been articulated here, due to the public sensitivity on the issue, but the thrusts of the biometric programs underway today indicate this may happen in stages.
US Banks Big on Biometrics
Asa Hutchinson, Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security, Department of Homeland Security, gave the closing keynote. One of the most knowledgeable officials on biometrics, he provided a context for why this technology is important to the US Government.
Asa Hutchinson combines experience as a former member of Congress and an administrator and yet, he is unusual in his knowledge of biometrics. He began by citing the recent 9/11 Commission report. It noted the continuing importance of immigration, national security policy and the role of biometrics. In particular, the US-VISIT program plays a key role.
Biometrics plays an important role in DHS and these include:
Biometrics to Guard against threats
Biometrics are being used to check travelers against the watch list of individuals that either should not enter the country or pose threats.
Biometrics for Confirmation of Identity.
This is being implemented in the Trusted Traveler Program. Such travelers will be able to pass without secondary screening with authentication of either a fingerprint or Iris scan.
Biometrics Provides Maximum Efficiency with Minimum Inconvenience
This is at the center or the US-VISIT program for entry and exit from the US.
DHS recently completed a study group on Biometrics within the organization.
They found over 60 initiatives. We will be streamlining these efforts
to make best use of biometrics. It is my intent to make DHS a leader
in the use of biometrics. It is also our intent to have a single biometric
identity for all persons.
NIST Plays a Major Role in Biometrics
Charlie Wilson, Image Group, IAD-ITL, NIST is responsible for the test and evaluation of biometric performance. This is mandated by the Patriot Act. They have completed a major test of both biometric matching technology and SDKs. The largest test set had 48,000 sets of finger prints used which had nearly 400,000 finger print images. Three systems stood out: NEC, SAGAM and Cogent. One of the limitations of the test came from errors in the input data sets. It was found that the errors within a set can vary from .5% to 1.5%. Charlie commented that quoting error rates less that exceed 1X10**-4 is infeasible when the data set errors are at that level. Thus, there are many factors that determine the applicability of fingerprints as a biometric. The other factor most cited is the quality of the fingerprint images. The results of their work are at:
One of the more interesting results came from a test of both facial and fingerprint biometric. Here is a summary:
Most Accurate Face System
.72 True Accept Rate @ 10**-4 false accept rate
.90 True Accept Rate @ 10**-2 false accept rateMost Accurate Finger Print System
.994 True Accept Rate @ 10**-4
.999 True Accept Rate @ 10**-2
Standards
NIST also plays major role in Biometrics standards and a presentation on this topic was given by Michael Hogan. In general, NIST does not set standards but works with standards bodies to foster the development of standards. Currently there are significant standards efforts at ANSI and ISO under the following groups:
ANSI – M1 – Biometrics
ISO – SC37 - Biometrics
Standards that NIST are involved in include:
Common Biometric Exchange Formats Framework (CBEFF), NISTIR 6529-A
BioAPI – ANSI INCITGS 358 – 2002
Biometric Profile – ANSI INCITS 383:2004 – Application to Transportation Workers
Face Recognition Grand Challenge
NIST has launched an effort called the Face Recognition Grand Challenge (FRGC). Given the relatively poor performance of face recognition it describes this challenge to improve the performance of still and 3D facial images by an order of magnitude. With a FAR, false accept rate of .1%, the current error rate is 20% and they seek to lower this to 2%. This implies that out of 50,000 match scores there are 1,000 errors.
The evaluation of the Grand Challenge results is expected in Aug/Sept 2005. The Release of the Grand Challenge problem V2.0 will happen on 27 September, 2004. This will lead to the V3.0 in February 2005.
http://face.nist.gov/FRGC/frgc_v1a.pdf
E-Government - Will Biometrics Make the eGovernment Cut?
Under the direction of the White House and OMB there is an E-Government initiative to put services online. This is focused on remote authentication to establish identity for use of these services. The OMB documents is M-0404.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/memoranda/fy04/m04-04.pdf
Four assurance levels have been set:
Level 1: Little or no confidence in asserted identity’s validity
Level 2: Some confidence in the asserted identity’s validity
Level 3: High Confidence in the asserted identity’s validity
Level 4: Very high confidence in asserted identity’s validity
The NIST presentation focused on how to accomplish this and the role that biometrics would play in establishing the identity. The effort to date has resulted in NIST SP800-63 which provides guidance on electronic authentication.
http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistpubs/800-63/SP800-63v6_3_3.pdf
http://www.itl.nist.gov/lab/bulletns/bltnaug04.htm
This guideline is focused on conventional secret token based remote authentication, passwords and smart cards, and does not cover Knowledge Based Authentication. Further, modest use of biometrics is made for registration and to unlock keys. The guidelines also state that when more factors are required; the stronger the authentication, for example, two factors are required to reach Level 3.
Overall confidence was not expressed in biometrics for authentication. The question was asked:
Can we get to Level 2 [rather modest level] with only biometrics?
Further it was also asked:
Can we combine a password and a biometric to get to Level 3?
There are many issues posed by biometrics in such applications. NIST will be holding a conference in the January/February 2005 to discuss these.
Other source materials:
http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistbul/Aug-2004.txt
Biometrics Security
Little is being said about security issues in Biometrics from the government side. This is, in part, due to the desire not to let others gain insights on how to exploit weaknesses in biometric systems. Yet, here at Biometric Consortium Conference 2004 some troubling signs surfaced about the weak state of biometric systems.
The most comprehensive assessment of biometric security was provided by CESG, the National Technical Authority for Information Assurance, in England.
http://www.cesg.gov.uk/site/ast/index.cfm?menuSelected=4&displayPage=4
http://www.cesg.gov.uk/site/ast/biometrics/media/BiometricTestReportpt1.pdf
The presentation was on:
CESG: Biometric Security Capabilities Program: Method, Results and Research Challenges
Matthew Lewis spoke about the Biometric Vulnerability Assessment. They have tested 7 fingerprint systems and worked with the vendors to assess security vulnerabilities. Means of attack included:
Zero Effort/Casual Impostor Test
Weak/Easy Template Generation
Access to Template or Data Storage
Spoofing with artificial attempts Mimicry or fakes
Wire Capture or Replay
The biometrics evaluated were fingerprint, facial and Iris. No results were presented other than top level but the impression was given – it is relatively easy to attack these systems. The effort is on-going.
Attacks Make Fingerprint Biometric Easy Target
Umut Uludag, Michigan State University presented a Fingerprint Minutiae Attack System that was based on his research attacking a biometric system. The focus was at the input to the matcher for fingerprints. It was called a hill-climbing attacker for minutiae based fingerprint authentication systems. The template is unknown to the attacker but it is assumed that the attacker has access to the matching score. The results were impressive:
With 160 fingerprint accounts the attacker broke all in less than 1,000 attempts.
The minimum, mean and maximum number of attack attempts were: 128, 195 and 488 respectively.
Hashing of Fingerprint Minutiae for Security
The Center for Unified Biometrics and Sensors at SUNY Buffalo presented a paper on Symmetric Hash Functions for Fingerprint Minutiae. The parallel drawn for this research is the hashing process that takes place with passwords for logon. The objective is to gain a match even with partial or rotated fingerprints. The results showed a error rate of 3% with hashing and a rate of 1.7% without hashing. This was done with 2,800 genuine tests and 4,950 impostors.
On the Exhibit Floor...
Bio-Pen – What is it?
This is a ball point pen which has electronics in the upper 1/3 of the pen. The capabilities of the pen and the computer, related to it, allow one’s signature to be recognized as a reliable biometric. It is claimed that the FRR is in excess of 97%. The WAVE spoke at length with its President, Richard Kim.
The pen does not work at all like Anoto or other stroke devices. There is no need to record or carry stroke data from the pen to the computer. In fact, it is not possible to reconstruct the signature from the data which is sent from the pen to the computer.
The best that we could tell is that the pen records: pen velocity, pressure and pen angle. This is processed in real time in the pen and passed via a wired connection to the computer (USB). What is stored in a server connected to the notebook, as shown in the booth, is the encoded signature from the enrollment process. The new signature which was just made in this example is compared against the signature parameters which are stored in the server.
It is claimed that one only has to enter 2 signatures to enroll.
There are no biometrics on the pen. Thus, nothing is recorded when the fingers come in contact with the pen surface. It is only the pen actions that are transmitted to the pen identification server.
The pen shown in the booth is relatively small, when compared to the early Anoto pens. The next version will be the size of an ordinary ball point pen. Presently the pen costs $150 but the future generation target pricing is $60 - $70.
A wireless pen is in design, using Bluetooth, and will be available early in 2005.
Currently, the pen is being used in vertical markets, including financial markets. No other application segments were described.
DynaSig is seeking funding before it takes a larger profile.
Further information can be obtained at
Geometrix was showing a 3D facial identification system. This includes: stereo camera, enrollment software, verification software and identification software. The matching technique is based on relief matching. It is claimed that it takes ¼ second to acquire the image, 60 seconds to enroll and <7 seconds to identify. The price is a secret. When asked if they have units to sell the response was yes. This inconsistency was passed off.
The International Biometric Group does market assessments and consulting.
Their reports stand out in price per page.
State of Biometric Technology Standards, $995, 30 pages
State of Fingerprint Technology, $2995, 50 pages
Multimodal Biometrics, $4995, 50 pages
Cyberextruder. This product will take one photograph and construct a
3D model of the face. It is based on learning from many faces. Nearly
all the purchases of this product are bought by systems integrators
and the pricing is usage based. It was not clear how the relief features
in the 3D model would be accurate.
Technoimagia. This Japanese company sells a desktop fingerprint reader
and one that also combines a smart card. The fingerprint sensor costs <$300.
The authentication is server based. The SDK cost, with a TI DSP card
is approximately $500.
http://www.technoimagia.co.jp/e_index.htm
Cherry sells a biometric keyboard for $150 and a mouse, based on the
Siemens design for $90. The smart card keyboards, without biometrics,
are selling well in these vertical markets: financial, insurance and
health care (in part due to HIPAA).
WAVE Comments
NIST is driving the worldwide efforts on Biometric technology evaluation. For example, at the conference individuals from Israel and England were asking questions. The scope of the data sets that NIST is working with provides a level of test credibility that cannot be achieved, to date, in other environments. Thus, the vendors come to NIST to participate in the tests. Certainly one of the best examples of how this is paid off is the equipment for fingerprint matching that Cogent Systems has deployed in the US-VISIT program. It will operate at 1m matches/sec.
Further, the issues with remote authentication for E-Government are very similar to those faced in e-commerce. To date biometrics has yet to establish a position as technology other than at low levels of confidence.
***D-Link Expands Small to Medium Business Product Offering to Include 'Web Smart' Switch Line
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif.
Oct. 5, 2004
D-Link announced the expansion of its business product line targeted at SMB with the inclusion of D-Link Web Smart switches. D-Link builds upon 18 years of experience in Ethernet networking to deliver a perfect combination of Gigabit speed, smart management and aggressive price points for the growing small-to-medium sized business. The new D-Link Web Smart switches deliver fast Gigabit speed with smart web-management, while lowering the total cost of ownership for small-to-medium businesses. As a network pioneer, D- Link brings a wealth of engineering experience to deliver robust Ethernet solutions for the growing small-to-medium sized business, while expanding availability of Enterprise-level product offerings for businesses of 100 employees and greater.
All D-Link Web Smart Switches work initially out-of-the-box as an unmanaged switch with key management features that can easily be enabled and disabled as needed. The D-Link Web Smart Switch line is the ideal solution for businesses looking for a cost-effective migration path to Gigabit Ethernet with key management features.
The new D-Link Web Smart Switch family offers to growing businesses the simplicity and ease-of-use of an unmanaged switch with an intuitive web browser interface that offers smart management features found in managed switches, including network monitoring and troubleshooting, port configuration, VLANs, port trunking, and Class of Service (CoS).
The D-Link Web Smart Switch line comes with auto-discovery software that makes installation and configuration easy, automatically discovering up to 254 Web Smart Switches within a network for configuration, making quick work of network upgrades, monitoring, and troubleshooting. The web-browser interface is intuitive, making it easy to optimize the network by providing key switch management features including: performance monitoring, port configuration, VLAN for traffic control, port trunking for increased bandwidth and Class of Service (CoS) for traffic prioritization. Pluggable (SFP) GBIC slots for fiber Gigabit Ethernet modules provide optional fiber connectivity to enable secure, long distance connections between switches.
Further information on the D-Link Web Smart Switching line can be found at:
***Transmeta Efficeon Processor Powers New HP Thin Client; HP Compaq t5710 Thin Client is the First Efficeon Powered Thin Client Available
SANTA CLARA, Calif.
Oct. 5, 2004
Transmeta Corporation has announced that its high performance and energy efficient Transmeta Efficeon TM8600 processor has been incorporated in the new HP Compaq t5710 Thin Client. The t5710 is the first thin client with the high performance Efficeon processor.
A thin client is a network computer without a hard disk that provides lower ownership costs and offers improved manageability for businesses. The HP t5710, powered by the 1.1GHz Efficeon TM8600 processor, offers high performance for users requiring a powerful and flexible thin client. The Efficeon TM8600 is ideally suited for use in thin clients as it combines the performance needed to handle today's demanding applications and an energy efficient design that allows for a small, quiet and fanless form factor.
The Efficeon-powered HP t5710 thin client is the newest device in the t5000 series, which historically had exclusively used Transmeta Crusoe(R) processors. Providing businesses a compelling value based on their affordability, ease of use and simple manageability, HP thin clients are ideal for medical, financial services, government and other businesses where access to centralized applications in a desktop-like experience is desired.
The HP Compaq t5710 Thin Client is available now. For more information, please visit
http://www.hp.com/products/thinclients
0439.5 Enterprise Customer Support
***Rapidly Changing Enterprise Customer Requirements for Technical Support Put New Pressures on Technology Companies, According to Independent Research
REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.
Oct. 4, 2004
Enterprise customers are demanding more accountability from vendors on technical service commitments, as well as reductions in Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), according to new research by the Service & Support Professionals Association (SSPA) and Tech Strategy Partners. The research also shows that enterprise customers are receptive to offshore and web-based technical support, provided it is effective, as part of a drive to increase quality and reduce costs of support. These are a few of the findings in the 2005 Support Demand Research Series being released by The SSPA and Tech Strategy Partners in early October. Today the research findings and implications will be presented for the first time at the SSPA Conference @ Savannah, (www.sspaconferences.com/savannah).
Key findings for the enterprise market include:
-- 60% of customers want more accountability from vendors on agreed-upon service levels.
-- 28% plan to address total cost of ownership (TCO) by renegotiating maintenance contract pricing, while 43% will address TCO through product consolidation.
-- 58% of enterprise users will accept offshore support, assuming existing service commitments are met.
-- 81% of enterprise customers are willing to initiate a support request online, more than twice the industry average for support requests initiated online today. 40% are willing to conduct the entire support transaction online.
About the 2005 Support Demand Research Series
The enterprise business portion of this study was based on over 200 surveys submitted by CIOs, IT executives and senior IT managers within small, mid-market and large enterprises, as well as 20 in-depth in-person interviews with CIOs of $1B+ enterprise technology companies.
For more information about the research series, visit
http://www.thesspa.com/supportdemand
About the SSPA
Founded in 1989, the Service & Support Professionals Association (SSPA) was formed to focus on the specific needs of service executives who are responsible for support centers and overall customer relations. Today, the SSPA represents over 24,000 service professionals at 2,700 support centers worldwide. The SSPA was created for professionals, managers and executives that make their living in the IT support services community. For more information regarding the SSPA and other related divisions, visit
***Introducing Microsoft Virtual PC for Mac Version 7: Putting a Little PC in Your Mac
REDMOND, Wash.
Oct. 5, 2004
Need to view and print Visio drawing and diagramming software files? Track expenses on a custom reporting application that only runs on the Microsoft Windows operating system? Or easily share files with co-workers, friends or family? Microsoft Corp.'s Macintosh Business Unit (Mac BU) has announced the availability of Microsoft Virtual PC for Mac Version 7 with Windows XP Professional and Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Professional Edition.
Virtual PC for Mac is a must-have for Mac users who sometimes need to run Microsoft Windows and work with PC-only software, files, networks and devices directly on their Macs. Virtual PC 7 is offered in a box by itself, but to get the highest level of cross-platform compatibility at the best value, customers need Office 2004 Professional Edition, which includes Virtual PC 7 with the latest version of Office for Mac.
In addition to compatibility with the Macintosh G5 and an enhanced user experience, Virtual PC 7 also meets one of the top customer demands -- improved performance. Virtual PC 7 picks up the pace, clocking in at 10 percent to 30 percent faster than its predecessors. Applications overall are quicker to respond, helping users maximize their time.
Virtual PC 7 with Windows XP Professional and Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Professional Edition are now available at major resellers nationwide, including the Apple Store online, Amazon.com, MacConnection, MacMall and Mac Zone. Virtual PC 7 with Windows XP Professional is at a suggested retail price of $249, and Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Professional Edition can be acquired at a suggested retail price of $499. An upgrade version of Office 2004 Professional Edition is also available at a suggested retail price of $329.
Key enhancements in the new release include these:
* G5 support. Virtual PC for Mac was significantly rewritten to run on the 64-bit G5 processor.
* Improved performance. Virtual PC 7 is 10 percent to 30 percent faster than its predecessors.
* Better graphics handling. Taking advantage of the graphics processor on the Mac, Virtual PC now delivers faster, cleaner graphics.
* Fast Save. Virtual PC closes with the click of a button, saving the PC state in the background so users can get back to their other work immediately.
* Enhanced user experience. Virtual PC 7 is more intuitive, straightforward and just plain easier to use.
* Easy installation. Virtual PC 7 includes a new setup assistant that guides the user through an intuitive installation process.
* Easy printing. Mac OS X Panther version 10.3 users can simply choose to print from any PC application, and the file will automatically print to the Mac's default printer.
Other editions of Virtual PC 7, including Virtual PC 7 with Windows XP
Home Edition, Windows 2000 Professional Standalone and Upgrade, will
be available over the next few months. Virtual PC 7 and Office 2004
Professional can be acquired now in English, with details forthcoming
on availability in French, German, Japanese and Swedish. Customers
can check http://www.microsoft.com/mac and local resellers for the
most up-to-date information and pricing.
To see Virtual PC 7 in action, users can check out the new Flash demo at:
***NETGEAR Ships 108 Mbps Dual-Band Wireless Router With Atheros XR Extended Range Technology
SANTA CLARA, Calif.
Oct. 4, 2004
NETGEAR, Inc., has announced the launch of the high-performance Double-108 Mbps Wireless Router (WGU624), which simultaneously supports two separate wireless streams each at super fast data rates of up to 108 Mbps. Designed to address the growing need to support multiple networked devices and applications in the digitally connected home, the Double-108 Wireless Router is also the first to ship with XR Extended Range technology from Atheros Communications offering up to three times the range of basic 802.11g technology.
NETGEAR also announced the launch of the Double-108 Mbps Wireless PC Card (WG511U) which, when used with the Double-108 Router, enables a notebook PC user to choose between 802.11a- and 802.11b/g modes and operate at data rates up to 108Mbps in either mode.
The Double-108 Wireless Router provides two simultaneous 108 Mbps wireless streams: an 802.11b/g stream perfect for fast file downloads, e-mail, Internet browsing, and online gaming, and an additional 802.11a "fast lane," free from congestion and interference, which is ideal for prioritizing traffic for applications such as home-based businesses and high quality video streaming.
Two Simultaneous 108 Mbps Wireless Streams Enable Traffic Prioritization,
Reduce Interference
The Double-108 Mbps Wireless Router simultaneously establishes two 108 Mbps wireless streams: a 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g stream and a 5 GHz 802.11a stream. By utilizing the 802.11a stream, users can perform bandwidth- intensive applications unimpeded and separated from the popular and often-crowded 802.11 b/g band, , which is hindered by interference from microwave ovens, cordless telephones and neighbors' wireless setup. Since 802.11a provides 13 non-overlapping channels, which will increase to 24 channels in 2005 with new unlicensed channels becoming available, versus just three channels for 802.11b/g, users will no longer be forced to compete with their neighbors' wireless networks for bandwidth. Users can continue to utilize the 802.11b/g band for lower-priority wireless applications such as e-mail, online gaming, file downloads, and Internet browsing and be completely compatible with existing wireless devices.
Equipped with Super A/G technology, the Double-108 Wireless Router delivers a super-fast data transfer rate of up to 108 Mbps over both the 802.11b/g and 802.11a streams, while maintaining backwards-compatibility with both wireless standards.
XR Technology Provides Extra Long Range, Reduces Dead Spots
The first wireless dual-band products to ship with XR technology from Atheros Communications, the Double 108 Wireless Router and PC Card provide up to three times the range of 802.11b/g products, reducing dead spots and providing whole home coverage.
Easy to Set-Up and Secure
Equipped with NETGEAR's Smart Wizard Install Assistant for ease-of-installation and management, the Double-108 Router ensures network security through NAT (Network Address Translation) and SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) firewalls and automatically enabled WPA-PSK (Wi-Fi Protected Access Pre-Shared Key) protecting the network from unauthorized usage. The Double- 108 Wireless Router includes a dedicated DMZ port to make online gaming simple and secure.
The NETGEAR Double-108 Mbps Wireless Firewall Router (WGU624) and Double-108 Mbps Wireless PC Card (WG511U) are backed by a one-year warranty and 24/7 technical support, and are available now via leading retailers, direct marketers, e-commerce sites, and value-added resellers at suggested retail prices of $129 for the router and $79 for the PC Card.
***San Francisco's first official Wireless Hotzone
San Francisco, CA
October 4, 2004
UnwireNow, a San Francisco based wireless networking
design and deployment firm has announced San Francisco's first official
WiFi network. The wireless
network is joint partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Economic
and Workforce Development, the Department of Telecommunications (DTIS)
and Information Services, the Recreation and Parks Department, UnwireNow,
and Terabeam Wireless, a world leader in providing extended range, license-free
wireless data equipment.
The free WiFi service located in Union Square, San Francisco's most concentrated
shopping and hotel area will encourage more visitors, demonstrate how
wireless broadband technologies can support economic development and
provide increased public access to high-speed Internet service. Starting
with this pilot project, the Mayor’s Office has directed DTIS to
work with city departments to develop a citywide wireless broadband policy
and explore other opportunities to use wireless broadband services throughout
San Francisco.
WAVE Comment
The proliferation of free wireless is multiplying at a phenomenal rate. Many popular nationwide hotel chains frequented by business travelers, such as Comfort Inn and Hampton Inn, are now providing a no-cost connection for their guests. In addition to wireless hot zones in many cities, airports such as Hart Field in Atlanta are now providing no-cost wireless services for busy travelers. The world continues to shrink.
0439.9 Workstation Life Cycle Extension
***Dataram Extends the Life of Sun Blade 150 Workstation with 4GB of Total Memory; First to Market 1GB Memory Upgrade Doubles System Capacity
PRINCETON, N.J.
Oct. 5, 2004
Dataram Corporation has announced the immediate availability of a 1GB memory upgrade for Sun Microsystems' Sun Blade 150 workstation, enabling a total capacity of 4GB. Dataram's DRSB150/1GB product installed in all four available memory slots delivers twice the memory capacity and is not currently available from any other supplier, including Sun Microsytems.
The Sun Blade 150 is an affordable high performance full-featured 64-bit workstation with a 550MHz or 650MHz UltraSPARC IIi CPU, plus 2-D/3-D graphics options for multi-display support and features Solaris 8 or 9 operating system pre-installed to obtain the highest levels of scalability, availability and security. Dataram's DRSB150 memory upgrades are 168-pin ECC SDRAM dimms and are available in 512MB and 256MB capacities in addition to the new 1GB capacity.
Dataram is licensed by Sun Microsystems to incorporate Sun's patented technology into its products. All Dataram memory products for Sun's systems are guaranteed to be 100% hardware and software compatible and are backed by a lifetime warranty and free technical support.
***IBM Unveils First Biometric ThinkPad, Offering Security at Your Fingertips
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.
Oct. 4, 2004
IBM has taken computing security and data protection to the next level with the introduction of the first ThinkPad with an integrated fingerprint reader. ThinkPad now features a model that delivers simplified access to password-protected personal and financial information, web sites, documents and e-mail while offering an unmatched level of data protection through its new biometric capability and embedded security subsystem.
The fingerprint reader is built into select models of the ThinkPad T42. With the new reader, located on the wrist rest below the arrow keys, users swipe their finger across a small horizontally oriented sensor to log-on to their systems, software applications, web sites, or databases. The scanning process takes only seconds, combining convenience with the strongest notebook security available as a standard feature. This type of fingerprint reader captures more data than a traditional "picture" capture window because it scans more of the fingertip's surface area, helping to prevent misidentification.
IBM On Demand Security Architecture and ThinkVantage Technologies
IBM also enhanced its hardware- and software-based Embedded Security Subsystem by releasing a new level of Client Security Software, Version 5.4, with a secure Password Manager, simplified ease-of-use and installation, and available by preload for the first time. The new version allows fingerprint identification and complex passphrases to be used interchangeably or in combination. The new software and the embedded security chip are seamlessly integrated with the fingerprint reader, protecting vital security information, such as encryption keys, electronic credentials and passphrases, and guarding against unauthorized user access.
The Embedded Security Subsystem is a key component of IBM ThinkVantage Technologies, a suite of tools that make ThinkPad notebooks and ThinkCentre desktops easier to deploy, connect, protect and support. The fingerprint reader represents only one level in a concentric set of IBM security solutions. They include servers, operating systems, identity management, middleware, web-based privacy, network access, storage, systems management and consulting solutions. These protect information in the face of external hacker threats, costly viruses and worms, e-mail spam, new wireless technologies, and the demands of government compliance.
Additionally, IBM and Utimaco Safeware have announced that IBM is authorized to resell Utimaco software to give users the ability to fully encrypt their entire hard drive. This protects against unauthorized access, should a notebook get stolen or lost. Utimaco Safeguard Easy is the first full drive-encryption product tested for full compatibility with IBM Rescue and Recovery, a ThinkVantage Technology that can automatically archive and restore an entire hard drive to protect against data loss or operating system failure.
Ultimate Connectivity and Portability
Available in a thin and light platform, the ThinkPad T42 starts at 1 inch thin and has a travel weight as little as 4.5 pounds. It also offers IBM's unique battery configuration, capable of providing all day computing, up to 7.5 hours on select models with the nine-cell extended battery. Mobile business users who take their notebooks with them everywhere will benefit from the power of the Intel Pentium M processor, long battery life and multiple options for wireless connectivity. It is available with an Intel 745 Pentium M 1.8 GHz processor.
IBM provides flexibility so users of the ThinkPad T42 can take advantage of wireless technology with a range of 11b, 11 b/g, and 11 a/b/g solutions and available Bluetooth Wireless Technology. In addition, all T42 models come standard with a modem, Gigabit Ethernet and Infrared port.
Equipped with IBM's patented hard drive protection technology to help protect people's data, the ThinkPad T42 is designed for greater durability among business travelers. The IBM Active Protection System, similar to the technology used in automobiles to deploy airbags, uses a microchip on the system board to detect system acceleration (such as in a fall) and responds by temporarily parking the drive's read/write head. This rapid response can help prevent some hard drive crashes that occur in some falls, helping to prevent total data loss and ultimately reduce downtime and warranty costs.
Availability
The ThinkPad T42 notebook will be available on October 19. For more information, see
--------------------------------------
Copyright 2005 4th WAVE, Inc.
To subscribe to WAVE go to
To unsubscribe also use the Wave Report Home page or send the preformatted UNSUBSCRIBE message:
Previous issues of WAVE, as well as other info can be found at
http://www.wave-report.com
http://www.3dlinks.com
Comments on or questions about the WAVE may be sent to:
or the below individuals below:
John N. Latta - Editor-In-Chief
Michael Robertson - Web Editor
The WAVE Report may be redistributed in full for individual readership and posted to newsgroups, Web, and FTP sites. This publication may not be reprinted or redistributed for profit. Short quotes are permitted but must be attributed to the WAVE Report. 4th Wave retains the copyright to the WAVE Report.