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The WAVE Report on Digital Media 3D --- Media Creation --- Shared Space ---Published by 4th Wave, Inc.--- Issue #0540------------------10/7/05 |
The WAVE Report is Searchable on
http://www.3dlinks.com
http://www.wave-report.com
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0540.2 Cell Phone Power Alternative
AZIO Announces the Easiest Way Ever to Power Your Cell While on the Road
0540.3 Fiber Growth
0540.4 Consumer Electronics
Seventy Percent of U.S. Adults Own Portable Entertainment Devices, Finds New CEA Research
0540.5 Digital Advertising
0540.6 Middle East Business Opportunities
NUR International Sees Increased Demand for Middle East Expertise
0540.7 Robotics Safety
National Robot Safety Conference XVII Highlights OSHA, New Developments in Robot Safety Standards
0540.8 IM Worm
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0540.1 Story of the Issue
***Ubicomp 2005
By John Latta
Tokyo, Japan
9/11 – 13/05
This is the first Ubicomp to be held in Asia. The Japanese hosts have
gone to great lengths to be good hosts and keep the costs down for the
attendees. It is being held at a first class hotel and the after hours
events are likewise first class. There was a rigorous process for paper
acceptance and only 22 full length papers were accepted. There are 47
posters and 25 demos. The attendance is near 550 and spans 21 countries.
Over 50% came from Japan and with 97 from the US. The event represents
a good cross section of the research in ubiquitous computing.
Sony Looks Forward
The keynote was given by Mario Tokoro, President of the Sony Computer Science Laboratories. His talk: Tools, Environment and Society, provides one of the most clearly articulated views of where computers could go in the next 10+ years.
Three slides were used which covered the:
History of Computing
History of Computer Networks
History of User InterfacesFrom these slides it was conclude that major waves in computer technology take 30 years to mature.
The next slide was on the History of Ubiquitous Computing. With a beginning in 1990, it was speculated that we are only 15 years into the development of this wave of computer technology. Numerous example of technology were cited as building the transition to this phase. They included:
ActiveBadge, mobile phone with camera, blogs and GPS.
Sony CSL is an independent company founded and supported by Sony in 1988. Mario Tokoro was one of the founders. It has only 30 researchers divided approximately evenly between engineering and science. There is no technical support staff and what drives the work is the ability to contribute to society. This is accomplished by hiring world class research individuals and making contributions to social and industrial advancement through fundamental yet applicable research. The annual turnover is about 10% per year.
The research themes are broken into engineering and science disciplines.
Engineering
Interactive Devices
Ubiquitous Networking
Computational Photography
Lifeline Computing
EntertainmentScience
Econophysics
Evolution of Language
Systems Brain Science
Statistical Physics of Noise and Delay
Cognitive Robotics
Systems BiologyMario Tokoro was proud to show how CSL’s contribution to ubiquitous computing dates back to 1994. He showed video examples of 5 of the contributions which Sony CSL has made.
The progress of technology comes in 3 phases: first are the tools, then the environment and then to society. We have just begin the society phase.
In the tools phase, technology empowers the individual.
In the second phase, computers support the environment which in turn supports human activities.
The last phase occurs when computers become a means to construct a society and enrich diverse social relationships.
When computers help form an environment they can be combined with sensors and actuators which do things. One of the important problems is that there are societal issues when computers are everywhere and privacy and security becomes a major issue. There is a dark side to the creation of such environments, that is, when the environment knows a great deal about individuals and what they are doing, negative impacts may be heaped on individuals. Many of these issues have not been fully addressed by society.
This gives rise to the notion of Intimate Computers which are a trusted buddy through which the owner interfaces to the environment. There are two parts to the environment: Closed and Open. In a closed environment, computers are closely associated with the individual. In an open environment, computers are a part of broader society. This was the basis for Tokoro-san’s conclusion that we must only examine the open environment as a systems issue. Nothing is isolated.
Open was also used to support the notion of a Volitional Agent – an agent which has its own will for building safer and more robust systems.
As a means to enter the 3rd phase, building a society, it was observed that elements of this are already happening: blogs, Wiki, P2P, VoIP and SNS. One of the society problems is that there is an anonymity issue. A person may have more than one identity. This brings rise to the virtual vs. real issue. That is how does one develop true understanding and a shared common experience on the net when identity is fluid?
The problem which these issues raise is that policy, governance and society have not yet established the means by which to form societies. The well know issues of data protection, security and privacy have not been adequately addressed.
CSL is now going well beyond its early roots to research the broader context of the environment and society. New research has been started in:
Systems Biology – From gene to protein to systems. This is part of the quest for the fundamental principles of life.
EconoPhysics – The link between macro and micro economy.
In summary, Mario Tokoro asked of Ubiquitous Computing:
For What?
Human Well-Being
Safety
Excitement/Entertainment
Ease of Use/Convenient LifestyleFor Whom?
Individual
Society
EarthHow to Build?
Not as individual technologies but as a total system – a holistic view
His closing words were quite thoughtful:
Science is to understand nature in depth, by searching the truth.
Engineering is to create value for individuals by making products.
An Individual is the basis for existence
We need to understand more about each other.
Culture is the man-made value that cannot be detached from society
A society can only be created and made better by Individuals
We need to create technology that can be used to make a better society.
The WAVE spoke with Tokoro-san after his talk. We asked: if ubiquitous technology is to make a better environment why is not CSL doing more work with robotics, in which Sony has a strong position? Yes, there is technology but societal issues are a barrier. For example, one of the reasons that Sony has decided not to make QRIO into a product are the liability issues. These make other factors pale in comparison.
During the question phase one which came up was – How is it possible
to continue to defend such basic research in today’s quarterly
financial reporting environments. The short answer – it is difficult.
CarpetLAN – Where the individual is a LAN element
NTT DoCoMo and NTT Microsystem Integration Labs described a novel indoor wireless-like networking and positioning system. This fit into the category of enabling infrastructure. But it went beyond this – making the human a part of the network.
The problem with CarpetLAN is addressing the issue that every object in a room should be connected to a network. This is the last foot problem.
Today with wireless technology, only a few uses and objects can be connected to the network – what is needed is the capability for 1,000’s of objects be connected and this cannot be met by radio technology.
The solution proposed is a wireless (like) network and positioning system based on a electric field. In fact, the human body operates like an Ethernet cable. It is possible to realize cell sizes as small as 1 meter.
Intrabody communication is made possible when wearable devices are in contact with the human body via an insulted electrode, the user stands on a carpet electrode and the wearable devices and floor transceiver connects to the human body.
Using carpet squares 100 cm square, it is possible to achieve 20dB separation between the cells. When an individual stands on the carpet, they make an excellent receiver and signal transmission route. It is expected that it will be hard to increase the human node beyond 100Mb/s.
Interference between adjacent human bodies can be a problem if individuals are standing close together.
The carpet structure consists of a base box with electrodes, a carpet insulator and a node unit which connects the networking to the carpet.
CarpetLAN is able to provide up to 10 handovers/sec and thus used to detect individual moving over the carpet. Graphs were shown of individual acceleration and angular velocity on the carpet.
A video was shown where an individual was able to play streaming video on a PDA while standing on the carpet and it stopped when they walked off.
Position tracking was shown including the ability to track 3 persons at a time.
One of the concerns about this concept is the current high pricing. It cost about $5,000 per node and uses 8W. Efforts are being focused on miniaturization and reductions in cost in power consumption.
Innovative.
Surface Interaction – Is it a Wave of a New Computer Interface?
MERL (Mitsubishi Electronics Research Laboratories) in Boston has worked over the last 4 years to develop table top interaction technology. It has now reached a production state and development kits will go on sale in October. This is a limited step but an important one in opening the market to surface interaction technology. The WAVE has seen examples of this technology at multiple conferences over the last 2 years. Some of the results have been impressive.
MERL’s technology to support surface interaction is called Diamond Space. This was created in a research laboratory and is now reaching market due to the demands of those that have seen and tried it. The first steps are small but significant if surface interaction is to be an important force in computer interaction. Started 4 years ago as the combination of hardware which uses a projector to create the surface, i.e., table top, interaction and a software tool kit which supports interaction, this technology will go on sale in October. It is a development that merits watching. If the technology takes off, it could have important implications for how computers are used in a group environment.
Kathy Ryall, Principal Technical Staff, Technology Lab, MERL, attended Ubicomp to present a poster paper and show a demo of the table. The WAVE spoke with Kathy about the state of the technology and its emergence in the market.
The technology which MERL has developed is Diamond Space andit consists of the hardware and software to support multi-user and multi-surface interactions. Currently the hardware uses an overhead projector and table surface for interaction. But the surface may be vertical, horizontal or even non-planar. The table component is called Diamond Touch.
The significant contribution of Diamond Space is that it enables multi-user co-located or remote computing. Compared to a traditional single user desktop, each interaction is user differentiated – that is, the computer knows what every one is doing on the surface. This is not only essential to provide the interface but also to provide for a complete audit trail and logging for interaction.
Collaboration is enabled with Diamond Spin because it makes interaction on an individual level possible within a group setting. Some of the user results, as the WAVE reported from CHI 2004 in Vienna, were impressive – Finger Talk research which was done at Indiana University. This changes the role that the computer has in a collaborative environment.
MERL has also developed a Java Took Kit called DiamondSpin which is a higher level set of tools to create a user interface. Some of the means of interaction addressed with DiamondSpin included surface space management with “Black-hole” and “Fisheye” approaches. When the WAVE saw this at CHI in Vienna we were impressed.
In spite of the emphasis on horizontal surface interaction, the technology has been used in vertical surfaces. Yet, Kathy described vertical and horizontal surfaces as having different forms of group interaction. In fact, some projects have developed interactions which use both horizontal and vertical surfaces. Further, the nature of interaction is based on the size of the group. MERL has found that these dynamics can change as the groups go from 2 to 8 devices to 20.
The technology has created its own “religious issues” which are the subject of much debate in MERL. These include:
Vertical vs. Horizontal Surfaces
Single vs. Multi-user Interaction
Size of Group and the Interaction DynamicsUltimately, the market will decide many of the factors which drive these issues.
One of the impediments to the market is the lack of multi-user support in Windows. For true collaboration to take place, Windows should support the independent interactions by N users. As Kathy asked:
What is the user experience like when 4 mice are plugged into a USB hub on one machine?
As word of the technology spread in 2001, MERL made a decision to deploy units, basically for free, to evaluate the technology in ways that it could not do. In 2002 – 2003, 90 table top units were built of which about 50 went to research labs outside of Mitsubishi Electric. 90% of those included the hardware and SDK. Another 10% also received the Diamond Spin tool kit. Many of these systems are still in use today. Some of the areas of use include:
A CEO that shows how an executive can use such technology in daily work, including one-on-one interactions with another person at his table.
Elderly remote interactions where two seniors can interact remotely with their grandchildren.
Augumented reality which has a 3D overlay to a scene.
A museum in Italy which uses the surface for story telling.
A means for remote interaction between children.
Teams of biologists which use the surface for interaction.
The table as a means to interact with physical objects that are placed on it.
Using the table to conduct opportunistic browsing of photo databases.
The table as a game play surface.
GIS applications of the table for single and multi-person interaction with large spatial information.
This latter use has generated considerable interest in the GIS community and they were one of the most vocal in requesting that units be made available of sale.
This seed effort has generated considerable feedback and more continues to be received by MERL. One of the advantages of such a deployment is that the current design is quite robust – it has been made “bullet-proof” by use and the subsequent refinement.
The Developer Kits, which will go on sale in October, will cost approximately $10,000. There will be two display sizes available – 80cm and 107cm diagonal. The kits will be manufactured by a 3rd party in the US. The hardware will support 4 users simultaneously. Accessories will also be available to augment the table.
The gaming market for table interaction is a natural one because most games are multi-person. A demo unit has been set up for gaming. Further, there have been other activities in the game space that Kathy was not a liberty to discuss.
As sign of the growing interest in the table as a user interface paradigm is the conference.
First IEEE International Workshop on Horizontal
Interactive Human-Computer System (TableTop 2006)
January 5-7, 2006
Adelaide, South Australia
http://www.tinmith.net/tabletop2006Mitsubishi Electric in Japan has yet to identify how it will support the commercial technology. MERL continues to get strong support from its parent company but it is unclear if Diamond Space market is large enough to merit a major product effort by the parent. Due to its size, it seeks very large new markets in order for it to impact the business. Thus, the Developer Kits are a means to explore the market and let it be further refined by the users. It could well be that market development will take place by licensing, a spin-off or commercialization with Mitsubishi Electric. The next 6 months, which will see the response to the developer kit, is an important market indicator.
One of the strengths that Mitsubishi Electric brings is its projector technology. This is one of the keys to Diamond Space and is, at the same time, responsible for the highest cost component. If the market should develop, Mitsubishi Electric is in a strong position to drive the cost down with volume.
At the same time all of this is happening, MERL is looking to the next generation. This includes:
Support for rear projection.
Ever increasing demands for larger surfaces, both table and wall.
Much finer grain user input of which a stylist is frequently mentioned.
On the software side, support for FLASH is expected in the next 6 months
The WAVE asked what is the competition? At this time
there are basically one-off systems and nothing which is close to commercial
scale. Thus, Diamond Space is positioned to see its research transition
to a commercial venture – with the first small step being made
with the developer kits. The market is getting ready to respond. MERL
will be watching with great interest to see what the future of the
technology it has created will be.
Fujitsu – Making the Palm a Biometric
Tucked away in the demo section of Ubicomp was a demonstration of a palm vein biometric. This is not a research effort but a product that has been on sale for a year. The experience was positive and the claimed performance even more so.
It all seemed so simple – an inverted plastic square device that one lays their hand on. Three clicks and the user is registered. Then, as I shifted my hand from right to left, I was denied entry. This is the first time we have seen “Palm Vein” as a biometric. In commercial deployment for a year, it has been deployed in Japan at bank ATMs and is now being deployed in other applications worldwide.
The detection is by IR and the sensor is quite simple. In fact, the next version of the sensor will be reduced so that it can fit on a notebook. The claimed results are:
FRR - .01%
FAR - .00008%
This seems incredible and independent testing would be merited.
When we used it, the advantage was clear – enrollment and use was easy, as much so if not better than a fingerprint.
The WAVE spoke with Fujitsu about their palm vein biometric technology.
They will target the computer log on market with the new sensor that can be integrated into a notebook.
The sensor does actually image the hand with IR to detect the veins. The template created for matching is actually quite small. One of the advantages is that the algorithm for vein detection actually has a means to determine if blood is flowing and they feel it is not subject to liveness spoofs.
The characteristics of the lens to do the imaging seems unusual in that the focal length from the bottom of the hand jig to the sensor is only about a cm. This could imply a fresnel lens but no information was gained on the imaging design or the size of the sensor in the current configuration.
No information was provided on the notebook sensor other than it will be about 1/4th the size of the existing one and it will also image the palm. Thus, such information as
How can the distance be maintained from the palm to the sensor be maintained in a notebook to allow for imaging?
Will the smaller sensor image cover the full palm?
These remain unanswered. The response was - contact with the technical team.
Fujitsu recognizes that in order to get acceptance in a world wide market the sensor must be subject to a number of independent tests to verify performance and to evaluate other issues such as enrollment and system integration. Fujitsu has not undertaken to have such tests done. They have not yet identified a firm that will do this work.
Fujitsu will exhibit at the Biometric Consortium conference next week. This has implications that the company is seeking to enter the broader biometric market.
The Role of Context in Information Management in the Home
The University of Calgary presented the best assessment of information management in the home seen to date. But there is no bottom line – just rich insights.
Kathryn Eliot, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada presented a paper - Time, Ownership and Awareness: The Value of Contextual Locations in the Home. A study was done of 10 households, 29 individuals with widely varying demographics and types of homes. What the study sought to do was to classify information elements in the home according to the following:
What is it?
Whose is it?
What needs to be done with it?
When do I/others need to interact with it?
The major value of this research is that they were able to categorize the various types of information in the home.
Reminders, Alerts and To-do Lists
Awareness and Scheduling
Visual Displays
Notices
Resource Coordination
Each information type has its own goal in the home. This was especially rich and meaningful in home management. What was also important is the role of context. The research found that information had value “…because it was there.” and there are specific locations in the home for information and these locations are also related to the contextual information. This became a filter and means to manage the information.
Another set of factors included: Time, Ownership and Awareness. This was also rich in meaning. For example, awareness had elements of presence and monitoring.
One of the most important implications of the study is that existing technology – that is, the PC, has significant limitations because of its inability to take advantage of the importance of context and location.
The overall implication of the study is that home information, and all its complexity, is an opportunity for truly ubiquitous computing. There are also some new uses for current technology.
In the question session it was asked – how
does this directly impact the development of new appliances for the
home? The response was not insightful and it is clear much thought,
and likely more research is required, to translate the insights gained
into action. Yet, this is the most insightful of the work we have seen
on home information.
WAVE Comments
Here at Ubicomp, this is the crowd of serious believers that ubiquitous computing will be the future of computing and the role it will play in individual lives and society. Yet, we struggled with the idea that ubiquitous computing has even reached the point of being able to make important contributions to society and life. Data points at Ubicomp include:
A number of the papers were just trivial. In spite of the fact that there was a rigorous selection process, it seemed that the criteria was on accomplishing the façade of the scientific method, not the same context that ubiquitous computing promises to bring value to society.
A substantial percentage of the papers were on location technology. Yet, when it was asked – I am having a hard time understanding where this is leading us, no one wanted to address the question.
Some of the research was biased. For example, Intel Research did a study of Global cities. The demographic focus was on individuals aged 22 – 32 with no children. This population was characterized as that which cities such as Los Angeles, London and Tokyo were “designed for.” The WAVE spoke with the author and asked – could you give this paper before the city council and represent tht the city was not designed for families, ethnic diversity and a broader age group?
There were a number of questions – did you consider this work and how does it relate to your findings? Many seemed unaware of past research.
Many of the papers reached the conclusion – it is on the cell phone, or this is the best place to provide it because we all carry cell phones. This certainly reinforces the value of cellular technology and its near ubiquity, but it hardly assesses the role that ubiquitous computing can play.
There is no strategic context. The only paper which provided this was by the CEO of Sony CSL.
For the ubiquitous computing to impact society it must bring value and have long term impact. This was missing at Ubicomp. At times there were small hints of value but overall the movement forward was random at best.
0540.2 Cell Phone Power Alternative
***AZIO Announces the Easiest Way Ever to Power Your Cell While on the Road; Use Your Laptop or Computer to Quickly and Safely Bring Your Cell Back to Life; AZIO Corp Launches Innovative USB Phone Charger
EL MONTE, Calif.
Oct. 4, 2005
AZIO Corp, a designer and manufacturer of computer peripherals, has announced the company's latest product, the AZIO USB Phone Charger. This innovative charger allows anyone to power their phone using a computer or laptop by simply plugging the phone into a USB port. AZIO Corp designed the charger for the road-warrior, traveler or student who lacks easy access to public outlets and who doesn't want to worry about the varying voltage requirements of different countries. In addition, this user will benefit from no longer being forced to carry a large and cumbersome transformer-type charger -- the type that typically comes with a cell phone. The AZIO device is the first phone charger to market that powers a cell by USB power.
Currently, there are numerous varieties of power adapters used around the world so what charges a phone on one side of the globe, may not work on the other side. The AZIO USB Phone charger is poised to significantly change how transcontinental travelers charge their phone -- now there is no worry about being compatible with hotel outlets or even car adapter voltage, which also varies per region.
The USB Phone Charger also comes with a cigarette lighter adapter for those who need to charge their phone in the car. Made with durable ABS plastic, the charger is almost indestructible. Closed circuitry makes for safe and quick phone chargers.
Features:
-- Dual voltage control -- charge your mobile phone directly from any computer with a USB port or from your car's cigarette lighter socket
-- Built-in micro circuitry voltage controllers regulate power to ensure your mobile phone will charge timely and safely
-- Built-in power amplifier -- allows your phone charger to pull more current from your USB source for faster charge times
-- Durable cord stretchable up to 7-feet
-- High-impact, durable ABS plastic for carefree use (virtually indestructible)
-- Available in the latest color combinations and translucent style options
The USB Phone Charger by AZIO Corp is available in major retail stores and online at
***Number of U.S. Fiber-to-the-Home Communities Tops 650; Benchmark Report Reveals 200 Percent Year-Over-Year Growth
LAS VEGAS, Nev.
Oct. 4, 2005
Telecommunications industry leaders attending the fourth annual FTTH Conference in Las Vegas received word that the United States has achieved a significant milestone in next-generation broadband deployment -- more than 650 communities are now wired with direct optical fiber connections, or in industry terms, fiber-to-the-home (FTTH).
The news was released in conjunction with the latest "U.S. Optical Fiber Communities 2005" research report, sponsored by the Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Council, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and Fiber Optic Communities of the United States (FOCUS). In total, the research listed 652 FTTH communities in 46 states, and 322,700 connected homes. By comparison, the Sept. 2004 report listed 217 FTTH communities and 146,500 connected homes.
Many of the FTTH communities appearing in the report are indicative of the "exurban" trend that's taken hold in growing areas throughout the country. Developers are building 30-40 miles beyond major city limits to give homeowners more affordable housing options away from the hustle and bustle of the city and suburbs.
Market researcher Michael Render, author of the U.S. Optical Fiber Communities list and keynote speaker at the FTTH Conference, noted several reasons for the accelerating growth of fiber-connected communities, including the fact that the average consumer take-rate for FTTH deployments offering triple-play services is now nearly 50 percent.
About the Fiber-to-the-Home Council
The Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Council is a non-profit organization established in 2001 to educate the public on the opportunities and benefits of fiber-to-the-home solutions. FTTH Council members represent all areas of broadband industries, including telecommunications, computing, networking, system integration, engineering and content-provider companies, as well as traditional telecommunications service providers, utilities and municipalities. Communities and organizations interested in exploring FTTH options can find information on the FTTH Council Web site. The "U.S. FTTH Communities 2005" list is available at:
***Seventy Percent of U.S. Adults Own Portable Entertainment Devices, Finds New CEA Research; Music and Communication Top Handheld Content Activities
ARLINGTON, Va.
Oct. 3, 2005
More than 152 million Americans - some 70 percent of the total U.S. adult population - own portable entertainment devices, according to a new report issued today by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). The study, titled Handheld Content: Measuring Usage and Subscription Service Opportunities, measured handheld content usage among adults and explored the market opportunities available to companies involved in developing and marketing a wide variety of content for portable devices, such as music, movies, communication applications and games.
Study results indicate that listening to music and communicating with others via email are the most common activities for adults using portable entertainment devices. Some 68 percent of online adults use their devices to listen to music. Wireless phones and notebook PCs are the most common devices used to access handheld content, due in part to the wide variety of content available with these single devices. MP3 players are continuing to gain traction in the market, with household penetration at 15 percent, up from 11 percent in 2004.
The CEA study found that, even though technology and media content are moving rapidly toward the digital domain, much of the content remains in physical form, such as CDs and DVDs. Less than 40 percent of online adults take advantage of digital files downloaded to portable devices directly from the Internet or PC hard drive.
According to the study, consumers show a reasonable interest in handheld content subscription services. However, lack of awareness may be to blame for the low number of consumers who currently subscribe to such services. Only 16 percent of online adults who own a portable entertainment device subscribe to a service that allows access to content, with 35 percent reporting that they were unaware of any companies that provided such services. This represents a significant opportunity for subscription-based content providers to educate the market and capture additional revenue.
The Handheld Content study was designed and formulated by CEA's Market Research Department. The quantitative study was administered via Internet web form to an online national sample of 1,724 U.S. adults between August 15 and 22, 2005. The study is available at
***Kagan Projects Interactive TV Revenues from Gaming, T-Commerce and Advertising Will Reach $2.4 Bil. by 2009
MONTEREY, Calif.
Oct. 4, 2005
A new study from Kagan Research estimates the total revenue for electronic transactions conducted via gaming, television commerce and interactive advertising will reach $2.4 bil. in total sales by the year 2009. These interactive services are also expected to generate an estimated $780 mil. in operator revenue by 2009.
Growing competition for video customers has focused U.S. cable operators, satellite operators and telco carriers on developing interactive services capable of generating revenue, reducing churn and providing differentiation in the marketplace. Although domestic activity lags well behind developments in Europe, a burst of competitive pressure combined with expanding digital footprints could quickly bridge the gap in the volume of available applications.
Although the picture for interactive software remains in flux - as operators explore the best combination of performance and critical mass - little doubt exists about the prospects for growth on the digital platform and proliferation of increasingly capable and efficient set-tops and receivers, Kagan reported. They anticipate 69 mil. digital subscribers will be equipped with interactive platforms by 2009, accounting for more than half of the TV households in the U.S.
STATE OF INTERACTIVE TELEVISION 2005 provides a comprehensive view of the ITV sector and offers exclusive five-year revenue projections for TV-based gaming, television commerce and interactive or direct response advertising. While the revenue outlook for these types of interactivity is limited when compared to VOD and DVR technologies, the three categories outlined in the report will help drive subscribers to the platform and are expected to generate significant incremental revenue.
STATE OF INTERACTIVE TELEVISION 2005 outlines the enabled universe on three levels, starting with projecting growth of digital subscribers; then delineating the outlook for the installed base of digital set-top boxes; and finally forecasting the potential for interactive software-enabled set-top boxes. The three layers form a complete five-year profile for interactive capability in the U.S. market and define the footprint upon which services can be launched.
The study also includes operator profiles for the major U.S. providers of multichannel video packages and how they intend to deliver ITV services. Profiled companies include Cablevision, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Insight, Time Warner, DIRECTV and EchoStar.
http://www.kagan.com/ITV/BW100405
0540.6 Middle East Business Opportunities
***NUR International Sees Increased Demand for Middle East Expertise; US Companies Seek Middle East Market Opportunities
CHICAGO
Oct. 3, 2005
NUR International, a consulting firm that helps companies expand into the Middle East, announced that it sees increased demand for expertise in Middle East business development as U.S. companies begin to recognize the region's huge market potential. NUR International says demand for its services, which include development and implementation of U.S. companies' business-building initiatives in the Middle East, reflects growing awareness among U.S. executives that the need for economic growth can supersede perceived cultural differences.
While Middle Eastern economies vary country by country, reform has made
many regional areas far more conducive to U.S. business than most Americans
think based on U.S. media coverage. The reforms, in large part stemming
from a new generation of leaders focused on global competitiveness, include
trade liberalization, governance reform, private sector development,
and adoption of new technologies and methods of doing business. The results
are growing Middle Eastern economies with significant need for modernization
and growing, young, educated populations with increasing disposable income
and high demand for U.S. products and services.
Survey Confirms High Demand
As part of its ongoing analysis of Middle East economic conditions, NUR International also announced it is conducting a survey of U.S. executives whose companies currently do business in the Middle East. Results of that survey will be released shortly on the nurinternational.net website.
NUR International also conducts ongoing executive surveys via its "Executive Forum" section of the nurinternational.net website, which also contains up-to-date analyses of economic developments and U.S. business opportunities for each of sixteen countries across the Middle East and North Africa. Intentionally, Iraq is excluded from this analysis for the time being, although NUR International has a close watch on potential long term opportunities that may develop. In addition to the country-by-country analysis, the nurinternational.net website includes an industry sector analysis listing best countries for a wide array of industry sectors, as well as newsletters to keep clients informed.
Some U.S. multinationals use Middle East countries not only as expansion targets, but also as low-cost alternatives to serve markets in the proximity, including the Economic Union, Africa and Asia.
http://www.nurinternational.net
***National Robot Safety Conference XVII Highlights OSHA, New Developments in Robot Safety Standards
YPSILANTI, Mich.
Oct. 4, 2005
This year, OSHA has two speakers at the National Robot Safety Conference XVII in Ypsilanti, Michigan (Metro Detroit). Compliance Officer, Aaron Priddy, leads a Machine Tool Safety workshop, and John Washam of OSHA leads a session on how the robot safety standard is applied by this agency. Machine tool and robot safety are thoroughly covered during the four-day event, October 24-27, 2005.
Attendees will be among the first to hear of developments in robot and machine tool safety, including a new Technical Report on Teaching Multiple Robots which augments the ANSI/RIA R15.06-1999 Robot Safety Standard. RIA is the official secretariat of this standard, and the standard development committee (many of whom will be at the Conference) is now working on a new release, which will be greatly influenced by the international ISO standards.
According to RIA, an international program to revise the ISO 10218:1992 (International Standard for robot safety) is ongoing and progressing well. So that the International Standard will be relevant for use in the United States, the R15.06 committee is getting active again to function as the U.S. national 'shadow' committee to the international effort.
Jeff Fryman (jfryman@robotics.org) is one of the featured speakers at the National Robot Safety Conference. He teaches the Pre-Conference Workshop, "Understanding the Robot Safety Standard" on Monday, and presents standards updates to Conference attendees during the Tuesday/Wednesday sessions. He also is the Risk Assessment instructor in a Post-Conference Workshop on Thursday.
This four-day Conference includes a trade fair on Tuesday, October 25, with 40 leading robot and safety equipment suppliers, systems integrators and consultants on display. Official sponsors include long-time RIA members (alpha order): ABB Inc., FANUC Robotics America, Inc., Motoman, Inc., Nachi Robotic Systems, Inc., Pilz Automation Safety, Scientific Technologies Inc., SICK, Inc.
If you have a passion for safety, are interested in standards development, and are not yet active on the R15.06, now is the time to contact RIA and express an interest in participating.
***IMlogic Threat Center Reports Treba IM Worm Propagating over a Leading IM Network Causing Widespread Infection of Windows Machines
Industry leader IMlogic is warning customers that IM.Treba.AIM worm is using instant messaging technology to infect Windows machines. Following the structure of most IM worms, the malicious link is forwarded to known users on the infected person's buddy list. This threat identifies known buddies that are currently on line and forwards a message with a note to look at the content displayed at the particular URL.
Once successfully executed, the vulnerability allows a hacker to attack a number of systems, including stealing system info, or the most damaging impact, forcing an infected computer into a continual reboot. To learn more about IM.Treba.AIM visit the IMlogic Threat Center:
http://www.imlogic.com/im_threat_center/index.asp
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