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The WAVE Report on Digital Media 3D --- Media Creation --- Shared Space ---Published by 4th Wave, Inc.--- Issue #0615------------------4/14/06 |
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0615.1 Increased Memory Performance
Samsung Develops 3D Memory Package that Greatly Improves Performance Using Less Space
0615.2 Bundled Services
0615.3 Fiber Optics
Fiber Lasers Will Capture a Large Share of the Industrial Laser Market by 2010
0615.4 Wireless Expansion
Wireless Location Services for Businesses Could Top One Million Subscribers by 2010
0615.5 Graphics Software
0615.6 PC Video Service
0615.7 Digital 3D Graphics
DAZ Launches Developer Program with New Version of DAZ|Studio Version 1.3
0615.8 IS Problem Areas
Organizations Ignoring Main Culprit in Information Security Breaches
0615.9 Multimedia Devices
0615.10 Powerline Broadband
Power Companies Poised to Enter Race to Deliver Broadband Services
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0615.1 Increased Memory Performance
***Samsung Develops 3D Memory Package that Greatly Improves Performance Using Less Space
SEOUL, Korea
April 13, 2006
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., has announced that it has developed a small-footprint, wafer-level processed stack package (WSP) of high density memory chips using 'through silicon via' (TSV) interconnection technology. WSP actually reduces the physical size of a stacked set of semiconductor chips, while greatly improving overall performance. Widely seen as the next generation in package technologies, WSP can be applied to all types of hybrid packages, including memory and processors, to deliver higher speed and higher density with minimum use of chip space.
Using this technology, mobile device and consumer electronics manufacturers will gain better electrical performance, well suited for slimmer, high-performance handset designs that provide longer battery time.
Samsung's industry-first WSP is a 16Gbit memory solution that stacks eight 2Gb NAND chips. The WSP generates a much smaller multi-chip package (MCP), which is the current mainstream solution for designing miniaturized, high-capacity memory devices. Samsung's eight-chip WSP prototype sample, which vertically stacks eight 50-micrometer, 2Gb NAND flash die, is 0.56 millimeters in height.
The chips in today's MCPs are connected by wire bonding, which requires vertical gaps between dies that are tens of microns wide and horizontal spaces on the package board that are hundreds of microns wide to accommodate the wire connections. By contrast, WSP forms micron-sized holes that penetrate through the silicon vertically to connect circuits directly, eliminating the need for gaps of extra space and wires protruding beyond the sides of the die. Due to these advantages, WSP has a 15-percent smaller footprint and is 30 percent thinner than an equivalent wire-bonded MCP solution.
According to Samsung, another distinct advantage of their WSP technology is that it introduces a much simplified process for the TSV. Instead of using a conventional dry etching method, a tiny laser drills the TSV holes. This reduces production cost significantly as it eliminates the typical photolithography-related processes required for mask-layer patterning and also shortens the dry-etching process needed to penetrate through a multi-layer structure.
Also, WSP reduces the length of the interconnections, resulting in an approximately 30-percent increase in performance from reduced electrical resistance. This makes it a more attractive solution for applications requiring lower power consumption, higher performance and higher density, such as today's slimmer handset designs.
Initially, Samsung will apply its WSP technology to the production of NAND-based memory cards for mobile applications and other consumer electronics in early 2007. Later, the company will extend the packaging technique to high-performance system-in-package (SiP) solutions, and high-capacity DRAM stack packages including DRAM modules used in server designs that require fast data processing.
***'Quadruple Play' Services on the Horizon, Says ABI Research
OYSTER BAY, N.Y.
April 12, 2006
Triple play services--bundled offerings of TV, phone and Internet--have proven effective for operators and service providers in reducing customer churn and delivering operational economies. According to a new study from ABI Research, some operators believe that adding a fourth element, wireless, will improve the equation still further.
In the United States, Sprint Nextel has announced that it will partner with several of the big North American MSOs to offer this "quadruple play." In the UK, cable operator NTL is buying Virgin Mobile. Verizon is rolling out its FIOS (Fiber Optic Services) and expects that, with a wireless division already part of the company, consolidation of services and networks will be that much easier.
Network consolidation for the sake of triple and quadruple-play services can reduce operational costs, but brings new challenges as well. Its three layers of management--traffic control, equipment control, and administration/billing--all have to work together and be interoperable, which means that some standards will need to be developed.
Other challenges include QoS issues and network "policy control". Some operators expect to be compensated for the extra bandwidth required to support hosted VoIP services run by their partners. Billing is complicated in these multimode arrangements too, and there are questions of privacy: in order to prioritize network traffic the IP packets must be examined in some detail, identifying what individuals are doing online.
The new ABI Research study, "Triple-Play Network Equipment and Systems", provides an overview of the technologies that enable triple- and quadruple-play services. It is divided into equipment and software sections, and addresses issues such as subscriber growth rates, emerging technologies, Quality of Service and the role of mobile services.
The study forms part of four subscription ABI Research Services: IP Networking Research Service, IP Video Research Service, Wireless Infrastructure Research Service and Mobile Broadband Research Service, which include research reports, industry and forecast databases, regular market updates, ABI Insights, and analyst inquiry time.
***Fiber Lasers Will Capture a Large Share of the Industrial Laser Market by 2010, Says Strategies Unlimited
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.
April 12, 2006
The fiber laser, a laser technology that uses only optical fiber and no conventional optics, is finally set to capture a large share of the $2 billion industrial laser market from conventional laser technologies, even in the prominent kilowatt-class laser market. Sales of fiber lasers are expected to have unusually strong compound annual growth of over 35% through 2010 in an industrial laser market that will grow just 9% per year over the same period. This is one of the conclusions of a new report from Strategies Unlimited, the leading market research firm covering optoelectronics markets. The timing is propitious for fiber laser suppliers, since they can seize market share from sales of solid-state and other lasers in several key laser applications that will see steady growth in coming years.
The fiber laser is made from a long optical fiber, which has good thermal properties and allows easy integration of all-fiber components and pump diodes, instead of using crystal rods, gas tubes, and conventional optics. The design is generally more efficient, more compact, and more reliable that conventional lasers, and the life cycle cost is competitive compared to solid-state and even gas lasers. Fiber laser products are now used in applications as varied as product marking, razor blade welding, metal cutting, pre-press equipment, and dermatology. The U.S. Army has used a fiber laser atop a Humvee in Iraq for destroying unexploded ordnance.
IPG Photonics has the dominant market share in fiber lasers, making most of its own key components. SPI Lasers is another well-known and pure-play supplier. A striking feature of the fiber laser market is that the usual large laser suppliers are not prominent suppliers of fiber lasers. Laser market leaders, such as Coherent, Newport, Trumpf, and Rofin-Sinar, do not offer a fiber laser product today. JDS Uniphase does manufacture fiber lasers, but does not have strong market share. Instead, privately-held IPG Photonics approached the $100 million revenue mark in 2005, making it among the top 10 laser manufacturers in the world. If all goes well in 2006, it could be among the top five.
Fiber Laser Market Review and Forecast -- 2006, available now, reviews the technology, applications, key trends, markets, and suppliers of fiber lasers. It presents forecasts by application and laser type, including unit sales and price projections, along with estimates of revenues and market shares of key suppliers.
***In-Stat Reports Wireless Location Services for Businesses Could Top One Million Subscribers by 2010
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.
April 12, 2006
Depending largely on the cellular operators' actions, the U.S. Location-Based Services (LBS) business market is forecast to grow to from 582,000 to 1.1 million subscribed devices by the end of 2010, reports In-Stat. Location-enabled enterprise applications constitute a small but important segment of the market for mobile IT applications, the high-tech market research firm says. Applications for this technology include fleet management/dispatch, workforce and sales force management, as well as a variety of public sector location applications.
Recent research by In-Stat found the following:
-- The largest market is legacy black box applications, which use vehicle-mounted devices.
-- The use of cellular handsets equipped with Assisted-Global Position System (A-GPS) chipsets is an emerging market.
-- Until mid-2005, only Nextel provided handsets that provide an application execution environment (Java) and GPS data to the applications.
The research, "Location-Enabled Services in the Enterprise" (#IN0602898MBM), covers the U.S. location-enabled enterprise wireless application markets. It includes a focus on the migration of location-enabled enterprise applications to mobile handsets. The research also contains optimistic and pessimistic subscriber forecasts through 2010. It examines the strategies of carriers offering these services, analyzes the marketplace and assesses the development of the technology. For coverage of the LBS market in the Asia Pacific region, please see: Location-Based Services in Asia/Pacific:
http://www.instat.com/catalog/Wcatalogue.asp?id=236
***Xara Releases Xara Xtreme Retail Package
April 5, 2006
Graphics software developer Xara Group Ltd. has released the Xara Xtreme Retail Package of the popular vector graphics program. The new Xara Xtreme retail package includes the complete Xara Xtreme installation; a handy Xara Xtreme Shortcuts Quick Reference Card and a second CD with the entire Xara manual in PDF format. The second CD also contains a copy of the XaraXone website featuring more than 80 step-by-step tutorials for beginners and experts and numerous hints and tips on creating great art in Xara Xtreme.
With its amazingly fast redraw and rendering speed - 2 to 10 times faster than competitors - Xara Xtreme delivers unparalleled ease of use and power to drawing and illustration software. Xara Xtreme gives users a single application for all their photo enhancing, web graphics, general drawing, graphical text, and illustration needs. Offering unrivalled speed and graphics quality, Xara Xtreme combines high-end vector graphics drawing and illustration tools with powerful photo and web graphics tools in a simple and intuitive user interface. Where many illustration tools require extensive processing time when applying effects, Xara delivers real-time results so designers spend more time designing and less time waiting for software or trial and error efforts.
Xara Xtreme is currently available for Windows and Linux (Xara LX) from Xara.com.
From the novice looking to produce a poster, cards, stationery, signs, flyers, website logos to the professional producing high-end vector graphics and illustrations, Xara Xtreme offers all graphics users compelling functionality. The Xara Xtreme installation includes more than 80 demo movies, 17 plug-ins, over 3000 clipart, example illustrations and template graphics, including 200 photos, 500 textures and 250 TrueType and PostScript fonts. Xara Xtreme is supported by a comprehensive online community forum of artists and developers in the XaraXone
and the TalkGraphics support forums
Many of Xara's advanced, ground breaking graphics innovations include real-time anti-aliasing, vector transparency and graduated transparency effects, real-time vector feathering, linked colors and zero-memory footprint bitmap editing are on full display in Xara Xtreme. Additional illustration and drawing features in Xara Xtreme include:
-- Blazingly fast Performance: Xara Xtreme is simply the fastest graphics program around, performing up to 1000% faster than other leading graphics software.
-- Intuitive, uncluttered User Interface focusing on ease of use. Productivity aids such as solid 'live interactive' drag, resize & rotate for a more WYSIWYG, real-time editing experience leading to more creativity and design experimentation.
-- Live Effects. Xara Live Effects show effects in real-time, providing instant feedback to designers without dialog boxes and guesswork.
-- Plug-ins - Xtreme supports PhotoShop and Xara plug-ins seamlessly on both vector and photo graphics. Xara ships with demo and sample plug-ins from Alien Skin, Redfield, AV Bros. and Mehdi.
Full PDF export support including PDF vector transparency
Xara pioneered vector transparency and now that PDF version 1.5 supports basic transparency Xara's entirely new PDF export tool allows super-clean, very compact PDF files to be created. Highest on-screen rendering quality. Full anti-aliasing delivers exceptionally high-resolution vector graphics
Xara Picture Editor
Xara Picture Editor integrates the most common photoenhancing operations users need in a very fast, slick, interactive user interface. Using innovative non-destructive editing to preserve original image files, Xara Photo Editor allows for infinite editing of images with the safety of knowing the original remains preserved. XPE also accepts Xara and PhotoShop plug-ins seamlessly and works as stand-alone editor outside of Xara Xtreme. Advanced photo editing capabilities include graduated transparency and semi-transparent multi-layer 32-bit alpha channel support. These tools combine with Xara?s powerful graphic tools to make Xtreme an exceptional image composition tool. Specific Tools include: One Click Enhance, Red Eye Removal, Cropping, Rotating, Enhancing, brightness, contrast, color, sharpening
Web Graphics
Xara Xtreme includes powerful web graphics tools to produce highly web optimized GIF, PNG, JPEG and animated GIF files to help web designers deliver outstanding graphics. With features and tools designed to meet the needs of web graphics, Xara Xtreme easily generates, mouse-over web graphics, animated GIFs, image slicing, image maps and other necessary tasks. Tools include: Flash Export, Image Slicing, Button and NavBar Tool easily create stunning navigation bars in minutes with necessary HTML and JavaScript code. Dreamweaver Integration - export Xara images with Dreamweaver specific information
Xara Xtreme CD version costs $79 (+ VAT and shipping where appropriate). The Xara Xtreme Retail Package costs $89.00 available direct from Xara.com A free trial can be downloaded from xara.com now.
System Requirements:
Windows 98/ME/2000/XP
Pentium Processor or Better
64 MB RAM, 20 MB Hard disk space
A demonstration movie showing Xara Xtreme in operation (WMV format)is available from:
http://downloads.xara.com/products/xtreme/movies/intro.wmv
***CableLabs and RealNetworks Bring Video Services to the PC
SEATTLE and LOUISVILLE, Colo.
April 9, 2006
RealNetworks, Inc., a creator of digital media services and software, and Cable Television Laboratories Inc. (CableLabs), has announced CableLabs’ approval of Real’s universal Helix DRM solution for OpenCable Unidirectional Receiver (OCUR) devices connected to new PCs. The approval by CableLabs allows manufacturers to build and deploy a secure digital cable ready solution for PCs, and enables consumers to enjoy digital and high definition (HD) cable programming on PCs, as well as other devices connected within their home networks.
Real’s Helix DRM will enable the secure delivery of content to the media center PC environment through CableCARD removable security modules. The OCUR device receives encrypted digital cable content from the CableCARD and then re-encrypts that content with Helix DRM. The secure IP output of the OCUR follows CableLabs’ “Digital Receiver Interface” (DRI) protocol specification, which allows connection to compliant PCs that also have Helix DRM.
Helix DRM is a comprehensive and flexible platform for the secure media
content delivery of standards-based as well as leading Internet formats,
including RealAudio, RealVideo, MP3, and MPEG-2, AAC, H.263 and AMR.
It is the second DRM system to complete the due diligence necessary for
approval by CableLabs for use with the OCUR and PCs. Prior approvals
of digital rights management systems and secure digital output and recording
technologies include DTCP over IEEE-1394, HDCP over DVI and HDMI, WMDRM
over DRI, and VCPS and CPDO for optical media recording and hard drive
storage, respectively.
http://www.real.com
***DAZ Launches Developer Program with New Version of DAZ|Studio Version 1.3
DRAPER, Utah
April 10, 2006
DAZ Productions Inc., a developer of professional quality 3D software and models, announced the first release of the DAZ|Studio Software Development Kit (SDK) with the latest version of its free digital art software, DAZ|Studio 1.3. By exposing the majority of the DAZ|Studio API, the DAZ|Studio SDK enables third-party developers to completely integrate their own technology directly into DAZ|Studio. With this digital 3D art market now open to third-party developers, the growth potential for a variety of new DAZ|Studio features, tools and plug-ins is virtually unlimited.
New third-party plug-ins are already available for sale or bundled with the release of DAZ|Studio 1.3. A sampling of these plug-ins include:
* Importer/exporter for BVH motion-capture files created by GMCC Software and bundled with DAZ|Studio 1.3.
* FBX file-format exporter created by Bruce Lamming of MetaGin Designs and available for sale on the DAZ Productions website at:
http://www.daz3d.com/shop.php?op=itemdetails&item=3630
* Power Pose a full-body inverse kinematics (IK) pose tool created by Steve Huang of Opportunity International and bundled with DAZ|Studio 1.3.
* Mesh Deformation Tool (D-Form) created by John Brugioni and available for sale through the DAZ Productions website at:
http://www.daz3d.com/shop.php?op=itemdetails&item=4137
DAZ|Studio SDK
DAZ|Studio SDK provides a very tightly integrated, fully object-oriented interface which has been designed for maximum extensibility of DAZ|Studio at all levels. The SDK provides developers with the ability to add new functionality, interfaces, scene components, render engines, file I/O and much more to DAZ|Studio, including the ability to integrate new components into the native file structure. The SDK also enables developers to load DAZ|Studio with full functionality from other applications making it possible to directly import/export data as well as host live DAZ|Studio content in other applications.
DAZ|Studio
DAZ|Studio boasts many robust features, including a full-color OpenGL Preview, integration with the powerful 3Delight Render Engine (compliant with Pixar’s RenderMan), and Fast-Time Rendering via the user’s video card hardware. DAZ|Studio comes with three pre-configured 3D content scenes that are ready to be loaded and rendered into fantastic art at the push of a button. With its powerful content management system, DAZ|Studio makes it easy to create, organize and access virtual scenes, objects and images. DAZ|Studio also features a comprehensive Poser animation and content import functionality which allows users to load and modify their favorite Poser content.
Pricing and Availability
DAZ|Studio 1.3 is free and available through the DAZ|Studio website. The DAZ|Studio SDK consists of two parts: The DAZ|Script development kit which is available for free to the public, and the DAZ|Studio Plug-in SDK, available to all registered third-party developers for a small license fee. To obtain a copy of DAZ|Studio 1.3 and/or the DAZ|Studio SDK, users must register for a free account on the DAZ website
and then visit the Developer Information page online at
to obtain a copy of the SDK.
http://www.daz3d.com/program/studio/
***Organizations Ignoring Main Culprit in Information Security Breaches, New CompTIA Research Reveals
OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill.
April 11, 2006
Organizations are doing little to address the most serious threat to their information security and technology infrastructure, according to new research released by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA).
Human error was responsible for nearly 60 percent of information security breaches experienced by organizations over the last year, according to the fourth annual CompTIA study on information security and the workforce. That figure is significantly higher than one year ago, when 47 percent of security breaches were blamed on human error alone.
Yet despite the prominent role that human behavior plays in information security breaches, just 29 percent of the 574 organizations that participated in the survey said that security training is a requirement at their company. Only 36 percent of organizations offer end-user security awareness training.
Over the past several years a sophisticated security infrastructure that is better able to detect and prevent attacks has emerged. The CompTIA study found that antivirus software is nearly universal (96 percent penetration); and the vast majority or organizations utilize firewalls and proxy servers (91 percent). Disaster recovery plans, intrusion detection systems and written information security policies are also popular measures.
For its part, CompTIA offers its CompTIA Security+ certification, a foundation-level, vendor-neutral professional certification for network security practitioners with two years' experience and who have daily "hands-on" responsibility for information security. The certification was developed with the involvement of some 1,100 experts around the world with first-hand experience in IT security implementation.
Virus, worm attacks still prevalent
Virus and worm attacks were the most commonly mentioned security problem, as they have been through all four years of the CompTIA study on information security. A lack of user awareness, browser-based attacks and remote access were the next most frequently mentioned security problem areas.
About 40 percent of organizations participating in the survey said they had experienced at least one security attack in the past year. The most severe security breaches were reported by large organizations (7,000 or more employees) and educational institutions.
The financial impact of information security issues was vividly illustrated when survey respondents were asked to place a dollar value on the cost of their last security breach. The mean values were over $11,000 for the last security breach and just under $35,000 for breaches over the last year. Some organizations reported a financial impact above $50,000 for security breaches, showing that while a "garden variety" breach may be little more than an inconvenience, the potential for serious harm is always present.
http://www.comptia.org/sections/research.aspx
***In-Stat Expects Dramatic Growth for Multimedia Handsets, but Consumers Still Not Enthused About Multimedia Options
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.
April 10, 2006
The number of cellular phones with multimedia capability will double in the next two years, but this capability is still not generating much consumer enthusiasm, especially in the United States, reports In-Stat. In spite of the phenomenal growth of dedicated MP3 players during 2005, user interest in having this capability within their wireless phone did not change over the same period. The ability to play digital music on a handset was one of the more popular multimedia applications cited by respondents in a survey of U.S. consumers; but with just 9% expressing any interest, it is really not a compelling feature to many, the high-tech market research firm says.
Despite the tepid interest by consumers, the number of phones with multimedia capability will grow dramatically because of other business factors. Recent research by In-Stat found the following:
-- The greatest interest for multimedia viewing in the In-Stat U.S. consumer survey was for receiving real-time news, weather, sports and financial information.
-- Those willing to consider paying for such services would pay an extra $20 for the phone, but believed that $15 monthly was too much to pay for service delivery.
-- In 2003 and in 2004, unit sales for MP3-capable phones have exceeded dedicated MP3 player sales. That changed in 2005 when global MP3 player shipments outpaced phones with MP3 capability by nearly 2 to 1.
The research, "Multimedia Handsets: Exciting Capabilities Meet Dull Customer Demand" (#IN0602921WH), covers the global market for multimedia mobile phones. It includes forecasts for global unit sales and revenue for multimedia wireless phones through 2007. Also featured are the results of a U.S. consumer survey on attitudes and opinions about multimedia phones.
http://www.instat.com/catalog/Wcatalogue.asp?id=66
***Power Companies Poised to Enter Race to Deliver Broadband Services
SILVER SPRING, Md.
April 7, 2006--US electric power companies are poised to join the multi-industry
competition to provide broadband services to homes and businesses.
That's the conclusion reached in a new study by Pike & Fischer, Silver Spring, MD, on the burgeoning Broadband Over Power Lines (BPL) industry.
Seven power companies are already delivering broadband services in the US, and many more could follow soon, according to the respected research and publishing company. The power companies comprise yet another industry in the race--already joined by satellite TV, cable TV and telephone carriers--to deliver Internet and other broadband services.
The researchers found that at least 26 power firms are already using BPL technology for internal utility applications, including monitoring, diagnostics and automation. Most of those companies have not yet focused on the transmission function of their networks.
The 45-page study, published by Pike & Fischer's Broadband Advisory Services, lists all the companies currently involved in BPL. In each case, it details what third-party BPL service provider they are using (if any), the scope of their involvement, and who is supplying the company with BPL equipment. It also profiles the equipment providers.
Other sections discuss federal and state regulations governing BPL technology, with special attention on Texas, California and New York. The report features a detailed account of a recent conference sponsored by the United Power Line Council on BPL technology, including predictions offered by many of the conference presenters.
The US trails Europe and Asia in BPL use, principally because the foreign nations employ 240-volt electrical systems that serve many more homes per transformer than the 120-volt system used here.
"Broadband Over Power Lines: Is It Ready to Charge Up?" is available through Pike & Fischer's Broadband Advisory Services.
http://www.broadbandadvisoryservices.com
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