 |
The WAVE Report on Digital Media 3D --- Media Creation --- Shared Space ---Published by 4th Wave, Inc.--- Issue #0622------------------6/2/06 |
The WAVE Report is Searchable on
http://www.3dlinks.com
http://www.wave-report.com
--------------------------------------
0622.2 Search for Innovation
Calling All Entrepreneurs! QVC is Looking for a Few Good Products
0622.3 PC Operating Systems
0622.4 Cell Fuel Technology
0622.5 RFID Applications
Printed Electronics in RFID? Later Rather Than Sooner, Says ABI Research
0622.6 Email Vulnerabilities
0622.7 Graphics Applications
Filter Forge Plugin for Adobe Photoshop Enters Public Beta Testing
--------------------------------------
0622.1 Website Differences
***New Research From Nielsen Norman Group Reveals That Most B2B Websites Fail Miserably When it Comes to the Job of Selling
SAN FRANCISCO
May 30, 2006
Even though there is substantially more money at stake in the sales opportunities on B2B websites versus B2C websites, most B2B sites have a far worse user experience than consumer sites. The result, according to new research by usability expert Jakob Nielsen, is that people using B2B sites accomplish what they set out to do only 58% of the time compared to a significantly higher 66% success rate on consumer e-commerce sites. The findings from Nielsen Norman Group's first-ever B2B website study are presented in a report released today entitled, "B2B Website Usability: Design Guidelines for Converting Business Users into Leads and Customers," co-authored by Nielsen, Hoa Loranger and Chris Nodder.
According to the Nielson Norman Group, most B2B sites are stuck in the 1990s in their attitude towards user experience. By still designing for themselves rather than for their customers, they place serious barriers in the way of prospects who use the Web to discover companies to put on their shortlists. They haven't realized yet that the Web has reversed the relationship between companies and their customers, where most interactions are demand-driven and you either give people what they want or see them abandon your site for the competition.
Nielsen Norman Group employed three different research methodologies to gain a deep understanding of the complex issues involved in B2B websites. To begin, researchers conducted 12 focus groups to understand the range of purchase processes that businesses use and what they want from B2B sites. Next, user testing involved the observation of 55 business professionals using nearly 200 B2B sites to see what users do and expect on B2B sites. Finally, field studies at seven companies allowed researchers to add to their study a contextual observation of users' work in their natural environment.
The empirical evidence collected by Nielsen Norman Group about the behavior, needs and preferences of business users/buyers revealed the following:
Bad website design causes people to downgrade their perception of a company. Notable among the elements of bad design and the resulting perceptions include: 1) incomplete product description, which creates skepticism; 2) overwhelming and convoluted content, which creates confusion; 3) convoluted navigational structure, which causes prospects to lose patience; and 4) pushy marketing tactics, which cause annoyance and distrust.
Lack of any kind of pricing information is a major problem. The most user-hostile element of most B2B websites is the lack of pricing information. It is the one thing that customers say they want the most and instead get the least often. At the minimum, providing pricing levels, if not exact prices, will help move the sales process forward.
The B2B tactic of requiring people to fill out registration forms can be a lead killer.
It is a common practice on B2B sites to make users register before providing them with deeper information. This practice can send sales prospects running. Nielsen Norman Group recommends placing more information outside the barrier, making it available to customers during their initial research. Companies need to build up credibility before people are willing to give out their contact information. They know it will result in a sales call, so they want first to make sure the vendor has what they want.
The authors conclude that the good news out of their research is that most B2B websites can dramatically increase their business value and lead-generation function simply by following more usability guidelines and turning themselves into more supportive environments. It's time for B2B sites to upgrade the level of user experience to that which has long been offered on B2C sites.
B2B Website Usability: Design Guidelines for Converting Business Users into Leads and Customers," is available to download from the Nielsen Norman Group website at
http://www.nngroup.com/reports/b2b
***Calling All Entrepreneurs! QVC is Looking for a Few Good Products
WEST CHESTER, Pa.
May 31, 2006
Do you have a product that you'd like to present to millions of customers? Are you looking to expand your business? Entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to present their consumer products to QVC at its 2006 Product Search on Wednesday, May 31 from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. PT at The Westin St. Francis Hotel (335 Powell Street) in San Francisco, Calif. The search will provide inventors, designers and manufacturers with a forum to share their innovative products with representatives from QVC's merchandising department.
Over the years, the QVC Product Search has successfully introduced dozens of new products to the QVC line-up, which features more than 250 new products each week. Previous product search events have discovered numerous QVC vendors, including Ron and Margie Kauffman, founders of Chesapeake Bay Gourmet; Alan Rosen of Junior's Cheesecake fame; and most recently, 92-year-old Bea Toms, author of Recipes from a Country Cook.
This year's product search is also recognizing the significance of women entrepreneurs through a new relationship with the Make Mine a $Million Business program. QVC has come together with the national retail marketing supporter of the Make Mine a $Million Business program, a collaboration between Count Me In, a non-profit organization, and OPEN from American Express(SM), the company's small business team. The program is designed to help women entrepreneurs accelerate their business growth to $1,000,000 in annual sales. QVC will hold special educational seminars for women entrepreneurs and small business owners as well as product search sessions with QVC representatives.
QVC is looking for products that are demonstrative, appeal to a broad audience, can solve a common problem and have unique features and benefits. Advance registration is strongly recommended to attend the educational seminars or before presenting products to the representatives from QVC's merchandising and vendor relations divisions.
http://www.QVCProductSearch.com
***Turbolinux to Launch FUJI OS Worldwide; FUJI Desktop Linux Operating System Features Enhanced Windows Compatibility and Two Convenient Plug-Ins
TOKYO
May 30, 2006
Turbolinux, Inc. has announced the international sales release of Turbolinux FUJI Version 11 (FUJI). Designed for optimum desktop and laptop computer performance, Turbolinux's FUJI operating system platform features several tools to facilitate the migration from Windows, including OpenOffice.org, Microsoft Office compatible software, Active Directory Authentication, file sharing, and other communications tools. Beginning today, U.S. customers can purchase the FUJI OS for $39.
Moreover, FUJI is also compatible with the innovative PowerDVD player that grants legitimate commercial DVD access to FUJI users, and the easy-to-use migration tool, Progression Desktop for Linux, that allows FUJI users to transfer files and settings from Windows to Linux systems. For more information about PowerDVD and Progression Desktop, respectively, visit
http://www.turbolinux.com/company/news/2004/040722.htm
http://www.versora.com/support/release.php?id_num=63
The FUJI OS platform follows Turbolinux 10 Desktop (10D), a core Turbolinux desktop product released in October 2003, which spent 52 weeks as a top category seller of Linux operating systems. Initially deployed in the Japanese Linux market, the versatile FUJI system augments the Windows compatibility features first introduced in 10D, and offers a desktop computing environment with optimized applications, as well as outstanding safety and stability. According to BCN survey results from the last two quarters of 2005, Turbolinux is the primary distributor of Linux desktop operating systems with a 90% market share.
FUJI is also capable of continuous upgrades via special plug-ins. This allows Linux users to purchase the core OS and subsequently create personalized setups adding plug-ins that support individual user requirements. Plug-in purchase will be available shortly and, in conjunction with the FUJI OS release, Turbolinux will offer two useful third party plug-ins: PowerDVD for Linux, produced by CyberLink Corporation, and Progression Desktop for Linux, produced by Versora. PowerDVD can be purchased soon via TurboPlus, a new package management tool from Turbolinux.
For Progression Desktop, the Windows segment can be downloaded for free from
http://www.turbolinux.co.jp/FUJI/ProgressionDesktop/Progression_Desktop-1.2.4-Windows.zip
(Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.) The Linux component for Progression Desktop can be purchased soon via TurboPlus. Further, more than 100 additional free plug-ins are also currently available.
Highlights of Turbolinux FUJI Version 11
Windows Compatibility
MS Office files created in Windows can now be easily opened and edited with OpenOffice.org within the FUJI OS. The FUJI platform augments three aspects of Windows compatibility: Windows operation compatibility, Windows file compatibility, and Windows system compatibility.
More Key Features
Additional components of the FUJI OS designed to maximize performance in a hybrid computing environment include: expanded "Control Center" features; wireless LAN capacity; automatic updates for security patches; enhanced broadband features, including Windows Media Playback and Flash Player; and development tools such as JAVA and several other state-of-the-art functions for personal and business users.
***Commercial Fuel Cells to Take off in 2007 with ''Always On'' Lifestyle Setting Demand for ''Portable Power''
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.
May 30, 2006
A tangible commercial market for micro-power fuel cells to power mobile devices will begin in 2007 and will be fully underway by 2008, a telecommunications expert predicted recently at a London seminar focused on portable fuel cells. The remarks, made by Dr. Hitomi Murakami, vice president, Corporate Technology Sector, KDDI Corporation of Japan, supported a positive outlook expressed across the board by all co-speakers at the one-day event.
The general consensus of these experts, from the computer, manufacturing, investment, and transportation regulatory sectors, was that the market will be driven by a strong and rapidly-rising demand for portable power that has already outstripped the capabilities of batteries alone, and that portable fuel cell technology has now reached a stage where size, power and cost are at acceptable levels for consumers.
Murakami pointed out that consumers in Japan are using their mobile phones for nearly everything. They are watching television, playing games, reading books, working, talking, and navigating. Now they even want to record TV shows while they are on the go. Compared to ordinary cell phone usage, these 'lifestyle' applications demand much greater power and energy.
According to Murakami, as many as 80% of users have run into difficulties because of battery depletion, and most list battery run time as their greatest complaint about their mobile devices. "Watching digital terrestrial broadcasts will run down the average portable device in less than two hours," said Murakami. "But such users have minimum expectations of at least two days between charges. This is a tremendous gap. Fuel cells should not be regarded as technology that can make mobile phones 'much better.' Instead, fuel cells should be seen as 'essential' for the new 'power user' lifestyle."
Murakami revealed that KDDI, which is the second largest telecommunications provider in Japan, is actively working in partnership with Toshiba and Hitachi to develop commercially viable portable fuel cells in order to meet mobile user requirements. Additionally, KDDI is planning to use environmentally friendly fuel cells as backup power supplies for cell phone base stations in the near future.
Dr. Jonathan Frost, head of Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells, confirmed that the advances in technology that have occurred over the past few years, particularly in fuel cell membranes and catalysts, have now reached the threshold for commercialization. "Direct methanol fuel cells are already comparable with lithium-ion batteries in long run time applications and have the potential to exceed current performance levels by nearly 5 to 1. From our standpoint, as a manufacturer of fuel cell components and assemblies, the combination of medium term sales potential and the opportunity for significant cost and performance improvements is attractive."
Another gating item has been regulatory issues. Portable fuel cells typically use methanol as their source of fuel, a lightweight and readily-available alcohol that is currently not permitted in the cabins of commercial aircraft. According to Mr. Jean Abouchaar, an independent regulatory consultant who spent 27 years with the International Air Transportation Association, this is about to change. "Effective January 1, 2007, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will allow fuel cells based on methanol - and selected other fuels - to be carried as 'carry-on' baggage and used onboard commercial aircraft by passengers and crew," he said. "This is an important milestone for the portable fuel cell industry."
***Printed Electronics in RFID? Later Rather Than Sooner, Says ABI Research
OYSTER BAY, N.Y.
May 25, 2006
Printed electronics have the potential to transform the RFID industry, if and when they gain sufficient market acceptance and find appropriate applications. But their impact--contrary to some expectations--will not be significant for some years to come.
The technologies, the applications and the time frames for their introduction are examined in a new ABI Research study, "Printed Electronics in the RFID Tag Industry."
Printed electronics--antennas, transistors and batteries--could eventually change the dynamics of the RFID industry. Applied directly to materials such as corrugated cardboard, they would allow manufacturers and distributors to create their own 'smart packaging' and bypass the whole long RFID tag production chain.
Printed antennas that operate in the HF and UHF bands are available now, and eventually a large proportion of UHF RFID antennas could be produced by printing. But their ideal market, UHF supply-chain management, is itself growing more slowly than originally expected.
Printed transistors on the other hand, which only operate with quite low performance in the LF band and conform to no standard, aren't available yet.
According to an industry analyst, when printed transistors arrive in 2008 they won't be able to compete with silicon transistors. With their low frequency operation and incompatibility with existing readers, they will not be suitable for open loop supply chains, until standards emerge for item-level LF tagging. They should, however, carve out their own market for tagging very low-cost, non-critical objects in the meantime.
Printed transistors might find a role in closed-loop asset management solutions. That sector, ABI Research believes, could produce viable levels of demand, especially since end-users have seen much success in this application with conventional tags. Cheaper tags have the potential to speed a return on investment.
Printed batteries will eventually become part of the RFID market as well, enabling the addition of temperature, humidity and light sensors to RFID tags. But this market will not develop until later in the study's forecast period which extends to 2015.
Printed Electronics in the RFID Tag Industry explains which RFID markets and applications will adopt printed antennas and which will adopt printed transistors. It provides quantitative market analysis, and discusses other topics including the addition of sensors to tags and the introduction of smart packaging. The report forms part of the RFID Research Service, which also includes a variety of research reports, regular market updates, forecast and industry databases, vendor matrices, ABI Insights, and analyst inquiry time.
***One in Three Companies Operate Without Email Usage Policies, Risking Damage to Their Systems and Reputations, Sendmail Finds
EMERYVILLE, Calif.
May 25, 2006
More than a third of companies are putting themselves at risk by operating their growing e-mail systems without comprehensive, enforceable policies on usage, according to the results of a Webinar survey by Sendmail Inc., the leading provider of enterprise solutions for secure, dependable and compliant messaging, in conjunction with Osterman Research.
The Webinar, entitled, "The New Realities of Email Governance: Effective Email Policy Management for Today's Business Environment," was designed to give large enterprises insight into the email governance challenges facing today's organizations and provide the questions to ask when evaluating and implementing new email and IM technologies to address these challenges. Email governance is defined as effective management of email to satisfy organizational requirements including: security/threat prevention, regulatory compliance and corporate governance.
The majority of attendees of the Webinar represented large enterprise organizations with annual IT technology budgets over $1 million (US). According to these enterprise customers:
-- 36% of companies had no email or IM policies in place
-- 38% had email-only policies in place
-- 20% had email and IM policies in place
-- 6% had only IM policies in place
Key findings in support of email governance include:
-- Enterprises sent 17% & received 20% more messages in Q1 '06 vs. '05
-- Denial of Service, Directory Harvesting, and Employee-targeted Phishing attacks are on the rise
-- Organizations must comply with a growing list of regulatory requirements, from email privacy, to archiving and storage
-- Email is now considered a legal document, upheld in court
The Webinar concludes that email governance breakdowns can be addressed, largely, through effective policy management. Issues like: spam volumes; privacy leaks; system downtime due to attack; embarrassment, fines, litigation, due to intentional or unintentional misuse of email; all can be minimized with unified email policy.
http://www.sendmail.com/emailgovernance
***Filter Forge Plugin for Adobe Photoshop Enters Public Beta Testing
ALEXANDRIA, Va.
May 25, 2006
Filter Forge, Inc. has released a public beta version of Filter Forge, a high-end plugin for Adobe Photoshop allowing computer artists to build their own filters -- seamless textures, visual effects, distortions, patterns, backgrounds and more. The key features of Filter Forge include a visual filter editor and a free online library of user-created filters to which anyone can contribute.
Filter Forge can produce a wide range of textures and effects which include organic structures, metallic and rocky surfaces, distortions, abstract textures, repeating patterns, color corrections, and more. All filters are adjustable and editable, seamlessly tiled, resolution-independent, and support real-world HDRI lighting. Also, filters can automatically generate diffuse, specular, bump, and normal maps, which makes Filter Forge an essential tool for artists creating 3D models and environments, architectural visualization and high-end game content. Examples of filters can be seen at
The key feature of Filter Forge is the Filter Editor, a visual node-based environment allowing users to build custom filters without writing a single line of code. Filters are assembled by connecting components into a network to combine their effects. Components include familiar operations such as blurs, gradients, color adjustments, distortions, and blending; as well as 7 types of seamless fractal noise, HLS and HSY color models, color-preserving adjustments, and more. For end-users, the filter internals are hidden behind a simple set of filter controls -- anyone can immediately benefit from filters without knowing what is inside them.
Another major feature is the Filter Library, a free online repository of user-created filters to which anyone can contribute. It makes Filter Forge immediately useful for anyone who has no time to learn the Filter Editor. Access to the Filter Library is built directly into Filter Forge, so users do not need to browse any websites to download new filters. The Library already contains over 50 filters created by staff designers, with at least 100 filters planned for the commercial release. Users who contribute good filters to the Library can earn rewards, including a free copy of Filter Forge -- details can be found at
http://www.filterforge.com/more/freecopy.html
Filter Forge's rendering engine takes full advantage of multi-core processors -- for example, a dual-core processor can speed the rendering up to 96%. A high-precision floating-point rendering pipeline allows Filter Forge to support 16- and 32-bit image modes, eliminates unwanted artifacts such as color banding and allows users to save the results into high-precision image formats such as OpenEXR. Filter Forge's custom memory manager allows it to render large bitmaps -- up to 32000x32000 pixels -- even on moderate amounts of RAM.
The public beta version of Filter Forge is available at
--------------------------------------
Copyright 2006 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.