CEATEC 2005
By John Latta, WAVE
0543 10/28/05
Tokyo
October 4 - 6, 2005
Every year we are amazed at how much CEATEC changes. It
once was a niche Japanese electronics show but now foreign companies
are everywhere. Even CES has a booth. The theme of CEATEC was “The
Advancing Ubiquitous Society – Revealing What’s Next, Changing
Tomorrow.” We are here to explore the degrees of success of that
theme from what we find in the Exposition Hall.
CEATEC is still a conference where Japanese companies make
a major statement to the Japanese on technology and the future directions
of CE in Japan. With the globalization of CEATEC and increasing attendance
from overseas, CEATEC is, by inference, a statement to the rest of the
world.
The major change this year is in the conference program.
The first day was nearly consumed by keynotes. Only two counted and,
aside from the product lines, that is the first part of our report.
Intel – We are here to help you
John MacDonald, VP, Digital Home Group, Intel did a very
good job of presenting to the Japanese audience. With the most elaborate
staging of any of the keynotes, he had multiple demos and a large screen
display. His presentation was slow and concise – excellent for
the translators and the audience. All the demos used Japanese products
to show how Intel’s technology could be used. Highlights include.
At Intel we only want to deliver what individuals want.
The axes we are focusing on include:
Ease of use; Performance and Simple Connectivity.
The Intel Digital Home Platform is based on:
Standards Platform Innovation
Standards are the sole of innovation.
Our new initiative is VIIV and this will yield products
byQ1 2006. This foundation platform is based on entertainment and meeting
consumer needs. Specifically it accomplishes what we described as necessary
for the Intel Digital Home Platform. For example, we can create an
integrated media server. Dual core is required for this and VIIV delivers
this.
At Intel we believe that our architecture should be able
to operate in any device. (A small form factor which is the size of
a palm was held up – called the Ultra Mobil PC. This will operate
all day on a single charge of the battery.)
Our investment in Oplus was driven by the need to bring
the highest image quality to a video display at the lowest cost.
In 2005 there will be 5m phones with TV but this will
leap to 100m by 2009.
Intel has been able to combine all of its technology
into the first system on a chip. (Up was held a 300mm wafer to show
the first product output from these efforts.)
There must be an infrastructure to connect these devices.
Intel is making investments in WiMAX but the company is network agnostic.
Our efforts go beyond the CE market and include:
Health Care Education Home Automation
Convergence is behind us, the entertainment industry
is ahead of us.
Demos were shown of:
Fujitsu CE appliance which could support video from
a Sony camcorder. This is on the NAPA platform.
Onkyo Entertainment Hub
Hitachi 3D user I/F
Large screen navigation technology
Sony – A New Company has Emerged
Howard Stringer, Chairman and CEO, Sony gave a gattling
gun presentation. There were a few PP charts but this was only a back
drop to the words he spoke. Howard was brought in to shake up Sony. It
is clear he is in charge and doing this.
Sony now faces competition like never before. It comes
from Korea, China and even companies in the PC industry.
The entire CE industry faces the same dilemma. We are
in a race to the bottom much like the IT industry.
We must free ourselves of the past.
Sony has fallen short of the competition and in execution.
At Sony we must:
Restructure Sharpen our focus Marry content and technology
for a new user experience
At Sony we must have a more horizontal structure to compete.
The silo walls keep old ways in. You will see a more nimble Sony.
There will be a new generation of products coming.
Our heritage is “champion products” and we
will do this again.
The focus of the company will also be narrowed to include:
Television Digital Imaging and Walkman type products
An enormous success has been the PSP which sold 6m units
in only 9 months. We will see this platform expand by using its WiFi
capabilities and the ability to watch video. Watch for a high capacity
memory stick which will enable video on the PSP.
All studios support UMD, for the PSP, except one.
There have now been sold over 200m Playstations.
The PS3 due in the spring will bring HD – high
drama.
Within our product line today there is only 35% penetration
of HD. By 2007 it will be 70%.
At Sony we are committed to cell technology. The PS3
is just the beginning. You will see cell technology used throughout
our product line.
Sony will introduce a home server based on cell technology.
There will be many home appliances coming based on cell
technology. We expect to have the ability to automatically search and
catalog video with this technology.
Another technology in which we are making a major investment
is OLED.
Sony will use technology to gain a sustainable competitive
advantage.
Blu-Ray is the format of choice and we will continue
to push this. The recent announcement by Paramount shows the strength
of this technology. Using Blu-Ray, we are able to store 23 hours of
HD content. We believe that Blu-Ray will have the same impact on the
market that DVD did.
Sony will compete with Apple. All of Sony has a common
aim – to win in audio.
There is one area where no company can compete with Sony – we
can combine technology with content like no other.
We have content around the world and this includes: India,
Germany and China.
Technology is the only way to overcome commodization.
Sony is making a major investment in software. We will
open new software centers in the US and China.
Sony expects to achieve a consistent software architecture
across all its products.
Sony is committed to remain on the high road of innovation.
You will see a new Sony.
Calibrating CEATEC - How does this compare with prior years?
What's Up?
Ubiquitous computing
The theme is “Advancing Ubiquitous Society” but
we have not see the same level of awareness of what ubiquitous
computing is at this event compared to that at Sony CSL or in Europe.
All Forms of Displays
Especially HD and LCD. Displays are everywhere. The
impact of HD on the market is a big opportunity and Japan is ready
to move product.
University Research
The section devoted to research is larger this year
and has more interesting exhibits
What is the Same?
Cell Phone Frenzy
Cell phones are like wildfire here. Intense interest
in the latest features and designs.
Superb Electronic Components
We continue to marvel at the precision and abundance
of components from capacitors to antennas to ASICs to miniature
motors.
What is Down?
Bluetooth
In spite of several companies with modules, the presence
of Bluetooth components is off but it is increasingly embedded
and taken from granted.
DLNA
In spite of Intel making a big deal of this we just
do not see many integrated home networks shown on the floor. Like
last year DLNA has its own booth.
OLED
There are a few examples which show progress but
overall the number of examples is down.
Robots
Robots always draw a crowd here. But only Hitachi
had much of a display.
SIP/VoIP
This was big last year and has virtually disappeared.
Future Product concepts
In prior shows one of the best aspect of CEATECs
were the speculative future products. This is seldom seen here
now.
Technology from Japan – On the Exhibit Hall Floor
Anruka Laboratories
Ensphered Vision – A Personal Cave
Digital Hollywood University, Anraku Laboratory (Crossing
Media Laboratory) showed a walk in spherical display. This was suspended
above the floor and rotated 360 degrees with the individual. Part
of the sphere was open that allowed the person to walk in. Sitting
in the bottom of the sphere about shoulder height was a mouse. Right
mouse zoom in left mouse zoom out. The sphere had a encompassing
view of the environment one is in. The illusion was quite impressive.
Similar to a VR cave but without 3D.
Fujitsu
UbiWall
The closest we have seen to an Agora type public display
was in the Fujitsu booth called UbiWall. This is a large vertically
mounted display. It can interact with touch or an RFID card. The
display can be customized by individual. Thus, as one passes the
display and puts up an RFID card the display shows relevant information
to you. The example shown was for airline gates to your flight. As
one walks up and passes the RFID card the walking path to the gates
to your flight is shown. In spite of the trivial example the concept
shows what customized public displays can do. Only two problems – price
is 3,000,000¥ and it requires an infrastructure to be most effective,
i.e., RFID cards and more. Due on sale Summer 2006.
Hitachi
Wearable PC System with HMD and Camera Integrated
Hitachi Zosen had an HMD which included both a display
for one eye and a camera integrated into the HMD. The output of this
was fed to a belt mounted PC which has a WiFi link to another PC.
A finger mouse was held in one hand.
Konica
See Thru Glasses
Konica Minolta showed a “Holographic See-through
Browser.” This is similar to the innovative HMD seen at Wearable
Computer conference by Lumus Vision from Israel. Konica Minolta claims
full color and the image supported this. One of the problems with
HOE is that they have high chromatic dispersion. Konica Minolta has
only one illumination source but three color filters to limit the
dispersion. Yet, there would still be problems when only one HOE
is used due to the different imaging properties at each wavelength.
Discussions in the booth did not resolve this issue. The overall
ID was very good and it looks like a stylish pair of glasses. We
did not wear this but only saw an image on a monitor. Konica Minolta
stated they have no current product plans.
JVC
JVC Everio Refinements
We continue to be impressed with the JVC Everio video
and still camera. Shown here is the latest version: GZ- MC500. It
has 3 1.3m pixel CCDs for video and a 5m pixel still camera. All
of this easily fits in the palm of the hand and records on a microdrive
which can be plugged into a PC Card slot.
Maxell
Maxell with Anoto Pen
Compared to last year the volume of this booth on
the Anoto pen has fallen off greatly. They were still trying to push
the Digital Penit product but it seemed lame.
Mitsubishi
Imaging Thru the Finger to get a Fingerprint
Mitsubishi was showing another variation on biometrics
with a small fingerprint reader. This has the unusual ability to
light the finger from the top so that the image was actually created
by light which passed through the finger. LED illumination was used.
We tried it but the enrollment process failed a number of times.
Seamless Dome Display with Multiple Projectors
The height of the dome was approximately 10’ and
there were 5 projectors around the periphery. One walked to the center
of the sphere and looked to the display. The display was not 3D which
required glasses but the visual impact was excellent. One could not
see any seams. Unfortunately the display was computer generated,
which it almost had to be, thus the imagery artificial. Mitsubishi
called this an Immersive Visualization Experience with Hemisphere
Screen.
NHK
NHK – Roll Out Flexible Display Concept
The concepts certainly implied the technology for
flexible displays are not far away. One concept was similar to that
seen before that the OLED conferences –
A display that rolls out of its container. Another display actually
worked but the resolution was crude.
NTT Dokomo
Standing in Line to Put your Finger in Your Ear
NTT DoCoMo was showing a refinement of the UbiButton
technology seen last year called Yubi-Wa that was drawing crowds
4 deep. This is a finger mounted device which both detects the movement
of the fingers and has a speaker. One can move fingers together to
issue commands to a cell phone but the command depth is not sufficient
to allow the phone to be dialed. The most unusual aspect of the device
is that when one has it mounted on a finger sound transmits via conduction
over the finger. The demonstration has listeners putting the finger
in their ear to hear the phone. Even the Crown Prince who came to
CEATEC on Tuesday did it. It was not at all clear why one would want
this product.
Omron
Face Recognition Silicon for Cell Phones
Omron had OkaoVision V2 which was called Owner Verification
for camera equipped mobile phones. It was claimed high accuracy in
a form factor easily integrated into phones. The poser implied this
module could recognize much more including locations and documents.
Panasonic
Incredible Image Quality on 1080P Plasma Panel
Panasonic was showing a PDP models 65V PX500, 65”,
and the 50V PX500, 50”. The image quality was the best seen
in a flat panel. With vivid colors the image just leapt from the
screen.
UniPhier – Integrated Platform for Digital Consumer
Electronics
Panasonic was advocating its development environment
for consumer electronics. This is based on an LSI chip set for AV.
Examples were shown on a cell phone, television and video media player.
The chip illustration was an MPEG-2 decoder.
Pioneer
Pioneer Shows Active Matrix OLED
Claiming that it “Creates History of OLED” Tohoku
Pioneer had a small Active Matrix OLED product called a portable
DVD player. They were claiming 15,000 hour to
½ brightness.
Floating Vision 3D and Haruka
In one of the most unusual 3D displays Pioneer was
showing an autostereoscopic display which was interactive. I put
my finger into the display of falling water and the water would divert
around the finger. In another display called Haruka, which appeared
to be based on integral photography with the image suspended in air,
this was simulating a young woman in an office.
Rohm
Rohm Shows Flexible Display
The flexibility of this display was impressive, however,
its display output was not seen. Using OLED materials Rohm claimed
both a flat and flexible display.
Toshiba
Fuel Cells Get Closer
Toshiba showed improved fuel cells in the most extensive
exhibit yet. These were the same Direct Methanol Fuel Cells. Applications
included: multimedia PC, Silicon audio player, cell phone, and Bluetooth
headset. They claimed the worlds smallest fuel cell –
about the size of a finger.
Toshiba 3D LCD Autostereoscopic Display is a Game Play
Table
Last year there were many examples of 3D LCD displays.
This year Toshiba went another step and showed examples in use. One
of the most striking was a dice game table
– the depth illusion was impressive. Another had a glass ring
suspended above the display which served as a table. This ring had
the impact of looking like a fish bowl. As one looked into the display,
framed by the ring, there were fishing swimming in the ring which
looked just like a fish bowl. Uncanny.
Toshiba Shows Cell Reference Set and Development Environment
Drawing large crowds for its Cell demonstration Toshiba
had a mature environment to show. The emphasis was on video applications
but the development environment can be much more general purpose.
In the booth was the Cell Broadband Engine in both a chip set and
a reference set. The latter being a box which provided a development
environment. Software tools were also being shown which include an
Application Model.
Toyota
Toyota White OLED Light Source
In a first Toyota was using OLED technology to create
a while light source. Panels of .44’, 1.5” and 2.5” were
shown.
Tyco
Table Top Display by Tyco
We have seen this before but it is one of the few
which has strong ID and clean walk up characteristics. The information
content is circular which is consistent with the table shape.
University of Tsukuba
Technology to help Limbs
The University of Tsukuba had a manikin fitted with
components that covered arms and legs. This was called Hybrid Assistive
Limbs (HAL). Its purpose is to assist an individual with disable
limbs to help walk and increase mobility.
Others
Another Format War
In spite of all the words that consumers will never
again face the BetaMax vs. VHS debacle it unfolded here at CEATEC.
Two big booths one for HD DVD and the other Blu Ray put the consumers
in the center of the inability of CE companies to agree.
In the Sky – Sky Remote Meeting V 2.0
This is a multipoint video conferencing system. Video
cameras on multiple PCs can be seen on each PC in the conference
as an independent window. Works with Windows.
WAVE Comments
The globalization of CEATEC went further than before. Canada,
China, Taiwan and Korea had multiple companies in pavilions but these
were small booths of supplier companies. Even with the globalization
of CEATEC, there is one major change which we doubt will happen any time
soon – a large Samsung CE exhibit.
CE Competition
CEATEC was unusual with same day keynotes by Intel and
Sony. This was an important statement by Howard Stringer, Chairman and
CEO, Sony. In spite of the positioning by each for mind share this is
not where the market battles will be fought. It will be between Sony
and Samsung. Both provide a full line of CE products. Intel has no such
product suite. Yet, Sony did acknowledge that it is locked in battle
with Apple in the music distribution business. The CE business has become
more fragmented and this complicates efforts on Sony’s part to
regain a leadership role. But in the battle between Intel and Sony we
have to give it to Sony. Overall we were impressed with Howard Stringer.
Display Technology
Having been to many display events, we still came away
impressed with the progress in display technology at CEATEC. PDP showed
just incredible images. Many booths had under glass the back panel of
the generation -1 and current generation PDPs. Manufacturers are making
significant progress in reducing the parts count while lowering the cost
and raising reliability. Yet, the quality was not just from the panels
themselves but the underlying digital processing with a number of companies,
including Sony and Panasonic, touting their digital television chip technology.
Cell Phones
Seldom do we see such frenzy over mass market technology
as with the Japanese and their cell phones. The NTT DoCoMo booth was
crazy. We have no idea what the redeeming value of Yubi-Wa is but this
has to set some type of record for individuals waiting in line to put
a finger in their ear to hear a cell phone.
In spite of this enthusiasm, Japan has not been nearly
as effective in exporting its technology, especially in hand sets, as
the Koreans. The important point of all of this is that the cell phone
is an accepted if not necessary fact of life in Japan. As its utility
increases, this will only rise. The cell phone is one expression of ubiquitous
technology.
Ambient Biometrics
The notion of ambient biometrics is a right one. At CEATEC
we saw a chip for embedding facial recognition in a cell phone. But one
has to be careful of point technologies. For ambient biometrics to work
it has to be as widespread as driver’s licenses and equally as
important machine readable driver’s licenses. As we saw in the
Fujitsu UBWALL demo there has to be an underlying infrastructure to support
personalization. Thus, ambient biometrics requires an ecosystem to work
effectively. This is certainly the case in the large border crossing
and national identity projects. Ambient biometrics has barely begun.
Ubiquitous X
At other events we hear of Ubiquitous Intelligence or Ubiquitous
Networking but here at CEATEC the term Ubiquitous Society rang hollow.
A ubiquitous office on the floor was just a networked office with chairs,
work surfaces and tables. As were heard at the Ubicomp conference in
Tokyo in September Sony CSL has a very comprehensive and strategic view
of Ubiquitous Computing. This has not yet moved into others parts of
Japan, based on what we saw at CEATEC.
Cell Computing
Sony is high on it, Toshiba reeled in crowds and we were
surprised at the relative maturing of the technology – at least
from a trade show perspectives. The WAVE has seen many processor architectures
and the vast majority fail to establish an enduring presence. Cell has
one major advantage – it has an application NOW – PS3. We
wait to see if the technology will go beyond this niche. In the Toshiba
booth the emphasis was on video but its utility cannot stop there.
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