 |
The WAVE Report
Issue #0534------------------8/26/05 |
The WAVE Report archive is available on http://www.wave-report.com
--------------------------------------
0534.2 Storage Management
AppIQ Creates Open Community Program to Promote Standards-Based Storage Management
0534.3 Casual Work Environment
0534.4 RFID Growth
Automotive, Consumer Goods and Transportation Industries Leading RFID Push, CompTIA Study Reveals
0534.5 Online Technical Resources
ECA Launches Digital Library with More Than 300 Technical Papers
0534.6 Third World Computing
Dust Storms, (Real) Bugs, Intermittent Electricity or No Phone Lines? Intel Says 'No Problem'
0534.7 Wireless Surround Sound
Any Music, Any Format: Logitech Brings PC Music Anywhere in the Home Without Wires
0534.8 Employee Mobility
0534.9 Fiber Optics Resurgence
Strategy Analytics: GaAs at the Core of Fiber-optic Network Expansion
0534.10 Portable Fuel Cells
--------------------------------------
0534.1 Story of the Issue
***SpeechTEK 2005
By John Latta
New York, NY
August 1 – 3, 2005
SpeechTEK is about speech recognition solutions. It is also about how speech technology can reduce costs or make devices more convenient to use. We also came away with a perspective that speech technology is but another biometric applied to useful problems.
Speech technology is another niche technology populated by a small group of individuals with a strong research background and a few companies. SpeechTEK is an industry event focused on applications and products. Thus, the number of applications is growing as the technology continuously improves. For example, speech is playing an increasing role in call centers. Speakers described ROIs in months. Yet, this technology is also present in many cell phones and the convenience it brings is increasingly taken for granted. Speech technology is reaching mainstream usage.
Microsoft – A Long Term Investment in Speech Technology
Julian Odell, in Speech and Natural Language, Microsoft, provided an overview of speech engines at Microsoft. The speech engine development is a component, along with natural language components, which are used in many Microsoft products. The original speech work dates to 1993 with the license to the CMU Sphinx-II speech recognizer. In 1999 Entropic in Cambridge, UK was acquired.
Products under development which will include speech technology are: Windows Vista, WinFX, Speech Server, and Windows Mobil. Microsoft intends to achieve 15% improvement in the accuracy each year and it has shown the ability to accomplish that if not better.
Voice Signal – Driving Speech Applications to the Cell Phone
The CTO of Voice Signal described their voice engine technology. They have a “small speech engine” which has been applied to cell phones. There are two drivers of what can be done in a cell phone: the bandwidth of the network and the CPU power in the phone itself. The DSP technology in the phone is not being used for speech but the CPU is.
One of the drivers of speech technology is customer acceptance. It was shown that 85% of the cell phone buyers are either somewhat, very or extremely interested in voice activation.
To accomplish a speech engine on a cell phone, VoiceSignal began from scratch. The process is described as analyzing all the operations required to recognize speech. This included: examine every calculation, approximate what is difficult to compute, throw out everything not essential and do the reexamination process over and over again. This was done to create the lowest footprint engine in a limited capability cell phone.
So far, their engine has been implemented in 57 different phone models. Some of the new capabilities include a speaker independent multimodal interface. That is, the speaker independently dialing and dialing from the phone book. It is also possible to launch applications with speech.
Motorola – Taking phones to the Next Step with Voice
David Pearce, Motorola Labs, UK, described next generation voice technology in cellular phones. Multimodal is the combination of modalities which include speech as one. David gave the illustration of user commands via speech or the keypad. The system could respond with either speech or sounds. The advantages claimed are:
In some uses, speech is better than a keypad;
Access is possible in hands busy/eyes busy situations;
User flexibility where the user chooses the mode of
interaction.
The second technology David spoke of is Distributed Speech Recognition (DSR). This allows speech recognition to take place outside of the phone, usually on a voice gateway. One advantage of the approach is that, with a DSR front end, the transmission of the voice for recognition is packetized for the IP network. There are DSR standards already developed by ETSI, 3GPP and IETF. Although David was optimistic that this would be implemented in the next 18 – 24 months, some questioned if we will see the technology some years ahead.
One of the advantages of this architecture is that it allows operators to make more money with hosted services. As David said, the significant carrier revenues are coming from:
Ring tones
SMS
Ring Back
And, the ability to gain another revenue stream with voice services is quite appealing.
Wyndham Hotels – Rapid Payback for Speech
David Mussa, VP of Reservations of Wyndham International, described how they implemented speech in the call centers. This is a hosted ASP service provided by Voxify. So far they have implemented via voice: Welcome, Hotel Information, Confirm and Cancel. In Q3 of this year they will have online, as a speech application, reservations and then in Q4 the hotel loyalty program. Some of the performance statistics were striking:
Deployment: 6 – 8 weeks
Change Requests: Days
ROI < 2 months
Per call savings: 85%
1- 800 Flowers – Another Payback Story
1-800 Flowers is a nationwide retail seller of flowers, plants, gourmet foods and more. They have an Internet, phone and retail presence. The call volume is 30,000 per month, with 200,000 on peak days. With speech they were able to make 2/3 of those calls automated and as a result there was a 75% decline in call handing time.
Microphones and More Microphones
The WAVE wondered why are microphones not discussed in these sessions? Is not speech S/N ratio important? We spoke with LumenVox. The conversation began with a question – why is noise not discussed in the presentations on voice recognition?
Keep in mind that nearly all speech recognition applications are centered around an individual speaking on a telephone. This is a well defined acoustic environment with the microphone near the mouth. Noise can be an issue but we handle it with noise reduction software. To date, the industry has been focused on this narrow speaking condition.
There are three types of noise which interfere with voice recognition.
White Noise – this is the easiest to remove.
Stationary Noise – this noise that has consistent characteristics.
Non-Stationary noise – this is the most difficult to remove as its properties vary in time and spectrum.
The class of noise which causes the most problems is another individual speaking – a form of non-stationary noise.
All the recognition products have some form of noise cancellation that mitigate the impacts of noise on speech.
The real challenge lies when voice recognition moves away from the telephony environment. This includes:
Larger distances between the speaker and the microphone;
Home environments with many other noise sources, including multiple individuals speaking and background television; and
Other environments including the office or industrial situations.
Products which fit into these environments are only now surfacing.
It is in these different environments where more than one microphone makes a significant difference. Keep in mind that one wants to isolate the speaker and in so doing eliminate or significantly reduce other sounds which are considered noise. More than one microphone allows for directionality like one’s ears. Thus, the isolation of a speaker is much easier.
It could well be that only 2 microphones are adequate but not enough research has been done to know the tradeoffs between noise reduction and the number of microphones and the various use environments.
The microphone requirements for a non-telephony product could well be product-specific based on the use environment and the expectation for speech recognition performance.
When there are multiple speakers in the environment, it could well be that the speech recognizer could isolate the speakers based on their speech characteristics and thus discriminate the one that is required. This is one form of noise cancellation using the recognizer.
Keep in mind, that today such multiple microphone designs are not required. Further, to mandate multiple microphones is to change the infrastructure and this does not happen quickly. Thus, we are likely to see multiple microphone designs only where they are required.
Voice Verification – Niche Gets Established
The WAVE had dismissed the performance of voice as a biometric until we heard some of the arguments of the voice verification suppliers here at SpeechTEK.
Speech is the only biometric that can be used at a distance and does not require new infrastructure, i.e., a finger print or Iris reader at every location. As a result, it has established a position in password resets, electronic wire transfers and caller identification verification inbound to call centers. The WAVE spoke with four vendors and heard presentations on the role that speech verification is playing.
PERSAY
PERSAY is an Israeli based company focused on biometric speaker identification. It has three products:
VocalPassword
This is a text dependent biometric speaker verification system that verifies a speaker in real time.
FreeSpeech
Based on unique text speaker verification is determined during natural conversation.
S.P.I.D.
A voice mining and speaker identification system for law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
S.P.I.D. does one-to-many matching.
PERSAY can dynamically set the system security threshold based on need and actual performance. The demonstration was impressive. Over a period of time, the manager of the speech verification application can log the performance of the system including rejected calls, identified speakers and suspected impostors. The system then constructs FAR and FRR curves. The administrator can adjust the threshold of acceptance and rejection based on what is acceptable from these curves.
The CEO of PERSAY gave a presentation which he described a recent implementation of their voice verification system in a large financial institution in New York City. The integration effort was challenging because of the large number of stakeholders and their individual requirements.
Security department
IT and system administration
Helpdesk
Telephony platform integrator
Project managementOne wondered if this is a sign of the future as biometrics becomes more integrated into the enterprise.
Voice Trust AG
Voice Trust, which has been used for a number of years in Europe, is now entering the U.S. market. It claims that it is the only voice verification technology to have achieved a CC (Common Criteria) rating. Its rating is EAL2Medium.
The Common Criteria for Information Technology (IT) Security Evaluation, also known as the ISO 15408 standard, is the new standard for specifying and evaluating the security features of computer products and systems.
Common Criteria is the first international standard for IT security evaluation and validation/certification for the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP). NIAP is a joint program sponsored by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
The product offerings include:
VOICE TRUST Password Reset Plug-In
This asks the user for the ID and then one or more challenge/response phrases.
VOICE TRUST Two Factor Authentication
The user must first cite a PIN or unique code and this is voice authenticated. Then the system calls back the same user for voice authentication
In Europe, IBM is an integration partner.
Diaphonics
Diaphonics has been in voice verification for 3.5 years with most of its customers being in the financial sector. Applications include:
Password reset
Wire transfer individual verification
User authenticationDiaphonics provides an integrated hardware and software solution. The box fits in a rack and a T-1 line is connected to it. They have found that their customers want a turn key solution and this has driven their approach.
One of the advantages of speech is that it is the only biometric that can be used at a distance. It is not practical to give out fingerprint readers to all and the performance of voice has become acceptable to financial institutions. It is their experience that financial institutions error on the side of caution. During the installation process, they adjust the threshold level but have not found it necessary to go back and tune the system.
In a presentation, the President and CEO, Andy Osbum, stated that there are poor voice verification applications. These happen when:
There is no clear business case;
Unrealistic performance requirements;
No practical way to enroll users and
It is the wrong biometric for the situation.Thus, they want to see demonstrable ROI, an addressable security gap and supportive internal and external user. The specific example cited was password resets which is a good fit.
NICE
NICE provides similar technology for financial institutions. They allow the customers to collect voice prints to be used for detecting future fraudulent intent. This is a one to many matching application. However, the scale remains relatively small. One of the issues remains how the scale the matching technology when there is a large data base of voice prints.
Point to Ponder – Unified Theory of Biometrics
As the WAVE sat in on the presentations about speech recognition technology, we wondered – Is this not just another biometric?
Ponder the following definition of biometrics:
Biometrics is the interface of one or more human characteristics to technology.
Speech is just a biometric. Individual speech recognition is the linkage of that biometric to an individual. As we have stated before biometrics does not have to be linked to security to be useful and some of the most interesting applications are not security related. This was very much the case in today’s presentations. Speech recognition is a form of pattern matching based on language and speech characteristics.
This perspective links to what was heard at AVBPA. Some of the most interesting applications of biometric technology are in cell phones. At AVBPA, we saw facial modeling used in phones while here at SpeechTEK, speech enhances the user interface. Thus, speech brings a strong contribution to convenience. We have also seen this on the security side of biometrics where individual identification can add convenience.
Biometrics when seen from multiple perspectives is actually a unifying technology for the human interface to technology.
Microsoft Cites the Missing Factor in Speech – Where is the Value
Proposition?
Steve Change, Program Manager, Microsoft Speech Server gave presentation on Multimodality in Consumer Electronics. He stated that missing from the discussion on speech is the consumer value proposition- what are the costs and benefits? Some are claiming that speech has crossed the chasm but Steve challenges this. The applications today are narrow and have yet to reach mass market acceptance. Until serious examination is performed on the value proposition, outside of the obvious enterprise ROI arguments, the technology will remain in niche silos.
WAVE Comments
At SpeechTek, there was striking uniformity in how speech is used in individual verification:
Financial institutions - two primary applications
Password resets - Electronic funds transfer
Remote identification - speech is used for remote authentication. However, there are limited capabilities for speech identification
At the WAVE, we see a parallel with how fingerprints are used in large scale programs.
In US-VISIT, there is secondary screening which provides a second tier human assessment of the fingerprint when the confidence level of the match is low.
In voice verification, if the voice verification is below an acceptable threshold, secondary actions are taken including call back, vector on a live operator or challenge response to the speaker.
Thus, speech technology, in spite of being remote, is not just stand alone but a part of a multitier system. However, if a fingerprint is used as the entry device on the desktop, most solutions do not have such a multitier approach.
We found it interesting that password resets is one of the most common applications for speaker verification. Functionally, as long as one can get a password, this is the same as domain log on.
Not once were the words “identity management” used at SpeechTEK, but speech is a part of this. Users had their identity managed when they accessed their accounts or changed passwords. Just as we saw a broad view of identity management at Digital ID World, speech is establishing a role in the enterprise which is consistent with and a component of identity management.
***AppIQ Creates Open Community Program to Promote Standards-Based Storage Management; OpenIQ to Offer Storage Hardware Vendors, Software Vendors, Service Providers, and Enterprise Customers a Standards-Built Storage Middleware Platform
BURLINGTON, Mass.
Aug. 22, 2005
AppIQ, Inc., the Storage Management Software Company, has announced the creation of the OpenIQ program, a new open community initiative sponsored by AppIQ aimed at promoting and accelerating the development of standards-based management applications worldwide. OpenIQ will provide a reference platform that implements the Storage Management Initiative Specification (SMI-S) and Common Information Model (CIM) standards and will deliver a common set of specifications and programming interfaces, giving independent hardware vendors, independent software vendors, service providers, system integrators, and enterprise IT organizations a standards-built middleware platform. Whereas SMI-S provides a device integration standard and CIM provides a data model for IT infrastructure elements, OpenIQ will leverage these standards and the combined strength of the open community to provide the middleware needed to more quickly and cost-effectively build high-value storage management software.
Members of the OpenIQ community, which will include leading storage system, switch, host bus adapter (HBA), and server vendors as well as independent software vendors, service providers, and enterprise customers, will work together to define a storage management platform specification that describes a common set of application programming interfaces (APIs) for developing management applications. These interfaces will be packaged in an Application Development Environment (ADE), complete with a software development kit (SDK), API documentation, and developer support and services. An Application Run-Time Environment (ARE) will also be provided that can be bundled with management applications developed using the SDK. AppIQ plans to contribute specifications for its CIMIQ-X storage middleware platform to the OpenIQ community as a starting point, and plans to work with the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) to ensure that the specification leverages and conforms to SMI-S.
AppIQ already has a strong track record of creating developer communities for standards-based storage management. The company's CIMIQ program, launched in 2002, has helped many storage vendors, including Brocade, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi Data Systems, McDATA, NetApp, Silicon Graphics, Sun Microsystems, Xiotech, and others, accelerate the delivery of SMI-S hardware providers. The CIMIQ developer platform acts as a translation layer that converts device vendor APIs and SNMP interfaces into native SMI-S.
AppIQ CIMIQ-X is the storage management middleware platform that powers AppIQ StorageAuthority Suite, AppIQ's industry-leading SAN management and storage resource management solution family. CIMIQ-X abstracts management functions such as topology, navigation, dependency management, security, trending, real-time performance monitoring, workflow, and other management functions. CIMIQ-X integrates with SMI-S compliant devices, and with non-compliant devices through CIMIQ, to monitor, manage, and provision heterogeneous storage infrastructure, and provides the building blocks that support each AppIQ StorageAuthority Suite product module, including J2EE interfaces, a CIM and SMI-S-compliant data access model, a common agent, and a common configuration database. CIMIQ-X is used by AppIQ's own developers and AppIQ's OEM partners, including Engenio, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi Data Systems, SGI, and Sun Microsystems, to develop new product modules and integration connectors.
0534.3 Casual Work Environment
***Productivity is in the 'Jeans'; Office Survey Reveals That Jeans and Sneakers are Hot While Ties and Pantyhose are Not, and Casual Attire is More Widespread
LOS ANGELES
Aug. 23, 2005
Casual clothing is sweeping the nation as 50% of women and 47% of men have worn jeans to work recently, according to a BizRate Research study of 1,396 online buyers conducted for leading comparison shopping search site Shopzilla. Survey respondents represented full-time office workers across various industries from government/military, education/training and healthcare to technology and entertainment.
Casual doesn't mean kickback
The survey also showed that almost 30% of respondents said that a casual attire environment made them more productive, while less than 4% said it made work more difficult. In fact, 39% of women polled haven't worn nylons in more than a year and 43% of men polled haven't worn a tie in a year.
Casual is complex
Gregg Kawamura, a successful realtor from South Pasadena, Calif. said, "I like casual attire at the office because it's an extension of my identity, but casual has its own complexities. Don't forget that casual-chic is different from casual-sloppy. A cut-off pair of jeans is not the same as a boot cut pair of True Religion. Now that's the art of casual attire."
Companies cater to casual
The majority (68%) of people who work full-time in an office setting have a dress code policy. While business casual is still the most popular dress code (64%), more than a quarter of respondents (26%) have a casual attire work environment and only 10% said they have a business formal dress code.
Why casual is cool
"People want to work and play all in the same outfit," said Helen Malani, chief shopping expert, Shopzilla. "Seventy- five to eighty percent of respondents stated comfort and cost dictate most clothing purchases but, as casual dress has evolved over the years, we've also seen casual clothing prices evolve too. High-end jeans and tops can cost up to $500 each so it's really important to comparison shop for the best price."
Casual Dress Fast Facts
51% of companies with more than 5,000 employees are casual five days a week
Society for Human
Resource Management49% of employers said non-traditional attire would have a "strong influence" on their opinion of a job candidate
National Association of
Colleges and Employers
What the boss won't let slide:
-- Rubber flip-flops
-- iPod earbuds - Worn discreetly and for menial tasks is one thing. Worn like earrings - to the water cooler, down the hall, on a conference call - is another.
-- Tattoos - Quarter-sized and inked on the inner wrist is probably OK, but tattoos are better suited to a job in a record shop - or a carnival sideshow.
-- Cell phones - but clipped to your belt or tucked in your Bag on vibrate is probably fine.
"Going toe-to-toe on office etiquette"
USA TODAY
8/15/2005
***Automotive, Consumer Goods and Transportation Industries Leading RFID Push, CompTIA Study Reveals
OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill.
Aug. 22, 2005
The automotive, consumer goods and transportation and logistics industries will lead the way in implementing radio frequency identification (RFID) technology solutions over the next year, new research commissioned by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) reveals.
Just over one-half of more than 500 organizations surveyed in North America have either completed RFID implementations or plan to do so within the next 12 months. This includes companies that are evaluating, pilot testing, implementing, or currently using RFID.
Among specific industry sectors, the most aggressive adoption of RFID is planned in the automotive industry, where 59 percent of companies surveyed said they will deploy the technology over the next 12 months. The consumer goods industry and the transportation and logistics sectors were close behind, at 58 percent each.
CompTIA commissioned Frost & Sullivan to evaluate the growth potential of the North American RFID market. Specific topics covered in the research include growth opportunities for vendors; end-user perspectives on RFID implementation and workforce related issues; and the need for training and certification activities associated with growth in technology adoption.
The research found that 46 percent of consumer goods makers; 34 percent of food and beverage makers; and 24 percent of textile and apparel manufacturers are implementing RFID solutions because of a mandate from Wal-Mart.
By comparison, 70 percent of banking and finance companies, 70 percent of information technology firms and 67 percent of transportation and logistics companies are integrating RFID with their current business processes.
Forty-one percent of organizations surveyed intend to deploy RFID solutions across multiple sites, with the transportation and health care sectors the most likely to choose this route. Another 31 percent of organizations will implement RFID organization-wide. Twenty percent of organizations will deploy the technology at a single site only, and 17 percent will use it only for select products.
The findings are based on the results of a web-based survey of 510 North American companies, including current RFID users, prospective users and organization that have considered and rejected systems and applications featuring RFID technology. In addition, interviews were conducted with vendors for sales and support of hardware and software for applications utilizing RFID, IT systems integrators, resellers, and other channel organizations.
CompTIA is currently working with some 20 organizations active in the RFID industry to develop a vendor-neutral professional certification that would validate a technician's knowledge and skills in the areas of installation, maintenance, repair, and upkeep of hardware and software functionality of RFID products. CompTIA RFID+ certification is expected to be available later this year or early in 2006.
0534.5 Online Technical Resources
***ECA Launches Digital Library with More Than 300 Technical Papers
ARLINGTON, Va.
Aug. 22, 2005
The Electronic Components, Assemblies & Materials Association (ECA) has launched a digital library that contains more than 300 technical papers taken from proceedings of recent CARTS and ECTC conferences. The library is easily accessed through the ECA Resource Central web site.
The new digital library enables visitors to search for individual conference papers by event name, title and keyword. Papers can be purchased as PDFs on the site and downloaded immediately for $10 each for ECA members and $20 each for non-members. During the coming months, the library is expected to double in size and include papers from additional CARTS and ECTC events, the annual relay and switch forum (IRSTC), and the wire and cable symposium (IWCS).
About ECA
The Electronic Components, Assemblies & Materials Association (ECA) represents manufacturers and producers of passive and active electronic components, component arrays and assemblies, and materials and support services. ECA members benefit from a dynamic link into a network of programs and activities in areas such as business and technical information, market research trends and analysis, access to industry and government leaders, technical and education training, and others. ECA is the electronic components sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA).
***Dust Storms, (Real) Bugs, Intermittent Electricity or No Phone Lines? Intel Says 'No Problem'
SAN FRANCISCO
Aug. 23, 2005
At the Intel Development Forum, Intel Corporation showcased a rugged PC designed for developing countries that can better handle harsh climates, intermittent electricity, dust and bugs while accessing the Internet without wires. The effort is an example of the company's strategy to best address unique geographic and individual technology needs in all parts of the world.
Demonstrated on stage and via video from India, the Intel-based PC, or "community computer," is meant to provide Internet access to entire communities and villages in rural and remote areas. Through use of a car battery, the computer has a back-up energy supply in case electricity supply is sporadic and contains special screens and filters to reduce the amount of dust and insects that might enter the box and cause reliability issues. The computer has also been designed to handle extreme heat that exceeds 100 degrees Fahrenheit (more than 38 degrees Celsius).
The demonstration PC also linked to the Internet via a WiMAX wireless network. WiMAX, short for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, is a standards-based wireless broadband technology that can provide high-speed Internet connections to homes, communities, businesses and mobile wireless networks across many miles, making it an ideal way to unwire entire communities and cities.
Intel neither confirmed if or when the concept platform might be developed by local PC makers in India or elsewhere, nor provided any other details.
0534.7 Wireless Surround Sound
***Any Music, Any Format: Logitech Brings PC Music Anywhere in the Home Without Wires; Logitech Wireless Music System for PC Includes Everything Needed to Easily Stream Digital Music to Stereo System or Speakers
FREMONT, Calif.
Aug. 23, 2005
Experiencing digital music just got easier. Logitech has introduced the Logitech Wireless Music System for PC, which can stream any format of digital audio from the PC to a home stereo system or to a separate speaker system. No wireless network is needed; everything required is in the box.
The Logitech Wireless Music System for PC is a simple, three-piece solution: a USB music transmitter that connects to the PC; a music receiver that plugs into a home stereo receiver or multimedia speakers through a standard RCA port or a 3.5 mm jack; and a wireless remote control. In a matter of minutes, people can enjoy all of their PC audio, including their entire digital music collection, MP3 subscription service, and Internet radio, in virtually any room in the home.
The Logitech Wireless Music System for PC is targeted at the growing number of people who are buying digital music tracks and subscription services through online music stores such as Apple's iTunes or Musicmatch. A recent study by Parks Associates showed that two-thirds of online U.S. households listen to music on a home computer. And whether they use a portable player or not, most people don't have a good way to get their online music from the PC to their entertainment center.
The simplicity of the Logitech Wireless Music System for PC is due to the architecture of the Logitech Music Anywhere wireless technology. The transmitter and receiver are paired at manufacturing, ensuring they will instantly connect when plugged in. The proprietary technology provides crystal-clear digital audio quality and features adaptive frequency hopping, helping the product overcome any potential wireless interference. The USB-based PC music transmitter sends audio streams directly to the music receiver at a range of up to 100 meters (330 feet). The Logitech Wireless Music System for PC also includes software that allows people to easily switch back and forth between listening to music on the PC and wirelessly streaming it to another room.
The system's infrared remote allows people to control their music files from their living room couch, even though the files reside on the PC in another room. About the size of a credit card, the remote features controls such as volume up or down, mute, play, pause, skip forward and back. The remote works with today's most popular media players, including iTunes, Windows Media Player, Musicmatch, WinAmp, and RealPlayer -- there's no need to install a new player.
Logitech Music Anywhere Wireless Technology
The Logitech Wireless Music System for PC is just one of Logitech's new products featuring Logitech Music Anywhere wireless technology. Today, the company also announced the Logitech Wireless Music System for iPod, an easy-to-use product for people to wirelessly connect their iPod or MP3 player to their stereo system, and the Logitech Wireless Headphones for PC, designed for people who want to wirelessly listen to their PC audio as they roam around the house. The company also sells the Logitech Wireless Headphones for iPod and the Logitech Wireless Headphones for MP3, giving owners the ability to listen to their music player with no strings attached. Logitech's Music Anywhere technology is designed to provide digital music enthusiasts the freedom to enjoy their music listening experience in more places and in more ways, without any setup hassles or headaches.
Pricing and Availability
The Logitech Wireless Music System for PC will be available in stores and online beginning in September in the U.S. and in Europe.
***Sprint Precision Locator Helps Businesses Locate Fleets and Mobile Workers through Their Wireless Devices
RESTON, Va.
Aug. 23, 2005
Sprint has launched the Sprint Precision Locator. This solution is easy-to-use and quick-to-implement and helps small and large businesses track fleets and mobile workers. Businesses can ultimately enhance productivity and response times to customers by locating, mapping and messaging with resources in the field.
Sprint Precision Locator provides a powerful tool for dispatchers or supervisors who are monitoring a mobile workforce of a small or large company by allowing them to:
-- Access interactive maps with full panning and zooming capabilities to easily locate a worker or group of workers without interrupting field productivity
-- Set schedules and have the application identify the location of a mobile device or group of mobile devices to ensure specific tasks are performed at designated times
-- Create landmarks on maps that are important to the business, such as offices and warehouses, and track if an employee leaves or enters established landmarks
-- Use reporting functionality to track mobile workforce location history to determine where efficiencies can be gained
-- Use text messaging feature to reach a mobile worker or group of workers
Phoenix-based Ace Asphalt has been trialing Sprint Precision Locator and is excited about the results. According to Ace, they knew a tool such as this would help them to manage their mobile workforce, but experiencing it first hand has been invaluable to understanding the benefits of real-time tracking and messaging. They found that replacing traditional radios with wireless phones and Sprint Precision Locator in their trucks provides a double win for -- more reliable field communications AND the ability to track the movements and whereabouts of those resources without the need for additional GPS hardware.
Sprint Precision Locator offers a single bill from Sprint for the application, and for a low monthly fee per user, companies have access to the Web-based application that is password-protected for privacy and can:
-- Locate each mobile device up to 1,000 times per month
-- Determine if a device is on or off up to 100 times per month
-- Send up to 50 SMS messages from the application to a mobile worker per month
This location tool combines Sprint Business Mobility Framework capabilities with the application development expertise of WaveMarket. Sprint Precision Locator also makes optimal use of WaveMarket's patented WaveAlert technology, tracking software and Microsoft MapPoint Web Service, an open-standards-based development platform for creating mapping and location-aware applications and services.
http://www.sprint.com/PrecisionLocatorOverview
0534.9 Fiber Optics Resurgence
***Strategy Analytics: GaAs at the Core of Fiber-optic Network Expansion; Profit Making Remains Elusive
BOSTON
Aug. 23, 2005
The market for high speed fiber optic ICs will grow by 27 percent in 2005, from $280 million in 2004, according to "Fiber-optic Analog IC Market and Technology Dynamics," a new report released by the Gallium Arsenide & Compound Semiconductor Service at Strategy Analytics. After a considerable period of stagnation, service providers are once again purchasing optical capacity to meet their growing traffic needs. OC-48 and OC-192 links will be at the center of this growth, and the deployment of high capacity routers will also begin to stimulate OC-768 purchases. Overall, the market will grow at a CAAGR of 24 percent through to 2009.
Since much of the upgrades will be for backbone infrastructure, GaAs IC vendors will be at the heart of this development. While GaAs TIAs and post amplifiers will see increased competition from--mainly SiGe--alternatives, the crucial laser driver function will remain largely the domain of GaAs at higher speeds.
Despite this positive outlook, Strategy Analytics warns that industry consolidation will be required to counteract the effects of oversupply and intense pricing competition.
Strategy Analytics noted, that following the telecom industry meltdown a couple of years back, Capex budgets were slashed, and price became the primary competitive weapon for the numerous fiber optic device companies. Further, the market for fiber optic devices is there and it is growing. However, the IC industry is in a structurally poor state. For profitability to return, what is needed is not only growing demand, but some consolidation and stability among IC suppliers.
This report provides a comprehensive view of markets for Si, SiGe, GaAs and InP fiber optic ICs and also includes IC, module and systems vendor profiles.
http://www.strategyanalytics.com
***UltraCell Corporation Announces Portable Methanol Fuel Cell System With Breakthrough Micro Reformer Technology
LIVERMORE, Calif.
Aug. 23, 2005
UltraCell Corporation introduced a new fuel cell power source for portable electronic devices that has twice the energy density of lithium batteries. UltraCell's reformed methanol fuel cell (RMFC) technology uses a revolutionary micro reformer to generate fuel-cell-ready hydrogen from a highly concentrated methanol solution. This new portable power system has the power density of a hydrogen fuel cell but uses readily available, low cost methanol fuel in a convenient, compact package. Weighing just 40 ounces, the power unit is about the size of a paperback novel.
This new technology has already been developed by UltraCell as a prototype for the military. This original system, the XX90, was designed for up to 45 watts of continuous power. Subsequently, the U.S. Army's Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) awarded UltraCell a contract to accelerate its development of a more compact portable system to run at 25 watts. This new power source is being developed for commercial use as the UltraCell25 and will be available in 2006 for professional, industrial and mobile computing applications. Its name for the military will be the XX25.
UltraCell's micro reformer technology is designed to work in a user-friendly package that, with the push of a power button, self starts and feeds power as needed. The system's spent fuel canisters can be instantly "hot swapped," as needed, to provide continuous power in any remote situation. Whether for a soldier on mission or for the on-the-go laptop user, mobile executive, emergency first responder, researcher in a remote location, industrial video maker, or remote electronic monitoring, this means a nonstop supply of power anywhere, anytime. For greater flexibility, the system can even support batteries by serving as a portable recharging power supply.
The complete UltraCell system includes fuel processor, fuel cell stack, control system, balance of plant and easily replaceable fuel cartridge. Based on proprietary control algorithms, the control system manages a steady flow of power by adjusting pump and compressor settings. The revolutionary micro fuel cell generates no excess water, and consequently does not need a water management system, saving size, weight and cost versus alternative micro fuel cell systems. In addition, the UltraCell system uses a high temperature membrane assembly (MEA) from Pemeas in its fuel cell stack, resulting in high tolerance to CO and impurities.
--------------------------------------
Copyright 2010 The WAVE Report
To subscribe to the WAVE Report 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
Comments on or questions about the WAVE may be sent to:
John N. Latta - Editor-In-Chief
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.