Issue 24, Volume 3
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* Wifi / Mobile*
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Killer Wi-Fi?
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Around the world, fears persists regarding the possible health risks of Wi-Fi
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Q: Scenario: I am running my laptop at Starbucks. What is my risk compared to other radio frequency activities?
A: The amount of energy that access points emit is very tiny. I did a survey of wireless LANs lasts year and in all cases the signal strength was tiny compared to other sources—such as cell base stations. Most client cards in a laptop emit power that is substantially less that what a cellular phone emits.
At the same time, the speed of the interface is usually very high, but it only transmits in pulses, depending on bottlenecks in the system and handshaking protocols. It is not a continuous transmission. So you are looking at an access point that has the power of a cell phone, and is only transmitting for 1/1000th of the time. So the exposure is trivial compared to that of other sources.
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http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/columns/article.php/3700416
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T6 Commentary: The fear of electricity and Radio waves being the cause of a host of diseases has been around since the time such technologies began to become ubiquitous. In the Early 20’s magnetism and ‘Electro-Therapies’ replaced snake oil as the cause\cure of all manner of aliments –(some of which may still offer hope even today, though with much of the over-reaching claims tempered). Today Cell phones and wireless transmission technologies have become the new bogeymen. In the 50’s it was the dangers of nuclear radiation, today it would the ‘microwave’ transmissions which would be the cause of all the mutation in the movie THEM! Of note is a full on medical study of the effects of EMF generated by high power lines on long Island and a relationship with a spike in breast cancer. The Study was to look for a link between the high power lines in the backyards of a particular community and the abnormal numbers of cases being diagnosed in the area. After several years and multiple studies NO link could be found. In the late 90’s a few studies indicated that excessive cell phone use could lead to brain tumors and some suggested a correlation to birth defects –(due to the proximity to the reproductive organs – especially men- and that many cell phones are worn on a belt). The initial tests have yet to be reproduced in other clinical studies. I can tell you that I can speak from experience that EMF from lower UHF transmissions has some effect on a person, given proximity and duration of exposure. When I first started working for a high end staging company I was a rental test technician and one of my responsibilities was to assemble and test medium to large wireless microphone systems. Most of the time this testing consisted of 4 or 5 units in combination, often the days testing would be broken up by testing and packing 4 track recorders or other AV pieces, as well as wireless mics. On such variety days I would not notice any effect of working around such equipment all whilst in direct view of the World Trade Center broadcast antenna. Then there were the days we tested large packages of wireless with 10-15 units per rack, and often multiples of this setup. I would often leave work with a heady ‘high’ which would only dissipate after an hour or so away from any testing. We assembled enough of these systems during my 2 years as a rental tech to notice the onset of said ‘high’ with large systems. The high left you with a felling of levity, silliness and just a bit unbalanced. I can only relate the feeling to what I feel when I eat then attempt to be ‘athletic’, nearly sick but not debilitating so. Is there still to be a definitive clinical study, which will send a shock wave through the populace as much as the announcement in the 60’s from the Surgeon General on smoking did? So far the evidence lends it self to the unlikely tag at least for the power levels of the devices in question. My anecdotal evidence aside, I do not fear my daily exposure to the wireless world.
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Intel wins mobile WiMax chip deal with Nokia
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Nokia will roll out the first WiMax-enabled Internet tablets using Intel chips in the first half of 2008, a Nokia spokeswoman told Reuters.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20994119/
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. Motorola Shows off WiMax in Chicago |
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The chipset is going to be made available to the market as a whole, so it's not only for Motorola devices," Mitoraj explained. "We think it is extraordinarily important for the ecosystem that a number of manufacturers are onboard to drive the market, to make it possible to add WiMax capabilities to devices in a cost-effective manner."
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http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=12200BZW2E2U
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T6 Commentary: WiMax is picking up steam as more and more companies join on see the possibilities for WiMax as a Muni-Fi system which can also provide content and possibly transition into THE information backbone for most urban areas. With WiMax claiming to be the standard for 4G mobile devices –(somewhat undermined by the standards committees stating this is but a start)- the expectations and the heat is on for Sprint, et al to deliver and soon. WiMax has made faster inroads to the muni-fi transition then comparable WiFi systems but it is still a bit like the dress rehearsals then the actual performance – who knows just which will play the leading role. And yet, with all this promise I am starting to get the feeling WiMax may just be the technical consortium equivalent of Naked Came the Stranger. The book ‘Naked came the Stranger was an experiment to see if a disjointed novel based only on sexual content could become a best seller. Written by a set of authors who did not know what the others were writing but only a loose outline of the plot, it nearly became a touchstone. The Concept of a WiMax backbone replacing conventional broadcast and even new media upstarts is intoxicating, but given the fact that the entire concept was a knee jerk reaction to Sprint being given a deadline to use it or lose it for the frequency spectrum it had ownership to, one has to step back and wonder.
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* H\DTV*
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Best Buy Launches Educational HDTV Campaign
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The retailer based its assessment on a privately commissioned survey showing that 41 percent of HDTV owners understand “little to nothing at all” about high definition, while 89 percent of all consumers don’t completely understand the technology or what it takes to experience it fully.
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http://www.twice.com/article/CA6482633.html
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T6 Commentary: The very fact that a large electronics Box store would need to implement such an education program is proof that the everyday person just does not care. Even with the analog cutoff dates fast approaching, large numbers of consumers know only the bare minimum if anything about HDTV. You and I, dear reader, may be caught up in the minutia of 1080i vs 1080p or the bandwidth concerns of 1440p but the mass market is fairly unimpressed. It is true that your rabid sports fan will be wowed by the 1080i image at a sports bar but give them a 480p ‘flat panel’ display at home and they are just as bowed. Yes, compared side-to-side your mass-market consumer will want to pick the 1080p display, show him the price and ‘480p looks really good too’. For a long time there has raged a debate between Gary Krakow –(tech writer for MSNBC.com) and his readership on content quality and content diversity. Mr. Krakow wrote on several occasions on the ‘poor’ quality of Satellite Radio audio –where XM promised “CD quality” audio but could not deliver this, and he wrote on how much this pained him. The uproar this generated in emails to Mr. Krakow was impressive. The typical arguments consisted of defending the ‘sub-par’ audio and lauding the variety and availability of musical genres available, many stating they would even pay more to have greater variety at the cost of audio quality. In contrast, the average sports fan is drawn to Hdnet for the quality of image but it MUST have the quantity of sports or teams to satisfy the purchase. Hdnet and Direct TV would be little if not for the sports packages. The Custom home market clientele will always be just as concerned about image quality as well as variety, but for any technology to survive it must cater to the not so well off to become truly mass market. HD is legislated to become the only game in town shortly, but if the desires of only the first adapters are taken into account the transition could hurt everybody’s bottom line. The afore mentioned premise is readily supported by the article on the Tvpredictions.com site where Swanni reports: HD Owners Yawning at HDTV DVD Players- http://www.tvpredictions.com/npd091907.htm.
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Swanni's 2007 'Best & Worst' HDTV List |
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The High-Definition TV picture is so clear that aging signs and skin imperfections are dramatically visible. Phillip Swann, president of TVPredictions.com, has generated international media attention for his 2004 list, 2005 list and 2006 list of the 10 celebrities who look better -- and worse -- under the unforgiving lens of high-def. Now, Swanni has named his 2007 'Best and Worst' in HDTV
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http://www.tvpredictions.com/swannihdlist091907.htm
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T6 Commentary: Fast on the heels of HD Owners Yawning at HDTV DVD players article, Swanni publishes yet another list of the best and worst looking celebrities in HDTV. I am still concerned about the ‘logan’s run’ effect HD will have on the quality and tenor of movies and media. In reading the HD user group chat boards I see a great deal of complaining on how this or that news broadcast was only in 480i and how outrageous it is that the networks have not fully embraced the HD revolution. My question, do you really need to see the local news in HD? If Walter Cronkite were just starting out today, do you think he would survive his HD test shots? Ten years from now will we forever be denied the opportunity to experience performances from the likes of Steve Buscemi? Will we look back at the Pre-HD late 20th, earth 21st century movies as the last time the average person had a chance to make film? Will our children only see films that star S1mOne actors?
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* Format Wars *
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HTSA Confirms Blu-ray Support
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Home Theater Specialists of America (HTSA), the $500 million buying group for A/V specialty dealers and installers, has formally confirmed that it is backing Blu-ray Disc technology based on sales trends among its 62 members.
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http://www.twice.com/article/CA6481073.html
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T6 Commentary: Interesting but it may be- as the article also points out- be a bit too pre-emptive. With the two major players still jockeying for even the slightest statistical dominance in the tech press and now two alternative ‘HD’ formats starting to take a serious hold in India and China, world market dominance may be a foregone loss. One only has to think of the sheer numbers in each country to realize what an impact acceptance of an alternative format means. Ignore the copyright issues for now –(a BD or HD disc could be easily hacked and converted) and see how the alternate formats would expand beyond the borders to its neighbors, including parts of ‘partner’ nations in bed with Sony or Toshiba. The battle now is really for Europe and the Americas.
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Sharp Ups Format-War Ante With Terabyte Blu-ray Recorder
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Sharp introduced its newest Blu-ray disc recorder, which also has a hard drive that will hold one terabyte of data. The unit is only available in Japan, where it will sell for the equivalent of about $2,600. The product launch is the latest episode in the high-definition DVD format war that continues between Sony's Blu-ray Disc format and Toshiba's HD-DVD.
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T6 Commentary: A terabyte of video data on a recordable disc. Now that is interesting. Perhaps this could record a feature length film in 1440p? (which will be available in 5 years or later), or just a boat load of Blu-Ray movies.
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* New Media *
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The Music Industry Begins to Eat its Young – link credits to Phil Pfisterer and Harry Negro |
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A car repair firm has been taken to court accused of infringing musical copyright because its employees listen to radios at work.
The PRS claimed that Kwik-Fit mechanics routinely use personal radios while working at service centres across the UK and that music, protected by copyright, could be heard by colleagues and customers.
It is maintained that amounts to the "playing" or "performance" of the music in public and renders the firm guilty of infringing copyright.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7029892.stm
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http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/07/10/07/2335244.shtml
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T6 Commentary: The links to this story were forwarded to my by Phil and Harry who well know my past defense of artists rights and DRM in particular, given my background in recording studios and post production facilities. Both also know my continuing struggle with the draconian methods copyright organizations such as ASCP and RIAA have decided to implement. This action by the PRS is just, well, as stupid as ASCP going after a 75 year old grandmother whose granddaughter was caught using ole’ grams computer to download songs from a file sharing site. The ASCAP lawyers went so far as to threaten to take the grandmothers home from her to pay for the ‘royalty violations’. In the particular case presented in the article, the legal fight is over just what constitutes ‘public performance’ of the music. I was all set to pontificate on the silliness of the associated” copyright organizations and to question just how a ‘personal’ radio playing constituted a ‘public performance’, when I read a comment on Slashdot which, I feel sums it up perfectly: imagine a second-hand-smoke victim receiving a countersuit by tobacco companies because they were able to inhale cigarette smoke they hadn't paid for. Nicely – see all the comments at http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/07/10/07/2335244.shtml\
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*Biz *
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Harman Comments On Previously Announced Acquisition |
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Harman International Industries, Incorporated (NYSE: HAR) announced that it was informed this afternoon that Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (KKR) and GS Capital Partners VI Fund, L.P. (GSCP) no longer intend to complete the previously announced acquisition of Harman by a company formed by investment funds affiliated with or sponsored by KKR and GSCP. KKR and GSCP have informed Harman that they believe that a material adverse change in Harman's business has occurred, that Harman has breached the merger agreement and that they are not obligated to complete the merger. Harman disagrees that a material adverse change has occurred or that it has breached the merger agreement.
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http://www.harman.com/press/financial_press.aspx
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T6 Commentary: I am sure all of you are watching with a curious eye the rippling effects of the sub-prime mortgage debacle is having on the US home market. How much of an impact this will have on the industry is to be seen but less new home building cannot add up to more installations. While new home will continue to be built and the sale of mega mansions appears to be growing not slowing , the middle high-end market will indeed shrink. Add to this the report from Bloomberg news: A July decline in demand for high-yield debt and the prospect of a slowing U.S. economy have led private-equity firms and their banks to forsake deals or renegotiate terms. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a19lYHqxzqLk, where even the uber moneyed dealmakers are having liquidity issues and one has to wonder what is in store for next year. Undoubtedly alternative sources of revenue will have to be tapped and heavy promotion to those potential clientele who sit on the fence or are even off handedly considering home theaters or distribution systems with control. The moneyed fence sitters will need a different tack, as they are not looking for the glam and zing of a device but its service and ability to solve an issue. I can speak to this from experience as I have a friend who works with a world class hedge fund –(he works with physicist who apply 12 dimensional universes math, chaos theory and tenets of the grand unified theory to help track and predict markets)- and is a bit moneyed –(home in the better parts of South Oranges and an apartment in Paris. The apartment would make my house seem small). My friend, being the curious lot that he is, asked me about the work I do and what it would take to install a distributed AV system in his NJ home. When I described to him several options, including touch screen based systems, and showed him some of the Award winning installs from CEDIA, he shut the door on the whole concept. Why you may ask? The concepts presented in the CEDIA sites were too flashy, too much of the technology as furniture for him. Now this is the same person who plays with glee in his neighbors home theater system. Why the contrast? For many of the moneyed –(especially the well educated and old money crowd)- the draw of home automation exists but its impact on the overall atmosphere of a home is of great concern. These are the folks who buy system that cover their 50” plasma TV’s with ‘art work’ as to keep them hidden when not in view. The point is that the same technology can be used but its presentation in an installation and –more importantly- at sales time- requires the subtleties rather then the overwrought high impact eye candy presented to the home theater enthusiast. In this case I often consider how my mother –(who certainly does not come from the moneyed set)- treats having a TV in her home. For as long as I can remember she has taken great pains to ‘hide’ the television and the remotes behind an armoire and surrounded by books she has actually read, usually twice. Her reasoning? (And I am paraphrasing here) ‘I know, I watch more TV then I would like to admit but I don’t want my home to appear as a temple to it’.
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All T6 commentary opinions expressed are mine alone and are not necessarily those of Crestron Electronics, its employees, associates or even their families. Just my big mouth
