Issue 4,  Volume 3

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* Wifi *

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RuBee seen as alternative protocol to RFID

You have got used to ZigBee, are pondering the benefits of WiBree, so start getting used to yet another wireless networking protocol —- RuBee, also known as IEEE 1902.1. The emerging standard is expected to give retailers and manufacturers an alternative to RFID for many applications.

Proponents say RuBee networks would operate at long-wavelengths and accommodate low-cost radio tags at ranges between 10 to 50 feet. The standard will allow for networks encompassing thousands of radio tags operating below 450 kHz and target real-time inventory under harsh environments, even near metal and water and in the presence of electromagnetic noise.

http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197000746

T6 Comments:  RuBee has some distinct functional advantages over WiBree (RFID) in that it works very well through liquids, near metals and in noisy RF environments. It is suggested 1902.1 will be used to identify inventory in transit or while in storage and RFID will be used for in store or facility tracking.  Many have fears of these RF standards working as big brother tool, which it no doubt is already in the planning stages.  I will reserve full comment on this and stand by the EFF (Electronic Freedom Foundation ) 

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Intel Adds Draft 11n To Centrino Duo

Intel may have helped jump-start the adoption of pre-draft 802.11n Wi-Fi by computer vendors by including the technology in its upcoming Centrino Duo mobile chipsets.

Intel has decided to roll out its Next-Gen Wireless n network connection ahead of the specification being set by the IEEE and even Wi-Fi Alliances certification program. The IEEE is not expected to finalize the spec until next year, while the Wi-Fi Alliance was expected to certify the wireless technology this summer.

http://www.twice.com/article/CA6409693.html

T6 Comment:  More evidence of the n Standard and wireless video picking up steam, this combined with Apple’s Apple TV box relying on the n standard as well indicates a very strong push towards wireless video distribution as the main ‘killer’ application of the n standard.

Also note the conflicting certification dates from IEEE and the WIFI Alliance; look for many early market devices touting WiFi Alliance certification in early summer. This ‘early’ roll out  be followed by a shuffle and firmware update rushed to comply with the agreed IEEE certification.  The result? Lots of pre-IEEE n units will have previously working features which will become glitch ridden until the firmware revs sort themselves out or you purchase a new box.  Now- everyone remember how long ago it was that Belkin came out with their first ‘Pre-n’ device – long time no?

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*PC-adellia   *

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Microsoft Announces Extended Support for Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Media Center Edition

Microsoft is announcing the addition of an Extended Support phase for the Windows(R) XP Home Edition and Windows XP Media

  Center Edition operating systems, providing consumers with an additional phase of support.  With the addition of Extended Support,

 the support life cycle for Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Media Center Edition will  include a total of five years of Mainstream

 Support (until April   2009)

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=ind_focus.story&STORY=/www/story/01-24-2007/0004512049&EDATE=

T6 Comment: End of life cycle announcement or a way to placate the Windows Media Center (which is built on XP Home) crowd?

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Vista's beauty lies in layers of organization, security

Upgrade prices start at $99 for a stripped-down Basic version, $159 for the mainstream Premium and $259 for Vista Ultimate

You need to have a powerful computer with strong graphics capabilities to enjoy a worthwhile Vista upgrade, and many experts are telling their clients (correctly, I think) to stick with Windows XP until their next machine. This is because much of Vista focuses on ease of use and beautiful displays one can get by without for a while.

One's first encounter with the Vista desktop just after the computer boots up can be unsettling because things like the familiar My Documents folder have disappeared. Instead, one gets a Windows Vista folder in the upper left of the screen that opens to a display of subfolders that includes Documents, Pictures, Contacts, Favorites, Videos and Searches.

This layout goes a long way toward forcing a user to keep all of the documents, images and other files accumulated over time in an orderly storage system that promises to ease another cause of headaches--desktops covered with a rash of scattered icons.

http://www.latimes.com/technology/chi-0701280342jan28,1,645890.column?coll=la-utilities-technology

T6 Comment:  As I tend to stay away from the mass media hoopla on specific products, I include this link as a starter info link on the ‘wonders of Vista’.

Did anyone else catch the NBC Today show interview with Bill Gates where the intro segment focused on Steve Jobs and Apple products before going to the live interview with Gates?  Was it a case of Vista HO HUM ?

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* Format Wars *

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Hi-def DVD security is bypassed

The encryption on high-definition DVDs has been bypassed, the consortium backing the copy protection system on discs has confirmed. 

the Advanced Access Content System (AACS) Licensing Authority has said the breach is limited. The hacker, known as muslix64, has been able to access the encryption keys which pass between certain discs and the player. Once those keys have been obtained the disc can be stripped of its encryption enabling the digital content to be played on any machine.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6301301.stm

T6 Comment: The hacker here states he did this because he was upset he could not play the disc on his older non HDCP compliant monitor--- ugh.  I will spare you here, but for those interested  see my rant on the article “Poll: Americans think downloading no big deal” just below

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Sony Denies Blu-ray Porn Ban

Sony yesterday said it's not trying to stop adult studios from releasing their titles on Blu-ray HDTV DVDs

Several porn executives have said recently that they are releasing their films on HD-DVD because Sony is preventing them from making copies on Blu-ray. HD-DVD and Blu-ray are rivals competing for the new high-def disc market.

However, Information Week says Sony spokeswoman Lisa Gephardt is denying the company is trying to stop the adult industry from using Blu-ray.

http://www.tvpredictions.com/sonyban012407.htm

T6 Comment: Blu-Ray is in, Blu-ray is out.  Why does this remind of the song by Lili Von Shtupp in Blazing Saddles?  “…and always too soon”.   

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Speedy End to HDTV DVD War? Not So Fast

LG Electronics' new dual-format HDTV DVD player will end the war between Blu-ray and HD-DVD, according to ABI Research.

The device, which retails for $1199 and is now on sale at Best Buy and Circuit City, will play both Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs. LG hopes the player will appeal to consumers who are worried about picking the wrong format in the high-def war.
But Wilson cautions that growth of the dual-format player will be slow until prices fall, adding that they may have to drop below $200 before reaching a mass audience

http://www.tvpredictions.com/abi012407.htm

T6 Comment:  I had previously proclaimed the universal players to be the factor which would open the floodgates to mass consumer acceptance but at $1200 US per player this is still the arena of early adaptors.  It will be a Loooong time before the manufacturers drop the prices to $300 or the articles stated optimal price of $200.  Then again, I am on record as stating that it was unlikely either Blu-ray or HD-DVD folks would allow a license on a dual machine – so we may find that the average consumer is SO hungry for HD content that the price is not the biggest factor.  My feeling is that given the price, the majority wants HD for such content as sports. Until there is a large-scale roll out of HD discs from major sports teams Joe consumer will pay for Hdnet or Direct TV HD over a DVD player.

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* Automation\Smarty Home *

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Juicing Up the Home of the Future

The idea of carrying data over electrical wires has been around for a long time, but early versions were slow and prone to interference, especially the electrical noise generated when appliance or air-conditioning motors start up. A new generation of powerline networking not only overcomes these difficulties but offers speeds at least as fast as the newest Wi-Fi.

http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=12100DQDIORD&nl=2

T6 Comment:  Many of the homebuilder groups state that the majority of new builds do NOT include much structured wiring as a standard item. Enough do to support a whole industry around it but the ratio of your normal house as compared to the ‘specialized’ is lopsided. With the rise of ‘mainstream’ home automation where central and local control of lighting is becoming a common request, perhaps this will start to tip the ratio to more pre-build wire.  Until then what do you do to get your post build home network or control system features ?  You can hire a contractor and rip up your walls to run new wires then patch up and hook up the gear. OR you can look for a way to simply tap the most prevalent  existing wiring in a house – your AC Power.  X-10 and others such as Insteon have implemented communications over power on the small scale with mixed results – (Great for the DIY’er or hobbyist but not a viable solution for the higher end feature rich products most want).   

In addition the power companies are looking to join the party cable and phone companies started with providing multiple services over once single service topology. With power cables being so common it theoretically has the most extensive pre-existing network infrastructure with nearly 97%+ homes wired in some manner.  There have been several proof of concept tests in a few towns with suggestively positive results.  Data over power lines, whether macro – citywide- or  micro – in house only- still has issues of combating noise and thus resulting in lower than anticipated throughput speeds, meaning much more work needs to be done.  If the bugs in throughput and distance can be overcome will this mean even much older homes could benefit ?  Will folks such as I with 1901 colonials whose wiring was last updated in the late 70’ be out of luck ?

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* Tech Arcane *

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Sound Recognition Comes to Music Search

Don't know the name of a song? No problem. The new Multimodal Adaptive Recognition System, or MARS, works by identifying several features in a tune, such as speech, pitch, tempo, and the location of pauses in the song, so you can simply sing or hum a tune to find it in the new search service

The music search technology works by extracting several features from the tune, such as speech, pitch, tempo, and the location of pauses in the song. MARS analyzes each element independently and gives the stronger components more weight in its analysis.

http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=13100C1EOCTQ&nl=2

T6 Comment: Am I the only one who is reminded of Al Bundy from Married with Children and his attempt to find the song in his head?

Actually this is pretty nifty on several fronts, the least of which is a way to find that damn song banging around in your head consisting of only the bridge. I could see this being a very handy tool for composers to check for unintended inspiration or latent plagiarism 

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* New Media *

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Gates: Internet to revolutionize TV in 5 years

The Internet is set to revolutionize television within five years, due to an explosion of online video content and the merging of PCs and TV sets, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said on Saturday.

"I'm stunned how people aren't seeing that with TV, in five years from now, people will laugh at what we've had," he told business leaders and politicians at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

http://news.com.com/Gates+Internet+to+revolutionize+TV+in+5+years/2100-1041_3-6154009.html?tag=nefd.top

T6 Comment:  This from the man who once said "640K ought to be enough for anybody." MS has had to play catch up with the net curve at nearly every turn, from graphical interfaces, to Internet browsers and media files.   Gates and crew appear to be attempting a move out of the middle and to the forefront with products like Media Center & X-Box (both integrating HD-DVD) and now a full push into IPTV.  By striking a note of fear to the traditional broadcast media-(that they will be left behind in the revolution)- MS is looking to position itself not only as a major player but the formats standard bearer.  Steve Jobs and Bill Gates have been happy to push the futurist dream of all PC all internet (or internet 2) media distribution model, as it benefits them the most with not just software and hardware sales but recurring revenue from services. Pundits from Phil Swann, Gary Krakow and Shelly Palmer talk IPTV up but also forewarn that HD may be IPTV’s brick wall until Internet 2 and net neutrality issues are resolved.  IPTV may be the point where the Internet finally looses the free spirit, equality for all content ethos influence of the BBS generation has had.  The ubiquitous Mom and Pop content shops will be buried by bandwidth bias once the major media players push to clear this “series of tubes”. Are we actually discussing the change from the information superhighway to the new boob tube?

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Poll: Americans think downloading no big deal

Most Americans regard the illegal downloading and distributing of Hollywood movies as something on par with minor parking offenses, according to a report issued Wednesday.

Only 40 percent of Americans polled by Toronto-based Solutions Research Group agreed that downloading copyrighted movies on the Internet was a "very serious offense."

That compares with the 78 percent who said shoplifting a DVD from the local video store was a very serious offense.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16828408/

T6 Comment:  I take serious issue with the general publics opinion of piracy. I have openly stated my full support of DRM’s on music or any downloadable media. The tired argument of how the media companies have and are still ripping off artists for generations is really irrelevant.  If you really believe this then get your music and movies only from bands and producers who give their creations away voluntarily. (There are plenty of them out there).  I am not advocating the extreme draconian enforcement methods of RIAA or ASCAP but the general rule is - If you did not pay for it then you are stealing.  Period. Is the crux of your argument that the studios charge way too much?  Then wait for the films to come out at on DVD or legal download or Tivo it from HBO, et al. (See, I am for fair use).  Unless you are willing to work for free as an example to others, just shut up and stop stealing.

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* Memory*

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Memory chip is the size of a blood cell

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have created a memory circuit the size of a white blood cell that they claim has enough capacity to store the Declaration of Independence and still have space left over. The circuit, built by a joint Caltech-UCLA team, has a 160-Kbit capacity

Caltech researchers say the 160,000 memory bits in the circuit are arranged like a large tic-tac-toe board -- 400 silicon wires crossed by 400 titanium wires -- with a layer of molecular switches sandwiched in between. Each wire crossing represents a bit, and a single bit is 15 nanometers wide

http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197000631

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* Certification & Standards*

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Ham radio licensing just got easier

The federal government has just made it somewhat easier to get a ham radio license. In a final rule change issued in yesterday's Federal Register, the FCC has announced it will be removing the requirement to pass a Morse code telegraphy examination in order to get a General Class or an Amateur Extra Class radio license.

Even more good news is the FCC will now allow Technician Class licensees High Frequency operating privileges. Automatically controlled digital stations will also be allowed to transmit in the 3585-3600kHz segment of the 80 m band. Both rule changes will go into effect February 23, 2007.

http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2007Jan/gee20070125001849.htm

T6 Comment:  I am going to miss Morse Code.  I was never a ham guy but did learn MC for my very first CB license- and for those who would like to have some fun at my expense, my handle for years was Screamin Demon! Yes indeed.  This was also my very first AOL screen name way back in 1989, quite sad really. 

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* Working Knowledge *

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Home Networking Made Simple(r)

Most people with a reasonable amount of networking know-how would probably tell you that Windows XP makes it pretty easy to perform basic networking tasks like connecting to a wired or wireless LAN, accessing the Internet, configuring or printing to a networked printer, or sharing a folder.

But "easy" is a relative term, because while it certainly is simpler to accomplish these tasks in Windows XP than in previous versions of Windows, if you aren't especially knowledgeable about networking, you may often find performing them a challenge. And since the standard Windows networking tools aren't always the most efficient, if you're a more-experienced user, you may find performing network tasks more time-consuming or complicated than they need to be.

Using a home network management utility can be a good way to make Windows networking easier for novices and experienced users alike… By adding special drivers to your system's network stack, they're able to consolidate and automate a variety of common network functions, plus add some additional capabilities such as network management, enhanced security and diagnostic and troubleshooting features that go beyond what comes standard with Windows.

http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/tutorials/article.php/3656211

T6 Comments: Handy tips for the tech support personnel, installer and Rep alike. Enjoy!

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All quoted material is the copyright of the respective sites and \ or authors- except were noted or comments are clearly mine. 

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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