Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Issue 16, Volume 3



Telharmonium_rotor_2 









Special Note: Next weeks edition may be truncated, delayed or not published at all.







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* Wifi / Mobile*



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Tzero Zeroes in on Home Video
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Tzero Technologies' latest chipset, the ZeroWire (TZC7200), is directed at home entertainment. The company says it will handle “real-time delivery of high-definition video, wirelessly and over wires.”



The chip incorporates a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), plus the baseband and media access control (MAC) system on a chip. It’s fully compatible with the WiMedia standard for ultrawideband (UWB) transmissions, which is also the basis for Wireless USB and future Bluetooth 3.0 standards.



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http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/news/article.php/3683151



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T6 Commentary: In issue 13, Volume 3 -I quoted an article about Cisco purchasing Video Surveillance firm BroadWare (http://www.technewsworld.com/story/57517.html) .  As stated there, the major network players are itching to get in on the home A\V networking market. Tzero is looking to expand its niche market placement by insinuating themselves into a total home solution with and inclusion of femtocells –(technology using a combination of wifi, WiMax and connections to VoIP in addition to standard cellular services, such as CDMA-2000)- integrated into their whole home distribution systems.  Not only voice and data can be ‘seamlessly’ transferred from connection to connection whilst you walk about from car to street to house, so can your mobile video.  Recent surveys, according to Jupiter research, cell phone only household are growing amongst the 18-24 year olds (lesser so, but to some extent the 24-30 year olds as well). This age group (18-35) is the main target demographic for marketers as they have disposable income, a desire for the new-cool and generally do not have family financial obligations. This most desirable demographic also leads the charge to new media devices. This could be a start of the mass-market appeal. 





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Satellite Firms Add Wi-MAX Service



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Wireless broadband service provider Clearwire said Thursday it has reached deals with DirecTV and EchoStar to deliver Wi-MAX broadband Internet access to subscribers of the respective satellite TV services beginning this later this year.



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http://www.twice.com/article/CA6452374.html



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T6 Commentary: The Satellite companies have been longing for a way to offer and compete with the bundled packages services offered by Cable companies. Now, by forming a partnership with Sprint’s WiMax both get serious benefits.  Sprint gets another partner in the WiMax alliance, which is another step toward securing the frequencies it has possession of. DirectTV and EchoStar get a reliable data transfer backbone, something they sorely need in order to provide quality ISP services. Current satellite ISP services are just bloody awful, not much better then the days of analog modems. (Yes, yes, they claim certain benchmarks but most of this is weighted by the upload speeds – not necessarily the download times. Which do you use most often?).  Do not think for a moment that both WiMax and the satellite broadcasters are unaware of IPTV’s growth.  How far of a stretch is it to imagine an alliance between this partnership and companies like Tzero –(see above article)- providing comprehensive wake to sleep 24 hour content.  I am uncertain if the right time has arrived or if this is a bit too immature of a market to thrive. I could see this taking root in the rural Midwest and other areas not serviced by cable and just on the edge of major broadcasters off-air coverage. Later acceptance in densely packed urban areas could come with the desired un-interrupted content flow of music and video. 



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* Displays*



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Sony's Net TV Device Ships In July



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Unlike Apple TV, which transmits video from the PC to the TV, the Sony device will connect directly to the high-def set using the USB and HDMI ports. The compatible Bravia set will come with a bracket on the back that will hold the device.
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http://www.tvpredictions.com/forum/



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T6 Commentary:  See T6 Issue 3 Volume 3 for original announcement of the Bravia net TV device, note how the Sony spokesperson makes pains to state how the monitor is not intended to make an attack on traditional broadcast TV but to give what its customers are demanding.  It appears Sony and Apple have heeded Bill Gate’s credo of how people 10 years from now will think we were crazy for not getting all of our content off the Internet.





One should also note just what affect a major consumer manufacture jumping in to the IPTV market could have on the future of Net Neutrality. It comes down to a question of bandwidth and who owns it.  Not nearly your father’s Internet futurist view?



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MIT Researchers Transmit Wireless Electricity- Thanks to Mark Tallent for bringing me an article on BBC.com about wireless power.



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Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have figured out a way to transmit electric power over the air, meaning one day your cell phone could recharge itself without your having to plug it in. They're calling it Wi-tricity — short for "wireless electricity."



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http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10856955



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T6 Commentary: The system consists of two copper coils (2’ wide) that share a resonant frequency. I would suppose this is a form of the piezoelectric effect where the mechanical force is the resonance thus producing voltage. While the usable Power ratio is only half what is used to create it, this is a big step towards fulfilling, at least in a microcosmic manner, the dream of Tesla.  Many only remember Tesla’s legacy of being a bit off his rocker and chasing what many deemed to be equitable with perpetual motion machines.  Tesla’s contributions to many modern techniques in broadcast and power distribution are numerous and unequaled.  It may be he will be vindicated in some small part if this Wi-Tricity can make it to the mass market. 



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Short pictorial of the Tesla ‘World Wireless Broadcast towers’ at: http://www.teslasociety.com/teslatower.htm



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A bit more detailed info on the planned ‘world System of Power: http://www.frank.germano.com/nikolatesla5.htm



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* Format Wars *



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T6 Commentary:  It appears that there is a lot of hot and heavy movement on the downfall of HD-DVD.  It appears; despite no clear sales numbers advocating one format over another the pundits are declaring the end in Neigh. (HD- DVD has more potential users based on sales of X-Box and some sales numbers showing actual units sold out strip Blu-Ray, which has more units ordered by retailers but no clear indication of more units sold. Blu-ray does have more titles and content producers aligned with them.  HD-DVD does not appear to be getting any boost from the ‘adult industry’ support.  Presented below are a few of the articles to appear in the last few days:





BlockBuster favors Blu-Ray to HD-DVD: http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=102006NMMGUU&nl=2



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Toshiba Cuts HD-DVD forecast: http://twice.com/article/CA6451315.html



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How HD-DVD can survive: http://www.tvpredictions.com/swannihddvd061807.htm



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* New Media  *



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Dead Media Beat: Obsolete Electronic Musical Instruments 1870 - 1990





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The music came over the regular telephone wire, and was delivered through a series of horns or megaphones -- similar to those used for phonographs -- the playing being done, meanwhile, by skilled performers at the central station. … music telharmonium demonstration have would now audience how house, private in used ever telephone installed had pen; fountain- users earliest one been work; manuscript for typewriter use told but failures, on dwell not did He proportions. equal well less or more out turned which inventions enthusiastic generally midnight, before little speech made idea…





Mark Twain: A Biography,Albert Bigelow Paine (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1912), 1364-1365



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http://blog.wired.com/sterling/2007/06/dead_media_beat_1.html



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T6 Commentary:  With all the hoopla and promise of ‘new media’ and the hyperactive proclamations of what is to come it is interesting to look at earlier attempts. If you did not catch it on the first read, the description of a ‘streamed’ music to the home is by Mark Twain in late 1800’s, early 1900’s. (The last Telharmonium was installed in 1906). In all truth the Telharmonium was a 200-ton synthesizer, the service had to finally be discontinued as it interfered with normal phone service. Even in the case of ‘music on demand’ from the late 1800’s bandwidth considerations and more specifically which service will have primary access to the transport topology was a key concern. For Thaddeus Cahill voice communications trumped his service, for IPTV or online radio it is whether or not Net Neutrality is enforced by law or whether that law favors one supplier-(or type). Interesting that such considerations are nearly 100 years old.



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While there are several links on the web describing the process and functions of this device I first learned of Telharmounium , Russolo’s Noise Machines, Theremin and Partiturophon in a book I purchased for a quarter on 42nd street in 1992.  Published in 1981 by Control Data Press ‘Electronic Music’ subtitled ‘The instruments, The Music and the Musicians’ it is an insiders view of what then was an explosion into the mainstream recognition.  The book is written in a style that crosses between textbook and an oral history of the Electronic Music scene.  In addition to the ‘pre-history history there is a fantastic glossary of early innovators from David Bowie to André Jolivet. I could only find a passing reference to this book in Amazon and  it may be possible to purchase: http://www.amazon.com/Electronic-music-Covent-Garden-guides/dp/0898935040/ref=sr_11_1/102-4794490-3651336?ie=UTF8&qid=1182176999&sr=11-1



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Telecom: Back From The Dead 







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Over the past year, however, the telecom industry has roared back to life. Credit a steady rise in appetite for broadband Internet connections, which enable easy consumption of watch-my-cat video clips, iPod music files, and such Web-inspired services as free Internet phoning. Indeed, this year broadband adoption among U.S. adults is expected to cross the important threshold of 50%. Capital spending is on the rise as companies invest to build high-speed networks. Private equity players are placing enormous bets on the industry, such as the $8.2 billion that Silver Lake Partners and the Texas Pacific Group agreed to pay for networking gearmaker Avaya on June 5. And the glut in broadband communications capacity is all but gone.



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http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_26/b4040001.htm?chan=technology_technology+index+page_top+stories



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T6 Commentary:  Quite comprehensive article on the new media effects on an industry, which was practically given last rites a few years back.  I recall several articles showing how miles and miles of new fiber runs were going unused only a few months after being rushed to install ahead of the rising Internet – soon to be called bubble- boom. Well not anymore.  Where there was once a ‘glut of bandwidth’ it is now nearly non-existent.  What’s old is new again as the once giant telecom’s creak back to life as a force to be contented with, not just tolerated. 



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* Working Knowledge  *



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Understanding and Resolving IP Address Conflicts



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Let's start by briefly defining exactly an IP address conflict is. In order for a system to communicate on a network it must have an IP address, and by definition that IP addresses must be unique — unique, at least, to your own network. When two devices somehow wind up with the same IP address, this is detected and the network interface on both on them gets disabled, causing each system to lose its connectivity until the conflict is resolved.



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http://www.practicallynetworked.com/networking/061407ip_conflicts.htm



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T6 Commentary: The Basics, it is always a good idea to refresh ones self and to pass along to your staff as an additional tool in troubleshooting.



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Check out T6’s ‘Culture Corner’ with links to bands you should know and Inspired technical links from those who inspire me.



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Does anyone actually read the liner notes? Let me know, the comments section of T6 is now open.  At the end of every issue find the Comments link.



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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





















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