Issue 22, Volume 3

T6 Issue 22, Volume 3 is finally up after some irksome formating issues that Word decided to add and thereby screwing me royal.  I have not been able to get everything back to normal but it is close.

I also ask you to note the new email subscribe option. I am looking to end the emails from me directly and have those interested sign up directly. The feedburner version will allow me to more readily manage those email subs who do not want the normal feedburner subscriptions.   You can still subscribe to the various reader aggregators by using the 'Subscribe to this blogs Feed' option at the top of the page.

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* Wifi / Mobile*

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Solar-Powered Wi-Fi
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Orlando-based Solis Energy has released a plan to provide guaranteed energy to low-wattage devices, even in the event of a blackout. Customers will be able to power their 100-watt-and-under devices -- WiFi hotspots, security cameras, traffic lights, and sensors, even when grid power is unavailable -- using solar power.
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http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2176043,00.asp <http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2176043,00.asp>
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T6 Commentary: Why would this be even remotely relevant you ask?  What good is having my personal network up when the ISP has gone deep six? Plenty, I reply!   Aside from the metropolitan infrastructure safety this could provide, it is also the prefect back up to insure your 802.11n wireless AV distribution system stays up in a power outage.  Such support could actually be very beneficial if your main phone is VoiP –(so long as the cable company has such back ups on place for their systems. I don’t know about you but I have cablevision and the entire neighborhood gets fuzzy reception the moment a weatherman even thinks of rain).  Plus It make the prefect compliment to the Blekin N1 Vision router_(See T6 Issue 19,Volume 3)_ with built in digital clock display, so you can accurately track just how long your power outage is and blog to your out of state friend about just how inconvenienced you are.
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Connecting to Wi-Fi Networks Using Windows Vista      
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Although the new networking interfaces in Vista may be better organized and enhanced for the majority of consumers, advanced PC users won’t care for the redesign. As you’ll see, accessing some networking configuration and connection detail windows now requires more clicks than before.
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http://www.practicallynetworked.com/networking/082107vista_wireless.htm <http://www.practicallynetworked.com/networking/082107vista_wireless.htm>

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T6 Commentary: I am still learning the details of Vista, all while reading the chorus of tech writers reporting on a not so smooth transition from XP for most users..  It may not be pretty folks, but this looks like a good start toward gaining insight on the processes of Vista control panels.

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* H\DTV*

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CableLabs Approves DTCP-IP For Digital Cable Products

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According to a release, CableLabs’ approval of the standard allows its “licensees under DFAST, CHILA and DCAS to protect pay-per-view and video-on-demand transmissions against unauthorized copying and unauthorized Internet retransmission, while assuring consumers’ ability to record broadcast and subscription programming, in digital formats, for personal use
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http://www.twice.com/article/CA6471379.html <http://www.twice.com/article/CA6471379.html>
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T6 Commentary: As HD becomes more and more common on cable so do the concerns of piracy especially with PPV (Pay Per View) services which could be a huge issue as more content is created natively in HD.  I have not had a chance to read into the copy protection scheme yet, but I suspect it will be similar to the Apple DRM methods that also allowed for a few ‘personal’ back up or library copies. The inclusion of ‘personal use’ copies is a big deal and directly related to the ongoing scrum between the DVD CCA and Kalidascape.  It is also, by no small measure, a bow to the DVR time shifting revolution now lead by Tivo.
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* Format Wars *

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Video Wars II
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The industry has been abuzz all week over the back-door incentives used to induce the studios in question to abandon Blu-ray. Paramount was rumoured to have received $50m and DreamWorks $100m for making the switch. Other incentives were said to have included exclusive promotion and marketing support for the studios’ new releases.

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http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9689600 <http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9689600>

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T6 Commentary:  Now even the economist magazine has gotten into the act, reporting on how despite the trend and statistical sales advantage of Blu-Ray Both DreamWorks and Paramount have decided to release titles in HD-DVD formats exclusively.  Not only has the normally staid Economist reported on this industry fracas –(with some quaint Johnny- come- lately background on the early 80 VHS format war)- but has declared HD-DVD the better buy for stability, robust durability, enticing interactive features and easier programming of content!  “By comparison, writing software for HD DVD using Microsoft’s HDi interactive technology is a doddle—with one simple command doing the task of scores of lines of BD-Java". This last part was unknown to me and it convinces me further that the better man will not win here. HD-DVD is just sounding too good to not be beat down within an inch of its life. Thus giving Blu-Ray 10 years to offer what HD-DVD has now. Oh, Progress! (as a side note – the ‘oh, Progress’ tag has left me torn between referencing either Whitman or X-Ray Spec.  I tend to think ole Walt would have like Polystyrene and the band,(he was kind of funny that way).
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* New Media  *

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IBM: Internet to Eclipse TV
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A total of 66 percent of the new survey's respondents reported viewing television programs from one to four hours per day, versus 60 percent who reported the same levels of personal Internet use. Moreover, researchers said the traditional TV set is increasingly taking a back seat to PCs and cellular handsets among consumers between the ages of 18 and 34.
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http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=11300ADV5AEE&nl=2 <http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=11300ADV5AEE&nl=2>
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T6 Commentary: I include this article to show how other ‘silicon Valley\Alley’ companies are effectively taking up Bill Gates battle cry of traditional media’s demise in less then 10 years. I also get to trot out the SwanniSez inverse square law yet again. (For those new to the blog, Phil Swann – an HD advocate and Broadcast TV magazine writer- has long held that ‘NO ONE’ wants to watch programming on small screens such as Cell phones and iPods have.  My take is that every time Swanni states this the number of products offering such services and their subscribers’ doubles).
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IBM sees future in Second Life, Web worlds
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IBM sales representatives in Singapore, Malaysia and Australia will now staff the company's virtual Business Center in Second Life <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20405522/> , an online world where millions of participants create alter egos called avatars, buy property and interact with one another
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20405522/ <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20405522/>
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T6 Commentary: Second life has become something of paradigm shift for its participants with more and more companies looking to set up virtual establishments.  Think of Second Life (SL) as a Live version of Sims People with the social networking systems Worlds of Warcraft have spawned, but with out the hit points and broadswords. Still confused why this would show up in T6?  IBM is attempting to not only sell real equipment and services but also virtual versions of its services, as there is real money to be made on SL.
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Notable publications like EETimes has reported on the tech manufacture entry to SL http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=CGHWWS5OPIUVSQSNDLRCKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=199903714). EE Time also had several online surveys asking electronic supplies and manufactures about their Second Life plans.
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NPR’s Business Magazine, Market Place, has reported on the vast wealth being generated by owners of SL business who provide the SL avatars with all the material goods they desire - Second Life: Real Money in a Virtual World - http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6431819.
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NPR has also reported on the growing trend of cutting edge (and not so cutting edge) companies conducting job interviews in SL- Virtual Recruiting for Real-World Jobs http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=13851345 <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=13851345>
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Targus Debuts Sound Enhancer For Portable Music Players
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The device incorporates Phantom Technologies-patented circuit, which enhances sound quality by up to 20 percent to 25 percent, revealing instruments and voices from original recordings that are typically lost during compression, the company said
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http://www.twice.com/article/CA6470927.html <http://www.twice.com/article/CA6470927.html>
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T6 Commentary:  I am surprised that it has taken this long before a serious system offering to improve the ‘lossy’ quality of MP3’s to something more bearable. Slowly we claw our way back to quality with convenience.
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* Working Knowledge  *

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MONEY and the MIND
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Dr. Frank then talks about some of the ways in which the incredible gains that have been experienced by those at the very top are squeezing those in the middle. He describes what he calls a "spending cascade." For example, when those at the top start building much bigger mansions, the result is that those just below them in the income scale also start building bigger houses, and so on and so on. As a result, since the 1970s, the size of the average middle-class home has grown much larger, without a commensurate increase in middle-class families' purchasing power. Thus, people end up working longer hours, having less time with their families, spending more, and saving less. He says buying bigger houses is not really an issue of envy -- there's a frame of reference for every time and place, and if what you have stands out conspicuously on the low side, you become uncomfortable. In additional to the psychological cost of feeling you're not keeping up, there are also concrete costs -- for example, people want to live in neighborhoods with good schools, which now requires buying a bigger home than it used to. In other words, people buy what they think they need; the problem is, what they "need" depends on what other people are spending.
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http://www.lcmedia.com/mind493.htm <http://www.lcmedia.com/mind493.htm>
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T6 Commentary: the quote above is an excerpt from an NPR weekly show on the science of the mind and mental health issues whose topics and conversation often expand greatly beyond the initial focus of the show subject. In the August 21 show a conversation that directly relates to the automation industry is brought up to show how great a dichotomy in the average persons understanding of money and its real value (or unintended affect).  I will refrain from my normal modus and simply state that this is one to roll around in your head for a while.
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Control Systems for Live Entertainment – Third Edition is now out.
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Have I mentioned this already?  No really stop if you have heard this one already.

John Huntington's Control Systems for Live Entertainment has just been released in its third Edition.  The book is chock full of information on DMX, ANC, MIDI, Serial communications and a plethora of others all in clear concise language. The book also contains tons of useful tables. I strongly suggest that everyone obtain at least one copy of the third edition for your staff.

Check out a preview chapter at http://books.elsevier.com/us/focalbooks/us/subindex.asp?isbn=9780240809373&country=United+States&community=focalbooks&ref=&mscssid=WAQ3BACKVJ168JX2E2WCFQ6TF79MC8R5 <http://books.elsevier.com/us/focalbooks/us/subindex.asp?isbn=9780240809373&country=United+States&community=focalbooks&ref=&mscssid=WAQ3BACKVJ168JX2E2WCFQ6TF79MC8R5>

If you decide to buy, please use the link thru located on John's site - www.controlgeek.net <http://www.controlgeek.net/>  as John gets a better value from the amazon referrals then nearly any other.  So help a brother out and get your self all learned up to boot.

Well, what are you waiting for?  Open a new tab in IE and order the dang thing – the obit below is interesting enough to create a sense of anticipation for whilst you order John’s book.
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* Obit  *

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Joybubbles phPhone phreaker extraordinaire dead at 58  – link credit to Stephen Baker & Michael Flink
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At the age of four, Joybubbles became fascinated with telephones. Having perfect pitch, around 1957 he discovered he could whistle into a telephone a precise 2600 hertz tone, the frequency then used by AT&T to signal that a long-distance telephone line was not presently in use and was now available for another call. By whistling at 2600 hertz into the phone, Joybubbles told the phone company’s far end switch that the line was now idle.
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http://businessvoip.tmcnet.com/topics/trends/articles/9789-joybubbles-hastened-move-intelligent-telephone-networks.htm <http://businessvoip.tmcnet.com/topics/trends/articles/9789-joybubbles-hastened-move-intelligent-telephone-networks.htm>

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T6 Commentary:  Interesting character, Joybubbles, his horrible childhood aside he lived and influenced remarkably.  As the article details JB could open up early phone lines simply by whistling the correct frequency (at the time 2600 Hz).  The article connects how JB’s reported exploits influenced others to recreate his method, specifically one John Draper who created some of the first electronic phone phreaking devices – Blue Boxes. (The linked article does a fine job of synopsizing the short history of Blue, Red, Gold, etc boxes designed to circumvent pay phones) John Draper is reported to have taught Both Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak how to build such boxes. Draper was later hired by Apple years later when the Steve’s formed their company. The Butterfly effect indeed.  Joybubbles was also the inspiration for a legion of educated hackers who took up his form of curiosity hacking and formed the magazine and hacker group –2600 <http://www.2600.com/> .  Emmanuel Goldstein and the boys of 2600 interviewed Mr. Engressia on their radio show – ‘off the hook’ – back in 1991; Click the link and scroll down to the ‘-11/20/91-‘ listing at bottom (http://www.2600.com/offthehook/1991/1191.html <http://www.2600.com/offthehook/1991/1191.html>  ).
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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