Ikanos Communications Executives to Present at Lehman Brothers 2007 Global Technology Conference

FREMONT, Calif., Nov. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ikanos Communications, Inc. , a leading developer and provider of Fiber Fast(TM) broadband solutions, today announced that members of its executive team are scheduled to present at Lehman Brothers 2007 Global Technology Conference to be held at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, California on Wednesday, December 5, 2007 at 3:00 p.m. pacific time. The live webcast and replay of Ikanos' presentation will be available on the investor relations page of the Ikanos Communications web site at http://ir.ikanos.com/.
About Ikanos Communications, Inc.
Ikanos Communications, Inc. develops chipsets that enable carriers to offer Fiber Fast(TM) bandwidth and Gigabit network processing for enhanced triple play services. Ikanos' multi-mode VDSL2/ADSLx and network processor solutions power access infrastructure and customer premises equipment for many of the world's leading network equipment manufacturers. Ikanos' solutions enable fast and cost-effective carrier rollouts of interactive broadband services, including IPTV. For more information, visit: http://www.ikanos.com.
(C) 2007 Ikanos Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Ikanos Communications, Ikanos, the Ikanos logo, Ikanos Programmable Operating System, CleverConnect, Eagle, Fiber Fast, Fusiv, Fx, FxS, LoopNostics, RRA, SmartLeap and VLR are among the trademarks or registered trademarks of Ikanos.
Source: money.cnn.com

Telkom in phone-call rip-off

Making a call in SA costs twice as much as anywhere else in the world
Making a telephone call in South Africa costs twice as much as the international average.
This was the finding of a study by economics consulting firm Genesis Analytics, which compared the price of telecoms in 15 countries. The results of the study were released yesterday.
One of the main culprits is Telkom, currently the only landline operator.
The study was carried out by Regenesis Analytics and was released yesterday by Business Leadership South Africa.
Sarah Truen, a senior associate at Genesis Analytics, said: “There is evidence that price decreases have happened since 2005, [but] it is at a much slower rate than the international average.”
SA was ranked against developed countries such as the US and Australia and developing countries, such as Thailand, Turkey and Brazil. The study compared the prices of nine product categories that are at the heart of the telecoms industry.
The price of an international leased line in South Africa is 253percent higher than the average global price.
Business cellphone services cost 107percent more than the global average and retail ADSL services and business ADSL services are 119percent and 97percent more expensive respectively.
Truen said: “We cannot hope to remain competitive in telecommunications if we continue to lag behind international trends.
“We need to increase competitiveness or implement more aggressive price regulation,” she said.
The Independent Communication Authority of South Africa has implemented telecoms pricing regulation, but the complicated nature of the regulations makes them difficult to enforce.
To compound matters, the regulator does not have at its disposal the resources necessary to the enforcement of its regulations.
Mike Schussler, chief economist for T-Sec, said: “The department of communications is destroying development in the telecommunications industry and, in turn, the economic growth of the country.
“Something radical needs to be done to decrease prices.”
Telkom is currently the only owner of a sub-marine data cable that connects SA with the world.
The cost of bandwidth is 405percent higher than the international average.
The state-owned company’s exorbitant rates are forcing many major companies to route their data through neighbouring African countries.
Truen said a 12- step programme to decrease prices had been proposed in 2005, but had not been adequately implemented.
Among the steps proposed were that Telkom’s fixed-line infrastructure be unbundled; fair rate structures be introduced; Icasa’s independence and accountability be increased and cost-based prices be introduced.
Source: thetimes.co.za

Google To Spend Millions To Develop Renewable Energy Business

Google's goal is to work with others developing technologies that can harness solar, geothermal, wind, or other renewable energy sources.
By Antone Gonsalves InformationWeek November 27, 2007 05:10 PM
Google which dominates the online search advertising market, plans to branch out into renewable energy and is prepared to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on technologies that promise to deliver a return, the company's co-founders said Tuesday.
During a teleconference with reporters, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and other Google executives launched an initiative called REC, which stands for renewable energy less than coal. "I know, it's a little bit geeky," Page said of the initiative's name.
Google's goal is to work with other companies, research and development labs, and universities to develop technologies that can harness solar, geothermal, wind, or other renewable energy sources to generate a gigawatt of electricity at a cost that's less than the same amount of power produced by a coal-powered plant, which Page and Brin refer to as "dirty technologies."
Carbon dioxide released in the atmosphere from burning coal for power generation has been identified as a major contributor to global warming. Today, however, there is no renewable energy source capable of matching the relatively low cost of coal-generated electricity. For an alternative to be competitive, it would have to generate power at a cost of 1 cent to 3 cents per kilowatt-hour, Page estimates.
Google expects to spend tens of millions of dollars on research and development next year. The company, however, anticipates investing hundreds of millions of dollars in "breakthrough renewable energy projects which generate positive returns." The company plans a full-court press on solar power first, while investigating geothermal systems and other technologies.
Google, which will also use its nonprofit arm, Google.org, to finance some of the initiative, plans to initially hire at least 20 to 30 engineers and energy experts. Whatever promising technology comes out of the effort would be tested by Google, making the company a kind of energy guinea pig.
How Google would make money from the new technologies has yet to be determined. The company could license products, for example, or it could decide to take a percentage of the energy savings from their use. Either way, if Google is successful, then the company and its partners stand to make a lot of money, given the world's need to lower its dependence on fossil fuels. "We don't feel we have to own every piece [of future inventions], we just want the problem solved," Brin said.
Google does not intend to replace its core business of search advertising with energy-related technologies, the co-founders said. The company will continue to invest 70% of its resources on search and 20% on developing Web applications that extend its core business. The energy project fits into the 10% the company sets aside for innovation.
While declining to discuss financial details, Google.org is working with two companies that have promising technologies. ESolar of Pasadena, Calif., specializes in solar thermal power and hopes to develop technology that can be used as a coal replacement in power plants. Makani Power of Alameda, Calif., is developing technology to harness high-altitude wind power.
Asked about their use of private jets as needlessly adding to the problem of wasteful energy consumption, Brin acknowledged that "it's certainly an issue I've wrestled with." Google as a company, however, is on target to be "carbon neutral" by the end of the year. The term means it puts in place activities that reduce carbon-dioxide emissions at an amount equal to the carbon dioxide the company produces.
In addition, Google has installed solar panels that generate 1.6 megawatts of electricity and has joined other tech companies this year in forming the Climate Savers Computing Initiative, a consortium that advocates the design and use of more energy-efficient computers and servers.

Enum registry could revolutionise VoIP

A registry is to be created that could reduce businesses' phone bills by forcing VoIP providers to interconnect their networks.
The so-called Enum (from tElephone NUmber Mapping) registry is to be created by Nominet, the company that already runs the .uk registry, after it won the UK contract on Thursday.
Currently most VoIP calls pass over the public telephone network, incurring a charge, which is often passed on to the person who makes the call. If VoIP providers connected directly with each other, there would be no additional charge.
The Enum registry could also play a major role in the convergence of traditional telephony and IP telephony, by making standard telephone numbers work for both.
Although it has nothing to do with email, the Enum protocol suite works in a similar way to the domain name system (DNS) that identifies the location of someone's email server. By using Enum, internet telephony servers will be able to translate traditional telephone numbers into domains, which will aid the identification of the server that will handle the call on the other end.
Enum performs this translation through the use of a simple algorithm, which reverses the ordinary telephone number, puts dots between the digits and adds "e164.arpa" onto the end. So the number +44 1234 556677 would become 7.7.6.6.5.5.4.3.2.1.4.4.e164.arpa — a domain that is only meant to be used by a computer.
Jay Daley, director of IT for Nominet, said businesses would be able to avoid the traditional phone network and therefore save costs, if they registered their Enum numbers and published the addresses of their VoIP servers. "Those with VoIP servers will see the immediate gain," said Daley on Tuesday. "Many businesses have a high-speed internet connection and are already moving to internet telephony services. A large supermarket chain might request that all their suppliers use this system."
Daley also suggested that consumers would see a benefit from Enum because it would put pressure on VoIP providers to make their networks interoperable.
"Home consumers already use things like Skype, but the problem with Skype is that you can only talk to [other Skype users] for free," said Daley. "You also don't have a proper telephone number unless you pay for it. [Enum] allows you to go to Skype's competitors, get a proper telephone number from them and then dial any other competitor who wishes to participate for free."
"Many people may move VoIP provider to get a company that does this properly," added Daley. "All these little islands of VoIP providers are going to have to be connected or risk losing their business to companies that are."
According to Daley, the system will go live in spring 2008. Some numbers, such as 0800 freephone numbers, may not be supported, but it is likely that mobile numbers will be supported; a development that could see more widespread implementation of VoIP clients on handsets using Wi-Fi or 3G connectivity.
Once the system goes live, businesses using internet telephony servers will be able to contact their registrar — or possibly their VoIP provider — to register their numbers. The registrar will then use a third party to verify the ownership of the number, before registering the resulting domain name with Nominet.
Nominet will then "publish the details in the same way we publish domains", according to Daley.

Source: news.zdnet.co.uk

BenQ Chooses 3LCD Technology for Product Line-Up

Leading Projector Manufacturer Delivers 3LCD Color, Detail and Reliability
LONG BEACH, Calif., Nov. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- 3LCD Technology, the world'snumber one projection display technology, announced today that BenQ, a leadinglifestyle device provider, has joined the growing list of manufacturers whoutilize 3LCD projection technology to offer their customers the highestquality home theater projector solutions. BenQ ranked third in worldwideprojector shipments in 2006, according to DTC, a leading market researchcompany.
"We are excited that BenQ has joined the growing number of manufacturersthat are utilizing 3LCD technology for its projectors," said Tim Anderson,senior marketing manager, 3LCD Technology. "BenQ has been a leader in theprojection market, and by adding 3LCD to their line up, they are joining alist of companies who are dedicated to delivering the best projection productson the market."
BenQ recently made the decision to expand its offering to include 3LCDTechnology in their home theater projector line-up with its W500 720pprojector. 3LCD Technology is the leader in sales for both 720p and 1080phigh-definition (HD) home theater projectors, according to Pacific MediaAssociates (PMA).
The BenQ W500 offers 5000:1 contrast ratio, and features an iris-like lensdesign that mimics the human eye by automatically adjusting the aperture afteranalyzing the incoming video signal. 3LCD Technology utilizes a 3-chip designfor all projectors to deliver brilliant, full-time color.
The BenQ W500 is now available in select countries in Asia, Middle East,Europe and the U.S.
Key Features of W500:
Superb HD Performance
The W500 not only converts SD content such as analog TV broadcasts toHD-quality video, but it analyzes an amazing 1,024 pixels in the source foreach pixel in the final HD version for native HD-like picture quality.
Source: reuters.com

Websites ill-prepared for new technology

The majority of businesses that run their own website are concerned that new technologies will have an adverse effect on performance.

A poll conducted by hosting firm NetBenefit revealed that 74 per cent of respondents are concerned that adding new technologies to their websites will slow down performance.

But 52 per cent are not changing their hosting requirements to meet the growing demand.

The survey, which was carried out among delegates at the recent E-Commerce Expo in London, asked a series of questions about company websites.

While 52 per cent revealed that their companies are doing at least half their business online, a worrying 80 per cent of these had experienced downtime in the past 12 months.

Jonathan Robinson, chief operating officer at NetBenefit, said: "Only three fifths of those surveyed were confident that they had the right levels of redundancy in their hosting platform to guarantee uptime.

"Businesses are still slow to see the connection between brand and revenue protection, and a truly robust managed hosting platform that can provide guaranteed uptime backed by 24/7 support."

As online applications such as wikis, RSS feeds, podcasts and web seminars become more mainstream, companies need to embrace the opportunity to make their websites more interactive, according to Robinson.

"However, it does not matter how well designed and clever a site is. If it is not reliable and robust enough to manage all these new applications it is an empty investment."
Source: vnunet.com

“Organizations need easy-to-use and cost-effective voice and data communications services to enable personal productivity and efficient operations, and to be responsive to their customers. Windows, as an open platform that supports standards, provides the infrastructure to meet these customer requirements. Coupled with third-party support, Windows offers a comprehensive set of communications technologies and solutions from which customers can choose. With the open platform of the Windows family, Microsoft is committed to making it easier for telephony and converged communications software and hardware vendors to bring better solutions to customers more quickly. Today's announcements support this mission.1” Microsoft.

Sounds like a quote from Microsoft’s recent Office Communications Server 2007 launch doesn’t it? Think again.

“Today at Computer Telephony Expo (CT Expo) Spring '99, Microsoft Corp. announced agreements and plans to expand opportunities in computer telephony and converged network communications for customers and developers using any of the Microsoft Windows operating systems. Microsoft also previewed new technologies expected to increase the use of Windows as the preferred platform for communications solutions.”

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Windows TAPI version 3.0 failed to live up to the promise of establishing Windows as the preferred platform for voice communications solutions. But Microsoft has taken a renewed interest in converged communications with OCS 2007. And this time they are putting more R&D and marketing dollars behind converged communications (although these days it is more fashionable to refer to it as Unified Communications).

OCS 2007 delivers a broad set of presence-aware IM, VoIP and conferencing capabilities. And Microsoft has established partnerships and interoperability agreements with all the major PBX players including Nortel, Avaya, Cisco and others. Jeff Raikes, President Microsoft Business Division predicts that in the next three years, at least 100 million people will be able to make phone calls using OCS.

With all the industry buzz it is difficult for IT and Telecom planners not to take a hard look at OCS 2007. But with history as a guideline, many planners are proceeding cautiously. Prudent IT managers are identifying the true total costs of an OCS 2007 implementation, investigating the availability of key features, and studying alternative and complimentary solutions.

The basic premise upon which OCS 2007 is founded is not new. Microsoft recognizes that the voice and IT worlds have always been autonomous. Voice has been purchased, implemented, and managed independently of the IT infrastructure. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Instead, interactive communications services, such as voice, can be delivered in software and they can be deployed and consumed in a manner similar to other IT applications and services. Business Communications Platform vendors have been promoting and delivering this concept for quite some time.

By implementing voice as a software-based service, an enterprise can:

Leverage IT server assets (and volume purchase agreements) for voice
Exploit ongoing server price/performance improvements
Utilize IT staff and back office systems for voice administration and operations
Reduce voice TCO
Offer single sign-on and authorization for voice and data
More easily integrate voice with software applications and business processes
But not all software-based interactive communications platforms are the same. Here are some important items to consider when investigating OCS 2007 or any software-based solution for voice services.

Handset and soft phone choices. Does the solution support any standard SIP-based hard phone or softphone so you can choose the device that best meets your price, form-factor and functional needs? Some vendors rely on proprietary extensions that limit your handset choices.

PBX and PSTN interworking. Does the platform work with any standards-based media gateway? Does it offer a choice of external gateways as well as internal server adapters that best meet your price and capacity needs throughout your entire enterprise?

High availability. What types of redundancy and availability features are supported? Can a branch office survive an IP failure? Can branch office workers continue to place and receive PSTN calls when the data connection to HQ is down?

Emergency calling services. Does the system support 911 calls for SOHO users?

SIP trunk providers. Does the solution allow you to leverage a SIP trunk provider to reduce your long distance and international calling costs?

Thin SIP client technology. Does the vendor offer Java, ActiveX or Flash technology to embed a softphone into a Web page or browser based application? Can you quickly add VoIP click-to-talk to your web site or Web 2.0 application? Can your mobile employees place and receive corporate telephone calls from a browser?

High level APIs. Does the platform offer an abstract programming interface to allow developers with no telephony background to quickly and easily integrate voice with software applications and business processes? Do these APIs allow you to reach out to external business logic to influence call handling and routing decisions?

By deploying voice as a software service, enterprises can extend and improve IT asset investments, make better use of IT development and administrative resources, and reduce telecommunications capital equipment and operations expenses. And by incorporating interactive communications into business applications, businesses can enjoy improved employee productivity, increased product and services revenues, and increased customer satisfaction and retention.

When formulating a Unified Communications strategy, IT planners should fully investigate the VoIP capabilities of OCS 2007 and other UC platforms. In practice, an enterprise may need to deploy a combination of solutions to meet its full set of requirements – a UC solution such as OCS for presence, I/M and collaboration plus a Business Communications Platform to integrate voice and other interactive communication services into Web pages, Web 2.0 applications and business processes while delivering enterprise grade corporate voice services.
Source: tmcnet.com

Hosted VoIP: Why Would Anyone Purchase a Phone System Any More?

Business owners have heard the same thing over and over again: focus on your core business and do what you do best. Business owners can outsource non-core elements of their business to enhance productivity and efficiency. In the world of phone systems, not much has changed over the last 20 years, that is, until now. The Old WayOpen the yellow pages, find a company that sells phone systems and ask for a quote. They would sell you a standard phone system for $20,000 that includes all the cabling you need and an integrated voicemail system for about 20 people. They leave and tell you to call AT&T and order some POTS lines or a PRI.
You probably call your IT guy who tells you he doesn't know anything about phone systems and you proceed to deal with installing a PRI yourself and talking to the local telecom technicians (in their language). What about the Internet? You probably call AT&T back and order a T-1. Your office manager's cousin shows up to configure the router and tells you to buy a firewall. Though you finally have Internet access and a phone system working side by side, what happens when the power goes out?
Who do you call? The phone guys? Your IT guy? AT&T? The cablers? What happens next month when you need to add your 21st employee and you find out your phone switch only supports up to 20 phones and now you have to purchase an 'upgrade module' and pay for it to be installed? Even so, that will only last you until 30 phones. Why would anyone want to deal with the headaches? Ask any business owner who has purchased a phone system if they'd do it again. They probably learned more telecom acronyms than they care to know and developed a hatred for the local phone company. The New WayThese days, you can get more for your money by using someone else's phone system delivered as a managed service. Going to a specialized service provider gives you all the functionality and features of a full-blown VoIP phone system without having to actually buy the 'system'. In fact, that big hunk of metal in your phone closet doesn�t exist in the world of managed services. All the 'brains' to your phone system are located in a secure, redundant facility hosted by the service provider (just like your Web site). Your phones act more like computers and run over the same data network as your PCs but are kept completely private and secure through the use of high-tech network devices. Due to enhanced features, your employees now have voicemail they can check in Outlook or on the Web. Their incoming calls are automatically screened and routed based on user-specific rules that are easily administered through a Web site. You can put phones in all your branch offices throughout the U.S. with minimal effort and now you've got a seamlessly integrated national or global phone system that allows you to intercom associates across the country as if they were in the next office over. If you have a problem, you have one number to call and one local help desk that is familiar with your business and your needs. The managed services model makes sense for most small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) for a number of reasons: Without the expense of building an infrastructure, you get a high-speed Internet connection; a cutting-edge business phone system with automatic call distribution, voicemail, call forwarding, intercom and conferencing; and integrated voice, fax and e-mail messaging. The service provider is responsible for building in system redundancies for disaster recovery and built-in business continuity so the phones can go anywhere. As your business grows or shrinks, so does your phone system. Because IP telephony is state of the art and still subject to change and growth, the managed services model offers the ability to keep up with improvements in the underlying technology. While the idea of outsourcing non-core business functions is certainly not a new one, it's finally an option for business phone systems. If you ask any business owner what they remember most about starting their business or moving into new office space, they will likely cite their major pains as technology and furniture. The telecom industry is notorious for being complicated. It's about time we have options that allow us to pass up traditional phone companies and work with specialized service companies to implement our voice and data needs. Here's the kicker: it's actually more reliable than doing it yourself. The service provider houses all the brains to the system in a secure hosting facility and has at least two of everything. If any piece of equipment fails, there's another just waiting to back it up. It's that company's job to make sure the system is running and is 100 percent available even if your office is not. In an emergency, just go home. Bring your IP phone with you or redirect your calls to your home or cell phone via the Web site. After many years of testing and enhancing technology, there is finally a reliable alternative to purchasing, managing and maintaining a phone and Internet system: subscribe to the service offered by a professional. The strength of VoIP in the current market has enabled service providers to office a hosted, managed service that is as reliable and sounds the same as tradition phone systems. A business can now get more features and benefits for less money and less headaches while increasing reliability, scalability and flexibility. Who wouldn't want that? Why would anyone buy a new phone system these days?
Source: tmcnet.com

3G Mobile Technology Is Catching On

Audi Korea staffer Lee Yun-kyung, who often travels overseas on business, has bought a 3G mobile phone because it’s easy to sign up for the roaming service. The service is not wide open, but it also allows subscribers to send text messages and make video calls from Europe to Korea, a marked improvement from 2G phones that permitted voice calls only.
The market for 3G mobile communication is emerging, as closely watched as new “killer applications” in the early 2000s. A “killer application” is such a big hit product or service that it sweeps all other rivals aside and reorganizes the market. Then, mobile operators around the world poured some trillions into spectrum auctions. Korea, with SK Telecom, KT and LG Telecom, was no exception, but the fever fizzled out when the dotcom bubble burst. Several years on, now armed with improved technology, the telecoms are stepping up 3G service marketing again to find a breakthrough from the saturated 2G market.
European 3G
As of June this year, the number of subscribers to 3G mobile services worldwide was more than 218 million. Among them, the number of subscribers using the W-CDMA service based on an European technology is about 141 million, and the number using the U.S. based CDMA EV-DO service is 77 million. As expected, the European 3G mobile service is more popular.
But in the future, such classification into European or American will be meaningless, experts say. Both 3G mobile services originated from a common technology called CDMA, and as 3.5G moves on to 4G, they are expected to be integrated or at least become inter-operable. Dual-mode or dual-band cell phones which apply both technologies are already in the market.
Japan is seeing the fastest-growing 3G market. Its largest mobile operator NTT Docomo gathered a total of 38 million subscribers for the 3G WCDMA mobile service by June this year, the most of any country. Another Japanese operator, KDDI, has 16 million subscribers for an EV-DO technology followed by Softbank with 10 million subscribers with a WCDMA-based service. Among the 62 million subscribers of U.S. operator Verizon Wireless, 27.5 million signed up for the EV-DO 3G service. The British operator Vodafone has 18.5 million 3G subscribers, and Hong Kong's Hutchison has 16 million. At home, KTF has 2 million subscribers to its 3G service while SK has 1 million.
The worldwide mobile industry expects average revenue per unit (ARPU) to increase as it moves on to 3G mobile services. KTF CEO Cho Young-chu says, "Our 3G mobile service SHOW's ARPU is US$46.3, higher than the 2G service with $42." NTT Docomo's ARPU is $22.60, KDDI's $27.10 and Hutchison's $18.34.
Source: chosun.com

Alcatel Shanghai Bell receives ADSL contracts

Alcatel Shanghai Bell receives ADSL contracts from Qinghai Netcom and Hainan TieTong
Shanghai.

November 26. INTERFAX-CHINA - Alcatel Shanghai Bell recently received ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) broadband equipment contracts from China Netcom's subsidiary in Qinghai Province and China TieTong's subsidiary in Hainan Province, a source from the company said today.
Source: interfax.cn

The Biggest ADSL ISPs

The ADSL ISP space is hotting up with smaller players taking on the big guns. But who is leading the ADSL ISP race?
Big ISPs
TelkomInternet, which has the advantage of direct marketing to all ADSL subscribers, currently leads the ADSL ISP pack with around 120 000 subscribers. This constitutes a market share of around 36% of the 335 112 strong ADSL user base.
The second largest ADSL ISP is MWEB which has recently surpassed the 100 000 subscriber mark. MWEB is aggressively marketing its broadband products, something which seems to pay dividends for the company.
Internet Solutions, which acts as a wholesaler in the ADSL market, currently has just over 40 000 ADSL subscribers on their network.
Vox Telecom, aka DataPro, says that it currently has in the region of 23 000 ADSL subscribers. This gives the company a market share of around 6%, something which CEO Douglas recently said he wants to increase significantly over the next few years.
Smaller ISPs gaining ground
Axxess, one of the ISPs that has been aggressively marketing their prepaid ADSL vouchers this year, has over 20 000 ADSL subscribers on their books. The company continues to grow on the back of aggressive pricing and easy-to-use prepaid systems.
WebAfrica continues to show impressive growth in the ADSL space with 20 273 subscribers. WebAfrica is well known for its exceptional support and great online pre-paid ADSL system.
Cybersmart, a smaller ISP well known for its low cost entry level ADSL products, has grown its subscriber base to just under 20 000, making it a big player in the ADSL space.
Small players gaining ground
While there is a fair amount of double-counting when it comes to ADSL subscriber numbers – typically with TelkomInternet or MWEB subscribers using a smaller pre-paid ISP when capped – the smaller ISPs are clearly starting to compete against their larger counterparts.
The current status quo in the ADSL market, characterized by low monthly usage limits and more adaptable products, means that smaller, more nimble ISPs can often create products quicker and support them better than larger companies.
More aggressive pricing from smaller players further means that we may see a few traditionally small ISPs punch far above their weight. Source: mybroadband.co.za

Woman in Science and Technology: Lianne Deeming

Category winner: Lianne Deeming
Age: 40
Lives: Radyr, Cardiff
Lianne Deeming, who is Director of Process Development at Corus Strip Products, says many view her field as male-oriented, unsafe and dirty.
But she wants women to see there are opportunities, and to view it as a career which can be creative, innovative and exciting.
Lianne said, “I felt elated when I won, and it was great to have all the people who had been with me throughout my career there beside me. Before winning the award I said I wanted to help change people’s perceptions of the industry – something I still want to do.
“We are hoping to expand our apprenticeship-style scheme into schools, and hopefully this will attract people into the industry while they are young.
“It is really important to target women and girls from as early an age as possible, so we can show them it can fulfil many of the things they might want from their eventual careers. I also want to use the award to be a bit of an advocate for the industry, and to show people it can play a positive role in today’s world.”
Source: icwales.icnetwork.co.uk

Toyota shows new driving simulator for testing car safety, other technology

SUSONO, Japan: Toyota's new driving simulator for testing safety features is a giant dome that swivels, tips and swishes on a rail to deliver the sensations of maneuvering on real-life roads.
A Lexus inside the 4.5 meter (15 foot) high, 7 meter (23 foot) diameter dome provides the sense of acceleration, vibration and sound of driving a regular car.
The internal surrounding sides of the dome show 360 degree computer graphic imagery of roads and landscape, complete with signs, pedestrians, street-side stores and faraway Mount Fuji — all synchronized to move with the simulated driving.
In a demonstration for reporters Monday at a Toyota technology center, the dome moved in a 35-meter (115 foot) long building, skidding on a rail horizontally and vertically.
When a driver pushed on the brakes, the dome tilted forward to give the effect of stopping. When the driver turned the steering wheel to the right, the dome cocked to the right to give the feeling of turning.
Toyota Motor Corp. officials said the simulator is useful for testing safety features without endangering drivers, such as warning beeps about oncoming vehicles. The machine will also be handy for analyzing how drowsiness and intoxication affect driving, they said.
The big unknown about making safe cars is understanding the human brain and other aspects of human behavior, and the simulator will help solve such questions, said Executive Vice President Kazuo Okamoto.
Other automakers have developed driving simulators, but they tend to be stationary, giving the effect of driving by shaking and rocking, and showing imagery only in one spot. The dome and other moving parts of Toyota's simulator weighs 78 tons, the company said.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a machine similar to Toyota's that allows people to feel acceleration, braking and steering. Toyota said it had borrowed heavily from NHTSA's technology.
The two reporters who drew lots for trying out Toyota's simulator said the braking and acceleration felt much like real-life driving, although one reporter said the graphics weren't realistic enough.
There are no computer graphics of a crash. Hitting a computer generated pedestrian merely makes the image disappear.
Toyota engineer Takashi Yonekawa said the simulator's purpose is not to test driving skills. It will be used to develop safety features tailor-made for various kinds of drivers, including the elderly and beginners, he said.
Koji Endo, auto analyst with Credit Suisse in Tokyo, who also took part in the demonstration, said he thought the simulator was a long-term investment.
"There's no immediate return, maybe for 10 years," he said.
Toyota declined to say how much the simulator cost to make. There are no plans to sell the simulator, it said.
On a test course, Toyota separately showed experimental wireless safety features, such as those that warn vehicles of a red light ahead through beeping and the image of a traffic light that pops up near the speedometer. The system uses infrared beacons on roadside poles.
A similar technology, which uses a wireless network, warns a driver of an unseen pedestrian with a GPS device.
Such warnings systems are being developed by other automakers, including Nissan Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. Toyota said the three automakers plan to begin collaborating on the technology on road tests next year.
Source: iht.com

Nokia Introduces Internet Tablet with VoIP

Just in time to take advantage of the holiday season, Nokia has announced the availability of their new N810 Internet Tablet in the United States. It features a slide-out keyboard, built-in GPS, digital audio/video playback (up to 45 hours) and Wi-Fi capability for VoIP calling. It has the ability to store up to 7,500 songs , has a Mozilla-based browser and up to 10GB of memory (with optional upgrades available).
“More than ever, people want to bring their online communities with them wherever they go - whether it’s on vacation, a business trip, or just around their neighborhood - and the pocketable Nokia N810 Internet Tablet lets consumers do just this,” said Bill Plummer, Vice President, Multimedia, Nokia North America, in a recent press release. “As consumer demand increases for new multimedia experiences, Nokia is taking the leadership position to create new devices that meet this demand and maximize the experience for the user.”
The Nokia N810 can be purchased at major consumer electronics and wireless retailers like Best Buy Mobile, CompUSA, Micro Center, and the Nokia Flagship stores in Chicago and New York. It is also available online from sites including http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.buy.com/ and http://www.circuitcity.com/. The retail price is $479 USD, although I’m sure with the holidays around the corner, sales will abound.
Source: voip-news.com

PC Magazine’s Readers Survey 2007 - VoIP Results

In the recent PC Magazine Readers Survey 2007, VoIP certainly did not escape mention, or scrutiny, with Vonage, surprisingly, holding the top spot as market leader amongst respondents. Even more surprising perhaps, is their note that only 20% of calls will be carried over the Internet by 2011. Given VoIP’s increasing popularity and adoption rate, the number seemed a tad on the low side.

According to TeleGeography (http://www.telegeography.com/), 20 percent of phone calls in the U.S. will be transmitted over the Internet by 2011. There’s no lack of early adopters already. Sometimes cable broadband providers will also offer voice, like our Readers’ Choice Optimum Voice, courtesy of Cablevision. Other times it’s just a pure VoIP player like the well-known Vonage, also a Readers’ Choice. Both companies improved on their scores from last year, Optimum up just a tenth, but Vonage jumping to 7.8 from 7.5.Vonage is also the market leader among our readers, with 736 respondents, more than double the nearest competition (Comcast).

Maybe the number of VoIP users will stay low, considering just how much technical support is required with these services. Eighteen percent of Optimum customers required tech support, and that was the lowest percentage among standard VoIP providers. AT&T and Charter had more than one-third of their users requiring support. The average is 29 percent.

AT&T’s CallVantage, which last year was a Readers’ Choice, dropped to a 7.6 from 7.9. Time Warner Cable’s Digital Phone was down overall as well, by a tenth of a point. Other companies—Cox, Packet8, and Comcast—remained the same. Gone are the late SunRocket and the low-scoring Lingo (you gave it a dismal 6.5 out of 10 in 2006). The only addition is Charter, which barely made our cut with 50 responses and earned only a 7.3 score.

Though all of the services above work over your broadband connection, we keep the Skype numbers separate: Calls using its services primarily involve a PC. Skype’s PC-to-PC service scores a respectable 7.8 and has a very low 6 percent of users who required tech support. The tech-support numbers more than double when readers are Skyping from a PC to a standard phone. Skype’s numbers continue to be better than the average for VoIP phones.
Source: voip-news.com

Latest technology assisting blood pressure treatments

New research shows treatment options for people with high blood pressure have been improved by the introduction of automated, digital measuring machines.
Menzies Institute Research Fellow, Dr Tania Winzenberg, says the study looked at whether there was any significant difference in health outcomes between the old mercury-based manual monitors and the new machines.
She says the findings are significant, because on average, one Australian every 10 minutes dies from cardiovascular disease.
"The automated measurement devices meant the GPs were recording slightly higher readings of blood pressure," she said.
"We also found that because the devices were easier to use, that GPs were a little more likely to take blood pressure readings and also more likely to change their prescribing of medications for high blood pressure to their patients."
Source: abc.net.au

We’ve developed NG1-next-generation wireless access technology

This is the most spectrum-efficient and environment-friendly technology and has features that make it the most cost-effective solution for varied services
Even before launching operations in India, Vavasi Telegence Pvt Ltd has created waves. The company has developed a new technology, which promises to provide high-speed data and voice services. In an interview with Manoj Gairola, the managing director of Vavasi Telegence Farid Arifuddin talks about his vision in the telecom sector and his plans in India. Excerpts:
The current controversy between GSM and CDMA players is for a greater share of the spectrum. Do you see any solution to this problem?
I wouldn’t know exactly what the solution would be like, but I think the first step has been taken by the Government to evolve a scientific and objective correlation between the spectrum allocation, its usage and the user base. There is no doubt that a turf war kind of environment has been created by a few players with vested interests to stymie and delay the process so that that an actual competitive environment is not created to protect the turf.
Even though India is adding the highest number of mobile subscribers every month, there is a big digital divide. A large part of the country is still untouched by the telecom revolution. How can we provide connectivity to everyone?
This is indeed an unfortunate reality that stares us in the face. We cannot afford to have an incorporative developmental agenda. While the urban teledensity is over 60 per cent and the rural teledensity is less than 3 per cent. This anomalous distortion has to be immediately checked and that can only be done through an environment that is competitive both in terms of price and technology.
What can be the role of government and private players in bridging digital divide?
The Government can only play an enabling role by allowing and stimulating a competitive environment between the operators and the technologies. The Government should endeavour to optimise the utilisation of spectrum efficient technologies while simultaneously striving to enable operators to provide efficient services at affordable costs to ensure that every citizen comes under the realm of connectivity.
Can good telecom penetration lead to development of an economically backward area?
Efficient and affordable teleconnectivity will become the stimulant and act as a force multiplier in enhancing economic activity in the remotest and most backward parts of this country. There is no doubt that an efficient communication system is an important tool in the process of development and governance. Moreover, an effective connectivity in the last mile could ensure uniform and efficient delivery of services particularly in areas of health, education etc.
What is the technology you have developed? When GSM and CDMA are already present, what is the rational for developing new technology?
We have developed the next-generation wireless access technology called NG1. This was originally conceptualised as a PhD program in the US. The network architecture of this technology is state-of-the-art and is based on IP. This platform can deliver both voice and high-speed mobile data simultaneously with several applications that have multi-dimensional ramifications. This is the most spectrum efficient and environment-friendly technology among the available (and likely to be available) ones. Apart from being spectrum efficient, we have the unique advantage to enable a large coverage area while we simultaneously cater to more subscribers within a cell site. These features make it the most cost-effective solution for the delivery of services.
Does your technology promise to bring telecom revolution in India?
We earnestly believe so, because with the advantages we have in terms of technological superiority, we have a competitive edge and we intend to pass it on to our consumers both in terms of price and product advantages. Since we have a fully IP-based network architecture, with far less infra requirement, rollout time is shorter and can be far more efficient. Moreover, India has not been able to have any significant say in the technological evolution so far. This could bring about a paradigm shift in the long-term evolution of the telecom sector.
Do you plan to manufacture in India?
We have established a strategic relation with MACIL of Bangalore. We are now working out an action plan with MACIL to stimulate the establishment of a formidable manufacturing base here in India.
Your investment plan in India?
The business plan is for the establishment of a 100-million line network by 2012. This will be accomplished with a capital cost of approximately Rs 25,000 crore.
By Manoj Gairola
Source: indianexpress.com

Infineon proposes VDSL2 technology

SEMICONDUCTOR and systems solutions manufacturer Infineon Technologies AG suggests the use of VDSL2 (Very High Speed Digital Subscriber Line 2) to overcome “last-mile” Internet service provision hurdles.
VDSL2 is an enhanced broadband technology that runs on existing copper technology and complements fibre-optic systems, said Tony Chen, director of product marketing and business development at Infineon.
“Theoretically, VDSL2 can offer (speeds of) 250Mbps over three kilometres,” he said during a roundtable discussion with local media recently.
Infineon claims ADSL technology pales in comparison to VDSL2 because it can offer 10Mbps speeds over a shorter distance.
And while it may be superior to the earlier DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) technology, Chen said ADSL cannot support triple play convergence. Triple play refers to TV broadcasts over the Internet, phone calls via the Web, and standard broadband Internet access.
“VDSL2 is the future of last-mile connectivity,” Chen said, adding that there are three ways to deploy the technology.
Firstly, it can complement the copper wire used to deliver Internet connectivity to homes from the centre of operations. It will lengthen the distance that copper wire technology is capable of, he said.
In a township, VDSL2 can provide an additional link to the fibre cabinet that is used to connect the town to cyberspace. This, Chen said, can increase coverage as well as bandwidth speeds in the area.
Finally, VDSL2 can be connected to an existing fibre-optic infrastructure to a building, to connect it to the Internet.
Chen said people in such buildings could enjoy the optimum speed delivered through VDSL2 because of the short and equal distances between the floors.
“It is all a matter of linking the last-mile between the remote Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) to the building,” he said.
Chen also claims that VDSL2 works symmetrically, which means it offers the same upload and download speeds.
For example, if the upload speed is 100Mbps, surfers will enjoy 100Mbps when downloading data too. ADSL upload speeds are typically slower than the download speeds, he said.
A good example of the kind of speeds VDSL2 can offer is that it takes only a minute to download 500 digital photographs, of which each are 1MB in size.
With ADSL, Chen estimated that the same photographs would take about an hour to download.
“Because the upload and download speeds are the same, the entire job is done faster and this is the kind of speeds we need in today’s Web 2.0 scenario,” he said.
Chen said consumers would be able to enjoy services such as high-quality videoconferencing, TV over the Internet, and e-karaoke with VDSL2, which are all bandwidth-hogging applications now.
However, the price of the technology is more expensive than that of ADSL. “It is double the price of ADSL but it can offer four times the speed. Wouldn’t that be worth it?” he said.
Chen declined to predict the uptake of the technology in this country; saying that it would depend on the maturity of the market.
VDSL2 is costly, he said, but does not require any additional civil engineering works to the existing copper wire or fibre-optic cables.
“The only changes that need to be made is the change of the line card at the central operations office and an upgrade to a more powerful modem at the consumer end,” he said.
Such a plan has not been announced by the Malaysian Government and Chen could not give an indication if and when this would take place.
However, he said, VDSL2 has been successfully deployed in Germany and South Korea, with China and Taiwan currently trying out the technology. By JO TIMBUONG
star-techcentral.com

MWEB’s DSTV, ADSL and VoIP offering launched

MWEB has launched their ‘triple play’ service for R 599-00 for the first 12 months. But will you really save money?
MWEB has launched their ‘triple-play’ service, bundling a basic DSL384 broadband connection with 1 GB of data usage, a DStv premium bouquet & PVR and a Broadband Talk subscription with 30 free minutes of MWEB Broadband Talk call time to the Broadband Talk Top 10 destinations.
There are other value-ads thrown in with the service, including access to MWEB's Value-Added Services, 2 cordless VoIP phones, 4 extra e-mail addresses, a 2 Gig mailbox, 300 free Wi-Fi minutes at MWEB-ready Hotspots, MWEB Faxmail – free fax to e-mail and a 20% discount off a MultiChoice PVR Decoder.
The cost for the service is advertised as R 599-00 per month on a 24 month contract, but users should take note that this only holds for the first 12 months after which the standard price of R 699-00 per month will kick in.
Comparable Costs
The total cost of the bundled ADSL, DStv and Broadband Talk products from MWEB over the 24 month period comes to R 15 576 or R 649-00 per month. The PVR-inclusive total cost comes to R 17 575-00.
When bought separately a DStv Premium Bouquet costs R 439-90 per month while a PVR subscription is priced at R 55-00 per month. The total monthly cost comes to R 494-90 while the once-off PVR decoder is priced at R 2 499-00.
A DSL384 connection with a 1 GB usage limit costs R 199-00 per month when purchased directly from Telkom.
The standard monthly cost for the basic components of the bundled product is therefore R 693-90 when purchased from MultiChoice and Telkom directly. The total cost – including a PVR component - over 24 months comes to R 19 152-40, significantly more than MWEB’s R 17 575-00.
These separately priced components however exclude the various value-add components which MWEB throws into the deal. This includes 2 cordless VoIP phones, 300 free Wi-Fi minutes at MWEB-ready Hotspots and 30 free minutes of MWEB Broadband Talk call time.
The MWEB ‘triple-play’ deal will definitely save consumers money if they are willing to bind themselves to a 24 month contract in this fast changing telecoms environment.
Source: mybroadband.co.za

Netgear phone says bye bye PSTN, hello VoIP

I've been having a play with a review unit of a Netgear SPH200D cordless DECT phone with Skype and after just one weekend I have come to the conclusion that I only need half of what this phone can do. The other half, making phone calls using an expensive landline, I may as well simply switch off.
The fact is that the quality and reliability of VoIP services has now reached a level where they are comparable with fixed line services and they can be had for a fraction of the price. Phones like the SPH200D merely serve to highlight that anyone who has a broadband connection is simply pouring money down the drain if they persist with a PSTN service.As a phone to look at, the Netgear SPH200D is nothing special. It's a little brick-like and bulky compared to the sleek mobile phones available today and its color screen, though clear enough, is relatively tiny. It also has a poor selection of ringtones. However, its controls are intuitive and the really important things in a cordless phone, such as call quality, range and hands free operation - are there.However, the thing that won me over with this style of phone was the versatility of the device. Yes, it's a combination PSTN and Skype dualphone but you don't need to run it through your computer and, after using it for a few days, for many it will become clear that you don't need the PSTN.The SPH200D DECT basestation plugs directly into a broadband modem or wireless networking router - that part enables your Skype calls. The SPH200D basestation can also simultaneously be plugged into your standard PSTN RJ11 wall jack. What you end up with is a system that can run up to four phones which can send and receive calls in both modes and are totally independent of telephone wall sockets and a computer.The SPH200D phones can also communicate with each other via an intercom button, which is a very handy feature in a small office situation.The biggest impact that this phone system will have for most users, however, will be felt in their hip pocket.
In Australia, if you subscribe to the Skype Pro service, you'll pay a bit less than $6 per month (if you include a 12 month SkypeIn subscription) rental, 6 cents a SkypeOut call untimed anywhere in Australia, about 2.7 cents a minute for SkypeOut calls to most major overseas destinations and 27 cents a minute to mobiles. That's a bit more expensive than some local VoIP services but incomparably cheaper than the PSTN service I now subscribe to.

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In addition to being cheaper than the PSTN, Skype and other VoIP services enable you to take your phone on the road, including your number. Wherever there's a broadband connection, you can simply plug in your base station and phone or your laptop and make and receive calls at low rates.The Netgear SPH200D, however, is not really made for Skype road warriors. As a DECT phone, it is particularly suited for the home or small offices, where handsets move around and the base station stays put.A Wi-Fi handset version, the SPH200W should prove more suitable for travellers looking to take advantage of the growing number of hotspots to place Skype calls.If there's a deficiency in the Netgear SPH200D then it's that I couldn't find a way to send SMS messages like I can from my computer. This is a pity because Skype SMS messages are half the cost of those sent from mobile phones. However, I hate sending SMS messages from anything but a QWERTY keyboard anyway.The big objection I always get from people when I tell them I'm thinking of disconnecting my PSTN service and using VoIP is what will I do if there's a power failure (as if I have old fashioned PSTN handsets and not cordless phones that need power anyway). What if Skype goes down again? My answer is always the same - well I guess I'll just have to use one of the three charged up mobile phones that are laying around the house until the power and Skype come back online.So now I have two telephone numbers running off the same base station - my cheap and versatile Skype VoIP service and my expensive, limited and inflexible PSTN service. Guess which one I'm going to disconnect?
Source: itwire.com
By Stan Beer

Blu-ray drive, more "Everquest": New items for technology fans

Lite-On presents its first BD-ROM drive
Eindhoven, Netherlands (dpa) - The joint hardware venture between Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions will produce its first Blu-ray drive for the PC. The Lite-On DH-4O1S is a read-only device for Blu- ray discs and all standard media formats, the manufacturer reportedg. The drive will be available for 179 dollars from December. --- Expansion for Everquest II San Diego (dpa) - A new expansion is available for the online role playing game Everquest II entitled "Rise of Kunark" and offers a new race for players to control: a "classical dragon-like race of humanoids," Sony Online Entertainment reported. The expansion software also expands the gaming world. Figures can now explore the jungle or the "Skyfire Mountains." "Everquest II: Rise of Kunark" is available in stores or for download at 29.99 dollars. --- New Linux - Fedora 8 released Munich (dpa) - A new version of the free Linux operating system Fedora is available. Fedora 8 includes improved security functions as well as a reworked user interface, reports Red Hat, the company supporting the Linux project. Fedora 8 can also be started from a USB stick. The software can be downloaded at http://fedoraproject.org.
Source: bangkokpost.com

“Stop!” could someday be new vehicle technology talking

You’re driving along a dark, lonely highway at night. Ahead, just over a hill, there’s an accident. You can’t see it, and you’re barreling toward it at 70 mph.
Suddenly, a red light flashes on the dashboard of your car.
“Stop now!” a message reads. “Accident ahead.”
You hit the brakes, slowing and swerving just enough to avoid becoming a tragic roadside statistic.
Technology like this could be in place on major roadways within the next decade or two, experts predict. Granted, there are significant obstacles in the way — start with funding, which could soar into the billions of dollars. But as the world of technology speeds ahead, highway safety experts are restricted by nothing but their imaginations.
“We’re striving to make a difference,” said Jason JonMichael, senior project manager at HNTB Corp., a Kansas City company playing a crucial role in the development of highway technology. “The possibilities are limitless.” Look no further than Vehicle Infrastructure Integration, a development in the transportation world that supporters believe could revolutionize vehicular travel.
How?
By enabling automobiles to “communicate” with one another and the roads on which they are being driven. By allowing the instantaneous transfer of data — the changing conditions of a slippery street, for example — from one vehicle to another or from a roadside data center to a car.
“We’ve constantly studied and developed tests to see if we could communicate with cars and roads,” JonMichael said. “We’re finally getting to a point where technology is allowing us to do it.
“The future looks bright for V.I.I.”
Here is how it would work:
Vehicles would be equipped with sophisticated computing and communications devices that would store, dissect and disseminate data. Those units would calculate the vehicle’s position, speed, rate of acceleration — everything. Some of that data would be transmitted to other vehicles, and some of it to roadside data centers. The roadside units, not much bigger than a shoe box, would then feed centralized computers, perhaps at a state’s Department of Transportation.
Those computers would compile, analyze and redistribute the data to vehicles on the road and back to roadside data centers.
And most of it would happen within milliseconds.
“We’ve just seen a hint of what’s to come in terms of vehicle integration and intelligent transportation systems,” said U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, an Iowa Democrat on the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. “This is just the tip of the iceberg.”
The possibilities are almost endless:
A warning system could alert you if you are in danger of running a red light, and some prototype vehicles even have an illuminated dashboard “countdown” to when the upcoming light will change. The V.I.I. system could coordinate with a traffic signal at an upcoming intersection, giving all drivers a red light if it determines an upcoming vehicle is going to blow through an intersection and perhaps trigger an accident.
The vehicle might tip you off that, because the roads ahead are moist and slick, you are driving too fast for the conditions. Or, it could sound a series of loud “chirps” or vibrate the seat incessantly if sensors detect you’re veering onto the shoulder, perhaps because you’re falling asleep.
This isn’t all brand-new, of course.

By STEVE ROCK
The Kansas City Star
Source: kansascity.com

Technology key for better health care

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The United States leads the world in medical technology, but you'd never know it by stepping into a doctor's waiting room or hospital admissions office.
Paper files. Handwritten prescription slips and patient charts. It's obvious that the medical establishment has yet to complete the jump to the Internet Age. Our health care system has fallen behind every sector of our economy, from car repairs to manufacturing to air travel, for no good reason. There's something wrong when you can walk away from a bank or mechanic with a detailed, easy-to-read printout but, when it comes to your health, you're left hoping the pharmacist can make out the doctor's handwriting.
It's not just inefficient or inconvenient; it's also dangerous. Last year, an estimated 1.5 million Americans were injured through prescription drug errors in hospitals, nursing homes, and doctors' offices. And in the landmark 1999 study, "To Err is Human," the Institute of Medicine estimated that such medical mistakes kill more Americans each year than highway accidents, breast cancer or AIDS.
Our current problem is the product of decades of decisions to not adopt new technology. Unfortunately, we can't solve it overnight. Recognizing that, President Bush has outlined a plan to ensure that most Americans have electronic medical records by 2014. We're on track, though we still have a long way to go.
In 2005, nearly a quarter of U.S. physicians reported using some form of electronic information systems, but only 10 percent actually had systems that could perform basic functions - such as documenting visits, ordering medications and retrieving lab results.
I recently announced a new program to dramatically expand and accelerate the adoption of electronic health records and see how such records can improve health care across the board. The Medicare program is among the largest purchasers of health care in this country, with 43 million beneficiaries and expenditures of $430 billion a year. For the first time, we'll use this market share and these payments to encourage 1,200 small- to mid-size physician practices to implement new technology to better serve their estimated 3.6 million patients of all ages.
Right away these doctors will start to see larger Medicare payments for the services they provide, and incentives are built in to reward the most aggressive adopters of technology to improve the care they deliver. When the federal government puts its money where its priorities are, history shows that the private sector often follows suit. So we're optimistic that many more Americans will reap the benefits of this pilot program.
Besides expanding adoption of electronic health records, this effort will also help us learn how their application can make the entire system more efficient. In addition, it will allow us to get better at paying doctors based on how well they treat their patients, not just on how many patients they treat.
Of course, in our society, where relocation can be the norm, the most advanced machines available can seem useless unless they can talk to one another. To that end, this year I expect to recognize the first batch of standards that will lay the foundation for medical records that are "interoperable" or, in other words, can operate cooperatively with one another. What will interoperable and electronic health records mean? Technology saves lives, and digitized records offer important benefits for both patients and health care providers, including:
• Greater office efficiency, giving patients more face time with their physicians;
• A ubiquitous, yet secure, treatment history that can be lifesaving during national emergencies or natural disasters when patients may be forced to relocate without prior notice;
• Less duplication of work and lab tests; and
• Improved quality of care across the board.
Electronic health records and the secure exchange of medical information online will help transform health care in America - improving quality, preventing errors, cutting costs and reducing paperwork. As a patient and our nation's top health care official, I can't wait to see it happen. Starting now, Medicare is looking for 1,200 physician practice pioneers who will help us move the health care system into the 21st century.
Source: mercurynews.com

Say hello to lower phone costs on Net

The cost of phone calls has been dropping for years, but there's still a lot of room to push prices down to pocket change -- if you're not afraid to make calls through your computer.A growing number of calling services take advantage of the technology known as voice over Internet protocol, or VOIP. Thanks to continuing technological improvements, the plans are easier to use than ever and can save you a boatload of money on long-distance and, particularly, international calls.
But don't rely on the plans as your only phone service: Most don't provide emergency 911 calling, and there can be other drawbacks as well.You might not know it, but you're probably already using VOIP: It's the same technology that AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. use to handle your long-distance calls, and it's the backbone in the so-called digital-calling plans offered by cable TV giants like Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Cable Inc.The cost savings of VOIP has allowed upstart phone-based firms, including Vonage Holdings Corp. and Packet8, to compete against the big players, even though they don't own the lines to your home.VOIP technology breaks up voice into data packets and sends it, like e-mail, over high-speed lines without the need for a lot of expensive hardware that phone companies use.Scores of computer calling operations -- Skype Ltd., SightSpeed Inc. and Gizmo Project among them -- don't think those entrenched phone companies are passing the true savings of VOIP on to consumers.And such companies as Mobivox Corp. and ISkoot Inc. believe that's especially true in the higher-priced mobile-phone industry, so they are bringing the same free and low-cost calls to cellphones."Costs of calling are dropping to free," said Andy Abramson, an industry and marketing consultant who has tested all the major VOIP operations.Consumers might pay a basic access charge -- "an admission fee," Abramson called it -- for a connection or a basic calling plan, but they don't have to pay more just to talk to someone around the corner or around the world.Neal H. Shact, chief executive of telephone services company CommuniTech Inc., recalled a visit to Paris two years ago when he spent $1,000 on cellphone calls."Two weeks later, I went to Sweden and used Skype through my laptop for even more calls and I didn't spend the whole $12 I had paid for," he said.But the VOIP companies are businesses too and have to make a profit to continue offering service.They typically make their money by selling extras, such as voice mail, extended voice and video recording, and international and nationwide calls to nonmembers.But even those prices are low: $30 a year for Skype customers to reach any number in North America and about 2 cents a minute for most providers to reach home phones in many countries.The growing popularity of the programs has helped persuade two mainstream cellphone carriers -- T-Mobile USA Inc. and Britain's Mobile3 -- to create ways to let customers make calls and send messages without using their minutes.T-Mobile uses software that links to high-speed Wi-Fi networks for free calls, messaging and data, and Mobile3 joined Skype on a new phone to allow free Skype-to-Skype calls on the cellular network as well as unrestricted Skype Chat messaging."All of these services give you a glimpse of what we are capable of doing if those who control the high-speed pipes into our homes aren't limiting access to what we want to use," said Marcelo Rodriguez, CEO of Voxilla Inc., a San Francisco company that provides information on Internet technologies.For computer phone plans, the costs are so low that it's worthwhile to play with a number of them to see how they can cut your long-distance and international bills.And with Skype, SightSpeed and a few others, free video is thrown in, as long as you want to sit in front of a computer and a webcam.Setting up the calling programs is usually easy.
Source: latimes.com

TalkTalk broadband grinds to a halt in 0208 areas

TalkTalk, one of the market leaders in broadband services, is struggling to cope with demand in parts of the country.
The service, which is owned by The Carphone Warehouse and offers bundled telephone and ADSL lines, has reached "capacity" in the outer London 0208 dial-code area, according to a member of the complaints team.
The system has been grinding to a halt at peak times, and there have been around 2,000 complaints over non-connectivity issues.
Customer services are not aware of the scale of the problem and so not informing affected customers, according to the complaints department. It says TalkTalk is waiting on Opal, the telecoms subsidiary of The Carphone Warehouse that provides the infrastructure for its broadband network, to assign extra bandwidth. Opal has missed several of its deadlines this month but the firm has assured TalkTalk that it will have provided a major boost to capacity at some point this week.
TalkTalk is now third in the UK market for broadband and this month announced half-year profits of £56m, up from £14m. Half of its users now connect using The Carphone Warehouse's fixed-line business, which has announced a £39m profit, up from an £11m loss last year. It has 2.5 million customers in the UK, although its press office would not confirm how many of those are within the affected 0208 area.
However, an email, sent from the office of The Carphone Warehouse's chief executive, Charles Dunstone, acknowledges there are significant problems: "In the 0208 areas of London, all exchanges are affected by intermittent bandwidth problems."
Source: news.independent.co.uk

Police turn to technology in hunt for bombers

Careful forensic work could shape speed and course of probe, they say
NEW DELHI: Police and intelligence services in both Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi are hoping that a careful forensic investigation of an e-mail sent to television stations could propel the probe into Friday’s terror bombings in Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad.
Based on the timing of the e-mail, investigators believe it was most likely sent after the author received telephonic confirmation that the court complex bombings had begun. While the first bomb in Lucknow went off at 1.10 p.m., the e-mail was despatched at 1.18 p.m. News agencies and television stations began broadcasting news of the terror strikes just before 1.30 p.m.
Records of calls made from eastern Uttar Pradesh to cellphone towers serving the Laxmi Nagar area in Delhi are being analysed, but communications intelligence experts say such research in itself is unlikely to lead to the detection of the perpetrators. “The cellphone used would most likely have been purchased under a false name,” noted a Delhi police official connected with the investigation.
However, he said, an analysis of calls could help to determine the structure of the communication between terror cell members scattered across eastern Uttar Pradesh, and their handlers in Bangladesh or Pakistan. “While the e-mail claims the perpetrators have no connections outside India, such links have been exposed in the course of every past terror strike of consequence.”
Delhi police forensic experts have determined that the e-mail was sent from the Rajdhani cyber-cafe in the Laxmi Nagar neighbourhood by a man who arrived there at 1.15 p.m. Based on their study of the hard disk of the computer used to send the mail, the police believe that the text was most likely pasted from a file stored on a key drive, or the drafts folder of the account.
An employee and four local residents present at the cyber-cafe told the police that the dark-complexioned man, about 170 cm tall, spoke Hindi with a Delhi accent. He left within minutes, paying just Rs. 10 instead of the fee for a full hour’s Internet use, after complaining that the cyber-cafe’s Internet connection was not working properly.
Investigators have determined that the address used to send the e-mail, guru_alhindi@yahoo.fr, was created on November 22. An e-mail sent on Saturday to India Television, threatening further strikes and calling on the Pakistan cricket team to leave India, originated from a similar address, guru_boys2000@yahoo.com, which was created on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh police said they were focussing on structural similarities among three bombs that went off in Gorakhpur in May, injuring five persons. Meant to explode in sequence at an electricity transformer, a petrol bunk and a shopping mall, the bombs, however, failed to inflict the intended level of casualties because of technical malfunctions.
The investigators are also considering the possible role of the Mujahideen Islam ul-Hind, a SIMI splinter group that carried out several small terror strikes in the wake of the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya. In June, the police arrested MIH operatives Mohammad Salim and Mohammad Aslam, after a bomb intended for use aboard a Delhi-Sitapur bus detonated prematurely, killing the man carrying it.
MIH founder Mohammad Taufiq has long been wanted by the Uttar Pradesh police, but he is evading arrest.
Source: hindu.com

Make new film technology affordable

Special Correspondent
PANAJI: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Priyaranjan Dasmunsi has urged the film industry to try and bring down the cost of digital and other state-of-the-art technology to make it affordable to the semi-urban and rural people patronising traditional cinema.
Mr. Dasmunsi was inaugurating a seminar on digital entertainment and media industry organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on the sidelines of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) here on Saturday.
On Friday, while speaking as the chief guest at the valedictory function of the “India-The Big Picture Conference-2007” on the theme “Bridging Business and Creativity,” organised by the I&B Ministry and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Mr. Dasmunsi echoed the same sentiments in the context of demand from the entertainment industry for laws and regulations to counter piracy.
Mr. Dasmunsi said mere laws or anti-piracy campaigns were not enough. Ensuring affordability for every theatre to get digitalised to reach the benefits of the technology to a substantial chunk of people was a must. Those championing the new technologies in cinema, including digitisation, should first find out a way to make the cinema available to the commoner, he said.
Participating in the CII conference, film director Shekhar Kapoor said the film pirates knew what the consumers needed. While there was arrogance in the corporate sector, the pirates were not arrogant, he added.
He wanted the industry to work out solutions to bridge the time gap between the film release and time taken to reach the masses to tackle piracy.
Source: hindu.com

Girls, think technology

Girls, think technology
IBM Malaysia hosted its fourth EXploring Interests in Technology and Engineering (EXITE) camp recently for Form Three girls to help them develop their knowledge and skills as well as encourage them to consider careers in information technology and engineering.
This year, after completing their PMR examination, 25 girls from schools in the Klang Valley attended the five-day camp themed “Girls Go Tech” at Plaza IBM in Bandar Utama.
They engaged in activities, lectures and field visits centred on the practical aspects of mathematics, science and technology.
Students from SMK Damansara Utama, SMK Taman Tun Dr Ismail, SMK Bandar Utama and five daughters of IBM employees carried out experiments, attended leadership programmes and went on a field trip to Nestle for an introduction to food science.
There were also a few sessions on mechanical engineering and programming simulated with Lego Robotics.
The session enabled the students to build replicas of their own engineering designs and inventions such as concept vehicles and machinery and then programme them.
IBM's Women In Technology programme head Caroline Yap said the goal of the camp was to guide young women of today towards this area of study in a positive environment.
“The interactive activities increase the students’ knowledge and understanding of technology, which not only helps in academic preparation, but also creates professional opportunities,” she added.
Janani Ananthan from SMK Bandar Utama, who hopes to go into IT engineering or forensics, had her doubts cleared after the camp.
“At first, I thought that computers and IT will be difficult for me, but after the camp, I realised that it isn’t that tough,” she said.
SMK Bandar Utama student Kong Kar Yee said the sessions on robotics were her favourite as she could work with the others while learning about technology and getting a view of what engineering was like.
IBM has also paired the students with IBM e-mentors, who will continue communicating with them online throughout their school year via the IBM MentorPlace programme.
The mentors will work with the students on online projects and interact with them on topics that centre on technology.
Source: thestar.com.my

R2-D2 Webcam & VoIP Phone
November 26, 2007I got my Christmas edition of the Sharper Image catalog over the Black Friday/Thanksgiving weekend and saw some cool gadgets. One of my favorites was a 8" tall Star Wars R2-D2 droid that is a roving webcam transmitting real-time video to your computer with the camera atop R2-D2's dome. The video specs include 62 degree viewing angle, 628x582 resolution, and zoom in/out. Also part of the package is a full-scale light-saber that acts as a USB telephone with its built-in microphone.

It works with Skype and can automatically launch Skype with the 'S' button on the keypad (image right). Using the "Skype Saber" you can drive R2-D2 around, move the camera, take snapshots, and record video. R2-D2 can move forward, backward, left, and right and perform 360 spins. A sensor located on R2-D2's front leg detects desk or table ledges and automatically stops the droid from proceeding. The R2-D2 unit runs on 6 AA batteries and the light saber runs of 2 AA batteries - all batteries are included. This is perfect gift for Christmas for any VoIP & Gadget lovers. Oh wait, that's the name of this blog. Well I'll be damned - better add this to my Christmas list. It's $380 smackaroos, so if I do get this for Christmas, it'll have to be my "big" gift. Maybe I'll just get a unit for a VoIP & Gadgets blog review. Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket!In any event, if you want one, or want to give this to a gadget lover, then head on over to Hammacher Schlemmer and buy one.

Tom Keating

Source: tmcnet.com