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There has been a change in the corporate structure at Thales Alenia Space Italy. Newly appointed as President and CEO is Luigi Pasquali, who will be responsible for international matters in the parent company as Deputy to the CEO of Thales Alenia Space, Reynald Seznec. Pasquali is replacing Carlo Alberto Penazzi.
Prior to this appointment, Pasquali was Chief Operating Officer of Telespazio – the Finmeccanica Group company that, together with Thales Alenia Space, forms the Space Alliance. Before that he was previously Director of the Telecommunications Department at Alenia Spazio (before the company was renamed Thales Alenia Space Italy), in charge of communications satellite systems for defense and security, commercial applications and broadband development—Cannes, France
BUSINESS — In 2007, North America generated 81 percent of the world’s Location Based Services (LBS) revenue. In 2013, that percentage will be just 32 percent. In the same period, Western and Eastern Europe’s combined LBS revenues will jump from just 5 percent to 31 percent. The Asia-Pacific region, meanwhile, will see a rise from a 2007 share of 11 percent to 27 percent. LBS’s slow uptake outside North America has had everything to do with the fact that, unlike the CDMA phones so prevalent there which have used GPS to comply with the United States’ E911 regulatory mandate, the GSM handsets owned by most users in Europe and Asia have not, generally speaking, offered native GPS support. However, with the broader proliferation of GPS-enabled GSM handsets in those other regions, and with the quickening rollout of 3G services worldwide, the opportunities for LBS service offerings will grow quickly.
That’s not to say that the same applications will be adopted at the same rate everywhere, or that LBS revenues will be uniform. “Since most LBS application developers sell to the world, and most of their products are platform-agnostic, the cost per service for users is likely to be similar in all regions,” says Dominique Bonte, principal research analyst with ABI Research. “However, a navigation service can cost as much as $9.99/month, whereas friend-finder services might only be $2.99. On that basis, as well as via cultural preferences, particular services will be popular to differing degrees in different regions. That can affect the total revenue to be generated from a particular region.” ABI Research’s recent report, Mobile Location-Based Services explores the market for high-accuracy LBS, focusing on the applications side of the industry.
DELIVERY — Cinemark Holdings, Inc. and RealD 3D have announced that Cinemark will add up to 1,500 RealD 3D screens to its circuit. This will result in RealD's committed 3D platform to a game-changing 5,000 worldwide screens. Cinemark's global deployment of its greatly expanded 3D platform, with RealD as exclusive digital 3D provider, comes as an unprecedented slate of top-tier 3D films is announced for 2009 and 2010. The parties expect to commence the roll-out upon completion of the Digital Cinema Implementation Partners (DCIP) initiative. The consummation of the announced deal is subject to completion of definitive agreements and is contingent upon DCIP finalizing the necessary digital cinema conversion arrangements. RealD's nexgen 3D is immersive and realistic, bearing no resemblance to the anaglyph red-and-blue glasses of the 50's or other analog technologies. The new digital 3D has been hailed as the greatest advance in filmmaking since the advent of color. Five thousand 3D screens has often been cited as a number at which the box-office impact of 3D becomes nationwide and undeniable. Such a planned rollout provides a greatly expanded platform for Hollywood's creative community to release 3D films, with the attendant increased attendance and revenue. Select the Cinemark graphic below for further information...
DELIVERY — Openmoko, developer of the first open mobile computing platform, has announced that on Friday, July 4th, it will open their online store for purchase of the Openmoko Neo FreeRunner. This mobile device uses GNU/Linux and comes with core software for dialing, SMS and recording contacts. Openmoko will supplement these features with periodic downloads, starting with a software suite that takes full advantage of the phone's hardware platform. The new software, debuting at Linux World in August, will provide new, location based applications. Two versions of the phone will be available: 850MHz or 900 MHz Tri-band GSM to match frequencies in different countries. Black, oval-shaped, and weighing 6.5 ounces, the Openmoko Neo FreeRunner features a 2.8-inch, 480 x 640 VGA touchscreen, Wi-Fi (802.1 1b/g), AGPS, GPRS 2.5G, Bluetooth 2.0, two 3-axis motion sensors, and comes with 128MB WSDRAM and 256MB NAND Flash—Taipei, Taiwan
CONTENT + DELIVERY — Neptuny is going to launch ContentWise 2.0. This is the second release of the Content Recommendation Engine for IPTV, Interactive-Cable TV and WebTV. The system will be demonstrated in Neptuny’s pod #222 in the IPTV Zone at the IBC 2008 conference in Amsterdam from September 12th through 16th. While the broadband connections and technology breakthroughs are finally making IPTV and WebTV real, operators continue to face new challenges in providing users with an easy way to access the available content. Neptuny developed ContentWise, a Content Recommendation Engine that allows operators to provide their users with content tailored to their individual preferences, based on user ratings and content metadata. Furthermore, the system provides opportunities for up-selling and cross-selling. Examples include the possibility of recommending soundtracks and ringtones after a VOD view, or to propose the sequel of a movie available on the VOD catalogue for people that just watched one episode on the Live TV.
ContentWise uses two different mechanisms for providing its recommendations. The first mechanism is called Collaborative Filtering: all users’ ratings and experiences are used to recommend contents that have been chosen by users having similar tastes. The second mechanism (called Content-Based Filtering) uses content metadata (e.g. the movie actors or director) to suggest recommendations based on the (discovered) users preferences. Finally, business rules can also be added by the operator to promote specific content according to its strategic marketing or revenue objectives. Recommendations can also be based on explicit user preferences, providing each user with an enriched tailored experience. Select the graphic below for further information...
BUSINESS — Arqiva has secured a new contract with French broadcaster Multi7 to manage its multiplex platform, delivering a new Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) service. From its Paris teleport, Arqiva manages encoding, multiplexing, and signal switching before delivering the content by dedicated fiber to the broadcast transmitter atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Arqiva currently manages over 30 multiplex platforms in the UK and France and has used its expertise to support the transmission of Multi7’s TV channels. With four commercial channels (Cap 24, IDF1, NRJ Paris, Demain TV) and three associated channels (Télé Bocal, BDM TV, CINAPS TV), Multi 7 is the first DTT multiplex of its kind authorized by the French regulatory agency, CSA. Its goal is to promote the local news and the cultural, scientific, technological and multi-ethnic diversity of the Ile de France region, France’s most populated area with 11.6 million inhabitants. Each channel contributes to the daily programming defined by the CSA according to specific content and target audience.
BUSINESS — Financially Speaking... News Corporation and two newly incorporated companies formed by funds advised by Permira Advisers LLP (the “Permira Newcos”) have announced they have proposed a transaction to an independent committee of the board of directors of News Corporation’s majority-owned public subsidiary, NDS Group plc, which would result in NDS ceasing to be a public company, and Permira Newcos and News Corporation owning 51 percent and 49 percent of vote and value in NDS, respectively. The proposed transaction components would include:
The transaction has been fully negotiated between News Corporation, Permira and NDS management. Permira has completed its due diligence, and all of the third party financing is in place.
Here lies Windows XP, after a valiant battle, it looks as though Microsoft has pulled Windows XP's life support. Guess Microsoft is 'hearing challenged' when it comes to its clients' preferences of Windows XP over Vista. If you want to avoid using Vista you will now have to buy Vista Ultimate or Vista Business and then downgrade the operating system to XP. Brain dead . . .
CREATION — NewTek Inc. has begun shipping TimeWarp™. This is an external replay controller for the NewTek family of TriCaster™ products and VT[5]™. TimeWarp is a desktop controller that provides clip selection, marking and playback at selectable speeds, with complete external control of two digital disk recorders (DDRs). TimeWarp replay controller extends live production capabilities by providing a dedicated operator for video playback, and even allows for the flexibility of instant replay without requiring an additional replay box. TimeWarp, which requires Software Update 2.0, enables producers to improve production quality by adding a dedicated replay operator—record a selected TriCaster or VT[5] input with instant access to that footage—offers instant replay & slow motion at any venue—provides clients with productions that look more professional—offers Mark in, Mark out, cue, and play back clips without distracting the director—San Antonio, Texas
And so it goes with technology, what is celebrated on one day is unappreciated the next. As an example, Qualcomm, a manufacturer of chips for cellphones, demonstrated a palm-sized circuit board capable of displaying high-definition video. The microprocessor chip involved, Snapdragon, drives the display with less than half the power of a similar chip recently introduced by Intel. But wait, there's more . . .Qualcomm designers say it will also cost less. Speculation is that as the PC shrinks in size it will find strong competition in the cellphone. Some criticize the PC as on its way out, what with the new smartphones, always-on portable Internet devices that are part cellphone, part computer. These folk change the rules of the game in computing because computing speed, which is something Intel excelled at, is no longer the most important factor. For a cellphone relying on a small battery, how efficiently a chip uses power becomes more important. The new mobile world represents a special challenge for Intel, which until four years ago ignored the issue of increasing power consumption in its X86 chips, which have been the PC industry standard for almost three decades. Other chip makers have not ignored power consumption. Just this month at Computex, a huge computer and consumer electronics trade show held each year in Taiwan, the Silicon Valley graphics chip maker Nvidia demonstrated a small mobile computer that worked five times as long on a battery as a similar portable machine powered by Intel’s most recent low-power chip. Qualcomm and Nvidia share a chip design licensed from a small British chip firm, ARM Holdings. ARM has had a strong hold on the communications world. Its processors sell for substantially less than Intel’s more powerful X86 chips and are available in quantity: they are standard for the cellphone industry. Guess that explains why cellphones outsell PCs by about five to one.
CONTENT + CREATION — The tenth Cinescore Theme Pack has been released by Sony and is entitled Take Five: Leisure Soundtracks. Containing ten themes and 222 preset and unlimited user-created Variations, this package enables the scoring of even-tempered, low-pressure clips as well as long form, informational multimedia presentations, all royalty-free. Music genres represented in Sony's Take Five Themes include pop, jazz, funk, country, world, and real symphonic textures.
BUSINESS + REGULATION — The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) applauds the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision today to uphold the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) video franchise decision. The FCC, relying on its authority under Section 621 of the Telecom Act, adopted an Order in December 2006 that will help speed the roll-out of broadband Internet across the country and result in an increase of choices for consumers in the communications services market. TIA has long argued that while limited governance over video service offerings is appropriate at the local level, it is primarily a responsibility of the federal government. The Sixth Circuit’s decision upholds the FCC’s Order, which sets time limits on how long a "local franchise authority," usually a city or county government, can review requests by new entrants to offer broadband video. TIA has urged for a uniform local franchise process because unreasonable delay and build-out requirements create barriers to market entry that discourages investment, innovation and competition—Arlington, Virginia
| Moving Up On Up at Thales Alenia Space Italy | July 06, 2008 |
There has been a change in the corporate structure at Thales Alenia Space Italy. Newly appointed as President and CEO is Luigi Pasquali, who will be responsible for international matters in the parent company as Deputy to the CEO of Thales Alenia Space, Reynald Seznec. Pasquali is replacing Carlo Alberto Penazzi.
Prior to this appointment, Pasquali was Chief Operating Officer of Telespazio – the Finmeccanica Group company that, together with Thales Alenia Space, forms the Space Alliance. Before that he was previously Director of the Telecommunications Department at Alenia Spazio (before the company was renamed Thales Alenia Space Italy), in charge of communications satellite systems for defense and security, commercial applications and broadband development—Cannes, France
| digiBITZ — EMRISE Corporation — Harris Corporation — Ocean Blue Software — | July 03, 2008 |
- BUSINESS — EMRISE CORPORATION has announced the company has received more than $2.2 million in additional new orders from a long-standing U.S. customer for electronic devices to be used in in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems. EMRISE President and Chief Executive Officer, Carmine T. Oliva, said that sales of its traditional IFE products are showing strength and the Company expects solid revenue increases from this business in 2008. These orders were received by the company’s Pascall Electronics Ltd. subsidiary, located in England. Pascall provides a range of power systems, RF devices, and integrated subsystems for traditional IFE and new generation multimedia IFE&C systems, including video on demand and GSM communications products for legacy, retrofit, and new-build applications.
- BUSINESS — Harris Corporation has signed an agreement with Albavision (Angel Gonzalez Group) to implement the recently introduced Harris full mobile digital TV transmission platform for broadcast operations in Guatemala and Costa Rica — Radio Television Guatemala and REPRETEL in Costa Rica. Albavision will be the first to roll out the new Harris mobile TV platform in Latin America, with plans to implement in other properties throughout the region in later stages.
- BUSINESS — The Scaent Group entered the IT business of Ocean Blue Software Ltd. after acquiring a 10 percent stake in the company yesterday. Ocean Blue is a provider of software and services for Digital TV, Mobile TV, and Digital Video Broadcasting markets. With partners such as Toshiba, Sharp, and Philips, Ocean Blue is currently working on a number of world firsts in software development, including a new Pay Per View (PPV) software standard for digital televisions, developed by a consortium of Sony, Philips, Samsung, and SmarDTV and Panasonic.
| Location Based Services Analyzed By ABI Research... | July 03, 2008 |
That’s not to say that the same applications will be adopted at the same rate everywhere, or that LBS revenues will be uniform. “Since most LBS application developers sell to the world, and most of their products are platform-agnostic, the cost per service for users is likely to be similar in all regions,” says Dominique Bonte, principal research analyst with ABI Research. “However, a navigation service can cost as much as $9.99/month, whereas friend-finder services might only be $2.99. On that basis, as well as via cultural preferences, particular services will be popular to differing degrees in different regions. That can affect the total revenue to be generated from a particular region.” ABI Research’s recent report, Mobile Location-Based Services explores the market for high-accuracy LBS, focusing on the applications side of the industry.
| Digital 3D Driving Cinemark + RealD... | July 03, 2008 |
| Neo FreeRunning With Openmoko... | July 03, 2008 |
| Neptuny Drives Content Based On User Use... | July 03, 2008 |
ContentWise uses two different mechanisms for providing its recommendations. The first mechanism is called Collaborative Filtering: all users’ ratings and experiences are used to recommend contents that have been chosen by users having similar tastes. The second mechanism (called Content-Based Filtering) uses content metadata (e.g. the movie actors or director) to suggest recommendations based on the (discovered) users preferences. Finally, business rules can also be added by the operator to promote specific content according to its strategic marketing or revenue objectives. Recommendations can also be based on explicit user preferences, providing each user with an enriched tailored experience. Select the graphic below for further information...
| Arqiva Fibers Up To The Eiffel Tower | July 02, 2008 |
| Financially Speaking... News Corp. + NDS | July 01, 2008 |
- All issued NDS Series A ordinary shares, including shares represented by American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") traded on NASDAQ, would be cancelled for per share consideration of $60 in cash
- Approximately 68% of the Series B ordinary shares held by News Corporation would be cancelled in exchange for $60 per share in a mix of cash of approximately $1.5 billion and a $200 million vendor note. News Corporation currently owns approximately 72% of the equity and 96% of the voting power of NDS through its ownership of 100% of the outstanding Series B shares. News Corporation will retain ownership of the remaining 32% of the Series B ordinary shares it currently holds, resulting in it owning 49% of NDS pro forma for this transaction
- NDS would issue new Series B ordinary shares to the Permira Newcos representing 51% of its equity pro forma for this transaction
- The equity financing for the transaction will be provided by funds advised by Permira and the debt financing will be provided by JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley
The transaction has been fully negotiated between News Corporation, Permira and NDS management. Permira has completed its due diligence, and all of the third party financing is in place.
| Tears On My Windows | July 01, 2008 |
Here lies Windows XP, after a valiant battle, it looks as though Microsoft has pulled Windows XP's life support. Guess Microsoft is 'hearing challenged' when it comes to its clients' preferences of Windows XP over Vista. If you want to avoid using Vista you will now have to buy Vista Ultimate or Vista Business and then downgrade the operating system to XP. Brain dead . . .
| Playing With Replay Is NewTek Timewarp Goodie... | July 01, 2008 |
| Snapdragon Proves How One Generation Loses Control in the Next Gen | July 01, 2008 |
And so it goes with technology, what is celebrated on one day is unappreciated the next. As an example, Qualcomm, a manufacturer of chips for cellphones, demonstrated a palm-sized circuit board capable of displaying high-definition video. The microprocessor chip involved, Snapdragon, drives the display with less than half the power of a similar chip recently introduced by Intel. But wait, there's more . . .Qualcomm designers say it will also cost less. Speculation is that as the PC shrinks in size it will find strong competition in the cellphone. Some criticize the PC as on its way out, what with the new smartphones, always-on portable Internet devices that are part cellphone, part computer. These folk change the rules of the game in computing because computing speed, which is something Intel excelled at, is no longer the most important factor. For a cellphone relying on a small battery, how efficiently a chip uses power becomes more important. The new mobile world represents a special challenge for Intel, which until four years ago ignored the issue of increasing power consumption in its X86 chips, which have been the PC industry standard for almost three decades. Other chip makers have not ignored power consumption. Just this month at Computex, a huge computer and consumer electronics trade show held each year in Taiwan, the Silicon Valley graphics chip maker Nvidia demonstrated a small mobile computer that worked five times as long on a battery as a similar portable machine powered by Intel’s most recent low-power chip. Qualcomm and Nvidia share a chip design licensed from a small British chip firm, ARM Holdings. ARM has had a strong hold on the communications world. Its processors sell for substantially less than Intel’s more powerful X86 chips and are available in quantity: they are standard for the cellphone industry. Guess that explains why cellphones outsell PCs by about five to one.
| Tenth Cinescore Pack From Sony... | June 30, 2008 |
| TIA Delighted Regarding FCC's Latest Video Franchise Decision | June 30, 2008 |
