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To: rrufff who wrote (5777)	9/19/2003 9:43:17 AM
From: StockDung	Respond to of 6847

Wireless applications set sail Cathleen Moore, InfoWorld 19/09/2003 11:16:56 Although much work remains to be done to sort out the hodgepodge of standards and outstanding technology hurdles in wireless infrastructure, the infrastructure layer groundwork is now solid enough to support the next wave in mobile computing, which will be applications that will radically alter how we live and work, according to Chris Shipley, executive producer of Demo Conferences. Over the past 30 years, computing has evolved "from computer rooms, to the desktop, to the palm of our hand," Shipley said. "Technology is at the point of fully transforming from the enterprise desktop to individual device computing. This forces change in so many areas." "The infrastructure is or will soon be in place to support the business model that is the foundation of device computing," she said. The standards still need to be settled, but the marketplace will decide those issues, while innovation continues. Current wireless infrastructure is a patchwork of standards such as 802.11, Bluetooth, CDPD, and others. Work at the infrastructure level is continuing but current platforms are strong enough to support next-generation applications, she said. This year's show features both infrastructure layer breakthroughs as well as emerging applications, Shipley said. Vendors showcasing their wares on the stage included Firetide, which deployed an "instant" wireless LAN network at the show in six minutes. Typical Wi-Fi installations take weeks, according to Tareq Hoque, CEO of Firetide Inc. Firetide's HotPoint wireless mesh router taps routing protocols and 802.11-compliant radios to replace Ethernet backhaul cabling, an expensive part of stetting up a Wi-Fi network, he said. Also at the show was Radixs, demonstrated a mobile operating system designed to bring the desktop experience to handhelds. The company's MXI (Motion eXperience Interface) OS can run desktop apps written for Windows, Linux, and Java, without the need for redevelopment. Radixs showed several handheld prototypes running rich media, video, and full Windows office applications. Logitech took the stage to show off the power of Bluetooth with a cordless mouse and a mouse-keyboard combination. The Bluetooth mouse has a charging cradle that can act as a Bluetooth hub for connecting to a PC and other devices within a 30-foot range. The company demonstrated wireless synchronization of address book and calendar information between a PDA, phone, or desktop PC and showed the use of voice with instant messaging using a Bluetooth wireless headset. The last of the early demos was Xybernaut Corp., which showed a wearable, ruggedized tablet PC designed for use in vertical markets such as hospitals, factory floors, warehouses, and retail stores. The portable PC can be attached to a belt and worn on the hip and its rugged design means it can be dropped on concrete and still work. The 1.9-pound device shown, dubbed the Xybernaut Atigo Telluride Project, runs Windows XP Embedded.

To: rrufff who wrote (5777)	9/19/2003 9:56:58 AM
From: StockDung	Respond to of 6847

Sep. 19, 2003 Whys of wireless dominate show COMPANIES UNVEIL NEW WAYS TO USE MOBILE DEVICES By Jon Fortt Mercury News SAN DIEGO - Wireless devices aren't exactly a new, new thing. Virtually everyone who wants a cell phone has one, for example. Increasingly, the question is: How do we use these devices to entertain ourselves, solve work problems and communicate more efficiently? Answering that question is the unofficial theme of this year's DemoMobile conference -- the equivalent of the Sundance Film Festival for the gadget set. ``It's time to start talking about what we're going to do with that connectivity,'' said Amy Francetic, one of the show's producers. Some of the companies at the conference, which gives the 410 attendees the chance to get an early look at potential blockbusters, demonstrated ways to have more fun with mobile devices. Realeyes3D of France has software that lets you scribble electronic notes on a photo you just took with your camera phone. Pulse Entertainment of San Francisco lets you turn your favorite photo -- they demonstrated with a dog -- into a talking head that can speak English or Japanese. ``Last year, the U.S. didn't even have the capability to do what we're doing now with so many high-speed wireless services and camera phones,'' said Mark Yahiro, president and CEO of Pulse. He's hopeful that his Mobile Veepers software, which can make any photo appear to talk, will start to attract attention from cell phone service providers. The growing processing power built into phones and personal digital assistants has also opened up all kinds of new business uses. Some companies here showed ways to make those devices more useful to field workers such as construction managers, repair technicians and sales representatives. Among the more intriguing products was Heads Up from Dynamic Mobile Data of Somerset, N.J., which uses wireless messaging and global positioning system satellites to give customers of, say, the local cable company, more accurate information about when the repair technician will arrive at their door. Unlike some larger technology shows like Comdex and the Consumer Electronics Show, DemoMobile has prided itself on trying to be a smaller, no-nonsense affair, at which small innovators can launch new ideas on the same playing field as big companies with huge marketing budgets. Just 37 pre-screened companies are presenting, and there's an element of reality-show danger: Each of them gets a nervous six minutes on stage to either demonstrate that their idea works, or crash and burn. Inevitably, some demos go down in flames, and shamefaced CEOs are forced to ask audience members to stop by their booth later after they work out the kinks. Although applications and tools for mobile devices were the predominant focus, there were still some brand-new gadgets that presenters were hoping would seduce venture capitalists, customers and journalists in the audience. Companies like Antelope Technologies and Xybernaut showed ultra-portable, full-featured Windows XP computers designed for use in the field. Antelope's machine was the size of a pack of index cards. San Jose's Tapwave chose the DemoMobile stage to launch its Zodiac 1 and Zodiac 2 handheld gaming machines. Based on the Palm operating system and using high-performance graphics chips and screens, the product will allow gamers to play high-end racing games and a popular Tony Hawk skateboard game, the company said. Gregory Rasmussen, a 25-year-old San Diego native looking for programming work, came to the show to network and get ideas. Java-based cell phone games and cameras seemed to be hot topics, he said. ``It's kind of pricey'' to attend the $1,295-a-head conference, he said, ``but I thought it was important.'' As venture capitalists and technologists milled about, many said they didn't see any ground-breaking technologies, but they did see some smart ideas that could push wireless data usage into the mainstream. The excitement around the local-area WiFi wireless networks available in hotels and coffee shops is being followed by interest in wide-area cell phone networks -- and that could mean a day is coming when people will be able to stay connected to high-speed networks wherever they are. ``We're in this stage where I feel like wide-area is going to come in and follow a similar curve,'' said Gerry Purdy, principal analyst at the MobileTrax consulting firm. ``Eventually, users shouldn't really worry about what network they're on.'' -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contact Jon Fortt at jfortt@mercurynews.com or (408) 278-3489.