DOCSIS, CATV, HDTV, IPTV, Tablets, Mobile

First DOCSIS 3.1 Interop Opens for Vendor Registration

2014-10-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

CableLabs is making progress on test plans and equipment “plugfests” for DOCSIS 3.1 that will lead the way to official product certifications and qualification testing in the first half of 2015.

The speed of that product development is only being matched by the speeds that DOCSIS 3.1 is designed to support – up to 10 Gigabits per second downstream and at least 1 Gbps in the upstream.

Preparing an already sophisticated network for the migration to the multi-Gigabit-capable DOCSIS 3.1 platform requires new technology and training strategies, but just as crucial to the eventual deployment of 3.1 are the business-side elements. Does it make dollars and sense?

Vendors in the DOCSIS 3.1 market, such as Cisco Systems, hope to rise with the tide as MSOs tap it to deliver fiber-like performance without having to pull fiber all the way to the home.
“The challenge is expanding plant. We started from the ground up with the 3.1 team and built in full spectrum analysis set up to compete with fiber,” Cisco CTO and engineering fellow John Chapman said. “Now, 3.1 becomes the tool of choice.”
And a tool that still remains somewhat of an enigma, Chapman said.

“The brutal reality is that no one can figure out why we need so much bandwidth,” he said. “But it sure sells. I love it.”

EuroDOCSIS 3.1

EuroDOCSIS is a European variant of the DOCSIS standard, which was developed by CableLabs and facilitates superfast internet via coax cable. The current version allows us to offer internet access at speeds of up to 120 Mbps. CableLabs is heavily involved in the development of the next version, DOCSIS 3.1, which in time will accommodate realistic internet download speeds of 1 Gbps and upload speeds of 100 Mbps.

So, "In order for a war to be just, three things are necessary. First, the authority of the sovereign. Secondly, a just cause. Thirdly, a rightful intention."

Fresh dose of links of a free drivers for the cable modems

2012-07-10T09:17:00.001-07:00

Now, it's time for a fresh dose of links of a free drivers (USB) for the cable modems.
Don't worry if you're the proud owner of a Windows 7, a system that hardly needs any of them.

Motorola

Motorola SB510x (195 Кб)
Motorola SBG900i (15 023 Кб)
Motorola_SB510x_for_Vista (66 Кб)
Motorola_SBG900_for_Vista (66 Кб)

WebSTAR

WebSTAR Cable Modem (7 347 Кб)
WebSTAR_2000Series_for_Vista (241 Кб)

3COM

3COM 3CR29221 (32 Кб)

USRobotics

USRobotics USR6000 (11 Кб)

Terayon

Terayon 700x (16 097 Кб)

Tomson TCM-390
TCM390.zip 18 КБ
WebStar (Cisco/Scientific Atlanta)
driver-webstar-cd.v.3.2.3.zip 44 МБ
TJ716x
driver-tj716x.zip 166 КБ
TJ715x
driver-tj715.zip 166 КБ
MOTOROLA SB 5100
driver-m5100.zip161 КБ

and do not forget about

SG TCP Optimizer
TCP Optimizer v3.0.8 (latest .exe or .zip archive)
Description: The TCP Optimizer is a free, easy Windows program that provides an intuitive interface for tuning and optimizing your Internet connection. There is no installation required, just download and run.

The program can aid both the novice and the advanced user in tweaking related TCP/IP parameters in Windows, making it easy to tune your system to the type of Internet connection used. The tool uses advanced algorithms, and the bandwidth*delay product to find the best TCP Window for your specific connection speed. It provides for easy tuning of all related TCP/IP parameters, such as MTU, RWIN, and even advanced ones like QoS and ToS/Diffserv prioritization. The program works with all current versions of Windows

Cisco DPC3000 and EPC3000 DOCSIS 3.0 4x4 Cable Modem

2012-07-02T04:50:00.000-07:00

Drivers

DPC/EPC3000 Cable Modem Drivers	Download
Vista XP 2000 Series USB Drivers	Download
DPW939 Drivers	Download
DPW941 Drivers	Download
2000 Series USB Drivers Version 3.2.3 Certified for Windows 2000 and XP	Download
300 Series USB Drivers Version 3.2.3 Note: This version release has recent USB driver fixes and is being provided "as is" without any warranty.	Download
100 Series USB Drivers Version 3.2.3 Note: This version release has recent USB driver fixes and is being provided "as is" without any warranty.	Download
DPW 700 & DPW 730 802.11b Wireless LANVersion 3.3.4.40C Note: This version release addresses compatibility with 802.11g devices and is being provided "as is" without any warranty. Note: You must burn these files to a CD and then install them from the CD. You must also un-install the old software using the old CD.	Download
Complete Scientific Atlanta Cable Modem Installation CD Version 3.2.4 161 MB Download

Cisco DPC/EPC2100 Cable Modem

2012-07-02T04:44:00.001-07:00

Speed:
Up to 43 Mbps downstream and 10 Mbps upstream

Drivers

Vista XP 2000 Series USB Drivers	Download
DPW939 Drivers	Download
DPW941 Drivers	Download
2000 Series USB Drivers Version 3.2.3 Certified for Windows 2000 and XP	Download
300 Series USB Drivers Version 3.2.3 Note: This version release has recent USB driver fixes and is being provided "as is" without any warranty.	Download
100 Series USB Drivers Version 3.2.3 Note: This version release has recent USB driver fixes and is being provided "as is" without any warranty.	Download
DPW 700 & DPW 730 802.11b Wireless LANVersion 3.3.4.40C Note: This version release addresses compatibility with 802.11g devices and is being provided "as is" without any warranty. Note: You must burn these files to a CD and then install them from the CD. You must also un-install the old software using the old CD.	Download
Complete Scientific Atlanta Cable Modem Installation CD Version 3.2.4 161 MB Download

Rank	MSO	BasicVideoSubscribers
1	Comcast Corporation	22,294,000
2	DirecTV	19,966,000
3	Dish Network Corporation	14,071,000
4	Time Warner Cable, Inc.	12,653,000
5	Cox Communications, Inc.¹	4,756,000
6	Verizon Communications, Inc.	4,353,000
7	Charter Communications, Inc.	4,341,000
8	AT&T, Inc.	3,991,000
9	Cablevision Systems Corporation	3,257,000
10	Bright House Networks LLC¹	2,079,000
11	Suddenlink Communications¹	1,250,000
12	Mediacom Communications Corporation	1,059,000
13	CableOne, Inc.	622,000
14	WideOpenWest Networks, LLC¹	460,000
15	RCN Corp.¹	333,000
16	Knology Holdings	256,000
17	Atlantic Broadband Group, LLC	254,000
18	Armstrong Cable Services	239,000
19	Midcontinent Communications	229,000
20	Service Electric Cable TV Incorporated¹	217,000
21	MetroCast Cablevision	169,000
22	Blue Ridge Communications¹	168,000
23	WaveDivision Holdings, LLC¹	159,000
24	General Communications	142,000
25	Buckeye CableSystem¹	133,000

The highest-paying IT jobs

2012-06-18T13:57:00.001-07:00

Are you looking for the highest-paying IT jobs? According to this survey you can get it in San Jose, California.

Median annual salary: $120,000

from high-range salaries:
Director of display algorithms, $170,000
NAND flash firmware, $165,000

and midrange salaries:
Applications engineer, $120,000
GUI software engineer, $120,000
Senior Java developer, $120,000

to low-end salaries:
Cisco network engineer NCA, $80,000
Embedded Linux developer, $75,000
Ruby on Rails engineer, $70,000
Junior software developer, $60,000
Systems engineer, $57,500

but don't forget about a perspective that your 'highest paid city" has a high cost of living.

Alternative way to find out who is well-paid in San Jose is SimplyHired (for example Cisco network engineer)

The Highest Paying Jobs At Facebook
The Highest Paying Jobs At Google

Technology salary and hiring trends

Review findings of the 2012's highest paid IT salaries* and projected percentage growth:

Chief Information Officer: $180-212k
Chief Security Officer: $158-207k
Application Architect: $126-166k
Network Architect: $121-142k
Data Warehouse Engineer $119-133k
Software Engineer: $116-152k
Software Developer (Front end): $107-132k
Sr. Systems Administrator: $110-125k
Mobile Developer: $109-124k
Information Security Analyst: $106-141k

*Salary range predictions are based on the D.C.Metro Area.

highest-paying IT jobs, Cisco network engineer

Pixelmetrix OTT Media Grinder (OMG)

2012-04-06T10:01:00.001-07:00

Packaged in a compact 1RU form factor, dedicated GigE Interfaces are available for management and Load Generation. The OMG can be operated stand-alone in a single location, or in a distributed, coordinated, multi-site configuration where loading multiple OMG systems provide visibility of service quality across the entire network.

Track 5 Nines Availability

High Density Load Generation

Highly Configurable Client Profiles

Availability and Performance Reports

Compact 1 RU Chassis

Easy to use HTML5 GUI

Pixelmetrix Corporation is a company that develops preventive monitoring products for terrestrial, satellite, cable, and IPTV networks. The company is known for its DVStation product, and also provides equipment and network intelligence systems to television broadcasters for the management and monitoring of "Quality of Service" and "Quality of Experience". Pixelmetrix is headquartered in Singapore, and also has offices in the United States and Europe.

The OTT Media Grinder (OMG) simulates thousands of OTT clients (iPhone, iPad, etc) with multiple user-defined behaviors. Simulating multiple client pools playing real assets, to the end or abruptly terminating, OMG gives you in-depth and unparalleled visibility of adaptive bit rate 'gear changes', buffering, as well as server and network problems.

To quantify the unique QoS/QoE performance factors for Over-The-Top Video, Pixelmetrix has developed the comprehensive VideoMargin™ Metrics, for complete insight into the OTT delivery - measuring network, HTTP and video layer performance.

The seven VideoMargin™ parameters measure each aspect of the delivery domain spanning content server, network, authentication, individual client behavior and collective client behavior as well. Consolidated 'service availability' is also provided as a single number in a familiar '5 nines' type of representation.

Broadcom Boosts Speed for DOCSIS®-based EoC Cable Architecture Solution to 1Gbps

2012-04-06T03:57:00.002-07:00

Broadcom is now shipping its 1Gbps DOCSIS-based EoC cable architecture solution.

DOCSIS technology as part of a customized "final 100 meter" solution, Broadcom's DOCSIS-based EoC cable architecture is a complete chipset and software solution that includes Coax Media Converter (CMC), DOCSIS 2.0 and 3.0 cable modem, and set-top box (STB) SoC solutions.

With added network capacity, the quality and consistency of high definition video conferencing will unquestionably see significant improvements. Broadcom’s DOCSIS-based EoC architecture is a complete software and hardware solution including Coax Media Converter, DOCSIS 2.0 and 3.0 cable modems and set-top box system-on-a-chip solutions.
"With top operator support in China, our DOCSIS-based EoC technology pushes the envelope in speed and network capacity to support demanding services like video chat,” said Dan Marotta, Broadcom’s Executive Vice President.

via Yahoo and tmcnet

GET SUPPORT FOR YOUR MOTOROLA CABLE MODEMS

2012-03-30T12:08:00.000-07:00

GET SUPPORT FOR YOUR CABLE MODEMS

[UPDATED] How to| Solution| with problems signing into Skype and making calls

2011-05-26T06:21:00.000-07:00

Windows Vista and Windows 7

1. Close Skype.
a. Right-click the Skype icon in the system tray (at the bottom right of the screen)
b. Choose Quit.
2. Ensure that "Show hidden files and folders" is switched on.
a. Click Start, type run and press Enter.
b. Type control folders and click OK.
c. Select the View tab and ensure relevant entry is enabled.
3. Locate the shared.xml file.
a. Click Start, type run and press Enter.
b. Type %appdata%\skype and click OK.
c. Delete the shared.xml file.
4. Restart Skype. The shared.xml file will be recreated.

Windows XP

1. Close Skype.
a. Right-click the Skype icon in the system tray (at the bottom right of the screen)
b. Choose Quit.
2. Ensure that "Show hidden files and folders" is switched on.
a. Click Start and then Run...
b. Type control folders and click OK.
c. Select the View tab and ensure relevant entry is enabled.
3. Locate the shared.xml file.
a. Click Start and then Run...
b. Type %appdata%\skype and click OK.
c. Delete the shared.xml file.
4. Restart Skype. The shared.xml file will be recreated.

Mac OS X

1. Quit Skype.
2. Go to the folder ~/Library/Application Support/Skype/
3. Delete the file shared.xml (it will be recreated once you open Skype again, this is fine).
4. Start Skype.

Please note that the ~ sign means your home folder. You can find your home folder by opening Finder and selecting Go > Home from the menu bar or pressing Command (Apple), Shift and H keys at the same time.

*****

Some of you may have problems signing in to Skype and making calls. We're investigating and hope to have more details to share soon.

MAC
rm ~/Library/Application\ Support/Skype/shared.xml in terminal

linux: mv ~/.Skype/shared.xml ~/.Skype/shared.xml_old

via skype

Panasonic and Verizon: Full HD 3D Video Over Verizon's FiOS

2011-01-08T01:41:00.000-08:00

via

Full-resolution high-definition 3D transmission via a premium TV service provider became a reality at this year's 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show. Verizon and Panasonic, a leader in Full HD 3D technology, are streaming Full HD 3D, currently the highest-possible resolution of 3D video, via Verizon's 100 percent fiber-optic FiOS TV service.

Full HD 3D transmissions preserve the complete 1080p picture resolution that consumers have come to expect from their HDTVs. Other solutions degrade the 3D image, typically reducing resolution by half. In a demonstration at the Verizon-sponsored Blogger Lounge, FiOS engineers showed a selection of 3D content streaming to a Panasonic Full HD Blu-ray 3D Disc™ player at a bit rate of up to 18 Mbps (megabits per second) -- double the bit rate currently used by most cable providers.

Ipoque and Net Neutrality in Europe

2010-12-30T07:34:00.000-08:00

Compared with the US – they are still in the middle of the net neutrality debate – Europe managed to find an acceptable compromise within a few months.

With the United States in mind, we were expecting an endless debate and this is why we participated in the net neutrality discussion from the beginning (see blog posts). Over a year ago we made our point very clear with our white paper. We made net neutrality the topic of our sessions and speeches at several conferences. And we published OpenDPI to show everybody how DPI works and that transparency is doable – even for a network equipment vendor. Now it’s the operators’ responsibility to be as transparent as possible. This was the obvious solution from the beginning, but long time it seemed that there would be no consensus among net neutrality activists, technology vendors and operators.

read full article

According to the Wall Street Journal, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has undertaken new steps to protect internet neutrality, another chapter for the concept in a somewhat tumultuous relationship with the agency.
Net neutrality is the idea that all traffic over internet connections should be treated equally. Internet services providers (ISPs) have vigorously fought against the concept, now warning in the wake of the FCC’s mood on the topic to lower investment in new internet fiber. It is their largest threat against what they view to be government meddling.
This news comes as a victory for internet customers and internet companies, both of which have been advocates of net neutrality. Consumers want to use their connections exactly as they see fit, and internet companies want to make sure that they get the same crack at the ball as anyone else. According to the story, some of the rules used to regulate phone lines will be applied to the internet.
The Hill reports that tomorrow the FCC will announce its plans to move in new a direction, a “third way.” The goal will be to “fulfill the previously stated agenda of extending broadband to all Americans, protecting consumers, ensuring fair competition, and preserving a free and open Internet.”

read full article

Samsung says 70% of all its TV sets will be Internet-connected in 2014

2010-12-27T10:44:00.000-08:00

According to Media Post :

In five years, almost 40% of television produced for the U.S. market will have at least one TV set in the home with Internet connections and services.
Media research publisher Futurescape says this will amount to 43 million U.S. television homes out of 115.9 million overall U.S. TV homes. Other research suggests that 57 million U.S. TV homes will be viewing at some time regular full-length TV programs from online sources on their TV sets.
U.S. numbers register at a slower pace than global TV trends, where it is expected that 54% of all flat-panel TV sets that will be shipped in 2014 148.3 million will have Internet-connected TV services.
Aggressive TV maker Samsung says 70% of all its TV sets will be Internet-connected in 2014. Right now, the TV set maker says 17% of its production is Internet-connected TVs.
In Europe, the 4 million Net-connected TVs in 2009 will jump to 47 million in 2014. Germany seems to be a particularly fast-moving market 36% of all TVs sold in the country in the first half of 2010 had Internet connections. By 2015, estimates are that 61% of German TV homes will be Internet-connected.
In Europe, the number of Blu-ray players is also expected to climb up from 5 million in 2010 to 66 million in 2015.
The study says 63% of TV viewers want Internet connections for their TV to access show information, talk about entertainment on social media sites and shop online.
Futurescape says the growth of social media areas is pushing the move for more Internet-connected TVs.

Broadcast TV is the foundation for Connected TV experiences

Futurescape strategy reports

Futurescape publishes strategy reports on Web video and connected TV trends and innovation.

For senior executives making key decisions on the fast-changing digital media future.

NEW WHITE PAPER: How Connected Television Transforms The Business of TV (as recently featured in Broadcast magazine).

LATEST REPORT – Social TV

How Facebook, Twitter and connected television transform global TV advertising, pay-TV, EPGs and broadcasting.

The TV set is increasingly being connected to the Internet. This is making television into a social medium - social TV.

The main social networks, Facebook and Twitter, are now fighting for key roles in the worldwide television market, particularly TV advertising and pay-TV.

The report analyses how social TV fundamentally changes the TV industry.

Television advertising
Systems such as Google TV put Facebook and Twitter ads on TV screens. This social advertising will revolutionise the $180bn worldwide TV ad market.

Pay-TV
Global pay-TV needs social recommendation and discovery services. These encourage viewers to pay for more channels and buy more video-on-demand. Facebook and Twitter control the essential social data for these services. The international pay-TV market will be worth $250bn by 2014.

Electronic Programme Guides
EPG providers too require social data for recommendation and discovery. The European EPG market alone will be $555m by 2014.

Broadcasting and interactivity
Facebook and Twitter buzz affects TV ratings. The social networks know in real time how people react to TV programming. This is an essential supplement to Nielsen-type viewing data. Social networks on TV also enable viewers to interact about and with TV shows.

The Social TV report maps out the emerging social TV landscape and reveals what it means for the TV industry.

Download Social TV table of contents, sample pages PDF

Futurescape

Connected TV apps part of ioko multi-screen strategy

Social TV and the future of Public Service Broadcasters

Cable modem drivers /direct links !

2010-10-11T02:50:00.000-07:00

Cable modem 3COM
Cable modem USRobotics USR6000
Cable modem Motorola SB510X
Cable modem Motorola SB 5101, 5100, 4200, 4100
Cable modem Terayon 700x
Cable modem Motorola SBG900I
Cable modem WebSTAR Cable Modem
Cable modem Motorola_SB510x (для Windows Vista)
Cable modem Motorola_SBG900 (для Windows Vista)
Cable modem WebSTAR 2000 Series( для Vista)

Cable modem Arris CM550B Windows XP(x86)
Cable modem Arris CM550B Windows Vista(x64)
Cable modem Arris для Vista 64
Cable modem Arris 450
Cable modem Arris 550

Submarine Cable Map 2010

2010-10-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

TeleGeography’s popular Submarine Cable Map has been fully updated for 2010. The latest edition of our map depicts 111 of the world’s major submarine cable systems and 19 planned systems that are due to enter service by 2011.

See a larger version here

A high resolution version of our submarine cable map is now available as a free download for your reference. Check back regularly for updates to the map.

Download (5MB Zipped JPG)

Wallpaper 1024x768

Wallpaper 1600x1200

Lit Submarine Cable Capacity Trends by Route, 1999-2006

Lit Submarine Cable Capacity Trends by Route, 1999-2006

Median GigE IP Transit Prices in Major Cities, Q2 2005-Q2 2010

Driver for Nokia DKE-2, DKU-2, CA-42, CA-53, CA-70, CA-101

2010-10-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

Install the driver to establish a cable connection between your compatible Nokia phone and a compatible PC.
Important for Windows XP or Vista users: Drivers for the Nokia DKE-2, DKU-2, CA-42, CA-53, CA-70, and CA-101 cables are now integrated into Nokia PC Suite. Instead of downloading the cable driver separately, we recommend you download Nokia PC Suite.

This driver is compatible with the following Nokia data cables:

Nokia Connectivity Cable DKE-2
Nokia Connectivity Cable DKU-2
Nokia Connectivity Adapter Cable CA-42
Nokia Connectivity Cable CA-53
Nokia Charging Connectivity Cable CA-70
Nokia Charging Connectivity Cable CA-101

Before downloading and installing the driver, make sure the cable is disconnected from your PC.
Refer to the guide for detailed installation and verification instructions.
Tip: If you have trouble downloading the file, right-click on the link and open in a new window or disable your pop-up blockers.

Downloads for Nokia Data Cables

Nokia Cable Driver for Windows 2000, XP and Vista:		Quick guide for installing Nokia Connectivity Cable drivers:

	Arabic Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Hong Kong) Czech Danish Dutch English (UK) English (U.S.) Filipino Finnish French (France) French (Canada) German Greek Hebrew Hungarian Italian Indonesian Korean Malay Norwegian Polish Portuguese (Portugal) Portuguese (Brazil) Romanian Russian Slovak Slovenian Spanish (Spain) Spanish (Latin America) Swedish Thai Turkish Vietnamese		Arabic Czech Danish Dutch English Finnish French German Greek Hebrew Hungarian Italian Norwegian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Slovak Slovenian Spanish Swedish Turkish

And once again the cable modem drivers.

2010-09-08T23:55:00.000-07:00

Motorola

Motorola SB510x 2_1_.4.5.1.whql_driver.exe (195 Кб)
Motorola SBG900i SBG900i.zip (15 023 Кб)
Motorola_SB510x_for_Vista Motorola_SB510x_for_Vista.exe (66 Кб)
Motorola_SBG900_for_Vista Motorola_SBG900_for_Vista.exe (66 Кб)

WebSTAR

WebSTAR Cable Modem webstar_cabmodem.zip (7 347 Кб)
WebSTAR_2000Series_for_Vista WebSTAR_2000Series_for_Vista.zip (241 Кб)

3COM

3COM 3CR29221 usb_drv_1_7.zip (32 Кб)

USRobotics

USRobotics USR6000 USR6000_WXP.zip (11 Кб)

Terayon

Terayon 700x rev_b_tj700x.zip (16 097 Кб)

Cable modem drivers /for free/ !

2010-09-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

Here you can find drivers for all the cable modems supplied by Volia

Thomson TCM-410, Thomson TCM-420, Thomson TCM-470
Thomson_USB_CableModem_V2.2.5.zip , 145 КB

Thomson TCM-390
TCM390.zip, 18 КB

Thomson TCW-710
Thomson_TCW710_V2.2.5.zip, 142 КB

Hitron
hitronBRG35202.zip, 72 kB

Hitron BRG35202 и 35302 for Windows 7
Hitron_Vista.zip, 1,7 kB

WebStar (Cisco/Scientific Atlanta): driver-webstar-cd.v.3.2.3.zip, 44 MB (drivers and manuals)

Terayon TJ716x: driver-tj716x.zip, 166 kB

Terayon TJ715x: driver-tj715.zip, 166 kB

COM 21: driver-com-21.zip, 260 kB

COM 21 XB-E: driver-com21-xb-e.zip, 264 kB

Motorola SB 4200; driver-motorola.exe, 200 kB

MOTOROLA SB 5100: driver-m5100.zip, 161 kB

TERAYON TJ 411: driver-terayon.zip, 10 kB

Zyxel Prestige 964: driver-zyxel-prestige-964.zip, 19 kB

TA-102: driver-ta102.zip, 1024 kB

If a cable modem is connected via ethernet, no special cable modem drivers are required.

An Ethernet connection (~100 Mbps) is recommended because it is faster than a USB connection (12 Mbps).

some additional information

MPEG H.264 for Internet Video Is Free to End Users Through Life of License

2010-08-26T16:36:00.000-07:00

MPEG LA's AVC/H.264 Patent Portfolio License provides access to essential patent rights for the AVC/H.264 (MPEG-4 Part 10) digital video coding standard used in set-top boxes, media player and other personal computer software, mobile devices including telephones and mobile television receivers, Blu-ray DiscTM players and recorders, Blu-ray video optical discs, game machines, personal media player devices, still and video cameras, subscription and pay-per view or title video services, free broadcast television services and other products. To align with the real-world flow of AVC/H.264 commerce, reasonable royalties are apportioned throughout the AVC/H.264 value chain. The License employs annual limitations to provide cost predictability, threshold levels below which certain royalties will not be charged in order to encourage early-stage adopters and minimize the impact on lower volume users or demo products, and certain licensing options that require no royalty reports.

MPEG LA’s AVC License Will Not Charge Royalties for Internet Video that is Free to End Users through Life of License

(DENVER, CO, US – 26 August 2010) – MPEG LA announced today that its AVC Patent Portfolio License will continue not to charge royalties for Internet Video that is free to end users (known as “Internet Broadcast AVC Video”) during the entire life of this License. MPEG LA previously announced it would not charge royalties for such video through December 31, 2015 (see http://www.mpegla.com/Lists/MPEG%20LA%20News%20List/Attachments/226/n-10-02-02.pdf), and today’s announcement makes clear that royalties will continue not to be charged for such video beyond that time. Products and services other than Internet Broadcast AVC Video continue to be royalty-bearing.
MPEG LA's AVC Patent Portfolio License provides access to essential patent rights for the AVC/H.264 (MPEG-4 Part 10) digital video coding standard. In addition to Internet Broadcast AVC Video, MPEG LA’s AVC Patent Portfolio License provides coverage for devices that decode and encode AVC video, AVC video sold to end users for a fee on a title or subscription basis and free television video services. AVC video is used in set-top boxes, media player and other personal computer software, mobile devices including telephones and mobile television receivers, Blu-ray Disc™ players and recorders, Blu-ray video optical discs, game machines, personal media player devices and still and video cameras.
For more information about MPEG LA’s AVC License or to request a copy of the License, please visit http://www.mpegla.com/main/programs/AVC/Pages/Intro.aspx .

Full news release here

MPEG LA, LLC
MPEG LA is the world leader in alternative technology licenses, enabling users to acquire worldwide patent rights necessary for a technology standard or platform from multiple patent owners in a single transaction as an alternative to negotiating individual licenses. Wherever an independently administered one-stop patent license would provide a convenient marketplace alternative to assist users with implementation of their technology choices, the licensing model pioneered and employed by MPEG LA may provide a solution. By balancing patent users’ interest in reasonable access with patent owners’ interest in reasonable return, MPEG LA creates the opportunity for adoption of new technologies and fuels innovation. MPEG LA’s initial licensing program for MPEG-2 digital video compression helped produce the most widely employed standard in consumer electronics history, and the MPEG LA® Licensing Model has become the template for addressing other technologies. Today MPEG LA manages licensing programs consisting of essential patents in 70 countries. For more information, please refer to http://www.mpegla.com.

Following is a list of licensors of patents included in the AVC Patent Portfolio License. Any party that believes it has patents which are essential to the AVC/H.264 Standard, and wishes to participate in the AVC/H.264 Patent Portfolio License upon successful evaluation, is invited to submit them for evaluation and inclusion.

Apple Inc.

Cisco Systems Canada IP Holdings Company

DAEWOO Electronics Corporation

Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute

France Télécom, société anonyme*

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.

Fujitsu Limited

Hitachi, Ltd.

Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.

LG Electronics Inc.

Microsoft Corporation

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

NTT DOCOMO, INC.

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation

Panasonic Corporation

Polycom, Inc.

Robert Bosch GmbH*

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Sedna Patent Services, LLC

Sharp Corporation

Siemens AG

Sony Corporation

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson

The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York

Toshiba Corporation

Victor Company of Japan, Limited

*Up to and through date of last patent expiration

Did you steal my tarts ? Fro-Yo Wars

2010-08-26T14:21:00.000-07:00

All this stories when something "leaked" ^..^ /officialy/ :).
Just to get some PR and keep the brand name under the bright spot light?

The Queen of Hearts

She made some tarts,

All on a summer's day;

The Knave of Hearts

He stole those tarts,

And took them clean away.

The King of Hearts

Called for the tarts,

And beat the knave full sore;

The Knave of Hearts

Brought back the tarts,

And vowed he'd steal no more.

The Droid X has been mired in controversy since its launch. Motorola used a bootloader and chip combination that made it difficult for hackers to mod the phone and install custom versions of Android. The bootloader is the software component that loads the operating system in a gadget. Despite that, Android developers have been able to root the device.

For now, intrepid Droid X users have no choice but to wait for the official Froyo update to the Droid X, which is scheduled for early September.

That's right, just weeks after it;s release, the Motorola Droid 2 has been rooted! The geniuses over at XDA Developers have done it again with this latest hack. At first glance, the process looks fairly simple, but it's not one click root, that's for sure. So, if you're unsure about rooting, I would wait until an easier method is released. This one isn't for the faint of heart, so be cautious.
As of now, there have been no ROM releases or recovery images, but we'll keep you posted on any new developments.

There is nothing new under the moon

Hot news from AndroidGuys, Androidcentral
Who is not rootable nowadays?

Froyo update for the Evo 4G is now rootable
Droid 2 Rooted!

So... Welcome to the past

Modern Living: Let Them Eat Yogurt

"Wall Street is frozen-yogurt city now," says a beaming Richard Egan, executive vice president of Colombo yogurt. Indeed, any fair lunchtime brings out crowds of bankers and stockbrokers strolling about and licking 500 and 750 curl-topped frozen-yogurt cones. In midtown Manhattan, long queues snake around corners to the tiny frozen-yogurt parlors that seem to have sprung up everywhere.
Frozen yogurt is actually just the latest ferment in the general yogurt boom. Exalted in ancient writings as the food of the gods, yogurt has become popular in the U.S. only in the past decade. In 1975 Americans ate 200,000 tons of it, nearly $300 million worth—up from $25 million in 1967.
Food faddists credit yogurt with nearly universal virtues. They say it prolongs life and improves the work of the digestive tract. Moreover, skim-milk yogurt is a good low-calorie source of protein, calcium and phosphorus.
Food Critic Gael Greene cautions that it cannot be compared with foie gras, or homemade butter-pecan ice cream. But she says that she breakfasts on yogurt "every disciplined morning," adding, "yogurt is definitely a best friend —but not a lover."

And the moral of the story is? Let Them Eat Yogurt! 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 etc! :)

The Duchess: You're thinking about something, my dear, and that makes you forget to talk. I can't tell you just now what the moral of that is, but I shall remember it in a bit.
Alice: Perhaps it hasn't one.
The Duchess: Tut, tut, child! Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it.

YouTube. Something new - FroyoTabSam
Samsung Galaxy Tab from Digitaltimes S. Korea

http://www.nebtooknews.com We grabbed this video off of a Korean outfit http://www.dt.co.kr/contents.html?art... The 7" inch tablet is running Android 2.2, on a 1GHz processor (ARM8) which is the same processor on the Samsung Galaxy S smartphone, a 800 x 480 resolution on it's 7-inch display, a 3.2MP rear webcam, a front facing webcam, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Flash and GPS are all confirmed. Again, like said smartphone, they've got a Swype keyboard on board.

History
Frozen yogurt was introduced in New England in the 1970s as a soft serve dessert by H. P. Hood under the name Frogurt. In 1978, Brigham's, a Boston based ice cream, candy and sandwich chain developed and introduced the first packaged frozen yogurt under the name Humphreez Yogart. It was originally intended as a healthier alternative to ice cream, but consumers complained about the tart taste. Manufacturers began production of a recipe that tasted sweeter, and frozen yogurt took off in the 1980s, reaching sales of $25 million in 1986. In the early 1990s, frozen yogurt was 10% of the dessert market.

How much freedom and equality there will be in the Internet of the future

2010-08-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) just called off the “closed door” network neutrality negotiations it was conducting between major ISPs, Google, Skype and the Open Internet Coalition, after news broke Wednesday afternoon that Google and Verizon had reached an independent deal on the issue outside of the FCC negotiations. The end of these talks, which had been roundly criticized because they were being held in secret, may be a sign of hope for the FCC to push ahead with the public debate.

The FCC decision comes less than 24 hours after hysterical and confused reports of a Google and Verizon deal on net neutrality began circulating around media outlets and Washington.

What it Means for the Valley and Consumers As Google and Verizon work out their compromise and promote whatever version of network neutrality works for one of the largest telecommunications companies and the largest driver of web traffic, the effect on the startup ecosystem and consumers may take a while to appear. But warning signs are already planted. For example:

AT&T tried to stop YouTube access on its phones.

Germany’s T-Mobile wants to block video content on wireless networks.

Google and Verizon are talking about paid prioritization of Google traffic.

Consider what paid prioritization means for the nascent web television industry, which right now sometimes uses Google’s YouTube as a distribution platform. It’s great that Google may pay for their shows to get prioritization, but what happens if Google doesn’t like a show, or maybe it wants to run ads the creator doesn’t like? The Internet as an equal opportunity distribution platform is subtly changed.
The U.S. broadband network was in sad shape as well, unless one was lucky enough to live in an area with a cable provider that was deploying DOCSIS 3.0 or within range of Verizon’s fiber network. An FCC survey this year discovered that 78 percent of the U.S. has only two broadband providers to choose from, while 13 percent have only one.

The numbers are important, because one of the bulwarks against nefarious activity in terms of discriminating against certain types of content is robust competition. The line of thinking is that if AT&T blocks certain files, the customer can simply find an ISP that doesn’t. In practice, this isn’t a very effective threat because in some areas, the alternatives are crappy DSL lines, satellite broadband or nothing.

The new FCC ,with Genachowski at its head, was going to change all that. He decided to champion network neutrality, not only for wireline, but also for wireless access. He was going to be a thorn in the side of the big incumbents and agitate for innovation, consumer rights and change.

gigaom.com By Stacey Higginbotham

The report's authors, Craig Settles and Adam Elliot, admitted that even they were surprised by the study's principal observation that competition inversely correlates with state wealth.

"We hesitate to draw what could be the obvious conclusion that, if a state's constituents become wealthier, competitiveness in broadband will drop," they conclude. "We take the position that wealth attracted or facilitated (and still does) one or two large providers to come into the area initially and establish market dominance such that their resulting barriers prevented competition from becoming widely established. It very well may be that specifically because less affluent states did not attract one of the largest providers (at least for a while), several smaller regional or local providers were able to establish stronger market positions."

So it may be that policy makers have to come up with a more sophisticated way of thinking about "competitiveness" and its virtues. In poorer, more rural states, having a host of probably cash-poor competitors on the market doesn't necessarily mean better broadband. The Federal Communications Commission's latest report (please read this report TWICE) on Internet competition found that only 72 percent of consumers in "competitive" Arkansas had access to 200Kbps or greater cable modem service in 2008.

arstechnica.com

There is no clear and generally applicable definition of net neutrality. It is a principle that is described differently by different people coming from different regional, social and scientific backgrounds. Technical definition would be that all IP packets should be treated equally on a best-effort basis. But net neutrality is not a technical principle but a social paradigm that strives to preserve the Internet in a perceived state of maximum freedom and equality among its participants. Hence, ultimately, society will have to decide about how much freedom and equality there will be in the Internet of the future. Here we will focus on the more technical aspects of net neutrality.

So.....
Let's reach 2 million for Net Neutrality! Save the Internet?

from savetheinternet.com :

Urge Congress and the FCC to support Net Neutrality.

Verizon’s TV Everywhere strategy a “triple play to the triple screen”

2010-08-22T23:57:00.000-07:00

FiOS TV subscribers will be able to access video on demand (VoD) on the iPad, iPhone, and a range of Android smartphones starting in the fourth quarter, with the addition of live TV channels set to arrive sometime in 2011. FiOS TV vice president of consumer strategy and planning Shawn Strickland said subscriber viewing of live TV channels on the iPad will initially be limited to subscriber homes. He said Verizon would not have to pay programmers additional fees to provide access on the iPad. “That’s no different than a set-top. We don’t pay on a set-top basis,” Strickland said.

Live TV Is Coming to the iPad

Calling Verizon’s TV Everywhere strategy a “triple play to the triple screen,” Strickland said the applications give FiOS TV competitive edge over rivals such as Comcast Corp., Time Warner Cable Inc., and Cablevision, which are also developing applications for the iPad.

“We see a strong differentiator there. We think we’re fully ahead of the competition,” Strickland said, noting that he believes Verizon’s TV Everywhere strategy will help it win new video customers.

lightreading.com

US$100 million and Skype jar

2010-08-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

Skype seeks to raise US$100 million through an initial public offering (IPO) in the U.S., as the Luxembourg-based provider of Internet telephony, the IPO would be coordinated by Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley, together with a host of other banks, and managed by Lazard, RBC and UBS.

Skype is still rapidly growing its user base: Its 560 million registered users figure is up 41% year-over-year. For those who asked: Most of Skype’s users don’t pay the company a penny, but some pay for extra services, such as the ability to connect to a landline or wireless line. Skype says it has 560 million registered users, and 124 million who use it at least once a month. Of those, 8.1 million are paying an average of $96 a year. "Classic freemium," as AllThingsD's Peter Kafka tweets.

In the filing, Skype says

—From last January until eBay sold the majority of Skype in November 2009, the service did $626.5 million in sales, but recorded a net loss of $269 million.

—It wants to grow its consumer business “by improving awareness and adoption of our paid products and introducing premium products such as group video calling”, and by adding new revenue streams like “marketing services (such as advertising) and licensing”.

In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, Skype said it plans to use the money it raises from the IPO for "general business purposes" as it pursues a strategy to grow both its base of free users and paid subscribers, increase its marketing and advertising revenue, and expand its services for businesses.
In its SEC filing, Skype said that most of its revenue currently comes from fees its charges for its SkypeOut service, which it also wants to see grow and which lets users make calls outside of the Skype domain to regular phone lines and mobile devices.

Skype says: “It is our goal to continue to grow both our connected and paying users as Internet access proliferates globally and our penetration increases.

“We believe the scale, global distribution and growth of our user base provide us with powerful network effects, whereby Skype becomes more valuable as more people use it, thereby creating an incentive for existing users to encourage new users to join….

“We believe our business is also characterized by low operating and capital expenditures as a result of the strong network effects that help us grow our user base, our strong communications brand, which we have built despite low levels of marketing spending, and the low-cost peer-to-peer architecture that does not require us to build or maintain a network.”

Oh, and by the way, if you are looking for mobile java skype.jar, according to official Skype support site (see below), java version called also Skype Lite is not available to download. What does it mean to users? find skype.jar somewhere else. Don't worry - Softpedia takes care of this little problem.

More programs by Skype Limited

Skype (iPhone) 2.1.1

update

Skype gives you free calls and instant messages to anyone else on Skype. You can also call landlines an...

[read more >]