Connected Home EXPRESS--Macworld, CES Wrap-Ups--January 21, 2004

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1. Getting Connected
- Macworld, CES Foreshadow an Exciting 20042. News and Views
- Microsoft Sues Teen Over Web Site
- Google Moves into Email
- Illegal Music Downloads Jump Despite RIAA Legal Action
- Napster Goes to Europe
- CD Singles on the Chopping Block
- PalmSource Ships Palm OS 6.0
- Consumers Spend $3.5 Billion on Cell-Phone Ring Tones3. Announcements
- New Web Seminar: Email Is a Service--Manage It Like One
- Need to Get Your Hands Wrapped Around SQL Server?4. Quick Poll - Results of Previous Poll: Home-Theater Investment
- New Poll: Digital Media in Your Connected Home5. Resource
- Tip: Lighten the Load with a Smart Phone6. Event
- Free Web Seminar--The Costs of Spam7. New and Improved
- Low-Priced 4-Megapixel Optical-Zoom Digital Camera
- Tell Us About a Hot Product and Get a T-Shirt!8. Contact Us
- See this section for a list of ways to contact us.==== Sponsor: Connected Home Survey ==== Connected Home Magazine is Offering You The Chance to Win aPortable DVD Player - Simply Answer Our Super-Quick 10 QuestionSurvey!
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==== 1. Getting Connected ====
By Paul Thurrott, News Editor, [email protected], CES Foreshadow an Exciting 2004
Like 2003, 2004 began with two trend-setting trade shows: MacworldSan Francisco 2004 and the 2004 International Consumer ElectronicsShow (CES), which took place in Las Vegas, Nevada. Both shows areheavily tilted toward the merger of personal computing and consumerelectronics--a hot trend that's now sweeping the computer industry.CES also features a strong contingent of traditionalconsumer-electronics companies plying such high-tech toys ashome-theater systems and High-Definition Television (HDTV) displays.As in previous years, both shows offered a fascinating preview of theconsumer-oriented technology advances we'll see in the coming year.Macworld
Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs is a master showman, capable ofrallying his company's loyal fans into a tizzy over the company'sproducts. Sadly, Macworld 2004 showcased one of Jobs's leastcompelling moments on stage, mostly because Apple has so few newproducts. But the company is pushing further from its computer rootsinto digital music--a move that will resonate for months to come. But first, Jobs celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Macintosh,the computer that took GUIs and the mouse mainstream. "Literally, [theMac was] a decade ahead of anything else," Jobs noted. "It was thecomputer for the rest of us." He didn't announce any new or updatedMac systems, however, choosing to instead focus on innovative newsoftware that distances the Mac from its PC competition. First up wasa new version of the company's midlevel Digital Video (DV) editingpackage, Final Cut Express 2.0 ($300, or $100 for the upgradeversion), which includes real-time filters and effects--two featuresthat typically bog down the free iMovie tool. Microsoft even showedoff its Mac Office 2004 suite, due later this year, which will includeMac-only and Mac-first features such as a Project Center for centrallytracking different types of information and a OneNote-like note-takingand audio recording add-on for Microsoft Word. Apple updated its iLife suite of digital-media applications withnew versions of iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD (iTunes remains unchanged),and a new music-making application called GarageBand. Priced at just$50, iLife is a must-have package, offering better performance, betterstability, and a slew of new features, such as network-based photosharing, photo ratings, and numerous new video effects andtransitions. "It's like Microsoft Office for the rest of your life,"Jobs said, "for when you're not a work." The big news at Macworld was the new iPod mini, due in February inthe United States and in April elsewhere. Essentially a scaled-downversion of the world's most popular portable digital audio player, theiPod mini features Mac and PC compatibility, a choice of five colors,a 4GB hard disk--good for storing 1000 songs (which I take to mean128Kbps Protected AAC songs)--and a disappointingly high price of$250.CES
CES is typically split evenly between traditionalconsumer-electronics companies and PC companies. CES 2004 got off to astrange start when computing giant HP announced a blockbuster dealwith Apple, in which HP will sell rebranded iPods and bundle Apple'sfree iTunes for Windows software with all its consumer-oriented PCs.The HP deal raises some serious interoperability concerns, becausenone of its many existing hardware products are currently compatiblewith the proprietary Protected AAC format that Apple uses on itsiTunes Music Store. HP also abandoned the more compatible MicrosoftWindows Media Audio (WMA) format used by competitors such as Dell,MusicMatch, Napster, Wal-Mart, and BuyMusic.com, leading me to wonderhow the company will keep its customers from sinking into a quagmireof incompatibilities. But you can't deny that the HP/Apple deal is alightning strike of publicity for HP and a huge endorsement forApple's digital media strategy. HP wasn't the only PC company bucking the Microsoft boat. Streamingmedia technology company RealNetworks announced at CES that it, too,was abandoning WMA for its own online music store, and although thecompany chose an AAC-based audio format, the format is completelyincompatible with Apple's Protected AAC. The announcement raisedeyebrows and cast another shadow over any hopes that the format warswould soon be over. In his preshow keynote address, Microsoft Chairman and ChiefSoftware Architect Bill Gates touted his company's recently releasedMSN 9 Internet software, which includes a Premium version suited tobroadband users; the new Smart Personal Object Technology (SPOT) smartwatches; Windows Powered Smart Phones; and a host of WindowsMedia-based products and services, including Windows Media CenterExtender devices, which remotely display content from Media Center PCson any TV in your home through a network connection. Microsoft'svision was called "Seamless Computing," an apt description for theways the company sees technology expanding into every area of ourlives. "We're making it so you don't have to do a lot of work to getyour calendar to show up on the different devices, making it so thatyour email is wherever you go," Gates said. "We are developingsoftware that's in the car, in the phone, of course in the PC, theset-top box, the watch--all the places where software can run. We wantto make sure that we do the best we can to make [them] connect and tomake it seamless." But CES wasn't just about Microsoft. In fact, Microsoft didn't evenhave a particularly big presence at the show, compared with somecompanies. No, you could sum up this year's CES with the term"connectivity." We're at the beginning of a new age in consumerelectronics, an age in which devices work together over home networks.Many companies are offering set-top boxes, for example, that connectto powerful PCs in the home office, displaying the digital photos,movies, and music you've stored there through your home stereo or hometheater. Other devices remotely access content from powerful set-topboxes, such as the TV, letting you enjoy recorded TV content in otherrooms. In both of these cases, the idea is that you can enjoy yourmedia at any time, in any room. Maybe Microsoft's "seamless computing"concept isn't so far off after all. Some of the companies at CES were showing off interesting andinnovative products. HDTV satellite provider VOOM, for example,recently dramatically reduced the cost of its exciting, high-qualityservice and is introducing in 2004 a set of secondary set-top boxesthat let you view HDTV programming (recorded or live) on other TVsaround the home. A company called Beatsounds is offering tiny MP3players that you can wear as decorative necklaces; the devices are sosmall you could almost wear them as earrings, and yet they offer 128MBto 256MB of storage. Texas Instruments, Samsung, Mitsubishi, Toshiba,and others are offering a wide range of wide-screen TV displays at avariety of price-points. Tube sets still dominate the low end, butrear-projection sets are coming on strong in the low-to-midpricedrange. DLP displays are making headway in the midrange, andhigh-priced LCD and plasma displays, with their flat form factors andbrilliant screens, are selling better than ever at the high end. Sony's off-floor booth was characteristically impressive. Thecompany was touting everything from PC-convergence devices withintegrated DV recording capabilities to Network Walkman portable audioplayers, disk-based personal DV recorders, digital cameras, and smartphones through its partnership with Erickson. CES was so big that I'm having trouble wrapping my mind around it.We saw traditional computer equipment, quarter-sized hard disks,customizable bezels for wide-screen TVs, iPod accessories, car stereosand car modifications, and photo-printing paper. We saw booth babes,bikini models, walking and talking robots, and vendors that solddifferent flavors of oxygen to confused attendees. Temporary boothswere even set up in tents in the parking lot to handle the companiesthat couldn't get space inside the enormous Las Vegas ConventionCenter. CES was just that kind of show.==== 2. News and Views ====
An irreverent look at some of the week's Connected Home news,contributed by Paul Thurrott and Keith Furman ([email protected])Microsoft Sues Teen Over Web Site
Microsoft's legal embarrassments reached a new low this week when a17-year-old named Mike Rowe revealed he's the target of a lawsuit thatthe software giant filed. The subject of the suit is Rowe's Web site,www.mikerowesoft.com, which is phonetically identical towww.microsoft.com. "Since my name is Mike Rowe, I thought itwould be funny to add 'soft' to the end of it," Rowe said. You knowwhat, Mike? It is funny. In fact, it's so funny, we laugh every timewe think about it. What's not funny, however, is the reactionMicrosoft has had to your name. Specifically, Microsoft is suing Rowefor copyright infringement. Shame on Microsoft. The company shouldhave to pay the poor kid damages for threatening him in the firstplace.Google Moves into Email
Internet search giant Google is reportedly working on extending itslucrative Web-based advertising to email and will soon launch an emailservice. Google's email service will likely be Web-based and includesponsored links similar to those on Google.com and many other Websites. Google, of course, faces serious competition from companiessuch as Microsoft and Yahoo!, both of which already offersophisticated email services and Internet searching.Illegal Music Downloads Jump Despite RIAA Legal Action
Americans downloaded more illegal music in October and Novemberthan in previously tested periods (the previous test took place in May2003), despite the best efforts of the Recording Industry Associationof America's (RIAA's) lawyers and legal music services such as theApple iTunes Music Store. An NPD Group study notes that the number ofUS households using peer-to-peer networks to illegally download musicrose 6 to 7 percent during that time period, with 12 million peopledownloading illegal music. The development marks the first time sinceMay that the figure rose. "It's important to keep in mind that filesharing is occurring less frequently than before the RIAA began itslegal efforts to stem the tide of P2P [peer-to-peer] file sharing," anRIAA lawyer said. "We're just seeing the first increase in thesenumbers."Napster Goes to Europe
The Napster music download service is on its way to Europe, thecompany announced recently. Napster is offering its library of morethan 300,000 songs to European consumers starting in April. Currently,only US consumers can access the service, which started its new leaseon life last fall. Previously, Napster was home to more than 50million music thieves and the catalyst for the seemingly never-endingseries of music-related lawsuits we've seen over the past few years.CD Singles on the Chopping Block
Say what you will about online music stores and peer-to-peer (P2P)networks, but declining CD sales thanks to these two technologies willsoon see the end of the CD single, which record companies willdiscontinue over the next 3 years. Sales of CD singles fell 30 percentin 2003, and industry experts expect the high-priced disks to suffer asimilar fall this year. With broadband more commonly available,consumers can easily download single songs in just seconds fromlegitimate online music stores. And recently, for the first time,sales of downloaded songs have outpaced sales of CD singles.PalmSource Ships Palm OS 6.0
PalmSource recently finalized its Palm OS 6.0 software, paving theway for a new generation of PDAs that companies such as palmOne andSony will release in 2004. Palm OS 6.0 features better multitaskingcapabilities than its predecessor, Palm OS 5.0, letting devices basedon the system run more applications simultaneously. The new OS alsoincludes native support for landscape and portrait display modes, aswell as several multimedia-oriented features.Consumers Spend $3.5 Billion on Cell-Phone Ring Tones
Sales of cell-phone ring tones exceeded $3.5 billion worldwide in2003, calling into question the sanity of everyone on the planet. Thatfigure means that those annoying little jingles you hear every timesome clown in a restaurant, movie theater, or other public spaceanswers his or her phone generated 10 percent of the amount of moneythat the entire music industry earned. The saddest aspect of this newsis that cell-phone makers anticipate strong growth, which means evenmore sales this year. But fear not--ring tones aren't even the salesleader when it comes to cell-phone services: Cell-phone-based textmessaging generated a whopping $40 billion in 2003.==== 3. Announcements ====
(from Windows & .NET Magazine and its partners)New Web Seminar: Email Is a Service--Manage It Like One True end-to-end management of the messaging infrastructure requiresan integrated, service-oriented approach. This free Web seminarintroduces service-driven management and best practices for managingand monitoring the key elements crucial to ensuring email health andperformance, including Exchange Server, Active Directory, network, andstorage. Sign up today!
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http://lists.connectedhomemag.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eeLM0IGRIK0BQ40BEv30AI==== 4. Quick Poll ====Results of Previous Poll: Home-Theater Investment
The voting has closed in Connected Home Online's nonscientificQuick Poll for the question, "How much money have you invested in yourentire home-theater setup?" Here are the results from the 157 votes:
- 10% Less than $500
- 15% $500 to $1000
- 14% $1000 to $2000
- 30% $2000 to $5000
- 32% More than $5000(Deviations from 100 percent are due to rounding error.)New Poll: Digital Media in Your Connected Home
The next Quick Poll question is, "Do you share digital media(music, photos, videos) throughout your connected home?" Go to theConnected Home Online home page and submit your vote for a) Yes, in acouple of rooms, b) Yes, in three or more rooms, c) No, but I plan togive it a try this year, or d) No, and I have no immediate plans to doso.
http://www.connectedhomemag.com==== 5. Resource ====Tip: Lighten the Load with a Smart Phone
by Paul Thurrott, [email protected] freaks who cart around a portable digital audio player, a cellphone, a digital camera, and a PDA would do well to consider a smartphone such as the Handspring Treo 600 or the Motorola MPx-series fortheir next phone. Such a device can perform all the duties of thepreviously mentioned devices--all in one simple package. You can usemost of today's smart phones to play digital music, audio books, andvideos; view and even take digital photos; integrate with yourMicrosoft Outlook-based contacts, tasks, and calendar; read and editMicrosoft Word documents, Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, and othercommon formats; read eBooks; play video games; connect to the Internetfor email, browse the Web and perform instant messaging (IM); andengage in a myriad of other activities. And smart phones arereasonably priced: Although they often retail for about $500 when new,most units are available for next to nothing within weeks of theirintroduction when you sign up for a typical cell-phone plan with amajor carrier.==== 6. Event ====
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http://lists.connectedhomemag.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eeLM0IGRIK0BQ40BDDl0AO==== 7. New and Improved ====
by Jason Bovberg, [email protected] 4-Megapixel Optical-Zoom Digital Camera
Concord Camera announced the Concord Eye-Q 4360z, a 4-megapixelpoint-and-shoot digital camera. The Concord Eye-Q 4360z featuresadvanced optics, a 3x optical zoom, a 6x digital zoom (18x totalzoom), exposure control, and 30fps AVI video capability. The camera'suser-friendly interface permits easy and intuitive access tosophisticated photographic controls, such as exposure and whitebalance control. The Concord Eye-Q 4360z includes two rechargeableNiMH AA batteries, a four-battery charger, and a power meter thatcontinuously displays battery-life on the 1.5" TFT LCD screen. Thecamera offers 16MB of internal memory. For detailed information aboutthe Concord Eye-Q 4360z, which costs $199, contact Concord Camera onthe Web.
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