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HEADLINES AT A GLANCE"The Next Web" "The Next Web" Tim Berners-Lee, the man who created the World Wide Web, is planning to follow it up with the Semantic Web, a next-generation network that can comprehend human language. He is coordinating a massive initiative with contributions from hundreds of researchers; its goal to link every Web-enabled computer into a database that encompasses all collected scientific, artistic, and corporate knowledge. Berners-Lee predicts that the Semantic Web "will foster global collaborations among people with diverse cultural perspectives, so we have a better chance of finding the right solutions to the really big issues--like the environment and climate warming." Users of the Semantic Web would have software agents at their disposal that could analyze Web sites and cull only relevant data, as well as automate routine business tasks, thus raising productivity. Even more important, the Semantic Web would be able to summarize knowledge faster, boosting data assessment and integration to unprecedented levels. Most of Berners-Lee's associates are confident that he can make his dream a reality, given his track record: In addition to ushering in the World Wide Web, he has also helped push XML through the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). XML is particularly important to the Semantic Web, as it is used to contextualize words and concepts. Among the challenges Berners-Lee faces is bringing the many companies that comprise W3C--the Semantic Web's primary backer--into accord over numerous issues, including the structure and standards of the Semantic Web. In the project's favor is support from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. (Internet Architecture, Technology and Applications) "O Bluetooth, Where Art Thou?" Bluetooth has arrived, but without the hype that surrounded the technology when it was still in development. Significant barriers, such as price, interoperability, and the availability of devices are just beginning to come down, say analysts. The result will be that Bluetooth will change lives, but 10 years down the road, according to Gartner Dataquest analyst Phil Redman. He says consumers should not expect broad rollout until 2005. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group's Mike McCamon says Bluetooth development and rollout has actually been quite fast compared to other technologies, such as digital cameras. Already, established firms such as the Sony Ericsson collaboration, Nokia, and Sony itself have released products with real Bluetooth capabilities. And despite rumors, Bluetooth will not directly compete with the Wi-Fi wireless networking standard because they offer different and complementary applications. While Wi-Fi is ideal for extending the corporate network, Bluetooth is better suited for personal technology applications and multiple-device scenarios, McCamon says. (Communications Standards; Wireless Communications) "'Valley' in the Alps" France is putting its technology and scientific expertise to work in the private sector in Grenoble, located in the Rhone-Alpes region. A 1999 law that eased restrictions on government research spinoffs has begun to show fruit. Memscap, a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) firm, was created out of France's National Center for Scientific Research (NCSR) and has already established 22 patents and hired about 240 workers with business expertise. Jean-Michel Karam, the NCSR researcher that founded Memscap, says he has not hired any of his former colleagues on a permanent basis because he wants to push toward private-sector contracts, but employs NCSR researchers on a contractual basis. The French government, in addition to passing the 1999 law allowing significant leeway to entrepreneurial efforts such as Karam's, is also aiming to set up a new center for micro- and nanotechnologies in Grenoble in conjunction with the local government and a nearby technical university. One drawback to the government's encouragement, Karam notes, is the provision that allows government researchers to return to their old positions should their startups fail. He says that determined entrepreneurs must burn their bridges in order to succeed. (Communications) "Bringing 3D to the Web" Backers of the new open-standard 3D technology, Extensible 3D (X3D), say it will drive the future of 3D-based computing. Many of the same voices said the same thing about X3D's predecessor, VRML, seven years ago. Now, says VRML co-author Tony Parisi, computing and bandwidth speed are able to take full advantage of advanced open-standard 3D technology. Parisi is part of a X3D working group established by the Web3D consortium. The X3D protocol is also receiving support from the World Wide Web Consortium and the makers of the MPEG-4 video-streaming standard. Although e-commerce applications are likely, truly important applications will only be developed after 3D makes its way into operating systems, says W3D President Neil Trevett. He believes the shift to 3D interfaces would mirror the shift from text-based prompts to graphical interfaces in impact. Support by Microsoft would be a huge boost to X3D, especially inclusion in its next version of Internet Explorer, though the company may not adopt it because it prefers proprietary technology, says one analyst. (Communications Standards) "Europe Needs Broadband
Competition" The demand for high-speed Internet access in Western Europe will increase from 3.8 million subscribers at the end of 2001 to 28.1 million in 2008, according to a recent report from Frost & Sullivan. Nevertheless, the study also says that more competition is required among local telephone providers if consumers are to get better broadband technology. The demand for broadband is expected to pick up as early as next year as the worldwide downturn in the telecommunications market softens and trends such as telecommuting encourage demand. The study also says that demand will increase as Internet users witness the value of broadband-specific services such as voice-over-DSL, home networking, virtual private networks, and video-on-demand. Nevertheless, a number of obstacles still remain. Frost & Sullivan's David Tait says the European Commission has identified three important reasons why competition is making such slow progress in the European broadband market--regulatory delaying tactics, predatory pricing, and existing telecommunications companies exploiting first-mover advantage. Tait points out that one way to overcome these obstacles is for cities to construct optical fiber networks that are operated by independent operators, which provide equal network access to all broadband providers. (Product Sales and Marketing) "SINA Establishes SINA.net" SINA.com, the Chinese-language online network, recently launched a new venture called SINA.net designed to help boost the increasing number of Internet companies in Asia. SINA.net's wholly owned subsidiary, Beijing SINA Internet Technology Services, will provide an enterprise solution platform to governments and companies in China. Ever since China joined the World Trade Organization, there has been a major increase in competition within various industries in China, with most of the emphasis being on the utilization of information technology and the Internet. SINA.com provides its business clients with enterprise software, domain registration, corporate site development, corporate email systems, and consulting. SINA.net will now expand on this foundation, to target in cooperation with strategic partners such important markets as the fashion, chemical, machinery, communication, education, financial, media, and government industries. (Enterprise Networking) "ICANN Chief Proposes Major
Overhaul of Domain-Name Body" ICANN President Stuart Lynn proposed on Sunday, Feb. 24, to a closed-door meeting of ICANN's board that ICANN's publicly-elected board members be abolished and replaced with governmental representatives who would be considered as representing the typical Internet user. Lynn argues that his proposal would allow ICANN to focus on Web browser and email issues rather than on internal issues, that it would stabilize ICANN funding, and would be a better means to achieve public representation because national governments would be more representative of people than would officials who are elected through costly, worldwide elections. ICANN board member Karl Auerbach had only scorn for the proposal, while ICANN board member and European representative Andy Muller-Maguhn noted that few board members asked Lynn any questions--a quiescence that struck Muller-Maguhn as surprising. Lynn's proposal would also downsize the ICANN board to 15 members, with five coming from governments, five from technical and business groups, and five nominated by a special committee. (Communications) "Europe Sees Net Running Out of
Room" The European Commission recently urged government and business leaders in Europe to shift the Internet infrastructure from Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) to IPv6 in order to make room for all the wireless devices that are currently flooding the Internet. Every device that wants to gain access to the Internet has to do so via an IP address. The European Commission says the Internet will inevitably degrade under the increasing pressure of growing traffic and new users if there is not an IPv6 upgrade. In addition, the commission says, new innovations important to the competitiveness of the European Union will be stifled. The European Commission says the current reserve of addresses will run out within three years, but a move toward IPv6 will, nevertheless, take time. RHK analyst Muayyad Al-Chalabi says manufacturers will have to change all of their devices to operate on the new standard. (Internet Architecture, Technology and Applications) "Ailing Wireless Sector Battens
Down the Hatches" Most of the talk at a recent convention on wireless technology in Cannes, France, revolved around the delivery of modest services to the customer. Those companies that offered services and products that telecommunications operators could install immediately attracted the most attention at the convention. U.S.-based Handspring introduced a device that combines an electronic organizer with a telephone, so corporate employees can download their email while traveling. Telecom Italia Mobile is currently offering a phone that has rudimentary picture messaging, and a number of companies are expected to provide full picture messaging via color screen phones by the end of 2002. One German delegate said, "Everybody is talking about end-user services and how to use mobile data, which is definitely a step in the right direction." (Wireless Communications) "Security Confab Calls for U.S.
Spending" The United States needs to spend more on beefing up security to prevent cyberattacks, according to members of a keynote panel at the RSA Conference 2002. "While the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 took an unexpected form, we have to make certain that the next attack is better anticipated," explained panel moderator Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.). The country's heavy dependence on networks makes a cyberattack's potential for disruption all the more likely, argued Federal Aviation Administration CIO Dan Mehan. The panel concentrated on the FAA's systems, while Mehan disclosed his agency's security practices, such as the separation of administrative data from air traffic data and the reliance on outdated networking protocols. Sept. 11 was a sobering turn of events that established the vulnerability of the nation, noted U.S. Navy CIO staff member Capt. Sheila K. McCoy, who added that money alone will not solve the problem; determining the amount of security required is also important. Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) urged that the cybersecurity initiative requires collaboration between the government and private industry as well as more money. "Everyone has to take part in being a cybercitizen, especially in the corporate world," he said. (Network Reliability, Security and Quality Assurance) "Asian Women Fall for the Net" NetValue, an Internet measurement company, stated recently that its survey of four Asian markets revealed that there was an enormous increase in the number of Asian women using email and electronic greeting cards late last year. The survey indicated that the proportion of women in Hong Kong using email increased by over 50 percent between October and December. During the same period, the number of female email users in Taiwan grew by 35 percent, in Singapore by 58.9 percent, and in South Korea by 72.9 percent. Women in Hong Kong also surpassed their Asian counterparts in the number of electronic-greeting cards they sent out with a 79.1 percent rise. NetValue President Jack Loo says, "Towards the end of 2001, women were definitely interested in keeping in touch with people over the Internet." (Product Sales and Marketing) "IPv6 Enters the Real World" IPv6 implementations are currently in an early stage and are still dealing with unresolved security issues, according to participants. IPv4 users may find migration to IPv6 a difficult proposition because they do not fully understand the new protocol's capabilities and lack the IPv4 capabilities they have become used to. For the technology to proliferate, there must be IPv6 support in firewalls. Juniper Networks supports the standard in its hardware, but leading core router provider Cisco has yet to do so; hardware IPv6 support could come sometime in 2002, says Cisco's Patrick Grossetete. Check Point Software Technologies says it may release basic software support for IPv6 in the second quarter, while Windows XP from Microsoft features a dual IPv4 and IPv6 stack. A Windows XP upgrade will include IPv6 support, as will Windows .Net Server. The chairman of the IPv6 Forum's Technical Directorate, Jim Bound, says that basic applications such as DNS, file transfer, and email applications, are IPv6-enabled. CAD programs and databases are awaiting an upgrade, he adds. The depletion of Internet address space is not a pressing concern in the United States, but it is in Japan and other areas of the world. (Internet Architecture, Technology and Applications) "The Shape of Things to Come" The fiscal 2003 budget proposal of President Bush sets aside a little more than $5 billion for the National Science Foundation. As for computer and IT research spending, there is a 2 percent increase from $515 million in 2002 to $527 million, which is nearly flat when inflation is taken into account. Although it does not appear that the IT industry has a lot to look forward to in terms of new spending on research, the NSF will be involved in some areas that will have an impact on computer technology. For example, the NSF will be able to use $221 million on nanotechnology, and $10 million could be funneled to computer and information science technologies experts to pursue projects on quantum computing, nanoelectronics, and biological-based computational systems. "Both [nanotechnology] and [IT] can only achieve their full potential hand-in-hand," notes NSF director Rita Colwell. Meanwhile, the NSF will use about $20 million on four multidisciplinary, multi-institutional learning centers as they pursue efforts to use IT for learning, and an increase in science and engineering graduate research fellowships to $25,000 should produce more engineers and programmers for the IT industry. The NSF plans to focus its IT research on large-scale networking, high-end computing, improved communications systems, classroom/IT integration, and digital archives for libraries. Other areas of interest include cybersecurity, which has received another $17 million in funding after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks; middleware; and data mining. (Communications) "Hiring of Foreign Workers
Frustrates Native Job-Seekers" The Immigration and Naturalization Service estimates that 28,000 foreign workers were approved for H-1B visas in the fourth quarter of 2001, while George Washington University scholars calculate that the United States currently plays host to as many as 710,000 H-1B holders. Although fewer workers are receiving permits than they were last year, the figures still irk trade groups who complain that foreign employees are taking jobs away from Americans, especially in the technology industry. "The principle behind the H-1B visa is they [foreign workers] would not be taking the place of permanent residents," explains former IEEE-USA President Ned Sauthoff. "We know that unemployment in fields that we foster has more than doubled. There's capacity there that's not being applied." Companies such as Texas Instruments counter that there is a shortage of qualified American workers, so overseas labor is needed to fill the void. Furthermore, foreign workers say the economic recession is affecting them as well: Computer programmer Amar Veda, for example, notes that many of his associates are out of work or have left the United States because they could not get jobs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that the number of U.S. tech jobs will increase from 3.3 million to 5.5 million between 2000 and 2010. (Communications) "Putting Voice into Wireless
Communications" VoiceXML is emerging as a voice markup language that could be used by PDAs, telephones, and desktop PCs to facilitate Web-based applications that incorporate speech recognition and dual-tone, multifrequency (DTMF) key input. The language, based on XML, utilizes speech-to-text (STT) for inputs and text-to-speech (TTS) for outputs. VoiceXML assists in the streamlined creation and delivery of customizable voice response services, the enablement of phone and voice access for integrated call centers, company intranets, and Web sites, and the plugging in of new voice-capable products. Voice queries are sent through an implementation platform--mobile phone, PDA, PC, etc.--to the VoiceXML gateway, which carries out the query through STT conversion. The response generated by the document server goes through the gateway, and is converted from text to speech by the VoiceXML interpreter. The gateway handles the speech recognition process, rather than the mobile device, thus affording more power and memory, and multi-platform availability. A voice-enabled ISP can be set up using a dial-up gateway capable of STT and TTS and a VoiceXML generator for Web server integration or collaboration. (Wireless Communications) HOW TO SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE You can receive notification of the ComSoc INC as a free service provided by the IEEE Communications Society. The following are the instructions to subscribe/unsubscribe via email 1. Send an email message to INC-request@comsoc.org subscribe The archived back issues can be found on the ComSoc INC site DISCLAIMER: These news write-ups are written by Information Inc. from worldwide sources. For details about disclaimers and limitation of liability please go to http://www.ieee.org/about/documentation/copyright/legal.htm#liability © copyright 1999 INFORMATION, INC. |
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