Technical Writing: Proper use of i.e. ('that is') versus e.g. ('for example')

Technical Writing: Proper use of  i.e. ('that is') versus e.g. ('for example')

Ever wonder whether to use 'i.e.' or to use 'e.g.' in a technical document? I have. So I thought I'd post this to help anyone else who may have wanted to know the distinction.

Here is the proper use of  i.e. ('that is') versus e.g. ('for example'):

__________________________________________________________________

'I.e.' (id est, 'that is') precedes a statement of amplification or explanation. 

Examples of usage:

"Reboot the computer (i.e., press the Control, Alt, and Delete keys simultaneously)."

__________________________________________________________________

'E.g.' (exempli gratia, 'for example') precedes a specific example or examples. 

Examples of usage:

"Several groups attended, e.g., the church association, the PTA, and the teachers' union."

__________________________________________________________________

In many contexts, to avoid confusion, the long version use of 'for example' or 'for instance' can replace the abbreviated 'e.g.' or 'i.e.'.

Forward your old Verizon cell number to your new iPhone...how to set up call forwarding with Verizon

After waiting a full year I finally have an iPhone (woohoo!). I've had it about a week and I love it! I'm very impressed with it, actually.

My new iPhone even saved me $18 yesterday. I was totally out of toner on my printer. I went to BestBuy to purchase another printer. I remembered that I had received a 10% off coupon from BestBuy in my email, but I was so totatlly out of toner that it wouldn't print. So when I was at the register, in about 30 seconds I pulled up my Yahoo! email, pulled up the BestBuy coupon, zoomed in on it, and showed it the the cashier, asking if they would honor it since I couldn't print it out. The cashier called the manager over, who then promptly approved the use of the coupon, saying that they had the same phone (iPhone). Thus I saved $18 on my new printer that I couldn't have done without my iPhone.

I was reluctant to switch over to AT&T from Verizon, but I felt the iPhone was worth it. You may find yourself in a similar situation...with the question of 'What do I do with my old cell phone and my old cell phone number from Verizon?'

Here is my suggestion...set up call forwarding from your old cell phone to your new iPhone.

The call forwarding feature serves several handy purposes:

1) It allows me to not have to pay the $145 early termination fee that Verizon would charge to cancel my old number. Once my plan with Verizon is up I can choose to cancel it at no cost at that point, or I can keep it.

2) By keeping a separate cell number for forwarding to my iPhone, one that I use only for posting publicly to websites, job boards, and resumes, it allows me to keep my iPhone cell number private for just close friends and family. By keeping my iPhone number private this also greatly reduces unwanted telemarketing calls to my iPhone.

3) Friends that I haven't given my new iPhone number to can still contact me by using the old number they are familiar with (I can pick and choose who to give the new number to).

4) I can turn off my old cell phone, and even let the battery run dead, and I will still get calls that are forwarded to my iPhone. I also never have to upgrade my really old 'brick' cell phone that is on Verizon (I was able to use the 'new every 2' $100 credit to upgrade to a new cell phone for another member of my family who still uses Verizon.

5) I only have to carry one phone (unless I need to carry my Blackberry from work, as I am not yet using the Exchange mode with my iPhone, which I hopefully will be able to do soon).

A few other points:
If I am running over on my monthly allowed minutes with AT&T I can always drop back to my old cell phone on Verizon for a bit (which has plenty of minutes available even with the most basic plan) until I have more minutes to work with on AT&T.

If I want to conserve minutes on my iPhone, and I am willing to temporarily turn off call forwarding and use my old phone, I can use my old Verizon cell phone to talk to other members of the family without using up my minutes due to the 'friends and family' type feature.

I've been doing this for a few years now and it works great...originally I was forwarding calls to my Blackberry, now to my iPhone. The only down-side that I've experienced is that if someone sends a text message to my old cell phone I won't get it on my iPhone, but I find that most text messages I receive on that line are spam text messages anyway, so the up-side far out-weighs the down-side.

Here is a simple process for setting up the 'call forwarding' feature on Verizon...

Verizon call forwarding:

1) Enter *72

2) Enter the 10 digit phone number you want to forward to, plus include a 1 if it is forwarding to a different area code (long distance).

Follow this format (1, area code, 7 digit phone number): # ### ### ####

Example: 1 800 555 1212

(I'm pretty sure it doesn't hurt to put the 1 in the number even if you are forwarding to a local number.)

3) A beep will confirm that call forwarding was set up successfully.

4) *73 turns off call forwarding at any time.

I'd love to hear your comments, especially I'd like to know if this helps anyone in any way.

Sluggish Apple iPhone 3G? We May Know The Culprit

It's been a little more than a month since the Apple iPhone 3G hit the street and users are complaining about one of its biggest selling features: speed. The phone is supposed to operate on a third-generation network, a major upgrade from other networks the iPhone operates on and an even bigger advance over the older Edge network. Unfortunately, 3G iPhone users are finding that their shiny new piece of hardware isn't all roses and faster downloads. One analyst believes the perpetrator of the problem is an Infineon chip.

The iPhone 3G sold more than 1 million units in its first weekend, based largely on the selling point of a faster network. But like the lines anxious consumers encountered at the Apple store, using the phone is taking longer than expected.

Nomura analyst Richard Windsor believes the complaints that have been cropping up on blogs and Apple's own Web site point to something more than an isolated incident.

"There are too many instances on iPhone blogs and Apple's own Web site for it to be coincidence," he wrote in a report dated Aug. 12.

"Furthermore, it is not just the U.S. but other countries as well," he also wrote in the report.

The most common complaint is that Internet speeds have been inconsistent, with a 3G network being available sometimes before users slip back onto a slower network such as Edge.

Windsor believes the problem can likely be traced to Infineon, a German chip manufacturer that provides the majority of chips to Apple for the iPhone 3G.

"We believe that these issues are typical of an immature chipset and radio protocol stack where we are almost certain that Infineon is the 3G supplier," Windsor wrote.

Meanwhile, AT&T, the exclusive carrier of the iPhone in the U.S., hasn't been confronted with the problem. In fact, the carrier has had very few complaints.

"This is not something that's high on our radar screen. It's not something we've had a lot of complaints about," said AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel.

A spokesman from Infineon declined to comment.

---

Jeff Kemp (Golden, CO), www.jeff-kemp.com.

Former 3Com Channel Chief Joins D-Link

Nick Tidd, who earlier this year was phased out of his role as channel chief at 3Com (NSDQ:COMS), has landed a new gig developing North American

channels for D-Link.

According to Fountain Valley, Calif.-based D-Link, Tidd will play a major role in developing overall business sales strategies as general manager of business solutions for D-Link Canada and vice president of North American channel development for the business and networking vendor.

Steven Joe, president and CEO of D-Link's North American operations said Tidd's appointment is a move for D-Link to fortify its channel and engage its 4,500 registered North American partners as D-Link strengthens its focus on hitting the business-class market.

D-Link has long been recognized as a strong consumer player in North America, Joe said, but now wants to establish dominance as an end-to-end player in the business sector. Tidd comes aboard while D-Link is in the third year of its 5-year plan to grow sales in the business-class market, which has included the introduction of more than 40 new business solutions between 2007 and 2008.

D-Link's 5-year plan has also seen a simplified partner program and a host of end-user focused programs, including "switch for free," which lets potential customers try D-Link gear against the competition; "try before you buy," which lets customers test drive products before buying; and a buy one, get one free program, which offers many D-Link switches as a two-for-one option.

D-Link has also achieved growth in many of its product categories. According to research firm In-Stat, D-Link switches rank second behind Cisco Systems (NSDQ:CSCO) for units shipped and is the worldwide provider of unmanaged switch ports. Additionally, from April 2007 to April 2008, sales of D-Link's Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices grew more than 395 percent.

Joe said D-Link has created the new position for Tidd as part of its investment in its business market focus, tapping Tidd because he is a well known name in the channel and brings a new level of innovation.

"He's really established in channel programs and relationships," Joe said, noting that Tidd helped 3Com grow its channel program, despite some 3Com partners being critical of his performance. Joe said the past issues with Tidd in his previous roles stem from companies not taking advantage of his skills and being unable to adapt to meet market and channel demands.

"His capabilities and skills were kept in a box due to organizational limitations," he said, later adding that Tidd's former companies set up barriers that stifled the possibility for growth.

The goal is for Tidd to illustrate for partners that D-Link has grown beyond just a switching vendor by branching into other areas like IP security, storage, wireless and digital signage. D-Link will turn to Tidd to communicate D-Link's message to partners and educate them, Joe said.

Tidd, Joe said, will be charged with communicating to partners what D-Link does while educating partners on how D-Link fits in the market as D-Link creates its "next generation channel" centered on not only products, but a new level of services and support.

"Tidd is the latest example of the commitment we have made to further strengthen our business sales through the channel, which includes selling an ever-expanding line of end-to-end networking solutions through our growing network of value-added resellers, solution providers, distributors and retailers," Joe said.

Tidd left 3Com in March as the Marlborough, Mass.-based networking vendor shifted its channel strategy to focus on a more regionalized model. Tidd served as vice president of worldwide channels for two years at 3Com, a company he joined in 1997 during its U.S. Robotics acquisition. Before taking 3Com's top channel spot, Tidd spent five years running its North American channels.

At the time, Tidd said he and his team were "phased out" in favor of 3Com's new channel approach.

---

Jeff Kemp (Golden, CO), www.jeff-kemp.com.

Perimeter eSecurity Pushes Into Storage Services - Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) News Analysis - Byte and Switch

Perimeter eSecurity Pushes Into Storage Services - Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) News Analysis - Byte and Switch

Services specialist Perimeter eSecurity is looking to merge storage and security with the launch of its Remote Backup and Recovery (RBR) service next week, which it claims will ease users’ backup burdens.

Perimeter eSecurity has traditionally focused on managed security services such as firewalls and IDSs, although the vendor is now adding storage to this mix.

“The new service is specifically around our storage and remote backup,” says Doug Howard, Perimeter eSecurity’s CSO, explaining that his firm has built a software agent that can be installed on users’ PCs, servers, and storage arrays.

This agent works out which files need to be backed up, according to exec. “We just identify the files that have had changes made to them -- this means that backups take very little time and the bandwidth needed is low.”

The software agent also compresses the data prior to sending it to Perimeter eSecurity’s data centers. “Customers replicate to two data backup centers,” says Howard, explaining that the RBR offering will be officially launched next week.

RBR, which is available now, will be priced from $2 a month for PC backup, and between $10 to $15 a month for server and storage backup, depending on the size of the system.

At least one analyst feels that this remote backup message will catch on, particularly at a time when users are looking to reduce the number of vendors they deal with.

“Now that the idea of managed services is catching on, and customers are getting far more comfortable with the idea of them, they don’t want to go to a series of vendors,” says Jeff Kaplan, managing director at Think Strategies. “The biggest benefit of [RBR] is the inter-twining of security and storage.”

Despite this plus, Perimeter eSecurity faces stiff competition in the remote backup space from the likes of Carbonite and EMC with its MozyPro offering.

The business version of MozyPro is priced at $3.95 per month, plus an additional 50 cents per Gbyte per month for desktop backup. A MozyPro license for a Windows server costs $6.95, plus an additional $1.75 per Gbyte per month.

Think Strategies’ Kaplan warns that Perimeter eSecurity may struggle to lure customers away from EMC, explaining that users perceive the two vendors as very different types of company.

“Even though they are shifting to services, EMC is a technology vendor, and some companies will be more comfortable working with a technology company,” he says. “Some customers are going to be more comfortable working with a services company like eSecurity.”

In this vein, Perimeter eSecurity faces a challenge convincing users that its storage credentials are valid, according to Kaplan. ”It’s about establishing credibility beyond security; at some point they may need to drop the second name and stick with ‘Perimeter.' "

Perimeter’s Howard admits that, even with a current customer list of 4,500 firms, there is still plenty of work to be done around brand awareness.

“I would readily acknowledge that we’re the largest managed security services provider in this space, particularly as a private company, that nobody has heard of,” he quips, adding that the company is working to change this.

Last year Perimeter eSecurity picked up $104 million in funding, he explained, partly to finance its acquisition of messaging specialist USA.NET, and partly to boost its profile.

---

Jeff Kemp (Golden, CO), www.jeff-kemp.com.

WAYN.com is a malicious spam scam!!! (stay away!!)

NOTICE: This blog is no longer currently maintained. This article has been re-posted to my new blog MileHighTechGuy here (please post any comments there): http://milehightechguy.com/wayncom-is-a-malicious-spam-scam-stay-away/


Stay far away from WAYN.com, it is a malicious spam website that pretends to be a legitimate social networking site by helping you to 'Keep track of each others whereabouts, friends and meet people around the world.', but it appears to be a malicious spam scam!!!

Today my wife received an email invitation from WAYN.com (stands for Where Are You Now), claiming that a friend of hers had added her to their 'friends' list on this so called social networking site.

So she went to the site and signed up by creating a password. Then apparently the site brings up a pop-up that shows all of the contacts in your POP3 email account such as Yahoo or Gmail. I'm not sure how they get the address list, but the site automatically selects ALL of your email contacts (including those from work) in order to send them an email invitation to join WAYN. My wife didn't want to send invitations to all of her contacts, and allegedly the site doesn't show a clear choice for not sending them all invitations, so she simply deselected all of the contacts, deselected the 'Select All' option, then clicked on the 'X' to close the window.

The next thing you know, later that day I received an email invitation in MY email saying my wife had added me as a friend, and asking if I wanted to join, and also that I had 6 messages waiting in my WAYN inbox.

To be perfectly clear, my wife DESELECTED all of the contacts, did NOT send the invitations, and did NOT add anyone as a 'friend' in her WAYN account. This apparently malicious website allegedly took over and apparently added all of these contacts on its own, and spammed every contact from her computer it could get a hold of (over 800 contacts).

One thing is not clear, and that is how did WAYN get these contacts? My wife says that it was not really a complete list from her Yahoo account or from her Outlook, but a mish-mash of emails/contacts. (This site even sent an invitation to my son from her address book.)

What made it even worse was that by the end of the same day I had received over 13 emails from others in my wife's address book saying they had signed up to WAYN. So I can only guess that these other 13 people (only 1 day so far) had also received the fraudulent invitation saying my wife had added them as 'friends' and that she wanted to invite them to join, and that they too had filled out a profile. Doubtless to say, these people will likely have their entire contact list spammed as well.

One person that had received the invitation (that was supposedly sent from my wife) responded to the invitation via email. This enabled us to see what the invitation looked like. It clearly said that she had 'added you as a friend on WAYN', which was a misrepresentation and a lie:

"FirstName LastName has added you as a friend on WAYN."

And the site sends the email like this:
"From: FirstName LastName [mailto:invitation@whereareyounow.net]"

(FirstName LastName is the First and Last name of my wife, hidden here for protective reasons)

So the email appears to come from my wife, but in reality it is the website sending it on her behalf but disguising this.

---

I did a little research on the web after I received over 13 emails in one day from this site (around midnight, so it was not an exhaustive search). I found several other complaints out there about WAYN, and I found a few people defending the complaints...but I don't buy it. Especially after what I saw happen to my wife and the way the site misused her contact list.

I recommended she needs to send an apology email to all of the contacts in her Yahoo account (as a start) to warn them to NOT sign up for the WAYN website, state in the email that she did not add them as a 'friend', that this site is apparently using web trickery to maliciously crawl her contact email list and spam everyone with the intent of building their registered user list, and finally that if they really are interested in social networking that there are sites like LinkedIn, FaceBook, or even MySpace that are much better social networking sites than the SPAMMING WAYN!

---

The horror continues... My wife tried to opt out of the site. The only choice you have to cancel your WAYN account is to email these people and rely on them to cancel your account. Meanwhile my wife's entire address book has been compromised and WAYN has apparently spammed all 800 of them.

While she was on the wicked WAYN site for purpose of opting out and canceling her account, she noticed that it now had listed all of her work contacts from Outlook. She is now in the process of contacting her work IT department with an urgent message to see if there's any way to defend against this allegedly malicious spam scheme before it takes over her work contacts.

I've heard of viral marketing and gorilla marketing, but this site seems to be intent on malicious spam!

---

At this point I'm not willing to sign up for WAYN for myself to test it out (maybe I'll try it later with a fictitious email account). So I'd like to hear of other people's experiences...(please leave a comment). Since after deselecting all of her contacts my wife closed the contact list by selecting the 'X' button to close the window without continuing, maybe her incidence is isolated??

You can draw your own conclusions, but as a precaution you may want to warn your friends and co-workers to stay away from WAYN.

NOTICE: This blog is no longer currently maintained. This article has been re-posted to my new blog MileHighTechGuy here (please post any comments there): http://milehightechguy.com/wayncom-is-a-malicious-spam-scam-stay-away/

---

Jeff Kemp (Golden, CO), www.jeff-kemp.com.

Two New E-mail Domains from Yahoo! After 11 Years - ymail.com and rocketmail.com are waiting for millions of email users - Softpedia

Two New E-mail Domains from Yahoo! After 11 Years - ymail.com and rocketmail.com are waiting for millions of email users - Softpedia: "Two New E-mail Domains from Yahoo! After 11 Years
- ymail.com and rocketmail.com are waiting for millions of email users"

Yahoo!Mail is a popular free email service that exists since October 1997. For the first time in eleven years, Yahoo! Inc. makes available two new email domain names: ymail.com and rocketmail.com.

Due to the fact that there are already more that 260 million email users corresponding to the domain yahoo.com, certain Yahoo! IDs or email addresses are not available for the new users. Until now, Yahoo! users had to define and remember login IDs like john_doe2008 for example, a situation undesired by the majority of users.

As a consequence of the apparition of these two new email domains, when a user creates a new Yahoo! Account, he/she will have the pleasant surprise of finding out that he/she can define the desired Yahoo! ID, because millions of names are still available.

Regarding the release of the two new email domains John Kremer, vice president, Yahoo! Mail stated, "We recognize that people want an e-mail address that reflects who they are, whether they are signing up for an e-mail address for the first time, or simply updating their e-mail pseudonym to reflect the stage they are at in life. We are thrilled to be able to offer new Yahoo! e-mail domain choices to Internet users, along with the same great Web mail experience that hundreds of millions of people have already come to expect."

The email addresses defined for ymail.com and rocketmail.com domains will provide users with the features already existing in the case of yahoo.com emails such as unlimited storage, instant messaging and text messaging, anti-spam and anti-virus protection and more. The corresponding Yahoo! ID can be used to login to all free web based services available across the Yahoo! Network. For the new users, the sign up form to get the free Yahoo! ID and an email box can be accessed from here.

---

Jeff Kemp (Golden, CO), www.jeff-kemp.com.

Yahoo! BrowserPlus "Sneak Peek" Release - A New Browsing Experience - Softpedia

Yahoo! BrowserPlus "Sneak Peek" Release - A New Browsing Experience - Softpedia: "Yahoo! BrowserPlus 'Sneak Peek' Release
- A New Browsing Experience"

The bridge between desktop and browser can be filled by available technologies of rich Internet applications
development. Practically, the user is capable to interact both with desktop elements and web browser based ones through the functionalities of a RIA (Rich Internet Application).
The "Sneak Peek" release of Yahoo! BrowserPlus allows users to live a different browsing experience by extending the desktop to the browser limits. The web browser capabilities will be enhanced by Yahoo! BrowserPlus to provide users the possibility to perform more desktop common actions inside the web browser window.

For example, the demo application Photo Uploader (an image editing and images Flickr upload rich Internet application) permits users to execute inside the web browser drag and drop and image cropping actions, apply various filters to images and other actions. Code samples for developers are available for simple and complex applications.

The BrowserPlus software is available for installation for Windows XP and Vista, respectively Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard operating systems and will work with Firefox 2.x, Safari 3 and Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0 web browsers. The BrowserPlus software runs independently from the web browser and as a consequence it will not influence directly the browser capacity of response regarding web pages rendering speed.

A unique feature of BrowserPlus is its capability of new services integration without restarting the browser. The development team of BrowserPlus is also focused over the maintenance of application security: services having security issues will be disabled before someone puts into practice various types of cyber attacks.

Until a public release, "Sneak Peek" BrowserPlus will be present only on websites belonging to Yahoo! or Yahoo! partner websites. The browser capabilities extension towards creation of a desktop - like web based environment for Internet users through rich Internet applications - will be a major attraction for developers in the near future.

---

Jeff Kemp (Golden, CO), www.jeff-kemp.com.

_gat error message - Troubleshooting | Google Groups

_gat error message - Troubleshooting | Google Analytics:

"_gat not defined"

Google Analytics causes some errors (visible by seeing the 'Done, but with errors' type of message in lower part of Internet Explorer 7, or Firebug in Firefox.

Looks like the Google script does not validate if the actual tracking script is already loaded before it is executed.

There are several fixes and work-arounds out there, but I tried several and this is the only code that ultimately worked for me:


<script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/ga.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
if (typeof(_gat) == "object") {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-XXXXXX-1");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
}
</script>

Be sure to replace the "UA-XXXXXX-1" with your Google Analytics account number, and also insure the carriage return does not add any extra spaces.

---

Jeff Kemp (Golden, CO), www.jeff-kemp.com.

Online Collaboration Tools - New Technologies And Web Services - Sharewood Picnic May20 08 - Robin Good's Latest News

Online Collaboration Tools - New Technologies And Web Services - Sharewood Picnic May20 08 - Robin Good's Latest News: "Here my selected online collaboration tools for this week:

1. Vyew 3: New cool version of web-conferencing tool integrates VoIP, video conferencing and screen-sharing.

2. TeamViewer: Free downloadable application allows you to share your screen and control anyone else's PC

3. OnStagePortal: Online workspace creator lets you invite people, assign tasks and share documents

4. Joyent: Collaboration suite lets you connect with people, run shared calendars and share files online

5. GrandCentral: Get one number for all your phones, and record all of your calls with a click of a button

6. Exploratree: Create 'thinking guides' and use them to collaborate on projects and documents

7. Instan-t Messenger: Downloadable and web-based multi-protocol instant messenger

8. MECA: Connect to popular instant messengers at once, and get all your buddy lists into one"

---

Click here for web page with all of the details of these online collaboration tools.

Jeff Kemp (Golden, CO), www.jeff-kemp.com.

Brocade Takes On Cisco With $3B Foundry Buy - Networking - IT Channel News by CRN and VARBusiness

Brocade Takes On Cisco With $3B Foundry Buy - Networking - IT Channel News by CRN and VARBusiness

6:59 PM EDT Mon. Jul. 21, 2008

Storage vendor Brocade Monday launched a full-on assault against Cisco Systems (NSDQ:CSCO) with plans to acquire Foundry Networks in a $3 billion deal.

The acquisition will bring Foundry's portfolio of enterprise routers, switches, security and traffic management products into the Brocade fold, giving the San Jose, Calif-based vendor the building blocks for next-generation data center solutions, said Mike Klayko, CEO of Brocade, in a conference call.

"We expect to accelerate innovation and grow our joint position in the large and dynamic networking market. We will be uniquely positioned from LAN to SAN on both sides of the server, from the Internet to the heart of the data center, to address the trends of convergence and evolving next-generation networks," Klayko said.

Under the terms of the deal, expected to close by the end of 2008, Brocade will pay a combination of $18.50 in cash plus 0.0907 shares of Brocade common stock in exchange for each share of Foundry common stock, creating an aggregate purchase price of approximately $3 billion.

The trend toward consolidating data centers, combined with the growing popularity of virtualization technologies, is creating demand for new data center architectures, said Marty Lans, senior director of data center marketing at Brocade in an interview with ChannelWeb.

The Foundry acquisition fills a hole in Brocade's data center strategy by allowing it to fill out the Ethernet side of its business, he said.

Brocade's move to add more networking technology to its storage portfolio coincides with Cisco's push to add more storage capabilities to its networking lineup.

The purchase of Santa Clara, Calif.-based Foundry will bring Brocade into a direct face-off with Cisco and will give the channel a new option in end-to-end data center solutions, Lans said.

"We believe that to do this new data center, right now Cisco is the only option for the total end-to-end space. We provide an alternative," Lans said. "All the Ethernet players tried it from Cisco's strengths. Nobody ever tried it from our strengths, from this side of the table," he added.

---

The deal has been approved by the boards of both companies and is subject to approval by Foundry shareholders.

Jeff Kemp (Golden, CO), www.jeff-kemp.com.

Aircell plans to step up to LTE ultra-broadband

Aircell plans to step up to LTE ultra-broadband - Shephard Group

July 17, 2008 – AIRCELL says it will evolve the terrestrial broadband system currently being trialled by American Airlines to incorporate LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology, the ultra-broadband last stop in the present GSM roadmap.

The Colorado-based air-to-ground communications provider’s new Aircell Mobile Broadband Network (AMBN) and Gogo service for airlines are based on the EV-DO Rev A cellular standard and are designed to deliver single-figure megabits into the aircraft. LTE is intended to support downloads at speeds in the 100-200Mbit/sec range to cellular user devices on the ground.

“LTE will ensure we can support the services passengers will demand in the future, helping our airline customers to stay competitive as services become more complex and demand more bandwidth,” says Aircell chief technology officer Joe Cruz. Among the new IFE possibilities foreseen are high-definition and interactive television and multi-player immersive gaming.

Cruz expects the potential huge expansion in bandwidth to generate a whole new range of operational benefits. “Airline operations will also benefit from this 4G technology, which will support a wide array of powerful applications such as high-resolution graphical weather to the flight deck,” he says.

“The 4G market is still evolving but one thing is for sure - passengers will want the same mobile broadband services in the air that they have on the ground,” Cruz continues. “With LTE, our inflight Internet technology is future-proofed.”

Aircell plans to deploy LTE by the beginning of 2011. In the meantime, the company expects further advances in EV-DO to boost AMBN performance to up to 22Mbit/sec to the aircraft by the end of next year.

TechCrunch

Apple Sells One Million 3G iPhones First Weekend. Ten Million iPhone Apps Downloaded. - TechCrunch

Despite a few hiccups and stores running out of inventory, Apple was able to sell one million 3G iPhones worldwide across 21 countries its first three days on sale. During that same time, owners of both the new and old iPhone were able to download 10 million apps from the newly launched App Store on iTunes, despite major problems with the iPhone 2.0 software update disabling many people’s phones temporarily on Friday.

That brings the total number of iPhones sold since the launch of the first generation phone to more than 7 million. Apple’s goal of reaching 10 million iPhones sold by the end of the year seems well within reach. In contrast, it took the first iPhone 74 days to reach one million sales, but it wasn’t sold in 21 countries. Apple watchers will be looking for clues about what portion of sales are in the U.S., versus in international markets.

The startup community will be more interested in the download numbers. The 10-million download figure includes both paid and free apps. Apple did not offer a breakdown, but it stands to reason that the free apps made up the vast majority of downloads.

But even if 10 percent were paid downloads, though, and assuming an average price of 4.99, that would be a $5 million weekend. Not a bad start. And it could have been more than that. Seven of the top ten paid apps, including Super Monkey Ball, Cro-Mag Rally, Tetris, and Band, are $9.99. (Coming in at No. 12 is another $9.99 game, Electronic Arts’ official Scrabble, which is also coming to Facebook).

Some of the apps seem to have been rushed out too early, with reports of some of them crashing. So the launch wasn’t perfect. But the demand for the new iPhone and all the apps made for it indicated by these early numbers support the notion that people desperately want the Web and better computing experiences on their phones. Of course, we knew that already.

How Panasonic's X marks the spot - Runway Girl

How Panasonic's X marks the spot - Runway Girl:

"One curious reader asks: 'So, does this mean regular USB - or other non proprietary interfaces - will be supported as well? Is this another apple marketing scheme, or an honest attempt from the aviation industry to integrate personal entertainment?'

It's a good question, deserving of a worthy answer. So I asked Panasonic director, product line management Marshal Perlman to break things down for us (who loves ya, baby?).

Perlman says: 'Our IFE system supports a number of interfaces and the eXport jack only complements USB. In the case of Singapore Airlines, they offer both USB and eXport on their aircraft. This is something that we encourage all our customers to do and our system is easily able to support eXport and USB interfaces simultaneously if so desired by the airline.

'The goal of Panasonic Avionics Corporation in creating the eXport jack was to provide airlines passengers with an easy to use solution for integrating personal entertainment devices with our IFE systems. The alternative to eXport would be an 'octopus' type cable that is less than elegant. The eXport initiative launched by Panasonic Avionics Corporation's R&D team and it is just the one of the many technology advancements that Panasonic plans on introducing."

Photo from Panasonic USB Media Player data sheet.

---

Jeff Kemp (Golden, CO), www.jeff-kemp.com.

iPhone killer-app is letting users choose software - Yahoo! News

iPhone killer-app is letting users choose software - Yahoo! News

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The first iPhones won praise for their sleek design and elegant touchscreen, but Apple's new computer phones, arriving this week, will use the power of software to make the device like no phone ever seen.

Whether it's faster Web speeds, security for business users or using the phone's direction-finding capability to let it act as a game controller or location-aware device, it's software, not hardware, that should define the iPhone from here out.

"The emphasis on software shifts the debate from how cool a device it is to what it can do for you," says Tim Bajarin, an analyst with industry research firm Creative Strategies of San Jose, California, and a veteran Apple-watcher.

"It's basically redefining what a phone is," said Raven Zachary, open source software analyst for industry research firm The 451 Group and founder of iPhone Dev Camp, a conference for independent developers of software for iPhones.

Photo courtesy Apple

Get over how it looks. It's the power of the computer inside, combined with supporting technologies that let it perform many powerful tasks no phone has managed before.

---

The iPhone 3G also works on faster networks, so software runs twice as fast as the first-round devices. This makes it more effective at running complex software with functions that trip up phones on slower networks, forcing users to hop on standard computers to get any real work done beyond replying to e-mail or quickly scanning the most vital work documents.

---

Furthermore, Apple is eliminating the complexity for users to install and run software on phones.

The new AppStore, offering one-button access to buy and install programs on iPhones, is expected to transform what is expected from software on phones. Unlike PCs, phones tend to offer little or no choice of what programs run on them.

---

Apple resisted opening up the iPhone to software developers at first, meaning that only Web-based software could run on it. But a change of heart by Apple since October has brought software developers flooding in to take advantage of new powers to run programs on the phone rather than, slowly, via the Web.

Jeff Kemp (Golden, CO), www.jeff-kemp.com.

Software problems bug Apple's launch of new iPhone - Yahoo! News

Software problems bug Apple's launch of new iPhone - Yahoo! News

NEW YORK - Apple Inc.'s new iPhone went on sale Friday to eager buyers worldwide, but there were problems getting the phones to work.
ADVERTISEMENT

Kenny Pichardo, 24, was the first to buy an iPhone 3G at an AT&T store in the New York borough of Queens, but he said it took the store half an hour to get the phone working.



That boded badly for the approximately 70 people after him in line. Pichardo had camped out overnight to be first.

A spokesman for AT&T Inc., the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the U.S., said there was a global problem with Apple Inc.'s iTunes software that prevented the phones from being fully activated in-store, as had been planned.


Instead, employees are telling buyers to go home and perform the last step by connecting their phones to their own computers, spokesman Michael Coe said.

When the first iPhone went on sale a year ago, customers performed the whole activation procedure at home, off-loading employees. But the new model is subsidized by carriers, as is standard in the wireless industry, and Apple and AT&T therefore planned to activate all phones in-store.

---

The new phone went on sale Friday in 22 countries. In most of them it was the first time any iPhone was officially sold there, though several countries have seen a brisk grey-market trade in phones imported from the U.S.

Jeff Kemp (Golden, CO), www.jeff-kemp.com.

Airliners Becoming Authorized iPod Accessories || The iPod Observer - Now Playing

Airliners Becoming Authorized iPod Accessories || The iPod Observer - Now Playing

"Singapore Airlines claims to be the first airline to offer passengers iPod connectivity to their inflight entertainment system (IFE), according to Flight International on Thursday. Other airlines aren't far behind.

Airbus A340-500s operating from Singapore to Newark will have the connections in all the business class seats.

A spokesperson for the carrier confirmed that SIA is the first airline to allow passengers to play music and view video content using their own iPhone or iPod through the airline's IFE system using an integrated cable."

Jeff Kemp (Golden, CO), www.jeff-kemp.com.

Panasonic Avionics Corporation To Supply Air New Zealand with X Series on A320 and B767

Panasonic Avionics Corporation To Supply Air New Zealand with X Series on A320 and B767

"Today Panasonic Avionics Corporation announced that Air New Zealand has chosen Panasonic's X Series to deliver a fresh and uniquely Kiwi experience to Air New Zealand's passengers with functionality initially including AVOD, moving map, games, iPod integration, USB media player, surveys and airline information, while providing Air New Zealand's crew and engineering staff with innovative tools to maintain the system.

LAKE FOREST, California - 12 May 2008 - Beginning August 2008, Air New Zealand passengers on board thirteen (13) A320 and five (5) B767 aircraft will experience a quantum leap improvement with Panasonic X Series in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems. This IFE system offers video and audio on demand (AVOD), games, iPod integration, and games as well as other entertainment options."

Jeff Kemp (Golden, CO), www.jeff-kemp.com.

TheMoodieReport.com | Emirates takes inflight retail to a new level – 02/12/07

TheMoodieReport.com | Emirates takes inflight retail to a new level – 02/12/07

Noting the power of Emirates’ IFE offer, Daly noted: “As a customer, you can choose from over 1,000 audio and visual channels, 100 interactive games, 300 albums and every UK number one hit from the early 1950s. Not forgetting – in the event that you can’t find anything to watch or listen to – you also have the capacity to send and receive e-mail and SMS messages.”

He linked the breadth of that offer to the boom in Internet shopping and asked what airlines were doing to tap that opportunity. “If someone had suggested even as little as ten years ago that there would be billions of dollars transacted on the web by 2007, they would probably have been laughed at. Don’t you think that it is time to take notice and consider our own position?”

Over the next 18 months Emirates plans a range of developments and experiments including a new dedicated duty free website which will be featured on the IFE system. “It will display the full range of duty free product, will be fully interactive and be presented in a clear and attractive way making it as easy for our passengers to browse product on the web as if they were flipping through the brochure,” Daly said.

Jeff Kemp (Golden, CO), www.jeff-kemp.com.

Screenshots - Emirates ICE In-flight Entertainment

In-flight Entertainment: "Friday, January 11, 2008

Screenshots - Emirates ICE In-flight Entertainment

These photos of Emirates ICE cabin entertainment system were taken in Q3 2006. We believe they are still accurate."

Also see this article: Emirates Inflight Entertainment Enjoys a Hat-Trick.






Jeff Kemp (Golden, CO), www.jeff-kemp.com.

Singapore Airlines offers iPod-friendly skies | Crave, the gadget blog - CNET

Singapore Airlines offers iPod-friendly skies | Crave, the gadget blog - CNET

A day after iPass said it would provide in-flight Wi-Fi roaming, Singapore Airlines announced that it is now offering connectivity for iPods and iPhones on its "KrisWorld" in-flight entertainment system on its Airbus A340-500 planes, according to iLounge. That means you can plug the devices into the system with a standard 30-pin connector and then watch your own video on a personal 15.4-inch widescreen LCD (there's one at each seat in the section) or listen to your playlist on its noise-cancellation headphones, which will break in to tell you when you have to shut it off, presumably.




Other airlines have offered this kind of system, such as United, but they're still relatively rare.

See the Press Release on Singapore Airline's website.

Jeff Kemp (Golden, CO), www.jeff-kemp.com.

Panasonic Avionics Corporation Licenses iDirect's Satellite IP Router Technology to Power In-Flight Broadband System

Panasonic Avionics Corporation Licenses iDirect’s Satellite IP Router Technology to Power In-Flight Broadband System

 

Herndon, Virginia and Lake Forest, California - July 8 2008 - VT iDirect, Inc. (iDirect), a subsidiary of VT Systems Inc. (VT Systems), and Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic), the world's leading supplier of in-flight entertainment (IFE) and communication systems, today announced a major technology licensing agreement. Panasonic will license iDirect’s satellite IP router technology as a core component of the Panasonic eXConnect in-flight satellite transmission platform. Panasonic eXConnect provides two-way broadband connectivity for a broad range of passenger and crew applications, including Internet access as well as live video programming, telemedicine and the ability to monitor and report critical flight information in real time. iDirect is a world leader in satellite-based IP communications technology.

 

Representing a next-generation solution, Panasonic eXConnect will overcome critical technical limitations of delivering in-flight broadband connectivity and expand airlines’ opportunities to market the service. The system features significantly lighter airborne electronics equipment, an ultra-small satellite antenna, iDirect’s highly efficient spread spectrum mobile waveform and Intelsat’s global Ku-band broadband coverage. In addition, Panasonic eXConnect leverages iDirect’s award-wining “Group Quality of Service” bandwidth management technology, which enables airlines to integrate and deliver a wide range of services beyond basic Internet access. These include live and premium in-flight entertainment services as well as voice applications and allow airlines to capture additional pay-per-use and advertising revenues.

 

By implementing iDirect’s satellite IP router technology, Panasonic is also able to reduce the operating cost and complexity of supporting in-flight broadband connectivity and offer the service for both continental and inter-continental flights.

 

The next-generation system is distinguished by:

 

-More affordable use of satellite bandwidth: Ultra-small satellite antennae on an aircraft require increased transmission powers and satellite bandwidth to maintain a reliable link while in motion. To overcome this challenge, Panasonic eXConnect will feature iDirect’s innovative spread spectrum waveform. The iDirect waveform diffuses the transmission of satellite bandwidth while maintaining a high data rate, which dramatically conserves satellite space segment and lowers bandwidth costs for airlines.

 

 

-Cost-effective network expansion: Through the iDirect satellite router, the eXConnect system leverages Intelsat’s global fleet of 53 in-orbit satellites and on-the-ground teleport facilities. Satellite carriers can be scaled to the bandwidth needs of specific geographical regions, providing a cost-effective means to meet current demand and increase network capacity as demand grows.

 

-Simplified global network management: With iDirect’s Global Network Management System, Panasonic can manage and track each satellite router from a single network management system, instead of using multiple systems typically required to manage a global, hybrid network. In addition, iDirect’s Automatic Beam Switching feature enables the antenna to automatically transfer connectivity from one satellite to the next as an aircraft travels across satellite footprints.

 

“We are proud to be working with iDirect to deliver the next-generation satellite transmission platform for eXConnect. iDirect develops world-renowned technology, leveraging Intelsat’s global satellite fleet and network infrastructure. We believe iDirect is best prepared to help Panasonic provide airlines with a satellite communication technology to reduce operating costs and improve daily operations.”

-Paul Margis

 Chief Executive Officer, Panasonic Avionics Corporation

 

“The core capabilities for in-flight broadband have existed for years, but until recently they were far too inefficient and costly for airlines to operate profitably. iDirect has developed new technologies for the satellite industry to overcome mobile broadband challenges. Today, a powerful combination of next-generation capabilities from Panasonic, Intelsat and iDirect will soon make broadband connectivity a vital new dimension of air travel.”

-David Bettinger

 Chief Technology Officer, iDirect

 

--

Follow this URL to view this Press Release in your browser:

http://www.panasonic.aero/press/PressRelease-Panasonic_eXConnect_iDirect_070808.html

 

Jeff Kemp (Golden, CO), www.jeff-kemp.com.

Aircell offers terrestrial and satellite broadband for business aviation

Aircell offers terrestrial and satellite broadband for business aviation

Shephard Group's Inflight Online

Jeff Kemp (Golden, CO), www.jeff-kemp.com.