TI and Viseon Partner on IP Video Phone

Texas Instruments and Viseon introduced a Digital Home Telephone for IP-based multimedia calling. The VisiFone incorporates TI's newest IP phone system-on-a-chip, the TNETV1050, which features enhanced digital voice quality, conferencing, security and interoperability for next-generation IP phone applications; and its DSP-based TMS320DM64x digital media processor, which offers high quality, multi-channel video performance and software programmability.




The VisiFone supports H.264 video. Additional features include:

• Full Duplex, Digital WideBand Speakerphone



• Voice and Video Mail



• Visual Caller ID (Photo or Video Clip)



• Downloadable Ring Tones



• 999 Name, Address and Number Directory with Auto Add



• Connections for Sharing Photos and Live or Stored Video with Far End Viewers



• Multi-Party Calling



• Output to Any Size Television



• Customizable Voice and Video Greetings



• Inputs for Additional Cameras for Security or Monitoring

Initially, the VisiFone will be offered through Vonage and is expected to be in over 7,000 retail/e-tail locations nationwide.
http://www.viseon.com

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Vonage and VTech Develop 5.8 GHz VoIP Handset

Vonage and VTech announced a partnership to develop a 5.8 GHz broadband cordless phone system. The phone plugs directly into a customer's broadband connection or router and extends the Vonage service throughout a home. The handset will use Texas Instruments' TNETV1060 VoIP chipset. The companies plan to begin distributing the device during the spring/summer 2005.
http://www.vonage.com

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VTech Partners with Skype on 2.4GHz Cordless VoIP Phone

VTech Communications announced a 2.4 GHz cordless phone that will be offered in conjunction with Skype's VoIP service. Users can connect to both their existing telephone line and Skype's free Internet telephony service from VTech's "all in one" handset, which enables them to place and receive free, unlimited global voice calls. The 2.4 GHz cordless usb7100 phone is expandable up to four handsets. Users can also view on the cordless handset display which contacts are online, as well as being able to set a presence status, for example, showing if users are online, away or do not want to be disturbed.
http://www.vtechphones.com

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Samsung and Athena Develop 3 Transceiver MIMO WLAN Device

Athena Semiconductors and Samsung Electronics' Digital Media R&D Center the first three-transceiver Radio Frequency (RF) device for MIMO in a single integrated circuit (IC). Other products require multiple devices and therefore a larger footprint. The new single-device, called TRINI, leverages the "OptimRF" technology that Athena Semiconductors pioneered to build high performance CMOS RF transceivers at low cost. The newly developed, OptimRF-based three-transceiver ICs, supports data rates far higher than existing 802.11a/g standards-based equipment, increasing from 54 Mbps to more than 200 Mbps.
http://www.samsung.com
http://www.athenasemi.com

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UTStarcom's SIP-Enabled Wi-Fi Handset Extends Vonage VoIP

UTStarcom introduced a SIP-enabled handset for the U.S. market that will be offered through a partnership with Vonage. The Wi-Fi handset enables VoIP customers to make calls from anywhere there is a Wi-Fi hot spot. It combines the features and functionality of a VoIP terminal adapter together with a standard cordless telephone. The F1000 handset has a standby time of up to 80 hours and talk time of three to four hours.



UTStarcom said it has received U.S. regulatory approval for the device.



Service providers could use the F1000 handset to offer high-value features, such as three-way calling, call waiting, and call transfer, and others based on the capabilities of their call servers. The F1000 also enables voice processes, including comfort noise generation, voice activity detection, and echo cancellation, as well as IP protocol features such as Real-Time Transfer Protocol (RTP), Session Description Protocol, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), and Point-to-Point over Ethernet (PPoE) authentication.



UTStarcom expects that the major markets for the F1000 Wi-Fi portable handset will be North and South America, where many consumers already have Wi-Fi capability bundled into their home computers and can use the handset without having to purchase more equipment.
http://www.utstar.com/

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Orb Networks Offers Remote Access to Home Media Content

Orb Networks unveiled its streaming media software and service designed to help consumers access their digital content from virtually any Internet-enabled device worldwide.



Orb Networks said consumers no longer have to be at home to be "connected" to the media they already own and use on a daily basis, including digital photos, music, live television, videos, photos and other digital content. Consumers access the media by means of a "personal media portal" hosted by Orb Networks. Orb's technology determines the best format, codec, bit rate, display capabilities, and network bandwidth available for a particular cell phone, PDA or laptop to view or hear the content. The media is streamed securely and directly from the user's home PC to the user's device/ The service starts at $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year for the first user.
http://www.orb.com/

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Cingular and Lucent Test HSDPA at 3 Mbps

Cingular Wireless and Lucent Technologies completed the first HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) data calls on the 3G UMTS trial network deployed by the two companies in the Atlanta market. In recent tests the HSDPA-enhanced network delivered sustained over-the-air data rates of more than 3 Mbps, and supported high-quality streaming video, as well as fast downloads of high-resolution images and other large files. The company expect the technology to scale to maximum peak data speeds of 14.4 Mbps.



The calls were completed using Lucent's end-to-end commercial UMTS solution, including Lucent's Flexent OneBTS base stations (Node Bs) -- which support HSDPA -- Flexent Radio Network Controller (RNC), as well as UMTS packet core solution including Lucent's Flexent Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN), and Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN), along with an HSDPA test terminal.
http://www.cingular.com/

• In November 2004, Cingular Wireless announced its plans to deploy 3G UMTS with HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) networks in a number of major urban and suburban markets across the U.S. beginning in 2005. The company expects to offer 3G in most major markets by the end of 2006. The upgraded network will offer average data speeds between 400-700 kbps, bursting to several Mbps. Currently, Cingular's EDGE nationwide wireless data network supports average data speeds up to 135 kbps. In the near future, UMTS devices will be backward compatible with EDGE. Cingular's recent acquisition of AT&T Wireless provided the company with the spectrum necessary to build the UMTS/HSDPA networks.


• Cingular has signed agreements with Ericsson , Lucent Technologies and Siemens to develop and deliver the infrastructure required for a broad-scale deployment of an expanded 3G UMTS/HSDPA network. In addition, Cingular's strategic handset providers -- Nokia, Motorola and LG -- have committed to delivery of competitive UMTS devices in Q4 of 2005. Cingular also signed an agreement with Nokia to enhance its existing GSM/GPRS/EDGE network and possibly support the deployment of its 3G UMTS network. Financial terms of the contracts were not disclosed.

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Samsung Phone Supports 1X-EVDO

Samsung Telecommunications America debuted a clamshell mobile phone that supports 1X-EVDO networks and combines Video on Demand (VOD) capabilities, a 1.3 mega pixel camera, multimedia messaging options and advanced voice recognition. The Samsung a890 supports average wireless data speeds of 500 Kbps (based on network usage). Samsung said it plans to introduce approximately 25 to 30 phones in the U.S. market during 2005.
http://www.samsungusa.com/wireless

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Level 3 Extends its E-911 VoIP Capability

Level 3 Communications has extended its E-911-enabled VoIP service to areas encompassing approximately 60 million households across the U.S. E-911 (for "Enhanced 911") delivers address-specific information to public safety agencies whenever someone makes a 911 call, enabling first responders to be dispatched to the scene of an emergency even if the caller is unable to speak or if the call is suddenly disconnected.



Level 3 said that over the course of the past year it has been deploying its E-911 VoIP solution in more than 300 markets across the country and plans to expand its E-911 coverage further throughout 2005. Specifically, Level 3 is interconnecting with 911 Tandems and establishing dedicated connections from its network to PSTN switches that serve Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) in over 1,500 rate centers around the country.



The E-911 solution, which is a foundational component of Level 3's broad suite of VoIP services, enables ISPs, cable companies, local phone companies, long-distance providers and others to build E-911 functionality into the VoIP services they offer to enterprises and consumers.
http://www.level3.com/

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Airgo Ships One Millionth MIMO Chip

Airgo Network reached a milestone of shipping more than one million of its True MIMO chips during its first quarter of retail production -- Q4 2004. Airgo's list of customers includes Belkin, Linksys, Planex, Smartvue and SOHOware. Airgo Networks is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.
http://www.airgonetworks.com/

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LSI Logic Raises Q4 Revenue Range

Citing growth in its Storage Systems, Storage Components and Consumer businesses, LSI Logic its 2004 fourth quarter revenue and earnings per share guidance. The company now expects to report 2004 fourth quarter revenues in the range of $415 million to $420 million, compared to the previously forecasted fourth quarter revenue range of $360 million to $390 million. The updated 2004 fourth quarter revenue range represents approximately 10 percent sequential revenue growth over the company's 2004 third quarter revenues of $380 million.



LSI Logic anticipates reporting a 2004 fourth quarter GAAP net loss in the range of 53-55 cents per diluted share. The company earlier projected a GAAP net loss of 54-57 cents per diluted share.
http://www.lsilogic.com/

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Linksys Introduces MIMO-Based Wireless-G Products

Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems, introduced a new line of 802.11g products that leverages MIMO (Multiple In, Multiple Out) technology to provide faster wireless network throughput, reduced dead spots, and increased wireless range over standard Wireless-G networks. Linksys' MIMO uses two radios and three antennas on a wireless router or client adapter for improved performance in range and speed.



When using the technology at both ends, Linksys said its SRX wireless products can reach up to 3 times farther and wireless network performance can be enhanced by up to 8 times compared to the
throughput of standard 802.11g technology.



The Linksys SRX devices are Wi-Fi-certified and backward compatible with 802.11b, 802.11g and other Linksys SRX products. Mixed wireless environments, such as networks containing SRX, 802.11b and 802.11g products, can operate each client at its own maximum data rate. The first two products are a broadband router ($199 ESP) and a notebook adapter ($129 ESP).
http://www.linksys.com/

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