Ditech Networks Launches Bluetooth Solution For Headsets

Ditech Networks introduced a voice quality solution for Bluetooth headsets and hands-free car kits that leverages the same algorithms that already have been deployed and proven in mobile networks worldwide.




Ditech's VQABlue's suite of DSP-based algorithms, which is now being licensed to Bluetooth original design manufacturers (ODMs), includes technologies that improve voice quality for the caller, in addition to the person called. Current solutions make it easier for the person being called to understand speech, but the person making the call doesn't notice any difference in call quality. ODMs now can design products that benefit both. Ditech noted that VQABlue's full feature set is available with a MIPS and memory footprint that is less than standard industry solutions.


VQABlue is available for both single- and dual-microphone implementations. Algorithms are available separately or in multiple packages based on customer needs:

• Adaptive Noise Cancellation: Operates on both incoming and outgoing calls up to 30dB SNR, and delivers superior non-stationary noise reduction for wind noise.



• Acoustic Echo Control: Operates on both incoming and outgoing calls, controlling echo with up to 15dB WAEPL, and on echo delays up to 400ms.



• Enhanced Voice Intelligibility: Improves speech clarity by dynamically modifying the speech spectrum to compensate for the ambient noise characteristics of the listener's environment. This algorithm is also effective in correcting voice quality problems caused by low bit-rate codecs in mobile networks.



• Adaptive Listener Enhancement: Detects background noise in the listener's environment, and automatically adjusts speech volume for the headset owner.



• VQABlue Configuration Manager: A software tool to dynamically tune the algorithms and their performance.

http://www.ditechnetworks.com

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JDSU Acquires Circadiant for SFP+ and 10 GigE Stress Testing

JDSU has acquired Circadiant, a supplier of SFP+, 10 GigE and other stressed signal test solutions. Terms of the acquisition were not released.


Circadiant standards-based test solutions include the Hydra platform, a 10 GigE Long Reach Multimode (LRM) and 10 GigE SFP+ test systems, and the OST platform for testing optical components, modules and systems using real-world conditions. The company was founded in 2000 by Dr. John S. French, and Dr. William J. Thompson. Circadiant is based in Allentown, Pennsylvania.


JDSU said the acquisition expands its product portfolio for the lab and production test market by capitalizing on a number of key assets, including Circadiant's successful Hydra and OST product platforms, established test expertise and close customer relationships with leading network equipment manufacturers, optical module vendors and semiconductor companies.http://www.jdsu.comhttp://www.circadiant.com

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Cisco and IBM Target TelePresence for Retail Banking

Cisco and IBM announced a TelePresence solution help enable retail banks to use their experts more efficiently for direct client interaction regardless of where they are located or which delivery channel (e.g. phone, Internet, video, telepresence, etc.) they are using for communications.


Cisco TelePresence for Banking will allow users to experience virtual face-to-face interactions with others in any global location, and it eliminates the cost, time and carbon footprint associated with physically traveling to meetings. The joint IBM/Cisco solution integrates bank client access channels, such as kiosks, PDAs, cell phones, Internet, and voice response (telephone), to provide a consistent quality user experience to banking clients. Optimized Self-Service integrates delivery channels using tested and integrated Cisco Unified Communications Manager and IBM Lotus offerings. Contact Center integration provides the ability to quickly identify and locate subject-matter experts to provide efficient customer service through voice or video interaction that is delivered to the channel the client is using.

The companies said telepresence could help retail banks transform their collaboration at three levels:

• Enhanced customer interaction through remote expert support in the bank branch or in new market penetration



• Intercompany collaboration (for example, bank to outsource partner)



• Internal efficiencies through reduced travel and consistent executive communications

http://www.ibm.com/cisco

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Alcatel-Lucent Wins New Mobile Network Contract in Nigeria

Nigeria's Emerging Market Telecom Services Ltd (EMTS), a subsidiary of M/s Etisalat and M/s Mubadala Development Company, has awarded Alcatel-Lucent a multi-million Euro contract for the deployment of its new mobile cellular network in the country on a turnkey basis. Alcatel-Lucent will also provide network deployment and integration services, as well as related infrastructure such as towers, masts and power systems. The contract was secured through Alcatel Shanghai Bell. Financial terms were not disclosed.http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

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NETGEAR to Offer "GearHead" Consumer Technical Support Service

NETGEAR is launching "GearHead Services", a 24x7 remote technical support for U.S. consumers.


NETGEAR's GearHead Services provide 24x7 PC and network support on both a subscription and pay-per-incident basis.


Two tiers of service are initially offered: SupportPak 6 and SupportPak 12, providing six or twelve months of unlimited 24x7 phone-based technical support. The six months service is priced at $65.95 and the 12-month service is $89.95.


The services will to help consumers resolve a variety of issues related to computer hardware, home networking, Windows operating systems, Microsoft Office applications, and antivirus and antispyware programs.


NETGEAR also offers two pay-per-incident services including the Internet Access Service, which helps consumers to troubleshoot and correct hardware- or software-based Internet access problems, and the PC Tune Up Service, which steps consumers through the process of eliminating unnecessary files, adware and unused program.http://gearhead.netgear.com

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NASA Tests Vint Cerf's Deep Space Internet

NASA successfully tested the first deep space communications network modeled on the Internet and software originally proposed by Vint Cerf more than ten years ago. Engineers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory used the Disruption-Tolerant Networking, (DTN) software to transmit dozens of space images to and from a NASA science spacecraft located about 20 million miles from Earth.


The DTN sends information using a store-and-forward method that differs from the normal Internet's Transmission-Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, or TCP/IP, communication suite, which Cerf co-designed. Unlike TCP/IP on Earth, the DTN does not assume a continuous end-to-end connection. In its design, if a destination path cannot be found, the data packets are not discarded. Instead, each network node keeps the information as long as necessary until it can communicate safely with another node.


"In space today, an operations team must manually schedule each link and generate all the commands to specify which data to send, when to send it, and where to send it," said Leigh Torgerson, manager of the DTN Experiment Operations Center at JPL. "With standardized DTN, this can all be done automatically."


Engineers began a month-long series of DTN demonstrations in October. Data were transmitted using NASA's Deep Space Network in demonstrations occurring twice a week. Engineers use NASA's Epoxi spacecraft as a Mars data-relay orbiter. Epoxi is on a mission to encounter Comet Hartley 2 in two years. There are 10 nodes on this early interplanetary network. One is the Epoxi spacecraft itself and the other nine, which are on the ground at JPL, simulate Mars landers, orbiters and ground mission-operations centers.


A NASA-wide demonstration using new DTN software loaded on board the International Space Station is scheduled to begin next summer.http://www.NASA.GOV

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Qualcomm Again Held in Contempt of Injunction on 3G Infringing Broadcom Patent

A federal judge has found Qualcomm in contempt of an injunction entered last December that was designed to prevent Qualcomm from continued infringement of two Broadcom patents.


"This is the second time that Qualcomm has been found in contempt of the same federal court injunction," said David Rosmann, Broadcom's Vice President, Intellectual Property Litigation. "Qualcomm's ongoing contempt reflects a remarkable disregard for a system meant to protect intellectual property rights."


In a statement, Broadcom said the injunction prohibits Qualcomm from making, using, selling, offering for sale, importing, and developing certain EV-DO chips. The injunction also provides a sunset period during which Qualcomm can continue to sell legacy EV-DO chips to legacy customers until January 31, 2009, provided that it pays a royalty to Broadcom. U.S. District Court Judge James V. Selna found that Qualcomm violated both provisions of the injunction by selling and offering to sell enjoined EV-DO chips and by failing to pay royalties on legacy EV-DO chips.
http://www.broadcom.com

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Tektronix Enhances its GeoProbe for Cable Operators

Tektronix Communications has added a number of enhancements to its GeoProbe platform to specifically address Quality of Experience (QoE) and Quality of Service (QoS) monitoring and management in cable MSO networks.


As part of Tektronix' Unified Assurance suite of applications, GeoProbe products enable network engineers to proactively monitor, manage, diagnose, and troubleshoot the overall health of mobile, fixed, and multi-service networks. The GeoProbe includes both a central office, 14-u chassis and a 2U probe that can be deployed closer to the subscriber, such as alongside a CMTS.


With the new enhancements Tektronix has added Dynamic Quality of Service (DQoS) and Common Open Policy Service (COPS) protocol support for GeoProbe. With the COPS enhancement to GeoProbe, MSOs are able to optimize the bandwidth of networks and provide the highest level of voice and broadband data quality to its customers -- ultimately increasing customer retention and loyalty.


http://www.tektronixcommunications.com

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GSMA Calls for Pay-Buy-Mobile NFC Handsets by mid-2009

The GSMA has issued an industry call for full NFC functionality - including the standardized 'Single Wire Protocol' interface - to be built into commercially available mobile handsets from mid-2009.




The GSMA's Board - meeting this week in Macau, China - said it fully supports the need for the ETSI-endorsed "Single Wire Protocol" standard to provide the interface between the Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC, or SIM card) and the embedded NFC chipset within the handset.


The NFC chip can communicate with existing contactless readers to deliver a wide range of secure, interoperable and transparent services, such as credit and debit payments. A series of operator trials - under the GSMA's 'Pay-Buy-Mobile' initiative - have been held in several countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Turkey and USA.


Rob Conway, CEO of the GSMA, said, "There is no doubt that there is a huge latent demand for a large variety of mobile transaction services, of which there is universal interest in proximity payments, as trials across the world have already shown. We are committed to ensuring that mobile payment services are delivered as efficiently and cost effectively as possible. But this will require device manufacturers to make sure that the vast majority of commercially available handsets incorporate the Single Wire Protocol and Near Field Communications features as standard."


"Doing so would enable the industry to leverage significant economies of scale, and ensure greater accessibility of NFC services for mobile users, added Conway."http://www.gsmworld.com

• In July the GSMA, on behalf of operators, issued a detailed Device Requirement** document to a wide range of vendors and suppliers in the 'Pay-Buy-Mobile' ecosystem. 37 key players responded, giving a clear picture of the core requirements for any SWP/NFC device.

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NTT Com Launches Global e-VLAN Service

NTT Communications announced the launch of Global e-VLAN, an updated version of its Global Super Link (GSL) wide-area Ethernet service, which will seamlessly connect with NTT Com's domestic wide-area Ethernet service e-VLAN. The service provides multipoint-to-multipoint Ethernet connections and users will be able to communicate between their offices in Japan and other countries by connecting their e-VLAN and Global e-VLAN as a unified layer 2 network. This enables customers to use NTT Com's global network as an extension of their LAN.



NTTCom said the connection point between its e-VLAN and Global e-VLAN is congestion-free. Global e-VLAN is offered in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Germany, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, mainland China and South Korea. More countries will be added gradually.http://www.ntt.co.jp

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GSMA and Neustar Complete ENUM Pilot

The GSM Association (GSMA), the global trade association for the mobile industry, and NeuStar have completed a pilot of their Carrier ENUM service. The service, recently branded "PathFinder", is now generally available to mobile and fixed network operators, carriers and related service providers.


Supported by Bharti, Lleida.net, mobilkom austria, SMART, Telekom Austria, Telecom Italia and Telenor, the PathFinder service pilot successfully exchanged international packet voice and MMS traffic enabled via a global, fully-interoperable deployment of Carrier ENUM, validating ENUM as an effective solution to IP-based routing and interconnection. The service automatically translates a phone number into an IP-based address, making it simple and transparent for users to initiate a wide range of IP-based communications via their existing phone numbers and handset address books.


Formerly called the GSMA's Number Resolution Service, PathFinder is a so-called "Private" or "Carrier" ENUM solution and will include a global master root directory. "Private" or "Carrier" ENUM solutions are an enabler used by operators to associate the phone numbers of subscribers with the IP addressing information of the subscriber's IP based services. This information is populated by the operator on behalf of the subscriber and is not made available to 3rd parties except for the purposes of routing. The system enables IP-based calls and messages addressed to a subscriber's phone number to be delivered. The system affords subscribers the same levels of control and privacy that they currently enjoy with existing telephone services.


The GSMA said PathFinder will enable operators to exchange ENUM data via a common commercial and technical framework, facilitating the rollout and interconnection of IP-services across network boundaries. PathFinder is designed to co-exist with public ENUM systems.http://www.gsmworld.com

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Huawei Joins GSMA's Embedded Mobile initiative

Huawei has joined the GSMA's Embedded Mobile initiative, which will initially focus on bringing the benefits of continuous mobile connectivity to the consumer electronics, clean energy, healthcare, transport and utilities sectors.


Devices with embedded mobile connections can automatically exchange images, information and other data with mobile phones, computers or the Internet, enabling people, businesses and society as a whole to function more efficiently and effectively. The Embedded Mobile initiative is being led by KTF, Rogers Wireless, Smart, Softbank, Telecom Italia, Telefonica, Telstra and Vodafone. The GSMA will bring other operators, equipment suppliers and manufacturers of consumer and industrial goods into the Embedded Mobile initiative.


"Our ultimate goal is that every machine, device, object will have broadband mobile connectivity. Everything around us will be using mobile networks to exchange information with each other and with the Internet," said Rob Conway, CEO and Member of the Board of the GSMA. "There are many possible applications: Connected cameras could automatically upload photos to Web sites, cars could regularly send detailed performance information to mechanics, while sensors could transmit emissions data direct to computer systems monitoring the environment."http://www.huawei.comhttp://www.gsmworld.com

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Amazon Launches CloudFront CDN Beta

Amazon has extended its web services initiative with the beta launch of CloudFront, a self-service, pay-as-you-go web service for content delivery. CloudFront enables website owners to distribute HTTP content (such as photos or other graphics) through Amazon.com's worldwide network of edge locations that provide low latency and high data transfer speeds. The service is designed to work seamlessly with the company's other web services, such as Amazon S3 storage offering. Amazon said it can offer no up-front commitments, no long-term contracts and pay-as-you-go pricing.


The Amazon CloudFront Network include the following U.S. content distribution points: Ashburn, VA; Dallas/Fort Worth, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; Newark, NJ; Palo Alto, CA; Seattle, WA; St. Louis, MO. International distribution points include Amsterdam, Dublin, Frankfurt, London, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.http://aws.amazon.com

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