Vision - July/August 2008 - (Page 32)

going globAl news around the world ] • [ by carolyn slater Powerline Technology Provides IPTV Service in Portugal Powerline Technology, while slowly gaining momentum in the U.S., has taken a major leap forward in Portugal. DS2, a supplier of high-speed powerline communications technology, and Portugal Telecom have joined forces to offer IPTV service to Portugal Telecom’s customers. IPTV subscribers can install three set-top-boxes and receive simultaneous streaming of one HD channel and two SD channels on multiple TVs in their home via their existing power lines or coaxial cable. This eliminates the time and cost of installing additional wiring or receivers in each room. DS2 has developed a 200-Mbps powerline technology that is robust and secure enough to distribute multiple IPTV channels throughout a home over its existing electrical wires. Global and Local Options from Nokia Music Nokia is rolling out country-specific online music stores, with several launching this year. Most recently, Nokia Music France joined the line-up of Finland, the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Singapore and Australia. The localized websites offer a selection of music from major global artists as well as local independent artists and up-and-coming native musicians. Customers can opt to purchase individual tracks or a full album or pay a modest monthly subscription fee for an unlimited number of tracks. This monthly offering could be the main advantage Nokia Music has over the Apple iTunes store. Nokia Music is accessible via a PC or directly on a range of Nokia wireless handsets such as the N95, N81 and N82. Each country’s store can be accessed at: http://musicstore. nokia.com by selecting the country from a pull-down menu. Imagezoo/Jupiter Images Is the World Ready for MySpace TV? News Corp.’s MySpace and Shine Group are partnering in a project to take MySpaceTV shows such as “Quarterlife” and “Roommates” outside of the U.S. Shine Group was founded by Elisabeth Murdoch, the daughter of Rupert Murdoch, the chair and managing director of News Corp. ShineReveille, the distribution arm of Shine would distribute the world’s largest social network’s Web shows on television and DVDs. They also propose creating localized versions of the shows. Analysts believe that this ambitious step is intended to further distinguish MySpace from its closest social networking rival Facebook, by tapping into an even wider audience. Global Job Opportunities for Robots While worldwide economic woes threaten human employment, robots it seems have a thriving job market. In the Netherlands, gas station operator Nico van Staveren has developed “Tankpitstop” a robotic arm that can fill your car with gas when you pull up at the pump. It likely will be seen in Dutch stations by the end of this year. Van Staveren was inspired by watching robotic arms milk cows. And in Japan, where robots have long been assisting humans, robotic machinery company Komatsu demonstrated a fire extinguishing robot tank that can be controlled remotely. It can spray 1,300 gallons of water up to 110 yards and also can be adapted for bomb disposal. Other Japanese robots can sort and assemble components in factories and assist with patient care in nursing homes. Researchers at Nagoya University designed a robot named “Eve” consisting of a transparent body full of intertwining rubber tubing to help doctors practice surgery on blood vessels. Napster, Ericsson and Entel Rock Mobile Music in Chile Music fans in Chile now can listen to music on their Ericsson cell phones downloaded from Napster via i-shop, the Entel PCS portal. Entel PCS is one of Chile’s leading mobile service providers. The service, Napster Mobile, is based on Ericsson’s multimedia service delivery platform. This Ericsson/Napster partnership has lead to Napster’s first foray into Latin America and will allow Entel users to shop from more than four million songs. Napster Mobile conveniently offers the option of downloading to a cell phone and a PC at the same time, eliminating the need for the separate transfer of music from PC to phone. • 32 July/August 2008 www.ce.org Harrison Eastwood/Getty Images http://musicstore.nokia.com http://musicstore.nokia.com http://www.ce.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Vision - July/August 2008

Vision - July/August 2008 Contents Shapiro's Spectrum In This Issue The Economist C4 Trends Visionary Embracing Disrupting Technology Vaulting Ahead with Your Brand International Risk Stop Boomerang Products CEA Newsline Tech Speak Tech Policy Going Global Eye on Business Market Insider Just the Stats

Vision - July/August 2008

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