Events

Relavant Events

Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival: Strong Lineup
You’ve no doubt have noticed that we had the Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival (EIEF)
As a reader of Digital-Lifestyles, you well know that Convergence isn’t just about your mobile phone and toaster becoming one (!), it’s also about content types coming closer together and, in some cases blending. At the extreme, we think it’s arguable that TV could be in a whole heap of trouble when video games become photo-realistic. Why watch TV when you can _be_ in the programme?
We went to EIEF last year and were impressed with the quality of the sessions and the delegates, who were all jolly friendly.
As you’d expect, we’ll be covering it from the ground next week, not hiding in an office waiting for the press releases to arrive like many other publications.
Set over Monday 21st and Tuesday, there’s a host of strong conference sessions arranged, covering a wide range of subjects, not just the obvious. Here’s our highlights.
In the Monday Keynote David Gardner, Executive V-P and COO of EA’s World Wide Studios is delving in to the challenges and opportunity of developing for the next gen consoles, such xbox360, Sony PS3, Nintnedo Wii.
The UK press has occasionally thrown a fit about the realism of video games, in some cases leading to the changing of blood colour in some games. This is basis of the Green Blood vs Red Blood session which will debate the implications of HDTV and photorealistic graphics for the games industry. Wise to debate it in advance, rather than wait for the censors.
Ben Sawyer of Serious Games explores “Games That Heal ï¿½ the medicine of interactive software.” Examining how games are being used to help patients with conditions ranging from cancer to post-traumatic stress disorder.
To end off the night, Edge will be holding their Award and networking party at the Jam House.
Tuesday
If you’re living your Digital-Lifestyle, you’ll be aware of Machinima – where computer games are used to create films. One of the original was Red vs Blue where the footage was grabbed from Xbox mega-title Halo and voiced-over to create a drama. This has now grown to have many episodes – at least 83 we’re aware of.
In the session, find out just how far Machinima has gone into the mainstream and yet has managed to retain its rebellious and experimental approach.
The icing on the cake of this session is the world premiere of a live machinima performance from Rooster Teeth, the creators of above mentioned Red vs Blue.
The other session highlight is ‘When Alice Met Elvis’, which explores taking games beyond the screen, into other medias and how it impacts the creative process.
Author Kate Pullinger will unveil the World Premiere of the third part of her Inanimate Alice series, a ‘unique kinetic experience’, part game, part novel, part film.
When you want to bring all of those elements together, it’s not something that’s going to happen if you leave it to the last moment. To bring this into focus the founders of Velvetelvis will share their experiences in trying to encourage the “fusion” of all potential commercial elements ï¿½ film, games, music, web, books – at the very beginning of a new project.
As if all of that wasn’t enough to keep you busy, there’s a series of screenings at the Odeon cinema on Lothian Road of Lord of the Ringsï¿½ Online: Shadows of Angmar; Reservoir Dogs video game; Spongebob Squarepants; and Crackdown from Dave Jones, creator of the Grand Theft Auto series and Lemmings.
We told it was a strong line up, didn’t we? See you there.
EIEF
15 August, 2006
IFA Berlin CE Show Yearly From Now On
Last year took ourselves to Berlin to attend IFA. Being the first time we’d attended we were _totally_ blow away at the size of the place – it’s massive. Every side of the Consumer Electronics (CE) industry was covered, from the smallest to the largest with the later building their own houses (Siemens, Deutsche Telekom).
Previously it’s been on every two years and, acknowledging the speed that the CE world is now moving, the German CE trade body, gfu and event organisers, messe-Berlin have now realised a year gap between shows is impractical. IFA 2006 will mark the start of them moving to a yearly show, frankly so they don’t become obsolete – oh and there’s the benefit of all of that extra income, so course.
Dr Christian Göke told us he was “convinced that there would be an increased difference between work and home in the future,” and that this would be one of the reasons that IFA would continue in its position as the second largest CE show in the world.
Asked why IFA was so loved by trade visitors, his answer was simple, “We treat them as VIP’s. Nothing is too much and they feel very special.” Sounds like a recipe for success to us, one that could easily be learned by many other shows around the world.
We understand that exhibition space has been selling like hot Strudel, with over 80% gone already. They also spreading their wings to include companies like mobile giant o2.
One of our major gripes last year was that with us being linguistically-challenged (being English ‘n’ tha’) some of the press conferences were held only in German. Reasonable being it was in Berlin, but not great for attracting an International audience. From now on they’ll all be held in English. Hurrah!
So if you fancy joining us, get yourself over to Berlin, 1-6 September.
IFA 2006
4 May, 2006
BBC iMP Review – A Naughty Little iMP
Despite so much current talk from the UK Telco’s and Sky on the magic that will provide an on demand broadcast TV proposition in the UK, tangible evidence of a working model beyond KiT in Hull and Homechoice is pretty sparse.
The one organisation that is taking it seriously and putting some of their money behind it (sorry, UK TV license payers money) is the dear old BBC.
Digital-Lifestytles has been keeping a close watch on iMP through each stage of its development from its initial announcement by Ashley Highfield at the Digital-Lifestyles theme day at IBC in 2003, through our uncovering that all of its content would be DRM protected back in Feb 2004, to the announcement of the trial, back in May this year.
I’ve been lucky enough to be one of the trialists for the iMP (that’s integrated media player not interactive as so many insist on calling it) and I can tell you it’s not at all bad. Viewing TV on a PC screen is not ideal and that has probably influenced the programmes I’ve chosen – largely factual and quiz. The BBC counters that, a ‘box’, is under development to port the output to your domestic telly and reminds us that it’s already possible to view the content on a selection of mobile devices.
Despite the somewhat limited selection of programmes, which I’m told is largely down to copyright issues, it seems a positive move for a public sector broadcaster actually providing a service and solving the ‘problem’ of letting you see a programme you forgot to record or you later discover is worth viewing.
The operation, as you’d expect from a Microsoft product is ‘workperson-like’ ,if rather un-exciting, but to all intents and purposes, to those with an always-on connection, downloading the content is free. The technology that allows programmes to be downloaded in faster than real time on a 2mb connection is a completely legal (I’m told) peer to peer application – everyone who is running the trial software, shares their content with other on the trial, without their having to do anything.
The built-in DRM expires the programmes after seven days which, when compared to the analogue world, I haven’t noticed happening on my VHS tapes. It’s been necessary to quell the agonies protested by the copyright owners.
The BBC is thinking beyond the present Windows-only solution. Speaking recently in London the BBC’s Project Director for iMP Ben Lavender reinforced the BBC philosophy of platform agnosticism and spoke of the desire to work on Apple and Linux solutions when DRM issues can be satisfactorily dealt with.
For commercial broadcasters there’s an over-riding issue to deal with, should they choose to get involved. How would they deal with the ease which you can move through spot advertising, remains to be seen but that’s an issue they’re’ going to have to face soon one way or another.
My verdict – I give it a thumbs up as long as a large enough library of content can be made available. For drama and the like, I’d want an easy method of outputting to the living room TV.
4 November, 2005
Reflections On IFA and How The Economist Got It Wrong
The Economist is a publication that we regard highly. It’s not for nothing that they gained a strong reputation. Sadly a recent piece on the Digital Home let them down.
In the 3-9 September issue of The Economist, the leader on page 14 tells readers that ‘Most people will never turn their homes into electronic control centres‘ (sub) and that ‘convergence’ will fail.
It’s a well written, witty piece that sadly not only demonstrates the writers lack of understanding of the subject, but their disconnection with the current news.
This summary pieces doesn’t do justice to the full article starting on pages 68 which grasps many of the issues far better.
Returning from a week at IFA, I have some sympathy with the idea that the ‘dream’ that the consumer electronics (CE) companies are try to sell to the public are unlikely to be met immediately – especially in Germany where it is a well known economic fact that the population are holding on to their money with ever more zeal, in terror of losing their jobs in the current economic uncertainty.
I sat in successive press conferences, listening to each CE company CEO tell the assembled analysts and hacks that, unlike the technology companies, They Understood the consumer. This lead them to announce a parade of nearly idential product line-ups, which frankly all blurred into one.
This was repeated with halls and halls of identikit stands. Remove the brand names and it would have been a challenge to tell them apart.
The exception was Sony, whose bold attempt to live their strap-line, ‘Like.no.other’, lead to a stand that didn’t line up endless products, but played with your senses and tickled your emotions. Sadly the majority of journalists _hated_ it – perhaps saying more about the state of journalism in this fields than the stand itself.
The Tech co view
Until now, the main focus of technology companies has been to sell as much equipment and services to the business market. Having reached total saturation, and business becoming unwilling to comply with the endless cycle of upgrades, having acknowledged that the benefit they bring are not matched by the cost and disruption they bring.
Having acknowledged this years back, the tech companies turned their sights on selling more equipment to the home user, to provide the platform for digital entertainment – which brings us to today.
Where The Economist got it wrong #1 – Convergence
The definition of convergence that they use is long outdated. They’ve interpreted it as the do-it-all device, they use the illustration of “a food processor doubling as a pleasure vibrator for women.”
Until recently, there was an argument that the only successfully converged device was the clock radio. Understanding of the problems have moved on and there are now good examples, such as the Sony Ericsson k750i camera phone, which not only works well as a phone, but has made taking photos a breeze. It contains the vital ingredient – no barrier to easy use.
So what is Convergence?
It’s not unreasonable to ask given the number different definitions it’s had.
Perversely, as more marketing departments in more companies have become involved in flogging convergence, the term itself has become divergent.
We think many things are key to real convergence, and these include
One delivery path – the delivery of digital media over an IP connection.
The coming together of what were previously thought of as different businesses – witness News International embracing video gaming including their recent purchase of IGN.
The combining of layers of information with video or audio; adding further depth to the programme that along it could never provide.
Where The Economist got it wrong #2 – MSMedia Centre PCs are a failure
One glaring lack of knowledge of current, relevant news is brought out by the Leader, stating that Media Centre PC’s, or ‘converged super-gadgets’ as they refers to them, have been an utter failure (this is lead by the main article which states that they accounted for ‘fewer than 1% of all PC’s sold last year’ ).
While this may be true for last year, it ignores recent figures from Current Analysis, publish on the 29 August, which found that Media Centre PC sales have ‘skyrocketed’ to 43% of all desktop computer retail sales in the US from the previous levels of around 15% in July. A significant percentage in anyone book.
The Leader comments also fundamentally misunderstand Microsoft. Anyone who has spent anytime watching them will know that they will never let the Media Centre become a failure. Microsoft know if they can control the device to store and access digital media, they can dominate the market.
IFA/Economist blunder
Given the derisory view the Economist of digital home, it was more than a little ironic that they were giving away promotional copies at IFA. A clear example of the right hand (marketing) not knowing what the left hand (editorial) was doing.
15 September, 2005
Nikon Coolpix P1 and Coolpix P2 Cameras Offer Wi-Fi: IFA
Although on the surface Nikon’s brand new Coolpix P1 and the Coolpix P2 cameras look like standard fare from the photo giant, they’ve got a trick up their sleeve – they both offer Wireless LAN support (IEEE802.11b/g).
In a first for compact digital cameras, Nikon’s new cameras sport a built-in 802.11b/g WiFi module which enables images to be transmitted to a Wi-Fi enabled computer or printer without the need for pesky wires and cables.
This wireless connection lets users transfer images off the camera’s storage card or transmit them ‘live’ as they’re snapped directly to Nikon’s PictureProject software.
Unfortunately, the P1 and P2 will only transmit pictures to the PictureProject application and isn’t able to directly upload images to the Internet or to FTP servers which we would have found far more useful – and much more fun.
As for the Coolpix P1 and P2 cameras, there’s nothing much to get too excited about, with the two identical cameras offering 8.0 and 5.1 Megapixels respectively with a 3.5x optical zoom (36-126mm equivalent, f2.7 – 5.2).
There’s the usual shedload of scene modes on offer (16 in total) for snapping in a wide range of common situations, with some advanced scene modes for the adventurous, and an aperture-priority auto mode with 10-step manual control over aperture settings in 1/3EV increments.
Both cameras support video and sound recording up to 30fps, with seven movie modes to choose from – including a natty time-lapse mode. We like them.
Framing and viewing images is taken care of with a sizeable 110,000 pixels 2.5″ TFT LCD screen and there’s a SD slot and USB 2.0 connectivity onboard.
Both cameras will be available at the end of the month, with the P1 priced at £294 (~$532~€429) and the P2 being knocked out for £225 (~$408~ €329).
Nikon
9 September, 2005
Toshiba LED Pocket Projector For 3G Phones:IFA
Promptly filed under “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” at first peek, Toshiba are debuting a portable LED pocket projector at the Internationale Funkaustellung (IFA) trade show 2005 in Berlin.
Toshiba’s new bijou baby has an unusual twist -the projector can be used to connect to 3G multimedia handsets, making it ideal for execs who want to travel light (and for those who want to share their text messages with the world).
Smaller than a gnat’s undercarriage, the teensy weensy LED projector weighs a mere 565 grams, and serves up SVGA (800 x 600) resolution using a 0.55-inch digital mirror device (DMD) chip, boasting a contrast ratio of 1500:1.
The cool-running LED technology means that there’s no need to fit the thing with both a lamp and a colour wheel – and with a lot less heat generated, there’s no need for a noisy, dust generating fan.
Inside there’s a panel fitted with different coloured LEDs which serve both as the light source and the means to determine the colour of the projected images.
With portability in mind, the unit is fitted with a 250-gram battery which can run for two hours and recharge fully in three hours, according to the company’s figures.
The projector is scheduled to be available by the end of the year, with a recommended retail price of approximately 999 euros (£675, $1,250). Not likely to be a big seller at that price is it?
Toshiba
7 September, 2005
Siemens SL75 Gigaset WiFi VOIP Home Phone Announced: IFA
Siemens have announced their new Gigaset SL75 WLAN Voice-over-IP (VoIP) cordless telephone for the home.
The Gigaset SL75 WLAN is one of a new generation of cordless VoIP phones that lets users wander free from the limited range of base stations, with the phone being able to access any open Wi-Fi points.
Ideally suited for workers ambling around corporate Wi-Fi networks and cuddling sofa lovers (see photo), the SL75 will hook up to any public WLAN access point (gateways/hotspots) and store profiles of hotspots for fast retrieval when shuffling between networks.
Users will be able to make VoIP calls from any of these access points without the need to have a PC rattling away in the background.
Siemens haven’t held back on the feature set, with the Gigaset SL75 WLAN handset offering an instant messaging service and the ability to receive and send emails, complete with photo attachments.
Blurring the distinction between a mobile phone further, there’s an integrated digital camera onboard and the usual 16 polyphonic ring tones, with personalised caller tunes.
The handset can store 200 names, phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses, with the information niftily synchronised with the desktop via WLAN.
Decked out in (ahem) “the season’s high fashion colour night grey”, the Gigaset SL75 WLAN sports a colour display (128×128 pixels, 4k/65k colors) and comes with a small docking station.
Now you might be wondering, “if it’s a home phone, why haven’t they made the thing more useful by bunging in a DECT phone too – like their earlier Siemens M34 Wireless DECT Handset?
The answer is simple. This is the future and, as Siemens explains, this puppy is going to “dispense forever” with the traditional concept of a “home phone.”
So now you know.
The Gigaset SL75 WLAN will be available in Europe from November 2005 for approximately EUR 299 (~$370, ~£205).
Siemens
7 September, 2005
VP-MS15 Miniket Digital Camera Unveiled by Samsung
Samsung have unveiled their sleek, credit-card sized Miniket VP-MS15 digital camera at the Berlin IFA show.
It may be smaller than a cold ant’s nether regions, but Samsung have managed to pack in a 5.25 mega-pixel CCD sensor, 3x optical zoom and a large 115K 2.5″ LCD display.
With the factory humming to the tune of convergence, Samsung have wedged in an MP3 player, voice recorder and a high quality video recorder capable of capturing high quality VGA clips (640 x 480 @ 30 fps) assisted by the built-in DIS (digital image stabiliser).
The camera comes with 512 MB of memory on board with a miniSD slot offering up offering up to 1GB of additional storage space – enough to store 250 songs or 17 hours of recording via the microphone.
Unlike many other digital cameras, users can zoom in and out to their heart’s desire while shooting video and Samsung’s little box of tricks is also capable of outputting video at a resolution of 720 x 576 pixels at 25fps via the AV out port.
Connecting the Miniket via USB 2.0 also lets it be used as a Webcam or a ‘portable hard drive’.
Conveniently, the VP- MS15 can also be charged via a USB connection, saving the hassle of carting along a power cable or optional charger when on the move.
“Samsung is always looking to combine stunning design with high functionality,” said Byoungyoul Yu, Senior Vice President of the Digital Video Division at Samsung Electronics.
“We are bringing to market multi-functional products that change consumers’ perceptions over the limitations of a digital device. The VP- MS15 allows consumers to carry one business card-sized device whether they wish to record high quality digital video, digital photos or MP3s.”
Samsung have also released two identical-looking smaller brothers to the MS15; the VP-MS11, with 128MB of onboard memory. and the VP-MS10 with 64MB.
The Samsung VP-MS15 digital camera will be launched in Korea on October, followed by a European debut the following month with a recommended retail price of €399 (~$500 ~£271).
Much as we love these do-it-all gadgets – especially when they’re smaller than a shy dot and kitted out in a smooth black finish – we wonder why someone looking for this kind of convergence wouldn’t just shell out for a smartphone instead….
Samsung
Photos courtesy of Let’s Go Digital
6 September, 2005
IFA
IFA is the world’s largest Consumer Electronics trade fair for both trade specialist and the general public covering all areas of consumer electronics with over 1,000 exhibitors. Berlin, Germany http://www.ifa-berlin.com
2 September, 2005
Deutsche Telekom: 50 Mbit/s Broadband Announced: IFA: UPDATED
Deutsche Telekom have just announced that they will be rolling out 50 Mbit/s connection in 50 cities around Germany by 2007.
By mid-2006 the first 10 cities will be connected to the new fiber network, covering around 2.9m households.
More immediately there will be a free six week trial starting in Hamburg and Stuttgart which will run at 25 Mbit/s. If you’re interested, you’d better sign up at their site quickly – it’s expected to fill up fast (not surprisingly).
Project ‘Lightspeed’, as they refer to it internally, will give Germany a leading position in Europe for broadband speeds. The project will provide fiber to the curb and will cost them up to Euro 3Bn.
With an average distance of 700m from the street distribution box to the home, delivery of most of the 50 Mbit/s to the consumer is likely.
During the announcement there many, many references to the ‘necessary framework’ for this size of investment. Despite clear questioning there was no answer from DT as to what the ‘necessary framework was, beyond it would involve the regulator and government (obviously).
The only phrase that was used (once) was ‘investment certainty’, which we can only assume is getting a return on the investment. As to what level of return they are aiming for is undefined, and we’re sure it’ll be the basis for a lot of discussion with the regulator.
The “we’ll make the country globally competitive by installing high speed Internet access, but it needs to be made worth our while” argument has been used before by other incumbent telcos when they are trying to get good, or better deals from the regulators.
DT said they haven’t as yet spoken to the regulator, Bundesnetzagentur about this matter.
Deutsche Telekom
Bundesnetzagentur
1 September, 2005