In 2011, 25% of all flat panel TVs shipped are expected to have some form of Internet connectivity, according to DisplaySearch. The total number of yearly shipments is forecast to grow to 138 million units in 2015, accounting for 47% of all flat panel TVs shipped.
By the end of 2015, more than 500 million connected TVs will have shipped.
"The adoption of connected TV is not just taking place in developed regions," said DisplaySearch director of TV electronics research Paul Gray. "Emerging markets often have good broadband services, and there is a thirst from consumers to get the best content available."
DisplaySearch forecasts that more than 98 million TV sets with 802.11 wireless networking built-in will ship in 2015.
"Wi-Fi technologies are the foundation of smart TVs," said Gray. "We expect that in 2015, 35% of 46-inch or larger TVs in North America will be smart TVs, defined as having the following capabilities: able to retrieve content from the Internet without the restrictions of a portal; intelligent search and recommendations; upgradeable by its owner; and able to network seamlessly with other devices in the home."
In the internet age, transparency may count for more than objectivity
ONE OF THE world's most profitable news organisations is Fox News, an American cable-news channel that is part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. In 2010 it is thought to have made a profit of over $800m on revenues of $1.5 billion, according to SNL Kagan, a research firm--more than its rivals CNN and MSNBC put together. Fox was set up in 1996 by Roger Ailes, a former media adviser to three Republican presidents, specifically to appeal to conservative viewers. Its star hosts, such as Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity, offer distinctively right-wing opinion and commentary, though the channel insists that its news reporting is unbiased. Fox is famous for being opinionated rather than for being profitable. Bill Shine, the number two at Fox News, thinks these two characteristics are related. "We offer opinions not seen anywhere else," he says.
In a world where millions of new sources are emerging on the internet, consumers are overwhelmed with information and want to be told what it all means. Fox is not the only news organisation that is unafraid to say what it thinks and is prospering as a result. Other examples include Al Jazeera's unabashed support for reform in the Arab world, Jon Stewart's satirical take on the news in the "Daily Show", Rush Limbaugh's hugely popular conservative radio show or even The Economist. Perhaps significantly, MSNBC, which has lately been positioning itself to appeal to a left-wing crowd, is picking up viewers (see chart 5). "It's not quite as political as what Fox does," says Phil Griffin, the president of MSNBC, "but we definitely have a progressive sensibility, a sensibility to the left."
CNN, meanwhile, continues to lose out to its more strident rivals, in prime time at least. Mr Griffin, himself a former CNN employee, reckons that the channel has failed to move with the times by favouring the "disinterested, at-arm's-length anchor". Mark Whitaker, CNN's managing editor, disagrees. He says his (highly profitable) channel is known for "integrity and avoiding cheap opinion", and for providing more global coverage than its rivals. "In this day and age you should have a point of view, but not necessarily one that's rooted in knee-jerk ideology," he says.
The idea that journalists should be impartial in reporting news is a relatively recent one. "A lot of newspaper people treat it as one true religion, when it's an artefact of a certain set of economic and historical circumstances," says Joshua Benton of the Nieman Journalism Lab. America's Founding Fathers nurtured a vibrant, fiercely partisan press with no licensing of newspapers or policing of content. During the 19th century newspapers gradually adopted a more objective stance, for several reasons. By appealing to a wider audience, they were able to increase their circulation and hence their advertising revenue. Consolidation, and the emergence of local newspaper monopolies, also promoted impartiality. "When you are the only paper in town, you can't risk pissing off liberals by being too conservative, or vice versa," says Mr Benton.
With the professionalisation of journalism in the early 20th century came a more detached style of reporting. In effect, a deal was struck between advertisers, publishers and journalists, says New York University's Jay Rosen. Journalists agreed not to alienate anyone so that advertisers could aim their messages at everyone. That way the publishers got a broader market and the journalists got steady jobs but gave up their voices. Objectivity is "a grand bargain between all the different players", says Mr Rosen. When radio and television emerged, America's private broadcasters embraced impartiality in their news reporting to maximise their appeal to audiences and advertisers and avoid trouble with regulators.
These days different countries have different preferences. In Europe overt partisanship in newspapers is widespread and state-run television channels often have partisan allegiances: Italy's three state channels are each aligned with specific parties, for example. The political independence of the BBC in Britain is unusual, and is in any case contested by critics who complain that it is too left-leaning. In India 81 of the 500 satellite-TV channels that have sprung up in the past 20 years are news channels, most of them catering to specific political, religious, regional, linguistic or ethnic groups. Only a few take an objective, pan-Indian approach, says Daya Thussu of the University of Westminster.
If impartiality is already the exception rather than the rule, the internet is now eroding it further. In America it undermines local news monopolies by reducing advertising revenue and providing access to a wide range of alternative sources, thus undoing Mr Rosen's grand bargain. In Britain and other countries where news broadcasters are required to be impartial, at least in theory, the convergence of television and the web makes such rules seem outdated. Mark Thompson, the director-general of the BBC, said at a seminar last December that he thought the case for polemical, opinionated news channels was "persuasive", though the BBC's own news coverage would remain impartial. The internet has also compressed the news cycle, with headlines delivered instantly by smartphone or Twitter, creating a demand for immediate analysis and opinion.
Moreover, the internet makes it easier than ever to find and synthesise different views, says Krishna Bharat, the creator of Google News. The idea for the site occurred to him in the months after the attacks of September 11th 2001, when he became frustrated by the inefficiency of visiting lots of different websites to get a broader picture of the news. When news comes from multiple sources, a mix of strong opinions becomes more desirable. "It's time to embrace the fact that certain news sources have a point of view, and that's why they have the following they do," says Mr Bharat. "I think there's a place for all of them." By undermining many of the traditional arguments for objectivity, the internet may thus cause a wider "Foxification" of news and a return to the more opinionated and partisan media landscape of the 18th and early 19th centuries. "Almost every country that has an open society is going to have some kind of opinion television programming," says Mr Shine.
This does not mean that all news organisations should take overtly political positions. Mr Rosen is just one of many media watchers who think it is time to release journalists from the straitjacket of pretending that they do not have opinions--what he calls the "view from nowhere". Journalists signal their impartiality by quoting people on opposing sides of an argument and avoid drawing conclusions, even when the facts are clear. "There have been times in the past when CNN has been criticised for being neutral--not only non-partisan, but not really having positions," says Mr Whitaker. But lately, he says, "we have been stronger in taking a point of view when we think it is supported by our reporting and by facts."
Transparency is the new objectivity
One way forward, suggests Mr Rosen, is to abandon the ideology of viewlessness and accept that journalists have a range of views; to be open about them while holding the reporters to a basic standard of accuracy, fairness and intellectual honesty; and to use transparency, rather than objectivity, as the new foundation on which to build trust with the audience. He cites the memorable phrase coined by David Weinberger, a technology commentator, that "transparency is the new objectivity". In part, this involves journalists providing information about themselves. For example, on AllThingsD, a technology-news site owned by Dow Jones, all the journalists provide an "ethics statement" with information about their shareholdings, financial relationships and, in some cases, their personal life (two journalists are married to employees at large technology companies). "People are more likely to trust you if they know where you are coming from," says Mr Rosen.
Transparency also means linking to sources and data, something the web makes easy. Bloggers have long used the technique to back up their views. Ezra Klein, a blogger at the Washington Post, has suggested that news organisations should publish full transcripts of interviews online. WikiLeaks' Julian Assange, a fan of radical transparency if ever there was one, makes a similar argument. "You can't publish a paper on physics without the full experimental data and results. That should be the standard in journalism," he said last year. Mr Weinberger has observed on his blog that transparency prospers in a linked medium: "Objectivity is a trust mechanism you rely on when your medium can't do links. Now our medium can."
Byline: Christopher Hosford
Alan Belniak Title: Director-social media marketing Company: Parametric Technology Corp. Years in current job: 2
ALAN BELNIAK HEADS up social outreach at Parametric Technology Corp, a Boston-based software company focusing on product life cycle management. Social media, he said, is essential to providing feedback to marketing, R&D, sales and other areas of the company.
"We were cognizant that people were having conversations about products and brands all over the Internet; and, in fact, we were taking part in many of those conversations ourselves," he said. "But with the social world being what it is, it's challenging to say you know where all the conversations are happening."
To get a better handle on that interchange, Belniak spearheaded the company's efforts in creating a community forum, PlanetPTC. Its focus isn't just on tech support but rather leveraging the energy and passion of the company's customers, Belniak said.
"The three verbs that are tenets of the community are 'showcase,' 'network' and 'inspire,' " he said. "When you get people excited about you, frankly they'll go to market for you."
In addition to PTC's main forum, the company developed several special-interest forums organized by product areas. Community members also have the ability to create their own subcommunities on certain topics.
"We monitor those, which gives us a sense of where people are taking our products," Belniak said.
Belniak added that no direct marketing is conducted on PlanetPTC; it serves as a listening post.
"I'm trying to urge marketers to do more listening, to gain insight," he said. "With PlanetPTC, we have one additional ear listening to what's going on. We're witnessing firsthand the interaction among people who are using our software."
Copyright 2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved.
ARLINGTON, Va. -- The following information was released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA):
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)' today hailed a new era in power consumption transparency for consumers: new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requirements call for removable, detailed yellow-and-black labels that disclose the product's estimated annual energy cost to be attached to all TVs manufactured after May 10th.
CEA contributed to the FTC rulemaking leading to these first-ever energy use labels for electronics, which are expected to appear on new TVs at retail stores in the coming weeks -- perhaps even sooner if they work their way through the supply chain quickly. The FTC's "EnergyGuide" rules, which also cover TVs sold on the Internet beginning July 11th, call for the primary disclosure on the label to be the product's estimated annual energy cost, with comparative information on similarly sized TVs.
"We applaud the implementation of this new program. Not only will it assist consumers interested in energy use in making purchasing decisions, but also it will further demonstrate the relatively low power consumption of today's digital televisions," said Douglas Johnson, CEA's vice president of technology policy. "CEA continues to support a variety of market-oriented, consumer-focused policies and initiatives that advance energy efficiency in consumer electronics but avoid the problems inherent in government-mandated limits and standards."
In February, CEA released a comprehensive study of TV energy efficiency gains. The report, "Power Consumption Trends in Digital TVs Produced Since 2003," found best-selling liquid crystal display models used 63 percent less energy in active power mode from 2003 to 2010 while plasma TV active power mode use declined 41 percent from 2008 to 2010."
Stamps.com said that its PC Postage software is designed to simultaneously reflect and calculate the new USPS rates effective April 17.
In a release, the Company said that this will allow Stamps.com mailing and shipping customers to conduct business seamlessly as the USPS rate increase takes effect.
USPS postage rates will increase across a range of denominations. While Priority Mail, Express Mail and one-ounce First-Class Mail rates will remain the same, Media Mail, Parcel Post and several other postage values will be changing.
Commercial Base pricing offers discounted postage rates to customers who purchase postage online. With the introduction of Commercial Base pricing for First-Class Mail Packages, online postage customers - including Stamps.com users - will now receive discounts up to 8 percent on First-Class Mail Packages compared to Post Office rates. When comparing Commercial Base pricing to Post Office rates, the discounts range from up to 15 percent on Priority Mail and up to 21 percent on Express Mail.
"First-Class Mail Packages have always been one of the lowest-cost shipping options for mailers and shippers," said Stamps.com President and CEO Ken McBride. "The introduction of Commercial Base pricing to First-Class Mail Packages allows Stamps.com customers to see even greater savings. That certainly helps to minimize the impact rate changes have on our customers."
Stamps.com is a supplier of Internet-based postage services. Stamps.com's service enables small businesses, high-volume shippers, enterprise shippers, and consumers to print U.S. Postal Service-approved postage with a PC, printer and Internet connection, right from their home or office. The company targets its services to small businesses and home offices, and currently has PC Postage partnerships with Avery Dennison, Microsoft, HP, Office Depot, USPS and others.
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ShowBase Announces ShowBase Extra(TM) v2.1, the Latest Version of its
Award Winning Database Publishing Product ShowBase Extra v2.0
AYLMER, Quebec, April 28 /PRNewswire/ -- ShowBase Inc. today announced the release of ShowBase Extra v2.1, a Year 2000 Compliant database publishing software solution featuring multi-lingual search capabilities for a global marketplace. ShowBase Extra v2.1 is the only database migration product on the market that enables corporations to quickly publish virtually any database to the Web, with absolutely no programming required.
"We strongly recommend ShowBase Extra v2.1 to our clients," said Murray Friesen, of Murray, Nicholas & Associates Inc. Management Consultants. "There is just nothing else on the market that can compare with its ease of use and multi-lingual capabilities. ShowBase is always one step ahead of the rest. They have taken the 'Year 2000 Compliant' requirement and extended it into a 'Year 2000 Solution.' A 'Year 2000 Solution' is more than just adhering to four-digit numbers, it is being able to satisfy the needs of a global marketplace. Well done ShowBase!!"
In addition to simultaneous searching in any one of seven different languages, the newest release of ShowBase Extra is Year 2000 Compliant, features faster search and retrieval capabilities, and includes a more user-friendly menu interface for easier navigation. ShowBase Extra v2.1 publishes virtually any database and supports over 15 Web server platforms.
ShowBase Extra v2.1 is now available at a first-license price ranging from $1,499 US - $4,499 US, depending on the CGI platform required. Each license allows the publishing of up to five (5) customer databases or five (5) departmental databases per Web server and is offered as a free upgrade to ShowBase Extra v2.0. Site licenses are also available at a reduced rate. For more detailed pricing, or a free 15-day evaluation copy of ShowBase Extra v2.1, visit the ShowBase Web Site at http://www.ShowBase.com.
ShowBase Inc. specializes in the development of low-cost, high performance and programming-free information publishing software for the Internet/intranet market. The company's state-of-the-art information publishing solutions enable companies to quickly and easily display, access and retrieve corporate information over the Internet, intranets or extranets.
ShowBase markets its products worldwide through an extensive network of distributors, VARs and ISPs in such countries as Canada, the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. ShowBase's global customer base includes the U.S. Navy, City of Montreal, Purdue University Calumet, U.S. and Canadian Government Departments, Motorola, and the FBI. For more information, contact the company at 21 A Park St., Aylmer, Quebec, Canada, J9H 4J6, tel: 819-685-2273, fax: 819-685-2244, or visit the company web site at: http://www.ShowBase.com.
SOURCE ShowBase Inc.
-0- 04/28/98
/CONTACT: Mary-Lynn Bedard, 819-685-2273, or Fax: 819-685-2244, or mlbedard@showbase.com/
/Web site: http://www.ShowBase.com/
CO: ShowBase Inc. ST: Quebec IN: CPR SU: PDT
LR-DJ -- NYTU021 -- 3306 04/28/98 06:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
WATERTOWN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 4, 1996-- OneWave, Inc. (NASDAQ: OWAV), a leading provider of business software solutions that integrate and extend critical business applications, and Computer Sciences Corporation (NYSE:CSC), one of the largest consulting and systems integration firms in North America, today announced an alliance agreement that will allow them to provide enhanced computing solutions to companies in the manufacturing, higher education and financial services marketplace. The two companies will work together to integrate popular mission-critical business applications from vendors such as SAP, Baan and PeopleSoft, and extend them to new business audiences, within and between enterprises, using Internet technology.
Under the agreement, CSC will train their consultants on OneWave technology, enabling them to work with their customers to extend business processes to the enterprise, intranets and the Internet. OneWave will work closely with CSC in their applied research program, which is centered around discovery, experimentation and the alignment of emerging technologies that provide strategic, innovative solutions for CSC s customers. The two companies will also conduct marketing initiatives demonstrating how a corporation can truly gain a competitive advantage within their industry by fully utilizing the capabilities of the Internet.
"The OneWave/CSC partnership ensures that both companies' customers are exposed to the newest, most beneficial integration technology and proven implementation expertise," said Klaus P. Besier, chairman and CEO of OneWave, Inc. "The alliance with CSC will allow us to provide customers with innovative computing solutions that will leverage their existing IT investments."
"OneWave has moved beyond creating a basic development tool to providing an organizational building block that enables companies to simplify the integration and use of business applications," said Paul Gustafson, a senior partner in CSC's Applied Technology Group. "We are pleased to work with OneWave, offering companies a rapid and innovative approach to integrating existing back-end mission-critical systems and extending them to powerful digital channels such as intranets and the Internet."
About Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)
CSC, one of the largest consulting and systems integration firms in North America, combines strong industry expertise with deep technology capabilities to help clients solve critical business problems. Specialized areas of expertise range from business process redesign and information technology transformation to large-scale systems integration, custom application development, and outsourcing. With revenues in excess of $5 billion and 40,000 employees in 600 locations worldwide, CSC has been serving a wide range of industries and government entities for more than 35 years. For additional information about CSC, please access the Company's World Wide Web site at http://www.csc.com.
About OneWave, Inc.
OneWave, Inc. is a provider of software solutions that integrate and extend critical business applications across enterprises, intranets and the Internet. OneWave software helps companies adapt to rapidly changing market conditions by minimizing implementation time frames, leveraging existing technology investments, and reducing software development costs. The Company's proven method for optimizing Internet, Web, client/server, and legacy technologies offers customers fast, easy, and cost-effective business implementations. For additional information about OneWave, please access the Company's World Wide Web site at http://www.onewave.com; send e-mail to info@onewave.com; or call (617) 923-6500. -0-
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Certain factors that might cause such a difference include delays in product development and product roll-out, industry alliances, the announcement or introduction of competitive products, market acceptance of the announced products and those factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" on page 5 of the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 dated July 2, 1996.
OneWave is a trademark of OneWave, Inc. Other product and company names may be trademarks of the respective companies.
CONTACT: Bernie Thiel
Computer Sciences Corporation
617-788-4023
bthiel@csc.com
or
Peg Culotta or Oliver Churchill
OneWave, Inc.
617-923-6500
pculotta@onewave.com, oliver@onewave.com
BALTIMORE, Oct. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The North Star Group in collaboration with ITT Corporation, has developed and released a prototype web portal that is designed to demonstrate the technical feasibility and rich feature set which is available using the World Wide Web as a service delivery platform. This effort was performed in support of the selection process related to the Federal Aviation Administration's Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) program and the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS) initiative.
The primary goal of this development effort was to provide the end-user a functional and feature rich display, through the use of web browser technology, that provided views similar to what is seen in Air Traffic Control (ATC) towers and a pilot's cockpit avionics display. These views provide positional (latitude, longitude, altitude and velocity) information regarding aircraft within a user selected area overlaid on geographical maps or satellite imagery.
Development of the web portal used Rapid Application Development processes and commonly available tools that enabled ITT Corporation to support the FAA without regard to available server platform or technologies. The development team used Adobe(R) Flex(TM) 2.0 which is a cross-platform development framework used to create rich Internet applications (RIAs) and the Macromedia Flash 5.0 development tool. The use of Flex(TM) 2.0 enables developers to build rich, high-performance applications that run identically on all major browsers and operating systems. Additionally, the team used Yahoo! Maps AS3 API library for all mapping information and visuals. The real-time weather and aircraft data-stream was provided by ITT Corporation and then converted into XML, which was then used to create the views.
"The North Star Group is pleased to have made such a significant contribution in assisting ITT on this major winning bid," according to Dave Spencer, Managing Director and Chief Information Officer.
About The North Star Group, LLC
The North Star Group, LLC is a professional services firm focused on Strategic Planning, Project Management and Information Technology solutions for the commercial and government sectors including consulting, interim management, staffing/outsourcing, and training. Our expertise encompasses the full corporate lifecycle from strategic planning to tactical execution including process and control. For additional information, please contact us at 443-541-8434, or visit http://www.northstargroupllc.com/.
CONTACT: Robert Olsen of The North Star Group, LCC, +1-443-541-8434, rolsen@northstargroupllc.com
Web site: http://www.northstargroupllc.com/
Byline: Kari C. Barlow
Apr. 22--NICEVILLE -- What's better than finding a good bargain? Finding a good bargain online.
That was Lacey Colletti's theory when she launched www.kidztreasurez.com -- an online children's consignment store -- last September.
"I can't imagine any parent not wanting to shop from the comfort of home," says the mother of four who works from her Niceville home. "It's the convenience."
With three boys and one girl all under 12 years old, Colletti says she's tapped into the appeal of families saving both money and time.
"It's not only convenience, it's the cost of gas, too," she adds. "You're saving yourself money in the long run."
Instead of scraping together rent money and setting up shop in an out-of-the-way strip mall, Colletti grabbed a digital camera and mastered the basics on Web design.
"I am totally self-taught," says Colletti, whose site is one of the only children's consignment stores on the Emerald Coast. "I just went on the Internet and started reading. I researched different Web hosts and weighed all the options."
Seven months later, her site's traffic is on the rise and Kidz Treasurez is in the black.
"I'm doing OK. Overall, I'm very happy," she says. "I have consigners all over the country. I've sold things to Israel."
Consigners can take their clothes and other items to Colletti's residence in Niceville or arrange for her to pick them up.
"I only take clothes on hangars, laundered and pressed," she says. "Ninety percent of the clothes I get have literally been worn once or twice."
Colletti has consigners sign a contract, and she inventories the collection. Consigners receive midmonth payments for the clothes that sell.
"I like the idea of having money and recycling that to buy more clothes," she says.
After shooting photos of each items, Colletti uploads the images to her Web site where shoppers can browse among children's apparel as well as gear, toys, books, games and maternity clothes.
"It's a great way to shop. Her Web site is very easy to navigate," says Melissa Tyler, a Niceville mom who shops Kidz Treasurez for her 2-yearold and 6-year-old. "Her clothes are quality."
Like many moms, Tyler knows the challenge of shopping with a toddler in tow.
"You have naptime right in the middle of the day," she says. "And you really can't focus on finding good deals when you're trying to keep your 2-year-old from running around the store."
For more information about www.kidztreasurez.com, call Colletti at 678-4257.
Copyright (c) 2007, Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business
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