U.S. group Honeywell Schnüffelchips installed software on tens of thousands of office computers.

130,000 potential suspects: How many employees does the U.S. company Honeywell - and on almost any computer of the company is under blogs, information, a spy software installed. Affected are also thousands of German workers.

 

"The computer is an infallible witness, he can not lie." With these words begins a brochure, with the company for its Guidance Software EnCase product line advertises - a digital Schnüffelchips assistance, according to the information of the company allows to quickly and cost effectively "to information. And while information from the computers not only criminals but also from employees, their superiors are not geheuer.

Guidance Software Web site: After research, "without which aims to warn"

Because this type of electronic identification assistance is not only used by law enforcement - but also by businesses. According to information from the blogs also by the U.S. technology group Honeywell. EnCase be allowed at any time, the computers of the world's 130,000 Honeywell employees auszuforschen. Also out of 6000 employees of the company, working in Germany.

"Digital evidence provide an unfiltered view of the activities of a suspect in his or her words and deeds are recorded," extols Guidance Software's product. On this evidence should come with EnCase, a "technical solution for the collection and analysis of digital evidence and the subsequent reporting." EnCase is the "industry standard", says that Guidance Software in the promotional brochure itself

Internal documents show that the software on nearly all computers in the company Honeywell installed. Guidance Software advertises itself thus, Encase allows the creation of "investigative infrastructures for businesses." In case of problems with employee integrity ", the software enables immediate investigation," without which aims to warn ".

Already deleted data will be visible again

EnCase can, according to data supplied by the manufacturer in a short time the contents of entire hard disk of the computer tapped on a central server and secure evidence. The program, which is also of German security authorities and the FBI in the fight against crime is being used, is also capable of already deleted files visible.

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Learn the German Honeywell employees of the sniffing software on their computers until the tip of an external IT service provider. Since the workers' representatives are trying to restrict the use of EnCase, at least in this country and to prevent the program from the computers to take leave because it is from their point of view "unduly into the privacy rights of workers intervenes."

On the other hand, Honeywell said it had EnCase in Germany have not been activated. The Group will only use the software to ensure the security of its information, and staff from threats from the network to protect it.

Labor legitimacy should clarify

At the end of March is now the Labor Offenbach whether Honeywell by EnCase installation participation rights in Germany has infringed. Lawyers keep programs such as EnCase here from privacy and personality rights grounds is extremely problematic.

With Guidance software you can see the nature differently. With "more accurate, faster and more efficient processes for the review of digital evidence 'organizations could" improve public safety, "says the company.

Some Kindle books should remain silent.

The new Amazon Kindle can also read - but not every book, as the group announced now. Background: A U.S. association had declared the function of the reader e-reader infringes the rights of the authors.

 

Amazon wants to be the authors or other copyright holders be exempt, whether its function of reading the e-reader access to their works will or not. Those who object to its Kindle book reads so in future also not available.

In the accompanying press statement said Amazon that there is not a legal go back rowing. "The experimental text-to-speech function is legal: There is no copy, no derivative work created no evidence." Yet it was convinced "that many rights holders are thus feel more comfortable if they are even in the control of the hand."

The head of the Association of Authors Authors Guild, Paul Aiken, had in recent weeks
repeatedly taken the position, Kindle 2, with the reading of books, audiobooks function - and for which were then further royalties payable to the originator. After Amazon Aiken turnaround is not yet convinced. You must wait, "how exactly it is implemented," he said to the
Tech Blog of the L. A. Times.

The Kindle is by no means incidentally, is the only device that consists of written text makes words out. In Apple's Mac OS X, for example, is such a feature already installed. "Text to speech" software, text files aloud, there are different versions and levels of quality, sometimes even as freeware - and even some browsers can access Internet sites on this desire.

Merkel promises high-speed Internet for millions of Germans.

Chancellor Merkel wants to strengthen the Internet connection speed to make: In two years everyone fast access to the system, by 2014 they want high-speed access for 75 percent of households. This TV spectrum should be re - but on the other hand, there is fierce resistance.

 

Berlin - The issue of broadband Internet has Angela Merkel (CDU) has for some time. When so-called IT-summit in November 2008 the Chancellor had already from its ambitious plans for expanding the broadband network in Germany is spoken, and now, two days before the opening of the Cebit IT fair, it was
in her weekly video message concrete: Broadband for all by 2010, even taking advantage of television frequencies released: "98 percent of households already have the option of a broadband connection with a transfer rate of at least one megabit per second to get. But this is not enough for us yet."

REUTERS
German Chancellor Angela Merkel: "At least" 50 megabits

The next step, the Merkel announced, is far more ambitious: High-speed connections for 75 percent of households by 2014. Where currently one to six megabits per second through the pipes trickle, then to 50-megabits-rush currents, and although "at least", said Merkel.

But times, as Germany's telephone network, the state owned, are gone - and so can the federal government only appeal, negotiate and promote a little bit - but let cables Merkel can not. And in what she imagines it is the EU institutions in the way.

"Certainly," said the Chancellor, we need "private provider". Merkel continued: "This requires the regulation of markets in such a way that incentives for investment not only in urban areas are, but also in the less populated areas." We will in the EU Council in March on this issue with the European Commission.

That is: The chancellor wants to be happy on the side of the former state company Deutsche Telekom represent. Because one wants to like high-speed fiber-optic cables, as they are for Merkel's 50-Mbps network needs. Other hand, it would have been in the telecom prefer if they just start their own businesses have access to this new infrastructure. For consumers this would mean: If ultra-fast network access, you must, willy-nilly, telecom client. For the competitors in the telecom market would be a moderate disaster. The EU Commissioner Viviane Reding inside (media) and Neelie Kroes (competition) to see the greed of the former state company therefore highly critical.

The telecom regulatory calls as little as possible

Telekom boss René Obermann has had with the IT Summit in November warned that the industry will need billions only invest if the business risks are predictable and you in this area could also earn money. So far there is over-regulation by the EU Commission, the emphasis on popular prices for the consumers do. However, this was a crucial investment brake. Obermann: "We need a regulation, not more money from the market takes." Many, however, are rather of the opinion that the regulation, such as mobile roaming, more than the absurd high profit margins of companies in this area diminishes a little.

As for the lofty goal of nationwide broadband cabling costs and would bring about, the estimates differ. Obermann began, numbers of branch organization Bitkom below the level of investment required to "40 to 50 billion euros" to.

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Significantly cheaper would be the solution to the problem of approximately 730,000, according to Merkel German households which currently do not have access to fast Internet connections, not even on a normal DSL. It would, said the Chancellor,
"so-called digital dividend" to the "provider of broadband access" to distribute, and "very fast". The term refers to the television spectrum caused by the transition to digital terrestrial broadcasting will be freed. At these frequencies could be just as Internet content transport - but would need for the return channel continues to be a wired connection.

TV frequencies, the idea met with resistance from the transmitter

The problem with the reasonable-sounding plan: The TV providers did not feel like the freed frequencies so easy missions. The lobbyists, especially the representatives of broadcasters from Germany, France and England,
closed, when the EU parliament in September 2008 on the allocation of television frequencies to vote.

The Parliament finally moved to the proposal, in less than two years a "Spectrum Summit" to organize the 2010 dispute is resolved. Merkel's promise that the digital dividend "quickly" to distribute, seems to be simply the pace of work of European institutions and the resistance of the TV lobby fail. The German Association of Private Broadcasting and Telemedia (VPRT) was made because even with the adjournment would now "among other interests, including the broadcasting sufficiently considered."

MOBILE BROADBAND FORMATS

UMTS

Universal Mobile Telecommunications System - is often referred to as standard for third generation (3G) that it takes much higher data rates than its predecessor, enables GSM. German UMTS networks typically create a bandwidth of 384 kbit / s for data transmission from the terminal Mobilfunkmast. Regular DSL connections offer today übrlicherweise 1024 Kbit / s. (more on blogs KNOW)

HSDPA

High Speed Downlink Packet Access - is based on UMTS on, but reached significantly higher transmission rates in the transmission of Mobilfunkmast for the device. The practically achievable data rate is currently at 1.4 Mbit / s. Through technological improvements, it gradually to 5.1 Mbit / s rise. (more on blogs KNOW)

GPRS

General Packet Radio Service - this standard decomposed data at stations in individual packets, it transmits gestückelt and puts them back together at the receiver. By bundling multiple transmission channels is theoretically a transmission rate of up to 171.2 kbit / s possible. In practical operation, it is usually 55.6 Kbit / s - so slow modems were in the days before DSL. (more on blogs KNOW)

Edge

Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution - technology to increase the rate of data transmission in GSM mobile networks. Through more efficient modulation techniques are in the sum up to 384 kbit / s can be achieved - that is UMTS speed. Edge has been accessed in 75 countries. (more on blogs KNOW)

WiMax

The WiMax technology includes several standards, data on different radio frequencies. Some WiMax standards require a visual connection between the transmitter and receiver, other signals can also penetrate walls. Tests WiMax will have data transfer rates of more than 100 Mbit / s has been achieved. Hermann Lipfert, an expert in wireless networks at the Munich Institute for Broadcasting Technology (IRT) estimates that in a regular-WiMax wireless cell Tranferraten from 50 Mbit / s are realistic - under ideal conditions and with application of all presently available technical tricks. This range would need to be as in UMTS all users share in the respective cell line. (more on blogs KNOW)

DVB-T

The DVB-T standard provides for the distribution of digital television signals by radio. The DVB standard is also designed to evaluate Internet content to transfer - in the frequency range of a single analogue television channel (about 7 MHz) fit, but just 13 megabits per second into it. If a single broadcast station that is 20 users hanging around the same time, a file download to try, it will be close - the data rate for each user would be less than one Mbit / s, ie lower than the cheapest DSL connections that are currently on offer are. "The biggest risk for this technology is, from the present to become obsolete," says Sven Hansen from the computer magazine "c't". Applying the content over DVB, which also goes in only one direction - just like in television. The return channel must then be produced by other means, such as via a conventional telephone line. Mouse clicks in the browser went with this method over the telephone line to the provider, the requested pages woul!
d be of the DVB broadcast station back to the receiver gefunkt. This is cumbersome - and slow. (more on blogs KNOW)

LTE

Long Term Evolution is the name that a number of mobile phone companies a broader standard of the fourth generation mobile communications have given. LTE is basically an evolution of UMTS - but requires completely new hardware, including new broadcasting stations. LTE competes with the WiMax standard to the market leader in the mobile Internet of the future - between the two standards may be a new format war. LTE has been estimated by experts to WiMax, however, about two years behind what the technological development. (More at blogs KNOW)

In addition to the alternative wireless network will also expand the traditional DSL connections supported, so Merkel is now in the podcast: "For example, in the economic package funds be used to empty and thus to lay the technical requirements for a broadband connection in the field."

Only a fully networked Germany could strengthened from the current crisis emerge, the Chancellor said in essence: "What used to be an electricity connection or a water or sewage connection was that in the future will also be a broadband connection." She was of the opinion that "the future of rural areas very much depends on the technical possibilities that there are the same as in the urban areas."

Thus, the Chancellor no doubt right. The question is whether they will be able to maintain their promises broadband account.

What the Cebit Not-tie makers offer.

Actually, the Cebit no fair to consumers. As one of the world's largest tech events it can hardly avoid also attract private users: Whether they like it or not, this year too, it is a piece Novitätenschau - from home to Netbook network.

 

For private users, the Cebit a strange thing. The traditional tech Fair was in the late eighties the greatest novelties and gadget show in the land, every year the crowds and Techno Phile the fair society welcome headlines in the form of a record number of visitors brought news.

Really had accepted the technology enthusiasts to the organizers, but never.
The Cebit wanted and wants first and foremost a business fair to make reference to the trade-oriented, especially directly at the booth will be able to deal with more rubles to roll, as on entrance fees of nerds and tech geeks could ever come together. Even from the perspective of exhibitors and trade visitors, that's all understandable: It can be reluctant to a "May I take the pen?" or "Do you have somewhere sugar?" interrupt, if you just tried to generate a distribution of 1.5 million deal signed and sealed to bring.

The technology mecca for Adverse

In the nineties tried to show leadership the mass inertia of the tech-heads from the rainy spring in the rainy autumn to relocate, where two short years the Cebit Home organized. The technology fans came in 1996 and 1998 just twice in Hanover, which was not thought so. At the end of the split paid not from the consumer issues were Zähneknirschen back into the main exhibition integrates and after Cebit-old tradition among all the boring business issues hidden. Since then we look at the novelties in Hanover again Erlauf - nice consumer-unfriendly distributed over several buildings. From a consumer perspective is a Cebit-day a kind of marathon with relaxed timing.

Also this year signaled the show not with the suit and tie under their uniformed visitors again a warm Actually-Really-Not-Welcome to Hanover. Those who still come, the lot will be offered. Indeed, come 2009 a whole range of technologies to maturity, which has in recent years, the market moving: There's really what to see.

Preview: Highlights of the Cebit 2009

Netbook were one of the major discoveries at Cebit last year. Meanwhile, the mini-notebook without a CD drive further matured. This concerns mainly the energy, since the equipment of devices broadly similar: Well, only because of the possible long-term maturities offers.

The manufacturer Acer shows a new device called the Acer Aspire one D150. The lightweight of 1.3 kg has a 10-inch screen that is used by an Intel Atom processor with 1.66 GHz clock speed operated and runs on Windows XP. The battery will be up to six hours of the price is 399 Euro.

Rival Dell shows already on the other hand, the next development stage of the Netbook. The starting this Thursday ordered Inspiron Mini 10 Netbook is one of the first in which an Intel Atom Z520 processor installed is: Instead of the usual 1.6 GHz processor is a Dual-Core 1.33GHz with twice. That was not enough, Dell also treat the particles a fashionable multi-touch pad - iPod can greet - and an HDMI interface, the Netbook easily with the LCD TV to connect.

That makes the thing of course is not yet on the media server, but she's pretty close thing - for 379 euros.

More will follow in the months: Dell Inspiron wants to offer 10 more versions, some of which still are aufgebohrt. A planned version will be 2 GB of RAM and up to 250 GB hard drive offer (probably a version of Ubuntu instead of Windows XP). For a shift from buying on the other hand, the announcement could make a version with integrated TV tuner and HD options are planned - there is also what the thing an HDMI interface needs. You see: Netbook are just at the beginning of their development.

IPv6 lobby is pushing for change in the system.

By 2010, the Federal Government promises to be there in Germany for high-speed Internet (almost) everyone. That makes it faster but not better, says the German IPv6 Council and calls for the system changeover. With good reason: Until 2011 the web is the address space.

 

The Sextillion is a number which sounds as if they come from a Donald Duck comic: One can imagine that the number of crowns in money Dagobert memory means. Something large, measureless numerous, almost cosmic beyond normal human imagination anyway. The Sextillion is a one with 36 zeros hintendran.

Corbis
Total communication: IPv6 is the protocol that is always room for more services create

Christoph Meinel, Director of the Potsdam Hasso-Plattner-Institute and head of the
German IPv6 Council, is among the growing number of people who believe that we urgently need 340 of them - and 340 Sextillionen IP addresses. That would be the next expansion step of the so-called address space, because that is slowly running out. No later than 2012, perhaps even 2011, concluded with fresh Internet addresses, then the mere 4.29 billion, the old IPv4 protocol allows exhausted and forgiven.

Nearly 90 percent of all possible addresses are assigned - and that, although only about 20 percent of the world ever have access to the networks. Pro onliners there are several addresses, among other things because of all companies and organizations occupy what even remotely reminds them. In addition, in the early days, when only a few servers connected to Internet, with the addresses of force was geaast: universities and organizations got bundles available to millions of addresses included. The need is nobody, but you had enough of it. Now that the address space is running out, they are missing: Some organizations are sitting on 16 million addresses, but they can not back out.

It runs only with Notnägeln

For several years, the trick question of registrars and providers, even to the last out of the still available address space herauszukitzeln - otherwise it would have long since been concluded.

The trick goes as follows: Previously, each Internet address to the specimen www.blogs.de a specific IP address assigned to the model 255,255,255,255. With the help of the so-called Network Address Port Translation (NAPT) today but arrange Provider entire set of addresses a single IP address.

Simplified you can say so: A large number of addresses is one and the same IP number. The provider on whose server the sites are located, is a NAPT router upstream of the different WWW addresses various ports, terminals, so to speak, on its servers assigns. The actual IP address only, in which Provider or hosting the requested data is available, and ensures that the requests are distributed appropriately.

That creates space, but also constraints and is not a concept that you could drive any further. Problems makes it not only if, for example, for legal reasons a website will be blocked - and the same with hundreds of additional blocked. If you like, NAPT documented more clearly than anything else, as needed for the conversion to IPv6 is now.

Once everything seemed oversized

In the seventies, when the Internet Protocol TCP / IP and IPv4 have been developed, all that was not conceivable: as seemed possible even four billion Internet addresses, which are using 32 bit short decimal IP addresses can construct, immeasurably more. 340 Sextillionen however, constructed from a 128-bit hexadecimal address, one would still be "daring" perceived.

Loosely said at the weekend in the "News York Times," no less than Vint Cerf, co nevertheless the TCP-IP protocol. And blew into the same horn as Meinel.

Welcomed at the week start on the one hand the decision of the Federal Government in 2010 for an extensive range of very powerful broadband connections to want to make. But if, because: "If more people in Germany, access to fast Internet, should be so here also the transition to the new traffic rules of the standard IPv6 connected," said Meinel.

IPv6 has been developed since 1995, is considered ready and is now twenty-six years old, current, valid IP version 4 protocol replaces. It defined not only the address space is too narrow, it was never intended for things for which it is used today. What started in the early eighties as a digital development of telegraphy began, has long been an international network for the transmission of multimedia content developed.

IPv6 is not just a fresh address space, but also optimize the flow of data and various security problems. Moreover, it should simplify networking: devices should be easily and automatically connect to networks and make available - the protocol for the Always-on society.

Not least, IPv6 also provides the conditions for a real sensitive issue to tackle. With the help of the protocol can be certain data streams to assign a clear preference - Internet TV, video telephony or data traffic of research networks may be grassy, while BitTorrent flows could crawl. Even if broadband connections web entertainment into the living room should bear, but it is a prerequisite: Commercial IPTV offerings fail not only to lack of infrastructure and program gaps, but also because few customers are really satisfied with those performance.

The pressure grows

ON TO ONLINE blogs

Broadband for all: The desire is there, just hard to find (03.02.2009)

Broadband: Telecom offers billions - and calls for less regulation (15.12.2008)

Broadband Internet: Germany has gray spots (12.12.2008)

National IT Summit: Breitbandschmusen in Darmstadt, Germany (20.11.2008)

The transition from IPv4 to IPv6 is fluent proceed. In a transitional phase, both protocols in parallel, which in theory is already the case, practically in Germany, however, hardly happens: most providers, it is part of the IPv6 Council, blocked the transition to the new protocol.

Because it constitutes the broadband program of the Federal Government is a welcome leverage that a little development in their own country to afford. If the state in developing the Provider of Broadband Internet promotes, should the allocation of funds to be made but that the provider to its customers an IPv6-enabled connection available, called Meinel. Most computers and their operating systems dominated the new standard already.

Because this is the main reason for the reluctance of providers and infrastructure companies: IPv4 and IPv6 have different hardware requirements. And even though IPv6 is designed for networks and network hardware to significantly relieve costs arise only once - and not too tight. The EU Commission, insisting that a quarter of businesses, governments and households in the EU in 2010 will be converted, calculates a cost of several billion euros.

Intel's struggle for nuclear technology.

What will future PCs faster: processors with many cores or graphics with even more cores? Intel wants this question answered by a court can order new Nvidia chips to ban - and thus possibly bring Apple into trouble.

 

Four years ago, were the two companies have agreed. Together, they signed an agreement that allowed Nvidia, so-called chipsets, the foundation of all PCs, for Intel-built processors. With the introduction of a new generation of processors, this arrangement has become obsolete, however, now alleges Intel. Nvidia, however, insists on his right and assumed debt, Intel trying to a fundamental shift in PC technology to prevent.

Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO of Nvidia, is sure, Intel's real motivation to know. "In essence, when this matter is that the CPU time has expired and the soul of your PC quickly moved to the GPU. This is clearly an attempt to stifle innovation, a decline CPU business to protect," says Huang.

And in fact, Intel with sharply declining revenues to fight. For the fourth quarter of 2008 reported the group had a
Profit slump of 90 percent. That was also the Netbook boom not change. Because Netbook almost always put Intel chips, however, such series of nuclear - and is particularly effective, obviously raises very little profit.

More seeds ...

That there will be controversy, however, was long in sight. Finally, the chip manufacturer Intel and Nvidia totally different views about how the computers of the future should be faster.

Intel is clearly the way out. Since the company from the Megahertz race has adopted is to integrate as many processor cores on a chip companies aim to become. The argument: In modern PCs running multiple programs is always parallel to each other. Spread it on the available cores, each of which runs faster, because undisturbed.

On computers with the latest processors with the type Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Quad, you can easily understand. Even if a virus scanner running in the background or you can burn a CD, it is in the foreground more easily surf the Web, chat or write a letter. Specially customized software, the multiple cores simultaneously, is still scarce. Programs targeted to understand the use of multiple processor cores, which will benefit all the more, shall be unchanged finished faster clock frequency than at a fast chip with one core. Up to 80 cores, Intel is already on test chips integrated. The evolution of multi-core chips, if Intel's plans to ensure that PCs will always be faster - provided that more and more customized software on the market.

... or more cores?

Nvidia, however, does not include the CPU, the main processor, but the GPU, the graphics processor, as a way into a future of faster computers. This too is understandable. Finally, although highly advanced graphics, and in some areas but much more fixed than CPUs. And because not every PC user also a hardcore gamer is, who buys an expensive graphics card, Nvidia has developed a way to its graphics cards also appeal to those users who are not even playing with friends like.

As an additional processor to the graphics some functions faster.
Up to 240 processor cores graphic stuffs Nvidia currently on a chip. Current high-end graphics cards have two such GPUs. Already there are some Photoshop filters graphics and video programs, which the performance of the graphics, to the specific tasks to be processed faster.

WHAT IS A chipset?

The chipset is the link between the processor and other hardware of the computer. It provides the connectivity to the outside world since the data sets on the motherboard and contains in some cases even a graphics card. While so far most chipsets consist of two separate units, as the Northbridge and Southbridge described, there are the functions of modern chipsets in part on a single physical chip housed, which lowers costs and space requirements.

At the computer fair Cebit, the next week in Hanover, is held around the Karlsruhe software Frma Nero released a new version of their show Videokonvertiersoftware Move It, which will use graphics to videos quickly than it would be possible via CPU to convert file formats, which are for MP3 players and multimedia phones are suitable. The company Cyberlink is an update of the video editing software PowerDirector perform, the film effects with the assistance of an Nvidia graphics card very quickly can be calculated.

Exactly in such applications is the future of his Nvidia graphics cards. Instead, only in games they should also in their performance multimedia applications off. The CPU would be in such a system, the boss of the big picture looks after the graphics card would give him all the computationally intensive routine tasks decrease.

Apple between the fronts

Exactly such a system probably also have Apple's engineers had in mind when she's products for 2009 were being planned. In October last year the company introduced the first laptop manufacturer out, in which although
an Intel processor, the main work is done, but by an Nvidia chipset with Nvidia graphics card can be controlled.

The step was logical. Short term, simply because NVIDIA's graphics are faster than those of Intel. Long term, because Apple has announced that its next major operating system upgrade Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard" GPUs right to want to support. Thus, not only a few specialized, but many programs the performance of the graphics card can use.

Also, because this announcement is available in industry circles as ensure that Apple's product range 2009 only on the new Intel processors, but Nvidia chipsets redenominate wants. Should Intel's processors now but by court decision on Intel chipsets bind, would the Mac makers faced with a dilemma.

"
Apple insiders fear that Apple could take his future professional then Macs with Nvidia graphics cards equipped, so that the acceleration features in Mac OS X 10.6 could benefit the iMacs and MacBook would remain this way but refused. There should Apple use Intel's integrated graphics -- not as accelerator can be used. The result would be huge performance gap between the Mac and the other upper-Apple computers.

This is "Apple Insider" on the right track, but a little beside the track. As a third alternative that could Apple Intel chipsets used in Nvidia graphics on the motherboard soldering. Elegant but would not this way.

Whether it really so far, now depends on a court in the U.S. state of Delaware from. There, the market leader Intel lawsuit against Nvidia eingerecht. It should prohibit Nvidia, to develop chipsets for the new Core i7 processors are compatible. Intel's argument: The new processors are compared to their predecessors, so fundamentally changed that the old arrangements on it is no longer applicable.

The main difference with previous Intel processors: As before, an extra chip needed in order to manage memory, whose functions are now transferred from the processor, therefore the faster the memory access. A test machine with a burst of new chips
In a first test all speed records.

For a year, so the two parties, had already been discussions on the contentious question, but it has not reached agreement. According to Intel spokesman Chuck Malloy, the company has no other way now seen more than a court to find a solution. Nvidia President Huang looks calm at the trial. He is "convinced that the negotiated license is valid."

The judges in Delaware have the task not only of a license agreement to decide, but also on whether in the PCs and Macs in the near future graphics cards or the main processor will determine how fast the computer at the end of the touch. Light is not.

Fight the cable clutter.

Whether cell phone, MP3 player, camera - each device needs its own charger, plug its own, its own battery. However, now takes EU Commissioner Verheugen chaos in standards and threatened with mandatory standards. A super idea, just years too late.

 

"Has someone a BlackBerry cable?"

"We need urgently the sixth floor of a Nokia charger!"

"Can I use your iPhone times have cable?"

One of these cries for help I hear every week in the office. Someone always needs a charger for just leergesogene Nokia phone, the Sony camera or another device that is supplied with a charger, which is so ugly is that the existence of this lump of plastic with the leash on love again forgets.

Of course, the deenergised colleagues are very, very rare someone help out. Indeed, hardly a power adapter fits into another device. Many mobile phones are not even fit the power adapter of a model in another device the same brand. Because this is so, my closet is on a plastic bag full of supplies that I over the years have accumulated. No idea where the come, but someday they will be used again.

The annoying power supply mess now have time for the Mobile World Congress PR adviser to EU Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen discovered. Verheugen calls from the handset manufacturers a standard for power supplies. The
Deutsche Welle Verheugen said: "My patience with the industry is now coming to an end, and if the industry is not soon with a solution for Chargers uniform, then we will force the industry."

Verheugen comes seven years too late

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That sounds very powerful and determined, Commissioner Verheugen only comes with this claim about seven years too late. Because the Chargers problem is done now so slow by itself for new phones more and more manufacturers use a mini-USB connector as a connector for the power adapter. Bernd Theiss, technology chief at the trade magazine "connect", believes: "The diversity is already and will in future continue to shrink."

The smartphone manufacturer HTC, for example, which includes the Google G1 mobile phone manufactures, has made all 20 currently available models in Europe, a mini-USB port to plug the power supply and for connection to computer. RIM makes it to the BlackBerry as well. One drawback is the mini-USB connector, however: On the device side of the connector is not standardized. This means that you have probably the power supply a phone for another device can use - but is guaranteed not.

The maze is shrinking

And so it also uses, for example, HTC's mini-USB connectors for additional functions such as audio or video-out, the only one with HTC's own cables can be used. Thus, if a standard is missing: The plugs have the same form at best, a few contacts but manufacturers can prove their own taste. HTC's regional manager Lars-Christian Weiss explains blogs ONLINE cheek also, his company was "not aware of standardization efforts." Sony Ericsson will continue on a separate charger input, but installed at least since 2005 for all mobile phone models, the same connection.

Company spokeswoman Susanne Burgdorf said the ignorance of Mini USB so: "The place which the connection is required to be loading faster if possible minimized. Each manufacturer has its own, for optimal solution and its production lines geared. The demand of customers is more like design, hardware and software, so this is also the focus of development. "

A little chaos remains

In plain English this means: Most of today's mobile telephones in use in Germany have a personal connection for the power adapter, the most likely not otherwise fit. Newer devices are often mini-USB ports, but not always. And even these mini-USB jack for some details may differ.

YOUR OPINION IS ASKED

Discuss about this article

Therefore, Verheugen's tirade against the producers entitled. Only the timing is a little surprised. Already in 2002, for example, the Consumer Council at the German Institute for Standardization standard for interfaces of battery chargers, power supplies and battery-operated devices everyday proposed.

Because the producers did not participate, the proposal was not a standard. 2007, then in one of the European Commission commissioned a study for preparing the Ecodesign Directive Experts on Standardization of interfaces is recommended to Ökoprofil external power supplies to improve. A couple of tensions with its own standard connector variants, but this is feasible - that the tenor of
scientific study ( "Lot 7: External power supplies and battery chargers).

Manufacturers are unrepentant

The EU Commissioner Verheugen now, towards the end of the current service of the Commission, where gradually a solution of the problem emerges, the power adapter clutter noticed, you can probably dismiss as a publicity: Some Commissioner tried to - perhaps the successor career already in mind -- through a popular theme from his Commission to adopt service.

But apart from this criticism of the producers entitled. It is now really do not understand when Tony Graziano, Director of the Association of European information and telecommunication industry, the public now says: "It is very unlikely that we have a charger for all phones will evolve. These are the voltage requirements and the batteries differently. "

This line of reasoning that is the reason for a lack of standard a missing standard. Because the cell phone batteries are made of a single reason so different:
The manufacturers have never agreed to a standard.

That each mobile phone model its own battery-type and perhaps even its own power supply needs is not to explain technical requirements. Thomas Kuthe by specialist magazine "Elektronik Praxis" commented the following way: "The fact that manufacturers of mobile phone models with the same voltage and power adapters offer different, I can not quite understand. Perhaps because the designers have a little too much with reingeredet?" Perhaps managers of accessories department, the transaction is afraid - who knows?

If the EU Commission, manufacturers could now urge, the mini-USB jacks to a mandatory standard to make, that would be ideal. Many experts judge as Ralf Higgelke Fachdienst of "Design & Elektronik:" For as handheld cell phone, MP3 player or digital camera, there is no technical reason not to switch to USB. "

However, before a standard for USB power comes, a new technique sabotage the project: the beginning of the year, on the
CES in Las Vegas, Palm, and two groups of firms charging stations for wireless phones shown. Currently, there is a new standard for these three standards. Who's surprised.

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Fear of digital amnesia.

Music is digital, digital communication is likely to soon Wabern books only as bits and bytes through the data. But the cultural treasures to survive millennia - and what archaeologists are still dereinst find us?

 

An archaeologist, in the year 2525 excavates remains of our civilization, is mightily surprised. "How can it be," he will ask, "that from a culture that as soon as technically well developed, so little is left?" Because so much is certain: When the digitization of the media to the extent proceeds as before, it is hardly legible find the remnants of what our society has created.

It had so much humanity to inherit. IDG One study estimates that the digital data is a mountain in 2010 to nearly 1000 billion gigabytes grow. That would be about twenty times until today in a book published data. The lion's share of it from private data, especially digital photos and videos. Also books, if all goes according to plans of the e-book manufacturers, not for long as tangible physical media and survive in future as bits and bytes through networks Wabern and readers.

But how long are actually digital data preserved?

About this issue
ruminate archivists, curators and librarians for many years. What comes in the digital age, according to the paper? Which medium is the wood product as a reliable long-term data storage inherit?

Pattern book

While books are not well preserved forever, according to current knowledge, but more than digital data. And even better, the older they are. So papyrus writings from antiquity still readable.

Even during printing, the book advances the durability of the product negatively. Since the mid-19th Century, wood as a raw material for paper production. Such paper übersäuert rapidly, is brittle, dry and sensitive, finally breaks down or threatens pest eaten them.

Digital storage media appear to have immune from such attacks. As long as they are not excessive harmful influences suspends, keep it forever - or?

For the purely physical characteristics like the vote, at least within the limits of human standards. The metals and plastics, from which modern disks are built, decompose very slowly, likely to survive for centuries.

The stored data points are not.

Disks need too much care

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For the long-term archiving as the least capable hard drives are usually viewed. These disks are designed for continuous operation designed to be especially fast. You know the manufacturer. The guarantees given typically feature three to five years. Anyone who stores the equipment for longer, they should at least regularly in operation. Otherwise, experts warn, could, for example, after a few years the grease in the bearings of the drive motor to harden and make the disk unusable.

In addition, hard disks regularly test programs to be reviewed. The greatest enemy of magnetic storage like hard disks are magnetic fields that alter the storage layer and at worst useless. That is why hard drives need before such items are stored. So much effort for a data archive.

Even optical media can forget

Also because they are much easier to handle and store, are so happy to CD-ROMs and DVDs as long-term disk is used. First, because it only once writable versions, subsequent manipulation of their contents is not possible. On the other hand, however, because they have a reputation to have their content better over long periods of time to save as magnetic storage media.

That's true but only partially. Thus the reported
German Music Archive, 2007, at least 200 music CDs from the years 1983 to 1986, decomposition found to have symptoms. Apparently these are the imprints of the CDs to blame for the mishap. They eat their way slowly through the plastic layers of the disc, impair its legibility. Even under ideal storage conditions could slow the decomposition process of CDs not be stopped, then said the head of the archive.

According to Sony, such ideal storage conditions at an ambient temperature of 25 degrees and less than 50 percent humidity. Furthermore, the disks from the sun, gases, acids and solvents to be protected. Those who hold to these guidelines, should be at Sony blanks variant Silver with 35 years of shelf life to be rewarded. The archiving systems GmbH specialized disc goes from 50 years, the modern Blu-ray Disc will hold out. At least.

Federal Council approves electronic ID card.

After the passport is now the card electronically, so digital. From November 2010 replaces a card earlier forms. But it has in itself: Biometric characteristics and an identity for the Internet are part of the concept.

 

Berlin - The new electronic passport in card format is decided upon. The Federal Council decided on Friday without debate, the law adopted by the Bundestag approved. In an integrated chip is a digital passport photo is stored.

DDP
Erika Doe, digitally readable served: So, the new, small people look

Part of the concept are also controversial, electronically read out biometric identification: the start of two fingerprints, which, however, you must not submit. The biometric identifier will be - unlike the electronic passport - so far only on a voluntary basis.

The biometric identifier is used primarily in the collection of interconnected national and international databases. The trend has been enforced in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. "Terrorists and criminals will not succeed with forged travel documents or the genuine documents of a person, they look very similar to, enter," says the Interior Ministry, the biometric features of the so-called ePass to an information page. "The chip in the ePass is an additional hurdle for counterfeiters. The biometric features in the chip can be examined in future machines."

Biometrics is the trend

Unlike the identity card is the German electronic passport implementation of an EU regulation from 2004. They obliged, inter alia, to collect the fingerprints. When identity cards used within the EU as a travel document is sufficient, that regulation is not at hand: Discussions on the pros and cons of biometric personal papers led to the only voluntary inclusion of appropriate characteristics.

However, the digital image of the card already in place for the collection of biometric features optimized. Medium-term planning security authorities, for example through biometric analysis of images from security cameras and synchronized with the staff through the papers emerging databases on the characteristics of people searches and safety checks to automate and optimize. Previous experiments showed that this technique is not yet ripe, they produce too many errors. The medium could ePass and identity to include more biometric features to be extended, such as data for iris scans.

Has been criticized in the run-up of data protection and hackers that the electronic identity card because of the contactless RFID chips, that is also from a distance can be read. With this information, argue the proponents of the concept, but could not start because they were encrypted. The claim that such a reading was in the case of the electronic passport impossible, however, was already a year after its introduction in 2005 by a hacker refuted. The electronic identity card is planned for November 2010 be issued.

Made palatable to the citizens through the identification of useful features like the possibility of online banking and Internet shopping through a reliable authentication easier and safer. With the appropriate technical equipment, the new identity of the sending credit card numbers, passwords or PIN numbers to replace. Moreover, the card - the small, but probably also more expensive than before, - on request with an electronic signature be equipped with such sale or official requests via the Internet can be signed. These features, however, are charged, their activation can be done for an additional fee.

U.S. authors consider new Kindle illegal.

Amazon's Kindle reader may, in its latest version aloud. And that is exactly what holds the largest U.S. association Author illegal. This would audiobooks from the books, so the head of the Association of Authors Authors Guild - Amazon will have no right.

 

Amazon itself has long earned money with audio books - as a CD sold through the webshop, which is still the core of the Amazon Empire, or as a download on the network service Audible, because even heard of Amazon. These audio books but the authors secondary exploitation of their paid work - if
Kindle a book aloud, it will clearly not be the case.

"You do not have the rights to a book read aloud to leave," said Paul Aiken, head of the Authors Guild, the Wall Street Journal. This would "audio rights" violated, and that "the copyright to derivative rights." In plain English: An author can be used for the audible secondary exploitation of his work once again ask for money, as he for a film adaptation of his substance should expect a contribution.

This law is the Kindle, with its automatic reading function, says Aiken.

The Kindle, however, is by no means the only device consisting of written words read out the text does. Add Apple Mac OS, for example, is such a feature already installed. "Text to speech" software, text files aloud, there are different versions and levels of quality, sometimes even as freeware.

As the Cebit will defy the crisis.

Economic crisis or not - on 3 March will the Cebit in Hanover, and the organizers want to know nothing bad mood. The main themes of the fair: The Internet and "Cloud Computing". Even some refugees are Cebit this again.

 

Frankfurt am Main, Germany - The Cebit despite the crisis. Although of 3 to 8 March some exhibitors no longer be there in the last year the exhibition halls in Hanover filled. But others just want the crisis in their offers in the weaker economic environment will present. So this time companies like Dell, Intershop and Nokia Siemens Networks represented in 2008 were not among the 5845 exhibitors included.

Cebit "Webciety" hall (drawing): Facets of a future Internet society

"We want new ways to get our customers to meet," said Dell spokesman Michael Rufer. Previously focused PC manufacturers on special exhibitions. Now he shows at the Cebit Intel as a partner in his entire hardware portfolio.

For the second time is the cell phone manufacturer HTC from Taiwan, even though two weeks before the Mobile World in Barcelona the most important industry event. "The CeBIT has a great potential, because many dealers and buyers are well informed and make deals," said Germany's CEO, Lars-Christian Weiss cheek. "We are happy in Hanover, to the consumer of our products." It also includes a mobile phone, the symptom of an IT topic, which this year is very often called: The G1 is the first mobile phone with Google's Android operating system and connects its users with the "Cloud" (see box below) .

The departure in the Cloud is a matter of trust

For companies Cloud computing offers the possibility, previously self-organized work areas, such as their own mail servers to Internet service providers and externalise it to cut costs - the recession in a very important argument. A study by IT consultancy Avanade showed that 65 percent of the world's more than 500 firms surveyed by the Computing Cloud the promise of cost savings. However, there is no hope without fear: 72 percent of companies trust their internal systems more than the offerings in the cloud.

KEYWORD: CLOUD COMPUTING

The terminal is at the Cloud Computing just a window on an always current dataset. Who on the computer enters an appointment, sees him later when we look in the phone calendar, a contact mobile who enters, it can later retrieve at the PC - only online, of course. The same is true for address books, e-mails, online stored photos, documents and so on. Many providers try to present itself as a premier address for access to the data cloud to position. These include, for example, the search engine Google, the hardware manufacturer with Apple MobileMe and the mobile phone producer Nokia with its service Ovi. Vodafone also wants to focus on network services set.
For Cloud Computing companies has another meaning: You can compute or data intensive tasks to outsource data centers, in some computers - or in the cloud storage capacity as needed for certain tasks to rent. Amazon is a pioneer here, with its Web Services (AWS), such as the S3 storage service. There are also many other providers, such as the Force.com platform from Salesforce.

"Attention will discourage many managers, the challenges of Cloud Computing to accept," said Paul Huppertz, who at Avanade has intensely busy. In the long term but will the time and pressure to act to strengthen the company. "One of the predictable side effects of the Cloud computing will probably be that the purchase of server and storage systems and software licenses is increasingly frowned upon," the expert is expected.

The market researchers at Gartner expect that by 2012 it will last until the Cloud Computing will prevail. To walk into the business to bring advertise the Cebit exhibitors already for their offerings.

"With Cloud Computing or supplied by a network services and software allows customers up to 80 percent in area and 60 percent in power and cooling cost savings," IBM promises.

"Building a community of citizens"

Stefan Höchbauer, IBM Software chief in Germany for Cebit announces a "Showcase", in which the basis of a concrete example of it, "such as the intelligent use of IT resources in a virtualized environment IT processes and best possible support simultaneously optimizing the energy balance can be achieved. "

An application offered by IBM for the Cloud Computing is the cooperation in the network with Web-2.0-resources such as blogs and wikis.

Also for the authorities would develop a cross-agency collaboration is becoming increasingly important, says Höchbauer at the request of the AP news agency. Real citizens can use a blog or building a community of citizens not only preached but lived. " What constitutes a "Software as a Service (SaaS) for certain applications has begun, is now also on traditional hardware services such as data storage or processing power for complex calculations. Thus, as the U.S. company Iron Mountain at the Cebit his bid for "Storage-as-a-Service (STaaS). The concept includes the backup, archiving, restoration and use of distributed digital data on laptops, PCs and file servers. Also, T-Systems is exhibiting at CeBIT, as corporate memory and computing capacity in the network can use.

Increasingly everyday even for private users

The move to the Web is also used for private users increasingly a part of the digital life. Instead of buying software, corresponding on-line applications. Paid advertising is.

As a leader in online advertising, Google has not just word processing and spreadsheets as Internet programs, but also countless other Web applications.

Especially interesting are the geographic services such as Google Maps. The company made this year CeBIT Partner Country California provides the interface for free, so in the internet countless "Mashups" Find: Web applications in which these Google services with other functions combined.

Microsoft responds to the fall of 2008 presented in the Windows Azure platform. This allows, for example, Office applications in data centers run on a browser control. It can also have multiple people simultaneously working on a document.

"Here is the agenda of the IT industry written"

"The 'cloud' shifts the boundaries of a private entertainment consumption," explained the organizers of the CeBIT. One example is new "On Demand" services for music and movies. Under the motto "Webciety" (derived from "Society"), the Cebit exhibition in a dedicated area of all facets of future Internet society show.

IT managers like Höchbauer see their opportunities in the approach to overcoming the economic crisis: "We have the most modern technology at hand and a degree of networking reaches us the opportunity to access information and to be processed so that we solve problems and new business models and thus can generate growth opportunities. " That was the Cebit is still the incumbent of the leading high-tech industry - "Here is the agenda of the IT industry is written."

Why suddenly shrink disks.

How big is a gigabyte? Programmers, software companies, and because hard drive manufacturers have very different definitions. Because Apple and Microsoft standards ignore user repeatedly shocks sudden shrinkage memory: The disk was in the shop but bigger!

 

Every week somewhere in Germany, discovered a computer user, that unknown to him a lot of gigabytes have stolen. The
Web forums are full of reports of such thefts space. As someone buys a "hard drive with 320 GB" and notes: "Now in XP angestöpselt - lo and behold: 298 GB! Can I change what, or is this normal or should I bring back the part?"

Another victim reported missing "on the 250-GB disk and 18 GB on the 400-GB disk about 28 GB" and suggest a defect. When partitioning, the software yes, "the hard drive with 400 GB, the next time you start the program at a time only 372 GB. The cry for help: "The Lost 28 GB, I can not find!"

There are many wild theories which
Forums authors explain this memory wastage. The producers allegedly rounded "generously to" formatting "cost a lot of space," and: "Every record needs a lot of memory for itself!"

That all sounds very sweet, but not really true: The large discrepancies in the information space to move, therefore, that hard drive manufacturers and operating systems with two different standards and if some programmer can not decide. When a blank DVD "4.7 gigabytes of capacity, and Mac OS X only" 4.38 GB "space discovered, is both somewhat correct.

Or two powers of ten?

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For non-scientists, it is not quite as simple to understand. Computer with a different number system than we do in everyday life: All of the units in computer science are used for binary powers of two (
see binary system with blogs KNOW). Only those two figures, the transistors in computer chips after - they can either flow or not flow to or from, one or zero.

Because scientists so much accustomed to the dual system are they for decades to quantify amounts of data with a similarly structured measurement - in two potencies. A bit is the basic, zero or one. Eight of these bits are a byte. And ten of these two high-bytes, ie 1024, is a kilobyte. And as expected, the scientists then continues: Two high 20 bytes are a mega-, two high 30 bytes a gigabyte.

The rest of the world expects something different. One kilometer is not 1024, but 1000 meters, and a ton of not two, is also high 20 grams, but ten six, so a million gram weights and distances, at least give Europeans with units that are in increasing powers of ten.

Microsoft and Apple to ignore standards

The unit regulates the International Bureau of Weights and Measures. It was determined decades ago that a kilo is always the 1000-times the original value. If so scientists speak of a kilobyte 1024 bytes, and thus feel they deviate from an international standard - by 2.4 percent. This Kuddelmuddel wanted the standards body IEC for Electrical Engineering in 2000 and for all.

Since November 2000, that 1000 bytes are one Kilobyte or 1000 kilobytes one Megabyte, and so on. Who is the old binary system is used, then please continue to Mebi and Gibibytes speak and also as an abbreviation GiB instead of GB, so the confusion ends.

The IEC standards had warned that the problems of this standard Kuddelmuddels would in time grow to be: "In some years, the space on conventional PCs and laptops will be measured in terabytes. Here in the soft information Binärmaßeinheit have increased by almost ten percent of Ten of the system. Exa For units, the deviation at almost 20 percent. " (see table below). The larger disks are, the more the confusion occurs when the measurement light.

Confusion: Who says Gigabyte says often Gibibyte

Level
Decimal code
Bytes
Binary name
Bytes
Difference (%)

1
Kilobyte (kB)
1000
Kibibyte (KiB)
1024
2.40

2
Megabytes (MB)
1000000
Mebibyte (KiB)
1048576
4.86

3
Gigabyte (GB)
1000000000
Gibibyte (GiB)
1073741824
7.37

4
Terabyte (TB)
1000000000000
Tebibyte (TiB)
1099511627776
9.95

5
Petabyte (PB)
1.00E +15
Pebibyte (PiB)
1125899906842624
12.59

In 2000
warned the IEC standard: "The problems for engineers, customers and marketing managers are always bigger, so we have developed a standard." Unfortunately, ignoring the two major user-Windows operating systems and MacOS this standard completely and quantify amounts of data in the good old binary format, without the flagged accordingly. If Windows and Mac OS X, say, "GB" to measure, they actually "GiB". The manufacturer of hard drives, memory cards and USB sticks, however, use only the numeric standard.

This leads to absurd results: that on the packaging of a DVD disc is 4.8 GB, Mac OS X and Windows, but only 4.38 GB discover you are now accustomed. But that Apple's own advertising speaks of 80 GB, the Apple operating system but only 74.21 gigabytes mind is absurd.

Apple spokesperson George Albrecht argues that it had recorded: "We are building so the disks themselves and not use, like all manufacturers, the SI-compliant importance GB for one billion bytes. Likewise, I know all use the same operating system abbreviation GB in the binary system. "

Why not just the operating system which can adapt the new standard, said Microsoft spokesman Thomas Baumgärtner so: "This is a huge task." All previous systems, and all programs so that when programming from the beginning used binary. A conversion could lead to enormous problems, the extent of which is hardly in sight. "Old runtime libraries could suddenly invalid, programs would probably crash." Baumgärtner: "God created the world in only seven days, because there was no installed base."

Binary confused Telekom

After all the roles are clearly distributed: The large user operating systems do not respect the standard, the hardware manufacturers have. In what units, but now, for example T-Online, Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile their data rates and volumes calculated inclusive, is not really visible. Telekom
calculated times on their web page in binary, a "megabit 1024 kilobits have" T-Mobile gives in
Ten Systematics, a megabit had "one million bits."

A question of blogs online from Thursday, according to what standard we now expect, the telecom has not answered.

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Surreal trip with cyber spectacles.

"Augmented Reality"? Advanced Reality? do you call it when reality and computer graphics merge. Jan Torpus The artist uses this technology to enchant us - and, for example, in the middle of the summer to snow. The magazine GEE Torpus told of his reality.

 

It snows from the bottom up. Thick, fluffy flakes rise from the meadow on which we walk, into the sky. A little later we see a shiny, intricate entity in itself. How naturally we made our way to the surface of the sculpture blogsnden continue to explore its windings are short and pointed head.

No, the whole is not a dream and not induced by drug intoxication. It is part of the Augmented Reality Project "Playground" of the Basel artist and design researcher Jan Torpus. "I wanted to be anywhere in a similarly fascinating experience to be like kids on a playground," says Torpus? "hence the name."

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This effect is achieved by a mobile device called Clipper Life 2, which Torbus together with colleagues has developed. It consists of a special goggles and a computer. A GPS system that is normally found in surveying the landscape is used, it determines the position of the wearer centimeter accurate, and a tracker, with the glasses is determined head position and gaze direction. Strapped to the chunky design on the back and set the glasses on, transforms the environment into a playground for the senses: then accumulates in the PC the backpack through the eyes perceived visual impressions with effects and 3D virtual objects. To these artists from anywhere in the room placeable shapes, the viewer can then walk around as if they were real.

As good as true

With a webcam and the right software is equipped, you can also use the reality in front of the home computer expand

"Cyber Figure Alice" is a virtual maid rise from a cube, which you considered using a webcam.

www.geishatokyo.com

Pedagogically valuable, however, is the great World Atlas of Atlantica. Keeps it in front of the webcam, mountains grow from the book.

www.atlantica.de

"In contrast to virtual reality, augmented reality is the reality not through a fictional world is replaced," says Jan Torpus, "instead it is something added. It's like a multimedia Walkman imagine." Now begins the search for uses for the technology. Archaeologists have already recognized its merits and in Basel, an old Celtic village virtually rebuilt. Where then Celtic were wooden huts, they now appear, thanks to "Live Clipper 2" around again. Even architects and urban planners show interest. Finally, with Augmented Reality already on site to check how well a planned building fits into the cityscape, though it only as a model in the computer exists. Currently it is all still too costly to mass market customers to find.

For Jan Torpus is "Playground" and the underlying technology, however, the first step in a future in which our video with the fresh air and take them into our environment plays the leading role.

Army builds secret force on Cyberwar.

Massive attack on the Chancellery and ministries, the Federal Government concern: With a special Army unit wants them to blogs information now to the electronic case meet Ernst. The hackers in uniform should also learn from his network and destroy auszukundschaften

 

REUTERS
Mobile phone users: What is to protect government communications?

Berlin - The German Army wappnet with a previously unknown entity for future Internet conflicts.

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According to information from the blogs, the 76 employees currently in the nascent "Department of information and computer network operations" strictly isolated in the barracks in Tomburg Rheinbach near Bonn and will be until next year to be fully operational.

The hackers in uniform, under the command of Brigadier General Frederick William Kriesel and organizational strategic reconnaissance command belong, to train for the electronic case seriously, as he was last with the cyber-attacks on Estonia and Georgia were.

The soldiers are mainly from the faculties of computer science at the universities of the Bundeswehr recruits. They also deal with the latest methods that intrude into foreign networks, it auszukundschaften them to manipulate or destroy? Digital attacks on foreign servers and networks included.

Parallel the federal government invests largely unnoticed in the improvement of its IT security. After massive attack waves with malicious programs at the federal ministries and the Federal Chancellery in the spring and summer of 2007, the investigators on servers in the Chinese province of Lanzhou back, Bonner, the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) on a Cyber Defense Agency, the authorities must be supported.

Already in mid-January, the Federal Cabinet adopted a draft law on "Strengthening of the Federal Information Security". According to him, the BSI receives more money, staff and significantly expanded powers. So it will be the data of the authorities to monitor and automate their specific IT security regulations. So far, the only security experts Bonner recommendations.

In early March, the Bundestag on the Law advice. The "special urgency" arises from "the security needed by government communications," as stated in the memorandum.

Grease marks on the desktop.

Screen control is hip. Since the iPhone with its touch screen as a model of an entire generation of advanced mobile phone, the control principle eagerly copied. Future, is also home PC via Fingerzeig steer leave. So far, however, is the supply scarce.

 

Berlin / Munich - PCs with touch-screen display is still in its infancy. To date, there is the German market, in principle, only two recipients of the touch command: HP Touch Smart IQ with two different sized displays and the more favorable initial computer from Asus Eee Top. In the case of the HP device allows even the manufacturer is "ambiguous" concept.

"Significant market shares are all-in-one devices with touch screens" are not so easily achieved, "believes because the deputy chief of the computer magazine" Chip ", Josef Reitberger. The target group of the new offensive touch he calls "away from". Because: "Typing with a keyboard is faster," and so have the traditional entry clearly ahead. The new Windows 7, which has touchscreen functionality and is in a beta version on the
Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas was presented, however, at least for the dissemination of technology.

Who the direct vicinity of the screen, you can text with fingers or the stylus directly on the screen all-in-one devices to scribble. Both, both the HP Touch Smart, as well as the Eee Top, recognize handwriting and convert them to text. However, they are not multi-touch capability, which can only be Einfinger operation.

A virtual keyboard for text input

In the case of the HP devices, the manufacturer announced the development. Both the touch screen functionality is not currently across all applications and operating system widely available.

HP has its own Smart Touch software developed and is primarily about photos, sounds, videos, and notes with the finger editing. Asus also relies on the entertainment business and sees the computer "a full-featured multimedia center": About the Windows Easy Mode is also the program Soft Stylus controlled, the text on a virtual keyboard on the display as well as allows surfing on the Touch Touch-optimized Opera browser.

Beware of Glasreinigern

In each case, but leaves the operation using touch quickly fingerprints on the screens. Microfibre cloths are therefore included in the delivery. From sharp Glasreinigern Reitberger advises that "the special properties can destroy the surface".

So similar to the devices in their approach, they are but in different leagues. With the price of this document. The Eee Top will cost according to the manufacturer's specifications in the small execution ET 1602 with 15.6-inch screen 549. The launch date and price of the better-equipped ET1603 are not yet known. The HP IQ500 model (22 inch diagonal screen measurement) costs in Germany 1599, the IQ800 (25.5 inch) 1899 Euro.

The Asus device ticking atom processor, as it is installed in Netbook, the HP device, however, a stronger Core Duo CPU from Intel.

Focus on Entertainment

Other differences arise for example in memory (1 gigabyte (GB) / 4 GB) and hard drive capacity (160 GB / 500 GB or 640 in the IQ 800). The Eee Top werkelt as OS Windows XP Home, in the HP-bolides both Vista Home Premium. "That's enough for all the processing of images on consumer level," says Reitberger. For graphics-intensive applications were good, however, both solutions are not.

This is not inconsistent, because the devices will primarily serve as an entertainment center. "That is the clear intention of the producers," says the expert. However, the question arises, why is using the keyboard and the screen hinwegbeugen closer attention should be. The Smart Touch can remotely as full-fledged TV used. To serve, at least from the sofa is from the touchscreen obsolete.

"With mobile devices, which for reasons of space no keyboard can be installed, the touchscreen rather his entitlement," says Reitberger and cites as an example, the Tablet PCs. HP brings in these days with the HP Touch Smart TX2 at least a new version of its touch-notebooks on the market - this time with multi-touch function.

Blu-ray takes another five years.

One recent study suggests that Blu-ray disc of the DVD only in 2014 the rank expire. The discs with high resolution content will be according to the forecast, however, not long hold - from 2017, the market researchers downloads at the top.

 

The market research company SNL Kagan predicted in a paper entitled "Home Video: The State of Things" that Blu-ray only from 2010 really will be in full swing. For this year, market researchers expect that the worldwide sales of players for the blue disks on 1.3 billion U.S. dollars will increase. 2008 were therefore only Blu-ray player for a total of 255.4 million U.S. dollars sold. Until 2014, according to the forecast, will the market share of Blu-ray to almost 60 percent.

DDP
Blu-ray Disc: first place in 2014?

Currently the situation is completely different: The good old DVD has the figures still represent a market share of over 97 percent. "Blu-ray will be in the next ten years, the driving force in the retail market in his video," says SNL analyst Wade Holden. The current economic climate, "but the growth will slow down or in the future. From 2017, Holden believes, "will start video on demand, consumer Blu-ray subtracted. For this year, predicts SNL a market share of almost 74 percent for the blue discs.

For the
Study were market figures from the areas of DVD, VHS and High Definition collected and evaluated, with combined sales figures for media and movie downloads.

If the SNL analyst rather keep coming to the entertainment industry a long thirst Recke to - and to the consumer a very long period in the video between standard and high definition must balance.

IBM builds on the computer.

IBM pushes on the accelerator Computer: The next supercomputer is everything so far seen in the shadows that his predecessor as cheap calculator can fade. But the project has its pitfalls. With the giant computer company enters the computer-uncharted territory.

 

Particularly long, it is still not ago that IBM introduced the computer world has been broken. In November last year it was time, the Road Runner, a 250-ton machine is at the top of the fastest computer, took over first place in the top 500 supercomputer list. But that was the 2008th Now IBM's engineers are already working on a mainframe, the Road Runner as a lame calculator can look.

Inconceivable 20 Petaflop / s computing power will be under the sequoia Sequoia machine reach, would thus be 20 times faster than Road Runner. As a reminder to all who are not regular so must employ large numbers: A flop / s is a floating-point calculations per second, a standard unit to estimate the computational power of computers. A Petaflop / s, however, are a trillion, trillion in 1000, therefore, such calculations, a number with 15 zeros. The Reuters news agency before expects that the capacity of two million commercial notebooks represents.

The fact that such an enormous capacity for payroll will be used should be clear. And it is also not just any insurance company or bank, but the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory IBM's contracting authority for the construction of Sequoia.

A corrosive Nuclear Arsenal

When the computer giant, as planned, 2012 will be completed, he should help the slow corrosive to U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal to manage. It will however not be about numbers and inventory storage locations into a database.

Rather, the Sequoia scientists allow virtual insights into nuclear weapons to maintain their shelf date has long exceeded. Without the bombs and missiles to slice the machine must be the physical and chemical processes in the simulated explosive devices. In this way, hope the administrator of the nuclear arsenal to be able to better assess whether the intervention nor explosive devices are stable or slowly becoming a threat to their environment.

And of course, the researchers also want to get out on the warheads would still be usable, you should also try to decide for their use. An employee of the U.S. research organization compares the project in the "
PC World "by attempting a 30-year-old car ready to go to." How can we ensure that the car in any attempt immediately start, even though he is aging continues, "he describes the task.

The memory requirement is not estimated

So far the researchers have this problem with the ASC Purple supercomputer to solve. But this 230 million U.S. dollars expensive computer achieved 100 teraflops only meager / s. Too little, say the researchers, and point out that the error with this system is still far too high, some areas of physics so do not be ascertainable.

ON TO ONLINE blogs

20 million processors: mega-computer to be ecologically predict climate (07.05.2008)

Cray computers: supercomputers for atomic research at home (18.09.2008)

High performance computers: desktop super computer graphics (19.11.2008)

Fast reckon: New Supercomputer breaks speed world record (09.06.2008)

But that is now directed Sequoia - and where is geklotzt not gekleckert. Probably tens of thousands of IBM's Power processors to be used for the computer in black steel cabinets, computer racks, locked. Total 96 large cabinets, the computer will fill more than 300 square meters of floor space consumed as operating system Linux. How much work and one mass storage system for the site is still completely open. The designers these values can not be estimated simply because they have never been such a huge machine built.

Six lean megawatts

Only this much is already certain: Compared with many other supercomputers Sequoia is almost trained to save energy. At approximately six megawatts of electricity will be estimates. That would be enough for around 500 U.S. households with energy supply and is twice as much as Roadrunner verheizt. Given the computing power have increased significantly but the ratio of computing power to energy intake from Sequoia significantly better than current super computers.

And if Sequoia is bored, because no rusting to simulate nuclear weapons are, he in his calculation rests far more useful things can devote. The weather forecast or the deciphering of gene sequences, for example, promises at least IBM. That would be a nice additional benefit - as long as nuclear simulation and climate forecasting is not to come.

German government decides to alternative e-mail.

E-mail can be cracked, it was full of viruses and spam and thus unfit for official letters, business and confidential post, finds the Interior Wolfgang Schäuble. Therefore, it is from 2010, the De-mail type - the bill was by now on its way.

 

Berlin - Until 2010, the federal government a new and supposedly most secure form of e-mail to introduce the so-called De-Mail. The will be as easy as sending a normal e-mail to a sideline, with the highest privacy and security policies, said on Wednesday the Ministry of Interior.

DPA
Federal Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble: Strong interest in Internet and electronic communications - from online searches on data retention up to the state-prescribed mail encryption

The Cabinet decided on Wednesday the corresponding bill. It regulates the special security requirements that lead to that electronic mail is now also in the case of confidential or official documents as secure and reliable as paper mail.

"By 'De-mail' to be in Germany from 2010 messages and documents in secure, reliable and protected against spam sent over the Internet can be," the Interior Ministry reported. "With this internationally best project over Germany, a pioneer in the electronic business world."

The protection is where the need is still with commercial or freely available encryption programs like PGP or RSA algorithms based programs, as more than sufficiently safe. Sale, such as freedom of encryption systems, which are based on asymmetric cryptography, are considered to be almost unbreakable. Unencrypted e-mail, however, is with the simplest means out. The Ministry of the Interior would be a single default instead of competing systems, including security agencies can not access, preferred.

The state wants to be post-guard

By now the Cabinet approved the draft of the Citizens' Portal Act is reported to be a clearly defined security and privacy standards are required. Bids to be the 'De-Mail "only by" accredited, state-approved providers. " Responsibility is the Federal Office for Information Security to the Ministry of Interior.

"Everyone should be in a position to protect themselves from unwanted eavesdropping, theft of data, fraud on the Internet and spam to better protect," said Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble. Shopping, commercial and government programs on the Internet are now commonplace.

For the opening of "De-Mail" mailbox citizens must clearly identify, for example through the presentation of an identity. It aims to understand who the "secure communication channels" uses. Upon request, the sender is evidence confirming the receipt of the "De-Mail", the recipient will receive.

As well as the safe delivery of invoices, certificates, as well as contract and business records and confidential documents to be hoped the Government on savings. Citizens, businesses and administrations should be one to one and a half billion euros annually in costs can be avoided. That would be "De-Mail" also help to reduce bureaucracy, it is hoped the Ministry of Interior.

Mail system with after-Key?

The plans for
De-mail were in the autumn of 2008 has been ventilated. At that time concerns were raised that with the Ministry of quasi Bock to gardeners will be made when it comes to the integrity of e-mail communication to secure: Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble had in the past few years vehemently for the right of the state, citizens by online-trojan auszuforschen, and is also used as a great friend of the data retention. His plans were covered by the Federal limits were. What is left, went to the BKA Act and the restrictive rules for online searches one.

In connection with the De-mail data protectors had feared, their registration and notification procedures could be abused online trojan einzuschleusen. The organizers of the De-mail system had such concerns as exaggerated own them.

Criticism was also given out that, with German Telekom, the German Post Office and T-Systems, several former state-owned enterprises involved in this implementation, while major competitors of the former monopolies have been excluded.

The Indian laptop remains a phantom.

Is India capable of a laptop for under $ 20 to produce? Since Monday a debate rages about the Indian infrastructure minister Arjun Singh on Tuesday evening should have ended: He led the mysterious device first publicly before - without much away.

 

There are no pictures, almost no new information beyond what has become known on Monday was: Apparently the Indian government is planning a kind of digital literacy campaign with the help of an ultra-cheap laptops for 10 to 20 U.S. dollars to be sold. After all, but now seems clear that the Indian government with the project allowed neither a joke nor the message itself a duck or mistranslation was. Whether the 10-20-dollar laptop is really possible, remains to be seen - it is serious about his fathers apparently.

The rumor of a laptop to the fast-food menu price was in the summer of 2008 ever came into circulation and then been denied as an error: You have a press release in a zero forgotten.

On weekends, however, the rumor surfaced again, apparently launched from the Indian government circles. On Monday, followed by a first confirmation: Yes, the device should still be sold in the summer, just for the quoted price dumping - and still something. Exemplary, 2 GB of memory called and wireless Internet capability.

In the professional world cared for unbelief. Both displays have a memory would be for the purchase price is not promised to get. It was probably a kind aufgebohrten calculator mutmaßte an Indian blogger.

On Tuesday evening, the Indian infrastructure minister Arjun Singh in the context of an event of the Sri Venkateshwara University, Tirupati temple in Hyderabad district a device, which promised the laptop will come close - and apparently a kind of small sized Netbook is. During a demonstration, a network connection with a member of the Ministry of Culture set up to the Internet capability of the box to prove.

The device, it was said, still needed some fine-tuning - it is therefore best if a prototype. How exactly is built on what he has and how the price stated Singh also wants to take this opportunity to not explain it.

Purchase price of production is not only a misunderstanding?

However, where it come from: The device is a state-funded community development in various institutes. Involved, inter alia, the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore and the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras.

The name on the "Sakshat" dubbed notebook computer would be the cheapest in the world. For several years endeavor under the auspices of the Media Lab founder Nicholas Negroponte, the One Laptop Per Child initiative, a laptop for the Third World for a price of 100 dollars to produce - so far unsuccessfully. High display prices and the cost of achieving the initial target range of services highlighted the producer prices to a level around $ 200.

The initiative is currently working on developing a slimmed-down successor model, which will only cost is $ 75.

In the case Sakshat could grant the magic word and the explanation. Sakshat is part of a
E-Learning Initiative, with the 18,000 students at secondary schools and 400 universities in India and equipped to be networked. The government provides for the Sakshat projects a not yet quantified the sum available, it will, inter alia, to the costs of the necessary network infrastructure with 25 percent subsidy involved.

ON TO ONLINE blogs

Public Computers: India is planning eight euro laptop (02.02.2009)

And perhaps at the cost of the laptop? Previously, only on the intended sales price of Sakshat reference, not the production. Maybe this is the misunderstanding: A subsidy of low-cost laptop could be part of the budget of the planned e-learning initiative.

That so little about the Sakshat betrayed it to the equipment so little hints there will be observers in India spitzzüngig also interpreted differently: Soon, it was blogs, elections were important.

OLPC founder Nicholas Negroponte believes are not yet connected to the phantom Sakshat. The Boston Globe, he said: "I'm afraid this is not serious. We would love to have a 20-dollar laptop, but the screen that costs more."

The will is there, just hard to find.

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel initiated talks with leading telephony industry to expand broadband coverage of fruitless ended in harmony. The plan, Germany better wiring, all great. Only because nobody wants to promise something.

 

Berlin - The deliberations of the Federal Government and the telecom sector through the rapid expansion of the Internet in rural areas have not brought tangible results. German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) is exchanged on Tuesday in Berlin with the telecommunications corporations from. The federal government wants as part of the second economic program until mid-February a broadband strategy. "I'm following the conversation very confident that we succeed in our broadband market share with our powerful telecommunications providers to expand rapidly," said Merkel.

AP
Unity in the thing, not a desire to move: German Chancellor Angela Merkel tried to industry to take action to move

The meeting was attended by the Chancellor's Office, inter alia, Telekom CEO René Obermann and Vodafone boss Fritz Joussen participate. Joussen told n-tv: "I think we are a very good step forward, and the desire is definitely there. And it is obviously important that we also in remote areas of good supplies have broadband." Specific plans were not yet on the table. Thus, the question of the necessary frequencies open. Around villages or individual customers anzubinden want suppliers - in addition to the expansion of the fiber optic network - including wireless set.

Nor are officially around five million people in Germany of high-speed Internet truncated. In reality, the supply gap, however, far greater: When supplies are also regions in which only offered expensive alternatives are not affordable for everyone. "White spots" on the DSL-map are according to the telecommunications companies, especially in marginal areas of cities and the countryside - where the expensive installation of new lines, given the small population does not reindeer. Also this representation is highly controversial, often sufficient to place the large urban agglomeration, a few miles behind them, in modem Germany to land.

The East surfs slow

Federal Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee (SPD) said, especially regions in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony-Anhalt would have on modern IT services are connected. This could help to halt the brain drain and retain creative people. Even Economics Minister Michael Glos (CSU) promoted rapid investment.

The Chief Executive of the industry association Bitkom, Bernhard Rohleder, said the supply of high-speed Internet connections was important for Germany. The initiative offers the chance to compete in a leading international position. Currently Germany is the number of broadband lines per 100 households only slightly above the EU average, but well behind countries like the Netherlands, Denmark or Britain. "Politics and economics are in agreement that a midfield place at the front is not enough," said Rohleder.

The government wants until the end of 2010, the white spots on the broadband card disappeared. No later than 2014 will be for 75 percent of households to 2018 for all households have Internet connections with transfer rates of at least 50 megabits per second available. In the industry there are disagreements over fees and conditions in the broadband expansion. The competitors of Deutsche Telekom's fear that the ex-monopolist's market position could be.

Sony opened the German e-book market.

Still hesitating Amazon, the e-book reader Kindle to Europe, and must now pass to the right: The Leipzig Book Fair raises its Sony PRS-505 on the German market. As a sales put the Japanese on two of Amazon's toughest competitors.

 

As for the local market, all suppliers of e-book readers a clear jam: In general, they serve the European market until years after their devices in Asia and America have proven themselves. That goes for Amazon's Kindle, which in the USA recently introduced the second generation, while a sale beginning in Europe, not even in the actual planning appears to be.

Chic: Sony goes Spätstarter with the PRS-505 on the pole position

And it is also true for the Sony PRS-505, which the Japanese companies at the Leipzig Book Fair in March once more as a novelty imagine, even though the thing in the U.S. since October 2007 on the shop's counter.

There are now the last to sell off stocks to make room on the shelves to create: Since Christmas is the PRS-505 in the U.S. already own successor PRS-700 competition.

Behold: The supposed novelty is a discontinued model.

Still, at least it seems now, too slow loszugehen with the electronic reading. Beautiful, but is slow, however, Sony's Reader,
ONLINE at blogs as a test last year found.

In Germany, the Sony PRS-505 until August 2008 at the IFA - and then again at the Frankfurt Book Fair. It was also announced that the readers in the spring of 2009 with the
Thalia book chain as a partner on the market should be. The fact that this announcement is once again reaffirming and almost repeated the same word may appear nonsensical, but given the peculiarities of the German market makes sense: Since 1996 ( "Rocket E-Book) triggered here as well as all the e-book announcements in hot air.

Now, the different, and Sony promises to stir once again force the PR drum: Just one day before the fair will be the Sony Reader is on 11 March, others in 230 branches of the book chain Thalia available. "Among other things," because as an additional distribution partners now also Buchhandels-wholesaler
Libri is on board. Its subsidiary company Libri.de where the AG blogsnet with ten percent stake, already advertises with the new reader.

An interesting constellation: three against Amazon

The Thalia chain is currently the largest book chain in the country, continue to pursue an aggressive expansion policy. Thalia operates some 290 bookstores and a book shop on the Internet, the market moves against ten percent. On the Internet, the company only so far but not a big violin.

Thalia.de is, however buch.de produced, in which Douglas Holding, principal owner of the Thalia firms, 35.2 percent holding. The buch.de internetstores AG produces and operates not only Thalia, but a total of 18 Webshops in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, which is "on the online sale of books, music, movies, software and games specialist" and "electronics also - office and "have to offer - the local counterweight to Amazon, if you will.

The Internet is also actively Libri, the Amazon as Thalia with its own book shop on the Web competition, but also his more traditional clientele main groups: As Germany's leading book wholesaler, Libri supplies about 4000 booksellers with stationary goods. Even Amazon is one of the customers.

As an Internet retailer, the company offers end-users the choice between postal service and book your own pick up books ordered at one of about a thousand affiliated bookstores.

Sony also emphasized in its press release for sale the beginning of the e-reader partnership with the book: "Basically, every bookseller and the reader e-books in the Epub format from Sony Germany's wholesale partners Libri relate in their own business and sell it on the market of the future of electronic participate in reading. "

ON TO ONLINE blogs

Network World Ticker: Amazon's new ebook coming soon (28.01.2009)

E-Books: "Not every customer is behaving logically" (23.10.2008)

Media change: Why e-book reader will not displace (15.10.2008)

Sony E-Book Reader: Read rather slowly (09.10.2008)

Thalia as Libri have in Germany is still a greater weight on the market as Amazon. The online consignor is in many ways, a favorite of publishers, but not trade, because the levers from Amazon regelrecht.

The web Amazon has a standing in its market niche, that of Ebay, iTunes or Google in the market domain is: The Internet promotes monopolies.

Amazon is not as big as you think

Still, however, is the U.S. company is shipping the world's largest bookseller and also dominates the German market. But the bulk of the book sales will remain in the physical trading: Latest figures in 2008-2009 are not yet available, but what the overall market share is concerned, Amazon should still be less than Thalia. In 2007, Amazon's market weight on only three to four percent.