On CE - For Dealers, Distributors and OEMs of Consumer Electronics throughout EMEA

European Commission’s anti-trust unit carried out “unannounced inspections” at Intel's Munich offices and at Media Markt and Dixons.

An investigation into restrictive business practices and abuse of a dominant market position, the EC is concerned about alleged rebates when OEMs buy most (or all) of their processors from Intel and alleged payment to OEMs to delay or cancel AMD-based lines. The EC wants to find out: Did Intel offer CPUs at below cost when bidding against AMD?

Go EC Investigations

Toshiba will no longer develop, make or market HD DVD. This makes Blu-ray (backed by Sony & Panasonic and five major Hollywood movie studios) the winner in the battle over high-def. The HD DVD camp included Microsoft, Intel Corp and NEC Corp. So you could also conclude the consumer electronics boys outmaneuvered the IT guys in this war.

Toshiba says the pivotal point was when Warner Bros. decided to release movie only in Blu-ray, so content was a key factor. Retail played its role: WalMart’s decision to go exclusively with BluRay and Netflix (the US rental king) also created critical mass for Blu-Ray.

Every war has victims: an estimated 1 million people already bought HD DVD machines and videos. Other victims included the entire channel as we all suffer when vendors can’t agree on standards.

Go The Surrender Document

Running the network across inexpensive electrical wiring instead of cable, fiber or copper was such a simple idea that I.T. executives sniffed it away. Now “PowerLine” is back and its commercial “voltage” is simply humming. PowerLine is gaining ground because utility companies are developing "smart grids" to meet regional mandates to conserve on energy. In some parts of the world, these utility grids already support streaming to home devices through a mix of Broadband-over-powerline on large utility power lines and low-speed communications on standard electrical wiring in and around the house.

At both Connected Home Europe and at CES, you could see the sparks from PowerLine. IO Gear, GigaFast, Tatung, and Russound -- each showed their own new PowerLine audio systems.

And, at CES 2008, Sharp became the first company to prototype a product that can stream two simultaneous HD feeds and internet content over existing power lines.

Sharp’s Network AQUOS uses PowerLine Communication modems to connect the TV and PC, and transmit high-quality audio, video and online content over Homeplug AV, a high-speed networking standard. At its booth, Sharp showed  how you can watch NASCAR, for example, on an AQUOS high-def LCD TV, and simultaneously download ticket information and directions (via Yahoo! Maps) through the computer and view it in the living room, without getting up off the couch--all through power lines.

Go Sharp’s Network AQUOS

Running the network across inexpensive electrical wiring instead of cable, fiber or copper was such a simple idea that I.T. executives sniffed it away. Now “PowerLine” is back and its commercial “voltage” is simply humming. PowerLine is gaining ground because utility companies are developing "smart grids" to meet regional mandates to conserve on energy. In some parts of the world, these utility grids already support streaming to home devices through a mix of Broadband-over-powerline on large utility power lines and low-speed communications on standard electrical wiring in and around the house.

At both Connected Home Europe and at CES, you could see the sparks from PowerLine. IO Gear, GigaFast, Tatung, and Russound – each showed their own new PowerLine audio systems.

And, at CES 2008, Sharp became the first company to prototype a product that can stream two simultaneous HD feeds and internet content over existing power lines.

Sharp’s Network AQUOS uses PowerLine Communication modems to connect the TV and PC, and transmit high-quality audio, video and online content over Homeplug AV, a high-speed networking standard. At its booth, Sharp showed how you can watch NASCAR, for example, on an AQUOS high-def LCD TV, and simultaneously download ticket information and directions (via Yahoo! Maps) through the computer and view it in the living room, without getting up off the couch–all through power lines.

Go Sharp’s Network AQUOS