Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley Partners with Comcast Business to Bridge the Gap in Telehealth Offerings During the Pandemic
Over the Past 10 Years, Comcast Has Connected More than 160,000 People in Utah to Low-Cost, High-Speed, In-Home Internet
Facebook and Disney execs raise $4.5m for 100ms to build live video infrastructure for the world
Cloud Conventions Launches Virtual Event Network Solution for Enterprise Business
Cloud Conventions Announces New Virtual Event Management Platform Capabilities
Metrics from Digital Einstein campaign demonstrate what digital brand ambassadors are capable of today
Sacramento Home to the 100th COMCAST LIFT ZONE in California
BEE Elevates Its Freemium with the Addition of Landing Page Design Capabilities
Comcast’s Internet Essentials Program Teams Up with Texas Education Agency to Connect Texas Students and Families with Internet Access at Home
Digital Equity Initiatives in Independence/Blue Springs
-
Virtual Burn 2021 Ushers in a New Genre of Burning Man Experience
SparkleVerse, an Official Virtual Burning Man Experience for 2021 returns for a second edition August 29th*-September 5th, welcoming “Burners” from all corners of the planet in a week-long digital festival. Involving simultaneous participation from festival-goers from every continent - this new “spatially decentralised” festival amounts to a new genre of experience. SparkleVerse is one of six Worlds independently produced for Virtual Burn 2021. The experience features a giant interactive map, accessible by web-browser, made of spaces built by participants to connect, converse and experience meaningful interactions. The Virtual Burn expands the diversity, inclusiveness and expression of the original Burning Man event, and features virtual camps from countries as diverse as Greece, Nigeria, Peru, Vietnam, Australia and Russia who will participate, alongside a blind Burners camp. Virtual Burn 2021 is a unique expression of global radical creativity and connection, pioneering a new genre of global festival, friendship and creativity. “The joy of Burning Man is its inclusivity — everyone and anyone is warmly welcomed. With the SparkleVerse Online Burn anyone, anywhere — no matter their nationality, physical capacity, interests — can safely participate, making this a uniquely global celebration.” - Ed Cooke, memory champion, product architect of SparkleVerse “The SparkleVerse feels real. Last year, the mixed reality hot tub (everyone joined a giant Zoom call from their bathtubs and shower) gave people the full sensory experience of sharing a hot tub, for example.” - SparkleVerseSofi Lee-Henson, Co-creator of SparkleVerse “As a group of creators who live off the thrill of creating art of all kinds, we never imagined we’d have the chance to participate in Burning Man. But here we are, and we honestly couldn’t wish for more and we can’t wait to share our afro psychedelic arts with the world, and make friends and vibe with people across the globe!” - Damilola Lofisat Lawal, from Abuja, Nigeria (participant, camp creator)
-
Mouser’s Growing Digital Library Offers Expert Insights into Today’s Innovative Technologies and Applications
Mouser Electronics, Inc., the New Product Introduction (NPI) leader empowering innovation, consistently offers engineers, purchasing professionals and hobbyists high-quality content through a constantly growing digital library, available through its Technical Resource Center. Featuring a vast collection of manufacturer eBooks, articles and blog posts, plus content from Mouser’s Methods technology journal and the Empowering Innovation Together series, the Technical Resource Center is a must-have resource for forward-thinking industry professionals. Mouser’s Growing Digital Library Offers Expert Insights into Today’s Innovative Technologies and Applications The growing library of digital content available in Mouser’s Technical Resource Center allows readers to learn more about the wide range of products available across mouser.com, connecting specific solutions to today’s most critical industries and applications. The Technical Resource Center features convenient links to a wealth of content sources, including Mouser’s Bench Talk Blog for Design Engineers, a video library, and a massive list of application-focused articles. “As the New Product Introduction leader, Mouser is committed to providing our global audience with the latest information and industry insights on new products, trends, and technologies,” says Kevin Hess, Mouser Electronics’ Senior Vice President of Marketing. “We continually update the Technical Resource Center with new articles, eBooks, and infographics, helping professionals and hobbyists alike to stay up-to-date on innovative solutions and expert opinions.” For ease of use, the Technical Resource Center offers a search bar with an Advanced Type Ahead function to immediately narrow down the digital content library to the most relevant results. To learn more about Mouser’s technical content library, visit https://www.mouser.com/technical-resources/ or click Technical Resources in the top navigation bar of any page on mouser.com For more Mouser news, visit https://www.mouser.com/newsroom
-
Comcast Business Helps Salem Florist’s Business Blossom with Enhanced Connectivity
Comcast Business today announced that it is supplying Salem-based flower shop Green Thumb Flower Box Florist with a Business Internet connection and business phone services, enabling the florist to stay connected to enhance customers’ experiences and deliver bespoke services to its loyal customer base. Green Thumb has been in business for more than five decades. In that time, the shop has amassed a loyal following and was named Best Florist in Mid Valley by the Statesman Journal. While some florists offer the same bouquet arrangements, almost all of Green Thumb’s floral arrangements are customized based on individual customers’ needs by a small team of floral designers. The shop relies on its internet and phone lines for ordering. “Our floral designers are creating arrangements that hopefully make our customers feel special and eager to come back,” said Steve Outslay, owner of Green Thumb Flower Box Florist. “Our technology from Comcast Business is key to helping us keep customers coming back because it is reliable. Our internet is consistently fast, and our phone services are high-quality. Those solutions are our lifeline, so it makes all the difference that we can count on them.” With more grocery stores offering floral arrangements that consumers can pick up quickly, Green Thumb continues to distinguish itself from the competition with their custom arrangements, and what Outslay calls the “florist experience.” “We think that our reputation combined with technology will allow us to reach a larger group of people,” Outslay explained. “Knowing the quality and support of other floral companies, once a customer comes to us they will not want to go anywhere else.” Comcast Business’ Internet services are delivering fast, reliable connectivity with the bandwidth Green Thumb needs to handle all its devices. Meanwhile, its phone solutions allow Green Thumb to stay in touch with its customers while their staff is onsite or as they make deliveries. “It’s no surprise that Green Thumb Flower Box Florist has a dedicated group of customers that love their arrangements,” said Alan Goldsmith, vice president of Comcast Business Oregon/SW Washington. ”The passion that their teams have for what they do really shines through. We are proud to be powering possibilities for Green Thumb’s operations as they look to bolster their operations and local reputation.”
-
BEE Launches New Features to BEE Pro to Further its Mission to Democratize Content Design
BEE, a business unit of Growens and premier digital content design platform, released two new features to its BEE Pro product, a no-code email & landing page design suite currently being used by designers, email marketers, e-commerce, higher education, business owners, agencies and entrepreneurs. These updates come at a time when BEE is seeing substantial growth with its BEE Pro paid subscription, forecasting upwards of 9k paid users. The latest BEE Pro features include: Increased collaboration through “Mentions” feature. Users can now use a mention (@mention) to alert any team member of updates collaborating on a design project. Improved processes through the new “Notification Center.” This update keeps the user informed on mentions, exports or publishing of active design projects. These new features further BEE’s mission to democratize content design. Users can now initiate mentions to their teammates through the comment section while working directly in BEE Pro, eliminating the need to work across multiple platforms. They are able to invite their teammates to review a design, assign tasks and collaborate on all work completed in their specific brand, helping to keep the design process aligned. The notification center helps keep everyone up to speed with changes and edits for a faster collaborative process. These updates assure a faster collaborative process. “We are excited to see these new features go live in BEE Pro. It’s a big deal for teams to be able to collaborate in real-time on any project in one place” said Mariela Towers, Head of Marketing at BEE. “The design process for some teams often involves a lot of collaborators — BEE Pro is continuing to make it easier for team members to work together. Our internal team is excited to see the expanded features. We use BEE Pro for all of our email communications and have been able to cut 3 days out of our workflow. The new features have improved our collaboration processes allowing us to work that much faster.” These updates from BEE Pro are the latest following previously announced landing page capabilities, mobile design mode and co-editing tools earlier this year. Since launching in 2016 as an email editor tool, BEE continues to invest in feature developments for BEE Pro bringing maximum value to users, including multiple integrations built specifically for email server providers.
-
Zoom Elevates Platform Experience with Launch of Zoom Apps and Zoom Events
Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) today announced the general availability of its latest innovations, Zoom Apps and Zoom Events. Zoom Apps seamlessly embeds third-party apps within the Zoom Meetings and desktop client experience, enhancing collaboration, productivity, and entertainment for today’s hybrid workforce. Zoom Events is an all-in-one platform for creating a wide range of interactive and immersive virtual events to reach and engage audiences. “I’m thrilled to see our platform vision expand through Zoom Apps and Zoom Events, as the world embraces hybrid work, empowering the workforce today and into the future,” said Eric S. Yuan, Founder and CEO of Zoom. “These innovations will enhance the ways in which we connect and collaborate with our colleagues, clients, friends, family members, and others, improving productivity and collaboration while maintaining elements of fun and well-being.” “Zoom Apps and Zoom Events are critical components in broadening Zoom’s offering and reach,” said Roopam Jain, Vice President, Information and Communications Technologies at Frost & Sullivan. “These solutions empower users to accomplish more with video communications and are a testament to Zoom’s focus of enabling customers to create and grow businesses entirely on its platform—whether through applications, integrations, events, or other services.” [Bringing Your Favorite Apps to the Zoom Platform] Zoom Apps expands the offerings of the Zoom App Marketplace, which already hosts over 1,500 third-party integrations. With Zoom Apps, you can boost productivity and stay focused on your workflows by incorporating your favorite apps into your meetings. There are over 50 Zoom Apps available now, ranging from enterprise to consumer use cases—including whiteboarding, project management, note-taking, and video games, with more in development and available soon. A few Zoom Apps currently available include: Asana: Host purposeful meetings with the ability to create in-meeting action items and next steps beforehand so your teams are always moving forward with clarity. You can also create, edit, and assign tasks, all without leaving your Zoom meeting. Dot Collector: The Dot Collector app allows everyone in a meeting to share their perspective through real-time feedback and polling. Dots are systematically collected, shared and preserved enabling adjustments to be made in the moment and over time. The Dot Collector app fosters more inclusive collaboration, transparency, and meaningful relationships among colleagues, while empowering individuals with insights that help them to unlock their full potential. Dropbox Spaces: Get more out of your meetings with the Dropbox Spaces app for Zoom. Keep everyone on the same page by collaborating in real time in a single shared workspace before, during, and after Zoom Meetings. Heads Up!: Heads Up! is a fun and hilarious game by Ellen DeGeneres. Heads Up! is the perfect party game to play with your colleagues and friends, and is a fun way to pass time with your coworkers while waiting for meetings to start. The app is developed for Zoom by Ellen Digital and Playco. SurveyMonkey Enterprise by Momentive: Drive more engaging and inclusive meetings with in-the-moment feedback from surveys and polls available directly within the Zoom meeting experience. Capture optimal stakeholder insights from customers, employees, patients—any meeting attendees. Take action to increase employee engagement, improve the customer or patient experience, and make remote meetings more productive. Wellness That Works by WW: Wellness that Works by WW, a leader in weight loss and wellness, helps users move more, eat better and shift their mindset with push notifications to stand and stretch, along with a hydration tracker, mindset tools, and go-to recipes. Wellness that Works reinforces WW's credentials in behavior change science by helping users build and maintain healthy habits wherever they are... even in meetings! [Improving the Hybrid and Virtual Event Experiences] Zoom Events gives organizations the power to create engaging hybrid and virtual experiences. Zoom Events enables large and small businesses alike to seamlessly manage and host back-to-back event sessions from sales summits, customer events, trade shows, and internal events. Zoom Events offers features such as event hubs, dedicated corporate virtual event spaces, customizable registration, and networking through a chat-enabled virtual event lobby. Zoom Events also allows event-specific reporting around registration, attendance, and ticket sales. Zoom will be hosting its annual user conference, Zoomtopia, and Zoom Academy, on Zoom Events this year. OnZoom, the consumer-focused Zoom Events solution, helps brands and small businesses reach a consumer audience by creating, hosting, and monetizing events, including fitness and cooking classes, theatrical presentations, and more. OnZoom will remain in beta and serve as a place where small businesses and entrepreneurs can host and publish events to our public event directory.
-
Lucidworks Joins Google Cloud Partner Advantage Program and Launches Fusion, AI-Powered Search Platform, Through Google Cloud Marketplace
Lucidworks, provider of the Connected Experience Cloud, today announced that the company has joined the Google Cloud Partner Advantage Program. Google Cloud customers now have the ability to deploy Fusion from within the Google Cloud Marketplace, allowing users to create AI-powered product discovery and knowledge management applications in a modern, containerized, and cloud-native architecture. As a Google Cloud Technology Partner, Lucidworks offers customers the ability to provide their users with contextual, personally relevant search results and proactive recommendations powered by artificial intelligence. Millions of users can discover insights at the moment they have a question, across hundreds of millions of documents and records. With Lucidworks Fusion, customers can: Increase control around browse and search experience to deliver the right results to users, remove friction, and increase revenue and efficiency. Deliver a consistent and personalized experience across the user lifecycle by personalizing results based on user signals. Leverage existing knowledge across the organization to empower employees to do their best work by eliminating information silos and quickly providing necessary insights to improve employee engagement and productivity. Maximize the value of data discovery and enable organizations to find connections, patterns, and anomalies in data sets in order to make informed decisions. Create connected experiences for employees and customers by collecting signals across all channels and applying those insights everywhere to deliver omnichannel personalization. “A portion of legacy businesses that we assumed would stay on-prem is now moving to the cloud and turning to Google Cloud as the most trusted and secure platform,” says Will Hayes, CEO, Lucidworks. “Our partnership with Google Cloud means that we can power seamless support and services so our customers can focus on what they do best, and we can focus on delivering best-in-class solutions. Google Cloud customers can now create connected digital experiences for their valued customers and employees.” Google Cloud Marketplace lets users quickly deploy functional software packages that run on Google Cloud, with no manual configuration required. Lucidworks’ offering on Google Cloud includes applications that run on the Fusion platform, such as Predictive Merchandiser (PM) and Smart Answers. PM helps ecommerce teams harness the power of machine learning to boost conversions. Smart Answers enhances chatbots and virtual assistants with natural language processing and deep learning to reduce time-to-resolution and support costs. Lucidworks suite of products are trusted by the world’s largest brands, including Lenovo, Red Hat, Reddit and Cisco Systems, to capture insights across all channels and apply them everywhere to power omnichannel personalization for customers and employees.
-
Zoom Announces Zoom Events Platform for Virtual Experiences
Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) today announced Zoom Events, an all-in-one platform with the power to produce interactive and engaging virtual experiences, available this summer. Zoom Events combines the reliability and scalability of Zoom Meetings, Chat, and Video Webinars in one comprehensive solution for event organizers, with the ability to produce ticketed, live events for internal or external audiences of any size. Zoom Events offers something for a variety of use cases – from enabling large businesses to seamlessly manage and host internal events like all-hands and sales summits and external events like user conferences, to smaller businesses and entrepreneurs who have been using OnZoom to create, host, and monetize events including fitness and cooking classes, theatrical presentations, and more. As part of the launch of Zoom Events, OnZoom, currently in Beta, will be rebranded and folded into Zoom Events, and can be either private, or searched and explored publicly. Zoom’s recent global study, How Virtual Do We Want Our Future to Be?, surveyed people worldwide on the role of video communications in our daily lives as we look beyond the pandemic. In the US, 80 percent of respondents agreed that everything will continue to have a virtual element post-pandemic, with 52 percent of US respondents planning to enjoy events both in-person and virtually, reinforcing the need for an all-in-one solution that will create seamless hybrid/virtual event experiences. Zoom Events Platform Benefits: Build an event hub to easily manage and share events Customizable ticketing and registration Control access and billing from one portal Host a variety of events - free or paid, one-time or series Bring attendees together with integrated networking Track event statistics like attendance, registration, revenue, and more Events can be kept private or posted to our public directory for others to discover Zoom Events can be used with an existing paid Zoom Meetings or Video Webinar license “It’s an exciting time to be at Zoom where the pace of innovation continues to accelerate,” said Oded Gal, chief product officer at Zoom. “We know that people are looking for flexibility in how they attend events in the future. The hybrid model is here to stay, and Zoom Events is a perfect solution for our customers who are looking to produce and host customer, company, and public events with an easy, yet powerful solution. This is another way we’re helping customers scale to meet consumer demands and the evolving virtual and hybrid landscape.” To learn more about Zoom Events, please visit Zoom Events website and read our recent blog.
-
Artificial intelligence monitoring : “must-have” in an online world
Hyperconnect has excellent staff working for AI monitoring capabilities. COVID-19’s impact on professional and commercial spheres — from education to entertainment, distribution to shopping, healthcare to culture, and far beyond — have been well-documented. Perhaps less well-understood, however, is the long-term influence COVID will have on our social tendencies and mental health. Few people would argue, however, that more and more people are connecting, interacting and forming relationships online. - Online safety measures are needed for online lives As social platform usage intensifies, so too can online misbehavior. Facebook, the world's largest social media platform, approaches the issue using artificial intelligence technology. For example, all post comments are checked by AI-powered tools and automatically hidden if deemed offensive or in violation of user policy. If a user’s proposed comment is identified as similar to previously-flagged comments, ‘post confirmation’ warning messages are automatically shown to the posting user. When Facebook’s AI is unable to fully confirm if a post is offensive, potentially-flagrant content is forwarded to human monitoring staff for further review. Facebook is not alone in its proactive approach. YouTube, the world's largest video platform, too employs machine learning tools to detect violent and other content that may threaten child safety. YouTube’s in-house Trust & Safety Team deploys tools to constantly monitor content, rapidly applying age restrictions on videos that are deemed not suitable for younger users. Amazon’s Twitch, the world's largest game streaming platform, also utilizes AI to automatically identify offensive comments and deliver them to monitoring personnel for review. After inspections are completed, feedback is provided to other users. - Hyperconnect is among the world’s best for AI monitoring capabilities Hyperconnect, the Seoul-based technology company behind real-time video chat app Azar, which has exceeded 545 million cumulative downloads globally, deploys a comprehensive system of AI-enabled tools to ensure high standards of community safety. For its advanced “on-device” AI, Hyperconnect’s deep learning-based visual detection models can now pre-block content within 0.006 seconds depending on device specification. Given the system’s operation on device, privacy is ensured as video is not routed up through a server. Hyperconnect also deploys a comprehensive AI system to pre-screen user-submitted reports, remedying most user-flagged issues without needing human agent intervention. “Amongst the non-gaming apps market globally, social discovery apps are taking the top spots. As COVID-19 accelerates the transition to a 'digital daily life', global social platforms should spare no expense in ensuring a healthy and safe digital environment for users. Substantial investment in automatic monitoring systems is an obvious starting point” according to a representative from Hyperconnect.
-
Hyperconnect, Key to social platform success: reflecting the ‘user voice’
- From tailored engagement features to high standards of community safety — proactively reflecting the needs of “MZ” generation users Social platforms that are popular among the so-called “MZ” generations (Millennials and Generation Z combined) seem to share a common practice: they listen to their users and structure products according to direct feedback. As the protagonists in a new digital era, MZ users are shaping social services through their demands for live, interactive content against a safe and friendly community backdrop. ■ Hakuna Live enables diverse experiences and ensures safe communities Hakuna Live, the second hit project launched by Seoul-based video and AI technology company Hyperconnect, takes the traditional live streaming concept — where one “mega host” broadcasts to many — and enhances it via multi-way communication modes. Dubbed ‘social live streaming’, Hakuna helps every user find his or her place in the social universe — from light chat to counseling, quiz shows, rap battles, casual games and more. As entertainment consumption continues its shift online in the era of COVID-19, Hakuna Live is rapidly growing by introducing MZ-targeted features. For example, Hakuna’s “Guest Mode” allows up to four to co-broadcast simultaneously through a split screen layout, enabling a diverse playground-like experience; Augmented Reality (AR) Avatar mode allows streamers and guests to express themselves with fun, facial data-based characters. This year, Hakuna expects to expand upon its Guest Mode with “Group Chat Live’, allowing up to six people to chat together, further blurring the traditional lines between entertainer and entertained Critically, Hakuna Live is acutely focused on maintaining a safe online community and has spared no expense in building advanced artificial intelligence-powered monitoring systems that can automatically detect and report and variety of unwanted content. Hyperconnect also assembled a Community Safety Supervision Committee in November 2020, consisting of former partners from reputable law firms and former judges. Hakuna Live is currently serviced in 10 countries — including Japan, Turkey, India, North America, and Taiwan — and is planning to expand its MZ-focused launch even further this year. ■ After the success of ‘Snow', Naver’s ‘ZEPETO’ gains ground through a user-first focus The augmented reality avatar platform ZEPETO, operated by Naver Z, now counts over 180 million amongst its global subscriber base — in just two years after its launch. ZEPETO is a product squarely aimed at the MZ users with its 3D avatar environment that uses the latest in facial recognition and AR technology. ZEPETO has also actively catered towards MZ users through its partnerships with generation-relevant content, reportedly earning over 12 billion won from its partnership with Big Hit Entertainment and YG Entertainment and 5 billion won from its partnership with JYP. ZEPETO’s success follows the positive feedback that the Naver-owned ‘Snow’ received from users after adding augmented reality capabilities to its camera app. ■ Facebook’s shift towards “followers” over “likes” To keep up with the needs and feedback of its younger users, Facebook too recently announced plans for a meaningful overhaul to its platform. For example, on pages used by public figures, the 'Like' function — which has been the target of much negative press — has been dropped in favor of focusing on 'follower' count. This change, which positions Facebook as something closer to YouTube and Instagram, is intended give creators a firmer indication of their fan base Facebook had reportedly tested the deletion of ‘Like’ in a number of markets and ultimately made the determination based on user feedback. Facebook will also introduce a dedicated news feed and Q&A function for active exchanges between friends, colleagues, and fans — a step towards deepening “communication” between users, which is highly valued by MZ generations.
-
Telestream Launches Enhanced DIVA Digital Asset Management Software
Telestream, a provider of workflow automation, media processing, quality monitoring and test and measurement solutions for the production and distribution of video, today announced the launch of Telestream DIVA, the latest iteration of the renowned DIVA software suite for digital asset management. Enhancements available in Telestream DIVA include a new simplified REST API, full integration of DIVA Command into DIVA Core, more flexible options for cloud uploads and storage management, and extended migration services and restore capabilities. "With an array of recent enhancements, Telestream DIVA is a valuable new member of our technology portfolio," said Geoff Tognetti, SVP at Telestream. "The software suite's robust feature set and proven performance give our customers reliable, flexible asset management across on-premise and cloud, in support of all variety of modern media processing applications. The ability to have assets in a hybrid environment allows customers to use the most cost-effective storage for their assets; and features like Partial File Restore and Storage Plan Manager provide the means to efficiently move those assets when needed." Telestream DIVA Core's new simplified REST API provides core control, monitoring, configuration, and analytics endpoints. The API dialect is modeled after S3 and uses standard commands such as get, put, list, copy, delete, move, etc. for easier integration work. Now with access to more than 50 configuration endpoints, users have the headroom to configure every resource in Telestream DIVA. Twenty core control endpoints support numerous new control requests to further streamline content and storage management. Monitoring options are likewise extended in Telestream DIVA, which supports more than 40 resource and request endpoints for monitoring services. The software features analytics endpoints for reporting on nearly 50 unique events generated by the Telestream DIVA analytics engine. The REST API now also includes support for license import and export. Because DIVA Command is now fully integrated into Telestream DIVA Core and hosted on the Telestream DIVA Core REST API Gateway, users enjoy simpler installation and configuration. Newly added support for multithreading and multipart for S3 and related storage protocols, including Microsoft Azure, greatly improves transfer speeds with certain types of files. Users also have the option of using media priority to control cloud instance selection. Migration services now allow users to restrict the number of simultaneous requests across all jobs. The addition of a new "restore tier" option enables users to apply the restore tier to the source in the transfer when restoring to an S/D. Along with these enhancements, Telestream DIVA includes minor updates across the software suite that improve overall performance.
-
G.hn certification reaches record levels as the HomeGrid Forum warns about deploying uncertified products
HomeGrid Forum and Allion Labs, the alliance’s Accredited Testing House in Taiwan, have today revealed that 46 products have received the globally-recognized G.hn Certification. This status guarantees that all products tested comply with ITU-T G.hn standards and HomeGrid Forum requirements regarding interoperability, performance and reliability. This wider certification comes as the HomeGrid Forum warns of the dangers of uncertified devices, particularly at a time when remote working and home learning has grown in popularity. As networks remain under pressure due to increased data traffic, the need for global standards organizations, certified products and mature technology has never been greater. “Providing a strong universal backbone for the growing number of connected devices, G.hn technology can be deployed instantly to extend consumer and small business networks for 100 percent seamless reliable coverage. Precisely for that reason, only G.hn devices that have been certified at the silicon and system level should be installed for guaranteed interoperability and smooth connectivity,” cautioned Dr. Len Dauphinee, President of HomeGrid Forum. “We are delighted for our members and are encouraged to see so many devices being submitted for certification – especially at a time when robust, reliable and secure networks are paramount.” Systems from several system vendors and equipment manufacturers were involved in the testing including devolo, Comtrend and SendTek. The successful range of certified products includes the devolo Magic 2 LAN DINrail adapter which optimizes data transmission at the control cabinet or fuse box to enhance powerline networks and the Comtrend PG-9086 Powerline IoT WiFi adapter which extends Wi-Fi coverage throughout the home to support internet, video streaming and IoT devices simultaneously. Also included are the NexusLink GPL-1200PoE G.hn powerline device with the added benefit of Power over Ethernet (PoE) connectivity for hard-to-reach locations the SendTek CES833 G.hn Coax Gigabit Ethernet bridge and the SendTek CES862 G.hn Coax Wi-Fi Gigabit Ethernet bridge which co-exist with CATV and enable mobile devices to be seamlessly connected to Wi-Fi anywhere at home. Through the HomeGrid Forum’s G.hn Certification program, the alliance aims to ensure the quality and consistency of G.hn products to promote an ecosystem of compliant and interoperable products. This is designed to guarantee that end users receive high performance G.hn components which are capable of achieving the technology’s full potential. This latest round of certifications demonstrates the effectiveness of HomeGrid Forum members accelerating the deployment of G.hn in response to market demands across a multitude of industry sectors. Companies intending to deploy G.hn products should request HGF certification from their potential vendors and consumers should look for the HGF certification logo on G.hn products they purchase. For consumers especially, this will ensure interoperability with existing G.hn products they may have in their network. Certification will also ensure non-interference with devices installed in their neighbors’ networks. The HomeGrid Forum G.hn Certification program has been running since 2015 and involves a strict testing process to ensure the most secure, effective, and reliable means to connect the growing number of devices being loaded onto home networks. These certification programs are essential for future innovation within the industry, to guarantee a high degree of quality and compliance among vendors and products to benefit consumers, businesses and manufacturers worldwide.
-
Wi-Fi Urgently Needs More Spectrum
With over half of all the connections to the Internet starting or ending with Wi-Fi access and demand for broadband connectivity surging worldwide, Wi-Fi urgently needs access to the 6 GHz frequency band; this is the conclusion of a new paper published by the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA) and Policy Impact Partners (PIP), which represent multiple digital companies. Focused on Europe, the Middle East and Africa (ITU Region 1), the paper calls on the EU to ensure that the EC Decision on licence-exempt access to the lower 6 GHz band is adopted without delay, and then implemented in national regulations early in 2021. This is crucial for Europe to alleviate congestion in existing licence-exempt spectrum and to support the highly capable Wi-Fi 6E devices that will be rolled out this year and next. The paper also calls on administrations in the Middle East and Africa to open the lower 6 GHz band (5925-6425 MHz) and consider licence-exempt access to the upper 6 GHz band (6425-7125 MHz). “Used for every aspect in our lives such as remote education, work and commerce, Wi-Fi needs greater spectrum access in the 6 GHz band to effectively support the modern digital ecosystem,” said Dr. Martha Suárez, President of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance. “With access to wide 160 MHz channels in the 6 GHz band, Wi-Fi 6E will be able to deliver very robust connectivity that can enable truly immersive and compelling multimedia experiences.” To enable the world to fully benefit from Wi-Fi 6E – a new generation of Wi-Fi technology – governments should make the 6 GHz band available for usage by licence-exempt technologies. The paper explains that Wi-Fi 6 enables an efficient use of the spectrum in terms of access, ensuring that existing incumbent services can continue to thrive in the band while meeting the growing demand for wireless capacity with more throughput, connected devices and coverage. “The COVID-19 pandemic is highlighting the critical need to bring reliable broadband to many more people and communities,” added Herman Schepers, Founder and Director of Policy Impact Partners. “That won’t happen unless both licensed and licence-exempt wireless technologies have access to the spectrum they need. People should have the flexibility to use the technology best suited to their budget, their use case and other local factors, whether that be 4G, 5G, Wi-Fi or another unlicensed technology.” If countries across the world were to enable licence-exempt access to the entire 1200 MHz of the 6 GHz band, the global digital ecosystem would benefit from major economies of scale. This would reduce costs for end-users and allow people to benefit from innovative new services that harness the capabilities of Wi-Fi 6E. Countries that have opted for a rapid deployment of 5G, such as South Korea and the U.S., recognize the need to allow licence-exempt access to the entire 6 GHz band.
-
QNAP Launches High-speed Dual Band Wi-Fi 6 PCIe card for NAS and PC
Stepping into the Wi-Fi 6 era, QNAP® Systems, Inc., a leading computing, networking and storage solution innovator, today released the QXP-W6-AX200 dual band Wi-Fi 6 PCIe network card for NAS and PC. The QXP-W6-AX200 supports the IEEE 802.11ax standard (backward compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac), MIMO 2Tx2R, MU-MIMO TX/RX, and can be installed in a QNAP NAS, or Windows®/Linux® PC to provide fast Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. When installed in a Windows® PC, the QXP-W6-AX200 also provides Bluetooth® 5.0 connectivity. The QXP-W6-AX200 is a PCIe Gen 2x1 Wi-Fi 6 adapter with an Intel® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 module, providing speeds of up to 2400 Mbps – significantly faster than Wi-Fi 5. The new antenna design supports dual band 802.11ax 2.4GHz and 5GHz, and the multiple angle tilt and magnetic base provides the best signal strength direction and location. “QNAP is devoted to providing affordable high-speed networking solutions for both Ethernet and Wi-Fi environments” said Jason Hsu, Product Manager of QNAP, adding “the QXP-W6-AX200 provides breakthrough Wi-Fi 6 connectivity to enable high-speed backup, file sharing, and other demanding tasks in modern IT environments”. The QXP-W6-AX200 allows a QNAP NAS to break free from Ethernet cables, or it can be installed in a Windows® or Linux® PC for faster downloading speeds and low-latency connectivity. In addition, when installed in a Windows® PC, the QXP-W6-AX200 provides Bluetooth® 5.0 connectivity, improving the speed and active range for communicating with compatible devices. A driver is required when the QXP-W6-AX200 is used in a PC/Server. Use the following links to download for Windows and Linux. A driver is not required when the QXP-W6-AX200 is used in a QNAP NAS.
-
Primestream Joins SRT Alliance to Work Toward High-Quality, Low-Latency Internet Video Streaming for Remote Workflows
Primestream, a leading provider of asset management and automation software solutions for media production, today announced that the company has joined the SRT Alliance. The SRT Alliance, founded by Haivision in April 2017, is focused on overcoming the challenges of low-latency live streaming by supporting the collaborative development of the SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) protocol. SRT is a free, open-source video transport protocol and technology stack originally developed and pioneered by Haivision that enables the delivery of high-quality, secure, low-latency video across the public internet. With more than 400 members in the SRT Alliance and widespread industry adoption, SRT is the fastest-growing open-source streaming project. With its Media IO live ingest, playout, and transcoding solution, Primestream has delivered a simplified solution that enables operators to integrate SRT streams into live production and distribution workflows without ever having to touch baseband video. With Media IO, operators can ingest multiple SRT streams from IP encoders, remote surveillance cameras, or drones and monitor the sources without the use of video monitors or a routing switcher. Each stream can be transcoded in real time into house formats such as AVC, H.264, XDCAM, DNxHD, or ProRes, enabling editors to preview and edit live sources on the spot. "IP-based stream production workflows are the wave of the future for all types of media enterprises, but a critical success factor is the ability to transport high-quality, low-latency video in a secure and reliable manner," said Claudio Lisman, president and CEO, Primestream. "That's why we are happy to be working with the SRT Alliance in its groundbreaking efforts to create an open-source video transport protocol and to introduce SRT solutions like Media IO." "We're excited that Primestream is joining the SRT Alliance," said Jesús (Suso) Carrillo, director SRT Alliance at Haivision. "By adding SRT into their suite of products, Primestream is providing its customers with flexible, robust, and easy-to-use tools to manage multiple streams from capture through to distribution."
-
UKWISPA showcases Terragraph from Facebook as first three global vendors prepare Fixed Wireless Access for Gigabit Britain
The UK Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (UKWISPA) hosted senior executives from Facebook, Siklu, Radwin and Cambium for the first time as they gear up for the release of Terragraph multi-gigabit technology in the UK. Terragraph, from Facebook’s Connectivity arm, promises low cost broadband delivery at speeds of over 1 gigabit, with the potential for over 10 gigabits using license-exempt Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) in the UK from later this year. UKWISPA members Radwin, Cambium and Siklu are all set to ship products this year in time to help facilitate the UK Government’s Gigabit Britain pledge. “Terragraph is set to revolutionise the cost and speed of roll-out for gigabit-plus broadband here in the UK,” stated David Burns, chairman of the UK’s body responsible for wireless internet services, UKWISPA. “At less than £200 per premises passed and under £900 per premises connected, with no disruptive duct digging, Terragraph equipment can bring multi-gigabit connections to the masses - quickly,” continued Burns. Facebook has been developing this technology for around five years and has built pilot systems in several countries around the world using prototype equipment. Now, Facebook has attracted a range of global equipment manufacturers to form a whole ecosystem around the technology. Significantly, global silicon manufacturer, Qualcomm has developed a high volume, low cost chipset (802.11AY-based) to enable the extremely high data speeds needed to facilitate Terragraph affordably. This has enabled a range of equipment vendors, including UKWISPA Technology Members Cambium Networks, Radwin and Siklu, to release products in 2020, and has encouraged others, such as MikroTik and IgniteNet, to commit to joining the community. “Facebook recognised that new applications require high speed connectivity and, with data consumption growing at an ever-increasing rate, the demand for broadband cannot be matched by the current ability to build new high-speed networks. With Terragraph, Facebook is creating an ecosystem to address this gap and serve under-connected communities. We helped assemble a technology stack with a range of partners, assisted with spectrum advocacy and the specification of 802.11AY standards, and built an industry ecosystem to realise the potential for this technology.” stated Neeraj Bhatia, Product Manager from Facebook Connectivity. “Terragraph networks are built on very high-speed resilient mesh equipment, where a small low power device is mounted on a building or street furniture and communicates with up to 16 other units on other buildings to form a mesh. This method perfectly complements fibre build out, where the Terragraph mesh fills gaps that would be expensive to install otherwise. As a mesh, data can pass in all directions at full speed, meaning upload and download speeds are symmetric and the mesh can tolerate breaks without stopping. Moreover, it is so fast that it can seamlessly blend with fibre to create a fully hybrid network that suits the local conditions,” added Burns. “UKWISPA members are itching to install Terragraph services to help more customers across the country and to upgrade their existing customers to gigabit speeds and complement their fibre plans,” concludes Burns.
-
Yamaha UC Helps Connect Assisted Living Facility Residents to Loved Ones
Yamaha Unified Communications is helping the residents of Cornerstone at Milford Assisted Living & Compass Memory Support in Milford, Massachusetts, stay connected during the coronavirus and beyond. The company donated a CS-700 Video Sound Bar™ to the facility as way for residents who struggle to see and hear calls on smartphones and tablets to have a more comfortable and enjoyable audio and video experience. "Staying connected while apart is vital to mental health, especially for those who are living in retirement and care communities and aren't able to see their loved ones now," said Meghan Kennelly, Yamaha UC's director of global marketing and communications. "While mobile devices are convenient, they don't always provide sufficient volume or a large enough picture to see clearly. I saw how much my grandmother and others at Cornerstone were struggling with mobile devices, and Yamaha immediately wanted to help. The CS-700 was built around the idea that conversations — whether they happen in a meeting room or in a care facility — need to be clear and stress-free to be effective and enjoyable. We love hearing all the stories of the residents who now look forward to this time with their families." After Cornerstone had to close its doors to visitors due to COVID-19, the senior community naturally turned to FaceTime, Zoom, and Skype calls via iPhones and iPads to connect residents with their families and loved ones. However, many of the residents had to hold the device close to their face in order to clearly hear the conversation and see their families. As a result, their families couldn't see or hear them well. Kennelly, whose 93-year-old grandmother is a resident of the Milford assisted living facility, reached out to the facility to see if Yamaha could help by donating a CS-700 all-in-one collaboration system. "Our residents are really enjoying seeing and hearing their loved ones more clearly on the big screen," said Michelle Hamilton, director of community relations, at Cornerstone. "We are so appreciative of Yamaha's generosity to help enhance their virtual visits with their friends and families." Perfectly suited for quickly adding natural collaboration amenities to nursing, retirement, and care facilities, the Yamaha CS-700 is designed to deliver the highest quality audio, video, and collaboration capabilities. The simple and smart wall-mounted unit is easy to install, deploy, and use. It features an adaptive beamforming microphone array for perfectly captured conversation; four Yamaha speaker elements to provide the highest degree of audio intelligibility; and a wide-angle HD camera for the far-end participants to see everyone in clear detail. Building managers simply connect the system to a display and any UC platform via a single USB. The CS-700 is also Zoom certified, which simplifies the call experience even further by automatically detecting the CS-700, enabling mute sync, and enhancing the audio in the Zoom cloud so background noise doesn't interfere with calls.
-
QNAP Launches High-performance quad-core 1.7 GHz NAS for Reliable Home and Personal Cloud Storage
QNAP® Systems, Inc., a leading computing, networking and storage solution innovator, today launched the quad-core TS-x31K series NAS (including 1-bay, 2-bay and 4-bay models) that provides centralized data backup and management, easy file access and sharing, feature-rich multimedia applications and secure Snapshots protection. Featuring a compact pure white minimalist design, the TS-x31K blends in with any home décor and takes up very little space, making it an ideal solution for home users to build reliable private cloud storage. The TS-x31K series is powered by a quad-core 1.7 GHz processor for exceptional home performance. With 1 GB RAM, Gigabit LAN (1-bay: one GbE port; 2-bay and 4-bay: two GbE ports), SATA 6 Gb/s, and AES-256 bit encryption, the TS-x31K delivers fast and stable connectivity. Featuring tool-less and lockable drive bays, the TS-x31K makes installation easier while also ensuring the drives are safe and secure. “The Quad-core TS-x31K series streamlines home storage and multimedia applications, allowing users to enjoy the convenience and enjoyment of a personal cloud. Users can easily access, manage and share files using an intuitive user interface, while also easily accessing files remotely by using dedicated mobile apps,” said Jason Hsu, Product Manager of QNAP. The TS-x31K series is a comprehensive home data center that provides well-rounded data storage, sharing, backup, synchronization, and data protection. Users can regularly back up data from their Windows® and macOS® computers and from mobile devices, then further protect their backup data by saving to another NAS or cloud storages as an off-site copy using HBS (Hybrid Backup Sync). Users can enable snapshot protection to effectively mitigate the threat of ransomware and to quickly restore files to previously-recorded states. The TS-x31K provides a wide range of multimedia applications, including Photo Station, Video Station and Music Station, allowing users to easily manage and view their rich media collections. Users can also transform the TS-x31K into a Plex® Media Server. More useful functions include: use Surveillance Station to build a secure surveillance system; Qsync can automatically sync files between NAS, mobile phones and computers. Users can also easily remotely access the TS-x31K using dedicated mobile apps and the myQNAPcloud service. Key Specifications TS-131K: Tower model; 1-bay, Annapurna Labs AL-214 quad-core 1.7 GHz processor, 1GB RAM; hot-swappable 3.5-inch SATA 6Gbps bays; 1 x GbE port, 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports TS-231K: Tower model; 2-bay, Annapurna Labs AL-214 quad-core 1.7 GHz processor, 1GB RAM; hot-swappable 3.5-inch SATA 6Gbps bays; 2 x GbE ports, 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports TS-431K: Tower model; 4-bay, Annapurna Labs AL-214 quad-core 1.7 GHz processor, 1GB RAM; hot-swappable 3.5-inch SATA 6Gbps bays; 2 x GbE ports, 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports
