The failure of my trusty laptop (crashes Windows with AC power, fine on batteries for an hour) has me shopping. I hate to shop for computers even more than I hate shopping for cars; more flavors, brands, colors, options, and you're rarely sure of what's under the hood. At least now I have a few more buying criteria.

• Skype compatible processor. Right now that's an Intel Pentium D or a Centrino Duo. Pickings are lean and expensive, especially in retail. Dual core processors are still priced for early adopters and it will be 8-12 weeks before everyone has their midrange desktops and high end laptops in stores.
  
• Windows Vista ready. Easily expandible to 4G memory. Bays for a terabyte of storage or two. Hoping we won't need new keyboards.
  
• Video hardware. We are only scratching the surface of edge created video. Recording conversations. Recording mobile and handheld videos. Video mail. Vlogging and vlogcasting. Wizarded pre-production (Serious Magic). Intelligent post production (Muvee). If I'm going to capture and manipulate vid, I'll need higher resolution display adapters that work at high frame rates under stress. I'm also a multiscreen addict; at least a yard or meter of virtual desk space.
  
• Connectivity. WiFi 80211.next. 1G ethernet. Firewire. Bluetooth. Never enough USB 2.0 ports (Quick talley: bar code scanner, flatbed scanner, business card scanner, label printer, inkjet printer, Wacom tablet, wireless mouse, headphone, webcam, digital camera cable, speakerphone, mp3 player, dictation recorder, radio tuner, pda dock, audio mixer. 16 ports plus whatever I buy in the next 36-48 months.) Smartcard ports.
  
• Software. With a Vista upgrade in my future, just what's needed to run my old software.
  

Intel's booth had a Skype station with Skype running on a Dual Centrino laptop. If you're here over the weekend, they're passing out free Skype gift packs with head phones and 30 SkypeOut credits. Skype remains an underground, unofficial tool at Intel (at PayPal too), adopted by teams and departments to get their work done. Where's the tipping point where IT can no longer ignore the smuggled contraband and either endorses/supports it or bans it and kills it off? Sounds like like we should set up an office pool: "On what date in 2006 will Intel IT officially support Skype for internal use?" Payable next CES.

I talked with an Intel system builder, one of the independents who build PCs from Intel products for retail. He packages the CD/DVD from Intel that includes Skype with every system he makes. He doesn't, however, install Skype on top of Windows. Does this really help Skype's circulation? What is the conversion rate to installation and adoption?

Friday, September 2, 2005

FCC COORDINATING TECH AID FOR KATRINA DISASTER
Quick notes from conference call hosted by the FCC today about urgently coordinating resources and personnel from internet/wireless service providers to get communications networks up and running in in gulf states.

Lack of communications systems has been identified as a critical issue holding back aid, missing persons, law enforcement, etc. in crisis areas.

FCC personnel are working throughout the weekend to coordinate these efforts with private industry, with wireless technology groups, FEMA, and state governments in Mississippi, Louisiana, etc.

COMPANIES WITH TECH ASSETS AND/OR HUMAN RESOURCES TO DONATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AID IN KATRINA-IMPACTED AREAS SHOULD DO THE FOLLOWING

FCC Chief of Staff Dan Gonzalez (daniel dot gonzales at fcc dot gov) says

FCC needs the following information from would be tech donors BY NOON EASTERN [GMT-5] ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3.

1) identify the provider (name of your company or group)
2) identify assets you are willing to commit
3) state clearly what assets you are technologically capable of providing (IP? data? voice?)
4) what your logistical requirements are to bring that to the affected area.
5) can you bring generators? if so what size? capacity? power levels?

SUBMIT THIS INFORMATION TO

PART-15.ORG (they have an online submission form to collect this data)
or wireless@part-15.org

contacts: Michael Anderson (wireless@part-15.org) 630-466-9090, and Claudia Crowley (ccrowley at gmail dot com), 817-292-0230.

Snip from part-15.org website:

The FCC and FEMA is in a desperate need to reestablish communications in the disaster area. More specifically, the metropolitan area of New Orleans and it's surrounding areas. What can Wireless access internet service providers do to help? We can reestablish internal communications and provide connectivity to all disaster relief efforts by installing point to point, point to multipoint links, IP Web cams to assist the police and fire departments who can not be everywhere in such a large area, VoIP phones to provide voice communications to relief personnel in remote areas and many other types of normal everyday communications that most people take for granted.

To accomplish these goals, we will need not only the License Exempt Industry as a whole, but local communities, major companies, and all others that can provide even the slightest of assistance to our teams.

Link

* One of the challenges the FCC faces is fact that the coordination effort involves multiple layers of bureaucracies -- also, that there has been no central point for directing available assets offered by private industry. Participants on the call included folks from Cisco, Intel, and wireless organizations.

* Another challenge: working with FEMA and local governments to ascertain whether it is more immediately effective to get old systems up and running, or create new temporary ones. Depends on tech behind communications system in question.

* FCC reps on the conference call also said they may relax some regulations (power restrictions, etc) but are concerned that the effort be coordinated centrally, carefully, so that various emergency communications "efforts don't end up stepping on each other" and causing more of a tech mess.

* Quote from call participant Jim Duncan, Cisco Critical Infrastructure Insurance group:
"Operational issue number one is fuel and energy. Convoy accident happened today with fuel truck heading into one area... getting fuel and power in is critical, nothing can happen in terms of communications without that. Communications priorities will include law enforcement issues, but also missing persons -- getting refugees access to webpages to unite missing families... Cisco is working with Red Cross to help them figure out how to get backhaul connectivity to hundreds of tent cities they're setting up..."

* Some call participants also noted that any volunteers who end up being assigned in the affected area should bring sleeping bags, water, food so as not to strain resources. Hotel rooms, cars are hard to come by. Tech experts who end up coming to the area (by way of coordinated aid efforts) should be prepared to camp out.

* SBC and other companies are working to get voice and data service set up for refugees at the Houston Astrodome. One provider of digital TV service will also be applying its technology to text messaging tools, so that people there can reconnect with families.

* Jeffrey Citron, CEO of Vonage, says his company has been donating gear and just got a hospital back online with voice services. They've been trying to round up a large number of wireless VoIP phones to distribute to first responders.

Related Skype Journal posts:

• Skyping KatrinaHelp
• Can Communities of Interest support Katrina refugees in diaspora?
• Katrina refugee telecom problems you can solve now
• Hurricane Katrina cuts a hole in the Skype network

Silicon.com has a hot news item about Skype and Intel.

Intel senior vice president Pat Gelsinger said on Wednesday that the two companies were working together at the research and development level to build what he called "good business-class audio", for voice over IP networks.

"I'm happy to announce a partnership between Intel and Skype to make their clients better on our platforms using our software technology, codec technology [encoding and decoding software], and our dual-core platforms," he said during his keynote at the Intel Developer Forum. The collaboration will lead to "improvements in the number of participants in calls and the quality of calls as well", he added.

Notice this partnership does not include Global IP Sound as pointed out in the Skype Forum here by muppetmaster.

Anyone know more about this announcement? Did any of our readers attend the Intel Developers Conference?