Showing papers in "IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine in 2013"
TL;DR: Biometric systems confirm a person's identity by extracting and comparing patterns in their physical characteristics against computer records of those patterns, and, within certain tolerances, a confirmed match can be used to authenticate an individual's identity.
Abstract: Biometric systems confirm a person's identity by extracting and comparing patterns in their physical characteristics against computer records of those patterns. Examples include scans of the face, iris, or retina; measurements of hand geometry, palm or finger vein patterns; fingerprints, ear structure, voice patterns, or any other characteristic of the physical person that represents a unique attribute. The extracted patterns are matched against previously registered patterns, and, within certain tolerances, a confirmed match can be used to authenticate an individual's identity. In most practical systems, there is a need for a large, centralized data repository for storing the registered patterns, and substantial computing power is often required to process new patterns and compare these to the stored data set.
46 citations
TL;DR: The HbbTV standard is now emerging as the most popular standard for seamless integration of the broadcast and broadband worlds.
Abstract: Hybrid broadcast broadband TV (HbbTV) is a standard for hybrid TV that originated in Germany/France with the support of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). It is now emerging as the most popular standard for seamless integration of the broadcast and broadband worlds. HbbTV services are already popular in Germany and France, and their popularity is growing in other countries as well. There is a bevy of HbbTV-capable receivers in the market from leading manufacturers of consumer electronics (CE). This article discusses the HbbTV standard and its applications from a technical perspective.
31 citations
TL;DR: IoT is a new marketing phrase for an old concept known as embedded computing as the need arises for these products to connect to the nearly unlimited resources of the World Wide Web.
Abstract: IoT is a new marketing phrase for an old concept known as embedded computing. As consumer devices continue to develop into mobile products for the extension of our social and familial interactions, the need arises for these products to connect to the nearly unlimited resources of the World Wide Web. The mobile product by its very definition is an independent device with a power source such as a battery, a microcontroller unit (MCU), a display unit, and an Internet connectivity device, such as the radio-like 802.11abgn or 802.15.4, also known as “ZigBee".
29 citations
TL;DR: The emerging trends that will develop in apps over the next five years will be discussed and the role apps will play in the revolution of the tablet computer will be focused on.
Abstract: Tablets did not exist five years ago, but today they are one of the most innovative and sought-after electronic devices on the market This article will highlight the kinds of features possessed by the next-generation tablet computers Applications (apps) are revolutionizing the consumer electronics market, and tablets have been a central part of that revolution This article will discuss the emerging trends that will develop in apps over the next five years The discussion will also focus on the role apps will play in the revolution of the tablet computer Also, a few breakthrough emerging apps will be mentioned
17 citations
TL;DR: This article will address the interface challenges of today's smart TVs and venture a solution to improve the user experience and fulfill the promise of smart TVs.
Abstract: FRUSTRATING, OBTUSE, SLOW, PAINSTAKING-THESE ARE A FEW WORDS describing the process of interacting with today's smart TVs. Shouldn't being "smart" make things easier, not more difficult? This article will address the interface challenges of today's smart TVs and venture a solution to improve the user experience and fulfill the promise of smart TVs.
16 citations
TL;DR: One of my earliest experiences with embedded systems design was back in the late 1980s working with a relatively unknown embedded controller designed by a U.K. manufacturer that featured a quite advanced object-based programming language that made it suitable for rapid prototyping.
Abstract: One of my earliest experiences with embedded systems design was back in the late 1980s working with a relatively unknown embedded controller designed by a U.K. manufacturer. This controller, the Scorpion-K4, featured a quite advanced object-based programming language that made it suitable for rapid prototyping. However, the most powerful features were derived from the intelligent use of another little-known hardware technology?a simple two-wire hardware bus that enabled a keypad, an alphanumeric liquid-crystal display (LCD), and multiple digital and analog I/O ports to be hooked up to a single K4 controller.
13 citations
TL;DR: The paper looks at three-dimensional (3D) printing, the next generation of television and displays, the evolution of audio, how wireless technology is changing lives in Africa, and the impact of technology on education.
Abstract: The paper looks at three-dimensional (3D) printing, the next generation of television and displays, the evolution of audio, how wireless technology is changing lives in Africa, and the impact of technology on education. The high-definition TV (HDTV) digital video recorder, HD radio, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TV, 3-D HDTV, connected TV, smart appliances, ultrabooks, Android 4.0 tablets, and 3-D printers all got their start at 2013 International CES show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
9 citations
TL;DR: Automobiles are becoming true applications platforms where users will download applications that can customize the features, performance, and capabilities of the vehicle to suit the needs and desires of the consumer.
Abstract: Apple and Android portable personal communications devices come with the ability to customize their features and performance, mostly using downloadable applications. Downloading and installing applications lets users customize their device and have it their way at a very nominal or even no additional cost. Typical automobiles cost US$15,000-50,000 and come preprogrammed from the factory based on the manufacturer's perceptions about what consumers want. The time taken to design and manufacture automobiles results in an 18-24-month delay from design to delivery, and the actual sale may take additional months. In the mobile consumer electronics market, 18-24 months can be the useful life of the product. In that amount of time, consumers will likely upgrade to a new product, or their needs and desires may have led them to customize these devices with many downloadable applications. Cars with fixed features designed long before their delivery to consumers are an anachronism. The car of the future will be different. Automobiles are designed around computers, storage, and software and are now as much an electronic system as a mechanical one. In a real sense, personal vehicles are also mobile consumer electronic devices. As a consequence, automobiles are becoming true applications platforms where users will download applications that can customize the features, performance, and capabilities of the vehicle to suit the needs and desires of the consumer-today's car is “my car, my way.”
6 citations
5 citations
TL;DR: On 3 April 1973, Joel Engel was working as a leading researcher and developer at Bell Labs, and he and his team were working at the cutting edge of mobile communications development.
Abstract: On 3 April 1973, Joel Engel was working as a leading researcher and developer at Bell Labs. During that time, he and his team were working at the cutting edge of mobile communications development. They had already created the wireless cell architecture that we use whenever we are out and about with our mobile devices, and they were looking at ways to develop technology that would take advantage of their work.
5 citations
TL;DR: Network time protocol (NTP) has become widely used across the Internet to synchronize clocks on computers and, more recently, on a wide variety of handheld devices.
Abstract: Network time protocol (NTP) has become widely used across the Internet to synchronize clocks on computers and, more recently, on a wide variety of handheld devices. You are using NTP on a daily basis without even knowing it?when you set your mobile phone to get its time from the local network, you are linking into a global network of NTP servers that coordinate time across the entire Internet.
TL;DR: I needed light on a staircase in my house and defined a relationship between the switch and the bulb to send a message to tell the bulbs to turn on and off using standard protocols on the common Internet transport.
Abstract: I needed light on a staircase in my house. It was simple enough to install?I had my electrician connect a light fixture to the nearest power source and that was that. Nothing unusual until you notice that I never mentioned a light switch. I simply defined a relationship between the switch and the bulb to send a message to tell the bulb to turn on and off using standard protocols on the common Internet transport.
TL;DR: Locally underutilized spectrum can be found in many frequency ranges and is usually referred to as spectrum holes or white spaces and before these frequency resources are allowed to be exploited by secondary users, regulators must ensure that primary users will not be negatively affected by additional interference.
Abstract: Due to THE growing demand for high data rates, wireless communication systems require more and more terrestrial frequency resources. Usable frequencies, however, are typically fully allocated to all kinds of wireless technology. One possible solution to meet the increasing data traffic demands is to build smaller radio cells to reuse spectrum more efficiently. However, the associated costs for new infrastructure and increased energy consumption make this option economically unviable. Therefore, efforts are being made to make use of locally vacant spectrum that is primarily licensed to other wireless systems?on a license-exempt or secondary license basis. Locally underutilized spectrum can be found in many frequency ranges (e.g., in military, aeronautical, and TV spectrum or in frequency bands allocated to historic communication systems) and is usually referred to as spectrum holes or white spaces [1]. Before these frequency resources are allowed to be exploited by secondary users, regulators must ensure that primary users will not be negatively affected by additional interference.
TL;DR: To most people, the Internet is something they access only after agreeing to pay a service provider because, in the past, it was the province of university researchers with only limited access to outsiders.
Abstract: Having used connected computers for nearly half a century, I take it for granted that the Internet is about seamless connectivity that starts locally, at home. However, to most people, the Internet is something they access only after agreeing to pay a service provider because, in the past, the Internet was the province of university researchers with only limited access to outsiders.
TL;DR: Tablets are the latest craze in the consumer electronics (CE) world, many featuring new screen and speaker technologies and the latest in low-power, high-performance mobile CPU with the latest models beginning to feature GPU and specialized multimedia IP cores.
Abstract: Tablets are the latest craze in the consumer electronics (CE) world. New models are hitting the shelves every few months, many featuring new screen and speaker technologies and the latest in low-power, high-performance mobile CPU with the latest models beginning to feature GPU and specialized multimedia IP cores.
TL;DR: Flash memory is used in most smart mobile devices (e.g., tablet computers and smartphones) for video and music playout and many consumers use flash memory cards built into smartphones to capture still and moving images.
Abstract: Consumer electronic products revolve around digital content. Every aspect of the consumer market requires digital storage to keep this content. Many consumers use digital storage on flash memory cards built into smartphones to capture still and moving images. Flash memory is used in most smart mobile devices (e.g., tablet computers and smartphones) for video and music playout.
TL;DR: The goal of this article is to provide information about the SBIR/STTR program and help authors write solid proposals so that excellent ideas from the game development community can get funded.
Abstract: I have had the opportunity to serve as a reviewer on several National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program panels in the subject areas of information technology and education applications. The SBIR/STTR program is a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to get funding for exciting, potentially lucrative products in digital media. Funding is provided for innovative and risky projects that push the boundaries of existing technologies. The program seeks specifically to fund ambitious, entrepreneurial companies that have developed new products for which there is a demonstrated market. Successful phase I grantees are then eligible for phase II grants, which can total more than US$1 million. However, many in the game development community are either unaware of the existence of this funding opportunity or they have little experience in writing good grant proposals. In my experience, the quality of the proposals submitted for funding in this area is lower than the quality of proposals in other areas such as human-computer interaction or user interface design. The goal of this article is to provide information about the program and help authors write solid proposals so that excellent ideas from the game development community can get funded.
TL;DR: This framework aims to take a connected idea from concept to solution by introducing key considerations linked to adoption by developing a scoring framework that analyzes 16 attributes in four major categories, including consumer value proposition, user experience, strategic purpose, and solution integration.
Abstract: With the recent release of consumer-oriented, person-to-machine (P2M) sensors and connected devices, ranging from Wi-Fi scales to fitness-tracking bracelets, many companies have begun asking, ?What?s going on with sensors?? Sensors themselves are not a new phenomenon; in fact, there are sensors to detect nearly anything imaginable. The success of a solution has more to do with identifying a core problem, recognizing benefits, understanding context, and, of course, imagination. Thinking of an idea is easy, but sculpting that idea into something that will gain traction and generate true business value is dramatically more difficult. On the basis of external research and in collaboration with 13 large companies, we have developed a scoring framework that analyzes 16 attributes in four major categories, including consumer value proposition, user experience, strategic purpose, and solution integration. This framework aims to take a connected idea from concept to solution by introducing key considerations linked to adoption.
TL;DR: Reports on the development and applications supported by the National Television Study Committee (NTSC) color TV standard.
Abstract: Reports on the development and applications supported by the National Television Study Committee (NTSC) color TV standard.