EP Topic News: 17th October 2002EP Topic News: 17th October 2002
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The INFORM project publishers of El.pub and VREfresh also publish an occasional email newsletter focusing on the FP6 Programme. The latest issue, dated October 3rd, has been published and reports that:
• a draft workplan for IST is now available on the UK ISHELP web site. The draft covers all the IST subject areas and gives the content and timing of the calls in the first two years. The first call opens 1/12 2002, closes 24/4 2003. The first call for "Cross-media content for leisure and entertainment" is scheduled for mid 2003.
URL: http://www.ukishelp.co.uk/framework6/07Documentation.php
URL: ftp://ftp.ukishelp.co.uk/Download/WP2003-2004_V170902_ISTC.DOC• Information on the outcome of the EOIs is now available at:
URL: http://www.cordis.lu/fp6/eoi-analysis.htm
• and the IST part at:
The newsletter is sent out free to "subscribers" as news becomes available. (To subscribe: send a subscribe message to the email address below) The aim is to provide information to prospective proposers of projects. It will not duplicate the CORDIS web site or CORDIS Focus which remain the principal sources for news about FP6 - to which the newsletter provides permanent links.
Email: subscribe mailto:fp6iepnews@ketlux.demon.co.uk
The European Commission sponsored IPR-Helpdesk has published Issue No 2 of the IPR-Helpdesk Newsletter, IPR Bulletin, on its web site. Available in a number of languages you can subscribe to an email alerter service free of charge on the site.
The October 2002 issue of "The Safer Internet Newsletter", published by the European Commission's Internet Action Plan (IAP), is now available online and as a .pdf format download in English, French and German.
URL: http://www.saferinternet.org
URL: archive http://www.saferinternet.org/news/archive.asp
The WebServices.Org Newsletter has published a two part article on "The Past, Present and Future of Web Services" which considers the the technological and business drivers for the creation of web services and their likely success. Alongside feature length articles the newsletter also includes a fairly exhaustive list of news highlights and a news digest - well worth a free subscription.
URL: Part 1 http://www.webservices.org/index.php/article/articleview/663/1/24/
URL: Part 2 http://www.webservices.org/index.php/article/articleview/679/1/24/
URL: WebServices.Org http://www.webservices.org/
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) reports that a record number of engineers from competing organisations took part in the IPv6 interoperability testing event held towards the end of September 2002. The event, organised by ETSI's Plugtest Service, tested the IPv6 core protocol, mobile IPv6, routing transition and IP security.
URL: ETSI http://www.etsi.org/
URL: ETSI's Plugtest Service http://www.etsi.org/plugtests/
The Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) Task Force, which is supported by the European Commission, has announced that it intends to work with the IPv6 Promotional Council of Japan to promote the introduction of the standard. The protocol, designed to replace the current IPv4, should provide the next generation Internet with enhancements such as a larger address space, built in mobility support, the opportunity to offer new Quality of Service garauntess for services and end users and built-in security, among other things. Further details are available from the IPv6 Task Force web site.
The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has published its annual report for 2001 on CD-ROM. According to the JRC's Director-General, Barry McSweeney, the JRC is playing a central role in both the creation of the European Research Area (ERA) and the enlargment process. Further information is available from the JRC's web site.
A survey of broadband connections to households in seven European countries carried out by Nielsen/Netratings shows that Germany has the highest penetration with an estimated 39% of households connected with broadband. figures for other countries showed Sweden 33%, Netherlands 20%, Spain 18%, Italy 18%, France 17%, UK 9%. A surprising point raised by the survey was the disparity between the difference in broadband penetration between France and the UK, when France has been shown to have a lower Internet penetration rate.
We have received news of two UK companies are among the 20 organisations to have won prizes (worth Euro 5,000) in the first round of the annual European IST Prize competition. They were:
• Norwood Systems for EnterpriseMobility a software platform for creating and managing a short range wireless network, enabling portable devices to connect wirelessly to fixed voice and data networks within the workplace.
• OnRelay for Mobile Branch Exchange, software that extends the full corporate phone system to mobile employees.Both companies enter the next round of judging, hoping to win one of the three grand prizes, each worth Euro 200,000. All 20 first round prize winners will be demonstrating their innovations at the Bella Centre, Copenhagen on November 4, 2002, prior to the annual prize giving at which the grand prize winners will be announced.
URL: European IST Prize http://www.ist-prize.org
URL: Norwood Systems http://www.norwoodsystems.com
URL: OnRelay http://www.onrelay.com
We have received an announcement that the IST 2002 event has Networking Facilities available online with no prior need for registration. The idea is to provide an online forum to enable the discussion of project ideas, research activities and business partnerships with a view to the the first call for proposals of IST in FP6. It is expected that the discussions will focus on possible topics for the "new instruments": Networks of Excellence and Integrated Projects and will form the basis of physical meetings that take place at the conference. Networking session at the event will consist of small groups (of around 20 people) meeting for around 1 hour, larger sessions (of up to 100 people) meeting for up to 90 minutes will also be scheduled in two Networking Rooms in the exhibition area.
Already a native feature of Macromedia ColdFusion MX and JRun 4, Macromedia Flash Remoting MX now supports rich Internet application development using Macromedia Flash with Java and Microsoft .NET Framework-based application servers. This new server product, available from the Macromedia Online Store, delivers on Macromedia's commitment to providing an open deployment solution for rich Internet applications. The trial version is available for immediate download.
URL: http://www.macromedia.com/go/remoting/
URL: Macromedia Online Store http://www.macromedia.com/store/
URL: Macromedia http://www.macromedia.com/
Sun Microsystems intends to add new technologies to the Java platform that support enhanced messaging, graphics, video, audio and security features for mobile devices. According to Sun, handset manufacturers worldwide are offering 80 different Java technology powered phones. Three new specifications developed by the Java Community Process for the Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME), are at the forefront of this drive. They include:
• Version 2.0 of the Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP 2.0) which delivers a wide variety of enhancements to update MIDP, the base collection of Java technologies for mobile handsets.
URL: http://www.jcp.org/jsr/detail/118.jsp
• The Mobile Media API (MMAPI) which delivers the specifications and code for providing new audio, video and multimedia capabilities.
URL: http://java.sun.com/products/mmapi/
• Wireless Messaging API (WMA) which delivers the underlying technology for improved messaging capabilities, including short message service (SMS).
URL: Sun Microsystems http://sun.com/
Openwave Systems, a US developer of IP-based communication infrastructure software and applications, has released the Openwave Download Manager. The software is targeted towards mobile operators who wish to provide their consumers with Java-based content. It manages the downloads of applications, games, ring tones, images to mobile phones, and provides ancillary services, such as billing.
URL: Openwave Systems http://www.openwave.com/
According to its report: "Worldwide XML Development Tools Software Forecast, 2002-2006" IDC believes the XML development tools market will reach US$ 395 million in revenues by 2006. This projection represents a 41.5% compound annual growth rate. The author of the report, available for purchase from IDC, stated that: "XML has become mainstream", and demand for XML-based tools will be driven by: "the demand for utilising existing content ... and management of vast quantities of content."
URL: http://www.idc.com/
Swift 3D version 3.0 from Electric Rain, is described as "a standalone application allowing designers to build and export 3D animations to the Macromedia Flash (SWF) file format, as well as other major vector and raster formats". The company believes that Swift 3D V3 will provide Macromedia Flash MX users with a "better and more flexible approach to integrating 3D content into their projects". The software, available for Windows and Mac is available for download and on CD at US$ 169, upgrades from previous versions cost US$89.
Microsoft has opened its "Center for Information Work (CIW)", which its describes as "an immersive setting that allows Microsoft to explore how productivity could be improved in the future". Located on the company's Redmond campus, the CIW represents "familiar workplace situations to demonstrate concepts for improving how tomorrow's workers will manage information overload, access important data to make decisions, and stay connected when away from the office".
Other organisations that have been involved in the project include: Sony, Intel and Acer. Microsoft believes that around 1,000 customers a month will tour the CIW each month and is hoping to encourage feedback on the prototypes on view, which will include the latest hardware and software including Tablet PCs, plasma screens, RingCam (an omnidirectional video camera that can record a 360-degree view of a room), BroadBench (a display so wide it partially wraps around the user). Further information on the CIW, including photographs, is available via the link below.
URL: CIW http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/events/ciw02/default.asp
URL: Microsoft http://www.microsoft.com/
The launch of a Bluetooth SDIO card from Toshiba promises to bring wireless capabilities to mobile and digital consumer products equipped with a Secure Digital (SD) Card slot. The new card, which will conform to the SDIO Card Type-B standards for Bluetooth and Bluetooth Version 1.1, supports wireless digital uploads and downloads between suitably-equipped products and is expected to be used in PCs, PDAs, mobile phones and digital still cameras. Sample cards are currently available for evaluation by OEMs with mass production expected to commence towards the end of October 2002.
The International Biometric Group (IBG) has published its Biometric Market Report 2003-2007, analysis of biometric technologies, applications, and markets. The report includes annual revenue projections from 2002-2007 for biometric technologies and applications. Highlights from the report:
• a prediction that global industry revenues are going to climb from US$ 600m in 2002 to US$ 4.04b by 2007, driven by large-scale public sector biometric deployments, the emergence of transactional revenue models, and the adoption of standardised biometric infrastructures and data formats.
• fingerprint-based technologies are currently the far largest technology segment but among emerging biometric technologies, Facial-Scan, Middleware and Iris-Scan are all projected to grow in importance by 2007.
• whilst Civil ID and PC / Network Access will be the leading biometric applications over the next five years, Physical Access / Time and Attendance and Surveillance and Screening applications are all projected to grow significantly.
• the Government Sector will be the leading biometric vertical market, with the financial sector and travel and transportation following behind.Further information concerning the report is available via the International Biometric Group's web site.
The Topologi Collaborative Markup Editor is described as software intended for use in supporting "the lifecycle processing of large and complex XML/SGML documents". A 30-day evaluation version of the software is available for free download from the company's site. Individual copies of the program cost US$ 59 per year with an annual site license for unlimited number of users costing US$5,000.
Blogging (from the term Web Log) has apparently exploded on the web. According to O'Reilly & Associates, some people estimate that there are 500,000 blogs online and another 1,500-3,000 blogs coming online every day. "Essential Blogging" from O'Reilly aims to provide potential bloggers detailed advice on how to choose, install, and run blogging software. The book gives detailed installation, configuration, and operation instructions for the leading blogging software: Blogger, Radio Userland, Movable Type, and Blosxom. It also includes practical advice and insider tips on the features, requirements, and limitations of these applications. Chapter 6, "Advanced Blogger," is available free online.
URL: Chapter 6 http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/essblogging/chapter/index.html
URL: http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/essblogging/
The first announcement for an Info Day on Technology Enhanced Learning has been circulated. The Info Day is entitled: "Preparing for the first Call of the 6th Framework programme (FP6)" and will be held on December 5, 2002 at the Jean Monnet building in Luxemburg. The Info Day which is addressed to the research community, intends to provide information on FP6 and to give feedback on the Expressions of Interest relevant to the technology enhanced learning area. The detailed agenda and online registration forms will be available by the end of October although preliminary information can be found online via the link below.
URL: http://www.proacte.com/meetings/infoday_Dec2002/agenda.asp
The October 2002 issue of D-Lib Magazine is now available online. There are four articles, and a report on a major digital library conference, in addition there are excerpts from recent press releases, and news of upcoming conferences. The articles are:
• "Comparing Library and User Related Costs of Print and Electronic Journal Collections: A First Step Towards a Comprehensive Analysis";
• "Open Citation Linking: The Way Forward" (more information on this in the news item below);
• "Toward a Global Digital Library: Generalizing US-Korea Collaboration on Digital Libraries";
• "Information Retrieval by Semantic Analysis and Visualization of the Concept Space of D-Lib Magazine".The conference report is from the Sixth European Conference on Digital Libraries held on 15-18 September 2002 in Rome.
URL: http://www.dlib.org/
"Open Citation Linking: The Way Forward" is the title of a paper published in the October 2002 issue of D-Lib Magazine (see news item above). The published abstract outlines the thesis as follows:
"The speed of scientific communication, the rate of ideas affecting other researchers' ideas, is increasing dramatically. The factor driving this is free, unrestricted access to research papers. Measurements of user activity in mature eprint archives of research papers such as arXiv have shown, for the first time, the degree to which such services support an evolving network of texts commenting on, citing, classifying, abstracting, listing and revising other texts. The Open Citation project has built tools to measure this activity, to build new archives, and has been closely involved with the development of the infrastructure to support open access on which these new services depend. This is the story of the project, intertwined with the concurrent emergence of the Open Archives Initiative (OAI).
The paper describes the broad scope of the project's work, showing how it has progressed from early demonstrators of reference linking to produce Citebase, a Web-based citation and impact-ranked search service, and how it has supported the development of the EPrints.org software for building OAI-compliant archives. The work has been underpinned by analysis and experiments on the semantics of documents (digital objects) to determine the features required for formally perfect linking, instantiated as an application programming interface (API) for reference linking, that will enable other applications to build on this work in broader digital library information environments."
URL: http://www.dlib.org/dlib/october02/hitchcock/10hitchcock.html
XMLmind.com has announced the release of the XMLmind XML Editor Version 2, an XML editor featuring DTD and XML Schema aware editing commands and a word processor-like view configured using W3C's cascading style sheets (CSS). The software is available in two editions:
• the Standard Edition which has all the features needed to edit a document constrained by a DTD but has been restricted in its support of XML Schema. It can be used at no charge "with a very liberal licence".
• the Professional Edition has more features than the Standard Edition without aving any of its technical and legal restrictions.Further information from the XMLmind web site.
The OASIS Digital Signature Services Technical Committee (DSS TC) is being formed to consider the development of techniques to support the processing of digital signatures. The DSS TC mandate includes defining an interface for requesting that a web service produce and/or verify a digital signature on a given piece of data and techniques for proving that a signature was created within its private key validity period. The TC plans to develop:
• a protocol for a digital signature creation web service. Providing digital signatures via such a web service facilitates policy-based control of the provision of the signatures.
• a protocol for a centralised digital signature verification web service that can verify signatures in relation to a given policy set.
• an XML-based protocol to produce cryptographic time stamps that can be used for determining whether or not a signature was created within the associated public key's validity period or before revocation.The TC intends to work with many efforts related to digital signatures and related technologies that are underway throughout the industry, including OASIS Access Control TC (XACML); OASIS Rights Language TC (XrML); OASIS Security Services TC (SAML); OASIS Web Services Security TC (WSSTC); W3C XML Signature; W3C XML Key Management.
URL: OASIS http://www.oasis-open.org/
The October 2002 issue of First Monday (volume 7, number 10) is now available. The table of contents includes articles entitled: "Understanding the Privacy Space"; "Carnival Booth: An Algorithm for Defeating the Computer-Assisted Passenger Screening System"; "Hypertext Links: Whither Thou Goest, and Why"; "The Digital Divide or the Digital Connection: A U.S. Perspective"; "Hacktivists or Cyberterrorists? The Changing Media Discourse on Hacking".
The October issue of the "Cultural Heritage Applications Newsletter" includes the most recent information about the forthcoming 6th Framework Programme as it relates to Cultural and digital content, descriptions of many of the projects currently running under the 5th Framework Programme (FP5) along with links to interesting webpages and resources.
VoiceXMLPlanet.com's Weekly Newsletter for October 10, 2002 includes an article which is entitled: "Progress in the VoiceXML Intellectual Property Licensing Debacle". From the preamble: "In January of 2002 the World Wide Web Consortium released a rule that requires Web standards to be issued royalty free (RF). Intellectual property rights have become a big concern in the Web standardisation process, especially for VoiceXML developers". The issues raised, of course, provide parallels to other areas of web and web service development.
URL: http://voicexmlplanet.com/articles/voicexmlupdate1.html
The second concertation meeting of the Interactive Electronic Publishing (IEP) sector will be held in Luxembourg on October 23-24, 2002. The closed concertation meeting for members of IEP projects will take place on the afternoon of October 23. The meeting, open to all members of current IEP projects, will feature presentations from new IEP projects, present administrative issues concerning projects and start discussions concerning the 6th Framework programme (FP6) and the DG INFSO reorganisation.
In parallel to this closed concertation meeting, an information day on FP6 matters will also be running on October 23-24, 2002 in Luxembourg (see item below), to which IEP project members are also welcome to attend.
A full agenda for the concertation meeting has been circulated to project coordinators and is also available from Pascal Jacques, Head of Sector Interactive Electronic Publishing. IEP Projects wishing to make a presentation at the closed concertation meeting should contact Pascal via the contact points below.
Contact: Pascal Jacques, European Commission DG INFSO/D1, Head of Sector Interactive Electronic Publishing, EUFO1195, 10, rue Robert Stumper, L-2557 Luxembourg
Tel : +352 4301 38034
Fax : +352 4301 38069
E-mail: pascal.jacques@cec.eu.int
The European Commission's Information Society Directorate General has announced an "Information Day on the early stages of implementation of the IST programme within FP6" in Luxembourg, 23-24 October 2002.
Discussions regarding the IST successor programme 2002-2006 are approaching completion. The first call for proposals is expected to be launched towards the end of the year. Following the successful FP6 workshop held on 15-16 May 2002, an Information Day is planned for 23-24 October next. The purpose of the Information Day is to provide participants with first-hand information on the likely scope and content of the calls for proposals that will be launched in the first year of operation of the new programme.
The Information Day will consist of two sessions, addressing RTD topics relating to Interface Technologies and Cognitive Systems on day 1, and Knowledge Technologies and Cross-media Digital Content on day 2.
Please note that the above sessions will be open to all interested parties on a 'first-come first-served' basis. This preliminary announcement is being sent to registered participants in the mid-May workshop, to organisations that submitted an expression of interest in response to the call launched in March last, and to coordinators of ongoing IST projects in the above areas.
Please book the above dates in your diary pending the final agenda and invitation, which will be circulated / published on a suitable web site in the second week of September. Early declaration of your intention to participate in this event can be sent to Joseph Kirsch (via the email below) specifying name, affiliation, email address and the Day / RTD topics you are most interested in. The preliminary agenda is as follows:
Interface Technologies and Cognitive Systems - 23 October, 2002
• Welcome and introduction
• IST within FP6, overview and state of play
• New instruments, administrative provisions governing cost-shared projects, call roadmap
• Q&A• Interface Technologies
- Intended scope and focus in 2003
- Partnerships and intended use of new instruments
- Hints and tips for prospective proposers
- Q&A
• Cognitive Systems
- Intended scope and focus in 2003
- Partnerships and intended use of new instruments
- Hints and tips for prospective proposers
- Q&A• Informal discussions
Knowledge Technologies and Cross-media Digital Content - 24 October, 2002
• Welcome and introduction
• IST within FP6, overview and state of play
• New instruments, administrative provisions governing cost-shared projects, call roadmap
• Q&A• Cross-media Digital Content
- Intended scope and focus in 2003
- Partnerships and intended use of new instruments
- Hints and tips for prospective proposers
- Q&A
• Knowledge Technologies
- Intended scope and focus in 2003
- Partnerships and intended use of new instruments
- Hints and tips for prospective proposers
- Q&A
• Informal discussionsEmail: Joseph Kirsch mailto:Joseph.Kirsch@cec.eu.int
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