EP Topic News: 6th March 2003

Forward to next week

Back to previous week

French eContent web service

The French Government has launched an eContent web service which focuses on providing information concerning the European Commission's eContent Programme. The site includes information on:

• the work programmes,
• National Contact Points,
• related Commission web sites and information services,
• calls for proposals along with guidelines for proposal submission,
• eContent information days and events,
• partner search database.

URL: http://www.telecom.gouv.fr/econtent/

Journal of Web Engineering

The first issue of the quarterly Journal of Web Engineering (JWE) was published in October 2002. The aims and scope of the journal are described:

"Web Engineering uses scientific, engineering and management principles and systematic approaches to successfully develop, deploy and maintain high quality web-based systems and applications. The Journal of Web Engineering (JWE) provides a forum for distribution of information in all areas of Web Engineering. Original articles, survey articles, reviews, tutorials, perspectives, and correspondence are all welcome."

The Journal is published by Rinton Press, NJ, USA and will be published spring, summer, autumn and winter.
The first issue includes peer-reviewed articles entitled:

• "Web Engineering" which provides an overview of the concept, why it is needed, in which domain it operates, how it will improve web application development and how the principles can be incorporated into education and training.
• "A proposed Curriculum for a Masters in Web Engineering" aims to stimulate a dialogue on the characteristics and aims of Web Engineering graduate degree programmes.
• "Client Needs and the Design Process for Web Projects" considers the peculiarities inherent in web development projects and suggests an iterative model for Web systems development.
• "A Software Architecture for Structuring Complex Web Applications" presents an architecture for building families of web applications.
• "Towards a Reusable Repository for Web Metrics" which suggests ways that such a repository has the potential to provide the basis for supporting different quality assurance processes.
• "Characterising E-business Workloads Using Fractal Methods" presents techniques that may improve the process of workload characterisation for e-business (commerce) web sites.

Further information concerning the Journal and paper submission guidelines are available via the link below.

URL: http://www.rintonpress.com/journals/jwe/

XML/human resources standardisation

The Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) X12 and the Human Resources XML (HR-XML) Consortium have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on data standards development for the human resources and insurance/health care industries. HR-XML brings a wealth of XML vocabulary expertise from all aspects of the human resources industry while ASC X12 is a cross-industry standards body with more than 300 plus EDI transactions sets implemented around the world.

URL: HR-XML http://www.hr-xml.org
URL: ASC X12 http://www.x12.org

Autonomy - automated metadata generation

Autonomy has released the Autonomy Eduction module, which the company claims "automatically analyses unstructured text and extracts complex metadata". This metadata can then be used to improve information retrieval, navigation, storage and transfer within the enterprise. The Eduction module operates within Autonomy's Intelligent Data Operating Layer (IDOL) technology which is used to "automate operations within enterprise information portals, customer relationship management, knowledge management, business intelligence and e-business applications".

URL: Autonomy http://www.autonomy.com

Biometric Market Report 2003-2007

The International Biometric Group (IBG) has published an update to its "Biometric Market Report 2003 - 2007". Originally released in September, 2002, this analysis of biometric technologies, applications, and global markets has been updated to include more vendor profiles and up-to-date analysis on recent news and events effecting the biometric industry. The 298 page sells for US$ 3995 and can be purchased online.

URL: http://www.biometricgroup.com/bmr.htm

Web 3D "on demand"

Advantage3D, has released MyAdvantage3D which according to the developer will "enable anyone that can snap digital photos of their products to create and link 3-D, zoom and slide show images to their web sites, auctions, and emails". The company is providing the technology using a pay-as-you-go model. Find out more by visiting the Advantage3D web site.

URL: http://www.advantage3d.com

MMS creation and delivery platform

According to its developers the SPOT xde Media Platform from VoiceAge Corporation, "facilitates the creation of rich multimedia content for content creators and enables the creation and playback of multimedia messages for end users". It is aimed at wireless operators and service providers wishing to implement multimedia messaging services (MMS).

URL: http://www.voiceage.com/

Motorola multimedia handset

The Motorola A760 handset combines a Linux Operating System and Java technology, with multimedia PDA functionality. According to Motorola, the handset offers a: digital camera, video player, MP3 player, speakerphone, advanced messaging, Internet access and Bluetooth wireless technology. The Motorola A760 is expected to first launch in the Asia Pacific region "in 2003".

URL: Motorola http://www.motorola.com/

riteMail - handwritten emails

Pen&Internet's riteMail 2.0 for Palm powered devices, is described as "an interactive, electronic ink email application that lets users create handwritten notes and drawings to store on a Palm powered handheld or to email and be viewed in any of the major email systems". The company confirms that this release debuts riteMail 2.0's first mobile client, preceding the upcoming release of a comprehensive new riteMail system.

URL: Pen&Internet http://www.penandinternet.com/
URL: riteMail http://www.ritemail.net/

Mobile animations

Visitors to GSM World Congress 2003 held in Cannes were able to see a preview of a new service under development by FunMail and Intel to enable users to create their own customised cartoons on a mobile device, based on the text of a short message. Users can choose from a number of preconfigured animations which they can modify, FunMail's real-time animation rendering engine then creates a unique animation, which is streamed to the PCA device in Macromedia Flash format. The FunMail Animated Rendering Engine, is device-independent, and can generate content for SMS, MMS and rich-media devices. According to Funmail the Rendering Engine is already running on NTT DoCoMo's i-mode network, allowing i-mode users to create customised animated messages by choosing background, character and props from a set of menus.

URL: http://www.funmail.com/

Cross platform Virtual Database

Virtuoso 3.0 from OpenLink Software is the latest edition of its cross platform Virtual Database for SQL, XML, and Web Services. The new release enables transparent and concurrent access in real-time to heterogeneous data sources that include ODBC/JDBC/OLE DB/.NET - accessible databases, XML documents, and data-set oriented Web Services. Currently available in public beta form for the following platforms: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and UNIX, it will be commercially available during the first week of March 2003. The software is available for download from OpenLink's web site where you can also view live features demonstrations via an online virtual database instance.

URL: download http://www.openlinksw.com/virtuoso
URL: demo http://demo.openlinksw.com:8890/tutorial
URL: OpenLink http://www.openlinksw.com/

Live browser updating

According to its developers, the KnowNow Live Browser software package, "gives web developers the ability to add server-based notification functions and two-way, real time data exchange to thin-client browser applications". KnowNow claim that the software extends the web's viability for such functions as real time reporting, comprehensive and up-to-the-second customer service screens, live monitoring of operations, truly live online auctions, and supply chain management. It does this without requiring the user to install a browser plug-in or Java virtual machine, thus removing the IT support requirements of those solutions.

URL: KnowNow Live Browser http://www.knownow.com/products/browser.html
URL: KnowNow http://www.knownow.com/

Network-based location system

"The Finder" is a product based on TruePosition's location methodology U-TDOA or Uplink Time Difference of Arrival. This location methodology relies on technology located in cellular operator base stations, and determines a mobile phone's location by precisely measuring and then comparing the exact time at which a cellular signal reaches each of the stations. The technology is being promoted to wireless carriers in order that they can provide location-based services to their users. TruePosition claim that "unlike a handset-based GPS solution, TruePosition's network-based technology will work with all existing handsets".

URL: http://www.trueposition.com/

Web excellence in digital media

To mark the fifth anniversary of the TV Meets The Web Seminar in Amsterdam, the event organisers, Van Dusseldorp & Partners, are inviting broadcasters, production and entertainment companies to compete for the inaugural TV Meets the Web Excellence in Digital Media Award. The winner will be chosen from a showcase of the most innovative and effective, multi-platform content concepts that will be presented during the Seminar on May 15-16, 2003. Showcase concepts will involve a combination of television, radio, Internet, mobile services, print, outdoors media and partners. If you are interested in submitting an entry for the Award, please send a one-page description of your concept to Monique van Dusseldorp, together with your contact details via the email below.

Email: Monique van Dusseldorp mailto:monique@vandusseldorp.com
URL: Seminar http://www.tvmeetstheweb.com/may2003
URL: Award http://www.tvmeetstheweb.com/may2003/awarddetails.php

Latest Electronic Publishing Bibliography

Version 47 of the Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography is now available online in both .pdf and .html formats. This selective bibliography presents over 1,800 articles, books, and other printed and electronic sources that are useful in understanding scholarly electronic publishing efforts on the Internet.

URL: .html http://info.lib.uh.edu/sepb/sepb.html
URL: .pdf http://info.lib.uh.edu/sepb/sepb.pdf

Browser-based HTML/XHTML authoring

JXHTMLEDIT is a browser-based HTML/XHTML content authoring tool based on the Java 2 Platform that allows WYSIWYG editing on multiple platforms. The tool requires the Sun Java Plug-in 1.4 or higher installed on client.

URL: http://javaboutique.internet.com/JXHTMLEDIT

Web development resources

A number of useful articles focused on web development issues published on the Developer.com site include:

• "Web Services Description Language (WSDL) Essentials", (Chapter 6: "WSDL Essentials" from the book Web Services Essentials, published by O'Reilly) provides a backgrounder to this central component for web services development.

URL: http://www.developer.com/services/article.php/1602051

• "Universal Modeling Language (UML) Tools", is the second in a series of articles on UML which introduces some key products and features.

URL: http://www.developer.com/design/article.php/1593811

• "What is ASP.NET?", which provides a brief overview of the difference between Active Server Pages (ASP) and regular, static web pages.

URL: http://www.developer.com/net/asp/article.php/1588231

Socio-economic dimension of FP5 - report

According to CORDIS, a new report by the Commission's DG Research into the overall socio-economic (SE) dimension of the Fifth Framework Programme (FP5) concludes that the general SE relevance of FP5 projects is high, and that further action is needed to enhance the social and economic impact of research. In order to effectively maximise the impact of Community research on the economy and society, the report first identifies the need for qualitative and quantitative tools to measure such impacts. Any attempt to measure societal and economic changes is described, however, as "an extremely challenging exercise".

URL: http://www.cordis.lu/improving/socio-economic/home.htm

Multimedia online news

A "Stop The Presses!" article, "Breaking-news Multimedia: Not an Oxymoron" published on Editor & Publisher Online, considers the current state-of-the art of online multimedia news publishing, describing how, in the opinion of the author that it is still in its infancy.

URL: http://tinyurl.com/6hbk

m-commerce association formed

The Mobile Payment Services Association aims to accelerate the development of m-commerce by promoting "an interoperable branded payment system for mobile phones" to customers, content providers, merchants and banks.

URL: http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/Feb2003/4973.htm

FpML 2.0 final Recommendation

ISDA has announced the final version for FpML 2.0. The specifications for version 2.0 Recommendation are available on the FpML web site.

URL: specs http://www.fpml.org/spec/index.asp
URL: press release http://www.fpml.org/press/press-releases/PR-2003-02-26.asp

dicas MPEG-4 SDKs

dicas digital image coding is German company developing MPEG-4 video coding solutions. The company has a family of MPEG-4 end user products which it sells under the mpegable brand, supporting the most common profiles of MPEG-4 video, including Visual Advanced Simple Profile. The company also offers MPEG-4 Software development Kits (SDKs) and is a leading member of the MPEG-4 Industry Forum. The company has just released mpegable Broadcaster, video encoding software for MPEG-4 multicast streaming.

URL: Broadcaster http://www.mpegable.com/showPage.php?SITE=dicas&PAGE=news23
URL: MPEG-4 Industry Forum http://www.m4if.org
URL: dicas http://www.mpegable.com/

Samsung WiseVIEW

VREfresh reports that Samsung SDS has announced WiseVIEW Mobile, a 2D/3D visualisation and collaboration software solution for design engineers. WiseVIEW Mobile offers a way for engineers to view, manage and collaborate with data in real time using the mobility and convenience of a PDA. WiseVIEW Mobile also enables over 200 file types to be viewed in multiple formats. Files from major CAD systems can be assembled on one platform, providing consistency and enhancing job efficiency.

WiseVIEW Mobile is available in two editions to suit the collaboration, data conversion, and mark-up needs of the individual and enterprise user. WiseVIEW Mobile Standard includes a 2D viewer, while WiseVIEW Mobile Pro offers 3D viewing. WiseVIEW Mobile's converter works by compressing Image, 2D and 3D files on the PC to JPEG, DWF and W3D formats, enabling more data to be contained on the PDA. WiseVIEW Mobile Standard is available at US$ 99. WiseVIEW Mobile Pro will be available later this year.

VREfresh - news and resources focusing on VR and interactive 3D technologies - is offered as a separate news service via El.pub. The news can be viwed online on El.pub and you can subscribe to a free weekly email service from the news page.

URL: http://www.sds.samsung.com
URL: VREfresh http://www.elpub.org/base02vt0221.htm

European technology transfer network

ProTon Europe (public research organisations transfer office network) is supported by the Commission funded Gate2Growth initiative, and aims to create a forum for the exchange of good practice in the area of technology transfer. The launch meeting in Brussels brought together the first 42 members of the network, who were selected on the basis of a call for expressions of interest. Each member will take part in one of seven working groups, in which the core content of the network will be developed. The themes of the working groups are:

• transfer office structure and management,
• patenting and intellectual property rights,
• licensing,
• interaction with industry,
• spin offs and campus companies,
• policy development,
• continuous professional development.

Initially the working groups will perform a comprehensive assessment of current approaches to research exploitation within transfer offices with the results being disseminated via the ProTon knowledge management system, and through workshops and conferences. Alongside this aim of creating a comprehensive knowledge base, the ProTon Europe network will also attempt to foster a European identity for the technology transfer profession, and provide an input to European and national policy making on the issue.

The network's first annual conference, to discuss progress is scheduled to take place in November 2003.

URL: http://www.gate2growth.com/g2g/G2G_TN_PatentAcademia.asp

Electronic news for educators

CIT INFOBITS is a free electronic service published by The University of North Carolina's Center for Instructional Technology. Each month the CIT's Information Resources Consultant monitors and selects from a number of information and instructional technology sources and provides brief notes for electronic dissemination to educators. The notes (effectively brief articles) include links to further sources of online information and debate. Sample notes from a recent issue include:

• "Does the Internet Foster Shallow Learning?",
• "Student Citation Behavior",
• "The Next Major Wave of Change in US Higher Education",
• "Learning Communities",
• "Creative Commons and Copyright",
• "Recommended Reading"

To subscribe to INFOBITS, send an email to mailto:listserv@unc.edu with the following message: "SUBSCRIBE INFOBITS firstname lastname" (substitute your own first and last names), or use the web subscription form. The newsletter is also available online, and welcomes readers' contributions.

URL: subscription http://listserv.unc.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?join=infobits
URL: online newsletter http://www.unc.edu/cit/infobits/

Intelligent Information Retrieval

The Scout Report carries a news item on The Center for Intelligent Information Retrieval which is located within the computer science department at the University of Massachusetts. The Center is dedicated to "developing tools that provide effective and efficient access to large, heterogeneous, distributed, text and multimedia databases." It conducts a variety of research activities, and the web site includes a number of demonstration projects and working papers divided into thematic areas. (Source: The Scout Report)

URL: Center for Intelligent Information Retrieval http://ciir.cs.umass.edu/
URL: The Scout Report http://scout.wisc.edu/report/sr/2003/scout-030228.html

Scout Portal Tookit 1.1.1

Version 1.1.1 of this turnkey open source portal software has just been released by the Internet Scout Project. The Scout Portal Toolkit (SPT) allows groups or organisations to catalogue and disseminate their collections or resources via the web. SPT's metadata tool comes packaged with Dublin Core fields which can be modified to fit a collection's specific needs.

Other features include a flexible interface (through separation of PHP and HTML), privilege settings, and workflow management features. The toolkit also provides a recommender system, reader ratings and comments, a Google-like search engine, and has been built with special attention paid to accessibility issues. The toolkit is free and will run on web servers (preferably running Linux and Apache) that support PHP and MySQL. (Source: The Scout Report)

URL: http://scout.wisc.edu/research/SPT/

W3C streaming text specification

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has initiated the Timed Text Working Group (TTWG) to prepare a standard to synchronise text with audio and video over the Internet. The specification may make text captioning standard and not proprietary to a device or browser.

URL: Timed Text http://www.w3.org/AudioVideo/TT/
URL: W3C http://www.w3c.org/

Forward to next week

Back to previous week

El.pub - Interactive Electronic Publishing R & D News and Resources
We welcome feedback and contributions to the information service, and proposals for subjects for the news service (mail to: webmasters@elpub.org)

Edited by: Logical Events Limited - electronic marketing, search engine marketing, pay per click advertising, search engine optimisation, website optimisation consultants in London, UK. Visit our website at: www.logicalevents.org

Last up-dated: 16 February 2024

© 2024 Copyright and disclaimer El.pub and www.elpub.org are brand names owned by Logical Events Limited - no unauthorised use of them or the contents of this website is permitted without prior permission.