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The New Meadowlands sports complex has once again proven that a gigantic stadium also requires a gigantic IP network.

10 sports technologies to love and 5 to hate

In less than two-weeks, when the New York Giants inaugurate the New Meadowlands stadium with its first regular-season game, fans will have the benefit of using a massive IP network that will be responsible for HD video displays, processing credit card transactions and delivering Wi-Fi connectivity to fans’ wireless devices.

How big is this network, you ask? Let’s start with the 60 telecom closets dispersed throughout the stadium that provide connectivity to the roughly 10,000 IP ports in the complex. Each closet is an estimated 200 square feet in size and contains a Cisco Catalyst 6500 switch, a Catalyst 3750 switch, a cellular antenna system for wireless connectivity and an uninterruptable power supply system to protect the infrastructure from power surges. Each closet receives a 40Gbps Ethernet connection from a telecom base system that acts as the center of the massive IP network.

Branching out a bit, the telecom closets are used to provide Web connectivity to the stadium’s 2,200 HD video displays that provide customized content for users depending on where they are in the stadium. For example, different displays will provide advertisements for different shops that are closest to where fans are standing. They can also provide customized information for the nearest exits from different areas as well as menus for different restaurants in the area.

Click to see: Picture of the new Meadowlands Stadium

 The IP network similarly provides Wi-Fi connectivity for any Wi-Fi-capable device in the stadium, allowing fans to access similar promotional content and stadium information on their smartphones. All of this content will be managed through StadiumVision, Cisco’s content distribution system designed specifically for major entertainment venues.

“Each display can have customized content pushed to it, not just in terms of media content but also different types of information for each area,” explains Ron Ricci, Cisco’s vice president for corporate positioning. “The Internet is the most efficient and effective content distribution system on the planet.”

Even more intriguing is what Cisco and Verizon have set up in the stadium’s high-priced luxury suites. Among other things, the suites are equipped with touchscreen Cisco IP phones that act as remote controls for HD displays and also have apps that let fans order food and merchandise that will be delivered directly to their seats in the suites. The phones will also come equipped with an ever-expanding array of applications that can provide them with additional entertainment or information during the game.

“If a fan is a fantasy football player, we would develop applications where you could have their fantasy stats for the day pop up in real-time as games are played,” says Peter Brickman, the CTO of New Meadowlands. “You can even start initiating little competitions for games like with other people in the suites.”

Brickman says having every function within the stadium go through the same IP network has provided a strong cost advantage to the stadium as it doesn’t have to maintain multiple networks that cover entertainment, video and the Internet. This is in contrast to the old Giants Stadium, where he says that “we had separate networks for everything and a lot of control rooms that weren’t IP-controlled.”

He says in addition to its massive size, setting up the network was particularly challenging because it had to be done while the stadium was still under construction. So instead of coming into a finished building and installing equipment, technicians had to wade through sawdust and construction workers to install the entire network without even having the benefit of air conditioning. In the end, though, Brickman says all the work and toil that went into installing the network will be worthwhile as it will give fans a more integrated game experience.

Read more about lans & wans in Network World’s LANs & WANs section.

All contents copyright 1995-2010 Network World, Inc. http://www.networkworld.com

Orange claims to have introduced technology that will lead to the end of distorted and crackling mobile phone calls. The company’s high definition (HD) voice service is being offered to 3G customers of the France Telecom-owned mobile operator.

The move follows a survey in which 75 percent of mobile phone users said that call quality was the most important feature of their device, Orange said that the new technology would help mobile phone users handle calls in the noisiest environments.

The technology will mean that mobile users will be able to pick up nuances in callers’ voices, something that is not always possible with conventional mobile telephony.

Martin Stiven, VP of Business at Everything Everywhere, the company which runs Orange UK, said: “HD Voice is going to change the way businesses are able to communicate through our mobiles from conducting calls in places that were not previously possible to the ability to hear emotions in people’s voices. People are going to love the clarity of calls and the lack of background noise.”

The Orange HD Voice system uses a different voice codec to standard mobile calls. It uses a wider range of bandwith – 70 to 7000Hz – compared to the narrower 300 to 3400Hz used by conventional mobile telephony.

At the moment, Orange HD is confined to just two models, Nokia E5 and the Samsung Omnia Pro 5230, although the company has said that further models will be introduced in the coming months.

All contents copyright 1995-2010 Network World, Inc. http://www.networkworld.com

The U.S. and Canadian governments this week said that Toshiba is voluntarily recalling some Satellite laptops for posing a burn hazard to customers.

Laptops could overheat and possibly melt the area around the notebook’s plug-in to the AC adapter, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada said in a joint statement.

The burn hazard results from a faulty component. Laptops being voluntarily recalled include the Satellite T135, Satellite T135D and Satellite Pro T130 models. The model and part numbers are located on the bottom of the laptops, and begin with PST3AU, PST3BU, or PST3LU, according to Toshiba’s support Web site

The laptops were sold in stores and through online retailers, including Toshiba’s Web site, from August 2009 through August 2010 for between US$600 and $800.

The hazard affects about 41,000 laptops worldwide. Toshiba has received 129 reports of either overheating or of plastic casing melting around the AC adapter plug, the CPSC and HC said. The reports included minor burn injuries and property damage.

Toshiba has released BIOS revisions for the laptops that can disable external power after failure. Toshiba said batteries cannot be recharged until the problem is fixed. Toshiba has asked customers to call the company’s product support line for repairs.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.

All contents copyright 1995-2010 Network World, Inc. http://www.networkworld.com

The long-troubled — and previously aborted — development of Duke Nukem Forever is getting a new life, as 2K Games revealed Friday morning at PAX that the game is not only in development but is playable on the show floor.

The game’s coming to the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC for 2011. Gearbox Software is finishing development. GamePro is checking out the game later today — check back this afternoon for a preview.

“I can’t believe it, either,” said Gearbox Software CEO and President Randy Pitchford in the livestream showing off the game. ” You guys [the crowd at PAX] are among the first people in the world to play it.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s totally real. We can’t let the Duke die.”

All contents copyright 1995-2010 Network World, Inc. http://www.networkworld.com

(Credit: Apple)

The refreshed Apple TV sports a new design, Netflix streaming, and low price, but like the old model, Apple’s streaming video box is still limited to 720p content. While that means the Apple TV loses the spec war to competitors like the Xbox 360 and Vudu, which both offer 1080p streaming-video options, the reality is that higher resolution doesn’t necessarily mean better image quality. The fact that the Apple TV doesn’t support 1080p video doesn’t matter.

The Apple TV's resolution may be maxed at 720p, but that doesn't necessarily mean its image quality will be subpar.

(Credit: Apple)

When it comes to streaming video, bit rate is much more important than resolution. Video bit rate basically states how much information is being used to create the video, and in general, the more information the better. (There are differences between different video compression formats, but bit rate is still a good general indicator of image quality.)

You can upscale a low-quality, low-bit-rate YouTube video to 1080p resolution, but it’s still going to look just as blocky, even though it’s technically 1080p. Since services like Netflix, Vudu, and Amazon VOD typically don’t disclose the bit rate of their streaming movies; the only way to tell which has better image quality is to actually look at the videos and compare.

Even if services were using relatively high bit rate 720p and 1080p video files, we wouldn’t necessarily be concerned about the difference in resolution. The difference between 720p and 1080p content just isn’t that noticeable on a standard-sized HDTV (50 inches of less) at a regular seating distance. Unless you’ve got a huge HDTV or a projector, high-quality 720p content is generally going to look just as good as high-quality 1080p content. Major networks like ABC, ESPN, and Fox all use 720p resolution for their HD television shows and can look excellent. (As long as your service provider isn’t further compressing them.)

The bottom line is that 720p is plenty of resolution for excellent-looking streaming video. We won’t be able to tell how good the Apple TV’s streaming video quality is until we do a hands-on review, but nobody should shy away from the new Apple TV because it’s “just” 720p.

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Covering home audio and video, Matthew Moskovciak helps CNET readers find the best sights and sounds for their home theaters. E-mail Matthew or follow him on Twitter @cnetmoskovciak.

Among the more than 145 million users of Twitter, a growing number are accessing the microblogging service through mobile apps.

More Twitter users are accessing and posting their tweets via mobile apps.

(Credit: Twitter)

The number of mobile users on Twitter has grown 62 percent since mid-April, according to a Thursday blog post from CEO Evan Williams.

Among newbies to the site, 16 percent of them tap into their first tweet via the mobile Web. That’s up from 5 percent before the company launched its rebranded Twitter app for the iPhone a few months ago.

In his blog, Williams also revealed why Twitter bought the app formerly known as Tweetie and reintroduced it as Twitter for the iPhone in May. Tests run by the company discovered users were having trouble picking a mobile Twitter app among the dozens out there because no app was named “Twitter.”

As it was prepping to launch Twitter for the iPhone, the company felt it also needed a branded mobile client for the other smartphone platforms. That prompted it to release its own Twitter for Android app, while Research in Motion debuted Twitter for BlackBerry, both around the same time.

Twitter’s stats show that 8 percent of all users now reading and posting tweets through the iPhone app and 7 percent use Twitter for BlackBerry. But third-parties apps continued to be popular, with 3 percent of Twitter accounts using TweetDesk. Altogether, 14 percent access Twitter through its mobile site.

And though 78 percent of Twitter folks still access the service directly via the traditional Web site, other apps are playing a larger role.

The number of registered OAuth applications has grown to almost 300,000, says Williams, triple the number since Twitter’s Chirp developers conference in April. An open means of authentication, OAuth lets people who store information on one site authorize another site to access it. By working with OAuth, developers can create alternative ways for people to view and post tweets without using a dedicated Twitter client or Web page.

Lance Whitney wears a few different technology hats–journalist, Web developer, and software trainer. He’s a contributing editor for Microsoft TechNet Magazine and writes for other computer publications and Web sites. You can follow Lance on Twitter at @lancewhit. Lance is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and he is not an employee of CNET.

(Credit: Boxee)

In an attempt to capitalize on the talk surrounding the Apple TV, Boxee revealed in a blog post earlier this week that it will start selling its anticipated Boxee Box in November for $200.

“We all watched the Apple announcement,” Boxee CEO Avner Ronen wrote on his company’s blog. “We walked away feeling confident about the space it left for Boxee to compete. We have a different view of what users want in their living rooms.”

Ronen then said that the Boxee Box “is going to be $100 more expensive than the Apple TV, but will give you the freedom to watch what you want.”

The new Apple TV, which will retail for $99 when it launches later this month, is somewhat unique in the set-top box market. It won’t offer any on-board storage, and will only allow users to rent films or television shows. It will also include Netflix streaming and YouTube access.

The Boxee Box promises more content. The set-top box, which is being developed by D-Link, will offer users access to video from the Web or local storage in full 1080p HD. A description of the device on Boxee’s site says that users will be able to “watch thousands of popular TV shows and movies for free.” Boxee Box owners can also access music content from several online sources, including Pandora.

Those interested in learning more about the Boxee Box and the company’s plans for its device should listen in to Buzz Out Loud on Friday at 10:30 a.m. PDT. The hosts will be interviewing Boxee CEO Avner Ronen. Click here to listen to the live feed.

Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.

I’m not sure I’ll ever care about 3D, which seems like a slick, gimmicky additive to me, but if you do, Sony says its first stereoscopic 3D laptop will hit the grid next year. The laptop (or a prototype, depending who you read) was in fact just demoed at the IFA 2010 technology fair in Berlin.

It’ll sell under the company’s Vaio brand, and include a 3D button that, when pressed, will lend three-dimensional depth to a 2D image. Tap the button again, and you’re back to classic two-dimensional viewing at 1920 x 1080 (1080p) resolution. The idea’s to let you play video games or watch high-definition movies in 3D (the laptop will presumably have a Blu-ray player).

Ah, but here’s the catch: You’ll have to wear a pair of active shutter glasses to make it work. Which means you’ll have to haul potentially scratch-able, bendable, and eminently smudge-able shades around with you everywhere. Oh, and no hunkering in your basement to avoid stares (or smirks) from curious onlookers, or the fashion police, warning you Devo wants its eyewear back.

Why Sony isn’t launching a model that works glasses-free, like Toshiba’s standalone TV, or Nintendo’s ultramobile 3DS, is anyone’s guess.

HP’s apparently planning much the same: The company just announced a similar 3D laptop in its Envy family (it’ll also require glasses) due out by the holidays.

Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer says the laptop will be available through regular retail channels next spring. No one’s certain what it’ll cost, or how much of a premium Sony will charge for the 3D angle, but Sony says it’ll be fast, display up to 240 frames per second, which would put it well ahead of the competition. It’ll also use Sony’s version of “black frame insertion,” which inserts a black frame between normal video frames to improve pixel response and improve black levels.

All that sounds well and good, but do you want a 3D laptop? Do you really care about this sort of pseudo-3D (still just a trick, after all)? Do you want the added eyestrain, if you’re one of those (like me) who experiences it? The extra gear to carry around and worry about scratching or breaking?

Follow us on Twitter (@game_on)

All contents copyright 1995-2010 Network World, Inc. http://www.networkworld.com

At the huge IFA consumer electronics show, the big names in tech show off their newest wares, including an Android-based tablet from Samsung and a cloud-based music service from Sony.

Toshiba’s Android embrace at IFA (photos)

View the full gallery

Toshiba debuts Android-powered Folio 100

The tablet will cost 399 to 499 euros in Europe when it goes on sale later this year. Here’s a hands-on look at it and Toshiba’s AC100 Android Netbook.
(Posted in Deep Tech by Stephen Shankland)
September 3, 2010 4:00 AM PDT

SD revamp to triple flash card speeds

The SD Association should rev its flash card specification in 2011, with faster cards arriving the year after. Also at IFA, Toshiba announces faster cards using today’s SD technology.
(Posted in Deep Tech by Stephen Shankland)
September 3, 2010 2:32 AM PDT

TI reveals new, teensy projector chip

The new nHD model of the Pico DLP line has better optical performance and lower power consumption, Texas Instruments says.
(Posted in Deep Tech by Stephen Shankland)
September 3, 2010 3:21 AM PDT

Samsung: Galaxy Tab has leg up on Apple iPad

The Korean electronics giant says the features of its Android-based tablet match and sometimes outshine Apple’s iPad. Samsung has its work cut out to convince the masses.
• Photos: Samsung Galaxy Tab
• Samsung Galaxy Tab Android tablet goes official
(Posted in Deep Tech by Stephen Shankland)
September 2, 2010 5:36 AM PDT

Samsung debuts new laptops

The upcoming laptops look like they’ll be some of the more appealing mainstream portables this fall.
(Posted in Crave by Scott Stein)
September 2, 2010 10:10 AM PDT

Sony’s Google TV on display at IFA (photos)

View the full gallery

Sony shows 3D laptop due in 2011

The Vaio line will get 3D display abilities in 2011, and Sony was eager to show off prototypes of the products as part of its 3D campaign at the IFA show.
(Posted in Deep Tech by Stephen Shankland)
September 1, 2010 4:30 PM PDT

Sony announces cloud-based music service

On the same day Apple displays its digital music dominance, an electronics rival says it’ll offer streaming music over the Net.
• Photos: First views of Sony streaming music service
(Posted in Deep Tech by Stephen Shankland)
September 1, 2010 1:00 PM PDT

Panasonic’s push: Record your own 3D video

At the IFA electronics show in Berlin, Panasonic shows off new, larger plasma 3D TVs, and touts its 3D camcorder. Its goal here is to help you “keep your precious moments in 3D.”
(Posted in Deep Tech by Stephen Shankland)
September 1, 2010 11:31 AM PDT

Navteq tries to make GPS directions more ‘human’

Company creates a way to make GPS directions far more understandable to the average driver.
(Posted in The Digital Home by Don Reisinger)
September 2, 2010 8:09 AM PDT

Sony: PS3 3D Blu-ray playback coming in October

Sony plans to bring 3D Blu-ray playback to the PlayStation 3 in October. The announcement was made at IFA.
(Posted in The Digital Home by Don Reisinger)
September 1, 2010 12:57 PM PDT

previous coverage

Report: Sony to launch latest iTunes challenger

The media giant is ready to move beyond the disaster that was Sony Connect and once again take on iTunes, according to the FT.
(Posted in Media Maverick by Greg Sandoval)
September 1, 2010 4:57 AM PDT

Sony takes on Kindle with next-gen e-readers

Sony has officially unveiled three new e-readers: the Reader Pocket Edition PRS-350, the Reader Touch Edition PRS-650, and the Reader Daily Edition PRS-950. They all feature next-generation touch-screen e-ink technology.
(Posted in Crave by David Carnoy)
September 1, 2010 12:01 AM PDT

ViewSonic outs Android ViewPad 7

ViewSonic confirms plans to announce a 7-inch Android tablet at IFA 2010, called the ViewPad 7.
(Posted in Crave by Donald Bell)
August 27, 2010 4:54 PM PDT

Pixelmetrix, the global expert in Preventive Monitoring for digital television and IPTV networks, will be at IBC, Amsterdam, to demo its slew of comprehensive TV Monitoring Solutions. Featuring new and enhanced applications, these are built to help operators optimize their operations while reducing operating costs.

Industry watchers and TV specialists alike can check out these solutions at the Pixelmetrix booth 1B24:

• Automated Channel Package & Parental Control Audits featuring the Electronic Couch Potato™ (ECP) with these newly introduced applications for viewer experience monitoring.

• Affordable TS Monitoring featuring the DVStation-MiniІ TSP Lite for terrestrial and cable networks.

• Contribution Monitoring featuring the DVStation-Remote with TSP120, ASLF090 and DVProbe-S2 providing in-depth TS analysis with H.264 video stream support.

• Terrestrial Network Monitoring featuring the DVStation-MiniІ DVB-T with RF measurements and TS analysis.

• Time-shifting with Logo Insertion featuring the DVShift which can also be used to delay programming or accomplish ethnic rebroadcasting.

• IP Headend Monitoring featuring the DVStation-IPі and IPGen for complete video over IP monitoring and stress testing of network interfaces.

• Transport Stream Recording and Playout featuring the DVStorІ that offers a highly scalable, stable compliance recording with hot standby redundant switchover.

• End-to-End IPTV Quality of Service Monitoring featuring the EndGame DVAgent, the answer to quality management for IPTV content aggregators and operators.

Danny Wilson, Pixelmetrix President & CEO said, “We have an exciting line up of products at this year’s IBC. In these times, operators are looking for new, innovative and cost-effective solutions to their problems. We are ready!”

Pixelmetrix develops a host of IPTV and Preventive Monitoring systems that offer unique attributes and versatility, allowing operators to achieve end-to-end visibility and keep tabs on their network architecture.

The IBC show will be held from September 10 to 14 at the RAI Convention Centre, Amsterdam.