Quattro technology

The ability to inspire driver confidence in getting traction when and where needed, regardless of road conditions, is a powerful one. So it's no wonder that the notion of a car with permanent four-wheel drive was a revolutionary concept and set a new benchmark for driver safety and performance.

Yet this is what quattro technology brought to the idea of the four-wheel drive. Drivers could now tackle snow covered mountain passes, rain-slicked highways and gravel-strewn rural roads with ease while still enjoying a level of performance unachievable by two-wheel drive cars on smooth dry roads.

This simple, yet powerful idea of sending power to all wheels was made most apparent when introduced to the World Rally Championship where the startling acceleration and remarkable traction achieved by quattro technology was eventually deemed an "unfair advantage" and banned from road racing altogether after repeatedly dominating the field.

How it works

The basis for quattro technology is permanent power being applied to all four wheels distributed between the front and rear axles.

By sending power to each axle, there is a much lower power requirement and very well balanced handling, which means better traction during acceleration and greater safety thanks to exceptional road holding.

This is especially true in conditions where two-wheel-drive vehicles would lose grip. If the wheels of one axle lose grip and threaten to spin, the drive torque in a quattro system, is redirected in the central differential to the other axle. This occurs automatically and continuously, creating greater lateral stability and improved traction.

Permanent all-wheel drive technology like quattro is essentially a proactive mechanical system with a self-locking center differential and continuously variable torque distribution, so it instantly responds to wheel speed differences and dynamically adjusts power to the wheels with the best traction.

When supported by advanced electronic control systems it can offer numerous benefits over other all-wheel drive systems bringing sports car-like performance and handling with uncompromised all-wheel drive traction.

Driver confidence

Since quattro technology was first introduced in 1980 at the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland it has not only established itself in motor sports, but in cars that are used on roads daily.

It provides high levels of safety, dynamism and improved traction on all kinds of surfaces and all-round better performance.

It is under extreme conditions and in unexpected situations that the need for quattro technology became apparent and important. When other systems would suffer from understeer or oversteer, an all-wheel-drive system stays smooth and balanced. Even if a driver decelerates in a bend which they have taken too fast, the system has the ability to independently stabilize itself and can easily be brought back into line.

It's for these reasons that quattro technology not only raises the benchmark in high-performance engineering but its permanent four-wheel drive solution is fast becoming an industry standard.

Technology in the Classroom

Technology is revolutionizing the way Americans communicate and conduct business; yet, it has been slow to really take foot in our schools curriculum's. Up until recently, technology has been introduced to students as an elective versus a complete integration and redefining of the way students are taught. The fact of the matter is, today, children are growing up in a world much different from what their parents and grandparents experienced. It is a world of computers, software, and wireless access to information on-the-fly. It is a world that requires a different set of skills to succeed; thus, it may be worth your while to investigate the role technology plays in your child's schooling.

Studies show that the use of technology in the classroom is highly beneficial to students and teachers. Not only does it prepare students for the "real world," it improves many skills that might not otherwise be fully cultivated.

Because technology is so highly valued in America, students that become familiar and quite good at using it feel a sense of accomplishment, which improves self-esteem. When using technology, students are more likely to share their experiences with other students, promoting peer-to-peer tutoring and reducing the pressure teachers feel when being the only source of student assistance. In addition, students learn that there are numerous ways to solve problems and identify with how what they are learning actually applies to life outside of school.

Of course schools are limited by time and money, making it difficult to introduce anything new, especially expensive technologies that need constant maintenance and upgrades. However, if schools look at their overall program and revaluate how to accomplish the same tasks while utilizing technology, there may be more room to maneuver than originally thought.

A parent's best bet is to figure out how open the school is to change and how actively they are perusing these changes. Thus, when the opportunities arise to incorporate technology, the school will be more likely to embrace them.

Following are a list of questions that may be helpful in evaluating the technology initiatives at your child's school:

o Is the use of technology in the classroom a school policy or an individual decision made by the teacher?

o What computer and technology skills are teachers expected to know?

o Are teachers provided training on popular and new technologies on a regular basis?

o What type of projects will my child be required to complete that promote the use of technology?

o Does the school have a computer lab or does each class have a single computer students are expected to share?

o What precautions are taken to ensure student safety when surfing the Web?

While it is important for schools to have an open mind about the use of technology in the classroom, parents need to support the efforts made by the school. Ask your child's teacher and principal about the roadblocks and challenges they face in implementing the changes that would encourage the use of technology. There may be some things you can do on your end to spread up the process, be it educating other parents on the issue, donating money, or expressing your concerns to the school superintendent. Whatever you do, stay realistic about your expectations and keep the lines of communication open.

Colombia Information Technology Report

Colombia Information Technology Report

The Colombia Information Technology Report has just been researched at source, and features latest-available data covering production, sales, imports and exports; 5-year industry forecasts through end-2014; company rankings and competitive landscapes for multinational and local manufacturers and suppliers; and analysis of latest industry developments, trends and regulatory changes.



Business Monitor International's Colombia Information Technology Report provides industry professionals and strategists, corporate analysts, Information Technology associations, government departments and regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on the Information Technology industry in Colombia.

Key Benefits of Report

* Benchmark BMI's Independent 5-year IT Industry Forecasts
to test other views - a key input for successful budgetary and strategic business planning in the Colombian IT market.
* Target Business Opportunities & Risks in Colombia's IT sector
through our reviews of latest industry trends, regulatory changes, and major deals, projects and investments in Colombia.
* Exploit Latest Competitive IT Intelligence & Company SWOTS
on your competitors and peers through company rankings by sales, market share and ownership structure – includes multinational and national companies.

Coverage


Executive Summary

Summary of BMI's key industry forecasts, views and trend analysis covering Information technology, regulatory changes, major investments and projects, and significant multinational and national company developments.


Regional Overview

Cross-border analysis of regional markets, commenting on IT penetration (PC and internet) and market growth drivers (IT market size and IT market compound growth).


Market Overview

Structure, size and value of industry sector; overview of industry landscape and key players; assessment of business operating environment and latest regulatory developments.


BMI 5-Year Industry Forecast

Historic data series and 5-year forecasts to end-2014 for all key industry indicators (see list below), supported by explicit assumptions, plus analysis of key downside risks to the main forecast.


IT industry value (US$ bn); IT sector contribution to GDP (%); value of hardware, software and services industry (US$ mn); PC, peripherals and software imports and exports (US$ mn); PC, peripherals and software sales (US$ mn); number of PCs (‘000); PCs/ 100 inhabitants; internet users (‘000); internet users per 100 inhabitants; broadband subscribers (‘000); broadband subscribers per 100 inhabitants.


BMI 5-Year Macroeconomic Forecast

BMI forecasts for all headline macroeconomic indicators, including real GDP growth, inflation, fiscal balance, trade balance, current account and external debt.


Competitive Landscape & Profiles

Company profiles, including SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analyses, business activity, leading products and services.

To know more and to buy a copy of your report to feel free to visit :
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Related Reports :


Information Technology Report UAE
http://www.bharatbook.com/detail.asp?id=18630&rt=Information-Technology-Report-UAE-.html


Information Technology Report China
http://www.bharatbook.com/detail.asp?id=71129&rt=Information-Technology-Report-China.html

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Technology & Communication

A study a couple of years ago found that 63% of executives were making fewer business trips because of technology.

Instead of a plane trip, face-to-face meetings and a plane trip back, they used email, videoconferencing, or online meetings, according to the Accountemps study.

If you're a manager who's spending less time with a suitcase and more with a mouse, you'll want to pay attention to the nature of the media we use, and especially when sending important messages.

A few years ago we heard a lot about etiquette in electronic messaging (netiquette) on the Internet, about needing to be conscious of how messages might be misconstrued by receivers. One of the ideas to come out of that effort was emoticons, little text symbols that aimed to make up for the loss of facial expressions and body language.

Emoticons and netiquette have pretty much disappeared, but the world of electronic communication still can be a dangerous place.

And especially dangerous if the stakes are high, as they're likely to be when managers communicate this way.

So, let's further explore some issues that arise when we communicate electronically, rather than face-to-face.

In my limited experience with videoconferencing, for example, I found I had to work harder just catch the words, which reduced the amount facial expression information I took in. And, if the camera adjusted to take in more facial expressions, then some body language was lost.

Think, too, about the differences in messages sent by email versus those sent as conventional printed letters. Email certainly leads to faster responses and greater efficiency. However, when sending a printed letter we proofread it both on the screen and in print.

And, the time between our initial thoughts and sending the letter is longer. That provides time for second thoughts, sober or otherwise, thoughts that might be wiser or better expressed.

Here's one more challenge: I recently looked at the idea of being an online seminars facilitator. Participants would take part through their computers. In addition to getting a voice feed, they would also watch the screen, which would be divided into three active sections. One portion would carry my notes, another would show reader questions, and a third would show something else.

As the presenter, I think I could handle the sending. But, how would receivers handle these flows of information? In person, it's easy to watch a speaker, see her slides on screen, and listen to her at the same time. But, is it the same taking in all this information when it comes through a computer screen and speakers?

Don't get me wrong. I like new technologies, not because they're replacing something else, but because they offer new options. Whether through access, price, or interactivity level, new technology opens doors to communicators.

But, we need to think about the implications for receivers when we communicate through new media. Come to think of it, didn't Marshall McLuhan write the book on this a generation ago?

In summary: With more managers communicating through new technologies, rather than travel and face-to-face meetings, we need to consider what can happen to important messages when they are transmitted through the new media.

Robert F. Abbott writes and publishes Abbott's Communication Letter. Learn how you can use communication to help achieve your goals, by reading articles or subscribing to this ad-supported newsletter. An excellent resource for leaders and managers, at: http://www.communication-newsletter.com

Marine Technology

Marine technology refers to a vast umbrella of elements that have helped us to explore what lives in bodies of water. This includes saltwater of the oceans and the freshwater of various lakes. It is amazing how many living things are found in water. Learning about them helps use to find out how they affect those living on land. It also helps us to understand why keeping these bodies of water free from pollution are so important.

There have been many breakthroughs in the way of underwater technology over the years. As a result, divers are able to go to the depths of these water masses. They can evaluate what is living there, observe it in its natural habitat, and document that information. The use of such information means that we also know how to protect certain species of live in the water they could become extinct without our help.

Thanks to forms of underwater technology such as cameras and video recorders, all of us can share in those experiences. While most of us will never dive into the depths of these waters we can watch documentaries, view photos, and even watch videos online. Of course there are some places in the water that humans cant safely go.

That doesnt mean we cant explore them though. Marine technology allows for the use of ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicles) to be used in their place. They can be easily navigated through the waters to the desired location. A cable is used to release them off a boat. They have video cameras on them that relay information back to the humans who are safely on the boats.

The downside is that an ROV costs an estimated million. That is a large amount of money to invest in the equipment. Yet the design of them makes them safe to use as they dont disrupt the environment. They have also provided us with substantial information about aquatic life that we wont have without the use of such equipment.

A very similar type of technology used id the AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles). They are much smaller than ROVs and about half the cost. They can get into locations that are smaller too. However, they can be tougher to navigate through the waters. The AUV though is often used for a variety of underwater investigations.

Sonar stands for Sound Navigation and Ranging. This is a big part of marine biology that was first used on the water by vessels so that they could detect land masses and even other vessels around them. Today it is used to help send information back and forth from the boats to the underwater equipment.

Sonar is also used to help locate the ideal place for observing various forms of aquatic life. Many people use this type of marine technology too when they are navigating a boat or even trying to locate fish in the waters before they toss their line out. All of this technology has certainly allowed us to explore what lives in our water in new ways.

Creative Technology

History

Creative began as a computer repair shop, where Sim developed an add-on memory board for the Apple II computer. Later, they started creating customized PCs adapted in Chinese. A part of this design included enhanced audio capabilities, so that the device could produce speech and melodies. The success of this audio interface led to the development of a standalone sound card.

In 1987, Creative released a 12-voice sound generator sound card for the IBM PC architecture, the Creative Music System(C/MS), featuring two Philips SAA 1099 chips. Sim personally went from Singapore to Silicon Valley and managed to get RadioShack's Tandy division to market the product. The card was, however, unsuccessful and lost to AdLib. This card had the Yamaha YM3812 chip (also known as OPL2) that was found on the AdLib card, as well as audio capabilities for playing and recording digital samples. Creative used aggressive marketing strategies, from calling the card a "stereo" component to calling the sound producing micro-controller a "DSP" (for "digital sound processor"), hoping to associate the product with a digital signal processor.

Creative Technology's Sound Blaster sound card was among the first dedicated audio processing cards to be made widely available to the general consumer. The card soon became a de facto standard for sound cards in PCs for many years, mostly by the fact that it was the first to bundle what is now considered to be a part of a sound card system: digital audio, on-board music synthesizer, MIDI interface and a joystick port. This continued until the 2000s when OEM PCs began to be built with sound boards integrated directly onto the motherboard, and the Sound Blaster found itself reduced to a niche product.

Monaural Sound Blaster cards were introduced in 1989, and stereo cards followed in 1992 (Sound Blaster Pro). Wavetable MIDI was added with the 16-bit Sound Blaster AWE32 and AWE64 with 32 and 64 voices. In 1998, Sound Blaster Live! was the companys first PCI-based sound card. Over the years, the Sound Blaster line has been enhanced to provide 3D audio and home theater quality sound directly from a PC.

Creative dominated the PC audio market and remains unchallenged by a major competitor since the late 1990s which saw a legal tussle between Creative and Aureal Semiconductor. A series of lawsuits was filed by Aureal in 1998 which alleges infringements over various technology patents such as PCI audio and 2D/3D positional sound APIs. Creative responded by counter suing with a series of lawsuits for false advertising and various other claims. Aureal won the case but went bankrupt as a result of legal costs, so its assets were acquired by Creative in September 2000 for US million.

In the mid 1990s, Creative's venture into the CD-ROM market proved to be unsuccessful. Creative was forced to write off nearly US0 million in inventory when the market collapsed due to a flood of cheaper alternatives.

In April 1999, Creative launched the NOMAD line of digital audio players that would later introduce the MuVo and ZEN series of portable media players. Creative remains a serious competitor in the portable audio player market, a market which they dominated until the entry of Apple Computer with the iPod. In November 2004, Creative Labs announced a 0 million marketing campaign to promote their digital audio products, including the ZEN range of MP3 players.

Creative applied for U.S. Patent 6,928,433 on January 5, 2001 and was awarded the patent on August 9, 2005. The ZEN Patent was awarded to Creative for the invention of user interface for portable media players. This opened the way for potential legal action against Apple's iPod and the other competing players. Creative took legal actions against Apple in May 2006. In August, 2006, Creative and Apple entered into a broad settlement, with Apple paying Creative 0 million for the license to use the Zen patent. Creative will join the "Made for iPod" program which opens new opportunities for the company.

On March 22, 2005, The Inquirer reported that Creative Labs had agreed to settle in a class action lawsuit that was filed because of the way its Audigy and Extigy soundcards were marketed. Creative has offered customers who purchased the cards up to a .50 reduction on the cost of their next purchase with Creative, while the lawyers involved in filing the dispute against Creative will receive payment of approximately 0,000.

In 2007, Creative voluntarily delisted itself from NASDAQ, which had the symbol of CREAF. Its stocks are now solely on the Singapore Exchange (SGX-ST). In early 2008, Creative Labs' technical support center, located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, laid off several technical support staff, furthering ongoing concerns surrounding Creative's financial situation.

In January 2009, Creative generated internet buzz with a mysterious website promising a "stem cell-like" processor which would give a 100-fold increase in supercomputing power over current technology, as well as advances in consumer 3D graphics. At CES 2009, it was revealed to be the ZMS-05 processor from ZiiLABS, a subsidiary formed from the combining of 3DLabs and Creative's Personal Digital Entertainment division.

Products

Sound Blaster

Main article: Sound Blaster

Creative's Sound Blaster line is one of the dominant names in the PC audio market. In 1987, the Creative Music System was released as the first audio device from the company. In 1988, the company took the Creative Music System and marketed it at RadioShack as Game Blaster. The following year, 1989, the Sound Blaster 1.0 was released, helped by the perfect compatibility with then market leader Ad Lib, Inc.'s sound card. By 1992, the Sound Blaster had achieved dominance in the market and AdLib filed for bankruptcy. The current revision of the Sound Blaster is known as the Sound Blaster X-Fi. The X-Fi technology can be found in several other Creative devices.

Daniel_K Incident

In late March of 2008, Creative experienced an online public relations backlash in response to a post by the Vice President of Corporate Communications, Phil O'Shaughnessy. In a message posted to the Creative public discussion forums, O'Shaughnessy requested that a user named "Daniel_K" cease distributing modified versions of the drivers for Creative hardware. Daniel_K, a well-known member of the Creative community, modified official Sound Blaster drivers in order to allow compatibility on Windows Vista. O'Shaughnessy took particular issue with the fact that the modified drivers "run on other products for which they are not intended" as well as the fact that Daniel_K was soliciting donations from users in return for his time spent working on them. In addition, Creative requested that Daniel_K respect Creative's "legal rights in this matter".

ZEN and MuVo Branded Portable Media Devices

Main article: Creative ZEN

Main article: Creative MuVo

The Creative ZEN was released in 2007.

The Creative ZEN name is used in a range of handheld media devices by the company. They are the successor to the NOMAD line of players. The line has won several awards, including three CES Best of Show awards, in 2004 with the Creative ZEN Portable Media Center, 2005 with the ZEN MicroPhoto , and 2006 with the ZEN Vision:M. The company uses MuVo branding for its smaller, flash-based devices.

Vado Video Cameras

While already a vendor of webcams for PCs and laptops, in May 2008, Creative announced the unveiling of its Vado video camera. The Vado video camera is a handheld device designed with portability in mind. Its direct competitor is the Flip Mini. In December 2008, Creative announced a HD version of the Vado, the Vado HD. This camera was among the first portable high-definition cameras. The Vado HD received an 89 rating from PCWorld, 4/5 stars and an Editors Choice award from PC Magazine, and generally favorable reviews from users on Amazon.

MediaSource

Creative MediaSource comes included with certain Creative products, such as Sound Blaster, MuVo, and Creative Zen. The software is mainly used as a method to sync and transfer digital media. The latest version is always available as a free download from the official website, but installation requires a Creative product (such as a Sound Blaster or Creative Zen) to be connected. The software is usually bundled with audio and video converters, as well as ZENcast, a podcast organizer. Features from previous version are sometimes removed by upgrades, such as the recent removal of the mp3 codec.

Other Products

Gaming sound systems

Web cameras

Prodikeys, a computer keyboard-musical keyboard combination

Optical mice and keyboards

Headphones, including a Fatal1ty branded one

Computer speakers

E-dictionary (Chinese language)

Discontinued Products

CD and DVD players, drives, and controller cards

Graphics cards

See also

Creative Labs office in Milpitas, California

AdLib

Ensoniq

E-mu Systems

Environmental audio extensions

Yamaha

Divisions and brands

Cambridge SoundWorks

Creative MuVo

Creative NOMAD

Creative ZEN

Sound Blaster

SoundFont

Sensaura

ZiiLABS, formerly 3dlabs

References

^ a b "CREATIVE ANNOUNCES Q4 FY09 US GAAP FINANCIAL RESULTS". http://www.finanznachrichten.de/pdf/20090806_210544_C76_CC5F64A2B85DCAF94825760A0045329D.1.pdf. 

^ http://www.hoovers.com/company/Creative_Technology_Ltd/ctkjji-1.html

^ Graham, Jefferson (2004-06-28). "Creative's name describes CEO". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2004-06-28-sim_x.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-31. 

^ Timeline of Creative vs Aureal lawsuits

^ Seno N. Alexandra, "Creative's Genius", Asiaweek article, September 2000

^ The Register "Creative declares war on iPod", 18 November 2004

^ Press Release, "Creative Awarded U.S. Patent On Its Invention Of User Interface For Portable Media Players", 30 August 2005

^ Press Release, "Apple & Creative Announce Broad Settlement Ending Legal Disputes Between the Companies"

^ Burns, Simon (2005-03-22). "Creative Labs owes you ". The Inquirer. http://www.theinquirer.net/en/inquirer/news/2005/03/22/creative-labs-owes-you-62. Retrieved 2008-03-02. 

^ Creative (2007-09-04). "Creative Technology Announces Completion of Its Voluntary Delisting from Nasdaq - Company's Sole Exchange Listing Now On the SGX-ST". Press release. http://creative.com/corporate/pressroom/releases/welcome.asp?pid=12796. Retrieved 2008-01-01. 

^ http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/26/creatives-zii-stemcell-computing-is-not-likely-to-be-awesome/

^ http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/08/creative-unveils-zii/

^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AdLib#Bankruptcy

^ Hruska, Joel (2008-03-31). "Creative irate after modder spruces up Vista X-Fi drivers". Ars Technica. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080331-creative-irate-after-modder-spruces-up-vista-x-fi-drivers.html. Retrieved 2008-03-31. 

^ Walters, Chris (2008-03-31). "Creative Sparks Customer Revolt When It Tries To Silence Third-Party Programmer". The Consumerist. http://consumerist.com/373901/creative-sparks-customer-revolt-when-it-tries-to-silence-third+party-programmer. Retrieved 2008-04-01. 

^ http://www.creative.com/corporate/pressroom/releases/welcome.asp?pid=12013

^ http://www.creative.com/corporate/pressroom/releases/welcome.asp?pid=11929

^ http://www.cnet.com/4520-11405_1-6398234-1.html

^ http://sg.creative.com/corporate/pressroom/releases/welcome.asp?pid=12932

^ http://sg.creative.com/corporate/pressroom/releases/welcome.asp?pid=13031

^ http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/product/43998/review/vado_hd_pocket_video_cam.html

^ http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2336708,00.asp

^ http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-Camcorder-Storage-Digital/product-reviews/B001LK8P14/ref=sr_1_1_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

External links

Official Creative site

Nothing But Creative

myCreative Fansite

EpiZENter

Creative Open Source site

Yahoo! - Creative Technology Ltd. Company Profile

Inquirer Lawsuit article

Message to Daniel_K from Creative's VP of Corporate Communications

Categories: Companies listed on the Singapore Exchange | Video cards | Science and technology in Singapore | Electronics companies | Electronics companies of Singapore | Companies established in 1981 | Creative Technology | Sound cards | Companies formerly listed on NASDAQ