Web "Smart" Cars Microsoft has announced a strategic alliance with Bosch to create a comprehensive family of in-vehicle computing and communicating products. Based on the Windows CE for Automotive software platform, these devices will combine Internet connectivity with traditional car navigation and route-planning functions, as well as entertainment systems for drivers and passengers Source: CEWire Cybersister's Comment Experts predict that 50 percent of all new cars and 90 percent of the higher-end models will have telematics-capable appliances by 2006 (source: Strategy Analytics). With more than 55 million new cars sold annually and 650 million cars registered worldwide, the potential for automotive telematics is staggering. According to the Westwind Research Group, subscription services such as Internet access for these devices is expected to become a $20 billion industry by 2005. Americans alone spend more than 500 million ``commuter hours'' per week in the car (source: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1995). All over the industry, there are deals and alliances being formed to put a combination of a cell phone/web browser/ personal digital assistant (PocketPC or PalmPilot or others) in your cars. It's a potent mix. Motorola, Delphi, Ford, GM, Ericsson, have all anounced deals to create net-connected devices for cars.

Bluetooth   A wireless personal area network (PAN) technology from the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, (www.bluetooth.com), founded in 1998 by Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia and Toshiba. Bluetooth is an open standard for short-range transmission of digital voice and data between mobile devices (laptops, PDAs, phones) and desktop devices. It supports point-to-point and multipoint applications.     Competitive Intelligence   Competitive-intelligence professionals are researchers who collect and analze information about their competitors. Most of their information comes from sources that are open or public, and is gathered legally and ethically. The Internet is a vital component to the work.   It is starting to be recognized as a professional association with the formation of the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) in Alexandria, Va. Indications are that the competitive intelligencer area is booming. Competitive-intelligence personnel use the same four-step intelligence cycle devised during World War II by the Office of Strategic Services, the forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency. First, pose a question and set a plan of attack; second, gather information; third, analyze the information; and last, disseminate it to the decision makers. The Internet is used extensively in the information-gathering step--a huge change from pre-Web days.   Source: Information Week   CyberSister's Comment   Smart companies realize the value of competitive information. With the Internet, things are changing so quickly you have to know what people are doing. For those of our readers located in Vancouver, Diane Currie (aka CyberSister)teaches an Internet Research course at UBC if you are interested (or even if you're not!). Digital Ripple also conducts research and competitive analysis for Internet companies. Very interesting things going on ... don't be caught unaware!

VC Buzz   Want to know what Internet companies just completed their financing? Need to know what's going on in the world of high-tech venture capital? Check out this site for all the "industry buzz".

Egroups.com eGroups is a free email group service that allows you to create and join email groups. Email groups offer a convenient way to connect with others who share the same interests and ideas - it has discussion areas, chat rooms, etc.. Great for connecting with a group of friends, colleagues or your baseball team!

What's a Ripple Effect Rock? Well, think of a rock thrown in a lake, and how the water ripples outward. This section of the newsletter covers developments and technologies that we think might soon cause a "ripple effect" in business or society.   Domestic Tranquility? When Everyone has their own Universal Remote/PDA.... Tired of fighting over the remote control to your tv? Well, soon everyone in the family will probably have their own universal remote control attached to them. Problem solved. What technology is going to bring on this domestic peace? Actually, it is a combination of technologies that are coming together at the right time. Our cell phones seem to be always with us, and now,  according to the Sept. 14 PC World.com (http://www.pcworld.com/cgi-bin/pcwtoday?ID=18465), STMicroelectronics NV and Digital Mobility have developed a chip set to enable these always-handy cell phones to control the consumer electronics things (such as TVs, VCRs, etc). But, they aren't just adding infrared transmission to these devices, they are adding support for "Bluetooth" (today's term, which is a short range wireless networking protocol). As Bluetooth is supported in cell phones and Pocket/Palm devices the new chip sets will Bluetooth-enable consumer electronics devices, such as our TVs and VCRs, and give them a mini-Web server.  This means that we'll be able to control these VCRs and other home entertainment devices through the WAP browser built into our new Bluetooth-enabled cell phones and/or Personal Digital Assistants. Source: Rapidly Changing Face of Computing Cybersister's Comment   The implications of this idea are staggering! In this scenario, essentially every consumer electronics device, light switch, etc., could become a (specialized) Web server, wirelessly talking to the WAP/Bluetooth browsers in our phones and PDA's! It is going to be an entirely new Internet over the next 2-5 years as these wireless mobile computing devices become more integrated into our lives (in our cars, in our homes, in our clothes... ).   That's it for now! Have a great week!

If you have any one who you think should be added to this list, let us know--or better yet, let them know by forwarding a copy of the newsletter to them directly. To subscribe to the list, go to: http://www.digitalripple.com/joinlist.html Back issues of the Ripple Effect Newsletter are available on the Digital Ripple web site at: http://www.digitalripple.com/joinlist.html If you wish to be taken off this list simply send an email to: ripple_effect-unsubscribe@listbot.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ British Columbia 745 Clark Drive Vancouver, B.C. V5L 3J3 Telephone: (604) 215-0216 Facsimile: (604) 215-0431 E-Mail: dcurrie@digitalripple.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Toronto, Ontario, Canada Telephone: (416)430-5726 Facsimile: (416)430-5726 E-Mail: alcurrie@digitalripple.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oshawa, Ontario, Canada Telephone: (905)721 0285 Facsimile: (905)721 1335 E-Mail: alcurrie@digitalripple.com "Exploring the Ripple Effect of Digital Technology" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~