Campbell touts Canadian technologies

By GEOF WHEELWRIGHT
Reprint from the Reprint from the Financial Post

 It's hard to make a big splash at the Fall Comdex computer trade show in Las Vegas. With competition such as Microsoft Corp., IBM Corp., Intel Corp., Oracle Corp. and Sun Microsystems Inc. lavishing millions of dollars on extravagant product launches, high-profile keynote speakers and vast product displays, how does the humble Canadian information technology get noticed by the world's media?

 The answer at this year's Fall Comdex came in the form of former Canadian prime minister, sometime talk radio host and best-selling author the Right Honorable Kim Campbell in her role as Consul General at the Canadian Consulate General's office in Los Angeles.

 Campbell managed to attract a packed room full of technology journalists, many of whom were from Canada, to speak about the achievements of high technology businesses in Canada. Some 65 Canadian companies had their wares on display at Comdex. A number of innovative new products being part of that mix. They ranged from "household names" such as Corel Corp. to little-known Internet-based start-up companies visiting Comdex for the first time.

 Calgary-based Multimedia Solutions showed off technology to allow video - for use in on-line training sessions - to be distributed over the corporate network without using vast amounts of bandwidth. The Alberta company and U.S. partner, MicroVideo Learning Systems, claim they've achieved clear video transmission over the network at rates as low as 65 kbps, which is little more than the speed of an average high-speed consumer modem. This is about one-twentieth the data rate commonly required to send data over a network.

 With this data rate, Multimedia Learning Systems has been able to develop network-based training applications that can provide an average of 300 "video help topics" per software application, which it says has "dramatically reduced" the number of help-desk calls.

 By running over the network, the training software can be designed to run in a "work-along" mode, so it operates alongside users as they use the application they are supposed to be learning about. This is based on the premise that most users learn by doing, and that a good training system should help them when they have problems, but not constantly get in their way by trying to show them things that are not relevant to what they want to do.

 Canada's ATI Technologies Inc. showed off a new mobile graphics accelerator chip at Comdex - the 3D Rage LT Pro. It aims to sell the chip to notebook computer manufacturers in an effort to improve the graphics capabilities of mobile systems significantly. ATI says this chip is the first mobile implementation to use AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) technology. The company also claims it's also the first mobile graphics controller to offer Tri-View technology for triple display output, so that three different displays can be driven from a single notebook computer, and hardware-based acceleration for software digital versatile disk playback using motion compensation circuitry.

 In the week leading up to Comdex, Apple Computer Inc. introduced a new range of high-powered Macintosh PowerBook G3 notebook systems using the new PowerPC G3 processor. Apple says the PowerBook G3 builds upon the feature set of the PowerBook 3400 series, by adding the PowerPC G3 processor running at 250Mhz, with a 512K L2 cache and a 50MHz system and memory bus. Features include a 5GB hard disk, 20x-speed CD drive, built-in ethernet/modem, swappable expansion-bay modules and a four-speaker sound system. IIt sells for about US$8,199.

 Another pair of noteworthy launches came from Compaq Canada Inc. To start with, Compaq unveiled an addition to its Compaq Armada line of high-range notebook computers: the $9,500 Armada 7790DMT notebook PC with a 13.3-inch CTFT (color thin-film transistor) display and an 233 MHz Intel Mobile Pentium processor with MMX technology. Then, it announced its first handheld computer to use the Windows CE 2.0 operating system. It's called the Compaq C-Series PC Companion, and no prices are available.

 If you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome, Ingenious Solutions, based in Lehi, Utah, may have the solution. The company has a product it claims will ease the stress of keyboard use. Its WristGliders slip under the hands, allowing users to rotate their hands and take the weight off their forearms and shoulders. One WristGlider sells for US$9.95, two for US$16.95 and a pack of three for $23.95; they can be ordered from: wristgliders.com