What will we find at Tech Policy Summit aka #tps09 and the Broadband Summit #tpsbb tomorrow?  

Follow me @wirelesscott on twitter as well as#tps09 and #tpsbb for live updates and coverage of the Tech Policy Summit 3-day event by @TechPolicy (website/agenda click here).

There are some excellent speakers and notable folks (except me, wah wah), which can either mean great thought-provoking debates or dreary self-stroking discussion and manifesto, depending on whether or not Mercury is in retrograde.  I’m obviously hoping for  and as an audience member, I will of course be outspoken as usual on the topic at-hand to promote debate instead of pure discussion.

What goals do I have here?  I plan to represent broadband’s best interests, which to me is the end-user and the applications.  ”Broadband is only as good as the applications that successfully side over it.” I like to say.  And the applications are only as useful as the (quantity and type) of people who have access to them.

Megabits to the Masses!!!

I want “megabits to the masses” – which is hundreds of megabits at home and the office, with tens of megabits on the road.  I believe in hyper-connectivity and useful mobility (useful again being perceptive and personal in nature) to create seamless personal connectivity for as reasonably many humans as possible.  I believe in open-standards and standards-based platforms.  I believe in profits after a social benefit is met (by belief of a socialist moral underpinning w/ capitalist economy = near perfection).  I believe in fostering competition, research and development (= progress).  I believe in technology’s ability to improve education and healthcare and to solve problems of old.  I believe in thinkers who will try to keep future problems at bay like cyber-security, personal security and disaster prevention.

I believe we will achieve these goals.  

Do I believe we will tackle all of these goals?  Not tomorrow, but I do hope we will touch on them.  And just as I have over my past decade in the broadband space, continue to promote these ideas through my public and private work, in the public as an outspoken thought-leader to help align the stars and  in the private side as a pioneer and catalyst to the creation and propagation of these ideas through capitalism, thus establishing de facto industry standards with hope to push the de jure along (keeping it open, however.

Time to get back to work, then to sleep.  

Follow me @wirelesscott on twitter as well as #tps09 and #tpsbb for live updates and coverage of the Tech Policy Summit 3-day event by @TechPolicy (website/agenda click here).

I contract to a company across the river from my home in Hood River, Oregon.  This company, Insitu, manufactures very cool man-sized drones with amazing imagery capabilities.  I provide them technical consulting services on communications systems ranging from radio to networking to video based on my broad and directly applicable experience in wireless, broadband, networking and VoIP/Video applications.

Below are some of the news articles and links to the stories surrounding Insitu’s ScanEagle drone and the pirate event.

     

About me: Professional consultant in the broadband and wireless industries, with a current focus on helping service providers, utilities (smartgrid), public safety, education, healthcare municipal gov’t on tapping into the nearly $100 billion in ARRA Stimulus funds available for buildout of broadband and IT infrastructure. http://aspenwireless.net

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ScanEagle Provides Real-Time View of Piracy, Rescue

Recent attacks and pirate activity have made their way to prime time television through the lens of Insitu’s ScanEagle. Actionable, real-time intelligence and long endurance played a role in the successful outcome. See below for a selection of coverage and related stories.

• KGW Channel 8 News coverage: Watch Video…
• Fox video from Thursday, April 9. Look for timecode 2:01: Watch Video…
• Today Show shows imagery from ScanEagle: Watch Video…
• Baltimore Sun: “The Bainbridge has launched an unmanned drone called a ScanEagle, which is providing a real-time video feed of the lifeboat. The military cannot see the captain or the pirates directly because the boat is covered. However, the ScanEagle can carry an infrared camera that might provide information about where the pirates and the captain are on the 24-foot craft.” Full Story…
• Washington Post, April 9, Last Paragraph: “The Bainbridge carries with it the ScanEagle, a 40-pound drone with night vision. It can fly as high as 16,000 feet and linger over a target for more than 20 hours. The Navy used a ScanEagle aboard another ship to detect a suspicious small boat in February. Nine suspected pirates were captured.” Full Story…
• Associated Press: “The Navy released images of the scene from an unmanned drone, Scan Eagle. It showed that the snipers had positioned themselves on the fantail of the Bainbridge. The snipers fired simultaneously. One of the pirates was in the pilot house. The Navy released images of the scene from an unmanned drone, Scan Eagle. It showed that the snipers had positioned themselves on the fantail of the Bainbridge. The snipers fired simultaneously. One of the pirates was in the pilot house.” Full Story…
• Daily Mail (UK), April 14, Two Images From ScanEagle video: “‘Flawless’: U.S. Navy Snipers Killed Three Somali Pirates With Just Three Shots… In The Dark, From The Deck Of A Rolling Ship” Full Story…

 

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Drone built by Boeing subsidiary watches pirates

The ScanEagle, an aerial drone built by Boeing subsidiary Insitu in Bingen, Klickitat County, was used in the Navy operation that led to the rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips from Somali pirates

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By Hal Bernton

Seattle Times staff reporter

The ScanEagle, an aerial drone built by a Boeing subsidiary called Insitu in Bingen, Klickitat County, was used in the U.S. Navy operation that led to the rescue of Richard Phillips from Somali captors.

The ScanEagle was launched from the USS Bainbridge to take surveillance video of the lifeboat where four Somali pirates were holding the cargo-ship captain hostage.

Images from this video were released in the aftermath of the Navy SEAL operation that killed three of the pirates.

The ScanEagle used in surveillance of the lifeboat weighs about 40 pounds and has a wingspan of about 10 feet. It can fly for up to 20 hours with a camera that can be fitted for day or night operations, said Damien Mills, a Boeing spokesman.

The Navy has used the ScanEagle since 2006. In recent months it has been deployed extensively as U.S. Navy ships patrol the Gulf of Aden in search of pirates. In February, Mills said, pictures taken by a ScanEagle drone operating at night from the USS Mahan helped captured nine pirates.

Boeing acquired Insitu last year.

 

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By Jesse Burkhardt

The Enterprise - White Salmon, WA

Insitu’s “ScanEagle” drone aircraft — designed and built in Bingen — contributed to the successful military operation on April 12 that freed an American ship’s captain being held hostage by Somali pirates

To recap the story, which made headlines around the world: Armed pirates operating out of Somalia attempted to capture the American container ship Maersk Alabama on April 8. The hijacking effort failed, but the American captain — Richard Phillips — volunteered to be held as hostage to end a threat of violence to members of his crew.

Phillips and several pirates left the Maersk Alabama in an inflatable lifeboat. U.S. Navy ships — including the destroyer USS Bainbridge — converged on the scene to make sure the pirates did not escape the area with Phillips.

A four-day standoff ensued.

Half a world away in Bingen, Insitu officials followed the incident closely.

“We know the ships we’re deployed on,” said Steve Nordlund, Insitu’s vice president/business development. “When we heard the Bainbridge was on the scene, we knew we had a chance of being in the operation.”

The Bainbridge employed its ScanEagle technology to provide around the clock observation of the lifeboat.

“The ScanEagle is not an airplane, it’s more of a flying camera,” Nordlund said. “The airplane is a facilitator to get to our product: We’re known for very good imagery. The ScanEagle provides daytime and nighttime imagery, and long endurance. It’s not unusual for the ScanEagle to go on 16-hour missions.

On the evening of April 12, U.S. Navy SEALs were able to individually target and kill the three pirates holding Phillips. Phillips was not injured.

After his rescue, Phillips praised not only the Navy SEALs, but also the creators of the highly-specialized surveillance technology that provided a big assist in freeing him from pirates armed with AK-47s.

“The Boeing/Insitu team (on board the Bainbridge) did get a chance to meet with Capt. Phillips, and he expressed his appreciation to the entire team,” Nordlund said.

Knowing Insitu played an important role in the successful rescue of an American hostage was an extraordinary experience for the company’s staff.

“There were a lot of Insitu employees walking around the streets of Bingen and White Salmon very proud of our involvement and what we do,” Nordlund said. “The overall sense of the employees at Insitu is, we’ll all reflect back on this one day and say, `Wow.’ There are lots of jobs in life, but how often is there a chance to work on something really cutting edge that makes a difference, or something that is viewed around the world. We’re humbled by it. At the same time, we are working with our customers every day and saving lives. This one just happened to make the headlines.”

Insitu’s ScanEagle was first deployed in 2004. It has a 10-foot wingspan, can fly as high as 20,000 feet, and operates very quietly. The drones are lightweight — 40 pounds for a fully-fueled ScanEagle — and can be launched by what is in effect a slingshot.

“That’s one of the reasons it’s used so pervasively in the military,” Nordlund said. “It helps in our overall force protection. The sons and daughters of Americans are being protected by ScanEagle every day.”

Nordlund said Insitu technology has been increasingly employed in operations in the Gulf of Aden — off the Horn of Africa — in recent months.

“It’s a hot spot for pirate activities,” Nordlund said. “Even though there are wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is another war going on, and our Navy is fighting it.”

Nordlund added that President Barack Obama made a phone call to the Bainbridge to offer congratulations on the successful mission, and he also spoke directly to Phillips.

For Insitu, trying to keep a relatively low profile about a customer like the U.S. Navy — which was using Insitu’s products during an incident the whole world was watching — proved to be a daunting task.

“We do not discuss customers’ operations,” Nordlund explained. “But the images we saw on TV were coming from our vehicle, and when you’re involved in operations that get the focus this did worldwide, it makes us very proud.”

Nordlund pointed out that the footage aired on television news programs around the world were supplied to the media by the U.S. Navy, and not by Insitu or its parent company, Boeing, which made Insitu a wholly-owned subsidiary in 2008.

Perhaps it was a case of wanting to share in some good news, but Nordlund noticed some apparent “pride of ownership” in the various television news reports on the Boeing/Insitu involvement in the rescue of Phillips.

He pointed out that the Portland television stations tended to focus on Insitu, based in nearby Bingen, while Seattle stations talked about Boeing, which has deep roots in Seattle.

“On KATU-TV, a Portland station, it was Insitu that was given the credit, and on KING-TV in Seattle, it was Boeing,” Nordlund said. “They were tailoring to their particular area. But we are part of the same family. The combined Insitu-Boeing team made it happen.”

The high-profile success of the Navy’s rescue operation is likely to further heighten demand for Insitu’s products, and the company is continuing to expand. Insitu currently has more than 500 employees, most of them working in Bingen and White Salmon.

“We’ve hired 90 new employees since Jan. 1,” said Jill Vacek, communications specialist for Insitu.

Vacek pointed out that Insitu is also in the process of adding new facilities in Stevenson.

“Overall, we’re continuing to grow, and are growing into space in Stevenson,” she explained. “The Stevenson move will be for about 60 additional employees, but there will be no lessening of the number here.”

Nordlund hinted that further expansion is anticipated.

“Insitu has 519 employees now. But check back at 5 p.m.,” he joked.

Nordlund also stressed that, despite the occasional rumors, Insitu is not leaving the Bingen/White Salmon community.

“That’s the furthest thing from our minds,” he said. “We are going to grow.”

Nordlund noted that Insitu recently signed a $30 million contract with the Canadian Army for ScanEagle training and supply.

“We will support their ground forces in Afghanistan,” Nordlund said. “So we’re seeing Canadian uniforms around town now, as we’re continuing to bring an international flavor to Bingen and White Salmon.”

In addition to the Canadian deal, Insitu has a contract in place to provide ScanEagles for the Singapore Navy.

And the product line is being further refined.

“We’re working on a second aircraft beyond ScanEagle — the `Integrator,’” Nordlund said. “We’re getting ready for some real-world operations with the Integrator.”

The Integrator will have a 16-foot wingspan, as opposed to the ScanEagle’s 10-foot wingspan.

“It can carry more payload,” Nordlund pointed out.

 Nordlund reflected back on the humble origins of Insitu, and marveled at the innovative company’s phenomenal growth in a relatively short span of time.

“Great things can happen,” Nordlund said. “Just a few years ago, Insitu was a few guys in a garage.”

Link to The Enterprise

As I was traveling last Friday I had several hours to kill before my flight left, so where better to sit and do some work than at Denver International Airport, which sports Wi-Fi in the while airport by AT&T and allows roaming partners like my subscription to Boingo.

I found a comfortable spot in a restaurant, opened my laptop and tried to login only finding my “login was rejected”. Much to my dismay, the AT&T “rejected” page did not offer any more specific information or a recharge page like CenturyTel Wi-Fi does. It also does not have “white-listed” links to roaming partners or an account management tool – and since I am a roaming customer through Boingo, I was left wondering how to fix this with Boingo when I can’t get to their website.

I felt trapped and frustrated.

Luckily the “rejected” AT&T Wi-Fi page does offer their toll-free number to call. I gave it a long shot hoping they could tell me some information about my account status or if my user/pass was just wrong (which I knew it was not). At a minimum all I wanted at that point was a number for Boingo.

From my mobile I call the 800 number and reach 3 options of which #1 is a somewhat logical choice as a customer, then the following prompt offering an account issue or tech support option.

Ring, ring, pickup…

I was stunned. I was maybe on hold about the length of time it takes for the call to transfer and a friendly female voice greeted me on the other end. I informed her that I was reaching that page, that I was a Boingo subscriber and that I believed my user/pass was okay.

The customer service rep informed me she could not help with Boingo account questions. My hope balloon just went flat. I asked if she had Boingo’s number and she happily looked it up. We laughed about my inability to get it without my login working. She offered me the number for Boingo which took a minute or two and to my surprise…

She offered to transfer my call.

I was glad to hear that Boingo and AT&T Wi-Fi decided to do the logical thing and at least allow transferring of calls. I accepted her offer and was transferred to Boingo where I was literally picked up on first ring. I asked the rep if they staff 1 customer service agent per subscriber and we laughed.

We got down to business…

We asked for my credentials (not secure ones; last name, first, account city) which I passed with flying colors despite an error from a recent address change. He informed me that the old card we had was expired and I gladly provided him a new card. He suggested a “few minutes” until all systems update and I can get back online.

Total support time: 5 Minutes

Because I was impatient from email withdrawals I tried to login about 30-seconds later with success. My email was downloading and the crisis evaded.

It was an experience of melancholy…

My customer service call was one of the quickest and most successful calls in my life. The reps were friendly and helpful, I was never on hold for significant time and the prompts were easy enough – Kudos to both AT&T and Boingo.

Although it had a happy ending, the beginning was very frustrating and restricting. The obscure message about my rejected login. No conspicuous links to white-listed roaming sites or roaming support pages. No phone numbers to roaming partner support. No mention that their support number would help. No more specific information on my login or account status. No conspicuous helpful troubleshooting tips.

In conclusion:

As a professional who builds Wi-Fi networks (including citywide “Muni” networks) I feel that I have more patience when it comes to these issues and typically resolve problems on my own. However, I was very disappointed at first because of the pure lack of information given to me on the “reject” page. Because I know what technical capabilities are available I felt underserved and confused. Many folks (especially Wi-FI consumers) are tech-savvy and prefer to fix problems on their own.

Unfortunately AT&T only offers phone support as the obvious option – despite an excellent support site that offers lots of good information, it was not an obvious option. Kudos to AT&T for the excellent support info and for the quick and helpful customer service. Thank you Boingo for impressively easy and fast support too.

But AT&T needs to beef up their self-help. Make your support docs the FIRST option, not last or obscurely placed on your very busy home page. Provide more information other than “rejected” for current subscribers. Include white-listed links on the page to roaming partners’ support pages. Include support phone numbers for your roaming partners.

Tech support costs all of us money; it affects ATT and Boingo’s bottom line and thus my cost for the service. Give me more info and let me fix my problem for us. I don’t want to spend ATT’s support money just to call Boingo directly.

I think roaming has come a long way and is doing a great job. These are really my suggestions on how to improve support and roaming support. Overall I am extremely happy with the service from Boingo, their partners and believe it’s worth every penny. I flock to use service where I know I can use my subscription on a reliable network. I prefer this far and above unreliable and illusive free Wi-Fi and even greater over incompatible “one-off” and/or non-roaming hotspots.

If given the chance, I would love nothing more than to help prefect Wi-Fi roaming.

Sincerely,

Scott Stevens

Only a few short days after I posted this and notified all parties of the post, this appeared on the Mark/Space website home page…

The Missing Sync for BlackBerry – Product Preview
Missing Sync reliability and usability, coming soon for BlackBerry.

The Missing Sync for BlackBerry is built on the same technology that has garnered 4.5-mice ratings from Macworld magazine. It’s built to be reliable, so that you can count on your information successfully making the round trip between your Mac and BlackBerry handset.

http://www.markspace.com/missingsync_blackberry.php

Now, I am not taking credit for this showing up, but rather I hope that many readers clicked on the survey link to entice Mark/Space to let us know it’s on the way (plus that little show known as MacWorld where they had a booth ) I have not heard back from Mark/Space when specifically this product is supposed to be released – their site indicates Q1 2007 which gives then only 75 more days.

Also, in what I consider a smart move – a discount to convert from Windows or Palm OS:

Upgrade from a qualifying Missing Sync product
Customers who own one of the Missing Sync products listed below will qualify for a special discounted upgrade to the new Missing Sync for BlackBerry, version 1.0.
Missing Sync for Palm OS
Missing Sync for Windows Mobile

Notably, the product page for Missing Sync for BlackBerry indicates the Pearl specifically when taking about syncing iTunes and iPhotos. This is because of the BlackBerry Pearl’s multimedia enhancements. The new Missing Sync needs OS X 10.4.8 (Universal Binary) and these RIM BlackBerry phones:

Mac System Requirements:
PowerPC G4, PowerPC G5, or Intel processor
Mac OS X, 10.4.8 or higher (Tiger)
Internet connection for product registration

BlackBerry Requirements:
The following devices running version 4.0 and later of the BlackBerry operating system have been tested:
7100 series
7290 (Cingular/T-Mobile)
7250 (Verizon)
7520 (Nextel)
7130 series
8700 series
8707 series
8703 series (Sprint)
8705
8100 series, aka “Pearl”
Other devices may work, but have not been tested.

As I wrote in my prior post that “the Pearl is my iPhone of today”, I now have seen the iPhone debut and retract my statement. The BlackBerry device is good, and I am keeping mine for the next 6 months, but then it’s going into the spare hones closet and the wife and I are getting 8GB Apple iPhones (we have been on Cingular for years and LOVE it)!!!

My beef with the Pearl is it’s entirely too reliant on menus – for EVERYTHING. I have found a steep learning curve that makes the kludgy Palm and icky Windows Mobile OS interfaces seem like generations of ease of use ahead. I also have found the BB to be VERY limiting in it’s customizability. It’s been a good phone and pretty reliable, ad Missing Sync for BlackBerry will make it even more useful, but I’m still not “sold” on it.

Sincerely,

Scott “Patiently Waiting for Apple iPhone” Stevens

I’ll begin here with the summary and call for cooperation for the sake of OS X and BlackBerry users everywhere! I have included sync instructions at the end of this post FYI.

Mark/Space has EXCELLENT syncing software for phones and OS X users known as the “Missing Sync”. It includes an easy-to-use interface and it works easily and reliably. Currently it handles an advanced sync for platforms like: PalmOS (Treo, etc), Windows Mobile (Blackjack, Q, etc), and even the Sony PSP. The reliability and support for the product is very worth the ~$40 USD cost. If only there was a Missing Sync for BlackBerry (they have a survey for readers to fill out)…

Mark/Space Website
Mark/Space BlackBerry Survey

Research In Motion (RIM)’s BlackBerry is an excellent phone platform, working off years of refinement by the pickiest of consumers. They’ve now added multimedia functionality on the Blackberry Pearl that works pretty well and, if properly marketed, should open up their user base (it’s inexpensive for a Smartphone too!). The Pearl is available through America’s largest – Cingular, T-Mobile, and the Canadian powerhouse Rogers.

BlackBerry Main Website
BlackBerry Pearl Website

So if you own a BlackBerry and use OS X, here’s the good and the bad news…

The Good News – RIM licensed an OS X sync free to BlackBerry owners.

The Bad News – PocketMac is not an easy, reliable, or powerful solution.

MacWorld UK – PLEASE RE-REVIEW PocketMac for BlackBerry!!!

Much to my dismay and seemingly hundreds or thousands of other vocal reviews on various web pages, the sync licensed by BlackBerry for OS X known as PocketMac sucks. I try not to use that word, but there’s no politically correct way to express the unbelievable complications, problems, unreliability, and unintuitive user interface (and installer). The company that makes this software, Information Appliance Associates, also makes PocketPC sync too, but after my PocketMac experience for BlackBerry I agree with a review I read on the web -it is very much NOT worthy of the 4-1/2 of 5 “mice” it was awarded by MacWorld UK.

I look to Mark/Space to help fix this problem, even though it’s not their fault…

MAKE YOUR SOFTWARE for BLACKBERRY!!!

Now, the reason I bring Mark/Space into this is because I believe they can fix this problem by making the “Missing Sync” for BlackBerry. It is my humble opinion that RIM only licensed PocketMac for their users because there was not another solution on the market. Pardon my play on their own words, but I believe that if Mark/Space found the “Missing Sync” for BlackBerry, they could get the license with RIM for their software to be provided to the loyal and growing BlackBerry contingent.

Okay, maybe Mark/Space hasn’t done it because it does not meet the business case, or maybe RIM is too cheap to fork out the licensing fee (I doubt). I still believe that Missing Sync would be a heavily purchased product in their portfolio, even if it were offered standalone like the rest of their products. They currently compete with Information Appliance Associates PocketMac for Windows Mobile and they should be winning that race hands down. If Mark/Space is not winning that race, then a move like this could win them significant accolades (and revenue)!

Click here to fill out the Mark/Space survey to make this happen!

My survey looked like this:

What model BlackBerry is your primary device?
Pearl

Please rate the importance of the following possible features on a scale of 1 to 5:
Sync tasks – 2
Sync notes – 3
Sync calendar events – 5
Sync contacts – 5
Email sync with Apple Mail – 4
Email sync with Microsoft Entourage – 1
Call log backup and access on the Mac – 5
Encrypted password and account number storage/syncing – 2
iPhoto album import/export between Mac and BlackBerry – 5
iTunes playlist/music/podcast download to BlackBerry – 5
Install video files to Blackberry Pearl – 5
Backup and restore of the BlackBerry – 4
Installation of third-party applications from the Mac – 4

Are there any special features not mentioned above that you’d like to see in a BlackBerry sync product for the Mac?
I would like to sync “sent email” on the BlackBerry with my mail program’s Sent folder.
I miss being able to use my Cellular Data (Edge/GPRS/GSM) on my Mac when I have no Wi-Fi.
The BlackBerry has a separate directory for /ringtones from /music. Being able to dip into the /music/ folder from the ringtone menu would be VERY nice (maybe an alias?).

I look to Research In Motion to help fix this problem for BlackBerry users…

ENTICE Mark/Space to MAKE THEIR SOFTWARE for BLACKBERRY!!!

I want to give RIM kudos on the best SmartPhone on the market – BlackBerry Pearl, an inexpensive and reliable Smartphone. Honestly after handling it I almost stopped looking forward to the coming of Apple’s iPhone – that was, until I sync’d it. It is easy to see that RIM required a solution to open their loyal users into the loyal Mac contingent, but this was not the way to do it. Unfortunately the message boards and review columns are full of dissatisfied Mac/BlackBerry users, frustrated newbies and veterans alike, and words of suggestion for Windows and Palm even against their better judgment.

Do it right or don’t do it at all, measure twice and cut once. And with all due respect, which I have for RIM, the move to license PocketMac was just a bad decision among many right decisions. Whether it was haste, lack of options or a lack of thorough research by RIM, PocketMac has turned out to be one bad apple in a “Blue-Ribbon” barrel. It pains me significantly to say that if RIM does not choose to entice Mark/Space to create the Missing Sync for BlackBerry, that they might as well pull the licensed sync software off the shelf.

I apologize in advance for my Blunt on this topic, but I feel very strongly about this. I want to trade in my Treo and convert the rest of the Windows and Palm world if I can. The sales pitch is to but a Mac and a Pearl – I think it’s a match made in Heaven. Both companies have VERY loyal fans and both products work. My iPhone is BlackBerry Pearl … once it works with my computer.

Sincerely,
Scott Stevens

Following are my instructions for PocketMac sync for BlackBerry and OS X.

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