keithe@tekgvs.GVS.TEK.COM (Keith Ericson) (09/20/88)
An article appeared detailing the problems with distributing the equivalent of a magazine on floppy disk. I have no argument with the points made therein. But you might consider the potential of electronic distribution via television or FM broadcast subcarrier. You have your computer connected to your FM or TV set which decodes the stuff, filters it for you and has it stored, waiting for your perusal the next morning. If you pay extra you can skip over the advertisements; on the cheap you get ads included with the "useful" stuff. This is not a new idea. The guy who started Dr. Dobbs'... presented this - not for the first time - at the SOG in Bend last July (damned if I can recall his name: but it will come to me as soon as I ship this note off, I'm sure :-)). I whould think newspaper publishers would be real nervous about this if they're foresightful (huh?) enough to know about it. keith
al@psivax.UUCP (Al Schwartz) (09/21/88)
In article <3961@tekgvs.GVS.TEK.COM> keithe@tekgvs.GVS.TEK.COM (Keith Ericson) writes: >An article appeared detailing the problems with distributing the >equivalent of a magazine on floppy disk. I have no argument with the >points made therein. > >But you might consider the potential of electronic distribution via >television or FM broadcast subcarrier. You have your computer >connected to your FM or TV set which decodes the stuff, filters it >for you and has it stored, waiting for your perusal the next >morning. If you pay extra you can skip over the advertisements; on >the cheap you get ads included with the "useful" stuff. > >This is not a new idea. The guy who started Dr. Dobbs'... presented >this - not for the first time - at the SOG in Bend last July (damned >if I can recall his name: but it will come to me as soon as I ship >this note off, I'm sure :-)). > His name is Jim Warren and his system is called "DataCast". ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) -- Al Schwartz Pacesetter Systems Inc., Sylmar (LA), CA, USA {sdcrdcf|ttidca|scgvaxd|nrcvax|jplpro|hoptoad|csun|quad1|harvard| bellcore|uunet|rdlvax|ihnp4|ashtate|siemens|cit-vax} !psivax!al ARPA: al@psivax.psi.siemens.com
wfp@dasys1.UUCP (William Phillips) (09/26/88)
In article <3961@tekgvs.GVS.TEK.COM> keithe@tekgvs.GVS.TEK.COM (Keith Ericson) writes: |An article appeared detailing the problems with distributing the |equivalent of a magazine on floppy disk. I have no argument with the |points made therein. |But you might consider the potential of electronic distribution via |television or FM broadcast subcarrier. You have your computer |connected to your FM or TV set which decodes the stuff, filters it |for you and has it stored, waiting for your perusal the next |morning. If you pay extra you can skip over the advertisements; on |the cheap you get ads included with the "useful" stuff. |This is not a new idea. The guy who started Dr. Dobbs'... presented |this - not for the first time - at the SOG in Bend last July (damned |if I can recall his name: but it will come to me as soon as I ship |this note off, I'm sure :-)). |I whould think newspaper publishers would be real nervous about this |if they're foresightful (huh?) enough to know about it. I think this is essentially how Lotus Signal works, though I believe you have to buy a special receiver as part of the package -- probably works better than some haywire hookup to your FM set. Signal is a stock market quotation service. I don't know what kind of coverage it has, or even whether it still operates, but I didn't hear of any publishers getting worried about it. It would be interesting to know how much data (text and graphics) such a system could move overnight. Of course, considering that many of us hackers are using our machines for other things (like Usenet) till the wee hours, perhaps a daytime feed would be more appropriate :-). I wonder whether Signal operates 24 hours a day, and if not, whether stations equipped to broadcast it would like to generate some additional revenue by transmitting other stuff during off hours. -- William Phillips {allegra,philabs,cmcl2}!phri\ Big Electric Cat Public Unix {bellcore,cmcl2}!cucard!dasys1!wfp New York, NY, USA !!! JUST SAY "NO" TO OS/2 !!!
dorn@fabscal.UUCP (Alan Dorn Hetzel) (09/27/88)
I believe that Lotus Signal uses what is known as FM-Subcarrier transmission, which means that their data is piggy-backed onto a broadcast FM stations carrier in a means which prevents its interference with the audible (music) portion of the signal. This method results in fairly low baud rates, but does give good coverage (roughly equal to the stations receivable area). Some pagers also use this method, as well as a calculator sized radio based stock ticker (sort the ultimate nerd-trader accessory) Dorn
pozar@hoptoad.uucp (Tim Pozar) (09/27/88)
In article <6638@dasys1.UUCP> wfp@dasys1.UUCP (William Phillips) writes: >In article <3961@tekgvs.GVS.TEK.COM> keithe@tekgvs.GVS.TEK.COM (Keith Ericson) writes: >|But you might consider the potential of electronic distribution via >|television or FM broadcast subcarrier. You have your computer >|connected to your FM or TV set which decodes the stuff, filters it >|for you and has it stored, waiting for your perusal the next >|morning. If you pay extra you can skip over the advertisements; on >|the cheap you get ads included with the "useful" stuff. > >|This is not a new idea. The guy who started Dr. Dobbs'... presented Jim C. Warren Jr.?? >|this - not for the first time - at the SOG in Bend last July (damned >|if I can recall his name: but it will come to me as soon as I ship >|this note off, I'm sure :-)). > >|I whould think newspaper publishers would be real nervous about this >|if they're foresightful (huh?) enough to know about it. > >I think this is essentially how Lotus Signal works, though I believe you >have to buy a special receiver as part of the package -- probably works >better than some haywire hookup to your FM set. Signal is a stock >market quotation service. I don't know what kind of coverage it has, >or even whether it still operates, but I didn't hear of any publishers >getting worried about it. It would be interesting to know how much >data (text and graphics) such a system could move overnight. Of course, >considering that many of us hackers are using our machines for other >things (like Usenet) till the wee hours, perhaps a daytime feed would be >more appropriate :-). I wonder whether Signal operates 24 hours a day, >and if not, whether stations equipped to broadcast it would like to >generate some additional revenue by transmitting other stuff during off >hours. > Signal is a FM subcarrier transmission system. It has a rougher time of getting clean data transmission than using the Vertical Blanking Interval lines on a television station. It also has less coverage are (ussually). The maxium b/s rates that FM subcarriers will pass (per subcarrier) is ussally 9600 b/s. I have seen 56,000 b/s transmission rates, but this method takes up the whole subcarrier band. Of what I've seen, Signal only runs while the New York Stock Exchange is open. It certainly could pass other data during the "off" hours. Signal has to pay monthly for subcarriers so the meter is still running for them... Tim -- ...sun!hoptoad!\ Tim Pozar >fidogate!pozar Fido: 1:125/406 ...lll-winken!/ PaBell: (415) 788-3904 USNail: KKSF / 77 Maiden Lane / San Francisco CA 94108