New Dark Fire from Gibson, State-of-the-Art Electronic Guitar, Features 1394 for PC Connectivity
Gibson’s Design Decision Shows FireWire’s Continued Popularity in Audio and Applications; See a Live Demo at YouTube
The release of the much-anticipated Gibson Dark Fire electronic guitar represents another exciting application for the IEEE 1394 standard, which the Dark Fire guitar uses for PC connectivity. continued

New Low Priced MacBook White from Apple Includes FireWire, Upgraded Hard Drive
Apple’s introduction of its new $999, lightweight MacBook – which includes IEEE 1394 – reflects its appreciation of the role of FireWire for millions of loyal Apple users worldwide. continued

1394 TA Sets Technical Seminar on 1394 Automotive Standard April 30
The Trade Association will host a special 1394-Automotive technical seminar on Thursday, April 30th following its second quarter general meeting at the Dearborn Inn in Dearborn, Michigan. continued

1394 Trade Association Elects 2009 Board of Directors; Sees Continued Strong Growth for FireWire Across Multiple Markets
Trade Association Founder Max Bassler to Chair, Vice Chair is Peter Helfet of Eqcologic
The 1394 Trade Association elected its 2009 board of directors at the first quarter meeting in Hawaii. continued

New Pro Audio Products at NAMM 2009 Feature Plenty of FireWire
The 2009 version of the annual winter show sponsored by NAMM featured a broad range of new 1394-equipped mixers, amps, and recording equipment. The show was held Jan. 15-19 in Anaheim.  New products and technologies included the following: continued

1394 Embedded in New Kontron Platform Serving Transportation in Belgium
Embedded computer manufacturer Kontron AG (Eching, Germany) will provide the Walloon transport company in Belgium with a new set of fleet management applications in more than 2,500 buses, running on Kontron platforms, and deploying 1394.  continued

Updated, Upgraded Mac Minis Move to 1394b
Apple on March 3 officially launched the updated Mac Mini, featuring new configurations featuring 1394b, although the prices remain the same. continued

Despite the global economic downturn that continues to generate headlines, we are encouraged by the significant number of 1394-enabled products entering the market.  These impressive products include compelling pro-audio devices and industrial cameras, many of which include 1394b.  In addition to the latest products update in this newsletter, check out the report from NAMM in Anaheim.  It’s a good indication that our member companies are successfully moving FireWire technology into new products and fresh markets.

Concerning home networking, all sources – from industry analysts to standards organizations to the companies that install systems – agree that no technology has emerged as the clear leader. The market is wide open and all of the various standards and configurations remain ‘in play.’ The High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance (HANA) is on track to conduct field trials this summer of a ground-breaking 1394-based home networking solution, targeting market entry at the CEDIA trade show in September.  We are excited by our growing momentum in the home networking market, finally realizing the promise that was first discussed at the inaugural 1394 Developers’ Conference back in 1997.

Let me encourage you to attend the TA Quarterly Meeting in Dearborn, MI, April 28 – 30.  This is the first TA meeting in the continental USA in a year.  Now is a great time for you to catch up on all you have been missing if you have not been able to join us at meetings in Europe or Asia.  Associated with this meeting will be the 1394 Automotive Tech Seminar targeting automotive OEMs and their Tier 1 suppliers.  If you have contacts in the automotive market, I urge you to invite them to come.  Some basic details are available in this newsletter.  More to come.

-- James Snider, Executive Director