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Trend setter
Interview with the new Chair of IEC Techical Committee 100What lies in the future for IEC Technical Committee 100? Ulrike Haltrich, its new Chair, gives us a preview.
A glimpse into the future
Pioneering research spurs on IEC multimedia workCutting edge research and development (R&D) projects are improving tomorrow’s world for people with disabilities, for car drivers and even for radio listeners. IEC Technical Committee (TC) 100: Audio, video and multimedia systems and equipment, is preparing the ground for the appropriate International Standards.
Protecting broadcast and multimedia assets and content
Media companies take action to tackle the growing threat from cyber attacksIn recent years broadcasters and multimedia companies have come under sustained cyber attacks aimed for a variety of reasons at damaging their physical assets and pilfering their content. Broadcast and multimedia companies, content providers, vendors and trade organizations are coming together now to tackle these threats. IEC Standards play a central role in their efforts to achieve this.
The influence of weather and geography
How topology, climate and country size influence standardizationThe Open Session of the 81st IEC General Meeting in Vladivostok focused on the geographical and climatic features that influence the requirements and reliability of electrical and electronic devices as well as on the technologies used in the transportation of people and goods within the Russian Federation.
Railways smarten up in battle for customers
Smart systems will make railways fit to face 21st century challengesRailway operators are increasingly achieving greater safety and efficiency by using digital technologies and computer‑based management, control and communication systems. The technical advances in modern transportation that the industrial internet of things (IIoT) enables are driving the development of further international standards in the railway sector.
Energy efficiency to recover power for the future
IEC work helps tap the biggest pool of available energyEnergy efficiency (EE) is the most important and easily available source of energy; it can be collected along the entire energy chain, from generation, transmission and storage to final use in industry, homes or transportation. IEC standardization and conformity assessment (CA) work are central to electrical EE at all levels.
Share your work in 2018
We’d like to hear and read your storiesTake the 170 countries in the IEC family, the 20 000 technical experts who work in standards development, the many certification bodies (CBs) and test laboratories (TLs) in the IEC Conformity Assessment (CA) Systems, and add to the mix the rapid pace at which technologies are evolving today and you have hundreds, if not thousands of stories that can be told within the IEC community.
Securing critical infrastructure all the way to the top
Protecting myriad connected devices will require a holistic approach to security risksAs more and more objects are connected, communicate and interact with each other, in what is labelled the internet of things (IoT), they become building blocks in larger systems. Known and unknown vulnerabilities in this wealth of objects are bound to attract cyber attacks that can bring down entire critical installations in many countries. Protection of IoT components against cyber threats, as well as of the systems that integrate them, is fast becoming a key priority.
Expanded scope for SyC AAL
IEC work to help people remain active longerTo deal with Active Assisted Living (AAL) issues, the IEC has established a Systems Committee, IEC SyC AAL. This SyC has the role of promoting safety, security, privacy and cross-vendor interoperability in the use of AAL systems and services, and of fostering standardization which boosts their usability and accessibility. Its role and scope are constantly being expanded.
Improving access to multimedia content for those with disabilities
Access to multimedia and ICT services for people suffering from impairment is improvingMultimedia content, particularly on TV, and information technology and communication (ICT) services have become central to our lives. Access to these for people suffering from visual or hearing impairment is very important and is an internationally-recognized right. The IEC, together with other organizations, works to develop International Standards that allow this access, which is also central to what is known as Active Assisted Living (AAL).
IEC work supports cross-sector AAL
IEC plays a growing role helping those seeking to remain active to access a variety of servicesTo deal with Active Assisted Living (AAL) issues, the IEC has established a Systems Committee, IEC SyC AAL. This SyC has the role of promoting safety, security, privacy and cross-vendor interoperability in the use of AAL systems and services, and of fostering standardization which boosts their usability and accessibility.
Share your work in 2017
We need your storiesTake the 169 countries in the IEC family, the 20 000 technical experts who work in standards development, the many Certification Bodies (CBs) and Test Laboratories (TLs) in the IEC Conformity Assessment (CA) Systems, and add to the mix the rapid pace at which technologies are evolving today and you have hundreds, if not thousands of stories that can be told within the IEC community.
The technology that makes our world tick
International Standards contribute to the prevention of cyberattacksAs more areas of our lives become connected to the Internet of Things (IoT), the work of experts in ISO/IEC Joint Technical Committee (JTC) 1: Information Technology, who develop worldwide International Standards for business and consumer applications in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), is increasingly crucial.
IEC and USB-IF united in e-waste fight
Global single-cable solution for audio, video, data and powerThe amount of global e-waste — discarded electrical and electronic equipment — reached nearly 49 tonnes in 2013. On average that is more than 20 kg for each person on the planet. By 2017 it is predicted that the world will produce approximately 65 million tonnes of e-waste, or a 33% increase, according to a study conducted by a partnership of United Nations organizations, industry, governments and scientists.
Enter the new sports world
Experience the action from within through virtual reality and enhanced 360 VR with augmented graphicsWish you could get tickets to the Olympics, World Cup or Super Bowl and experience the live atmosphere just once? A new trend is sweeping the sports world that is already allowing fans to feel as if they were at the game without leaving the couch. From football, tennis and F1 racing, to basketball, golf, hockey and more, spectators can watch games literally from new angles.
Standards help improve digital audio and video
New ways of working drive technologies for compressing and transmitting imagesInformation and communication technologies pervade our daily lives and all economic sectors. The way we access and use information has changed. We view, send and receive documents and images for work and leisure on our smartphones, tablets, laptops and TVs, whose screen quality continues to improve. Additionally, virtual and augmented reality applications are being used by more industries, from broadcasting, sports, health and tourism, to manufacturing, marketing, real estate and construction. Their innovative, interactive features personalize the user’s experience and can improve safety and efficiency.
Electrical and electronic systems behind every sports event
An enthralling experience for audiences and athletes alike thanks to IEC International StandardsMore than ever before the two major sports event of 2016, the European Football Championship, Euro 2016, and the 2016 Olympics Games, are supported by high-tech electrical and electronic equipment and systems. These make it possible to provide the best possible coverage on and off the venues and ensure high commercial returns for investors and sponsors.
Virtual reality is central to aviation and maritime training
What is often seen as a novelty in many domains has in fact been used for decadesVirtual reality is increasingly making the headlines, thanks mainly to the gaming community, but it started finding its way in a wide range of domains a long time ago. Virtual reality has been around for decades, one of its earlier applications being the training of aircraft pilots in rather basic mechanical installations. It is now widely used in the aviation and maritime sectors to form crews. Many of the systems set up in the very complex training installations in use today rely on a number of IEC International Standards for their operations.
Multimedia systems and equipment produce different realities
Virtual reality and augmented reality rely on audiovisual systems and equipmentVirtual reality (VR), which replicates an environment, and augmented reality (AR), which adds elements and information to a real environment, are made possible through the incorporation of visual and sound effects. Additional sensory feedback, from tactile information or smell, may sometimes also form part of the VR and AR experience. IEC standardization work for audio, video and multimedia systems and equipment, including electronic display devices, is central to VR and AR
Cabled or wireless – high-quality audio is gaining ground
After a long decline high-performance audio has made a comebackNot such a long time ago high-fidelity, or hi-fi, stereo sound systems, which first started appearing in homes in large numbers in the early 1970s, were considered the ultimate in home entertainment. They provided the best possible sound from sources as diverse as FM radio, LP vinyl records and tape or cassette recorders connected to amplifiers and other sound processing devices, and occupied pride of place in living rooms.
Changing TV gear and consumption habits
Uncertainty about the future is the new certainty in the TV industryIn recent years the television industry has experienced countless changes to its content production and distribution modes, the equipment needed to support them and viewers’ expectations. Leaving aside the continuous need for standards, among them IEC International Standards, uncertainty about the future is the new certainty in the TV industry.
Share your work in 2016
We need your storiesWith 166 countries in the IEC family, more than 15 000 technical experts who work in standards development, hundreds of CBs (Certification Bodies) and TLs (Test Laboratories) in the IEC CA (Conformity Assessment) Systems, there is no shortage of stories to be told within the IEC community. In 2016, as in previous years, the e-tech editorial team will be reaching out to you to get your story.
More capable yet leaner audiovisual gear
New expanded International Standards to measure consumption of individual devices replace single publicationThe range of audio, video (AV) and related equipment used by households has been expanding constantly over recent decades. Long gone is the time when homes had on average a single TV set and a few radios only, followed by the introduction of fairly basic recording equipment.
Multimedia and consumer electronics
The world is a giant network connecting everyone and everythingThe focus of the January/February edition of IEC e-tech is on multimedia and consumer electronics.
Dedicated to improving quality of life
Standards will help the elderly lead a healthier, more active and independent lifeEnhancing the health, quality of life and independence of older people has become a priority for many states as a fast ageing population presents them with a number of social and financial challenges. AAL (Active Assisted Living) is seen as offering opportunities to meet these challenges. IEC TC (Technical Committee) 100: Audio, video and multimedia systems and equipment, has created a TA (Technical Area) dedicated to the preparation of International Standards for AAL, accessibility and user interface.
Behind the scenes at the Sochi Olympics
IEC International Standards helped to make things workInvisible but essential for the success of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, IEC work underpinned a host of technologies which helped in the smooth running of the Games.
e-books
Bookmark your library – digitized text in handThe e-book and its tablet form have come a long way since the first digital devices were announced. The original models were greeted with a fair amount of skepticism. There was doubt concerning proprietary software that might constrain the choice of model or reading titles, and a possible lack of connectivity that would prevent widespread use. Now, all of that seems to be changing, and the original skepticism has given way to enthusiasm and a multitude of new developments.