Sunday 16 March 2014

This masters in musicology is the BRAIN BEHIND CAMERA PHONES and a pioneer in various upcoming technologies !!!!

Philippe Kahn (born March 16, 1952) is a technology innovator and entrepreneur, credited with creating the first camera phone solution sharing pictures instantly on public networks. Kahn's publicly transmitted birth-picture of his daughter of June 11, 1997 is the first one known. Kahn is also a pioneer for wearable technology IP. Kahn has founded three technology companies: Fullpower Technologies, LightSurf Technologies, and Starfish Software. He was also an early employee and later owner of Borland. Kahn is the author of several dozen technology patents covering wearable, eyewear, smartphone, mobile, imaging, wireless, synchronization, medical technologies.

Kahn has founded four software companies: Fullpower Technologies, founded in 2003, LightSurf Technologies, founded in 1998 (acquired by VeriSign in 2005), Starfish Software, founded in 1994 (acquired by Motorola in 1998), and Borland, founded in 1982 (acquired by Micro Focus in 2009).

Kahn grew up in Paris, France. He was born to Jewish immigrants of modest means. His mother was an Auschwitz survivor, violinist and lieutenant in the French resistance. His father was a self-educated mechanical engineer with a Socialist bent.

Kahn was educated in mathematics at ETH Zurich, Switzerland (Swiss Federal Polytechnic Institute), on a full scholarship and University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, France. He received a mastersin mathematics. He also received a masters in musicology composition and classical flute performance at the Zurich Music Conservatory in Switzerland. As a student, Kahn developed software for the MICRAL, the earliest non-kit personal computer based on a microprocessor. The MICRAL is now credited by the Computer History Museum as the first ever microprocessor-based personal computer.

Under Kahn's direction, Borland became the first software company to offer domestic partners full benefits and a pioneer for gay rights in Silicon Valley. Kahn was a key speaker at the pivotal Gay Rights conference on the Apple campus on October 19, 1993.

Kahn was CEO of Borland from 1982 to 1994, when Borland was a competitor of Microsoft. Kahn was President, CEO, and Chairman of Borland and, without venture capital, took Borland from no revenues to a $500 million run-rate. Starfish Software was founded in 1994 by Philippe Kahn as a spin-off from the Simplify business unit from Borland and Kahn's severance from Borland; which was successfully acquired by Motorola for $325 million in 1998.

Kahn founded LightSurf in 1998 shortly after he had created the first camera phone solution sharing pictures instantly on public networks in 1997.
The impetus for this invention was the birth of Kahn's daughter; he jury-rigged a mobile phone with a digital camera and sent off photos in real time. LightSurf was formed to take advantage of the explosive convergence of wireless messaging technology, the Internet, and digital media. LightSurf's core technology, the LightSurf 6 Open Standards MMS Platform, was a suite of hosted and managed MMS services that allowed users to capture, view, annotate, and share multimedia messages with any handset or e-mail address, regardless of device, file type, or network operator.

Fullpower, founded in 2003 and focused on the convergence of life sciences, wireless technology, accelerometrics, nanotechnology and Microelectromechanical systems, is well known for its MotionX Technology Platform. Fullpower is a leader in Wearable Technology. The MotionX technology Platform powers solution such as Jawbone UP, Nike and others. As of November 2013, Fullpower has been awarded 33 issued US patents covering wearable technology, sensor fusion and motion processors.

Because the iPhone from launch integrated a collection of sensors, Fullpower launched iPhone applications as a showcase and a validation of the MotionX Wearable technology platform. First introduced publicly with the launch of Apple's App Store in July 2008, the MotionX Technology Platform provides the underlying Wearable technology for the leading Navigation and Fitness Applications on the App Store. These include:
  • Nike+ GPS, launched in September 2010, the leading fitness application on the iPhone and iPod Touch. MotionX provides the underlying technology for the Nike+ GPS Application. "We took great care in evaluating sensing technologies and found the MotionX Technology Platform to be superior," said Stefan Olander, Vice President of Digital Sport at Nike.
  • MotionX-GPS Drive, launched in September 2009, the top-downloaded turn-by-turn navigation application for the iPhone.
  • MotionX-GPS, launched in October 2008, the multi-sport and navigation GPS application for the iPhone.
  • MotionX-24/7, launched in March 2012, MotionX's complete sleep and activity tracking and management solution.
The first wearable Sleep and Activity monitor based on the MotionX Wearable technology platform in the UP Band. In September 2011, the Jawbone UP band, a wrist-worn activity and sleep monitoring device powered by MotionX technology, was launched. The MotionX-24/7 Engine is at the core of the Jawbone UP and the Nike solutions.