DirectBand is a North American wireless datacast network owned and operated by Microsoft. It uses FM radio broadcasts in over 100 cities to constantly transmit data to a variety of devices, including portable GPS devices, wristwatches and home weather stations.

FM station channels

How it works[link]

DirectBand uses the 67.65 kHz subcarrier leased by Microsoft from commercial radio broadcasters. This subcarrier delivers about 12 kbit/s (net after ECC) of data per tower, for over 100 MB per day per city. Data includes traffic, sports, weather, stocks, news, movie times, calendar appointments, and local time.

Not like RDS[link]

DirectBand does not use the RDS (Radio Data System) subcarrier. RDS is a different system and has much lower data rate (~730 bit/s after ECC, including framing). Its much narrower subcarrier is primarily used for radio station information and traffic. DirectBand and RDS can co-exist on the same FM station.

Forward Acting Error Correction[link]

Since many DirectBand uses are mobile, and there is no opportunity to request retransmission of a broadcast signal, DirectBand utilizes an advanced error-correction strategy that allows for reconstruction of messages even when sizable portions of the message are lost due to buildings, tunnels or other obstructions of the FM signal. Error correction is 1/2 rate interleaved trellis with time diversity, soft-decision decode. The DirectBand data rate is in excess of 12 kbit/s after ECC.

Push network[link]

DirectBand is a push network—new content is delivered every 2 minutes. Users pre-select the virtual channels that they are interested in.

Receivers[link]

There are a variety of DirectBand receivers. All use a small (2.794 mm x 2.794 mm x 860 µm) radio receiver. Some designs add an ARM7-based processor.

The initial DirectBand products were a series of data watches. These had mild success, but never met expectations and production of new watches was discontinued in 2008. Recently, several other applications have surfaced, the most visible being the traffic data/local info market, particularly to auto GPS sets for Garmin and Avis. This competes directly with older RDS-based services, which operate at a substantially lower data rate.

Microsoft design[link]

DirectBand is a product of the Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT) team at Microsoft. System hardware was designed for Microsoft by SCA Data Systems of Santa Monica, CA.^[1] MSN Direct is the consumer brand that Microsoft uses for devices that receive content from the DirectBand network.

FM subcarrier usage[link]

RDS uses a portion of the FM station spectrum immediately above the stereo signal, centered at 3x19 kHz (the stereo pilot frequency). RDS extends between about 55 and 59 kHz. DirectBand is above RDS, extending from about 59 kHz to 75 kHz.

Future[link]

On October 26, 2009, Microsoft announced that MSN Direct service would end on January 1, 2012.^[2]

Although this clearly indicates Microsoft's intent to cease usage of the service, it is not yet known whether the DirectBand technology will be sold to another company, such as one of the hardware licensees of MSN Direct (e.g. Garmin) -- or whether the technology will be put in the public domain as an open source technology.

See also[link]

• RDS
• PSIP
• Error correction
• Modem
• FM broadcasting

References[link]

1. ^ SCA Data website
2. ^ "MSN Direct service will be available only until January 1, 2012. publisher=MSN Direct web site". https://www.msndirect.com/MSNDirectServiceAnnouncement.aspx. 

External links[link]

• Official DirectBand website
• Official MSN Direct website

Tarrus Riley
Performing at Negril Escape, 2009
Background information
Birth name	Omar Riley
Born	1979 The Bronx, New York City, United States
Genres	Reggae
Instruments	Vocalist, Guitar
Years active	Mid-1990s–present
Labels	VP, Cannon Productions
Website	tarrusriley.com

Tarrus Riley (born Omar Riley, 1979, The Bronx, New York City, United States) is a Jamaican-American reggae singer, member of the Rastafari movement and the son of Jamaican reggae singer Jimmy Riley.^[1]

Biography[link]

His father is veteran reggae singer Jimmy Riley. He made his recording debut as a teenager. In 2004, Tarrus released his debut album, Challenges. Riley has consistently racked up awards for his work. Among his accolades are Best Singer, Male Vocalist, Cultural Artiste, Song of the Year, and Best Song. Some of the awards institutions which have rewarded Riley include the Youth View Awards, The Star People’s Choice Awards, EME Awards, and the Reggae Academy awards. Tarrus is the holder of Jamaica's CVM TV's 15th Anniversary Award, held in February 2009, for the ‘Most Admired Song in the Past 15 Years’ for the hit, "She’s Royal".

In 2009 Riley released his third opus Contagious on Cannon Production. The album was distributed by VP Records. It contained the hits Start Anew, Contagious, Good Girl Gone Bad featuring Konshens and Superman, a cover of a Robin Thicke original.2010 saw the release of the chart topper Protect the People, which scaled several charts in Jamaica and across the Caribbean. Early 2011 saw the release of the Black History themed Shaka Zulu Pickney which was featured on the Nyabingi rhythm from Bombrush Music. The video for the song which was directed by Storm Saulter was well received upon its release. His interest in educating the youth about Black History resulted in the Tarrus Riley Freedom Writers Competition, which ran on Jamaica’s Irie FM radio station.

2011 also saw the release of videos for hit singles including Come Ova and Never leave I. Both songs have become anthems on Jamaican radio as well as in several Caribbean territories. Riley has performed on several stages around the world. His performances have drawn credible reviews from the media in the Caribbean, North America, the United States and Europe.

Riley tours Europe once each year, performing on the major reggae festivals in several European countries. Riley's most recent high profile performances include the 2011 Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, Reggae Sumfest 2010, Betty Wright and Friends in concert in Jamaica, and the Palmyra Foundation's Fundraising event. He also headlined the Hennessey Artistry show in Barbados in December 2011.

Among his accolades in 2011 were the EME Awards (Excellence in Music and Entertainment) for Vocalist of the Year Male and Cultural Artiste of the Year. Riley also copped the 2011 Youth View Award for Cultural Artiste of the Year.

Riley released the acoustic album Mecoustic in 2012 and toured Europe in support of it with his Blak Soil band.^[2]

Awards & nominations[link]

• 2007 - Jamaica Observer Artiste of the Year^[3]
• 2008 - Excellence in Music & Entertainment (EME) Awards - Cultural Artiste of the Year (nominated), Male Vocalist of Year Award, Song of The Year ("She's Royal")^[4]
• 2008 - Reggae Academy Awards - Best Reggae Song, Most Popular Song (both for "She's Royal"), Best Solo Male Vocal Performance, Breakthrough Reggae Artiste^[5]
• 2009 - Caribbean-American Heritage Awards - Reggae Runnins Caribbean Heritage Award
• 2009 - MOBO Awards - Best Reggae (nominated)
• 2009 - Soul Train Music Awards - Best Reggae Artist (nominated)
• 2011 - (EME- Excellence in Music and Entertainment (Jamaica)- Cultural Artiste of the Year and Vocalist of the Year (Male)
• 2011 - Youth View Awards (YVA's) - Cultural Artiste of the Year
• 2011 - UNIA Marcus Garvey Award - For Contribution of Music

Discography[link]

• Challenges (2004), VP
• Parables (2006), VP
• Contagious (2009), VP
• Mecoustic (2012), VP

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Tarrus Riley at Allmusic