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Archive for June, 2007

Walt Likes the iPhone

Posted by Sam Churchill on June 26th, 2007

Walt Mossberg thinks the iPhone is a breakthrough:
It has the largest and highest-resolution screen of any smart phone we’ve seen, and the most internal memory by far. Yet it is one of the thinnest smart phones available and offers impressive battery life, better than its key competitors claim.

It feels solid and comfortable in the hand [...]

Sprint’s Barry West

Posted by Sam Churchill on June 26th, 2007

Forbes.com interviewed Sprint CTO Barry West who leads Sprint’s “fourth-generation” (4G) broadband department, currently building a $2.5 billion to $3 billion mobile WiMax network.
Some shareholders aren’t convinced it’s a solid bet. But revenue from plain-vanilla cellphone calls is eroding, and carriers must bet on wireless data to drive growth. Right now, Sprint is leading [...]

Supernova Shout Match

Posted by Sam Churchill on June 26th, 2007

At Supernova 2007, the assistant secretary for communications and information, John Kneuer, lost his temper and began shouting back attendees after taking flack for saying the free market - not government intervention - would protect internet innovation and access.
Kneuer, who previously served with a Washington DC law firm Piper Rudnick representing telecoms companies, [...]

Boingo Goes Flat Rate

Posted by Sam Churchill on June 25th, 2007

Boingo Wireless launched today a new $39-per-month flat-rate global Wi-Fi service to provide business travelers with access to 100,000 Boingo hot spots.
Called Boingo Global, it will have no roaming charges or per-minute fees, reports Computer World.

“The days of per-minute charges and incremental roaming fees for Wi-Fi Internet access are over,” said Dave Hagan, president of [...]

Traffic Radio Goes HD

Posted by Sam Churchill on June 25th, 2007

Ibiquity’s HD Radio system, which encodes FM broadcasts as a digital pulse stream, has completed testing of a conditional access system in Chicago, transmitting traffic data services to radio listeners. “Conditional access” might be considered a euphemism for “pay radio”
According to their press release, Broadcast Electronics, Emmis Communications and NDS conducted the project, with involvement [...]

Mobile/Handheld TV: Killer App?

Posted by Sam Churchill on June 25th, 2007

Lonesome Rhodes: I’m not just an entertainer. I’m an influence, a wielder of opinion… a force!
– A Face in the Crowd

The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) said Friday it has received 10 responses to a request for proposals for its mobile and handheld standard (ATSC-M/H) for Mobile/Handheld over-the-air digital TV reception.
The ATSC-M/H standard will enable [...]

Wi-Fi Alliance: Testing “N” Interoperability

Posted by Sam Churchill on June 25th, 2007

The Wi-Fi Alliance has started interoperability testing of 802.11n Draft 2.0 products, notes Engadget.
“WiFi Certified” products should be available this summer. Products based on the new IEEE 802.11n draft deliver up to five times the throughput and up to twice the range of those based on previous standards and will be backward compatible with [...]

iDay Friday

Posted by Sam Churchill on June 25th, 2007

Glenn Fleishman explains the iPhone, in 20 questions
1. What makes an iPhone distinctive?
A: It is a full-featured music and video player that can place and receive calls and, unlike most smartphones, it lacks a physical keypad or keyboard. Instead, it uses on-screen touch-sensitive typing and can interpret finger gestures, like spreading or pinching, into actions [...]

Three Radio BelAir

Posted by Sam Churchill on June 25th, 2007

BelAir Networks today announced the BelAir100T, a three-radio platform for public access, public works and 4.9GHz public safety applications.
It allows cities and service providers to deploy separate and secure Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and 4.9GHz Public Safety networks, explained Jim Freeze, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Alliances at BelAir. It integrates seamlessly with the company’s [...]

Sacramento Approves WiFi

Posted by Sam Churchill on June 22nd, 2007

Henry Beige: I’m gonna give you a rule of thumb. You foller it and you just might hold on to this ranch of yours. All large-scale crime is an inside job. Takin’ fingerprints and sendin’ trash off to the lab just don’t get her done. If you’re dealin’ with people, you gotta be [...]