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AT&T shakedown
2008-04-01 04:24:00
AT&T seeing executive shakedown?Posted Mar 31st 2008 8:14PM by Ryan BlockFiled under: Misc. GadgetsDetails are still shaky, but GigaOM is reporting that the futures of certain AT&T executives may also be dubious. In addition to a recently replaced CTO and recently departed USi CEO, apparently VPs are being offered exit packages or demotions (their choice!), possibly to trim some of the fat at the top of the pyramid before the US economy gets any crappier. We can't say for sure, but hey, those billions of dollars in 700MHz auction funds have to come from somewhere -- immediately, too, you don't want the FCC sending over hundreds of goons to kneecap thousands of employees. AT&T had no comment on matters both of downsizing and the FCC's mafia-like collection practices.source : engadget.com
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Ad Funded MuniFi
2008-03-30 05:40:00
Ad-funded MuniFi: Realistic? Posted by samc on March 27th, 2008 It’s a bit behind schedule and somewhat over budget but, says Muniwireless, by the end of the month, the Minneapolis muni Wi-Fi network will be a reality. And, by all reports, folks there think it’s worth the wait. The city of Minneapolis (pop: 369,051) is an anchor tenant on the system, operated by U.S. Internet, based in nearby Minnetonka. USI has spent several million dollars on additional antennas and hardware to insure appropriate coverage, as Minnesota Public Radio reports (audio). US Internet had to increase the number of nodes per square mile from an average of 26 to 42 to combat interference and attenuation from some 200,000 boulevard trees. As an anchor tenant, the city accounts for more than $1 million a year. So far U.S. Internet has signed up more than 5,000 subscribers. Company officials said 8,000 people have preregistered for the service. They predict the network will be...

China Mobile goes TD-SCDMA
2008-03-30 05:38:00
China Mobile Goes TD-SCDMA Posted by samc on March 28th, 2008 China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile carrier with over 376 million customers, announced that it will begin testing the country’s homegrown 3G standard — TD-SCDMA — next week. The carrier said it will issue 20,000 handsets and 5,000 data cards to select customers with free airtime. China Mobile will also offer an additional 40,000 handsets in stores for $7.13 a month, with outgoing calls costing some 6 cents a minute. China Mobile said the testing will begin April 1 and run through July in eight cities, including Beijing. The government hopes to roll out 3G services before the summer Olympics begin this August. China is the world’s largest telecommunications market with some 362 million landline subscribers [27 per 100 persons] and some 565 million [42 per 100 persons] mobile cellular subscribers. TD-SCDMA stands for Time Division – Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access. ...
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South Korean police GPS handsets
2008-03-30 05:36:00
South Korean police aiming to equip all new handsets with GPS?Posted Mar 29th 2008 12:40PM by Darren MurphFiled under: Cellphones, GPS Presumably taking a note from Japan, it's being reported that South Korean police are backing a highly controversial plan that would equip each new mobile sold in the nation with a GPS chip. Reportedly, Song Kang-ho, chief of the investigation bureau of the National Police Agency, has stated that the government has "already submitted a related bill to the National Assembly," and the general idea here is to crack down on the rise of kidnapping and various other crimes against children and women (not much different than we Americans having such a chip for E911, really). Granted, there's not a lot of supporting evidence that this is actually set to go down, so until we see it inked in stone, our skeptic hats are remaining in place.source : engadget.com
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iPhone Pwned project
2008-03-30 05:34:00
Video of the iPhone Pwned project in actionPosted Mar 29th 2008 8:38PM by Nilay PatelFiled under: Cellphones Those crafty kids on the iPhone Dev Team have already hacked the 2.0 firmware, but now they're getting ready to release the oh-so-creatively-named PWNED tool, which takes iPhone hacking to the next level by patching the bootloader to let you load any firmware image you want -- even images not signed by Apple. That means custom patched firmware can now be loaded directly from iTunes, which simplifies the jailbreaking / unlocking process tremendously, and also means that a patched version of the 2.0 firmware is coming soon. We're putting the tool through its paces right now and we'll have a hands-on with it (and the Dev Team's patched 2.0 firmware) as soon as we get it all working, but check out some highlights after the break, and hit the read link for more info.source : engadget.com
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Obama, Hillary, McCain bloodline to Illuminati
2008-03-30 05:27:00
Obama, Hillary , McCain bloodline to Illuminati This could make for one odd family reunion: Barack Obama is a distant cousin of Brad Pitt, and Hillary Rodham Clinton is related to Pitt's girlfriend, Angelina Jolie.Researchers at the New England Historic Genealogical Society found some remarkable family connections for the three presidential candidates -- Democratic rivals Obama and Clinton, and Republican John McCain.Clinton, who is of French-Canadian descent on her mother's side, is also a distant cousin of singers Madonna, Celine Dion and Alanis Morissette. Obama, the son of a white woman from Kansas and a black man from Kenya, can call six U.S. presidents, including George 165 W. Bush, his cousins. McCain is a sixth cousin of first lady Laura Bush."You'd think with all that singing talent in the family she'd be able to carry a tune," Clinton's senior adviser Philippe Reines said. "But now it makes much more sense how she snagged a Grammy."Clinton wo...
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REAL ID act
2008-03-30 05:26:00
Real ID Act - Sam Ettaro joins the discussion The REAL ID Act of 2005 stipulates that after May 11, 2008, "a Federal agency may not accept, for any official purpose, a driver's license or identification card issued by a State to any person unless the State is meeting the requirements" specified in the REAL ID Act.The Act includes the following requirements:A driver's license or identification card must include certain specific information and features.A driver's license or identification card cannot be issued unless certain specific documentation is presented.The state must verify all documentation presented with an application.Driver's licenses or identification cards issued to persons who are present in the United States only temporarily can be valid only for the amount of time for which the persons are authorized to be in the United States.Controls and processes must be established to ensure the security of the issuance process.Each state must maintain a motor vehicle data...
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Sam Ettaro discussing Alex Jones
2008-03-30 05:23:00
Bernard, Sam Ettaro, Raina discussing Alex Jones /Aaron Russo This is a segment of the aftershow yesterday. We ran an hour longer. Go hear the whole thing. Mr. Ettaro has done some great work and was a Host on WTPRN (Jones' network) and the National Media Director for Aaron Russo. America Freedom To Fascism.
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Martial Law is coming to America
2008-03-30 05:19:00
JACK MCLAMB : MARTIAL LAW COMING TO AMERICA JACK MCLAMB WAS THE HIGHEST DECORATED POLICE OFFICER IN PHOENIX HISTORY.
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WTF Best Buy lawsuit
2008-02-13 11:05:00
Woman files $54m lawsuit against Best Buy for losing laptopPosted Feb 12th 2008 1:40PM by Nilay PatelFiled under: Laptops We've definitely heard some horror stories about Best Buy, but it looks like a DC woman named Raelyn Campbell has had enough: she's opening up a big can of America Sauce on the retailer in the form of a $54m lawsuit after it lost her laptop during warranty service. Campbell says she bought a laptop and $300 extended warranty from Best Buy in 2006, and took the machine in for service when the power switch broke last May. Told repairs would take two to six weeks, she set off on a business trip, only to find that her laptop had gone missing when she returned in August. Fast forward through several more weeks of run-around and delays, and the best the Buy would offer for losing a $1,100 machine with all her data on it was a $900 gift card. After being informed of the potential for identity theft, Campbell filed the multimillion-dollar suit, which prompted Best Buy ...
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T-mobile hotspot
2008-02-13 11:04:00
T-Mobile HotSpot users will get five years of Starbucks WiFi access after AT&T switchoverPosted Feb 12th 2008 5:10PM by Nilay PatelFiled under: Cellphones, WirelessYesterday's surprising-but-not-shocking announcement that Starbucks would be switching to AT&T for WiFi services left a lot of T-Mobile customers in the lurch -- although Starbucks said that T-Mo and AT&T had an "agreement" that would let HotSpot users stay connected, there weren't a ton of details given. Well, it looks like you've got a few more years of caffeinated surfing ahead of you, guys -- T-Mobile issued a press release today saying it was committed to ensuring "minimum customer impact" during the transition, and that it's signed a five year "roaming agreement" with AT&T that will kick in when the Starbucks WiFi transition begins later this year. Of course, the ideal roaming agreement would let you use either company's networks wherever you are, not just AT&T bandwidth in Starbucks -- we'...
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OH NO T-Mobile
2008-02-11 21:13:00
Starbucks brews up WiFi pact with AT&T, disconnects T-Mobile Posted Feb 11th 2008 12:11PM by Darren MurphFiled under: Cellphones, Wireless Announced today, Starbucks is gearing up to transition its WiFi relationship from T-Mobile to AT&T in over 7,000 of its locations in the US. For T-Mobile HotSpot customers feelin' a bit like day old espresso right about now, fret not, as the coffee giant has assured us all that you folks "will be able to continue to access WiFi services at no additional cost through an agreement between AT&T and T-Mobile." Starting "sometime this Spring," Starbucks card holders will be treated to two hours of free WiFi access per day, while more than 12 million "qualifying AT&T broadband and U-verse internet customers will have unlimited free access." For whatever it's worth, the press release also notes that the carrier will "soon extend the benefits of WiFi at Starbucks to its wireless customers," but it (sadly) fails to elaborate. For those of...
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Dolby for Mobiles
2008-02-11 21:11:00
Dolby and SRS Labs bring surround sound to mobilesPosted Feb 11th 2008 1:50PM by Darren MurphFiled under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable VideoWith all these companies honing in on bringing HD capabilities to handsets, we were beginning to wonder when someone would step up and lend a hand on the audio front. Thankfully, both Dolby and SRS Labs have come forward at Mobile World Congress to announce separate enhancements to mobile audio, so we'll touch on the former first. Dolby Mobile, hailed as an "audio processing technology platform that brings rich, vibrant surround sound to music, movies, and television programs on mobile phones and portable media players," is available as we speak on the FOMA SH905i and FOMA SH905iTV in Japan, but will hopefully float out to other handsets in due time. As for SRS Labs, it's boasting its own SRS CS Headphone technology, which reportedly "takes stereo or surround encoded 2-channel audio and processes it using an ultra-low-power Circle Surr...
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Sexi PSP
2008-02-11 21:10:00
Fan-made PSP mockup is far sexier than the real thing will ever bePosted Feb 11th 2008 2:23PM by Ryan BlockFiled under: Gaming Good gawd y'all, we don't normally bother with fan renders and mockups, but excepting the awkward placement of the L and R triggers there's almost nothing about this PSP re-visioning that leaves us wanting. Gank that UMD, add some flash memory, and this is our be-all end-all fantasy portable gaming device -- that will likely never ever be made.source : engadget.com

19.1 Billion and counting! 700MHz
2008-02-10 06:33:00
700MHz: 19.1B and Counting Posted by samc on February 7th, 2008 Total potential winning bids are just under $19.1 billion at the end of today’s 700 MHz auction. According to RCR News, the big news of the afternoon was that the E-Block licenses surpassed their reserve price of $903.7 million during round 44. The E Block is now no longer subject to a possible re-auction that would have been required had it not met its reserve price. This block is different then the rest in that it is unpaired spectrum, using a single 6 megahertz channel (on UHF Channel 56). It seems likely to be dedicated to mobile television, like Channel 55 next to it, which is owned by Qualcomm for their MediaFLO system. E-Block licenses that received new bids in round 45 include; Atlanta ($27.5 million); Miami ($24.8 million); Dallas ($35.6 million); Philadelphia ($37.7 million); Boston ($25.1 million); San Francisco ($44.9 million); and Los Angeles ($92.9 million). On Monday,...
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AWS licenses
2008-02-10 06:10:00
AWS Lights Up Texas Posted by samc on February 8th, 2008 Stelera Wireless, an Oklahoma City-based rural broadband service provider has launched Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) in Floresville and Poth, Texas, notes Om Malik. Stelera is a wireless startup that is focused on delivering broadband services in rural communities. It owns 42 AWS licenses across the United States covering almost 6 million people. It is the first mobile operator to utilize the AWS band (2.1 GHz and 1.7 GHz) in the United States. The company will offer residential and business packages that cost anywhere from $60 to $100 a month. The speeds on an HSPA network are up to 7.2 Mbps downlink and 2 Mbps uplink. The I-HSPA technology from Nokia Siemens Networks can offer download speeds of up to 42 megabits per second. Stelera owns 42 AWS licenses across the U.S., mostly in rural communities. Leap Wireless is another AWS operator poised to make a large push into East Coast and Gulf Coas...
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iWave Cube
2008-02-10 06:09:00
iWave Cube , the personal portable microwavePosted Feb 9th 2008 11:10PM by Paul MillerFiled under: Household There comes the time in every young person's life where they decide to graduate from the microwave to the stove. And fail miserably. Now instead of retreating dejectedly back to the kitchen microwave, where the rest of the appliances can point and make fun, you can hide your shame with the iWave Cube. The little microwave measures one cubic foot (about the size of a Kleenex box), and weighs just 12 pounds. Unfortunately, you'll still need to plug it in, so there's a limit to how far you can run. The iWave Cube comes in black, red or silver, and retails for $130.source : engadget.com

RF-ID tracking
2008-02-05 23:03:00
Integrated RF-ID Tracking Posted by samc on February 4th, 2008 Today, AeroScout announced a series of partnerships and new software that let organizations use multiple real-time location system (RTLS) technologies in a single system. It integrates Wi-Fi Active RFID, with Ultra Wideband and Passive RFID. AeroScout has been a leader in Wi-Fi-based Active RFID tracking. Their new products feature integration between Wi-Fi Active RFID, Passive RFID and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) and puts that information on easy to use application software. AeroScout and Time Domain introduced the industry’s first combined Wi-Fi / Ultra Wideband Tracking System AeroScout and Reva Systems launch an integrated Passive and Active RFID Solution. AeroScout’s MobileView 4.0 lets users TRACK, ALERT, MANAGE and INTEGRATE their assets from a single, enterprise-ready platform. The new line of unified, dual-mode products tracks assets using both standard Wi-Fi and UWB standards. And in...

WiMAX : 100 million by 2014
2008-02-05 23:03:00
WiMAX: 100 million by 2014 Posted by samc on February 4th, 2008 Telecommunications market research firm Maravedis today announced the publication of the fifth edition of its yearly report “WiMAX, LTE and Broadband Wireless Worldwide Market Trends 2008-2014.” Maravedis forecasts WiMAX subscribers to exceed 100 million by 2014. “WiMAX chipsets will start to be embedded in laptops in the second half of 2008, into handheld devices in 2009, and into consumer electronics by early 2010,” said Adlane Fellah, President and CEO of Maravedis and co-author of the report. On the technology side, the report confirms that both WiMAX and LTE are converging upon 4G service capabilities. LTE’s primary market, 3G operators, will be unlikely to adopt LTE until 2012-2014. “While LTE appears to have the decisive volume advantage, the lag between 3G evolution and the next generation mobile network will greatly benefit WiMAX,” said Robert Syputa, co-author of the ...
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700MHz Auction
2008-02-05 22:41:00
700MHz: Ain’t Over Yet Posted by samc on February 4th, 2008 Hold the phone! The FCC’s 700 MHz spectrum auction ain’t over yet. RCR News reports the auction took another unexpected turn today with high bidding on individual C-Block licenses. Analysts are guessing that Verizon Wireless is behind the individual C-Block bids and has brushed past Google, which is thought to have been the high bidder for the 50-state package. A $4.71 billion offer last Thursday for nationwide “C” block package of wireless spectrum was surpassed by a combination of eight separate bids for regional pieces of the C-block airwaves that totaled $4.74 billion, today. It was unclear whether the piecemeal regional bids on Monday had been put together by a single bidder aiming to acquire the entire block of spectrum or were offers from several different suitors, analysts at Stifel Nicolaus said in a research note. The action began in round 27 when the C Blocks for the Miss...
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16GB iPhone
2008-02-05 22:37:00
Official: 16GB iPhone available and 32GB iPod touch -- both $499Posted Feb 5th 2008 8:26AM by Thomas RickerFiled under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video Out of the rumor mill comes the 16GB iPhone, now official. Ever since the 16GB iPod touch was announced in September, we all knew it was just a matter of time until Apple could bung the same NAND capacity into their chubbier iPhone. The surprise is a new 32GB iPod touch for the same $499. No other changes and certainly not 3G. Both are available immediately.Update: We just spoke with Apple, who told us that by available immediately, that means both US and international customers. They should start making their way to stores over the next couple of days, too, so call ahead to check stock if you're buying offline. Also, Cupertino had no comment on whether there were any other under-the-hood hardware changes in these new models.source : engadget.com
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Finland toilets accessible by SMS
2008-02-05 22:36:00
Finland's roadside toilets: now accessible only by SMSPosted Feb 5th 2008 1:05PM by Darren MurphFiled under: Cellphones While those in London can use SMS to actually find a lavatory, folks passing through Western Finland will be required to bust out their handset in order to relieve themselves in select public restrooms. In an attempt to curb vandalism, the Finnish Road Administration has implemented a system along Highway 1 which requires restroom visitors to text "Open" (in Finnish, of course) in order to let themselves in. The idea is that folks will be less likely to lose their mind and graffiti up the place knowing that their mobile number is (at least temporarily) on file, but it remains to be seen if uprooters will simply take their defacing ways elsewhere or actually excrete in peace.source : engadget.com
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Linus Torvalds calls Apple file system CRAP
2008-02-05 22:31:00
Linus Torvalds calls Apple 's file system "utter crap"Posted Feb 5th 2008 2:34PM by Donald MelansonFile d under: Desktops, Laptops Linus Torvalds may have dabbled in Apple territory in the past, but he's definitely not mincing any words about competing operating systems now. In a recent interview, Linus says that OS X is a "much better system" than Windows Vista overall, but that "in some ways is actually worse than Windows to program for." Apparently these problems are rooted firmly in OS X's file system (HFS and HFS+), which he describes as "complete and utter crap," and even "scary." Of course, Torvalds also took the opportunity to tout the many virtues of Linux, which he says is an "obvious choice for anything from full-blown PCs to phones or video players." Damn straight it is.source : engadget.com
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Microsoft bid $44.6 Billion for Yahoo
2008-02-02 09:14:00
Microsoft: $44.6B for Yahoo ! Posted by samc on February 1st, 2008 Microsoft has made an offer to buy Yahoo with an unsolicited takeover offer of $44.6 billion. The surprise offer of $31 per share, was made late Thursday and announced Friday. In a statement Friday, Yahoo said it will “carefully and promptly” study Microsoft’s bid. “Today, the market is increasingly dominated by one player, who is consolidating its dominance through acquisition,” Microsoft said. “Together, Microsoft and Yahoo can offer a credible alternative.” “Together, we can offer an increasingly exciting set of solutions for consumers, publishers, and advertisers while becoming better positioned to compete in the online-services market,” Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said in a statement. The move would be by far the largest acquisition ever for Microsoft. Its largest prior deal, also in the online-advertising space, was last year’s $6 billion deal to acquire Aqu...
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Super Bowl
2008-02-02 09:12:00
Super Bowl : To All the Ships at Sea Posted by samc on February 1st, 2008 U.S. sailors and Marines aboard ships in the Pacific can watch Super Bowl XLII this Sunday while at sea using Raytheon’s Global Broadcasting Service. Global Broadcast Service (GBS) is a high-speed, wideband military satellite communications system that broadcasts near real-time data, such as imagery, video, weather, and other intelligence to joint military forces around the world. GBS service, capable of delivering 24 megabits/sec to antennas as small as 22 inches in diameter. GBS uses primarily COTS technologies. The system operates over Ka-band transponders on Navy UHF Follow-On satellites and Ku-band transponders on leased commercial satellites. It boasts throughput measured in terabytes and transmission rates of up to 96 megabits per second per satellite, allowing it to provide imagery and video feeds to the field. Three fixed uplink facilities providing near-global coverage a...
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Sigma Lens
2008-02-02 09:09:00
Sigma APO 200-500 F2.8 telephoto lens hands-onPosted Feb 1st 2008 2:38PM by Nilay PatelFiled under: Digital Cameras We spent some quality time around Sigma's monstrous APO 200-500 F2.8 lens this afternoon, and what can we say? It's gigantic. If you've ever wanted to the look of a portable rocket launcher without all the hassle at the airport, this is definitely the way to go. A feast for your eyes awaits in the gallery below.Gallery: Sigma APO 200-500 F2.8 telephoto lens hands-onsource : engadget.com
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Tesla electric car 2009
2008-02-02 09:03:00
Tesla defies its roots, plans gas-electric car for 2009Posted Feb 2nd 2008 12:50AM by Darren MurphFiled under: TransportationWe're not exactly sure what to make of this one -- the auto maker created to show up gas guzzlers and prove that electric whips could indeed prove viable in a society helplessly addicted to gasoline is apparently gearing up to turn a blind eye to its original mantra. According to a report over at CNET, the firm is planning to unveil not one, but two editions of its forthcoming Whitestar sedan. Although one will indeed cruise sans fuel, the other will be a gas-electric REV (range extended vehicle), purportedly designed to entice buyers who would typically be concerned about the range (or the lack thereof) of a purely electric vehicle. So, let's get this straight -- rather than holding true to its original rallying cry, Tesla's deciding to just a build a car that it knows will actually sell. Right-o.source : engadget.com
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Pot Vending Machines in Los Angeles
2008-02-02 08:56:00
Friday, February 1, 2008Pot vending machines take root in Los Angeles LOS ANGELES - The city that popularized the fast food drive-thru has a new innovation: 24-hour medical marijuana vending machines.Patients suffering from chronic pain, loss of appetite and other ailments that marijuana is said to alleviate can get their pot with a dose of convenience at the Herbal Nutrition Center, where a large machine will dole out the drug around the clock."Convenient access, lower prices, safety, anonymity," inventor and owner Vincent Mehdizadeh said, extolling the benefits of the machine.But federal drug agents say the invention may need unplugging."Somebody owns (it), it's on a property and somebody fills it," said DEA Special Agent Jose Martinez. "Once we find out where it's at, we'll look into it and see if they're violating laws."At least three dispensaries in the city, including two belonging to Mehdizadeh, have installed vending machines to distribute the drug to people who carry car...
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700MHz Auction
2008-01-26 22:31:00
700MHz: Early Weekend Posted by samc on January 25th, 2008 The FCC’s 700 MHz auction is off for an early weekend break after four rounds of bidding. It has netted more than $3.7 billion — not bad for two days work. The auction postponed a fifth round of bidding until Monday, reports RCR News. So far the auction has gathered bids for 921 licenses with some 178 licenses yet to receive a bid. The eight C-Block licenses covering the 50 states continued to attract the highest bidding. One new bid in round four pushed the price to nearly $1.8 billion. A minimum of $4.6 billion is necessary to trigger the open-access provision for the C Block. Some observers believe Google will meet that minimum. For a third straight round, the controversial national commercial-public safety D-Block license did not receive any interest and continues to have a potential winning bid of $472 million posted during the opening round of bidding. The FCC has set a $1.3 billion ...
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WiFi Town St Louis Park
2008-01-26 22:27:00
Sun Don’t Shine on Solar WiFi Town Posted by samc on January 25th, 2008 St. Louis Park , Minnesota, has abandoned their innovative Solar Powered WiFi hotspots that they installed in the past year, reports the Star Tribune. Some $1 million worth of radios, poles and solar panels, erected because the city lacked rights to utility poles, will now be scrapped. “The contractor’s default forces St. Louis Park out of planned citywide wireless Internet project,” says a notice on the city’s wireless site. In testing what Arinc had built, the city found that small portions of the network functioned well, providing a high-speed connection. But in other areas, the solar panels were placed in spots where they did not get enough light to power the radios’ batteries. Salvaging The groundbreaking solar-powered, citywide wireless service could cost another $3 million, on top of more than $800,000 the city already has spent, reports the paper. “We’re going ...
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