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Skype on PSP knew it would come!!
2008-01-23 18:31:00
Sony delays Skype PSP and microphone launch, indefinitelyPosted Jan 23rd 2008 3:46AM by Thomas RickerFiled under: Gaming, Handhelds Weird. After making such a fuss, Sony Japan just delayed Skype on PSP services in Japan. A move with a definite knock-on effect for the rest of world. The cause of which seems to be Sony's two microphone products -- the single pack PSPJ-15010 and twin pack PSPJ-15011 -- which "did not meet the Skype specifications" and thus failed the certification process. Something you think Sony would have known well before the eve of the scheduled January 24th launch. We'll let you know when a new date is announced.source : engadget.com

American Airlines WiFi
2008-01-23 18:30:00
American Airline's WiFi will cost $10-$13, anti-missile system still freePosted Jan 23rd 2008 7:02AM by Thomas RickerFiled under: Transportation, WirelessAs you know, American Airlines is prepping in-flight WiFi in addition to, uh, anti-missile systems. Good news on the former, pricing is set. Good if $10 WiFi for flights less than three-hours or $12.95 for longer flights excites your fiscal sweet-spot like it does American's. Rollout will begin this summer on AA's 767-200 jets before rolling out across its entire fleet.source : engadget.com
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3GPP - 326Mbps downloads
2008-01-23 18:26:00
LTE approved by 80 of the industries biggest -- 326Mbps downloads on track for 2010Posted Jan 23rd 2008 8:53AM by Thomas RickerFiled under: WirelessLTE took another big step forward with an announced specification approval by the 3GPP. Who are they, exactly? Try China Mobile, DoCoMo, ETRI, Motorola, Nokia, Intel, LG, Qualcomm, RIM, Verizon, Vodafone, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile... round about 80 of the industries biggest movers. That puts the spec on deck for inclusion in the forthcoming 3GPP Release 8. 3GPP LTE you'll recall, is the 2010 (at the earliest) next generational followup to today's GSM/UMTS data networks -- just like WiMAX -- offering 326Mbps peak downloads (173Mbps demonstrated) and 86Mbps uploads. So hearing Alan Hadden, GSA President, say "LTE is firmly on track" sure sounds sweet to us even if he is just hocking his wares.P.S. Hey, 3GPP. It's cute that someone's kid from your organization designed that logo and all, but seriously, this ain't Romper Room.source : ...
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Southwest to test WiFi
2008-01-23 18:25:00
Southwest Airlines to test in-flight WiFi via satellitePosted Jan 23rd 2008 12:16PM by Donald MelansonFiled under: Transportation, Wireless It's taken a while, but it looks like Southwest Airlines is the latest (and no doubt far from the last) to jump on the in-flight WiFi bandwagon although, as with most, it's still quite a ways from rolling out the service across the board. Still, according to the airline, at least four of its planes will be outfitted with the desirable service by this summer as part of the initial testing, with each of those relying on satellite internet service provided by the folks at Row 44 (last seen hooking up Alaska Air with some in-flight WiFi of their own). No word if the service will be free or not, but the company promises it'll "set the standard for excellence in inflight connectivity," which would be somewhat hard to do if they're charging you through the nose for it.source : engadget.com
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Google Apps for Clearwire
2008-01-22 12:53:00
Google Apps for Clearwire Posted by samc on January 16th, 2008 Clearwire announced a partnership with Google on Tuesday that would incorporate the search giant’s applications, including Mail, Calendar and Talk into Clearwire’s wireless Web platform. Under the agreement, Google will power some of the Web infrastructure that Clearwire customers will use, while Clearwire will control the look and feel of the interface. Clearwire has some 350,000 users so far, and expects to expand aggressively in 2008 with Mobile WiMAX implementations in dozens of cities. Google has a virtually identical deal in place with Sprint. Google’s deal with Clearwire is a big win for the search giant, but mostly because it sets the stage for much bigger things to come. TheStreet.com Senior Writer Vishesh Kumar explains it all (video). Light Reading compiles different takes on WiMAX (video).source : dailywireless.org
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Infrastructure War
2008-01-22 12:51:00
Infrastructure War Posted by samc on January 21st, 2008 The CIA on Friday admitted that cyberattacks have caused at least one power outage affecting multiple cities outside the United States. Alan Paller, director of research at the SANS Institute, said that CIA senior analyst Tom Donahue confirmed that online attackers had caused at least one blackout. The disclosure was made at a New Orleans security conference Friday attended by international government officials, engineers, and security managers from North American energy companies and utilities. According to analyst Donahue, “We have information, from multiple regions outside the United States, of cyber intrusions into utilities, followed by extortion demands. We suspect, but cannot confirm, that some of these attackers had the benefit of inside knowledge. We have information that cyberattacks have been used to disrupt power equipment in several regions outside the United States. In at least one...
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iPhone Buiness Plans
2008-01-22 12:50:00
iPhone Business Plan Posted by samc on January 21st, 2008 AT&T is now marketing the iPhone for Business, notes Gizmodo. AT&T’s enterprise plan requires a two-year service agreement, and go from $45 to $65/month. The $45 plan includes a 200 monthly SMS limit and unlimited monthly data transfers. The $65 plan includes both unlimited SMS and data transfers. All of them including unlimited domestic web and email traffic. They also have $25 (20MB/month) and $60 (50MB/month) world data transfer plans.source : dailywireless.org
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Sprint Lay off 4,000
2008-01-22 12:48:00
Sprint Lays Off 4,000 Posted by samc on January 21st, 2008 Sprint Nextel announced on Friday that it plans to cut 4,000 jobs and close 125 retail locations in an effort to manage slowing subscriber growth, profit and sales. The Reston, Va.-based company currently operates 1,400 retail locations, thus the closures represent 8.9% of Sprint Nextel’s company-owned stores. The 4,000 jobs is about 6.7 percent of Sprint’s current work force of 60,000. Sprint Nextel, the third largest wireless carrier in the U.S., has fallen farther behind both AT&T, the number one carrier, and Verizon, the number two carrier. In the fourth quarter of 2007, Sprint Nextel said it lost 683,000 postpaid subscribers, and finished the year with only 53.8 million subscribers. At the end of their third quarters, AT&T had 65.7 million subscribers and Verizon had 63.7 million subscribers. Both AT&T and Verizon are slated to report fourth-quarter results later this mont...
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WiMaX update
2008-01-22 12:42:00
WiMAX Uncloaks FDD Posted by samc on January 21st, 2008 Lieutenant Valeris: We must inform Starfleet Command.‘Scotty’: Inform them of what? A new weapon that’s invisible?– Star Trek IV Although the WiMax industry has kept a lid on FDD WiMax, “that cat is now truly out of the bag and is now frolicking amongst the pigeons,” says Dean Bubley of Disruptive Analysis. “I’d had some hints about this before, but I’d thought the main aim was to get WiMax working in paired-spectrum 700MHz bands in the upcoming U.S. auction.” The WiMax Forum is making a profile for mobile WiMax that uses “paired” FDD (frequency division duplex) signalling, with separate channels for uplink and downlink. Telcos and regulators such as the ITU prefer FDD, and most of the spectrum for 3G and 4G networks requires it. WiMax standards and equipment have focussed on TDD (time division duplex), in which uplink and downlink signals have separate time slots on a single...
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MacBook Pro multi-touch upgrade! lets hope
2008-01-22 12:41:00
MacBook Pro rumored to be getting multi-touch trackpad, sun also rumored to rise tomorrowPosted Jan 21st 2008 3:02PM by Donald MelansonFiled under: Laptops While you'd be hard pressed to come up with a safer Apple rumor to predict, it seems that AppleInsider has it on supposedly reliable word that the company will in fact be extending multi-touch trackpads to its top-end MacBook Pro line, and in the "next several weeks," no less. What's more, those same sources say that the new MacBook Pros (both 15-inch and 17-inch models) were originally supposed to make their debut "at or around Macworld Expo," but they got pushed back after Apple was forced to put additional resources and personnel on the MacBook Air in order to get it out in time. No firm word on what other specs we can look forward to, unfortunately although AppleInsider speculates that the laptops could be standardized around Intel's 2.5GHz and 2.6GHz mobile Penryn processors, which should offer some slight battery improve...
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250GB laptop drive, more room on the go
2008-01-22 12:39:00
Seagate's 250GB laptop drive now shipping for $165Posted Jan 22nd 2008 5:54AM by Thomas RickerFiled under: Laptop s, Storage That does it. Seagate's 250GB Momentus 5400.4 laptop drive is now shipping. Spec-wise, it's on par with Hitachi, Samsung, Western Digital, and Fujitsu and makes 9.5-mm high, 2.5-inch, 250GB disks spinning at 5,400RPM near ubiquitous. Seagate's explanation for coming so late to the party? Easy, now is simply the right time. Whatever, just throw your keys in the bowl and kiss your husband goodnight, we can sort out the details later.source : engadget.com
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REAL ID card
2008-01-17 01:34:00
Friday, January 11, 2008 States to begin phasing in the REAL ID By DEVLIN BARRETTMillions of air travelers may find going through airport security much more complicated this spring, as the Bush administration heads toward a showdown with state governments over post-Sept. 11 rules for new driver's licenses. By May, the dispute could leave millions of people unable to use their licenses to board planes, but privacy advocates called that a hollow threat by federal officials.Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who was unveiling final details of the REAL ID Act's rules on Friday, said that if states want their licenses to remain valid for air travel after May 2008, those states must seek a waiver indicatingthey want more time to comply with the legislation.The deadline is an effort to get states to begin phasing in the REAL ID program. Citizens born after Dec. 1, 1964, ...
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Without the Constitution the flag means nothing
2008-01-17 01:29:00
On January 4, 2008, the Judges of the Supreme Court of the United States, in conference, voted to deny the Petition for Writ of Certiorari in the landmark Right-to-Petition case We The People v. United States. On January 7 the Court issued its Order denying certiorari.Without comment, the Supreme Court decided not to hear We The People v. United States, a case which, if heard, would have required the Court to declare -- for the first time history -- whether the Government is obligated to respond to proper Petitions by ordinary, private individuals for Redress of Grievances � specifically Grievances alleging unconstitutional behavior by the Government, and whether the individual having so Petitioned, has the Right to act to peacefully hold the Government accountable if the Government refuses to respond.In denying to hear this first impression case, the Court has ignored its duty to interpret the meaning of the Constitution , and leaves undisturbed the decision of the DC Court of App...
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Jwire
2008-01-16 23:54:00
JiWire: Free iPhone WiFi Posted by samc on January 15th, 2008 JiWire, which delivers Ads for free WiFi Access, is now offering free connections for iPhone and iPod touch users. The advertising option will be available at select Wi-Fi hotspots located in airports, hotels, cafes, and other desirable locations around the world. Major airports include Atlanta-Hartsfield, JFK and LaGuardia in New York and Chicago’s O’Hare. JiWire claims their Wi-Fi Advertising Network collectively operates more than 100,000 hotspots. “By 2011, more than 500 million Wi-Fi-enabled mobile consumer devices will be in the market,” said Daryl Schoolar, senior analyst, In-Stat. “JiWire’s ad model is positioned to help drive more usage of these devices at public hotspots.” “Our Wi-Fi advertising platform is ideal for both network operators seeking suitable business models and for marketers seeking to capitalize on the unique advertising opportunities we offer,” sai...

T-Mobile $10 Billion!
2008-01-16 23:52:00
T-Mobile : $10B in 3 Years Posted by samc on January 15th, 2008 T-Mobile USA expects to spend some $10.3 billion over three years ending 2009. Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile USA’s parent, relies heavily on the unit for profits. It said investments in the unit will hurt profitability growth at the division in the next two years. T-Mobile is the fourth-largest U.S. wireless company by subscribers, and it has fallen behind the others in rolling out speedier 3G networks. T-Mobile spent $4.2 billion on the AWS band (1.7/2.1 GHz), in 2006. That doubled the amount it had in the top 100 cities. At the time, it said it would start making the newer technology available halfway through 2007, with most markets having 3G by 2008. Top 10 Highest AWS Bidders Bidders Net total of high bids 1. T-Mobile $4.2 billion 2. Verizon Wireless $2.8 billion 3. SpectrumCo $2.4 billion 4. MetroPCS $1.4 billion 5. Cingular $1.3 billion 6. Cricket $710 million 7....
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Steve Jobs Keynote in 60 seconds
2008-01-16 23:52:00
Jobs in 60 Seconds Posted by samc on January 16th, 2008 Veronica Belmont sez: So you probably heard that Macworld was today, and the main event was a 90 minute keynote by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple. Here’s that same keynote in 60 seconds . Conferences, Gadgets | No Comments »
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inflight WiFi
2008-01-16 23:46:00
Norwegian Air rolling out in-flight phone use, internet accessPosted Jan 16th 2008 12:17AM by Joshua TopolskyFiled under: Transportation Passengers on Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA will soon have something to talk about... literally. The company is joining the growing ranks of airlines that allow mobile phone and / or wireless internet service on flights. According to the Scandinavian airline, the new features will be offered sometime later this year, and will be provided by a new subsidiary, Norwegian AS. Now, if only they'd allow smoking again.source : engdaget.com
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Macbook Air
2008-01-16 23:46:00
First Macbook Air multi-touch control panel screenshotPosted Jan 15th 2008 6:48PM by Joshua TopolskyFiled under: Features, Laptops That's right, it's like you're looking into some crazy crystal ball, one which is showing you how all your future interactions with your Mac will be carried out... probably. Feast your eyes on this glimpse into the soon-to-arrive apocalyptic nightmare-world of gestures.source : engadget.com
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freakin cool Eye-Fi
2008-01-16 23:44:00
Eye-Fi kicks the folder habit, adds iPhoto supportPosted Jan 16th 2008 7:27AM by Thomas RickerFiled under: Wireless, StorageBelieve it or not, MacWorld does continue even after Jobs has left the building. In as much, Eye-Fi just announced support for Apple's iPhoto as well as the Safari and Firefox browsers when accessing their web-based Eye-Fi Manager. iPhoto support means you can now capture images from your digital camera to your $99 Eye-Fi 2GB SD card and transmit them directly into the photo management software while on your home WiFi network -- right, no hotspot uploading action for you. Considering photos were previously dumped into a folder (or 19 on-line sites), the free update is definitely a step in the right direction.source : engadget.com
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HSDPA
2008-01-16 23:43:00
CDMA provider contemplating move to GSM: The Telus editionPosted Jan 16th 2008 11:59AM by Sean CooperFiled under: CellphonesAh yes, ye olde we're-going-to-switch-our-network-technol ogy story surfaces again, seems we can't have a quarter without this type of story raising it's head. We heard this same tale back when Bell Canada was involved in all that sale / merger / rumor business, but this time Telus is the center of the fun. It seems that Telus may be set to abandon its 'Betamax" network and is now ogling the hundreds of millions of dollars in roaming revenue that the GSM carriers enjoy by considering a move to tap into it. Of course, this is merely speculation, but the story does seem to be gaining traction and Rogers shares actually suffered a 2.6 percent drop on this news yesterday. The Olympics are in Vancouver in 2010, we're thinking if Telus really was going to go for it -- and shell out an estimated half billion dollars -- that would be a prime time to roll out a hybr...
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2038 Bug
2008-01-16 23:41:00
What is the year 2038 bug?In the first month of the year 2038 C.E. many computers will encounter a date-related bug in their operating systems and/or in the applications they run. This can result in incorrect and grossly inaccurate dates being reported by the operating system and/or applications. The effect of this bug is hard to predict, because many applications are not prepared for the resulting "skip" in reported time - anywhere from 1901 to a "broken record" repeat of the reported time at the second the bug occurs. Also, leap seconds may make some small adjustment to the actual time the bug expresses itself. I expect this bug to cause serious problems on many platforms, especially Unix and Unix-like platforms, because these systems will "run out of time". Starting at GMT 03:14:07, Tuesday, January 19, 2038, I fully expect to see lots of systems around the world breaking magnificently: satellites falling out of orbit, massive power outages (like the 2003 North American blackout)...

Apple HD movie rentals
2008-01-16 23:39:00
Apple introduces iTunes movie rentals, HD rentalsPosted Jan 15th 2008 11:48AM by Joshua TopolskyFiled under: Home Entertainment Apple has officially announced movie rentals for iTunes. Studios involved include Touchstone, MGM, Miramax, Lions Gate, Fox, Warner Brothers, Walt Disney, Paramount, Universal, and Sony, just to name a few. The new feature will launch today with 1,000 available films by the end of February -- prices will come in at $2.99 for a regular rental, and $3.99 for new releases. You'll be able to begin watching your movie in 30 seconds, and will have the rental for up to 24 hours, during which time you can transfer the file to an iPod or iPhone and take it on the go. Additionally, you'll be able to nab HD rentals for just $1 more, respectively.source : engadget.com
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OLAP revolution! can't wait to see every kid with one
2008-01-14 20:13:00
One Laptop Per Child Looses Intel Posted by samc on January 4th, 2008 Intel is pulling out of the One Laptop Per Child program, which it joined in July, reports the NY Times. The XO PC is based on the freely available Linux operating system and uses an Advanced Micro Devices processor. It is being sold for about $200 apiece to governments and institutions, but both Intel and Microsoft have developed competing systems that OLPC saw as a threat to their vision. Intel claims that Negroponte asked the chipmaker to stop selling its Classmate PC. The Classmate PC was one of the sources of friction between Negroponte and Intel before they joined forces in July, reports C/Net. Negroponte went on 60 Minutes in May and accused Intel of dumping Classmate PCs below cost in order to keep OLPCs out of the hands of needy children. Intel and OLPC were working on an Intel-based version of the XO laptop, according to Agnes Kwan, an Intel spokeswoman, but the OLPC in...
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Broadband reports
2008-01-14 20:11:00
DSL: Once and Future Broad band King Posted by samc on January 4th, 2008 A 300-page report by Forward Concepts tries to estimate the broadband alternatives, both wired and wireless by 2012. Detailed equipment and chip forecasts are presented with WiMAX systems profiled with cumulative revenue estimates and 2007 market shares. They estimate 637 million broadband subs by 2012, world-wide, with the vast majority using DSL (61%), followed by cable broadband (14%), 3G cellluar (10%), Fiber (7%), and WiMAX (6%). Broadband alternatives, both wired and wireless are examined, including Cable, ADSL, UMTS, HSPA, UMB and LTE. Global WiMAX and BWA deployments by 194 operators in 73 countries are profiled and detailed listings of wired and wireless broadband subscriber populations on a country-by-country basis are presented for 146 countries. The study costs $3,500 a pop. In related news, Research and Markets has announced a “WiMAX RFP”. It’s a 14-page guide ...

Ultraportables WiMAX
2008-01-14 20:05:00
Ultraportables Announce WiMAX Posted by samc on January 7th, 2008 OQO demonstrated the first UMPC with embedded Sprint XOHM WiMAX at CES today. The newest model, which weighs 1 lb., sells for $1,299, a drop of $400 from the price versions shipped a year ago, a spokesman said. OQO also offers a high-end version that will include 64GB of storage and a display optimized to be used in sunlight. At the Consumer Electronics Show at Las Vegas this week, Intel will display ultramobile PCs based on Menlow architecture from vendors including Asus, BenQ and Lenovo. MIDs differ from UMPCs in that they are smaller, generally don’t have full keyboards and use Linux with Intel’s new mobile processor. Intel’s WiMAX products will include both laptops and smaller handheld devices such as UltraMobile PCs and Mobile Internet Devices. Intel’s Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) will be moving to the faster, more power efficient Menlow platform, but won’t be availab...
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WiFi Chipset
2008-01-14 20:03:00
Boingo + Broadcom = World Phone Posted by samc on January 9th, 2008 Chip maker Broadcom said Tuesday it plans to integrate software from Wi-Fi access provider Boingo Wireless into its Wi-Fi phone chipset. The software automatically scans for wireless hot spots and connects users to private and commercial networks , including those part of Boingo’s roaming network. The integration of Boingo Wi-Fi software into the Broadcom Wi-Fi phone platform enables global access to public Wi-Fi networks in addition to their private networks at the office and at home. The Broadcom and Boingo partnership may be especially important for voice over IP (VoIP), says the company Santa Monica-based Boingo, started by EarthLink founder Sky Dayton, also provides Wi-Fi access to computer users and Internet service providers. Boingo claims to be the world’s largest network of Wi-Fi hotspots with some 100,000 access points. Access to the North American Boingo network typically c...
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Broadband per capita
2008-01-14 20:01:00
Forbes: America’s Top Broad band Cities Posted by samc on January 10th, 2008 Forbes Magazine has compiled a list of America’s Most Wired Cities. To compile their list, they used the top markets in broadband adoption as determined by Internet market research firm Nielsen Online which eliminated some large, tech-savvy cities, such as San Jose, Calif. (Nielsen aggregates San Jose data with the San Francisco market area, and so San Jose’s broadband can’t be accessed separately.) They also dropped cities that didn’t make the U.S. Census Bureau’s top 100 list, including Salt Lake City and Hartford, Conn. Then Forbes calculated the number of service providers per city using statistics from the FCC and wi-fi hot spots per capita via public hot spot directory JiWire. Forbes looked at the percentage of Internet users with high-speed access, the range of service providers within a city and the availability of public wireless hot spots. Atlanta, for exam...

Space Cold War
2008-01-14 20:00:00
Space Cold War Posted by samc on January 11th, 2008 “Maybe we’re at war with Norway?” — The Thing Last January 11, a missile launched from China’s Xichang Space Center destroyed a satellite 537 miles above the Earth’s surface. Although the target was a weather satellite belonging to China itself, the act rattled the U.S. space establishment. Flight controllers at NASA had to maneuver the Terra environmental spacecraft in June to avoid orbital debris created from the Chinese A-Sat test. Geoffrey Forden, an MIT research associate and a former UN weapons inspector and strategic weapons analyst at the Congressional Budget Office, examines the possibilities of an all-out Chinese assault on American satellites. Here are parts two and three. The World Policy Institute (pdf) says some of the space weapons under planning or development include: Micro-satellites, like the XSS-11 can stalk and destroy satellites of other nationsThe Evolutionary Air and...
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Passport RFID
2008-01-14 19:59:00
Passports Go Long Posted by samc on January 11th, 2008 Security advocates warn “vicinity-read” RFID technology threatens passport holders’ privacy, notes E-Week. On January 31, 2008, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers will stop taking verbal declarations of citizenship from U.S., Canadian, or Bermudian travelers as proof of citizenship. The new RF-ID passports will be available to U.S. citizens by this spring. They will cost $45 for adults and $35 for children, cheaper than a regular passport. Adults who have passports will have to pay only $20. They will be accepted for land and sea crossings between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, but not for flights. The Smart Card Alliance asked the U.S. government to reconsider its plan to use “vicinity read” RFID (pdf) in the proposed Passport Card (pdf), citing: “…technology providers of both contactless and RFID products, understand human identification security and agree th...
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Smartphone Hotspot
2008-01-14 19:55:00
Smartphone as Hotspot Posted by samc on January 11th, 2008 Owners of Windows Mobile 6 smartphones have a new software package that can turn their phone into a mobile hotspot. Bit-tech explains that the software, WMWifiRouter, is designed to get your laptop online no matter where you are. Any WiFi device can use WMWifiRouter to get online, even multiple devices at once. WMWifiRouter is still under heavy development. There is no userguide and most information is found at XDA-Developers. Still, it sounds like an intriguing application. A mobile hotspot (with a screen and keyboard) could prove handy (if a little pricey on the backhaul). When you install the package it creates an Ad-Hoc WiFi connection named “WMWifiRouter” which offers a gateway connection to whatever data service is offered by the ‘phone. Right now that’s GPRS, HSPA or EV-DO. I can’t wait ’til Mobile WiMAX is available for the backhaul — or is that wishful thinking. LG’s Mob...
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