Sony Ericsson announces mobile Internet ExpressCards
Sony Ericsson has joined the mobile Internet hardware game by premiering two of its first High Speed Packet Access ExpressCard/34 devices at 3GSM in Barcelona this week.
The EC400 and EC400g, both offer triple band HSPA/UMTS 850/1900/2100 MHz, and quad band EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 connectivity where HSPA and UMTS are not available. HSPA downlink reaches speeds of up to 7.2 megabits per second (Mbps), and uplink, speeds of 2.0 Mbps.
Google and Nokia: Enemies or friends?
Google and Nokia this week announced a search partnership, surprising some who thought the two are at war with one another. So is this just another example of industry "coopetition?" Or are these two companies truly making friends?
Just when they appeared to be embarking on a major battle over mobile platforms, the news broke from 3GSM in Barcelona this week that Google and Nokia are teaming up together on search.
Suspected UK pirates could lose Internet access
The British Parliament is considering new legislation that would give ISPs the right to ban users over the downloading of pirated material.
The policy calls for a warning notice to any customer suspected of downloading pirated files for the first offense, a suspension of their account on the second offense, and outright termination for the third.
FCC re-establishes CATV market share cap at 30 percent
A rule limiting the total amount of the market a CATV provider can address, was restored yesterday after having been ruled unviable by a federal court seven years ago. But since that time, the market has changed drastically.
Almost seven years ago, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit set aside a rule that had, up to that time, been enforced by the Federal Communications Commission. That rule established a limit with regard to how many American subscribers any cable TV service operator, or any other provider of cable programming, could serve.
BlackBerry's touchscreen talk interrupted by service outage
At 3GSM in Barcelona this week, Research In Motion Ltd. looks forward to new form factors while back home, customers are left confused as to whether their e-mails are being received.
At 3:30 pm EST Monday afternoon, a widespread infrastructure outage hit BlackBerry services, cutting off wireless e-mail for users all across North America. An emergency notification to corporate customers was sent to users providing no insight into the cause, scope, or estimated resolution time of the outage...ironically, via e-mail.
Intel's German offices raided in EC antitrust investigation
The European Commission has turned up the volume in its investigation of Intel's conduct, with retailers in Germany and Great Britain now confirming they've been raided -- the same retailers mentioned in AMD's civil suit against Intel.
Since AMD launched its civil antitrust suit against Intel in June 2005, the matter of whether Intel's private business dealings with Media Markt, Germany's largest technology retailer, has been a subject of debate. Now Media Markt along with UK tech retailer Dixon Services Group (DSG) International report their headquarters have been targeted by unannounced raids from the European Commission's antitrust regulators, on the same day as Intel acknowledged its corporate offices in Munich received similar visits.
T-Mobile partners with Yahoo on mobile search
Yahoo will become T-mobile's default mobile search provider across its European markets by the end of next month.
Yahoo's oneSearch product will be provided to T-Mobile customers in place of current offerings. In addition, the company will offer mobile versions of its services including Flickr, Messenger, Mail, weather and finance.
Microsoft scrambles to explain prototype 'white space' device failure
It could be a single malfunctioning power supply. Or, from the other side of the glass, it could be a portent of doom for a technology that would make good use of all those TV channels that no one's broadcasting on, for wireless networking.
One of two prototype devices assembled on Microsoft's behalf for the US Federal Communications Commission for testing the ability to select wireless networking frequencies that don't interfere with TV signals, failed on account of a recurring power problem, three Microsoft sources confirmed to BetaNews today.
Is Microsoft's PlayReady ready to go yet?
Announced one year ago at 3GSM in Barcelona, PlayReady is Microsoft's DRM solution for mobile content providers. Now one year later, more partners have announced planned deployments...but it has seen no rollouts yet.
PlayReady strives to provide the mobile content industry with an easily deployable implementation that cover any mobile hardware or software. Though Microsoft announced in 2007 it had partnered with Telefonica, O2, Verizon Wireless, Bouyges Telecom, and Cingular Wireless (now AT&T), a whole year went by without a single rollout.
Earthlink bails from municipal Wi-Fi, casts its net for AOL dial-up
After putting several of its municipal Wi-Fi partnerships on hold last year, Earhlink has decided to escape from this market entirely, concentrating instead on dial-up Internet access and partnerships with broadband carriers.
And now that Time Warner wants to spin off its Internet access business, Earthlink is placing itself in a position to acquire the access lines and customer base of Time Warner's AOL division, or perhaps some other current dial-up providers.
Now Microsoft will take its case to Yahoo's shareholders
In a statement late Monday afternoon, Microsoft responded to Yahoo's rejection of its initial takeover bid as many believed it would, and as the company itself indicated it probably might do: It will ask Yahoo shareholders to consider its proposal.
With no absolute white knight in sight, though with a few candidates for the job having been mulled around, Yahoo's executives may find themselves now pleading their case for independence with their company's own stockholders. As expected, Microsoft plans to pursue its takeover of Yahoo by way of "Plan B:" a direct offer to shareholders to override their own board of directors.
Best Buy to 'recommend' Blu-ray to customers
In the second hit to HD DVD in less than a day, retailer Best Buy announced Monday afternoon that it will begin showcasing Blu-ray to customers and recommend it as the "preferred format" over HD DVD. Best Buy will continue to carry HD DVD hardware and movies, but it will not be actively promoting them.
"Our decision to shine a spotlight on Blu-ray Disc players and other Blu-ray products is a strong signal to our customers that we believe Blu-ray is the right format choice for them," Best Buy president Brian Dunn said in a statement. The move affects both online and retail channels for Best Buy. On the store's Web site, the cheapest HD DVD player is $149.99, while the cheapest Blu-ray player is $399.99.
MSN Direct could put live content on WM6 home screens
At 3GSM in Barcelona today, Microsoft announced a preview of its MSN Direct service now available for devices with Windows Mobile, that will put weather, sports scores, business, stocks, and entertainment news on their home screens.
Microsoft promises all news and stock tickers will be easy to read, and users will be able to select what information is shown on their mobile phone by relevance and/or preference.
Nokia teams with Sprint, Reuters on worldwide mobile ad network
Nokia's new mobile ad network will be run in partnership with Sprint and some 70 major Web-based content providers worldwide. Meanwhile, Nokia is reportedly talking about a Windows Mobile deal with Microsoft.
In one of its many unveilings at 3GSM in Barcelona this morning, Nokia -- a mobile device maker reportedly talking with Microsoft about a possible deal -- today announced a new mobile ad network that will be run in partnership with wireless operator Sprint, major publishers Reuters and Hearst, and more than 70 other Web content providers worldwide.
Microsoft adapts Office Live into a low-cost SMB Web host
Feeling its way through the nuances of the Web applications market, Microsoft is shifting gears yet again with its Office Live Small Business service, this time lowering the fees and adding features for businesses establishing Web presences.
What had started a few years ago as Microsoft's first steps into the unexplored (for it) territory of Web-driven consumer applications, has transformed into something altogether different than an alternative to Microsoft Office. This morning, the company's long and winding strategy for the Office Live brand took yet another turn, with Office Live Small Business now being retooled as a service to enable businesses to set up their own Web sites, buy and sell goods and services online, and track their customers' preferences and online behavior.
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