WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - AT&T Inc said any new "net neutrality" rules imposed by U.S. regulators need to apply to Web companies like Google Inc as much as to phone companies to ensure a level playing field. In a letter Friday to the head of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau, the biggest U.S. telephone company argued that Google would have an unfair advantage if its Voice service is not subject to the same rules proposed by the FCC on phone operators. "To the extent 'net neutrality' is animated by a concern about ostensible Internet 'gatekeepers,' that concern must necessarily apply to application, service, and content providers," Robert Quinn, AT&T's senior vice president for federal regulations, wrote to the FCC's Sharon Gillett. Last week, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski proposed new rules requiring operators to open their networks to any legitimate Internet content or service without discrimination. If adopted, the rules would be a victory for big Internet companies like Google at the expense of network operators like AT&T, Verizon Communications, Sprint Nextel Corp and T-Mobile. Broadband carriers such as AT&T and Verizon Wireless have argued that existing net neutrality guidelines were sufficient and should not be codified into a rule. They argue that they need the ability to protect their networks from bandwidth-hogging applications. T-Mobile is a unit of Deutsche Telekom AG. Verizon Wireless is a joint venture between Verizon and Vodafone Group Plc. A lawyer for Google said the company's Voice service application is a Web software tool and should not be regulated like telephone companies. "We feel comfortable that it is not a regulated service," Richard Whitt, a Washington D.C.-based lawyer for Google, told Reuters. "It is a service that originates from an online platform." The FCC said it had received AT&T's letter and was reviewing it.
AT&T looks to flip net rules debate on Google
IBM offers fixed-cost BlackBerry support for enterprises
IBM wants to manage BlackBerry devices for enterprises and will now do so for a fixed cost. IBM has been offering BlackBerry management services for businesses, but there was no standard cost model, said Dan Papes, vice president of IBM Mobile Enterprise Services. [ Which mobile device is the best? InfoWorld pits the BlackBerry versus the iPhone in its mobile deathmatch. | Dive deep into the next-gen mobile devices in InfoWorld's PDF special report. ] Now, an enterprise can pay a fixed fee per user per month and IBM will manage the BlackBerry service, including secondary end-user support, integration with corporate back-end systems, and monitoring services. Depending on the services delivered, enterprises will pay $15 to $18 per user per month, Papes said. Enterprises want that kind of predictable cost structure, he said. Some large enterprises IBM works with don't know what it costs them to support BlackBerry devices. "They look at deploying another 5,000 BlackBerrys to their field force and they're not sure what it costs them. We can tell them what it will cost," Papes said. He estimates that paying IBM to manage the service typically will reduce the total cost of ownership of the service by 15 to 30 percent.
New Mobile Chips From Samsung!
Samsung is paving way for the next generation mobile devices with the introduction o f various mobile chips. The company has rolled out two 1-GHz ARM Cortex A8-based application processors, and announced that these chips are capable of 3-D graphics rendering, high-resolution video support, and real-time Internet access, and both have low power architectures. The S5PC110 is targeted at smaller devices like smartphones, and the S5PV210 is aimed at portable computing devices like netbooks or tablets, reports The Information Week. These processors could eventually find their way into a wide variety of devices, as Samsung chips are found in multiple consumer electronic devices including Apple's iPhone.
Microsoft To Launch 30 Windows Mobile Phones!
Earlier in September, Microsoft revealed that the first batch of smartphones running Windows Mobile 6.5 would start shipping on 6 October. According to Benjamin Tan, senior director, GCR mobile team unit, Microsoft China, there will more than 30 smartphones running on Windows Mobile 6.5 by the end of 2009, as reported by Cnet News. The devices would come from more than 15 handset manufacturers. LG, Samsung, HP, Acer, and Toshiba have voiced their support for Microsoft's mobile OS as well as carriers worldwide, including AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, Vodafone, and Telus.
ISRO Launches 7 Satellites In 20 Minutes
India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C14, launched 958 kg Oceansat-2 and six nano-satellites into a 720 km intended Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO) on 23 September 2009.
Apart from Oceansat-2, four CUBESATs and two RUBIN are the foreign satellites launched by PSLV-C14 on 23 September. The four CUBESATs are educational satellites from European universities, each weighing around one kg and developed to perform technology demonstration in space. The satellites are launched inside a Single Picosatellite Launcher (SPL) also weighing one kg, which is a dedicated European launch adaptor to deploy a CubeSat.
Philips Brings Home Cinema 21:9 Experience
The experience of cinema is just going to get bigger with the launch of Philips Cinema 21:9. Movies are displayed in the 21:9 aspect ratio -- exactly as the director intended -- on its 56-inch Full-HD screen. Cinema 21:9 is the world's first TV to deliver a true cinematic viewing experience in the comfort of the home, informs Mahesh krishnan, vice president, consumer lifestyle, Philips, to Tech Gadgets. Traditional LCD televisions compromise on the cinematic viewing experience either by changing the aspect ratio to fill the screen - losing the full scope of the original shot - or by inserting distracting black bars (letterboxing) at the top and bottom of the screen. Cinema 21:9 overcomes these issues and gives the viewer an uncompromised and absorbing cinematic viewing experience. Cinema 21:9 is the first ever TV shaped in the 21:9 cinema aspect ratio and combines superb picture quality courtesy of Philips 2009 Perfect Pixel HD processing engine (500 million pixels per second processing power and 2,250 trillion vivid colours) with immersive three-sided Ambilight Spectra technology.
USB group says iTunes can block Pre
Apple now has the support of a USB industry standards group in its battle to keep the Palm Pre from using the iTunes music service. The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) said in a statement Tuesday that Apple can block the Pre from connecting to iTunes. The group issued a letter to both companies warning Palm that further attempts to use iTunes would violate the group's policy. The voice of the USB-IF is strong in this case since the group is responsible for issuing Apple the hardware vendor ID that lets its devices connect to iTunes via USB. Palm has used this process to its advantage by simulating the same ID for the Palm Pre, tricking iTunes into thinking the Pre is an Apple device. That scheme worked until the recent release of iTunes 9, which broke the Pre's access, prompting Palm to complain to the USB-IF that the vendor ID blocks competitors. But the group supported Apple's stance and cautioned Palm by letter that any further attempts to use the code would be a violation of its rules. In its initial complaint, Palm told the USB-IF that the latest update of its WebOS would restore iTunes functionality to the Pre. In response, the USB-IF quoted policy and reminded Palm that it may use only its own issued vendor IDs, not those of any other company. The group asked Palm to clarify its intentions within seven days. Palm and Apple were not immediately available for comment.
Apple OKs first porn star apps for the iPhone
Apple has approved the first two iPhone apps dedicated to the careers of popular (or, ahem, so we're told) porn stars. Developed by GrindHouse Mobile and the stars, the two apps mark the first time that Apple has allowed the porn industry into the store in such an obvious way. While these apps may be more in-your-face than some of the apps showing bikini-clad women that are already on the App Store, the content of these apps is relatively tame. They appear to show no more than suggestive photos--the same as the apps that preceded them. In other words, there is no nudity. The apps, which feature adult actress Sunny Leone and Penthouse Pet Aria Giovanni, seem to be more of a way for fans to keep up with the latest from their favorite starlets. Leone's app features a blog, various sets of photos, and personal videos, along with a Premium section through which updates are pushed to your phone. Giovanni's app doesn't appear to be much different. While the apps are probably tamer than what some may have expected, GrindHouse did admit that in the first round they were "a little too 'hot' for Apple's compliance department." GrindHouse went back to the drawing board to redo the apps so they would be accepted on the App Store. "We worked closely with Apple to meet all of their guidelines while developing an offering that is compelling and user friendly," GrindHouse said in a statement. There was no word from Apple directly on its assessment. Apple has run into some controversy with its App Store approval process, pretty much since it began accepting submissions from third-party developers. For instance, e-book reader Eucalyptus was rejected because it could allow access to the Kama Sutra, an ancient text known for its description of sexual encounters. And an app from the band Nine Inch Nails was rejected because of sexually "objectionable content" in a song.
(Credit: GrindHouse Mobile)
South Korea welcomes the iPhone
South Koreans will soon join the millions of others worldwide as its government on Wednesday approved the sale of the iPhone there. For years, the Korea Communications Commission used technical rules to stifle competition, allowing homegrown companies like Samsung and LG to take over the market, according to a Wall Street Journal report. With an estimated 93 percent of South Korea's population subscribing to a mobile service, Apple should be able to overcome one of the biggest barriers to smartphone success in South Korea--applications. Apple has been able to entice developers worldwide to build apps for the iPhone, with 75,000 apps available and 1.8 billion apps downloaded thus far. There was no indication of a release date, price, or carrier for the iPhone yet in South Korea. This is the second piece of news related to international iPhone sales in less than a month. Apple landed a deal with China Unicom in late August to begin selling the iPhone in that country. Apple is also in talks with China Mobile, that country's largest wireless carrier with 141 million subscribers.
(Credit: Apple)
AT&T gives time frame for Friday's iPhone MMS launch
t's already known that AT&T is activating MMS for the iPhone on Friday, but the company has now narrowed the time frame to within a few hours. As reported by AppleInsider, AT&T's official Facebook page said the service will be activated late morning Pacific time Friday. That's not exactly definitive, but at least no one will need to sit around all morning wondering if it's on yet. The iPhone's multimedia messaging service will allow the transmission of photos, contacts, audio files, and locations with the Messages app, according to Apple. In order to get the service, you will need to download a "new carrier settings update enabling MMS," according to AT&T. The update will be available through iTunes, the company said. It seems odd that an update is needed when some users have been reporting for the last 10 days that MMS has been activated on their iPhones. Despite AT&T bringing one of the most requested services to the iPhone, comments on AT&T's Facebook page could be described as sarcastic at best. "Welcome to 2003 AT&T!" one comment read. "I hope it crashes badly....this will make them spend all that money they charged us for something that we could not even use for months!" wrote another. While some people scorned AT&T's delay in delivering MMS, others echoed the recent sentiments of CNET News' Elinor Mills and suggested the company improve its network. "I rarely use the network at all. I pay...every month for a handheld mac. I only get enough service at my home to text, we don't have 3G anyway so I use my own wi fi...I am paying twice for the Internet. I could care less about MMS because I'd rather get signal and make calls (than) send picture messages," one person commented on AT&T's Facebook page.
(Credit: Apple)
Report: Deutsche Telekom looks for 4G partners in U.S.
German phone giant Deutsche Telekom is looking to jump into the 4G wireless market in the U.S. through partnerships with U.S.-based service providers, according to a report by Bloomberg News. Bloomberg reported Tuesday that Deutsche Telekom is looking to beef up its presence in the U.S. wireless market by investing in Clearwire, a company that is building a 4G wireless network using a technology called WiMax. Sources also told Bloomberg that Deutsche Telekom is also talking to Metro PCS, which recently acquired spectrum to build its 4G wireless network. Deutsche Telekom already owns T-Mobile USA, the fourth-largest wireless carrier in the U.S. But the carrier's growth has remained flat for several quarters. And the company hasn't yet announced plans for its next-generation network. Last week, rumors resurfaced that Deutsche Telekom was looking to buy Sprint Nextel. Sprint is the third-largest wireless operator in the U.S. and has been struggling the last few years to retain customers. The idea behind a potential buyout of Sprint is that it would give Deutsche Telekom more subscribers, which could help it compete more aggressively against the two largest wireless carriers in the U.S., AT&T and Verizon Wireless. But now it looks like the German telecom giant could be looking for a more cost-effective way to increase its presence in the U.S. market. Partnerships with Clearwire and MetroPCS would cost the German phone company much less than purchasing Sprint outright, and it would be a lot easier than trying to digest another wireless provider. Buying Sprint Nextel would likely become an integration nightmare for Deutsche Telekom. Sprint Nextel is already the product of what many consider one of the worst telecom mergers ever. Sprint bought Nextel in 2005 for $35 billion. And for the past four years, the company has struggled to integrate two different wireless networks. Sprint's network operates using a technology called CDMA, while Nextel uses a technology called I-DEN. T-Mobile USA uses GSM, which would introduce a third type of technology into the mix. But if 4G access is what Deutsche Telekom really wants, then a partnership with Clearwire makes sense. Sprint owns about 51 percent in Clearwire. Last year, the companies created a joint venture combining assets from both companies. Clearwire, which has already begun building its nationwide 4G wireless network, is using 2.5 GHz spectrum that is owned by Sprint. Clearwire said in August that it would spend between $1.5 billion to $1.9 billion in 2009 to expand its network. Deutsche Telekom could provide more funding for this endeavor in exchange for access to the network, Bloomberg reports. Clearwire has already made similar deals with other investors. Last year, cable companies Comcast and Time Warner Cable were among investors that provided the company with $3.2 billion in funding. Google and Intel have also invested in Clearwire. As the Clearwire network comes online, Comcast and Time Warner Cable have each announced they will offer mobile wireless broadband service using the Clearwire network in areas where they offer cable service.
RIM profit and BlackBerry sales disappoint
BlackBerry maker Research In Motion on Thursday said it sold fewer BlackBerry phones than analysts had expected and that the company's quarterly earnings were hurt by a legal settlement. Even though RIM still saw strong sales of BlackBerrys, the news sent the company's stock price tumbling in after-market trading. Many are now wondering if RIM's disappointing sales are an indicator of a wider smartphone slowdown or if the news is an indication that the company is losing its edge in an increasingly competitive market. RIM's co-CEO, Jim Balsillie, said the company is still in very good shape. "This stuff (smartphones and mobile applications) is going much more mainstream," he said during the conference call. "And we are teed up to go much more mainstream. If this crosses over, as I think we are doing, we are in a good position and a very prosperous position." He told investors and analysts that they shouldn't look too deeply into the sales numbers for hidden indications of a market slowdown. And despite a lackluster forecast for the next quarter, he said sales are set to explode in the long term. "I appreciate looking for trends," he said. "But I don't think you should extrapolate too much over a little bump here or there." Balsillie said earnings fell 4 percent in the second fiscal quarter due in large part to charges associated with a legal settlement. For the quarter that ended August 29, the company said it earned $475.6 million, or 83 cents a share, compared to profits of $495.5 million, or 86 cents a share, for the same period a year ago.
Apple updates site with environmental impact
Apple on Thursday updated its Web site with a new section on how its products are impacting the environment. Apple has made public information in several categories including Life Cycle Impact, Product Usage Impact, andProduct Environmental Reports. The company also created a section dedicated to its own environmental updates. Taking a look at the power management section will give you an idea of how extensive the information is that Apple provided. According to Apple, Mac OS X even regulates the processor in between keystrokes, saving power. "Designing green products includes considering the environmental impact of the materials used to make them," reads Apple's Web site. "From the glass, plastic, and metal in our products to the paper and ink in our packaging, our goal is to continue leading the industry in reducing or eliminating environmentally harmful substances." To show how things like packaging can affect the environment, Apple compares the 2006 13-inch MacBook to that of the 2009 13-inch MacBook Pro. The end result: "By reducing our packaging over 40 percent between 2006 and 2009, we ship 50 percent more boxes in each airline shipping container. That saves one 747 flight for every 32,000 units we ship," according to Apple.
Google announces Project 10^100 themes
Google has finally whittled down the more than 150,000 ideas submitted as part of its Project 10^100 to 16 themes that will compete for $10 million in funding. It's taken far longer than Google had originally anticipated, but the results of the company's 10th anniversary project to solicit ideas that could change the world are ready for inspection. Google is asking the public to vote on the most worthy of the 16 "idea themes" that it has identified from the submissions it has received over the past year. Google had originally planned to choose individual ideas, but was "overwhelmed" by the number of submissions, which took 3,000 employees to properly vet, according to Google spokesman Jamie Yood. In addition, many of the ideas were extremely similar or overlapping, so Google decided to emphasize project categories that resonated with the company, rather than individual ideas. Some of those themes, and Google's comments on those ideas, follow below: • Enhance science and engineering education: "Users from many countries agreed that encouraging science education was an ideal way to (ensure) the brightest future for technology development itself." • Create more efficient landmine removal programs: "Fund global organizations that are developing efficient strategies for landmine detection and removal...Numerous suggestions for this topic include robotic, human, and animal-facilitated detection strategies." • Create real-time natural-crisis tracking system: "Make rapid-response crisis-mapping data available to help policymakers better coordinate response efforts during hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters."
Verizon passing on the Pre after all?
If a report from TheStreet.com has it right, Verizon won't be picking up the Palm Pre after all. Showcased at this year's CES, Palm's flagship phone garnered quite the following, and was praised as a potential iPhone killer. Just prior to its official debut on Sprint's network in June, Verizon said it would offer the smartphone within six months.
Sprint replied by saying it held exclusive rights to the Pre through 2009, which left most with the impression that the handset would be available via Verizon in January 2010. Palm's CEO Jon Rubinstein recently fueled that anticipation when he said the handset was expected to appear on other networks very soon. Citing "people close to the discussions," TheStreet.com is now reporting that Verizon has decided not to back the Pre.
According to the sources, Verizon's change of heart is based on several factors, including the Pre's mediocre sales. Another is that Verizon wants its VCast application and download store to be featured on the smartphone, which would be in direct conflict with Palm's app store. The sources also say that Verizon wants to focus its support on new devices from Research In Motion and Motorola's Android effort.