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Around the Industry:

WiMAX is dead says Qualcomm

UK ISP admits broadband unbundling problems, ponders customer compensation

Sky mulls "free broadband" - report

Cellular TV next big money spinner, but who profits?

Commentary: The new Network Neutrality: Criteria for Internet freedom

SecurityBits:

Microsoft to patch critical security glitches

Cisco reports critical vulnerability

Mac users may meet Windows threats

TidBytes:

Microsoft plans console war with Sony

Hardware vendors suffer under Intel's Viiv yoke

Azureus-BitTorrent Client Crowned Most Popular Open-Source Software

More news from around the industry, SecurityBits, and interesting Tidbytes inside!

Around The Industry:

WiMAX is dead says Qualcomm:

Most people missed the significance when new Qualcomm CEO, Paul Jacobs, said 802.16 was dead at the CTIA show in Vegas. What he meant to say was 802.16e is dead – which is, of course, WiMAX. Jacobs reckons that the real future lies with a completely new standard called 802.20. Qualcomm plans to 'inject' the technology it acquired (OFDM) from Flarion into the 802.20 standard. 802.20 is Mobile Broadband Wireless Access. They've both evolved out of 802.11 (WiFi) but 802.20 is much closer to being a competitor to cellular than 802.16e.

UK ISP admits broadband unbundling problems, ponders customer compensation:

Broadband provider Wanadoo admitted that it was suffering service problems and attributed them to the rollout of its local-loop unbundled (LLU) network after one user launched a Web site dedicated to Wanadoo customer complaints. "We are looking to fully compensate any customer experiencing extended problems," said a Wanadoo rep. Local-loop unbundling allows a rival telecoms operator to take control of BT telephone lines and offer its own services to businesses and consumers

Sky mulls "free broadband" - report:

Sky has become the latest outfit to be linked with a move to provide cheap or "free" broadband. The satellite TV outfit is due to cut the ribbon on its broadband access service later this year following its £211m acquisition of ISP Easynet. With a phone and broadband service bolted on to its exiting TV operation, this would place it head-to-head with quad-play cableco NTL:Telewest, and telco BT. Execs are mulling a number of ideas including free broadband access to premium subscribers. Another option would be to offer cheap broadband. Either way, no decision has yet been made.

Cellular TV next big money spinner, but who profits?:

As mobile call rates sag in established markets, operators in Asia, Europe and the United States are gearing up for mobile TV broadcasting, a market that could be worth $8.4 billion by 2010, according to London-based Informa Telecoms & Media. Despite industry excitement, analysts say carriers may end up with only a fraction of this potentially huge pie, while content providers grab the lion's share. "You don't need mobile operators' networks to broadcast. The value that operators give to customers is very low," according to a Gartner analyst.

Commentary: The new Network Neutrality: Criteria for Internet freedom:

Via MuniWireless: "The ways in which net neutrality have been defined in normative discourse thus far, with an emphasis on non-discriminating wires and common carriage, are too limiting in their scope. We propose a far more encompassing program for net neutrality provisions, one that we believe will better enable the Internet to reach its democratic and participatory potentials. Our new formulation of net neutrality goes beyond questions of open access to consider the broader contours of Internet architecture, including software, hardware, wireless infrastructure, economics, and open protocols and standards."

WiMAX gear suppliers jockey for FCC spectrum auction:

With the FCC preparing to auction 90 megahertz of advanced wireless services spectrum, suppliers of WiMAX gear are positioning themselves to supply equipment to winners of the spectrum. Siemens unveiled its WayMAX@vantage solution for use by U.S. service providers. The Siemens solution for voice, data, and video is targeted at advanced wireless services including 3G. Nortel said it was beefing up its WiMAX portfolio with enhancements powered by MIMO technology. Nortel said its WiMAX gear will operate in the 1.5, 2.3, 2.5, an 3.5GHz spectrum bands.

Kiwi ISP offers space ride as broadband compo prize:

A broadband customer from New Zealand has been offered the chance to fly to the edge of space after winning a competition run by Kiwi ISP Xtra. The trip to the edge of space includes a trip for three to Moscow, five-star accommodation, sightseeing, and "a breathtaking view of the curvature of the earth" from on board a MIG 25 at 82,000 feet.

10Mbps WiMax for Germany's Rhine region:

Germany is the latest country to jump on the WiMax bandwagon, with a collaboration between Nortel and regional utility firm NEW Energie. The pair have completed a trial in the Rhine-Westphalia region, in the west of Germany, and are now preparing for a commercial launch of the service targeted at SMEs and consumers. According to Nortel, the WiMax rollout will promise speeds of 10Mbps for users – a dramatic increase on the 500Kbps seen by one WiMax trial.

Consumers want more from phones: study:

Not many people use their cell phone to buy movie tickets, watch videos or play games, but a significant number of Americans are interested in doing just that. A national study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, the Associated Press and AOL supplied statistics to support these beliefs as it examined how people use their phones. The survey conducted last month found that 6% of cell phone users play music on their device, for example, while 19% wish their phone had that feature. A mere 2% watch mobile video or TV, but 14% said they would like to.

Virgin increases broadband speed:

Virgin.net is to boost its broadband speeds to up to 8Mbps, but keep the price the same. New customers signing up to the Broadband Plan One and Two will get a speed connection of up to 8MB for £24.99 and £17.99 per month. Existing customers will receive an email asking them to upgrade their connection by following a special link. Recently, NTL announced that ntl:Telewest is to re-brand as Virgin within the next 12 months and will offer "quadruple-play" - mobile, fixed-line telephone, broadband and TV service under the Virgin brand.

SecurityBits:

Microsoft to patch critical security glitches:

MS said it is planning to address four Windows security glitches rated as critical, the company's highest severity rating, while it will also distribute a patch to fix a moderate security risk present in both Windows and its Microsoft Office desktop software. Among the critical flaws, Microsoft said that one of the patches will be a cumulative IE update meant to address the widely publicized CreateTextRange vulnerability in the browser.

Cisco reports critical vulnerability:

The networking giant reported the presence of five individual flaws in its Cisco Optical Networking System 15000 Series in a bulletin issued to customers. Cisco also distributed an updated version of the ONS 15000 Series operating system to end users that it said addresses the problems. Secunia said the issue represents a highly critical vulnerability in the networking gear. If exploited, the issue could allow outsiders to launch DoS attacks on the systems or compromise their management controls.

Mac users may meet Windows threats:By applying Apple Computer's just-released Boot Camp, Mac owners can now create a dual-boot system that runs either Mac OS X or Windows XP. It's the latter that worries the director of the rapid response team at security intelligence firm iDefense. "When a Mac is booted into Windows, it can be attacked by the same [exploits] that threaten any Windows PC," said Dunham. "If you're running an unpatched version of Windows XP on any box, it'll be hacked pretty quickly."

Perspective: Not all adware is badware:

Via CNet: "To end confusion, marketers must do a better job of teaching consumers and the software industry how to distinguish adware from spyware. After all, the notion of providing services in return for viewer eyeballs is not new and is comparable to viewing advertisements in any other medium, such as network television, radio and newspapers. The mere fact that the software is showing ads should not taint it as illegitimate or cause users to associate it with malicious software."

Hardware, Software, and other TidBytes:

Microsoft plans console war with Sony

Hardware vendors suffer under Intel's Viiv yoke

Azureus-BitTorrent Client Crowned Most Popular Open-Source Software

European net domain opens to all

PayPal Launches Mobile Payments By Cellular Phone

Nigerian E-Mail Scam Price Tag: $5,000 Per Victim

Google upgrades toolbar for Firefox
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pleekmo
Triptoe Through The Tulips
Premium Member
join:2001-09-14
Manchester, CT

pleekmo

Premium Member

Re: "Hardware Venders..."

The INQ site is seriously fucked up right now. This and other articles on the site return an error message when I attempt to access them.

Cheese
Premium Member
join:2003-10-26
Naples, FL

Cheese

Premium Member

Re: "Hardware Venders..."

said by pleekmo:

The INQ site is seriously fucked up right now. This and other articles on the site return an error message when I attempt to access them.
Same.
desreversti
join:2002-09-03
Savoy, IL

desreversti

Member

Re: "Hardware Venders..."

Ditto
seederjed
Premium Member
join:2005-02-28
Norcross, GA

seederjed

Premium Member

Mobile video would be nice

but first they need to improve the batteries. The standard battery (1000mAH)for my Samsung i730 lasted me a whoppin 4.5 hrs today, normally it's longer but I streamed a Shoutcast station for 30 minutes, and that knocked about 5 or 6 hrs of battery life. Using the wi-fi connection also shortens the time befor charging.