Recent efforts by Apple and Google to reshape the wireless industry have created a groundswell of support that will ultimately help mobile operators and handset vendors, reports the In-Stat research group.
New BT Home Hub has up to twice the wireless range of other UK broadband providers BT Total Broadband's new Home Hub gives customers the best wireless signal of any UK broadband provider thanks to ...
Wi-Fi positioning provider Skyhook Wireless has announced its formal launch in Europe, noting that it has mapped more than 16 million Wi-Fi access points across the continent.
The original version of XPS delivered what Skyhook termed multi-mode location switching between Wi-Fi-based positioning and GPS readings based on availability and error estimates. XPS 2.0 algorithmically combines raw Wi-Fi, GPS, and cell-tower readings to produce a single hybrid calculation.
Skyhook’s European launch includes coverage expansion throughout the United Kingdom and on the European mainland, and the establishment of regional sales and operations offices. Its fleet of 200 European data-collection specialists has driven more than 750,000 kilometers to date and continues to expand coverage, the company said.
Last Friday, OpenMoko launched its highly anticipated FreeRunner smartphone, a Linux-based handset that’s completely open in both hardware and software last week. This week, developers are getting their first hands-on (Google News).
Half the requests for the OpenMoko are from universities, who use the device in embedded-design and open source programming courses, says Information Week.
Although the FreeRunner’s software platform is still incomplete, the device has attracted considerable attention from mobile software developers and Linux enthusiasts. It’s designed to encourage third-party modification and customization.
The FreeRunner handset is a powerful tool for prototyping mobile software, but it isn’t clear yet whether it’s also ready for adoption as a personal smartphone says ArsTechnica.
As TechWorld suggests about 20 percent of all mobile users will have Linux-based phones by 2013. More than 3.3 billion mobile phone users are currently on the planet — about one phone for every two people worldwide. With most adults now having mobile phones, one in five running Linux is huge - especially with growth in emerging markets.
DailyWireless cofounder Don Park got his yesterday. Here are his observations so far
The OpenMoko platform strategy is clearly still evolving, but it has a lot to offer for developers who want a truly hackable Linux-based mobile phone that elevates freedom and choice, concludes Ars Technica.
Symbian’s open foundation will build on the Symbian software platform, with more than 200 million phones, across 235 models, already shipped by multiple vendors and tens of thousands of third-party applications already available for Symbian OS-based devices. By contrast, Apple’s iPhone hopes to ship 10 million units by the end of the year.
According to TechCrunch, market share statistics may vary, but the ranking is currently approximately:
Symbian is by far the dominant smartphone operating system in the world.
But the North American smartphone market is a different kettle of fish. It is dominated by the iPhone, Blackberry and Windows Mobile.
GigaOm handicaps the players (above) while market researcher Canalys breaks down the Smartphone market (below).
The iPhone’s popular Webapps Store may be a good indication where this is all going.
Featuring the latest enterprise-class manageability capabilities and power-saving performance enhancements, Centrino 2 also integrates the latest chipsets for delivering super-fast wireless access, noted Mooly Eden, general manager of Intel's Mobile Platforms Group.
"When we first introduced Intel Centrino back in 2003, there were very few Wi-Fi hotspots, YouTube videos, and social media didn't really exist; 'thin and light' referred to personal weight goals; and desktop PCs outsold notebooks by a very wide margin," Eden said. "Today, notebooks outsell desktops in the U.S., and we're paving the way to HD entertainment, rich online gaming, faster broadband wireless speeds, and an easier and more secure way for businesses to manage, update and repair their notebook fleets."
Remote Management
Centrino 2 integrates Intel's vPro technology, which offers several enhanced options of interest to IT enterprise managers, including the ability to remotely manage all the PCs in an enterprise space, regardless of location or activity status. Having the ability to wake up systems remotely, even those on a wireless network, is going to be especially important for IT managers going forward, said Camille Morhardt, a marketing manager at Intel's Mobile Platforms Group.
"IT can wake them up in the middle of the night, do whatever critical maintenance or security updates are necessary, and then power them back down again," Morhardt said. "We are also seeing a big trend for small businesses to hire managed-service providers to proactively manage their IT environments. Managed-service providers can...
Mayor’s wife: I know a million dollars sounds like a lot of money. But just think what you’ll get in return.
Mayor: What?
Mayor’s wife: Eighteen sure votes.
Mayor: All right, all right. Warren, Warren, arrange for the payoff!
– The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
WiFi on the Portland regional Commuter Rail, called the Westside Express Service (WES) is now out for bids according to John Fall, Communications Coordinator for TriMet Community Affairs.
The $117.3 million commuter rail system will begin running in October or November, connecting the Beaverton Transit Center, on the West side of Portland with five commuter rail stations along the line in Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin and Wilsonville. From there, commuters can hop onboard one of Tri-Met’s MAX light rail cars or buses. Wilsonville’s SMART system will provide bus services to Salem on the Southern end.
In an email to DailyWireless, he brought us up to speed on the planned wireless service for WES:
Additional DailyWireless articles on Transit Connectivity include; Portland Commuter Rail Wi-Fi, Mobilizing WiFi on Trains & Cars, Chrysler Rolls Out U-connect, Hotspot for Bedouins, TrainFi On the Move, PePWave Mobility: Connectivity for Vehicles, Belair Radios: On the Move, The Connected Bus, Kyocera KR2 Mobile Router, TrainFi: One Million Served, and Free TrainFi in UK.
A new municipal wireless network now serves citizens and visitors of the Gangneung City and Gyeongpo Beach areas, the second largest tourist beach in Korea.
Deployed by Korea’s largest service provider, KT Corporation, the “Gangneung U-Blue City” (Ubiquitous Blue City) project uses technology from Firetide to enable both a city-wide sensor network for emergency preparedness and free Internet access for tourists.
“Bringing the beach online provides an added incentive for city visitors who can use the network to learn about the city and its many attractions. Having access to the data gathered from video cameras and weather sensors also helps Gangneung be more proactive in ensuring the safety of its citizens,” said Hyung-Kuen Ryu, project manager of KT Future Technology Laboratory’s Next Generation Internet Research Division.
“Introducing Firetide to enable both a city-wide sensor network for emergency prepared” target=new>Firetide wireless mesh along the coastline was the most feasible solution, especially considering the time and money involved in deploying an equivalent wired network.”
The beach installation includes 21 Firetide HotPort mesh nodes and 8 HotPoint access points. Unfortunately, the towers (right), do nothing to add to the attractiveness of the beach.
Altogether, the network, which took five months to complete, comprises one large Ubiquitous Sensor Network (USN) using IPv6 that provides city residents and visitors with quick and reliable access to online sports, weather, disaster prevention and other information.
WeFi Inc., creator of the first open, community-based global Wi-Fi network, announced today the launch of a revolutionary new 'one-touch-internet' feature for Windows Mobile, providing users with seamless ...
More than 240 new laptops are scheduled to be launched Tuesday using Intel’s Centrino 2 platform the faster, lower power laptop platform that includes MIMO for both WiFi and WiMAX. 802.11n Wi-Fi will come standard, with three MIMO antennas in the lid, which can also be used for the WiMAX option.
The Intel WiMAXWiFi Link 5350 silicon will be available for Centrino 2 laptops “in the second half of 2008,” according to Intel.
At yesterday’s launch, Intel brought out Barry West, chief technology officer of Sprint Nextel who said WiMax will launch in Baltimore, Maryland in September with “150 plus sites.”
Intel vice president Sriram Viswanathan, who runs Intel’ WiMax business, told TG Daily that Intel considers the availability and success of WiMax as a “critical” component of its product and business strategy. “Broadband wireless is an integral part of mobile devices today,” he said. “There will be no alternative to WiMax within the next three years.”
Sidecut Reports says Clearwire is already beta testing its Mobile WiMax network in Portland, Ore., and is pointing to a commercial launch by “early Q4.” “We’ve already started loading customers on the network in Portland,” said [CEO Ben] Wolff, who hopes to have a commercial launch by “early fourth quarter.” Clearwire will then take its learning experiences from Portland to its next scheduled launches, in Atlanta, Las Vegas and Grand Rapids, Michigan.
“Even as the mobile WiMAX chipset market has barely gotten its feet wet, chipset prices are declining rapidly due to heavy competition and greater integration in designs,” says ABI Research principal analyst Philip Solis. “Prices for the baseband and RF components of the chipset have come down from the $35 range a few years ago to below $25, and will drop below $10 in 2011. These falling WiMAX chipset prices are critical for inclusion of the technology in smaller mobile devices.”
There are now solid 2-chip designs consisting of a single-chip baseband IC and a single-chip RF IC that are bringing power consumption down. Beceem, GCT Semiconductor, and Sequans have single-chip designs that include both the baseband and RF. Most importantly, WiMAX chipset ASPs are dropping rapidly.
Even when global subscriber numbers reach the high tens of millions, ABI Research expects chipset shipments to be well into the hundreds of millions.
That’s because devices will include WiMAX capabilities well before users subscribe to service plans, and some consumers may never utilize the WiMAX capabilities included in their equipment. In addition, some WiMAX subscribers will have multiple WiMAX-enabled devices on one subscription plan.
“WiMAX will look a bit like Wi-Fi in terms of rapid ASP declines and moves towards 100% penetration in laptops,” said Solis.
EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding said she wanted to see roaming fees for text messages fall by up to 70 percent and will put forward rules in October to cap charges.
She also warned that the EU may take action on "heavily overpriced" mobile Internet fees if companies don't do more to slash these in the next few months.
Europeans traveling outside their home nation send some 2.5 billion text messages every year -- paying 10 times more than they do at home.
Reding said some 97 percent of the price of each message is "pure revenue for the operator" wrung out of the three-quarters of young people who text when abroad.
"We are punishing our young students, our young travelers, and that is completely unfair," she said.
Sending a text abroad costs EU0.29 (US$0.46) on average across the EU -- but that can climb to EU0.80 (US$1.27) for Belgian customers.
Telecoms regulators from the EU's 27 nations want to see that fall to between EU0.11 (US$0.17) and EU0.15 (US$0.24) for each message. Reding said she wanted to see prices at the lower end of that scale -- and eventually see the cost fall to around EU0.04 (US$0.06) per text.
Her attack on text messages comes just a year after the EU capped the costs of voice calls made and received abroad. Costs for calls have dropped by up to 60 percent since last summer.
The European Commission said a new Web site listing roaming charges showed wide differences in what people are charged across Europe. A Swedish tourist in Spain would pay up to EU0.40 (US$0.63) to text home while a British friend could be charged as EU0.63 (US$1; 40 British pence).
Reding...
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