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First News Briefs for May 6, 2013
May 6, 2013 10:47 am | by Wireless Week Staff | News | CommentsSprint and Time Inc. today announced a mobile content, advertising and retail alliance. As part of the arrangement, Time Inc. will deliver its branded content within a customizable section of the SprintZone application on select Sprint devices. Customers can expect the latest entertainment, lifestyle, sports and business news.
Clearwire Sends Letter to Stockholders, Urging Yes Vote on Sprint Bid
May 6, 2013 10:32 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsClearwire outlined its exhaustive efforts to turn around its fortunes in the WiMax wholesale market in a letter sent Monday to stockholders. But the company continually returned to the conclusion that Sprint’s $2.97 per share offer (translating to nearly $2.2 billion for shareholders) was not only the best deal but really the only deal that would save Clearwire before its liquidity runs dry.
B&N to Offer Google Play on Nook Tablets
May 6, 2013 9:50 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsAlong with lowering the price of its Nook HD and Nook HD+ tablets, Barnes & Noble has announced that it will be adding Google Play access to those devices. The move will gives its users unfettered access to all of the apps and content in the Google Play store...
New Efforts to Curb Cellphone Theft
May 6, 2013 9:20 am | by Terry Collins, Associated Press | News | CommentsIn San Francisco, where half the robberies were phone-related last year, District Attorney George Gascon is calling on major companies in nearby Silicon Valley to create new technology such as a "kill switch" to permanently and quickly disable stolen smart phones, making them worthless to thieves.
App Lets Amputees Program Their Own Bionic Hands
May 6, 2013 9:18 am | by Kathy Metheson, Associated Press | News | CommentsDouble-amputee Jason Koger used to fly hundreds of miles to visit a clinician when he wanted to adjust the grips on his bionic hands. Now, he's got an app. Koger came to Philadelphia this week to demonstrate the i-limb ultra revolution, a prosthetic developed by the British firm Touch Bionics.
US Cellular Embraces iPhone After Rejecting It
May 3, 2013 3:26 pm | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsU.S. Cellular, the fifth largest cellphone company and the only major one to resist the iPhone, says it's going to start selling it this year. CEO Mary Dillon announced the reversal Friday on a call with investors and analysts. She didn't specify exactly when the company would start...
First News Briefs for May 3, 2013
May 3, 2013 10:32 am | by Wireless Week Staff | News | CommentsAxiologix, Inc., an international technology and services organization focused on cloud-based products and services, today announces a joint venture company, Axiocomm LLC, in equal partnership with ePath Communications, a Florida-based company deploying municipal wireless broadband networks.
Report: McAdam Hints at Withholding Vodafone Payments
May 3, 2013 10:25 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsVerizon Wireless may be tightening the screws on Vodafone, in an effort to force the European carrier to sell off its 45 percent of the Verizon Wireless joint venture. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam hinted...
U.S. Cellular Profits Down 92 Percent, 74K Postpaid Losses
May 3, 2013 9:54 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsU.S. Cellular posted a net income of $4.9 million for its first quarter of 2013, down a considerable 97 percent from the $62.5 million it posted in the same quarter last year. Similarly, diluted EPS for the quarter sank to $0.06, down from the $0.73 EPS it posted in the first quarter of 2012.
U.S. Operators Drop $30.1B in CapEx in 2012
May 3, 2013 9:43 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsAlthough the United States accounts for just 5 percent of total global wireless subscribers, American Wireless providers accounted for 25 percent of the world's total wireless capital expenditures, according to a new report from CTIA...
Pentagon Clears Use of Samsung's Devices
May 3, 2013 9:13 am | by Associated Press | News | CommentsSamsung Electronics Co. says the U.S. Department of Defense has approved using Samsung smartphones for its networks. The South Korean company said Friday the Galaxy S4 smartphone has become the first Android device to meet the security requirements set out by the U.S. government...
Intel Taps COO Krzanich as Chipmaker's Next CEO
May 3, 2013 8:59 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsIntel, one of the pillars of Silicon Valley, is following its traditions and promoting an insider to the job of CEO. The world's largest chipmaker is tasking Chief Operating Officer Brian Krzanich with steering it through an industry shake-up that is seeing tablets and smartphones overshadow...
Facebook Milks Its Mobile Push in 1Q
May 2, 2013 10:22 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsIf Facebook Home, the company’s new people-first overlay for Android, further confirms Facebook’s commitment to mobile, than the company’s first quarter numbers show that commitment paying off. While Facebook’s annual EPS held steady at $0.09, the company managed to boost its revenue 38 percent over the first quarter of 2012 to $1.46 billion. Its adjusted profits saw an increase too, rising 7 percent annually to $219 million.
First News Briefs for May 2, 2013
May 2, 2013 10:19 am | by Wireless Week Staff | News | CommentsGE today announced the availability of the latest firmware upgrade for its UR (Universal Relay) and URPlus platforms, designed to eliminate failover time when a network failure occurs by delivering zero latency. By introducing Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP), this firmware release allows customers to make two local area networks (LANs) active to ensure that if one fails, the other immediately takes over.
Wheeler Appointment Gets Applause All Around
May 2, 2013 10:13 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsPresident Obama's appointment of longtime wireless veteran Tom Wheeler as the next chairman of the FCC was met with applause from most of the industry. CTIA president and CEO Steve Largent said in statement that Wheeler has a "deep understanding of communications issues...
