FirstNews
Google To Sell Motorola Set-Top Business
December 20, 2012 8:38 am | by Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsGoogle is selling Motorola Mobility's TV set-top business for $2.35 billion, lightening the load that the Internet search leader took on earlier this year when it completed the biggest acquisition in its history. The cash-and-stock deal announced late Wednesday will turn over Motorola's set-top division to Arris Group...
FCC Limits Dish Spectrum, Sets 4-Year Timetable for Rollout
December 19, 2012 11:48 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsThe FCC Tuesday issued use rules for Dish's 40 MHz of spectrum in the AWS-4 band, and they're not exactly what the company had hoped for. In its order, the FCC said it declined a proposal presented by Dish that would have included shifting the AWS-4 uplink spectrum...
Instagram Says Users' Photos Won't Appear in Ads
December 19, 2012 10:49 am | by Barbara Ortutay, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsInstagram, the popular mobile photo-sharing service now owned by Facebook, said Tuesday that it will remove language from its new terms of service suggesting that users' photos could appear in advertisements. The language in question had appeared in updated policies announced Monday and scheduled to take effect Jan. 16.
FCC Approves AT&T's Bid to Buy Comcast Spectrum
December 19, 2012 10:39 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsThe FCC yesterday approved AT&T's bid to soak up spectrum from Comcast, stating the "proposed transactions would serve the public interest." The deal gives AT&T licenses to AWS-1 and WCS spectrum in 608 markets, covering 82 percent of the U.S. population in 48 states.
Apple, Google Snag IP in $525M Kodak Patent Sale
December 19, 2012 10:26 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsKodak today announced that a consortium organized by Intellectual Venture and RPX Corporation have agreed to pay approximately $525 million for the purchase and license of patents. Intellecual Ventures counts heavy weights Apple and Google as member...
Report: Global LTE Smartphone Shipments to Hit 275M in 2013
December 19, 2012 10:20 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsLTE has arrived. According to new research from Strategy Analytics, global LTE smartphone shipments will grow threefold to reach 275 million units in 2013. Companies leading the growth spurt will include Apple, Samsung, LG and others...
First News Briefs for December 19, 2012
December 19, 2012 10:14 am | by Wireless Week Staff | News | CommentsFlowfinity Wireless Inc., a provider of enterprise mobile applications, today announced an expansion of its cloud hosting services due to increased demand for hosted Flowfinity enterprise apps deployments. System upgrades including increased bandwidth and additional server and storage capacity in both Toronto and Vancouver data centers.
Yota Smartphone Aims to Differentiate in Useful Way
December 18, 2012 3:24 pm | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsIt's not everyday an OEM decides it's a good idea to enter the high-end smartphone market. We've already seen the likes of Dell and HP bow out, and the well-established Microsoft and Nokia are no strangers to the challenging market. So why, exactly has the relatively small...
First News Briefs for December 18, 2012
December 18, 2012 10:51 am | by Wireless Week Staff | News | CommentsRFaxis, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company, today announced its collaboration with Ozmo Devices on a 5GHz 802.11a Wi-Fi Direct module reference design, featuring the RFaxis single-chip, single-die RFX5000 CMOS RF Front-end Integrated Circuit (RFeIC) paired with the OZMO2000 Wi-Fi CERTIFIED System-on-Chip (SoC) with integrated radio, baseband and microcontroller.
FCC Launches Online Mobile Security Tool for Consumers
December 18, 2012 10:44 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsIn its on-going push to improve mobile safety and security, the FCC today launched a new online tool to help consumers protect their mobile devices. The new site allows users to pick their platform (Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Windows)...
Cisco Agrees to Acquire Broadhop
December 18, 2012 10:24 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsCisco today announced plans to acquire Colorado-based policy control and service management provider Broadhop. Specifics of the deal were not immediately available. Hilton Romanski, vice president and head of corporate business development for Cisco, said in a blog...
Judge Denies Apple Request to Ban Samsung Phones
December 18, 2012 9:22 am | by Paul Elias, Associated Press | News | CommentsA federal judge late Monday rejected Apple Inc.'s demands that its chief rival in the more than $100 billion global smartphone market cease selling models a jury recently found illegally used Apple technology. The immediate impact of the ruling means that Samsung can continue to sell three of the older-generation smartphones still on U.S. shelves.
Mini Review: A Pure Case for Cases
December 17, 2012 4:08 pm | by Andrew Berg | Articles | CommentsIf you do decide to pick up a pricey $600+ LTE-capable iPad, you might be looking for all the protection you can get for your new gadget. In that case (pun intended), LifeProof has you covered. LifeProof is pitching some heavy duty protection from the elements with its line of iPhone and iPad cases.
Mini Review: LifeProof-ing Your New Slate
December 17, 2012 3:59 pm | by Andrew Berg | Articles | CommentsIf you do decide to pick up a pricey $600+ LTE-capable iPad, you might be looking for all the protection you can get for your new gadget. In that case (pun intended), LifeProof has you covered. LifeProof is pitching some heavy duty protection from the elements...
Tablets Come Bearing LTE This Holiday Season
December 17, 2012 3:25 pm | by Andrew Berg | Articles | CommentsTablets are yet again set to be big items this holiday season, and shoppers will have the best selection they’ve ever seen. But this year, those cellular equipped models won’t be shipping in just 3G; LTE is the flavor of choice for those seeking anytime, anywhere connectivity
OTI Report Suggests Data Caps Result of Decreasing Competition
December 17, 2012 11:51 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsA new report from the Open Technology Institute (OTI) suggests that carrier implemented data caps are unnecessary and a result of decreasing competition in the U.S. wireline and wireless markets. The report claims that the technical or engineering rationale...
First News Briefs for December 17, 2012
December 17, 2012 10:45 am | by Wireless Week Staff | News | CommentsCoreSite Realty Corporation, a national provider of data centers, today announced that Zayo Group has extended its fiber-based services to all CoreSite data centers in nine markets throughout North America. Zayo Group is a global provider of Bandwidth Infrastructure services, including Dark Fiber, and lit and IP services.
Garmin names Pemble as its CEO
December 17, 2012 10:28 am | by Associated Press | News | CommentsGarmin President and Chief Operating Officer Clifton Pemble will become CEO at the start of the new year as part of the company's succession plan. Pemble succeeds Min Kao, co-founder of the company. Kao will become executive chairman. Pemble, who has worked at Garmin since 1989, is already a member of the board.
RIM Launches BB 10 Beta for Enterprise, Government
December 17, 2012 10:19 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsResearch In Motion (RIM) today announced the BlackBerry 10 Technical Preview program, an initiative designed to allow certain enterprise and government customers the opportunity to begin beta testing with BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10...
Sprint Seals Deal to Buy 100 Percent of Clearwire
December 17, 2012 10:02 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsSprint's bid to own 100 percent of Clearwire has been accepted at $2.2 billion, which equals the $2.97 per share cap that Sprint majority stake holder Softbank placed on the deal. In a statement, Sprint said the deal takes the enterprise value of Clearwire to approximately $10 billion.
Apple Sells 2M iPhone 5s in China in First 3 Days
December 17, 2012 10:01 am | by Associated Press | News | CommentsApple said Monday that it sold more than 2 million iPhone 5s in China in their first three days of availability, setting a record for that market. IPhone 5, which launched in China on Friday, will be available in more than 100 countries by the end of December...
Softbank Caps Sprint's Bid for Clearwire; Investors Ask for More
December 14, 2012 10:41 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsSprint’s bid to buy the remaining portion of Clearwire is proving more complicated than originally thought, as Softbank, which plans to acquire a 70-percent stake in Sprint next year, draws a cap on Sprint’s bid for Clearwire, and investors say they want a lot more per share than that bid will allow.
Wireless Amber Alerts Move to WEA Program Dec. 31
December 14, 2012 10:36 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsWireless Amber Alerts will migrate over to the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) program at the beginning of 2013. CTIA, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and Syniverse announced today that on December 31, 2012, the Wireless Amber Alerts program will end operations...
First News Briefs for December 14, 2012
December 14, 2012 10:22 am | by Wireless Week Staff | News | CommentsFacebook announced a faster Facebook app for people who use Android devices. Facebook for Android 2.0 is twice as fast when looking at photos and opening your Timeline and quicker to launch. Facebook rebuilt several of Facebook for Android's core features in native code...
Review: New Google Maps Boasts Big Improvements
December 14, 2012 9:26 am | by Bree Fowler, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsLike a lot of people, I was happy and relieved to see Google Maps return to the iPhone. I'd been frustrated with the Apple mapping software that had replaced it three months ago. For one thing, it didn't have public transit directions, a feature important for New Yorkers like me...
