Verizon late Thursday confirmed that it would add tethering to the Motorola Droid but clarified its plans. Contradicting a prior statement, it now says tethering when ready will cost $30 in addition to the phone's existing voice and data plans. It will also have a 5GB bandwidth cap before overage fees begin, though the tethering rate will be separate from the Droid's regular data.
A recent FCC filing indicates that TiVo is readying an 802.11n accessory. The device, listed as the AN0100 Wireless 11n AP, appears to be a successor to the current AG0100 Wireless G USB network adapter the company sells for connecting its DVRs to a home network. The current model supports TiVoToGo, multi-room viewing, music, photos, and online scheduling.
Apple is allegedly working on several iPhone prototypes that integrate RFID readers, according to Near Field Communications World. The report originated from a "highly reliable source" who contacted Einar Rosenberg, the CTO of Narian Technologies. Although Apple has submitted for several patents involving iPhone RFID, the report claims the technology is likely to be utilized in the next-generation handset.
Microsoft's 802.11n adapter for the Xbox 360 has surfaced in Costco's online store for a slightly discounted price of $88. The accessory previously popped up in GameStop's inventory slated for November 3rd, although the listing was later removed. Costco claims the adapter is scheduled for shipment a week later on November 10th.
(Update clarifying timing) Comcast in a new FCC notice (PDF) revealed that it has already begun implementing a new throttling system. The approach is now service-agnostic and will lower the priority of any data packets if a user's cable modem either tops 70 percent of download or upload bandwidth for more than 15 minutes or else is flagged as bogging down the CMTS node, which manages a neighborhood's cable modem traffic.
On Thursday, Verizon Wireless said it has added three new prepaid mobile broadband data plans. Users can now opt for a $15 daily data allowance that includes 75MB of data, a $30 weekly package that includes 250MB of data and a $50 monthly offering with 500MB of data. These will be sold alongside a Verizon Wireless USB760 modem, priced at $130.
The European Parliament today agreed on a new set of legal protections for those threatened with losing Internet access under anti-piracy rules. The new measure in the EU's Telecoms Reform Package considers Internet access a "fundamental" right and will require that EU countries implement a "fair and impartial" process if their laws allow for disconnecting alleged pirates. It will also permit those facing a disconnection to legally dispute their case, though this won't necessarily be part of the regular process.
Young startup Isabella Products today unveiled a new digital photo frame that it hopes will make Internet access an always-available feature. The Vizit uses AT&T's cellular network to go online and, even more so than Wi-Fi, is ready to send and receive photos. It can send and receive photos through an online Vizit gallery or through e-mail but can also take photos sent by MMS.
Telus this morning took its turn at launching its own HSPA+ network and new devices, including the iPhone. It sells the iPhone 3G and both the 16GB and 32GB iPhone 3GS units at the same $100, $200 and $300 prices as at Bell and Rogers on a three-year contract. The plans are slightly different than Bell's and start with a $50 Clear Choice iPhone plan that provides 150 minutes, unlimited evenings and weekends after 9PM and 500MB of data with tethering but supplies the perk of either unlimited local calls and MMS/SMS messaging to five numbers, double the minutes, or 1,000 outbound (unlimited inbound) messages.
Orange UK has begun publicly responding to criticisms of its upcoming iPhone plans. At the center of complaints is the company's unlimited data provision, attached to each iPhone subscription. In reality data use is restricted by a 750MB "fair usage" policy, in sharp contrast to other iPhone carriers, such as O2 UK and AT&T.
Bell today launched its HSPA+ network and its first devices, including the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G. The network supports up to 21Mbps downstream on the Novatel Wireless U998 ($75) and future modems that support HSPA+ and should also supply as much as 7.2Mbps for the iPhone 3GS and other current smartphones.
Verizon today noted that it plans to add a data tethering option for the Motorola Droid. A representative tells Gearlog that, regardless of the open nature of Android, the new smartphone will eventually support the same $15 Broadband Connect add-on plan as other devices and can share its 3G connection with others. The support should go live in early 2010 and will carry the same 5GB transfer cap as Verizon's regular tethering and 3G modem plans.
AT&T on Tuesday sued Verizon for allegedly misleading customers with its "there's a map for that" ads. The complaint argues that Verizon is deliberately exaggerating the gaps in AT&T's coverage through its map of 3G networks, making it seem as though some areas have no coverage at all, not just 3G. The campaign has already had to alter maps after some earlier protests from AT&T.
LaCie on Tuesday revealed its latest storage solution, the Network Space 2 Network Attached Storage (NAS) and media server. Again designed by Neil Poulton like many of LaCie's similar products, the Network Space 2 is user friendly thanks to the preloaded LaCie Network Assistant. This allows users to customize the dashboard with widgets, which let them access networks and drive information as well as user accounts and drive capacity.
Orange UK is already being criticized for its data policies in regards to the iPhone, the BBC reports. The carrier yesterday announced its intentions to launch the iPhone on November 10th. Mentioned in subscription plans however is a 750MB "fair usage" limit on data, despite other marketing claims that data is unlimited, as at rival iPhone carrier O2.
Thursby Software Systems has announced ADmitMac 5 and DAVE 8, two updates in the company's line of Mac networking products. The apps are designed to connect Macs to Windows networks, enabling bi-directional file and printer sharing. The latest versions of both ADmitMac and DAVE provide multi-processor and multi-threaded optimizations for Apple’s newest Snow Leopard operating system, in both 64-bit and 32-bit modes, along with continued support for the older v10.5 OS.
Atheros claimed a minor breakthrough on Monday through a new addition to its ROCm chips. The AR6003 is billed as not just a rare single-chip 802.11n Wi-Fi part for smartphones and other handhelds but also the fastest of its kind. It takes advantage of features that aren't always used in 802.11n to boost the maximum speed up to 85Mbps in real situations when on the 5GHz band. The technique has the side benefit of increasing the usable range of a handheld compared to older 802.11g wireless.
Bell today confirmed that its promised HSPA+ 3G network will become available on November 4th. Supporting recent leaks, the 21Mbps network will launch just a day ahead of its Telus equivalent and should come with multiple phones and modems ready on the same day. Roaming deals will also be in effect immediately and should let Bell users roam on AT&T in the US as well as in most other countries.
Buffalo on Monday introduced its Nfiniti Wireless-N Essential Router & Access Point, the WHR-HP-G300N, along with the Nfiniti Wireless-N High Power Ultra-Compact USB 2.0 Adapter, WLI-UC-GNHP. Meant for wireless home or small office networks, the router has enough performance to handle multiple intensive video streams and reaches the spec's peak 300Mbps. The adapter is faster than built-in Wi-Fi solutions, making it an upgrade option to existing, built-in wireless modules in notebooks or desktop PCs.
Sprint began the week by bringing its 4G WiMAX service into action for several key areas promised earlier. The Chicago and Dallas/Fort Worth areas as well as several North Carolina cities, including Cary, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Durham, Greensboro, High Point, Raleigh and Winston-Salem, all now have access to the wide-area wireless. The carrier still promises downstream speeds of about 3Mbps to 6Mbps in real situations, all of which allow VoIP, video and other tasks normally off-limits to 3G.
Wireless provider Verizon will soon add the Sony VAIO P netbook to its subsidized lineup, according to a Monday Phone Arena leak. Thus far, Verizon offers the Gateway LT2016U, HP Mini 311 and Mini 110 netbooks, but the VAIO P would be the smallest and lightest of the four. The system should be the standard 8-inch netbook but will have a built-in modem with both EVDO and GSM support.
Sprint today confirmed a late rumor by launching a subsidized version of the Dell Mini 10. Its version has an internal EVDO Revision A modem for 3G access and should usually pull between 600Kbps and 1.4Mbps downloads in real-world conditions. It also appears to be the original Mini 10 reviewed here with a 1.33GHz Atom, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive and Windows XP Home.
The Internet has turned 40 years old this week, with its beginnings occurring at 9pm on October 29th, 1969. On that day, engineers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and Stanford Research Institute (SRI) nearly 400 miles away sent data over the first two nodes. Back then, the Internet was known as Arpanet, after the US Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), which commissioned its creation.
CrushFTP has released an update to its self-titled FTP software. Version 5.0.3 offers improved user-management functionality and options for consolidating multiple Virtual File Systems. SSH port forwarding has been added, along with support for additional FTP servers when acting as a FTP Proxy/Protocol Translator.
Google in a response to the FCC on Wednesday said it has discovered a method to curb some of the rural call blocking that prompted a formal investigation into its Google Voice service. The search firm's new technology is much more specific and now only blocks less than 100 phone numbers, which Google now says are limited to "traffic pumping" sites like questionable conference call services that cost the company a disproportionately high amount in connection charges.
Sprint is on the verge of launching its own netbook deals with a model of its own, a source says today. The same insider that accurately leaked the provider's Any Mobile, Any Time plan now says a version of the Dell Mini 10 with built-in 3G data will sell through Sprint for $199 after factoring in a two-year data contract and a $100 up-front rebate. TechVi hears the system will ship November 1st and have the familiar 1.6GHz Atom, 1GB of RAM and 160GB hard drive of the Mini 10v.
Peek will soon offer a new product that will add Twitter support to the existing e-mail and text messaging functionality of the existing devices. While nothing official is known, a leaked image of the box for the Twitter Peek indicates this is indeed true. Like other Peek devices, the new Peek product will allow unlimited updates over T-Mobile's EDGE network in the US.
The UK government's business secretary, Lord Mandelson, has confirmed initial plans to cut off Internet service for those who persistently, illegally download files. The policy should take effect in the summer of 2011 but will allegedly be considered a "last resort" after three notifications. After two initial warnings with close monitoring over the space of a year, Internet users would be disconnected with three months' opportunity to appeal the decision.
Citrix says it has opened up public beta entries for GoToMyPC for the Mac. Long a Windows-only service, Mac owners should now likewise be able to remotely access files, programs and network connections on a distant computer. The addition of Mac support means that users can also handle cross-platform access, connecting from a Mac to a PC or vice versa.
Third-party GPS support for the iPod touch is coming soon, an announcement claims. GeoLife says it has submitted a new version of Navmii to the App Store, which -- in tandem with a PosiMotion G-Fi router -- should allow a Touch to access turn-by-turn car navigation. The Touch lacks both the GPS and 3G receivers found in the iPhone, normally rendering it incapable of handling directions while driving.
Eye-Fi on Wednesday said it has added Facebook support to its Wi-Fi enabled digital camera memory cards, letting them upload photos and videos without a PC. At the same time, they can alert their friends on the social networking site when they upload photos to one of more than 25 other photo sharing sites the cards already support.
QuickerTek has released a new USB wireless adapter which adds Wi-Fi support to any Mac with a USB port. The device handles 802.11a connections running at 5.8GHz, and 802.11b/g/n networks operating at 2.4GHz. 802.11a, notably allows connnection speeds up to 300Mbps.
NEC Japan has introduced the world's smallest WiMAX router with Wi-Fi capability on Tuesday. The Aterm WM3300R is battery-powered but can still reach 40Mbps downstream and 10Mbps upstream when on a suitably fast 4G network. The pocketable device is meant to share access through Wi-Fi but can also be plugged into a PC using a USB adapter for mobile Internet access on a specific system.
Bell on Tuesday announced it will offer the U998 HSPA+ Turbo Stick and the MiFi 2372 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot from Novatel Wireless November 5th, to coincide with the launch of its HSPA network in November. Either of the two new products will allow notebook users to connect to the 21Mbps network from virtually anywhere a signal is present. The HSPA+ Turbo Stick will be exclusive to Bell in Canada and plugs into a USB port of notebook or netbook PCs, with a microSDHC card slot for as much as 32GB of storage.
FCC chairman Julius Genachowski in a talk published today warned that mobile data is facing a "spectrum gap" that could significantly damage Internet access on cellphones. He considers the iPhone a leader in a wave of devices that are straining 3G networks enough to create severe accessibility problems and that the FCC is considering "more creative" steps to solve the problem. Among these steps may include exploiting unlicensed spectrum or even allowing second licenses that have two companies share the same frequency.
Verizon today reported mixed results for its summer quarter and reiterated its invitation to Apple. The carrier said its operating revenue grew year-over-year by more than 10 percent to $27.3 billion but that its actual earnings per shared dropped a sharp 30.5 percent from 59 cents per share a year ago to 41 cents today, or $2.88 billion. Most of the growth came about from added cellphone and FiOS customers.
Novatel's MiFi 2200 has recently benefitted from a firmware update that has upgraded much of its functions. The device connects to either Sprint's or Verizon's EVDO Revision A Internet connection and shares with up to five compatible devices across an 802.11g Wi-Fi network. Most notably, the new software allows the modem to never enter hibernation mode when it is plugged into a wall outlet instead of running off its built-in battery, and is now compatible with the Nintendo DS and BlackBerry Curve.
Demand has been high enough for Nokia's Booklet 3G netbook that the company is moving ahead with a second model next year, a leak to Taiwan's Economic Daily News newspaper claims. Nokia's contractor in the area, Compal, is reportedly working "overtime" to meet demand for the Atom-based portable and that it's likely to receive orders for a 2010 model as well. Details of the system are unknown, including whether or not it's an upgrade to the existing system or an entirely new configuration.
Telus on Monday revealed that both its HSPA+ network and its iPhone launch will kick off on November 5th and has provided device pricing for its version of the Apple handset. Its pricing will match the Rogers version and see 16GB and 32GB iPhone 3GS units cost $200 and $300 respectively on three-year contracts. Contract-free versions will sell for $700 and $800. The 8GB iPhone 3G will sell for $100 on contract or $600 contract-free.
The European Union in a decision this week formally approved the use of 3G and eventually 4G data on the 900MHz and 1,800MHz GSM bands. The measure substantially improves the amount of bandwidth available for cellular Internet access in EU states and should render it less expensive as well. Besides reducing the need for more cell sites, allowing frequencies lower than 2,100MHz for 3G will also extend the range and coverage of existing service.
As part of a just-announced partnership between Ericsson and Samsung, the latter has released the first USB modem fully compatible with the new Long Term Evolution (LTE) 4G standard. The Samsung GT-B3710 modem will be sold commercially through provider TeliaSonera in 2010 in Norway and Sweden. It promises to bring peak speeds of 150Mbps downstream as well as 50Mbps uploads.
During a Thursday third quarter earnings report, Netflix has revealed increased revenues thanks to a 22 percent increase of streaming video use, and this from a smaller subscriber base. At the same time, CEO Reed Hastings revealed Netflix will become available for streaming on another electronics device, though he did not offer any other specifics. Hastings did indicate game consoles are also key to the expansion of the service, which could spell an end to the exclusivity of Netflix on Microsoft's Xbox 360.
Clearwire and Sprint have announced their latest 4G deployment plans that will bring the faster data service to cities in the continental US and the Hawaiian islands. Fulfilling earlier promises, locations scheduled for November launch include Charlotte, Greensboro, and Raleigh, North Carolina; Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth and San Antonio, Texas. Honolulu and Maui residents will be able to utilize the upgraded network beginning in December.
Cable provider Comcast is ready to launch its High-Speed 2Go 4G/3G wireless data service. On the Comcast website, the carrier is advertising the 4G services are available at Bellingham, WA, Portland, OR and Atlanta, GA, with more markets coming soon. It also promises 3G coverage for most of the US.
Intel has postponed its support of USB 3.0 until 2011, a new report claims. The information is said to come from a senior technology manager at a "top tier PC maker," who says that Intel chipset teams are more focused on supporting the current Nehalem platform, as well as transitioning to 5GHz PCIe 2.0. "They need to prioritize their time and resources on a whole host of things and have to consider the compelling needs for USB 3.0 now versus 18 months later," says the manager.
The FCC on Thursday published a draft version of its proposed network neutrality rules. The six terms in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking would prevent Internet providers from blocking any legal apps, devices or services. They will also ban other forms of discrimination, except for neutral, "reasonable" management, and will require that providers also reveal any steps they're taking for network management, such as throttling or metered service.
AT&T today provided results for what it says is one of the best summer quarters in its history. The company says it activated 3.2 million iPhones, the most ever in its history and a steep jump from 2.4 million in the spring. It comes despite the iPhone 3GS having launched the previous quarter and points to increasing demand for the phone between July and September.
Comcast is continuing to expand its On Demand Online portal for streaming TV shows, although the service will only be available to the company's own broadband subscribers, according to the Associated Press. The web-based content is said to eventually match the on-demand capabilities available through certain set-top boxes.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today set groundwork for net neutrality in the country through a ruling that discourages Internet providers from throttling traffic. The guidelines will encourage monetary practices first, such as bandwidth caps or metered Internet access, and will accept slowing down some or all service only when necessary. All providers will also have to clearly publicize any throttling practices and give customers at least 30 days' notice, or 60 days' notice for wholesalers dependent on another Internet provider's network.
Alongside the announcements of new Macs and the Magic Mouse, Apple on Tuesday quietly introduced updated AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule devices. Like its predecessor, the new AirPort Extreme base station utilizes the same dual-band communication on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies. A redesigned antenna, however, is claimed to improve data speeds by up to 50 percent, while extending the effective range by 25 percent.
