Mobile industry tests wi - fi airwaves

The mobile industry is ramping up for a new generation of cellphones and services combining the long-distance strengths of traditional cellular service with the short-distance, low-cost advantages of wi-fi.

Reuters reports in The New York Times (17 November) that industry players at the 3G World Congress in Hong Kong this week were buzzing with expectation for future services that would marry traditional cellular with wi-fi, a short-range technology often associated with wireless Web surfing in homes, offices and coffee shops.

Qualcomm, a maker of wireless technology, sees a clear future for handsets that sniff the air for signals then hook up to the cheapest link, Chief Executive Paul Jacobs said at an investor conference last week in London, reports Reuters in the NYT.

The Reuiers report says that traditional cellular's main strengths lie in its mobility, allowing users to make calls while on the move over long distances from nearly anywhere in the world.

According to Reuters, use of wi-fi could also help companies and consumers save money by transferring their calling and file transfers to local fixed-line networks at home and in the office, allowing them to bypass more costly cellular networks.

Following a recent market survey, Merrill Lynch said that ''we were impressed with the proliferation of services that go beyond the carriers' cellular network such as wi-fi.''

Reuters says that nearly every major cellphone and telecoms equipment maker at the congress in Hong Kong is either trialing a hybrid wi-fi service or handset, or has already launched an early model or two. Such hybridisation of handsets isn't completely new, since models now exist allowing users to cross back and forth between the world's two major standards, GSM and CDMA.

But, adds Reuters, the wi-fi phones are some of the first combining traditional cellular with a non-cellular technology.

Motorola introduced a third-generationcellular model with wi-fi capability for Japan over the summer, said Michael Tatelman, general manager for mobile devices in North Asia.

Nokia, the world's No. 1 mobile phone maker, has also recently launched a model, and Samsung Electronics is also developing a model.

Reuters says that such phones will remain a niche-product, at least for now, in a market expected to see about 800 million handsets sold this year, according to various estimates.

{mospagebreaktitle=UN group moves to narrow digital divide}UN group moves to narrow digital divide

A UN technology summit was focused Thursday on bringing more communications, including internet access, to developing countries where the cost has been too high and the technology too low-tech.

The Associated Press reports in The New York Times (17 November) that Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and Senegalese President H.E. Wade were among the leaders scheduled to address the World Summit on the Information Society, which ends today.

At the same time, reports AP., several companies and organisations were unveiling their plans to bring the world closer and, in a sense, narrow the digital divide, by providing laptops that cost just US$100 (euro85) to portable, satellite-based radios that can pull in international programming from just about anywhere.

More than 16,000 people from 176 countries are attending the three-day summit.

AP reports that Microsoft, the world's largest maker of software, unveiled a new network of learning centres in Tunisia that will train people to be teachers in technology.

The effort is part of a joint push with UNESCO to make technology easier to understand and, ultimately, to spread its reach across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

AP reports that Jean-Phillippe Courtois, president of Microsoft International, told The Associated Press that the year-old project has gained steam and the 200 centres it plans to open in Tunisia will be replicated elsewhere.

Late Wednesday, a text-book sized laptop boasting wireless network access and a hand-crank to provide electricity was unveiled by Nicholas Negroponte, Chairman of MIT Media Lab.

The machines will sell for US$100, making them accessible to millions of school-aged children worldwide, he said, reports AP.

{mospagebreaktitle=Sony unveils internet - based phone service}Sony unveils internet - based phone service

Sony has just announced a free internet-based phone service similar to the popular computer-to-computer calling provided by Skype, but with an emphasis on video conferencing.

The Associated Press reports in The New York Times (16 November) that the service, called IVE for ''Instant Video Everywhere,'' relies on Windows-based software that can be downloaded from the internet. It will also ship with Sony's new line of Vaio BX laptops, which feature built-in video cameras.

According to AP., like Skype, IVE also will feature a premium service that lets users dial traditional wireline phones and cell phones from their computers. The monthly fee of US$9.95 for the premium service includes a 10-digit phone number so IVE users can receive calls from regular and mobile phones.

The service, created in collaboration with GlowPoint, marks the latest attempt adelivering a ''picture phone'' for the consumer market, says AP in its report in the NYT.
Sony, NEC to form optical drive pact

Japanese electronics makers Sony and NEC said this week they have reached a basic agreement to set up a optical disk drive joint venture.

Reuters reports in The New York Times (17 November) that Sony and NEC plan to transfer their optical disk drive businesses to a new entity, which aims to start operations on 1 April, 2006. The new venture will develop and manufacture DVD drives and CD drives used in PCs and other products.

Sony will hold 55 percent stake in the venture, and NEC the rest.

According to Reuters in the NYT report, sales of the two firms' optical disk drive businesses totaled about US$1.8 billion in the business year ended in March.

{mospagebreaktitle=Microsoft to market new software in Japan}Microsoft to market new software in Japan

Microsoft has said it will start marketing Japanese versions of two new server software products in February, as the US software giant moves to bolster its enterprise business in Japan.

The Associated Press reports in The New York Times (17 November) that Microsoft, which dominates the personal computer software industry, has positioned its server software business as one of its key growth areas.

The company said it will complete the development of the Japanese versions of ''Microsoft SQL Server 2005,'' its database management software, and ''Microsoft Visual Studio 2005'', a comprehensive system development tool, on 15 Dec.

AP says that at the Microsoft Conference 2005 in Tokyo, Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said his company's presence in the server software industry has grown strongly, and that Microsoft will continue to pursue further expansion.

Shipments of ''Microsoft SQL Server'' have topped combined shipments of comparative products offered by rivals Oracle and IBM, he added, reports AP in the NYT.

{mospagebreaktitle=Nokia to acquire Intellisync for US$430M}Nokia to acquire Intellisync for US$430M

Expanding its arsenal to compete with BlackBerry, Nokia is paying US$430 million to acquire Intellisync, a provider of wireless e-mail and data services that first made its name with software to synchronise Palm handhelds with computers.

The Associated Press reports in The New York Times (16 November) that the deal, announced Wednesday, comes two months after Nokia barged into the crowded field of BlackBerry rivals by becoming the first major handset maker to unveil its own brand of mobile e-mail service.

With Intellisync's technology, Nokia said it will be able to offer the abilities to connect any device to any data source, application or network. That has become increasingly important as the work force turns increasingly mobile, but still requires easy access to internal corporate servers and databases, says the AP report.

Nokia declined to specify whether the acquired product line might become the core of its Nokia Business Centre initiative, which was announced in September.

AP reports that Nokia reiterated Wednesday that the new service would join rather than replace the existing lineup of mobile e-mail and productivity options available on Nokia devices. Those include BlackBerry from Research in Motion, GoodLink from Good Technology, and applications from Seven Networks and Visto.

{mospagebreaktitle=Blu - Ray, HP at odds over high - def DVD launch plan}Blu - Ray, HP at odds over high - def DVD launch plan

The Blu-ray Disc group, which aims to set the standard for next-generation DVDs, on Wednesday said it would not adopt a proposal from by the launch of the technology, leading the PC maker to say it may back a rival in the looming multibillion dollar war.

According to a Reuters report in The New York Times (16 November) that would leave HP, the No. 2 PC maker, splitting support between the two leading technologies.

Long a supporter of Sony-led Blu-ray, HP in October said if two technologies it considered important to PC users were not included in Blu-ray's specifications, it would consider backing rival standard HD-DVD, championed by Toshiba.

Reuters says that billions of dollars are at stake as the electronics, computer, movie and television industries gear up for a technology change expected to send consumers back to the stores for equipment and discs that will play high-definition pictures and stores many times the data of current discs.

But the competing technologies may end up in a war reminiscent of the home video-Betamax debate decades ago, says Reuters, which confused buyers and was an expensive loss for many companies.

The Reuters/NYT report says that HP has championed two technologies known as iHD and mandatory managed copy. Mandatory managed copy lets users legally copy DVDs and store the digital file on a home network, while iHD provides for new interactive features and is slated to be implemented in Microsoft's new Windows Vista operating system.

{mospagebreaktitle=Tech companies try to tackle tracking, ad software}Tech companies try to tackle tracking, ad software

Leading US technology companies, including AOL and Yahoo, have this week unveiled a plan to certify software that tracks Web use and generates online pop-up advertisements, in an attempt to cut down on unwanted spyware and adware.

According to a Reuters report in The New York Times (16 November), consumers, lawmakers and regulators have grown increasingly frustrated with software being secretly loaded on to computers, tracking moves on the internet, disabling computers and filling the screens with pop-up ads.

The organisation TRUSTe said it would certify tracking and advertising software if the programs disclose the types of advertising to be displayed, personal data tracked and obtain consent for downloading, among other requirements.

Reuters reports that Yahoo, Time Warner's internet service provider AOL, a US telephone carrier Verizon Communications, Computer Associates (CA.N), and CNET Networks all plan to be the initial participants in the program, dubbed ``Trusted Download Program.''

The list of certified software applications is aimed at helping the companies, which have millions of subscribers and visitors to their pages, decide about advertising, partnering and distributing software, according to the participant, reports Reuters.

{mospagebreaktitle=Deutsche Telekom to build up T - Mobile US network}Deutsche Telekom to build up T - Mobile US network

Deutsche Telekom may buy small US mobile service providers as well as wireless airwaves expected to be sold in government auctions to beef up the network of its US venture, T-Mobile USA, a top executive said on Wednesday.

Reuters reports in The New York Times (16 November) that Deutsche Telekom said recently that it plans to keep T-Mobile USA. There had been speculation it would sell the business, which is a distant No. 4 in the competitive US market and is half the size of its nearest rival.

According to Reuters, Deutsche Telekom is committed to investing heavily in T-Mobile USA's network as the unit is far behind its rivals in developing high-speed wireless services, partly due to a lack of enough airwaves or spectrum to build such services.

The company, which has said it expects to bid for spectrum in government auctions that could take place as early as next year, may also look at buying smaller rivals, according to Thomas Winkler, chief financial officer of T-Mobile International, of which T-Mobile USA is a part.

{mospagebreaktitle=Nintendo issuing new version of console}Nintendo issuing new version of console

Nintendo has become the latest console maker to promise parents the means to help restrict their children's access to violent video games.

The Associated Press reports in The New York Times (16 Movember) that the new version of Nintendo's videogame console, called Revolution and due out in 2006, will allow users to require passwords for video games that carry certain ratings, such as ''T'' for ''teen'' or ''M'' for ''mature.''

According to AP., many people associate Nintendo's game consoles with younger users, and few games designed for its systems have a lot of violence or sexuality.

AP says the move echoes Microsoft's efforts to bolster parental controls with its Xbox 360, due out next Tuesday.

The new Microsoft console lets users restrict access to video games and DVDs that carry certain ratings. It also gives parents ways to control who their children interact with on the company's Xbox Live online gaming service.

Sony's PlayStation 2 has parental controls for movies but not games. The company has not yet detailed plans for its forthcoming PlayStation 3, says AP.

{mospagebreaktitle=Here now, the Fly Pentop Computer}Here now, the Fly Pentop Computer

In the US., amongst the hottest new 'toys' for the coming holiday season is a US$100 educational gadget called the Fly Pentop Computer.

The New York Times reports (17 November) that there's something a little odd about the term "pentop computer." Terms like laptop, palmtop and desktop tell you where you use the computer - but you don't use the Fly on top of a pen, says the newspaper.

Instead, according to the NYT., the Fly is a pen - a fat ballpoint pen. (The company says that its focus groups found the term "pentop computer" infinitely sexier than "pen computer.")

The newspaper reports that the Fly is so fat because it contains an AAA battery, a computer chip, a speaker and, mounted half an inch from the ballpoint tip, a tiny camera. For all of its educational, interactive tricks, the Fly pen requires special paper whose surface is imprinted with nearly invisible micro-dots. As you write, the pen always knows where it is on the page, thanks to those dot patterns and the camera that watches them go by.

The NYT says that Logitech and other companies sell exactly the same technology to adults, but it's never caught on. Those pens simply store what you write - not as text, but just as a frozen graphic - and later transfer it to a Windows computer.

But Fly's maker, LeapFrog (maker of LeapPad, the popular interactive book reader), has much greater ambitions. In its incarnation, which is aimed at "tweens" (8 to 14 years old), no PC is required or desired; instead, you get crisp, instantaneous audio feedback from the pen's speaker, says the NYT report.