Filed under: TECHNOLOGY | Tags: AT&T, Consumer electronics, DreamWorks Animation, Mobile phone, Sprint Nextel, Television, Verizon Wireless, WIRELESS
Theater owners are completing 3-D technology upgrades for Friday’s opening of “Monsters vs. Aliens,” the new DreamWorks Animation movie. Hollywood will release more than a dozen 3-D films this year, hoping to offer “something that cannot be achieved at home.” (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aw5HkD.dtnDY 3/26)
Viacom’s Nickelodeon cable network is asking its young audience to unplug their hand-held gadgets, games and cell phones for a minute on Earth Day to symbolize a commitment to helping the environment. The “unplugged minute,” however, doesn’t extend to television sets. (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gX39rdF0RVQBZXsbi3HuFIKNKqoAD9754V301 3/25)
Best Buy Co. reported that profit fell 23% in its fiscal fourth quarter because of depressed consumer demand coupled with overly steep cuts in inventory levels. On the bright side, the consumer-electronics giant beat Wall Street forecasts and picked up market share in the wake of Circuit City’s liquidation. The Wall Street Journal (3/27) , Reuters (3/26) , Financial Times (3/26)
Samsung has started producing a new breed of liquid-crystal-display TV panels that are about a quarter of the thickness of conventional models. The new panels also use an edge-lighting system that is designed to be more aesthetically pleasing and more energy-efficient. Electronista (3/26)
RaySat Broadcasting, which has taken over development work on AT&T’s new CruiseCast in-car satellite-TV service, has retained a handful of vendors to work on key technological aspects of the platform, RaySat said. AT&T, which has not disclosed when the 42-channel service — 20 audio and 22 video — will launch, is said to be finalizing programming contracts that its U-verse IPTV group has been negotiating with content providers. Telephony Online (3/26) , CED Magazine (3/2009)
Ford has begun shipping trucks and vans to dealers with touch-screen PCs installed in their dashboards that house Sprint Nextel CDMA-EVDO network links, the carrier said Tuesday. The system, which runs Windows CE 6.0 software, will cost $50 a month for the wireless service on top of the $1,195 Ford is charging for the PC option. Computerworld (3/24)
Verizon Wireless will enter the laptop business, possibly by next quarter, according to a Bloomberg report, which says the carrier will join AT&T in selling netbook computers, inexpensive PCs designed largely for users to access the Internet. The carrier is expected to work with more than one PC maker, according to the report. Bloomberg (3/26)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=94e62471-0f35-4381-a631-6ce61b42f67a)
Filed under: WIRELESS | Tags: 3GPP Long Term Evolution, Alcatel-Lucent, AndroidMarket, Google, iPhone, Pinch Media, Verizon Wireless, Vodafone
There may be more than 20,000 iPhone apps out there that have been downloaded more than 500 million times, but what is the average shelf life of each app? Greg Yardley, CEO of Pinch Media
, offers some stats based on the 30 million+ downloads his iPhone app analytics startup has kept tabs on. One of the most telling slides in a recent presentation he gave shows the drop-off rate in iPhone app usage (see above; entire slide presentation embedded below). For free applications, only about 20 percent of users return to use the app the first day after they download it, and then it quickly drops off from there. By 30 days out, less than 5 percent are using the app. The chart for paid apps shows a slightly steeper fall-off rate. So there is a very brief window of time to capture people’s attention and potential revenues. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/02/19/pinch-media-data-shows-the-average-shelf-life-of-an-iphone-app-is-less-than-30-days 2/19)
If there’s one thing smartphones have taught us it’s that you can never have enough speed in your network. Despite the severe economic downturn Verizon Wireless announced it is pushing full steam ahead with plans to launch a 4G network in 2010 with vendor partners LM Ericsson and Alcatel-Lucent. Verizon announced it is currently in Long Term Evolution (LTE) field trials in the U.S., demonstrating download rates of 50-60 MB/second by utilizing the bandwidth acquired in the FCC 700 MHz spectrum auction. European trials are also underway in a joint venture with Vodafone. (Cynopsis 2/19)
The company has released a set of policies for its Android Market, which includes a provision letting users return unwanted apps within 24 hours. The policies also give Google authority to remotely delete apps that violate its terms of use. Bloomberg (2/19) , mocoNews.net (2/18)
Mobile content aggregator MobiTV announced a milestone, surpassing 6 million subscribers and adding 1 million subs alone from the beginning of Dec. as the proliferation of 3G-powered smartphones takes off. The company also added the iPhone to the list of 350 devices it supports. MobiTV’s content offerings include primetime shows from NBC and ABC and more than 40 channels of content, including ESPN, Disney, CNBC and MSNBC. (Cynopsis 2/19)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=a1f397f3-e6bc-4512-8e1c-ce17fb7a3abf)
Filed under: TECHNOLOGY | Tags: Apple, Google, iPod, Mac OS X, Microsoft, Microsoft Windows, Net Applications, Verizon Wireless
NASA, Google, and some of the foremost authorities in science and technology have teamed up to create a new school, dubbed Singularity University
, that is looking to solve “humanity’s grand challenges”. The university is named after the idea of the singularity – an extremely rapid period of technological progress. And damn if it doesn’t sound like the coolest school ever. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/02/02/world-renowned-scientists-team-with-google-and-nasa-to-launch-singularity-university 2/2)
Microsoft Windows, which is used by 88.26% of computers accessing the Internet, saw its share of the operating system market fall more than four-tenths of a percentage point in January compared with the previous month, according to Web tracking firm Net Applications. On the plus side, Apple’s Mac OS X, which has 9.93% of the market, was up three-tenths of a percentage point. InformationWeek (2/3)
Panasonic in April will debut a pair of plasma TVs that are thinner and consume far less electricity than its current offerings. The 50-inch version will be about an inch deep, use an estimated 260 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year and, along with a 54-inch model, initially be available in Japan before migrating to North American markets this summer. Reuters (2/3)
For all those oldies-but-goodies trapped on audio cassettes, Alesis has come out with a system to transfer recordings from the bygone platform to today’s digital devices, such as CDs, iPods and flash memory drives. The new TapeLink USB is a dual-cassette gadget that connects to a computer via USB port and can collect audio from either metal or CrO2 tapes. Electronista (2/2)
Verizon has introduced its $200 “Hub” VoIP phone, which works over any broadband connection, calling it the first custom-made device that integrates with such Verizon Wireless services as text messaging, navigation and Chaperone. The telecom disclosed several partners for the touch-screen Hub: OpenPeak, Fandango, Navteq and Time. Wireless Week (2/2) , TVWeek.com (2/2)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=75039c5d-b096-4dbc-9a99-d2102eb6f240)
Filed under: WIRELESS | Tags: ABC News, Business, Disney Channel, George Stephanopoulos, Hannah Montana, Phineas and Ferb, Sprint Nextel, Verizon Wireless
The Disney/ABC Television Group, ESPN and Verizon announced a deal to offer a broader selection of programming to Verizon Wireless VCast and mobile web customers. The agreement covers mobile distribution of on-demand, full-length episodes to VCast Video, complementing existing short-form content already available from ABC and ESPN. Full-length programs now available include Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, Lost and Ugly Betty from ABC; Nightline, This Week with George Stephanopoulos and 20/20 from ABC News; and Hannah Montana, The Suite Life on Deck and Phineas and Ferb from Disney Channel. (Cynopsis 1/27)
After losing some 1.3 million subscribers during Q3 Sprint Nextel announced it is preparing to eliminate some 8,000 workers or 14.3% of its workforce by the end of March (the same month that Palm is rumored to introduce its new Pre smartphone on the Sprint network.) (Cynopsis 1/27)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=6ab88c79-2896-4007-8cab-a8f98e0bff58)
Filed under: TECHNOLOGY | Tags: Business, Data Communications, Hub, Telecommunications, Verizon Communications, Verizon Wireless, Wall Street Journal, WIRELESS
Verizon Communications has developed an Internet phone, dubbed the Hub, that goes beyond current IP-based devices by delivering video and information-based features — compatible with its wireless network — to the home. Designed to retain wireline customers, Verizon Wireless will sell the Hub at its outlets for $199 — with a contract and rebate — plus a $35 monthly fee, according to the company. The Wall Street Journal (1/23)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=b0b0c0bc-2659-4ff1-813b-bd8ea0dd5f82)
Filed under: WIRELESS | Tags: App Store, Apple, Cellphones, Microsoft, Mobile phone, MobileMe, United States, Verizon Wireless
Concerns about overloading the country’s wireless networks came to naught Tuesday as the major cell phone carriers reported their aggressive preparations for Inauguration Day paid off. They reported few problems despite a significant increase in their normal traffic loads of calls and texts. Carriers had established satellite sites to provide more capacity. AT&T had poured in a reported $4 million to beef up its network and Verizon Wireless pointed to its $1 billion long-term investment in the Washington market. USA TODAY (1/21) , The New York Times/Bits blog (1/20) , InformationWeek (1/20) , CNET (1/20)
Microsoft will introduce several new mobile services next month, including a rival to Apple’s MobileMe, code named “SkyBox,” that will leverage the Internet to help users sync content on their phones, according to a report. Microsoft also will offer a similar service aimed at small businesses as well as an App Store-like mobile marketplace. Neowin.net (1/19) , The Register (U.K.) (1/20)
Cell phones equipped with GPS technology will continue to grow this year — albeit at a slower pace, according to ABI Research. It predicts in a study that GPS-enabled phone shipments will grow globally 6.4%, compared with a single-digit decline for the overall handset market. cellular-news (U.K.) (1/20)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=0712da3f-8d70-4445-91d9-1dff384ae5f3)
Filed under: WIRELESS | Tags: Alltel, Google, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Market share, Open source, Verizon Wireless, Web browser
Verizon‘s acquisition of Alltel will close on January 9 according to an SEC filing made on Friday. Verizon will pay $5.9 billion and acquire $22.2 billion in Alltel debt to acquire some 13 million customers – creating the largest wireless carrier in the U.S with 83 million + subscribers. (Cynopsis 1/5)
Speaking of netbooks, Google‘s Android mobile operating system is being adapted for use on the Asus EEEPC 1000H netbook, according to VentureBeat. With netbooks poised to take off due to their affordability and ease-of-use, Google hopes the stripped-down OS will help dramatically increase the exposure of applications such as its new open source Chrome web browser. Chrome had carved out about 1% of the U.S. browser market as of Dec. 2008, according to research firm Net Applications, when Microsoft Internet Explorer‘s market share declined to 68%. (Cynopsis 1/5)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=c8f06246-58fb-4714-886d-822452158be8)
