Wireless News Desk

Keynote Expands On-Demand Mobile Test and Measurement Network

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

Keynote Systems has expanded its on-demand mobile test and measurement network to include Beijing, China; Chennai, India; Mexico City, Mexico and Madrid, Spain. Keynote and its subsidiary Keynote SIGOS give its customers the ability to test mobile performance in over 700 locations on over 200 mobile networks across more than 70 countries.

Final Results of 2008 JCP Executive Committees Elections Are Out

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:15:00 EST

The Java Community Process (JCP) Program Management Office has announced the final results of the 2008 JCP Executive Committees (EC) elections. After two ballot rounds – for ratified and elected seats – the winners are Ericsson, SpringSource, SAP, Intel, and Werner Keil for the Java SE/EE EC and Nokia, Philips, IBM, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB and Sean Sheedy for the Java ME EC.

The Planet Launches New Storage Cloud

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:30:00 EST

The Planet has announced limited availability of its new highly scalable and on-demand storage cloud service. The Planet has merged on-premise storage performance with cloud storage capabilities, which opens a whole new world for companies to extend their hosted environments directly into the cloud. By combining two products into a single offering, customers gain additional benefits, including free uploads to the local node and a single policy-driven account to manage all file-based storage needs. Today, many companies are hesitant to build their businesses on the available cloud platforms due to hidden fees and inconsistent performance. By contrast, The Planet provides simple and transparent pricing, backed by an industry-leading Service Level Agreement, creating a competitive value proposition.

LCD Companies Plead Guilty to Price Fixing

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:15:00 EST

LG, Sharp and Chunghwa have pled guilty to charges of fixing the price of LCD panels in defiance of the Sherman Antitrust Act and have agreed to pay $585 million in fines, the Justice Department said Wednesday. LG will pay $400 million, the second-highest criminal fine ever imposed by the DOJ’s Antitrust Division. Sharp will pay $120 million and Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd, a Taiwanese manufacturer, will pay $65 million.

Sybase 365 to Manage Majority of World's Mobile Messaging Traffic With Comptel AXIOSS Suite

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:04:00 EST

Sybase 365 manages inter-carrier messaging services for more than 3 billion of the estimated 3.7 billion mobile subscribers worldwide, and for more than 700 mobile operators worldwide. Sybase 365's systems process more than 100 billion messages annually. With responsibility for over 80 percent of all inter-carrier SMS, MMS and WAP traffic worldwide, Sybase 365 is the world's leading enabler of messaging and mobile-specific content delivery.

Cloud & Friends Need Honking Big Routers: Cisco

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:00:00 EST

Cisco has got a new “close to the user” edge router that can push 250,000 songs or 200 feature films a second. (Figure 6.4 terabytes a second.) The widget, which starts at $80,000 and reportedly took $200 million to develop, is called the Aggregation Services Router (ASR) 9000 Series and is designed to deliver Internet-scale non-stop video and reduce the carbon footprint.

In a Major Move VMware Expands into Mobile

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST

VMware, the bruised and bloodied virtualization leader, will announce today that it’s going into the mobile business with a high-end real-time cell phone hypervisor called MVP, short for Mobile Virtualization Platform. The move, called “significant,” is VMware’s first departure from the x86 platform. VMware bought the widgetry it’s offering to ARM-based smartphone makers last month from a little French outfit called Trango Virtual Processors after pondering the space for the last two years and running up its own proof-of-concept prototype.

Is Jerry Yang the Dumbest CEO in Silicon Valley?

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 04:00:00 EST

Please read the news story below filed today by my colleague Maureen O'Gara and think about the once-in-a-life-time lottery ticket this man had last February with Microsoft's acquisition offer, and then again through Carl Icahn's unasked-for help. He blew it and in my Wikipedia, this man is the dictionary definition of an IDIOT!

VMware Virtualization on the iPhone

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST

VMware has announced plans to bring virtualization and its many proven benefits to mobile phones through the new VMware Mobile Virtualization Platform (MVP). Built on innovative technology acquired from Trango Virtual Processors in October 2008, VMware MVP will help handset vendors reduce development time and get mobile phones with value-added services to market faster. In addition, end users will benefit by being able to run multiple profiles – for example, one for personal use and one for work use – on the same phone.

Circuit City Files for Bankruptcy Protection

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:54:00 EST

Last week Circuit City, the second-biggest electronics retailer in the US, decided to close down 25% of its stores, some 155 shops, by December 31 – in part because suppliers wanted to be paid upfront. When its suppliers heard the news it spooked them into demanding even more money upfront – or else no deliveries for the holidays.

The iPhone Is Now the Best Selling Phone In the U.S.

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:05:00 EST

When the economy takes a hit, so do cell phone sales. Last quarter, mobile phone sales in the U.S. dropped 15 percent to 32 million units, according to market research firm NPD Group. But in hard times, the strongest brands also take share. And that is exactly what Apple did. The 6.9 million iPhones it sold last quarter catapulted the $200 device into the top spot among all cell phones, even beating out the much cheaper and still-popular Motorola Razr. (Yes, they still sell that thing. They just don't make any money off of it.)

What Does Obama Revolution Mean to Cloud Computing?

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST

The technology blueprint of President Elect Barack Obama, if implemented as promised, bodes well for the future of Cloud Computing. Let me consider some of the Barack Obama's Technology proposals and explain how it is relevant to the success of Cloud Computing. This is not a political post but rather an analysis of President Elect Barack Obama's policies and how it might help Cloud Computing. Please feel free to discuss the policies instead of politics in the comments.

Mobile OS Fragmentation: Better or Worse?

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 05:00:00 EST

In the midst of iPhone mania, Android frenzy, and Symbian going open source, there's been talk about growing fractures and compatibility chaos in the mobile landscape. This growing storm affects not only software developers, but hardware makers as well. With over 30 operating systems for mobile and embedded devices, developers must carefully choose which devices they want to target and which devices, along with their customer base, they must leave behind.

Major Flash Memory Company to Support ONE-NET Alliance

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:45:00 EST

ONE-NET has announced that Spansion has joined the ONE-NET open-source wireless networking alliance. Spansion joins a growing list of companies supporting the ONE-NET wireless standard. The ONE-NET wireless standard is an open source, multi-vendor wireless control protocol. Even though ONE-NET is a low-cost wireless control solution, it features a high level of security, excellent range, and low power consumption. ONE-NET’s comprehensive design specification is distributed royalty-free, accelerating the availability and use of wireless connectivity in a wide variety of devices and applications.

Is Sony VAIO Extended Warranty a Huge Scam or a Terribly Managed Program?

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:45:00 EST

This time I was told that “Sony must have given me their phone number, they have nothing to do with Sony VAIO computers or their warranty work, they are an outside company and they are no longer providing any warranty services for Sony.” The woman on the phone said he would transfer to the right extension who may possibly help me but hang up the phone on me.

Book Excerpt: iPhone in Action

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST

The iPhone's accelerometers can provide access to a variety of information about where an iPhone exists in space. By measuring gravity, you can easily discover an iPhone's precise orientation. By measuring movement, you can see how an iPhone is being guided through space. Further, you can build more complex movements into three-dimensional gestures, such as the shake.

New BlackBerry Bold Will Generate Record Revenues for the Company - AT&T Mobile CEO

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:30:00 EST

AT&T Mobile CEO Ralph De La Vega announced on Monday morning in an exclusive CNBC interview that the much-delayed and long-awaited BlackBerry Bold will be available starting on Tuesday, November 4. De La Vega said AT&T is projecting record service revenues from the new BlackBerry around the world. He said the device is already generating record revenues in Japan and in other countries where it was introduced. He continued, "BlackBerry Bold is so powerful and fast, we are expecting it to replace PC use in many cases, and data revenues will far exceed the AT&T's subsidy cost of marketing the device."

iPhone App Photo Hunter Cracks Top 50 Paid Applications in First Three Days

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 23:20:00 EDT

Venice Consulting Group (VCG), a leading software development and consulting firm, created the iPhone game "Photo Hunter" for bric | entertainment which has placed in the top 50 of all paid applications on the iTunes App Store. The accomplishment comes only three days after its initial release and attests to the addictive nature of Photo Hunter's new twist on a classic bar game.

PocketBuilder 2.5.1 EBF Available

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 22:37:00 EDT

We have just made public the first EBF for PocketBuilder 2.5.1 which addresses a handful of small bugs and improvements. Build number 1226 (like boxing day...)

Sybase iAnywhere Enables Partners to Rapidly Develop Enterprise Applications for the BlackBerry Platform

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:26:00 EDT

Sybase iAnywhere today announced that partners Appeon and Praxedo have rapidly secured project wins by extending line of business applications to BlackBerry® smartphones using SQL Anywhere®. SQL Anywhere is the industry’s first and only enterprise relational database with synchronization technology for the BlackBerry® platform from Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM) (TSX:RIM). BlackBerry platform support was introduced with the launch of SQL Anywhere 11 in August of this year, enabling developers to extend data rich applications to BlackBerry smartphones, and integrate the data with enterprise systems, using proven relational database and synchronization technology.

The Importance of Mobile Content Portability

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 22:15:00 EDT

The recent explosion in innovative and exciting mobile devices has presented a challenge to the average mobile consumer – figuring out how to move the content from their old devices to their new ones. In the past, when the mobile phone was really just a phone, mobile content was also simple – a set of names and phone numbers. When replacing their phones, consumers accepted as a consequence of the phone upgrade process that they couldn't take their contacts with them, started with an empty new phone, and either manually re-entered their numbers or asked their friends to call them so that they could save those numbers on the new phone.

Testing Wireless Systems

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:05:00 EDT

Wireless devices provide users with freedom, convenience, and flexibility. But as their dependency on wireless devices grows, users are becoming increasingly concerned about the quality and performance of wireless networks. Today's service providers are aware of these concerns and are making big changes to ensure their wireless networks live up to customer expectations. This includes changing their approach to quality assurance (QA) testing. Service providers now recognize that they must test both the device and the network to maximize performance and interoperability. Service providers also have realized something else: How they approach wireless system testing can profoundly impact the quality of their wireless solutions.

Cloud Computing Expo: Cloud and the Next Generation Enterprise Architecture

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:47:00 EDT

The Infrastructure-as-a-Service model of early cloud computing providers has focused on making the hardware layer consumable as on-demand compute and storage capacity. This is an important first step, but for companies to harness the power of the cloud, it should enhance the alignment driven by enterprise architecture, driving down the lead times for delivering IT value to business, from concept to deployment, and through maintenance.

Symbian and Cicero Collaborate to Enable Voice Call Continuity on Symbian OS

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 05:30:00 EDT

Cicero Networks and Symbian Limited have announced a proof-of-concept for voice mobility across multiple networks on FreeWay – Symbian's IP communications architecture on Symbian OS. Cicero, an active member of the Symbian Partner Network, and Symbian have collaborated to enable Voice Call Continuity (VCC) using the FreeWay communications architecture and CiceroVCC engine.

Google and Open Handset Alliance Announce Android Open Source Availability

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 05:15:00 EDT

Google and the Open Handset Alliance have announced the availability of the Android platform source code to everyone, for free, under the new Android Open Source Project. This represents an open and fully featured mobile platform that will enable people to create a mobile device without restrictions, build applications that run on Android powered devices, and contribute to the core platform.

ARM and Symbian Collaborate

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 04:45:00 EDT

ARM and Symbian Limited have announced the ARM Profiler for Symbian OS. As part of the recently-launched RealView Development Suite 4.0 Professional, the ARM Profiler enables developers of mobile phone applications running on Symbian OS to add enhanced features and reduce power consumption. Developers can target their optimizations with immediate feedback on actual application performance and with the identification of bottlenecks across a broad range of performance measurements.

Mobile Developers Save Time and Effort Fixing Defects with SAW

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT

Symbian Limited has announced Symbian Analysis Workbench (SAW), a new tool to make development easier and faster by reducing the time and effort needed to fix defects and optimize code. SAW is a prepackaged set of Eclipse-based tools that make life easier for developers by optimizing Symbian C++ software via graphical views integrated into the Carbide C++ development environment.

Broad Industry Support for Symbian Foundation Continues to Grow

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EDT

The ten initial board members of the Symbian Foundation (AT&T, LG Electronics, Motorola, Nokia, NTT DOCOMO, Samsung Electronics, Sony Ericsson, ST-NXP Wireless, Texas Instruments and Vodafone) have welcomed the latest supporters of the Symbian Foundation initiative. Further support for the planned Symbian Foundation has come from 12 more companies, ARM, CieNET, Flander, FUJISOFT, Huawei, Inmote, InnoPath Software, Red Bend, Scalado, Symsource, TRANGO Virtual Processors and Visa, who added their endorsements to the 40 companies already announced as supporters of the foundation initiative.

ActivIdentity and Queensland Transport to Deliver First Class Smartcard Drivers License Program

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 06:45:00 EDT

ActivIdentity is proud that the Queensland Government has selected our identity assurance technology for this groundbreaking deployment. The scale and unique features of this program demonstrate and leverage our strong experience, product excellence, and ability to deliver identity assurance across the full spectrum of credential management,” said ActivIdentity CEO Grant Evans. “The Queensland Government is creating a safe harbor for its citizens’ identities by replacing vulnerable laminated licenses with secure smartcard-based licences.

Amazon CTO to Keynote at SYS-CON's Cloud Computing Conference & Expo

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EDT

SYS-CON Events announced today that Amazon CTO Dr. Werner Vogels will deliver the opening keynote at SYS-CON's Cloud Computing Conference & Expo, which will take place November 19-21, at the Fairmont Hotel at the heart of Silicon Valley, in San Jose, California. The first International Cloud Computing Conference & Expo will be collocated with the Fourth International Virtualization Conference & Expo. Building the right infrastructure that can scale up or down at a moment's notice can be a complicated and expensive task, but it's essential in today's business landscape. This applies to an enterprise trying to cut-costs, a young business unexpectedly saturated with customer demand, or a start-up looking to launch.

VirtualLogix Virtualization Software to Deliver Real-Time Virtualization on Symbian OS

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:45:00 EDT

VirtualLogix VLX provides opportunities to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and semiconductor vendors to leverage the benefits of virtualization in their phone product designs. As a member of the Symbian Partner Network, VirtualLogix is committed to developing solutions based on the Symbian platform for the benefit of the mobile industry.

AJAX World Expo to Take Place Monday Through Wednesday in San Jose, CA

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:20:00 EDT

On Monday October 20 in San Jose, California, the top Rich Internet Applications event of the Fall opens its doors: the 6th International AJAX World RIA Conference & Expo, with top industry keynotes from Microsoft's Silverlight supremo Scott Guthrie and Adobe's Chief Technology Officer, Kevin Lynch, headlining a lineup of speakers that includes some of the finest front end engineers, UI experts, user experience specialists, and software industry innovators anywhere in the world.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Invites Governor Sarah Palin to Russia

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:15:00 EDT

Her Dubai vacation was fully paid for by Dick Cheney's Dubai-based oil company Halliburton, which also sells $1,000 dollar-a piece-lobsters and Haagen Dazs ice cream to 250,000 troops in Iraq. The Iraq bill for taxpayers is currently running at $5 billion per month. If Sarah Palin is elected, she needs to meet with Halliburton executives in Dubai more often as she will be taking over this defense duty from Dick Cheney.

AJAX World RIA Interview: Convergence of Web, Mobile and Desktop Apps is the Next Phase

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EDT

'While the last decade was focused on the Web, the next phase in the evolution of our industry will be on the convergence of Web, mobile and desktop applications and the ability to extend existing applications with these new technologies for a consistent user experience regardless of how and where the information is viewed,' says Nexaweb CTO Jeremy Chone in this Exclusive Q&A with SYS-CON Media's Jeremy Geelan.

RIA Conference Keynotes: Adobe & Microsoft

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:45:00 EDT

Join Scott Guthrie as he discusses Microsoft’s commitment to web standards development, Rich Internet Applications and how Microsoft is contributing to help move the web forward. Join Adobe’s Kevin Lynch as he demonstrates how Flash and HTML come together to make the most engaging, effective user experiences across operating systems and browsers.

Tutorial: Installing Google Android SDK 1.0 On Ubuntu 8.04 Desktop

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:30:00 EDT

This guide explains how you can install the Google Android SDK 1.0 on an Ubuntu 8.04 desktop. With this stable release of the Android SDK, you can now develop applications for Android smartphones (like T-Mobile's G1) and offer them on the Android Market.

Global IP Solutions Launches Video Calling Capabilities on Mobile Phones

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT

Global IP Solutions announced the availability of its VideoEngine Mobile on the Windows Mobile platform, which enables peer-to-peer video calling and multi-point video conferencing on mobile phones. Using GIPS VideoEngine Mobile, wireless carriers, application developers and mobile handset manufacturers can provide high-quality video calls, even under adverse network conditions.

iPhone Developer Summit "Gold Pass" Free Registration Coupon

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT

In the 2-day iPhone Developer Summit, delegates will hear from industry experts about the impact the iPhone is having on delivery of rich content to mobile users. Technical sessions will explore a world of web development opportunities on the iPhone including building applications using the new ASP.NET MVC framework, building social applications, and developing high-quality, iPhone-style web-based GUIs for your applications.

iPhone & Preparing Your Brand for the Mobile Web Experience

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT

As the mobile web matures, we see more and more people running around airports with their mobile devices in hand, searching for hotel rooms, reading the news, or just playing video games. People are more connected with their mobile phone today than any other electronic device they use. What was once a nice-to-have is now the norm, and is quickly becoming an integral part of our culture and society. But how do you connect with users through mobile websites and create exceptional experiences that are both functional and captivating?

Sybase iAnywhere Launches Migration Program for Nokia Intellisync

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EDT

Sybase iAnywhere has launched its new Nokia Intellisync Migration Program. The program is aimed at supporting Nokia Intellisync partners and customers affected by Nokia’s decision to stop the development and marketing of its behind-the-firewall business mobility solutions. Sybase iAnywhere is offering Nokia Intellisync customers free copies of selected Information Anywhere Suite components, including mobile email, device management, device security and application enablement capabilities.