News Archive - October 2009
Wi-Fi-free iPhone officially lands in China
October 31, 2009
China Unicom, the country's second largest telecom operator after China Mobile, is selling two versions of the iPhone in China under a three-year deal with Apple. But cost could prove to be a deterrent. Prices range from 4,999 yuan (about $732) for the 8GB 3G model to 6,999 yuan (about $1,025) for the 32GB 3GS phone (sans contract).
With Ribbit, BT Is Rethinking Its Voice Business
October 30, 2009
BT has fully embraced the new communications reality, one that goes beyond mere voice calls. And to show how serious it is, the company has made Ribbit founder Ted Griggs the chief technology officer of BT Voice.
Verizon, Motorola unveil the Droid
October 28, 2009
Verizon Wireless customers will soon be able to get their hands on the much anticipated Google Android phone called the Droid. Like most smartphones of its class, the phone will cost $199 with a two-year contract.
Google Wave to Get Its Own App Store
October 27, 2009
Google said it has definite plans to create its own Wave App Store, making it possible for developers to earn money for their efforts developing for the platform.
FCC Sets Sail on Internet Rulemaking
October 22, 2009
The FCC unanimously approved a draft set of network neutrality rules aimed at "preserving a free and open Internet," but the two Republican commissioners dissented in part, because they aren't entirely convinced that the Internet is broken nor that the government should get involved in trying to fix issues.
October 19, 2009
Could the new Droid finally be the smartphone to knock the Apple iPhone off its pedestal? Droid partners Verizon, Motorola, and Google are positioning it as such.
Deaf users sound off on Sidekick outage
October 15, 2009
When the T-Mobile Sidekick started having data problems two weeks ago, it was a big pain for nearly all of the company's roughly 800,000 subscribers. But it became particularly rough for the many deaf people who have been among the Sidekick's most loyal fan base.
October 15, 2009
Shareholders of Tandberg holding more than 24% of the company's shares are rejecting Cisco's bid to buy the videoconferencing company for US$2.9B.
Spamhaus Blocks Amazon's EC2 Cloud Service
October 15, 2009
Spamhaus, one of the world's largest spam-fighting organizations, has blocked Amazon's entire US-based EC2 cloud computing platform over the actions of what the organization believes to be the acts of a single spammer. The blacklisting has resulted in significant disruption to dozens, if not hundreds, of legitimate businesses that rely on the cloud platform in order to conduct business.
Wi-Fi to support direct connections between devices
October 14, 2009
The Wi-Fi Alliance is nearing completion of a new specification to enable Wi-Fi devices to connect to one another without joining a traditional home, office, or hotspot network. The Wi-Fi Alliance expects to begin certification for this new specification in mid-2010, and products which achieve the certification will be designated Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Direct.
ViVu raises $3 million for video conferencing
October 13, 2009
Video-conferencing service ViVu announced that it has raised $3 million in a Series A round of funding that was led by Inventus Capital Partners. Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Quest Ventures also participated in the round.
Cisco to Buy Starent for $2.9B
October 13, 2009
Cisco has announced it is buying mobile packet core specialist Starent Networks Corp. for US$2.9 billion.
FCC looking into Google Voice and rural calls
October 9, 2009
The Federal Communications Commission is looking into how Google Voice treats calls to certain rural areas that landline phone companies are required to connect.
October 7, 2009
Huawei is predicting quite amazing growth for its WiMax-related sales in the coming few years. Zhao Ming, president of CDMA and WiMax, said that Huawei's WiMax sales totaled $200 million in 2008, will reach $500 million this year, and is predicted to hit $1 billion in 2010.
Microsoft's Windows phones hit the market
October 6, 2009
After months of talking about Windows Mobile 6.5, Microsoft announced that the first crop of phones to carry the Windows Phone brand are ready to hit the market.
AT&T to expand Internet calling services on iPhone
October 6, 2009
AT&T said that it will begin allowing iPhone owners to use VoIP calling services on its wireless network. The move comes amid a Federal Communications Commission inquiry into competition in the wireless industry. Among other things, that inquiry will examine handset exclusivity deals, such as AT&T's agreement with Apple giving AT&T exclusive access to the iPhone.
New Collaboration Activities in the H.323 Forum
October 5, 2009
The H.323 Forum has launched a new initiative to define new features and functionality for the H.323 multimedia communication system through a suite of new specification documents called "Open Community Specifications".
Voice chat app Vivox comes to Facebook
October 5, 2009
A voice chat application launched in open beta enables Facebook users to place and receive calls within the social network.
Cisco Makes Recommended Offer to Acquire TANDBERG
October 1, 2009
Cisco announced a definitive agreement for Cisco to launch a recommended voluntary cash offer to acquire TANDBERG. Under the terms of the agreement, Cisco will commence a cash tender offer to purchase all the outstanding shares of TANDBERG for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $3.0 billion.