Apple vs Samsung, Smartphone Litigants

Has Litigation Replaced Market Competition as the Business Strategy of Apple et al?

Apple vs. Samsung: the Battle of the Bans Continues
"What is the popular thing to do when battling for market share against a strong competitor in the smart phone and mobile device industry? File a lawsuit and request that competitors have their products banned from the country. At least this has been the strategy of Apple and Samsung over the last couple of years as the embattled companies scramble for a foothold over each other. What is the cause of the furious battle between the companies? Infringement; both companies claim that the other has stolen technology, features, and more...."

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Emerging Technologies, Future 5G Networks

The Emerging Technologies Shaping Future 5G Networks | MIT Technology Review: "...So it’s natural to look at the longer wavelengths and higher frequencies of millimetre wave transmissions ranging from 3 to 300 GHz. This should provide orders of magnitude increases in bandwidth. But it won’t be entirely smooth going. The main problem with these frequencies is their propagation characteristics—the signals are easily blocked by buildings, heavy weather and even by people themselves as they move between the device and the transmitter. But it should be possible to mitigate most problems using advanced transmission technologies, such as directional antennas that switch in real time as signals become blocked. “Propagation is not an insurmountable challenge,” they say. Next is the rapidly developing multiple input-multiple output or MIMO technology. Base stations will be equipped with multiple antennas that transmit many signals at the same time. What’s more, a device may have multiple antennas to pick up and transmit several signals at once. This dramatically improves the efficiency with which a network can exploit its frequencies...."

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T-Mobile Bonded, Faster LTE Network

T-Mobile Slowly Rolls Out Bonded (aka Faster) LTE Network | News & Opinion | PCMag.com: "According to AllThingsD, T-Mobile has flipped the switch on faster LTE service in North Dallas, with plans to boost up its faster LTE connectivity to 90 percent of the top 25 markets in the United States. As for when, the company wasn't clear on how long the rollout might take. Unlike its competitors, however, the improved speeds should work for all LTE phones on the carrier's network – no fancier hardware is required to benefit from the boost."

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Rural Broadband

Wireless or Satellite for rural broadband?

Episode 1038 | The Tech Guy: "Mike has DISH for Satellite Internet, but it's REALLY slow and unstable. Suggestions? Leo says that the Federal Government needs to create a Tennessee Valley Authority with broadband. It's not really in the interests of broadband companies to provide access in rural areas. Satellite is the first thing you think off and it has gotten better. There are different levels of satellite internet service so you may be able to improve it. Leo recommends Wild Blue's Exeed. They do a better job, but it won't be as fast. Another option is 4G via MyFi and Verizon. And Verizon has wireless home services as well. Check out BroadbandReports.com"

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Chromecast 2014, open SDK, international markets

Chromecast in 2014: an open SDK, big international plans and maybe even new devices — Tech News and Analysis: "Google landed a bit of a coup with Chromecast this year, launching a device that no one saw coming but that has proven to be very popular. Next year, the company plans to take Chromecast even further by bringing it to a number of international markets, opening up the SDK to make hundreds (if not thousands) of apps Chromecast-compatible, and partnering with consumer electronics companies to bring cast functionality to other devices...."

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Two-thirds of the world to have LTE coverage by 2019

Going forward it is all about wireless broadband (LTE 4G and beyond) and multiple mobile computing devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.) --

Two-thirds of the world's population will have LTE coverage by 2019 | TechHive: "Smartphone subscriptions will triple and smartphone traffic will increase by a factor of 10 times between the end of this year and 2019. By that time about two-thirds of the world’s population will be covered by LTE, according to a report from telecom vendor Ericsson. The third quarter was a good one for smartphone sales. Vendors shipped a total of 258.4 million smartphones, setting a new record for units shipped in a single quarter by a margin of over 20 million units, according to IDC. That will help the total number of smartphone subscriptions reach 1.9 billion at the end of the year, according the latest edition of Ericsson’s Mobility Report. . . ."

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Tizen smartphone delayed until 2014

Tizen, Ubuntu, Firefox OS et al -- why bother? Android is a free open OS which can be forked if you like (see what Amazon has done with it). It isn't about the OS, it is about the browser --

Tizen smartphone delayed until 2014 says Samsung executive | Digital Trends: "A Samsung executive has warned the company’s first Tizen-powered smartphone won’t be released until 2014, putting the device’s debut several months behind the schedule indicated by Samsung earlier this year. Tizen is a new mobile operating system, jointly produced by Samsung and Intel, which is regarded by the pair as an alternative to Android. . . ."

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Google Android OS is the new Windows

At one time not too long ago, the Microsoft Windows OS (operating system) was on more than 90% of all computing devices worldwide. No more -- if anything, Windows has been displaced by Android --

Google's Android Eclipses Apple to Become the MS-DOS of Our Time | Wired Business | Wired.com: "Android’s share of the mobile phone market topped 80 percent of units shipped for the first time since IDC began tracking the Google-created operating system, the research firm said in its release of its most recent quarterly figures. Apple, by contrast, captured just under 13 percent of the market. The triumph of Android would seem to vindicate Google’s choice not to go head-to-head against Apple with its own proprietary mobile operating system and hardware. In retrospect, it was a no-brainer decision, owing to one very obvious precedent." (read more at link above)

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FCC Mobile Broadband Research With Android App

FCC Crowdsources Mobile Broadband Research With Android App - Digits - WSJ: " . . . The FCC announced it would start measuring the performance of mobile networks last September. All four major wireless carriers, as well CTIA-The Wireless Association have already agreed to participate in the app, which is called “FCC Speed Test.” It works only on Android for now — no word on when an iPhone version might be available. . . ."

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Microsoft Android patent licenses generate $2 billion a year

Why did Microsoft go all in on Windows Phone and Nokia? Google's Android OS is pure profit for Microsoft to the tune of $2 billion per year!

Microsoft Android patent licenses generate $2 billion a year | BGR: " Sherlund says that Microsoft’s margin on Android-related patent royalties is around 95%, which means that the company’s annual Android haul is almost pure profit. Sherlund goes on to say that Microsoft is using its Android cash to cover up massive losses that it takes from its Xbox division, which he says actually loses Microsoft $2 billion per year."

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Smartphone Makers Tweaks Cause Android Insecurity

In other words buy a Nexus android phone --

Smartphone Makers’ Tweaks Cause Android Insecurity | MIT Technology Review: "According to a study conducted by computer science researchers at North Carolina State University, changes manufacturers made to the stock Android software were responsible for more than 60 percent of the security flaws uncovered in phones from different handset companies. A paper (pdf) on the work is slated to be presented Wednesday at the ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security in Berlin . . . ."

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Pentagon approves Android as secure as BlackBerry

One more nail in the BlackBerry coffin --

Pentagon nod shows Android can be as secure as BlackBerry - CSO Online - Security and Risk: "By giving the OK for the U.S. government and military to use Android devices with Samsung's security platform, the Pentagon has confirmed that Google's operating system can be locked down as well as the BlackBerry OS, once considered the gold standard in mobile security. Samsung announced Friday that the Department of Defense (DoD) had approved the use of Knox-enabled Android smartphones and tablets. Currently, that would include only the Galaxy S4, but Samsung has said more devices would ship with the platform in the near future.."

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$349 for Moto X special!

Motorola $349 special promotion for Moto X continued for Wednesday 12/4 and next Monday 12/9 -- http://www.motorola.com/us/motorola-shop-all/motorola-shop-all-sale.html

The Official Motorola Blog: We owe you an apology.: "Starting at 12 pm EST/9 am PST this Wednesday, we will relaunch the $349 promotion. To help make up for this major inconvenience to shoppers, we will also add an additional promotional day on Monday, December 9. We will double the quantity of phones available, while supplies last, to allow as many people as possible to take advantage of the promotion. We’re also extending the 30% off offer on accessories to these two days."

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FCC Wakes Up To The New Reality of Telephony

It's over for "copper" -- today it is all about internet protocal (VoIP), fiber and cable broadband, wireless carriers, and voice as just one more application or feature --

F.C.C. Chairman Calls for Transforming the Technology Used by Phone Systems - NYTimes.com: "The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission said on Tuesday that the agency would begin “a diverse set of experiments” next year that would begin to move the nation’s telephone system from its century-old network of circuits, switches and copper wires to one that transmits phone calls in a manner similar to that used for Internet data. The Internet-based systems allow more information to be transmitted at one time, making possible the addition of video to phone calls, as employed by services like Skype and Vonage. While consumers can already use those services, most of the legacy telephone networks still use analog technology, employing an out-of-date system of physical switches that is expensive to keep operating."

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Community wireless mesh networks

Community wireless mesh networks are gaining popularity because they are cheap to build and under the users’ control --

  Home Wireless Network Keeps the Snoops Away - NYTimes.com: " . . . A wireless mesh network is essentially a network of a bunch of interconnected wireless routers, or nodes, which propagate traffic between users and also broadcast broadband service from nodes that are wired to the Internet. Think of it as a system of linked coffee shop hot spots where patrons at all the various coffee shops can send and receive data directly between each other’s devices, as well as surf the Web. Only you don’t have to go to a coffee shop and listen to annoying soft jazz to participate . . . " (read more at link above)

More info:

https://personaltelco.net/wiki

http://thefnf.org/

http://oti.newamerica.net/

https://commotionwireless.net/docs/cck

FunkFeuer in Vienna, WirelessAntwerpen in Antwerp, Freifunk in Berlin, AWMN in Athens

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