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Despite RIM Takeover Talk, Hurdles Would Be High
By IAN AUSTEN | New York Times – 4 hours ago
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/despite-rim-takeover-talk-hurdles-141011816.html
OTTAWA - For beleaguered investors in Research in Motion, the drastic collapse of the company's share price through 2011 eventually became a cause for optimism. In December, shares of the BlackBerry maker spiked on reports that several technology titans could be suitors.
But the optimism has been fleeting; the company has grappled with service failures, weak product introductions and dwindling market share. Shares of RIM have dropped by 75 percent since February.
As the troubles mount and the stock drops, RIM is looking like a strong takeover candidate without suitable prospects.
"Before you talk about a buyer, you have to ask: do you have a seller?" said Colin Gillis, an analyst at BGC Partners in New York. "That is the overarching question."
Any potential suitors would most likely face stiff resistance from Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis, the co-chief executives. Collectively they own more than 10 percent, which makes them among the largest shareholders.
RIM is also a point of pride for the Canadian government, which has been increasingly reluctant to let foreign companies buy major domestic corporations. In a recent news conference, Stephen Harper, the Canadian prime minister, offered a note of support for RIM, saying "we all know this is an important Canadian company."
RIM, which is based in Waterloo, Ontario, said it does not comment on "rumors and speculation" as a matter of policy.
Despite the company's well-publicized problems, RIM remains an attractive target. Even as its market share erodes in North America, the company continues to expand its customer base overseas and now reports almost 75 million users worldwide. And the BlackBerry brand is the first choice for security-conscious users like law enforcement agencies and financial services companies. In the first nine months of the year, RIM reported earnings of $1.29 billion.
At Wednesday's close of $14.87, the price is also appealing. Alkesh Shah, an analyst at Evercore Partners, estimated that the company was worth closer to $22.50 a share, even assuming that the handset business is essentially worthless. Mr. Shah said that RIM's network, which carries global traffic worldwide and generates monthly subscription fees, was worth about $12.50 a share, while he valued the company's patents at roughly $7.50 a share. The company also has $2.50 a share in cash, he estimated.
Still, RIM is a large acquisition to swallow, limiting the pool of buyers.
"You have to remember that this would take $10 billion, $12 billion, $13 billion," said Mr. Gillis of BGC. "That's a lot of cash. There's not a lot of people willing to spend that kind of money."
The most obvious suitor for RIM would be a Chinese cellphone manufacturer. Such companies, which typically act as contract manufacturers for prominent brands, lack a significant presence outside of Asia. ZTE, for example, is small, low-end player in North America and Europe. But it is the fourth-largest handset maker in the world, according to IDC, a company that tracks technology markets.
With RIM, ZTE would add a recognized brand to its portfolio, reflecting its global ambitions. This year, the Chinese company announced plans to produce high-end phones under its own name, focusing in part on Western markets.
But the regulatory hurdles would be high for a Chinese company. In recent years, Canada has been quick to block acquisitions under its foreign ownership laws. In 2010, the Conservative government stopped BHP Billiton, the Australian mining company, from buying Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan. At the time, some politicians cited a foreign takeover of RIM as a worst-case outcome.
The American government could also scuttle a RIM deal. The country's military personnel, law enforcement officers and White House officials rely on BlackBerry devices, making Chinese ownership difficult under the technology control restrictions in the United States. This year, Huawei Technologies backed away from acquiring technology assets from 3Leaf Systems, a server company, after the federal government raised concerns about the relatively small transaction.
A ZTE spokeswoman declined to comment.
Other potential RIM suitors have been rebuffed. Microsoft, which had previously tried to persuade RIM to adopt its mobile operating system, initiated deal talks this summer, according to one person with knowledge of the matter. The American technology company viewed RIM's corporate business as a good distribution platform for its software. But discussions withered, as RIM pursued an independent course. Microsoft declined to comment.
Amazon also reportedly explored a RIM acquisition. Peter Misek, an analyst in New York with Jefferies and Company, said such a deal would allow Amazon to add phones to its Kindle line of tablet computers. While no deal materialized, he said that it remained possible that RIM might license its BlackBerry software.
Facebook is a dark horse candidate. Given that Google uses Android to promote its online services, Mr. Misek said that it was likely Facebook would introduce a rival mobile operating system, and RIM would offer Facebook a quick way into the business.
But even that situation is a long shot. RIM is struggling with its latest operating system, BlackBerry 10. An RIM acquisition would also be a costly way for Facebook to gain entry into a new area.
"For $10 billion they could subsidize a lot of Android phones," Mr. Gillis said of Facebook.
Few deals are likely to pass muster with RIM's chiefs. Mr. Balsillie and Mr. Lazaridis have remained steadfast in their strategy to reverse the company's fortunes. The executives are focused on a new line of phone and operating system, which are not expected to be introduced until the end of 2012.
Adnaan Ahmad, an analyst with Berenberg Bank in London, said the pair seemed to have developed "founders' syndrome," a condition that makes them inflexible about taking their company in new directions and unwilling to yield control.
Both have reputations for being combative when challenged. In the middle of the last decade, the chiefs vigorously fought a patent case brought by NTP - actions that almost prompted a shutdown of BlackBerry service. RIM settled the matter for $612.5 million, a significantly larger sum than would have been necessary earlier.
While no major shareholder has spoken publicly about RIM's management, some dissidents have privately expressed reservations. Big investors seem willing, for now, to see how the new operating system, BlackBerry 10, performs. Two top shareholders, the Bank of Montreal and the Royal Bank of Canada, rely heavily on domestic retail business and would be unlikely to push RIM to seek a foreign buyer - if only for public relations purposes.
In late December, Mr. Balsillie and Mr. Lazaridis made it clear that they intended to remain in control of RIM, even after announcing another delay in the new operating system.
"It is important for you to know that Mike and I, as two of RIM's largest shareholders, understand investor sentiment, and we are more committed than ever to addressing the issues at hand," Mr. Balsillie said before announcing that, as a good will gesture, they had cut their salaries to $1 a year.
"..... Rackspace Hosting RAX +0.74% is another aggressive growth title followed in this space for some time. While its business of providing Internet hosting services to businesses may not sound glamorous in this wired world, its growth characteristics separate it from the rest of the growth pack.
RAX's quarterly earnings growth has been 17%, 40%, 33%, 50%, 43%, 43%, 63%, and 56% over the past eight periods, respectively, with revenue growth coming in at 18%, 23%, 23%, 23%, 27%, 29%, 32%, 32% over this same period. This increase in the speed of revenue growth over a period of several quarters is known as "accelerating revenue growth," and has often correlated with an increased stock price among growth issues. Mutual funds that own the stock have risen over the past seven quarters from 246 to 479. Long-term debt as a percent of equity is 16%, and the price-earnings ratio is a lofty 93 times trailing four quarters' earnings. Technically, the stock has been digesting a large '10-'11 advance in its price by building an eight-month, cup-with-handle base. The Nov. 8 high of 45.46 could be used by an aggressive speculator as a potential entry point, together with a reasonable 5%-7% stop-loss in case proven incorrect.
Ideally, however, entry in RAX should be postponed until the large investor shows more interest in participating in the nearly-three-month-old market advance.
In summation, while names like Alexion and Rackspace represent some of the very few aggressive growth titles that act well, the view here is that given the overall lethargy enveloping the general market, a high cash position is warranted. There will come a time that is better-suited to trafficking in some of the glamours such as ALXN and RAX.
But now is not that time.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/hang-on-to-your-cash-2011-12-29?pagenumber=2
Apple reportedly still mulling iTV chip manufacturer, late 2012 launch again rumored
http://9to5mac.com/2011/12/28/apple-hdtv-to-run-custom-chips-like-ios-devices-manufacturers-bidding-for-contract/
Jordan Kahn
December 28, 2011 at 7:02 am
Following reports yesterday that Apple’s suppliers are prepping an HDTV in 32-inch and 37-inch variants for a summer 2012 launch, a new report from DigiTimes today suggested Apple will use its own custom chips, similar to the A5 chips found in iPhone 4S and iPad 2.
According to the report, three manufacturers are currently bidding to win contracts to provide components for Apple’s smart TV including: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Siliconware Precision Industries, and Advanced Semiconductor Engineering.
There were originally reports in July that TSMC signed a foundry agreement with Apple to begin testing next-generation A6 chips using its 28-nanometer process and 3D stacking technologies. That was followed by reports in October that Samsung began production of an A6 chip at its Texas factory. The A6 chip is expected to appear in next-gen iOS devices.
Apple’s longtime manufacturing partner Foxconn Electronics is expected to win contracts for the assembly of the Apple HDTV. The report also mentions that Apple plans to complete hardware standards for the device by Q2 in 2012. Apple will apparently deal directly with contract manufacturers to provide components, much the same as the iPhone and iPad.
Yesterday’s report claimed that Samsung would be providing chips for an Apple branded HDTV, along with Sharp supplying displays. Today’s report also confirmed a late 2012 launch.
Stern Agee’s Shaw Wu backs up the reports and claims Apple should pursue a “disruptive” internet streaming model to rival traditional cable providers and subscriptions, despite the licensing hurdles. He also wrote that Apple should continue its Apple TV set-top box product line, something that also backs up the DigiTimes report from yesterday:
Frankly, We Think AAPL Should Enter TV Space. Frankly, we are not surprised and believe AAPL should enter the TV space as this is arguably the only major end market the company is not currently participating in a bigger way. Moreover, we have picked up several data points indicating activity from component makers to manufacturing partners as well as AAPL’s own patent filings from at least 2005. So far, there is the current Apple TV set-top box appliance which launched in January.
Docomo, Samsung, Panasonic, NEC, Fujitsu announce Qualcomm rival
David Manners
Wednesday 28 December 2011 09:45
(my comment: this was on Bloomberg TV yesterday. That is so much better than CNBC...I never watch that one anymore.)
Docomo, Samsung, Fujitsu, NEC and Panasonic have confirmed long-standing rumours that they will form a new fabless chip company in March to challenge Qualcomm in 4G ICs.
The thinking is that, with the weakness of STE, it would be unwise for the world to rely on Qualcomm for mobile chips, where it has 37% world market share, especially after the experience of CDMA where the San Diego company is thought to have exploited its strong IP position too enthusiastically.
The Japanese announcement says, rather obviously, that it will develop ‘feature-rich, small-size, low-power-consumption semiconductor products equipped with modem functionality’.
Although the US carriers are reported to be bullish on 4G, with Verizon and AT&T leading the way, and although telecoms infrastructure capex is forecast to grow this year for the first time for two years, the rest of the world seems a long way from adopting 4G in a major way.
Docomo is the only company in Japan operating an LTE service. Two other Japanese operators, Softbank and KDDI, say they’ll move to LTE.
http://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/28/12/2011/52602/docomo-samsung-panasonic-nec-fujitsu-announce-qualcomm-rival.htm
Hey revlis & magilla.....
Merry Christmas, or whatever is your chosen sentiment. Me, I go full throttle on Christmas and know the spirit of the season is simply peace and joy.
I'm counting on 2012 being a blockbuster for laranger's and ima's "little flea". Let it be the year mschere's dots are all connected nicely into a well-financed consortium!
Thanks for your board, revlis. I learn quite a bit here...may one day be a real 'techie'. (Not).
ciciagt
Thanks, magilla. All your posts tonight sure highlight the focus in the news:
spectrum, spectrum, spectrum.
Hmm, hmm, hmmmmmmm....
The whole next phase of what TV is becoming is really in the press a lot anymore. Here's a bit from today:
------------------------
Motorola Mobility has bought video discovery startup SetJam for an undisclosed sum.
SetJam CEO Ryan Janssen wrote about the acquisition in an e-mail, according to VentureBeat. He didn't disclose financial terms.
"I'm writing to let you know that today SetJam was acquired by Motorola Mobility. We are all very excited about this transition here at SetJam. Motorola and SetJam share the vision of making content delivery, discovery, and consumption seamless across any screen, and as a world leader in video technology, Motorola will provide us with unprecedented levels of reach and distribution."
SetJam, a tiny New York City-based startup, originated as a Web site for finding videos online. It competed with other similar companies including Clicker and SideReel. But more recently the company has been working on personalization technology that can be integrated into connected devices to provide recommendations.
The technology could be a nice fit for Motorola's TV set-top boxes, which are increasing becoming IP-enabled. The SetJam technology could make it easier for people to search for video content on the Web via their TV, so that they could access shows and movies on Hulu Plus, Netflix, or other online TV video services.
Google is in the process of buying Motorola Mobility, so it will eventually get its hands on this technology as well. Earlier this year, Google said it would pay $12.5 billion for Motorola Mobility. The acquisition is still under regulatory review.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-57347359-266/motorola-mobility-nabs-setjam-a-video-discovery-startup/?tag=mncol;mlt_related
More on HTC/Apple:
Apple in narrow win in U.S. patent suit vs HTC
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/20/us-htc-apple-patent-idUSTRE7BI24620111220?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=71
Experts say however that the ITC's decision would not hurt the Asian phone giant because the ruling covered just one patent that HTC has time to work around. HTC gets almost half its revenue from the U.S. market.
"It's a limited victory for a variety of reasons," said Peter Toren, an intellectual property litigator and partner with the Shulman Rogers law firm in the United States. He said the ruling does not stop HTC from importing as many phones as it likes until April.
"It gives HTC plenty of time to implement a design-around, which I understand they are already working on," he said. "The order does in fact take effect in April, but the practical impact won't be felt for some months after that."
Shares in HTC jumped as much 5.4 percent in Taipei trading on Tuesday, also helped by a company announcement that it would buy back 10 million of its shares between December 20 and February 19.
HTC said on Monday the ruling was a win for it and added that it planned to completely remove technology linked to the patent from its phones. The company called the technology a "small user-interface experience."
The patent in question, '647, relates to technology that helps users clicking on phone numbers and other types of data in a document, such as an email, to either dial directly or click on the data to bring up more information.
HTC said it was "gratified" that the judge reversed some of the earlier decisions of an administrative law judge, who ruled in July that HTC infringed two Apple patents in making its Android smartphones.
"We are very pleased with the determination and we respect it. However, the '647 patent is a small UI experience and HTC will completely remove it from all of our phones soon," Grace Lei, HTC's general counsel said in a statement.
Apple spokeswoman Carolyn Wu said of the ruling: "We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours."
STILL TOUGH FOR HTC?
HTC has struggled recently after slashing its fourth-quarter revenue guidance due to stiff competition. Despite the limited loss in the case, concerns linger over whether it can convince investors it sill has the innovative streak that catapulted it from an obscure contract maker to a top brand.
"I have a negative and bearish view (on HTC)," said Yuanta Securities analyst, Bonnie Chang. "I expect its first quarter will still not be good because U.S. phone operators will worry about the injunction and will not pull in inventory until HTC's new models are approved."
She said the new phones have to prove competitive enough to regain market share because rivals Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Motorola Mobility are selling very well in the fourth quarter.
Smartphone technology has spawned a wealth of patent litigation and this suit has been seen by some as a proxy for the larger fight for market share between Google Inc's Android cellphones and tablets, many of which HTC manufactures, and Apple's product line.HTC is also fighting a patent case in Germany, while Apple has filed complaints against Samsung, which also uses Android software. Apple recently settled a case against Nokia.
Microsoft Corp and Motorola Mobility also have filed smartphone related lawsuits against each other.
Apple initially accused HTC of infringing 10 patents, but six were dropped from the case. The ITC judge then issued a preliminary ruling that HTC infringed two of the remaining four before issuing the final ruling on one patent.
In a much-anticipated decision, the International Trade Commission today sided with Apple (NSDQ:AAPL - News) and announced that it would impose a limited import ban on certain devices made by Taiwanese rival HTC.
http://finNotice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has found a violation of section 337 in this investigation and has issued a limited exclusion order prohibiting importation of infringing personal data and mobile communications devices and related software. The Commission has determined that exclusion of articles subject to this order shall commence on April 19, 2012.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/US-Trade-Body-Agrees-To-Apple-paidcontent-574167397.html?x=0
Where is the ITC ruling due today regarding the Apple-HTC Patent battle/possible HTC ban?
Apple-HTC Patent Ruling Delayed Until Dec. 19 by Trade Panel
QBy Tim Culpan - Dec 14, 2011 9:12 AM PT .
QDec. 14 (Bloomberg) --
HTC, the largest smartphone vendor in the U.S., said a decision by the International Trade Commission on Apple's bid to stop some of the Taiwanese company’s imports has been delayed a second time. Marshall speaks with Scarlet Fu on Bloomberg Television's "InBusiness With Margaret Brennan." (Source: Bloomberg)
.A decision on Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s bid to halt U.S. imports of some HTC Corp. (2498) smartphones was pushed back for a second time by the U.S. International Trade Commission.
The agency, which was scheduled to rule today, extended its target to Dec. 19, according to a notice on the Washington-based arbiter’s website.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-14/htc-says-decision-in-u-s-patent-dispute-with-apple-delayed-1-.html
Thans, postyle. This one yesterday was good timing:
http://www.investorvillage.com/smbd.asp?mb=8852&mn=16917&pt=msg&mid=11265949
link to ruling: (courtesy of devon on IV)
http://www.investorvillage.com/uploads/82490/files/95001792denied.pdf
Nice! eom.
Tech Investors Look to Cloud
Fri 16 Dec 11 | 11:45 AM ET
http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000062214#
:earnings to jump 50% in Q4
:cut costs by leasing data centers
:sales growth over 23% each of last 7 quarters
Quepasa Corporation (QPSA : NYSE Amex), the public market leader for social discovery and owner of Latin-American platform Quepasa.com and North-American platform myYearbook, today announced the availability of the myYearbook iPad application on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/myyearbook-meet-new-people/id486934659?ls=1&mt=8.
With 350% growth in mobile users in the last 12 months, myYearbook continues its focus on providing the best platform for meeting new people on any device.
“We are happy to be among the first ‘Meet New People’ applications to launch on the iPad,” notes Geoff Cook, myYearbook co-founder, and COO of Quepasa Corporation, the parent company behind myYearbook. “We’ve just this week reached 500,000 daily mobile users, and we are nearing 200 million mobile sessions per month
http://ih.advfn.com/p.php?pid=nmona&article=50474202&symbol=QPSA
I was reading about that the other day:
http://www.wirelessintelligence.com/analysis/2011/12/global-lte-network-forecasts-and-assumptions-one-year-on/
"Wireless Intelligence predicts that there will be 38 different spectrum frequency combinations used in LTE deployments by 2015, a fragmented scenario fuelled by ongoing spectrum auctions, licence renewals and re-farming initiatives across a wide range of frequency bands.
The lack of spectrum harmonisation represents a key challenge for the emerging LTE ecosystem, potentially preventing vendors from delivering globally compatible LTE products such as devices and chipsets.
Spectrum fragmentation has the potential to hinder global LTE roaming if device manufacturers are required to include support for many disparate frequencies in their devices. Given the backwards compatibility already required for either HSPA or EV-DO connectivity, we are unlikely to see a 'world' device in a handset form-factor soon.
Wireless Intelligence forecasts that there will be over 200 live LTE networks in more than 70 countries by 2015, up from 40 networks in 24 countries today. The number of LTE connections is forecast to grow from 7 million to close to 300 million over the same period.:
-------
And, then I spent some time on Interdigital's site, and watched some of the videos under the tabs "In our Labs" and "On the Horizon". :)
Danske Bank: Nokia likely to sell their smartphone unit to Microsoft during the first half of 2012
http://www.intomobile.com/2011/12/14/danske-bank-nokia-likely-sell-their-smartphone-unit-microsoft-during-first-half-2012/?mstac=0
" Bank, Denmark’s largest bank, has issued a report saying that Nokia will sell their smartphone unit to Microsoft during the first half of 2012. Aleksi Moisio, who reported this story in the Finnish news publication Taloussanomat, reminded me that “this rumor has been out there around for quite some time,” which leads me to believe that Danske Bank either knows something we don’t or they’re talking out of their ass. Nokia spokesperson Mona Kokkonen has of course denied the rumor, but that’s not really all too surprising for a rumor of this magnitude. Now assuming the deal does go through, what does Microsoft do with the Nokia brand? Do they sell Windows Phones as Microsoft Windows Phones or Nokia Windows Phones? Also, how will HTC and Samsung, both of which manufacture Windows Phones, feel about competing with the company that also licenses them software? Oh and one more thing, last month we reported that Nokia was going to introduce a Windows 8 tablet during the summer of 2012. Would Microsoft seriously start competing against other PC vendors such as ASUS, HP, and Lenovo?
On the flip side there’s Nokia’s logistical nightmares. Stephen Elop has already said that the company will invest more in feature phones than they ever have before, so does that mean Nokia will now associate themselves as the low cost device vendor of choice? If so then how are they going to compete with the likes of Huawei and ZTE, who are arguably doing a better job at making smartphones that cost less than $150?
Before you scroll down to the bottom of this article and leave me a nasty comment, stop and think for a second. When rumors first started flying around the internets that Nokia was going to partner with Microsoft, nearly everyone said that was never going to happen. That such a thing would be impossible. Now look, the Lumia 710 and Lumia 800 are already selling in a handful of countries."
HTC says U.S. court postpones ruling on lawsuit vs Apple
Tue Dec 13, 2011 10:13pm EST
TAIPEI (Reuters) - HTC Corp, the world's No.4 smartphone maker, said on Wednesday that a U.S. court has further postponed a final ruling on its lawsuit against Apple Inc.
An HTC official said the International Trade Commission, a U.S. trade panel that investigates patent infringement involving imported goods, would deliver its ruling on December 19.He added that a reason for the delay was not available.
The International Trade Commission had earlier scheduled a ruling for Wednesday, postponed from the original date of December 6.
The ruling is crucial for HTC, which has struggled with legal battles and stiff competition with Apple and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, since it could result in a ban on the sale of HTC handsets in the United States.
The suit is seen by some as a proxy for the larger fight for market share between Google Inc's Android cellphones and tablets, many of which HTC manufactures, and Apple's product line.
Samsung, which also makes Android products, is locked in similar court fights with Apple.
At around 0309 GMT, shares of HTC were up 1.3 percent, beating a flat main index.
http://ca.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idCATRE7BD08H20111214
OCZ Technology has released their second branded SSD based on the Indilinx Everest platform. The OCZ Petrol SSD family features a SATA 6Gb/s interface and read speeds of up to 400 MB/s. The consumer appeal to the Petrol however is price, OCZ is offering the drives in 64GB to 512GB capacities with suggested pricing of $89.99 (64GB), $149.99 (128GB), $339.99 (256GB) and $649.99 (512GB).
By using their currently in-house Indilinx processor, OCZ is able to further leverage their Everest-platform at price-sensitive consumers with the Petrol SSD. Equipped with asynchronous NAND, the Petrol features the same processor inside the just-released Octane SSD, but instead of faster synchronous NAND OCZ is going with a lower cost alternative. A good comparison would be like comparing the SandForce-powered Agility 3 to the Vertex 3, which is classified by which NAND utilizes. This is especially important with hard drive shortages rising costs of platter drives, as OCZ knows it needs to offer strong $/GB pricing to sway consumer's minds to switch to flash storage instead.
OCZ Petrol SSD Specs
•Indilinx Everest platform
•SATA 6Gb/s interface
•400MB/s reads
•35,000 IOPS
•Access speeds as low as 0.06ms
•Capacities:
?64GB - PTL1-25SAT3-64G
?128GB - PTL1-25SAT3-128G
?256GB - PTL1-25SAT3-256G
?512GB - PTL1-25SAT3-512G
Availability
The OCZ Petrol SSDs will be available in capacities ranging from 64GB-512GB in the next few weeks.
http://www.storagereview.com/ocz_petrol_ssd_announced
Proposed 4G Network interferes with 75% of GPS devices
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/12/testing-shows-proposed-4g-network-interferes-with-75-of-gps-devices.ars
A proposed nationwide, open-access 4G wireless broadband network has hit another snag. Testing carried out by a federal agency at the behest of the Department of Defense, Federal Aviation Administration, and a handful of GPS makers showed that the proposed broadband service messed with the performance of 75 percent of the GPS receivers tested. According to a draft of the report obtained by Bloomberg News, LightSquared's signals "caused harmful interference to majority [sic] of GPS receivers tested. No additional testing is required to confirm harmful interference exists."
LightSquared has planned to build a $14 billion nationwide network that it would then resell to wholesale providers (the company says it has no interest in retail). It owns a chunk of spectrum that it plans to devote to the network, but that spectrum—in the area between 1525MHz and 1660.5MHz—is uncomfortably close to that used by many GPS devices.
LightSquared announced plans for its network in July 2010, saying that it would offer the "first truly open and net neutral wireless network." Given the state of broadband penetration and competition in the US, many greeted the company's plans with enthusiasm. Not so the DoD and Department of Transportation. Last April, the two government departments wrote a letter to the Federal Communications Commission asking the agency to look into the possibility of GPS interference.
The GPS industry was also alarmed at the possibility of a nationwide network with over 40,000 towers wreaking havoc with its devices. The industry warned of "tens of thousands of 'dead spots'" miles in diameter where drivers wouldn't be able to get their GPS position or directions. For its part, LightSquared accused the GPS industry of designing products that "depend on using spectrum assigned to other FCC licensees," but did not directly address the question of interference.
The leaked data appears to strengthen the hand of the GPS makers and others who are critical of the proposed 4G network. Testing, which was carried out between October 31 and November 4, showed that 69 of 92 GPS receivers "experienced harmful interference" when within 100 meters of a LightSquared base station.
In a statement e-mailed to Bloomberg, LightSquared executive VP Martin Harriman said that it was "outraged" by the release of the data. "This breach attempts to draw an inaccurate conclusion to negatively influence the future of LightSquared and narrowly serve the business interests of the GPS industry," he told Bloomberg. At the same time, Harriman said that if his company's network is indeed interfering with GPS devices, "we'd like to be sure that doesn't happen."
The full report will be presented on December 14 in Washington, DC.
Google, Motorola Mobility Review Temporarily Halted by EU
QBy Aoife White - Dec 12, 2011 6:02 AM PT
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-12/eu-stops-clock-on-google-motorola-mobility-merger-review.html
European Union regulators suspended their antitrust review of plans by Google Inc. (GOOG), the biggest maker of smartphone software, to buy Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. after requesting more information about the deal.
The antitrust authority will continue the review after it has obtained “certain documents that are essential to its evaluation of the transaction,” said Amelia Torres, a spokeswoman for the Brussels-based European Commission. The commission temporarily stopped the review on Dec. 6, according to a filing on the regulator’s website today.
Regulatory reviews mean the purchase by Google is likely to close in 2012, Motorola Mobility said last month. Google plans to use Motorola Mobility’s more than 17,000 patents to protect supporters of its Android software in licensing and legal disputes with rivals such as Apple Inc. (AAPL) -- and also move into the hardware business.
The EU’s request for more information is “routine,” said Al Verney, a spokesman for Google in Brussels.
“We’re confident the commission will conclude that this acquisition is good for competition and we’ll be working closely and cooperatively with them as they continue their review,” Verney said in an e-mail.
Apple (AAPL) to Appeal German Court Verdict in Motorola (MMI) Patent Case - DJN
Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) said to appeal ruling of German court in Motorola Mobility (NYSE: MMI) patent suit, according to crossing Dow Jones headlines.
http://www.streetinsider.com/Insiders+Blog/Apple+(AAPL)+to+Appeal+German+Court+Verdict+in+Motorola+(MMI)+Patent+Case+-+DJN/7008985.html
Open Cloud Visionaries: John Engates, CTO of Rackspace
12/06/2011 @ 9:35AM
"This article is based on an interview with John Engates, CTO of Rackspace, the managed hosting company that has differentiated its offering based on delivering the best possible customer experience, which the company delivers under the tag line “Fanatical Support.” Rackspace is also one of the founders of the OpenStack open source project, which has quickly become, along with Amazon Web Services and VMware, one of the leading ways cloud infrastructure is being created. Rackspace has also been an innovator in creating hybrid offerings, such as RackConnect, which allows applications that run on managed hosting in Rackspace data centers to work seamlessly with resources in the Rackspace Cloud.
In this interview, Engates does not pull any punches. He sets forth his vision for an open cloud and is aggressive in his opinions about competitors and alternatives. In subsequent articles in this series, other experts will get their say, which will no doubt lead to a lively discussion. We hope you enjoy this first installment."
http://www.forbes.com/sites/danwoods/2011/12/06/open-cloud-visionaries-john-engates-cto-of-rackspace/
Motorola Mobility wins German patent suit against Apple, overcomes FRAND defense
Dec 9, 2011
At 9 AM today, the Mannheim Regional Court pronounced its ruling on one of the patent infringement lawsuits Motorola Mobility brought against Apple in Germany in April 2011. This is the first substantive ruling in this dispute. A default judgment that the same court entered against Apple last month will be rediscussed at a second hearing in early February.
The ruling generally relates to all Apple products that implement the patent-in-suit. The ruling notes that, "inter alia", this includes the iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad 3G and iPad2 3G. But the iPhone 4S, which was released after this litigation started (April 2011), undoubtedly implements the same telecommunications standard.
The patent-in-suit is EP (European Patent) 1010336 (B1) on a "method for performing a countdown function during a mobile-originated transfer for a packet radio system". This patent is one of the two patents at issue in the action in which a default judgment was entered against Apple Inc. It was declared essential to the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) standard. It's the European equivalent of U.S. Patent No. 6,359,898, a patent against which Apple raised a FRAND defense in the United States and which is being asserted in an action that was just transferred from the Western District of Wisconsin to the Northern District of Illinois.
http://fosspatents.blogspot.com/
That was interesting. Here's something from Sept about cloud-RAN. Learn something new every day......cloud-RAN, eh?
Cloud RAN, Radio-over-Fiber: Cloud paradigm for Wireless Networks
http://www.telecom-cloud.net/2011/09/29/cloud-ran-radio-over-fiber-cloud-paradigm-for-cellular-networks/
When Alcatel-Lucent announced a major collaboration with China Mobile to develop a ‘cloud RAN’, it seemed that Intel’s similar project with the giant carrier might have been shelved. However, it seems China Mobile is exploring multiple routes in its bid to develop the most modern form of LTE network, one that uses huge numbers of compact base stations whose baseband processing is centralized in the cloud. Intel said it is still working on the program, together with an unnamed Chinese vendor.
Like ALU’s lightRadio, the Intel design splits the base station from the integrated antenna/radio at the cell site. The chip giant will provide the cloud computing platform while the anonymous partner – (probably ZTE) which has been getting very close to Intel – develops the compact base stations. As reported by ConnectedPlanet, the survival of the Intel/China Mobile project – first outlined last year – was signaled at the TIA show, where Rose Schooler, general manager of Intel’s Communications Infrastructure Division, pointed to a highly flexible baseband resource that could be weighted towards the sites with highest demand.
ZTE seems the most likely partner because it has announced its own cloud RAN strategy and is working with Intel in other areas such as MeeGo. Huawei has so far taken the line that C-RAN is for the future and it would rather focus on lightweight base stations that are deployable now – and by operators lacking the investment in fiber that C-RAN requires. However, Huawei does partner with Intel on its Single Cloud data center platform. China Mobile is heavily focused on C-RAN, which could provide a logical and cost effective way to upgrade its vast GSM network (700,000 sites) to TD-LTE and do so in a modern and flexible way.
Intel’s activity in this sector indicates how other players may move across from the data center, notably Cisco and IBM. It is adapting a system devised for corporate computing to the needs of telecoms networks. Schooler said this approach would allow telcos to escape from their proprietary interfaces and wide variety of protocols, and work with common platforms to reduce cost and risk.
flyonthewall rumor, fwiw....
08:18 EDT, December 8, 2011
theflyonthewall.com
Facebook pursuing alternative flash vendors, says Lazard Capital
Lazard Capital's channel checks indicate that Facebook is aggressively pursuing alternative flash solutions to support its database tier. However, the firm cautions investors from concluding that Fusion-io's (FIO) peers have closed the technology gap since it believes server-based flash offerings currently on the market from LSI Corp. (LSI), Micron (MU) and OCZ Technology (OCZ) are not similar to Fusion-io’s Virtual Storage Layer software. Further, given Facebook's multiple applications, Lazard Capital thinks alternative flash vendors hired by Facebook may not necessarily come at Fusion-io’s expense. The firm keeps a Neutral rating on Fusion-io shares and does not expect any near-term business impact, but points out implications for the stock are clearly negative.
Spreadtrum Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPRD; "Spreadtrum" or the "Company"), a leading fabless semiconductor provider in China with advanced technology in both 2G and 3G wireless communications standards, today announced the commercial availability of two low-cost Android smartphone platforms, the SC8805G for TD-SCDMA and the SC6810 for EDGE/WiFi. The two 40nm-based 600MHz solutions are based on a low power, cost efficient architecture that lower total phone cost to US$40-50, well below currently available smartphones and easily within reach of sub-$100 retail prices. This entry point can accelerate the overall footprint for smartphones in China and emerging markets by appealing to consumers who might otherwise choose a high end feature phone and by expanding smartphone distribution beyond operator channels to the open market.
"The SC8805G and SC6810 mark Spreadtrum's entry into the smartphone category," said Dr. Leo Li, Spreadtrum's president and chief executive officer. "We have combined our expertise in 40nm baseband platforms and highly integrated systems to deliver a low-cost solution in a new price segment that will make smartphone devices more accessible to consumers in China and emerging markets."
Spreadtrum also reaffirmed previously-released Q4 revenue guidance of US$188 million - US$194 million and gross margin guidance of approximately 41%. Dr. Li added, "Our smartphone solutions for TD and EDGE/WiFi are now commercially available and have started shipping. Demand in our 2G and 3G business lines remains healthy and we are on track to meet or exceed our Q4 revenue outlook."
http://ih.advfn.com/p.php?pid=nmona&article=50352965
Friday, 9 December 2011
M2M Communications Workshop
08:40 – 09:40 Keynote Speech 1
Next Generation Machine-to-Machine Solutions - Delivering M2M services over Heterogeneous Networks
Narayan Menon (Vice President R&D, InterDigital, USA)
(Narayan Menon, Vice President - R&D (Interdigital)Narayan Menon is Vice President – R&D at InterDigital, responsible for leading the research and development of advanced wireless networks. In this role, Narayan drives the innovation and implementation of
next-generation wireless solutions covering connectivity & bandwidth management, cognitive radio, machine-machine (M2M) communications, multimedia delivery and advanced radio and baseband solutions building on LTE and WLAN/PAN networks. Prior to this, he has led and participated in numerous technology initiatives at InterDigital, including the development of the company’s HSPA chipset. Narayan has over 20 years of experience in the wireless field, holding leadership roles at Siemens Mobile Networks, Omnipoint Technologies and Hughes Network Systems in the development of TDMA, GSM/GPRS and early 3G systems.
Narayan holds Engineering degrees from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi and an Executive MBA from Hofstra University in New York, and is an inventor on over 30 U.S. patents.)
Next-generation Machine-to-Machine solutions - Delivering M2M services over Heterogeneous Networks
This keynote addresses next-generation strategies and system architectures for seamlessly integrating diverse M2M devices with cellular networks, providing network operators the ability to remotely manage and control M2M devices and to offer M2M network services to third parties.
Cellular operators have been grappling with how to incorporate the potential of M2M communications in a technically efficient and profitable manner. Today, M2M traffic flows transparently through the operator’s network, making it difficult for the operator to monetize M2M. Furthermore, domain-specific access networks are required to connect a defined set of M2M devices to third-party M2M service provider systems.
InterDigital has been developing and helping standardize solutions that interconnect cellular and non-cellular (e.g., WPAN, WLAN) networks seamlessly, allowing a wide variety of M2M devices to communicate by leveraging the cellular network. Such an architecture will enable a broad range of M2M use cases in vertical markets – such as healthcare, transportation and security – by using the cellular network to remotely manage and control cellular and non-cellular M2M devices. This approach also enables the creation of standardized service platforms and APIs, providing a much needed and attractive way for the cellular operator to enable and capitalize on the boom in wireless M2M deployments.“
http://iwm2m.cttc.es/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=57
Verizon lights one candle for LTE, confirms Xyboard Droid tablet name, December launch
By Zach Honig posted Dec 5th 2011 1:48PM
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/05/verizon-lights-one-candle-for-lte-confirms-xyboard-droid-tablet/
Today marks one full year after Verizon first flipped the switch on LTE, with 365 days of 4G speeds for customers in 39 markets. By the end of next week, Big Red will light up a few more cities, bringing the total number to 190, with access available to more than 200 million Americans
Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Facts
200 million Americans covered with 4G LTE (as of Dec. 15)
190 Markets covered (as of Dec. 15)
16 Devices currently available, including eight smartphones
Two hot new Xyboard DROID tablets from Motorola coming out this month
One anxiously awaited GALAXY Nexus smartphone running Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, from Samsung, coming soon
4G LTE Devices
Smartphones: HTC Rezound™, DROID RAZR™ by Motorola, Samsung Stratosphere™, Pantech Breakout™, DROID BIONIC™ by Motorola, Revolution™ by LG, DROID Charge by Samsung and ThunderBolt™ by HTC
Tablets: Samsung Galaxy Tab™ 10.1 with 4G LTE and Motorola XOOM™
Notebooks and Netbooks: HP® Pavilion dm1-3010nr Entertainment PC and Compaq™ Mini CQ10-688nr with built-in 4G LTE
Hotspots: Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot MiFi™ 4510L and Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot SCH-LC11
Modems: Verizon Wireless 4G LTE USB Modem 551L and Pantech UML290 USB modem
•Coverage initiated on Rackspace by Collins Stewart
Briefing.com(Mon 6:57AM EST)
"Olive will offer both their O4HD and O6HD music servers with OCZ Deneva 2 SSD in either 240GB or 480GB capacities, capable of storing up to 1,500 albums in their original quality. For true music enthusiasts who want best-in-class audio performance and state-of-the-art storage, Deneva 2 SSDs offer incredible quality, instant access, and low-noise operation. The new Olive HD music servers with SSD technology are available in limited quantities directly from Olive. Olive products are also available worldwide through a network of authorized distributors."
OCZ Technology Deneva 2 SSDs to be Deployed in Olive's Premium HD Music Servers
Performance SSD Storage Offers Music Enthusiasts an Exceptional Experience With Ultra-Fast Music Access and Maximum Reliability
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/OCZ-Technology-Deneva-2-SSDs-pz-2480522474.html?x=0
ok, well I checked out stockhouse and that board is very weak for VHC.
Still think IV is the best for VHC (and some others I own). Are you still in SPRD, nic?
Thanks, nic, I'll check out the stockhouse board......
Apple's request to block Samsung Galaxy tablet, phone sales in the US is denied
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/03/apples-request-to-block-samsung-galaxy-tablet-phone-sales-in-t/
Apple's request to block Samsung Galaxy tablet, phone sales in the US is denied
As the legal drama between Apple and Samsung drags on around the world, US District Court Judge has rejected Apple's request to block the sales of Galaxy devices. Reuters reports the ruling came out late Friday, with the judge deciding "It is not clear that an injunction on Samsung's accused devices would prevent Apple from being irreparably harmed,". This isn't the first rejection for the folks from Cupertino either, after a request to speed up the trial was also denied back in July. The case itself will of course go on, but this means you'll still be able to get your hands on those Galaxy Tabs, Galaxy S IIs, and the like in the meantime.
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Samsung:
Samsung welcomes today's ruling denying Apple's request for a preliminary injunction. This ruling confirms our long-held view that Apple's arguments lack merit. In particular, the court has recognized that Samsung has raised substantial questions about the validity of certain Apple design patents. We are confident that we can demonstrate the distinctiveness of Samsung's mobile devices when the case goes to trial next year. We will continue to assert our intellectual property rights and defend against Apple's claims to ensure our continued ability to provide innovative mobile products to consumers.
iV is free unless you elect the premium membership.
You can read AND post without paying...... Not sure what you get with paid membership over there
Most read the investor village board for VHC.
Here's more on Carrier IQ :
Finding and cleaning out your smartphone’s Carrier IQ poison
By Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols | December 1, 2011, 10:53am PST
"Isn’t it wonderful? It turns out that a spyware rootkit from a company called Carrier IQ is on hundreds of millions of Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. Only Windows Phone-powered smartphones seems to have avoiding this program that reports on almost everything you do with your phone.
In the case of iPhones, it appears that Apple bakes this snooper into every phone.
It all sounds so harmless… until you see among other things Carrier IQ’s tools are capturing your text messages."
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/networking/finding-and-cleaning-out-your-smartphones-carrier-iq-poison/1697?tag=nl.e539
http://gizmodo.com/5864488/carrier-iq-htc--and-samsung-sued-for-millions-over-tracking
CARRIER IQ
BY MARIO AGUILAR DEC 2, 2011 9:46 AM 15,013
Carrier IQ, HTC, and Samsung Sued for Millions Over Tracking
We knew lawsuits would arise over Carrier IQ. Just a day after the Senate launched an investigation into the debacle, Carrier IQ, Samsung and HTC have been nailed with class action lawsuits that could cost them hundreds of millions of dollars.
As we expected, the plaintiffs go after Carrier IQ as well as Samsung and HTC for violating the Federal Wiretap Act. The suits allege that as customers were using their phones, the handset makers were surreptitiously monitoring and collecting private information without permission. If they lose, the companies could face penalties of $100 for every day that violation took place. Ouch. So far no carriers have been targeted by suits, but that can't be a long way off. [Paidcontent.org via Techmeme]
comScore Reports October 2011 U.S. Mobile Subscriber Market Share
1 in 10 Mobile Subscribers Now Using iPhone
http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2011/12/comScore_Reports_October_2011_U.S._Mobile_Subscriber_Market_Share
RESTON, VA, December 2, 2011 – comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released data from the comScore MobiLens service, reporting key trends in the U.S. mobile phone industry during the three month average period ending October 2011. The study surveyed more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers and found Samsung to be the top handset manufacturer overall with 25.5 percent market share. Google Android continued to gain ground in the smartphone market reaching 46.3 percent market share.
That was fast.