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WLAN Chip Prioritizes Traffic
By Carmen Nobel
November 3, 2003
A Massachusetts startup this week will launch new products in the crowded WLAN switching space, differentiating itself with security and customization features.
Legra Systems Inc.'s wireless LAN system includes a cryptography chip called the Cryptoflex, which prioritizes the encryption of data packets on a wireless network. Other WLAN systems can prioritize data traffic, but high-priority data often ends up being delayed in the encryption queue. By prioritizing both encryption and data traffic, Legra's system makes it easier for IT administrators to support multiple types of users, said Legra officials, in Burlington, Mass.
"The chip is integrated into the switch, which lets you do cryptography at more than one packet at a time," said Paul DeBeasi, a Legra spokesman.
Like many of its competitors, Legra's WLAN system consists of a switch, a radio access point, a management appliance and optimization software.
Legra's LS2012 switch is designed to work with Legra access points. It supports as many as 12 direct radio connections (via cables and ports) and 60 remote radio connections (via the routed network). All encryption and traffic prioritization happens on the switch rather than on access points.
The switch also includes a dedicated application processor called the TrueApp Engine. Furthermore, it runs an operating system called Wireless Operating System, which enables customers to code their own applications for such needs as custom billing.
"It's a Linux-based platform, which makes it possible to add additional features and customize the solution to meet the needs of each user," said Craig Mathias, a principal at Farpoint Group, a consultancy in Ashland, Mass. "This gives it a level of extensibility I haven't seen from anyone else in the space."
Legra's radio access points are available in two models, one that supports 802.11b and one that supports 802.11a and 802.11g.
Legra's LM6000 network management appliance centralizes the provisioning, trouble-shooting and monitoring of Legra switches and access points. It works with existing enterprise management systems, such as Hewlett-Packard Co.'s OpenView and Computer Associates International Inc.'s Unicenter.
The company's Automatic Optimizer application plugs into the LM6000 and automates the process of radio channel selection for access points. The Legra system will be rolled out through VAR channels starting this week. Pricing will vary according to configuration, but, as an example, officials said a starter kit of a switch and three radios will cost about $10,000.
OT: GE_Jim - Excellent post, much appreciated! EOM
A trash heap of cell phones
Millions could be thrown out when portability arrives
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK, Oct. 30 — If predictions hold true, millions of cell phones will be put out to pasture starting in late November under a new rule allowing people to keep their phone numbers when switching cellular carriers.
THOUGH MANY of those phones will find a dusty home in a cluttered desk drawer, millions could wind up in landfills, leaking toxic metals and chemicals into the ground.
Many old phones get refurbished or recycled under donation programs that help charities, but it’s a tiny fraction of the 100 million or so handsets that are already “retired” each year in this country, according to a new estimate from the environmental research group Inform Inc.
And now, the number of retired cell phones is expected to grow sharply.
The new rule that takes effect Nov. 24 allowing users to change wireless companies without losing their phone numbers is expected to motivate as many as 30 million people to switch within the first year.
Those who do will need to buy new phones. That’s because even carriers that use the same network technologies employ different encryption.
So what will become of all those old phones?
While the industry has just launched a new initiative to publicize recycling, existing efforts by individual wireless companies with collection boxes in their stores have so far mustered only modest success.
And even those phones that are refurbished raise environmental concerns because they still may eventually end up in the garbage, especially if sold in poorer nations with no recycling programs — as the majority of refurbished phones are.
A better answer is for cell phone makers to change the way they make their devices, assert environmentalists including David Wood, executive director of GrassRoots Recycling Network in Madison, Wis.
Some such changes may come to this country as a result of a new directive passed this year by the European Union, whose computer recycling requirements helped spur U.S. companies to offer takeback programs. The new EU rules will require makers of phones and other electronics to eliminate lead, mercury and brominated flame retardants from new products by mid-2006.
Since most phone makers sell their products globally, it may be more practical financially to use the same manufacturing processes for all markets. While the big players concur with that idea as a general concept, none will comment on their specific plans regarding the EU directive.
In the meantime, most efforts are focused on extending the useful lives of old handsets and recovering potentially harmful chemicals from those that no longer work.
Several million used handsets are now being refurbished or recycled each year. Proceeds from resold handsets and recovered raw materials go to charities such as Call To Protect, which aids victims of domestic violence.
But the overwhelming majority of the 100 million handsets retired each year are seemingly either tossed in a drawer or the garbage. How many go in either direction is anyone’s guess.
Much like computers, even relatively new cell phones have little resale value.
For years, wireless companies have been practically giving away handsets with ever-newer bells and whistles as a lure to potential customers or an inducement to stay for existing subscribers who may be eyeing a new carrier.
LITTLE RESALE VALUE
As a result, judging from current auction listings on eBay, those determined enough to sell a used phone can expect to bring in as little as $5 per handset.
But if the used phones on display at a typical tag sale are any indication, many seem to prefer a drawer as at least a temporary resting place — possibly because they may worry about pollution, or perhaps they simply find it hard to fathom how a cell phone that worked perfectly fine just yesterday is suddenly worthless.
“If you were to call and talk to 10 people, you’d probably find that two-thirds of those people have handsets sitting idle in their garages,” said Eric Forster, vice president of marketing and sales for ReCellular Inc., a Dexter, Mich., company that refurbishes or recycles old handsets collected by cell phone carriers.
The good news, Forster said, is that “people know they probably shouldn’t throw it away” because it may harm the environment. “But they’re not sure, so they keep it.”
Of the phones received by ReCellular, which also buys old handsets, about 75 or 80 percent are refurbished at an average cost of $20 per handset and then resold for about $45 or $50. A portion of those proceeds often go to charities.
Those phones that can’t be salvaged are sold for between 50 cents and $1.25 per pound to recycling companies that extract toxic materials for either reuse or safe disposal.
Most of the toxic substances in cell phones are contained in the circuit board, the liquid crystal display of the screen, and the battery.
But while efforts to recover those substances are intensifying in the United States and Europe, recycling programs are far less developed in poorer nations — where three-quarters of ReCellular’s handsets are expected to be sold next year.
“Exporting waste is not the way to resolve waste problems,” said Eric Most, director of the solid waste prevention program at Inform. “We need to work with industry to change the design of phones to make them more reusable and recyclable and less toxic.”
Jimlur - Welcome back home. I hope you are feeling much better now!
You stated. Compare a 3 month chart of IDCC and QCOM. I'm not a chartist but they look very similar to me. Any thoughts?
It kind of looks to me like QCOM is trying to "indemnify" our stock price!!! LOL In the near future, that may just be wishful thing on their part!
OT: UbiNetics is a world leader and key driving force in the development of 3G, mobile wireless technology. Its capabilities and deliverables are relied upon by the world's major handset and device manufacturers, infrastructure developers and network operators.
Today
Our core business is 3G. We have three product areas:
3G Device Technology. UbiNetics designed and developed one of the world's first 3G protocol stacks. This has been 'tuned' to the point where it is now a robust and proven protocol software and physical layer IP (Intellectual Property) portfolio for W-CDMA applications.
3G Test Solutions. UbiNetics has designed and developed a range of sophisticated W-CDMA test products that are used by the world’s leading network equipment developers and network operators. UbiNetics’ TM100 3G Test Mobile, TM200 3G Field Test Mobile and LG200 Load Generator each provide powerful test functions to enable infrastructure research and development, network deployment and network optimisation.
Wireless Modules. UbiNetics has developed a unique range of customised W-CDMA and GPRS/GSM embedded modules and development tools. These 'engines' are at the centre of many handsets and devices currently being developed and manufactured by Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs) around the world and are sold under license agreements.
http://www.ubinetics.com/about/default.asp?tab=0
Norkolk -
Thank you for providing us with the information regarding your father. Mr. Jim Lurgio is a good friend and we will keep him in our prayers.
Respectfully,
The profile of an IDCC Genius:
Today (10/17/03) is 7 months since our St. Patrick's Day "Watershed Event". On that day (3/17/03), the per share price of IDCC opened at $16.71 and closed at $19.70. Today as I gaze into my monitor, I see $16.26 per share on my screen and I know that there are 2 million less shares outstanding than before the Ericy settlement. My due diligence (together with the overwhelming assistance of this Forum) during these past 7 months leads me to believe that my 6 years of patience should be bearing fruit now and I feel better than ever before about my investment. Is this what a "Genius" should feel like?
Nokia says it gets the picture
Last modified: October 16, 2003, 10:02 AM PDT
By Ben Charny
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Nokia plans to significantly expand the number of its cell phones that have cameras--part of the Finnish handset maker's new strategy to focus more on "imaging" products.
Nokia Chief Executive Jorma Ollila on Thursday told analysts that the company intends to make cameras a part of nearly every kind of Nokia phone by the second half of 2004. A company representative said that represents a "significant" expansion from the current lineup, which includes 12 Nokia phones that are capable of taking still photographs and recording 15-second videos.
"We see it as inevitable that convergence of mobility and imaging will happen," a Nokia representative said. "Mobility boasts a number of benefits for imaging, as the device is with the user wherever he goes."
Camera phones were first introduced in Japan about three years ago, and have since become so popular that some market analysts believe they've begun outselling digital cameras. Nokia believes it could become the biggest digital camera manufacturer globally in 2003. "We want to be driving this phenomenon very strongly," Ollila said.
Like most other handset makers, Nokia is designing phones to take advantage of a growing demand for services such as MMS (Multimedia Message Service), which allows e-mails to carry attachments such as documents, sound recordings or movie clips. MMS is expected to generate billions in extra revenue for carriers worldwide by 2005, analysts say.
While popular in Europe, MMS has not caught on as quickly among U.S. customers, who have tended to shy away from cell phone services that don't involve making a phone call. But this lack of enthusiasm, analysts say, is changing; more U.S. consumers are demanding camera phones sold by carriers such as T-Mobile USA, which lets people send picture messages.
"These services have a decent chance," said IDC analyst Keith Waryas.
GSM gaining ground in North America
Last modified: October 9, 2003, 11:42 AM PDT
By Ben Charny
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
A cell phone technology that dominates Europe is now the fastest-growing standard in North America, according to a trade group.
Chris Pearson, executive vice president of mobile trade organization 3G Americas on Wednesday said North American use of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard increased 57 percent from June 2002 to June 2003. That's three times faster than the growth of Qualcomm's Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), which has dominated the North American market. He cited new cell phone market data from EMC, which publishes the EMC World Cellular Database.
The news is troubling for Qualcomm, Pearson said, because GSM apparently is beginning to challenge CDMA's stranglehold on the North America cell phone market. However, he conceded that GSM has a long way to go, because there are 71 million North American CDMA phones versus GSM's 22 million.
"In the United States, especially, CDMA (cell phone providers) were the leaders as far as number of subscribers, but that's changing," he said.
Representatives from the CDMA Development Group, a CDMA trade organization, did immediately comment. Two Qualcomm representatives did not return phone calls seeking comment.
The number of North American GSM subscribers is expected to grow to at least 55 million once Cingular Wireless, AT&T Wireless and T-Mobile USA finish converting their subscribers to GSM.
micromays2 -
Regarding Washington Mutual, Inc. - excellant information!
They have a good conservative reputation and a solid Institutional customer base for several of their funds. I am very pleased to see them holding IDCC.
RIM scores new licensees
by Mike Dano
Oct. 06, 2003 1:32 PM EST
Research In Motion Ltd. apparently scored two new major licensees--Motorola Inc. and Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications--according to a new research report from investment banking firm ThinkEquity.
ThinkEquity said RIM's Chief Operating Officer Don Morrison confirmed the news late last week. RIM declined to comment on the report. RIM's stock was up almost 4 percent following the news to about $43.30 per share.
RIM unveiled its BlackBerry Connect licensing program earlier this year and currently partners with Nokia Corp., High Tech Computer Corp., Palm Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Symbian. Under the program, device makers can license RIM's BlackBerry software for use in their own devices, which allows device users to connect to BlackBerry servers. Nokia and HTC have licensed the technology for use in their own devices, while Microsoft and Symbian are offering the software to their own operating system licensees.
However, RIM's BlackBerry Connect program recently hit a snag when Nokia said it will delay the release of its BlackBerry-capable device in the United States. Nokia had planned to sell its 6800 messaging device with BlackBerry software, but said it delayed those plans due to the patent battle between RIM and NTP. Nokia said it will sell the BlackBerry-capable 6800 outside of the United States, however.
RIM and NTP have been battling over several key BlackBerry patents. A jury earlier this year ruled in favor of NTP, ordering RIM to pay the company royalties. The payments are on hold pending RIM's appeal.
ThinkEquity addressed the legal concerns, but said the issue won't affect sales outside the United States, which represent a growing opportunity for RIM and BlackBerry Connect licensees.
"We believe that these new licensees (Motorola and Sony Ericsson) represent the top OEMs in the industry and should drive adoption of BlackBerry beyond the enterprise over the next two years," ThinkEquity said in its research note.
ThinkEquity recently downgraded RIM, but said it raised its estimates on the new licensing news. ThinkEquity said it makes a market in RIM securities.
OT: But interesting combination
AMCC, IBM, Infineon Technologies, Texas Instruments and Xilinx Team to Align 10Gbps Standards
Monday October 6, 6:00 am ET
Initiative - Dubbed UXPi - to Spearhead Common 10Gbps Physical-Layer Standard
SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Five major IC companies including Applied Micro Circuits Corporation (Nasdaq: AMCC - News), International Business Machines Corp (NYSE: IBM - News), Infineon Technologies AG (NYSE: IFX - News), Texas Instruments Incorporated (NYSE: TXN - News) and Xilinx, Inc. (Nasdaq: XLNX - News), today announced the creation and promotion of the Unified 10Gbps Physical-Layer Initiative (UXPi), a program of the IEEE-ISTO. The goal of UXPi is to advocate a common 10Gbps physical-layer standard across multiple markets, to simplify and accelerate the implementation of next generation 10Gbps systems. A common physical standard will allow developers to significantly reduce the costs and risks normally associated with developing next generation systems.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020822/XLNXLOGO http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031006/SFM047LOGO-a http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031006/SFM047LOGO-b http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031006/SFM047LOGO-c )
The work of UXPi will complement ongoing and upcoming standardization efforts by other industry bodies such as the Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF). "10Gbps interfaces will form the basis for future high-bandwidth connections in chip-to-chip, chip-to-optical module and backplane applications. As a leader in the standardization of interfaces, OIF supports the expansion of interoperability benefits," said Joe Berthold, president of OIF. "What UXPi is proposing is consistent with the OIF CEI project. These promoting companies are all members of the OIF and have been strong contributors to the CEI project. We look forward to collaborating with UXPi in working towards our mutual goals."
Industry Trend Towards Serial Connectivity
The broad industry trend toward serial connectivity is being driven as a means to reduce system costs, simplify system design, and provide scalability to meet new bandwidth requirements. Today, standard bodies are defining 3.125Gbps and 5-6Gbps, and 10Gbps serial standards. As these bodies begin to solidify 10Gbps communication standards, the need for a unified, compatible physical layer is critical. A common standard will address challenges such as more severe attenuation and signal interference, which arise as 10Gbps digital signaling enters the RF domain. And just as important, will ensure interoperability across multiple markets and products.
"Whether in enterprise or carrier applications, it's clear that the market for serial interfaces has great price elasticity: lower costs can stimulate demand. From the eyes of system vendors, standards are desirable in that they enable multiple component vendors, control costs, and mitigate supplier risk," said Allan Armstrong, director of communications semiconductors at analyst firm RHK, Inc. "Combining the forces of five industry leaders, the UXPi consortium plans to focus the industry on 10Gbps interface standards and drive multiple market segments to a common vision."
UXPi is laying the groundwork for common 10Gbps standard by solidifying the physical/electrical layer of the 10Gbps chip-to-chip and backplane interface -- participating in, supporting, and supplementing the efforts of standards bodies, which are often more focused on their respective markets and on defining the upper, logical/digital layers of the 10 Gbps standards. The efforts of UXPi will enable standards bodies to focus on developing the protocols necessary to serve the unique needs of their respective markets, rather than focusing on the lower layers defining and testing a 10Gbps physical standard.
UXPi is organized as a program under the IEEE-ISTO, which provides a legal and administrative platform on which UXPi operations can progress. UXPi plans to work with numerous contributing and adopting companies to develop, refine and make the specification available. Additional information about UXPi membership, its activities and progress is available at www.uxpi.org.
About Applied Micro Circuits Corporation
AMCC designs, develops, manufactures, and markets high-performance, high-bandwidth silicon solutions empowering intelligent wide area networks. AMCC utilizes a combination of digital, mixed-signal and high-frequency analog design expertise coupled with system-level knowledge and multiple silicon process technologies to offer integrated circuit products that enable the transport of voice and data over fiber optic networks. The company's system solution portfolio includes switch fabric, traffic management, network processor, framer/mapper, PHY and PMD devices that address the high-performance needs of the evolving intelligent optical network. AMCC's corporate headquarters are located in San Diego, California. Sales and engineering offices are located throughout the world. For further information about AMCC, please visit our website at http://www.amcc.com .
About IBM Microelectronics
IBM Microelectronics is a key contributor to IBM's role as the world's premier information technology supplier. IBM Microelectronics develops, manufactures and markets state-of-the-art semiconductor, ASIC and interconnect technologies, products and services. Its superior integrated solutions can be found in many of the world's best-known electronic brands.
IBM is a recognized innovator in the chip industry, having been first with advances like more power-efficient copper wiring in place of aluminum, and faster silicon-on-insulator (SOI) and silicon germanium transistors. These and other innovations have contributed to IBM's standing as the number one U.S. patent holder for 10 consecutive years. More information about IBM Microelectronics can be found at: http://www.ibm.com/chips .
About Infineon Technologies
Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, Germany, offers semiconductor and system solutions for the automotive and industrial sectors, for applications in the wired communications markets, secure mobile solutions as well as memory products. With a global presence, Infineon Technologies operates in the US from San Jose, CA, in the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore and in Japan from Tokyo. In fiscal year 2002 (ending September), the company achieved sales of Euro 5.21 billion with about 30,400 employees worldwide. Infineon Technologies is listed on the DAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX). Further information is available at http://www.infineon.com
About Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP and analog technologies to meet our customers' real world signal processing requirements. In addition to Semiconductor, the company's businesses include Sensors & Controls, and Educational & Productivity Solutions. TI is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has manufacturing, design or sales operations in more than 25 countries. Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TXN. More information is located on the World Wide Web at www.ti.com.
About Xilinx
Xilinx, Inc. is the worldwide leader of programmable logic solutions. Additional information about Xilinx is available at www.xilinx.com.
About IEEE-ISTO
The Industry Standards and Technology Organization (ISTO) is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit organization affiliated with the IEEE. It was formed in 1999 and providing legal, administrative and best practices support to UXPi and 15 other standards related organizations. IEEE-ISTO serves its program clients by ensuring Anti-Trust compliance and allowing them to concentrate on their technical goals, rather than administrative tasks. Additional information about IEEE-ISTO is available at www.ieee-isto.org.
Forward Looking Statements
The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements, including statements relating to the products discussed in this press release are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the risk that the products would not be successfully or timely developed, completed or manufactured or achieve market acceptance, risks relating to general economic conditions, as well as the risks and uncertainties set forth in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2002, and in other filings of the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and AMCC does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statement.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Xilinx, Inc.
Iraq awards GSM wireless licenses
Communications Ministry taps Egyptian, two Kuwaiti companies to roll out mobile phone network.
October 6, 2003: 8:18 AM EDT
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq said Monday it had awarded three GSM mobile phone network licenses to consortia led by an Egyptian and two Kuwaiti companies, ending months of speculation about which technology would be chosen.
The Iraqi Communications Ministry said the contracts had been awarded to a group including Egypt's Orascom Telecommunications, another group including Kuwait's National Mobile Telecommunications and a consortium including Kuwait's MTC.
Egypt's OT will help build and run a mobile phone network in Baghdad and central Iraq, while MTC's consortium has won the contract for southern Iraq and National Mobile Telecommunications, also known as Wataniya Telecom, has clinched the deal for the north.
Industry experts have long expected new Iraqi mobile phone networks to be based on GSM technology, which is already used across the Middle East and would therefore allow cell phone customers to travel across the region using just one phone.
But the issue was clouded after one U.S. lawmaker in March urged top politicians, including U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, to ensure that rival U.S-backed technology CDMA be deployed to safeguard American jobs and profits.
The licenses are seen as among the most lucrative contracts to be offered in post-war Iraq, especially since wireless service was not available in the country during Saddam Hussein's rule.
Iraq set to name cell-phone winners
U.S., European technologies vie for key contract
http://www.msnbc.com/news/976239.asp?0si=-
BAGHDAD, Oct. 5 — Iraq’s U.S.-backed communications minister is set to announce on Monday which companies will build the first mobile telephone networks in a country that has largely lacked even basic communications services since the war.
COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER Haidar al-Ebadi, in announcing the long-awaited and much-delayed tender results, should also reveal whether the wireless network will use U.S. technology or the rival, more widespread European GSM system that is used throughout the rest of the Middle East.
“The minister of communications is expected to make an announcement on this tomorrow,” Charles Heatly, spokesman for the U.S.-led administration ruling Iraq told reporters on Sunday.
Officials in the administration later said the announcement would be made in Baghdad at 2 p.m.
The licences are seen as among the most lucrative contracts to be offered in postwar Iraq, especially since wireless service was not available in the country during Saddam Hussein’s rule.
Much of the country’s land-line system was destroyed in the U.S.-led war which ousted Saddam in April.
Under the licences granted, which will split Iraq into three areas, the winning bidder must have services up within two months and will have the licence for two years.
A decision to use the global system for mobile communications standard (GSM) would be a blow to U.S. firms hoping to build a wireless network in Iraq based on the CDMA (code division multiple access) standard developed by California-based Qualcomm Inc.
Mobile phones briefly sprang to life in Baghdad in July when Bahrain’s Batelco launched a network in the capital.
However heavy U.S. pressure forced Batelco to pull the plug on its $5 million network just days after starting services. A Kuwaiti service was also briefly available.
The U.S. Army and development workers now use a network in Baghdad built by WorldCom Inc, a bankrupt U.S. telecom firm that is doing business under the name MCI, but services are barred to ordinary Iraqis.
The U.S.-led authority has said public mobile networks should be up and running by mid-November.
Thomson Financial currently (10:30) indicates that 79% of today's trades are by Institutions.
http://iw.thomsonfn.com/iwatch/cgi-bin/iw_ticker?t=IDCC&range=0&mgp=0&i=2&hdate=&...
OT: wallstrpro - At one time (maybe 3 years ago), did you post on IDCC's Raging Bull forum?
Base station group releases specs
by Sam Omatseye
Oct. 01, 2003 1:02 PM EST
The battle of standards over base stations has heated up with the Common Public Radio Interface initiative announcing the launching of its specification.
CPRI, which is led by L.M. Ericsson, faces rival Open Base Station Architecture Initiative led by Nokia Corp. CPRI said it completed its specifications ahead of schedule for the market in 2004. It announced its founding in June.
"The CPRI specification enables base station manufacturers and component vendors to focus their research and development efforts on their core competencies," said the group, which also comprises China's Huawei, Nortel Networks and Siemens AG.
OBSAI is a bigger group with 25 members, including LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, ZTE and Intel Corp.
CPRI said the standard allows for individual vendors to adapt their systems to the base station so each player can pursue its area of competency within a common pool. This way, the standard will evolve to a level where the new base station will combine the strengths of all members in the group.
But OBSAI claims that its standard will provide a more comprehensive base station, adding that it covers four functional modules and three air interfaces.
Both standards ironically claim to support open standards, which confirms some analysts' views that open standards have become a ploy by wireless players to promote their products over the competition.
As these two initiatives grow, the Software Defined Radio Forum said it is conducting research into what operators will require for future base station architectures. It expects to release its findings early next year.
One of the initial findings collected noted that more than half of operators want infrastructure that can dynamically switch between air interfaces.
"We are working hard to ensure that not only do we collect data from operators representing all three ITU regions, but that we also include insight from operators ranging in size--large and small, regional and international," said Bo Piekarski, chair of the SDR Forum's Operator Requirements Study Group.
3G Mobile Signals Can Cause Nausea, Headache-Survey
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Radio signals for the next generation of mobile phone services can cause headaches and nausea, according to a survey conducted by three Dutch ministries on the impact of tomorrow's data networks on health.
The study, the first of its kind, tested the impact of radiation from base stations used for the current mobile telephone network, against those for new third generation (3G) networks for fast data transfer -- which will enable services such as video conferencing on a mobile device.
A base station, which usually covers a 'cell' area of several square kilometers, transmits signals to mobile phones with an electromagnetic field.
"If the test group was exposed to third generation base stations there was a significant impact.. They felt tingling sensations, got headaches and felt nauseous," a spokeswoman for the Economics Ministry said.
There was no negative impact from the signals for current mobile networks.
However, cognitive functions such as memory and response times were boosted by both 3G signals and the current ones, the study found. People become more alert when they were exposed to both.
The Dutch ministers responsible for Economic Affairs, Health and Telecommunications said follow-up research was needed to confirm the findings. They also said any longer-term health effects and biological causes needed to be looked at.
They will also discuss the study with the European Commission (news - web sites), the spokeswoman said. The double-blind laboratory tests -- meaning no-one in the survey knew if a base station was transmitting signals or not -- exposed test subjects to levels of radiation average for third generation networks when they become commercial in coming years.
The GSM Association, an organization of mobile telecommunications operators, was not immediately available to comment.
The study was conducted by the Dutch technological research institute TNO.
Siemens funds first U.S.-based vendor
by Sam Omatseye
Sept. 30, 2003 12:31 PM EST
Siemens AG said it has completed its first investment in the United States with V-Enable, a wireless startup that focuses on multi-modality technology. The investment was executed by Siemens Mobile Acceleration, the vendor's wireless venture capital arm.
V-Enable said it has closed a $3.75 million round of funding, bringing total equity capital raised by V-Enable to $5.25 million. This private placement was led by SMAC and Sorrento Ventures. Other investors included Acumen Venture Partners, TCA, Poole Investment Ventures and individual investors.
"This investment gives SMAC an excellent launchpad for the U.S. market," Dietrich Ulmer, chief executive officer of SMAC.
In August, V-Enable founder Dipanshu Sharma told RCR Wireless News that V-Enable has partnered with IBM Corp. to incorporate V-Enable's technology with IBM's WebSphere product for carriers. Siemens also resells V-Enable's technology.
On the customer side, Sharma said V-Enable's technology will be launched by the end of the year with one carrier in the United States and one in Europe. In the United States, Sharma said V-Enable is working with a carrier to offer multimodal access to a directory-assistance application. Sharma said V-Enable is working with 10 wireless carriers.
Tornado (F6) -
I share your concern and am not at all suggesting that it would be a good for Long-term IDCC shareholders. It just seems to be the most plausible explanation of what we are witnessing Nokia do at this time. JMHO
Laranger -
You stated, "I find it hard to believe that sealed documents could contain evidence of fraud or conspiracy."
I don't believe that Nokia's fishing expedition is searching for evidence of fraud or conspiracy but rather they are searching for evidence of enforceability regarding IDCC's 2G patent portfolio against the entire universe of 2G manufactures. If the sealed documents contain compelling evidence that all must pay then Nokia may be inclined to consider an acquisition of the portfolio or the company.
Nokia may enjoy being cast in the role of a "Tax Collector"!
OT: olddog967 Thanks for the link! EOM
Thanks to everyone that has contributed to the in-depth discussion in recent days regarding Nokia / Samsung Vs. Interdigital arbitration proceedings. These have been very worthwhile and thought provoking. I appreciate the time and effort to express these views and the civil discourse involved in pursuing the finest of details during these discussions.
I do have several questions about the Arbitration process in general.
Is it customary to have a penalty clause in the contract outlining the agreed procedure that could (subject to the decision of the Arbitrators) enforce a penalty against one of the parties for such possibilities as “frivolously arbitration” or “negotiating in bad faith” or “collusion”? Do the Arbitrators have this kind of authority? Does IDCC have this type of leverage available? What kind of penalties (if any) would be customary in contracts when the arbitration process is formally enacted?
Thanks in advance,
Siemens: Will Sell 11 Million Mobile Phones In Current Quarter
Friday September 26, 5:55 am ET
BERLIN -(Dow Jones)- Siemens AG (NYSE:SI - News) , the world's fourth-largest mobile phone maker, is set to sell 11 million handsets in the current fiscal fourth quarter, a spokesman for the Siemens Mobile division said Friday.
That compares with 8.1 million handsets in the second quarter.
"It's going to be a record quarter for us," the spokesman said.
Germany's largest engineering and electronics company said in August that it expects to boost handset sales by as much as 20% this fiscal year after introducing new models. That growth will be faster than the market, which analysts expect to expand about 10%.
The spokesman declined to comment on a report in the Handelsblatt newspaper that Siemens is considering options for the mobile phone unit, including a possible linkup with another handset maker such as LG Electronics Inc. or NEC Corp. .
Handelsblatt said no decision has been made and that there are no concrete negotiations.
Speculation that Siemens will seek a partner in mobile phones isn't new.
The business was unprofitable in the fiscal third quarter and has hampered Siemens Mobile's attempt to boost margins toward the prescribed target of 8%-11% .
Siemens already works with a number of companies in the wireless industry, including NEC, Motorola Inc. (NYSE:MOT - News) and China's Huawei Technologies Co. .
Company Web site: http://www.siemens.com
-By Taska Manzaroli, Dow Jones Newswires; 49 30 2888 410
Way-Fast Wireless
By John R. Quain
September 24, 2003
If one is good and two is better, then six should be better still, right? When it comes to wireless networking, the answer is yes, according to start-up Airgo Networks. Airgo is preparing an alternative to the current class of Wi-Fi wireless networks, with products slated to arrive this year.
By using multiple antennas, Airgo claims its technology can double the speed of the fastest Wi-Fi networks. Airgo's wireless chipset is based on the company's MIMO (multiple in multiple out) technology, which uses up to six antennas to boost wireless data speeds as high as 108 Mbps and more than double the range of existing wireless gear.
Airgo's chipset is also compatible with current Wi-Fi standards, supporting 802.11a, "b," and "g" modes. With three 5-GHz and three 2.4-GHz antennas, an Airgo-equipped device can communicate on a network with a mix of older 802.11 equipment. It can even transmit information simultaneously to, say, an 802.11a device at 54 Mbps while sending data to another Airgo device at 108 Mbps.
Only lab tests will prove the company's claims, but Airgo officials say that slower Wi-Fi devices on the same network won't degrade overall performance. "It goes further than any other product so far to be compatible with all the standards," says Airgo CEO Greg Raleigh.
Some analysts see good things ahead for Airgo's core technology. "MIMO is likely the only viable path to improved range and throughput in WLAN systems, both today and in the future," says Craig J. Mathias, a principal with wireless advisory firm Fairpoint Group.
According to Raleigh, the Airgo chipset and additional antennas will add only about $20 to $50 to the cost of access points and related products. He expects to see the first access points with Airgo chips appear this year. In the future, Airgo hopes that faster data speeds will mean including the company's chips in consumer electronics gear—like HDTVs—to send video and audio streams throughout a home.
M-commerce steps into stoplight with Nokia, Visa teaming
by Mike Dano
Sept. 23, 2003 1:19 PM EST
The mobile commerce industry saw several new announcements and partnerships in conjunction with the Mobile Commerce World Europe 2003 event in London, but the most notable event included a teaming of perhaps the biggest names in the wireless and commerce industries.
Nokia Corp. and Visa announced they will team to offer payment services embedded in Nokia mobile phones. Nokia said it will include Visa's payment technology in its new wallet application, which is currently available in the Nokia 6220 and 6600. Visa's Verified by Visa technology will allow users to input passwords and credit card details into their phones, secured by PIN numbers, and that information can then be used to make secure payments using the phones.
"By extending the 3-D Secure specification beyond the traditional fixed-line Internet, we can ensure that secure payments can be made also in the mobile domain," said Guido Mangiagalli, head of new channels for Visa EU. "The success of these mobile payments will depend on having easy and convenient devices such as the one we are announcing today. We believe that this will help the mobile channel to grow in importance and want Visa to be the preferred choice of mobile commerce payment, just as it is in other channels."
Interestingly, Nokia recently announced a trial service with MasterCard International, offering a similar service.
In other mobile commerce news, Encorus Technologies released a new version of its PaymentWorks Mobile platform, which the company said allows wireless operators to offer mobile payment services. The company's customers include Vodafone Group plc and T-Mobile International AG.
Finally, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) said it has defined the operation and interoperability of m-signatures, which the group said will allow wireless companies to offer secure, interoperable mobile commerce services.
United States Patent 6,625,203
De , et al. September 23, 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fast joint detection
Abstract
K data signals are transmitted over a shared spectrum in a code division multiple access communication system. A combined signal is received and sampled over the shared spectrum. The combined signal has the K transmitted data signals. A combined channel response matrix is produced using the codes and impulse responses of the K transmitted data signals. A block column of a combined channel correlation matrix is determined using the combined channel response matrix. Each block entry of the block column is a K by K matrix. At each frequency point k, a K by K matrix .LAMBDA..sup.(k) is determined by taking the fourier transform of the block entries of the block column. An inverse of .LAMBDA..sup.(k) is multiplied to a result of the fourier transform. Alternately, forward and backward substitution can be used to solve the system. An inverse fourier transform is used to recover the data from the K data signals.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inventors: De; Parthapratim (Plainview, NY); Pan; Jung-Lin (Selden, NY); Zeira; Ariela (Huntington, NY)
Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation (Wilmington, DE)
Appl. No.: 037710
Filed: December 31, 2001
Current U.S. Class: 375/147; 370/342
Intern'l Class: H04B 014/00; H04B 014/08
Field of Search: 375/147,146,150,340,349,148 370/210,211,335,320,342,441 342/378
WiFi not just for Net access anymore
Device-to-device connections gain wireless traction
By Robert Mullins
SAN JOSE BUSINESS JOURNAL
SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 22 — Greg Campbell works for Hewlett-Packard Co. in Corvallis, Ore. If he should miss a flight to a meeting at headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif., he can still make the PowerPoint presentation to his colleagues there. How does he do it? WiFi
“The customers said, ‘It would be nice if we didn’t have the wires.’ ”
— PHIL UNDERWOOD
Margi Systems HEWLETT-PACKARD on Sept. 18 introduced a mobile projector that uses wireless fidelity, or WiFi, to beam an image from a laptop or handheld computer to the projector.
The projector, using technology developed by Margi Systems Inc., of Fremont, Calif., is one of a number of advancements that illustrate that WiFi is no longer just for logging onto the Internet. Technology companies in Silicon Valley are developing other applications for WiFi in the home, the warehouse and the hospital, among other places.
Hewlett-Packard in June introduced a WiFi-enabled projector for permanent installations in conference rooms; it has just begun shipping. The model introduced this month is HP’s first WiFi portable, says Mr. Campbell, HP’s mobile projector product marketing manager.
“We saw the need for wireless projectors for larger areas, but this brings the technology down to a mobile projector,” he says.
The portable WiFi projector lists for $3,300, the installed model for $5,600.
WiFi technology sales could make up 30 percent or more of Margi Systems’ revenue in 2004 and as much as 50 percent in 2005, says Phil Underwood, vice president of sales and marketing for the 9-year-old company.
Margi makes hardware that connects a personal digital assistant to a projector. A person presenting at a conference can store a PowerPoint presentation or other graphic illustration on a Palm- or Pocket PC-type device and send it to the projector. It also works with laptops and other devices.
But up until now, Margi’s technology required a cable between the PDA and the projector.
“We asked ourselves where do we see the company going, and we asked our customers,” Mr. Underwood says. “The customers said, ‘It would be nice if we didn’t have the wires.’ ”
WiFi that connects the Internet to a laptop is different than WiFi used to send signals to a projector. WiFi for Internet access is called “infrastructure” WiFi because it involves an installed access point beaming an Internet signal. WiFi to a projector is known as “ad hoc” WiFi. In this context the term means a WiFi signal that travels from device to device.
WiFi not only allows one presenter to send images to the HP projector wirelessly, it also lets others do so, says Margi’s Mr. Underwood. This ends the hassle at conferences when multiple speakers each have presentations stored on a different computer and have to unplug and plug in wires, delaying the conference.
WiFi also allows people to present to an audience in one city while sitting in another. If HP’s Mr. Campbell, for instance, is stuck in Corvallis and wants to present to a group in Palo Alto, he can send his presentation using the WiFi network in his office in Corvallis. It will travel over the wired network to and emerge from the WiFi access point in the Palo Alto conference room to be shown on the projector.
The presentation also could be sent simultaneously to audiences in Palo Alto and, say, Chicago.
“This is ... networked capability for the road warrior, whether he’s across town or across the country,” Mr. Campbell says.
WiFi also can travel across the living room.
Airgo Networks Inc., a startup also based in Palo Alto, introduced in August a chipset that improves the performance and extends the range of present WiFi networks.
While Airgo is marketing its chips for use in the business world, they also can be used to send a picture and sound to a high-definition television in the home, says Carl Temme, director of marketing for Airgo.
“As there are more devices using WiFi technology, the value of that technology increases exponentially,” says Mr. Temme. “Soon all devices in the home will connect to one another and communicate things you wouldn’t think of today.”
Not so fast, George Jetson.
“I’m still a little skeptical of the wireless toaster,” says Sarosh Vesuna, senior technology chair and founding member of the board of the WiFi Alliance, an industry standards-setting organization based in Mountain View, Calif.
The alliance certifies products as compatible with the different types of 802.11 technology — 802.11 being the FCC-assigned frequency on which WiFi operates.
WiFi has been used in ad hoc settings longer than for Internet connections, Mr. Vesuna says. It is used for wireless inventory control in warehouses and to send doctors’ notes from a PDA to a central server in hospitals.
While 802.11b is the best known standard for wireless Internet connections in the home, it has its limitations. Other WiFi types, such as 802.11a, g, i or e, have different technical specifications and capabilities.
The 802.11b access point on a home computer would not be capable of streaming video to an HDTV because 802.11b operates too slowly, and there can be intolerable interference with other devices on the same channel, Mr. Vesuna says.
If there is interference on a laptop computer, a Web page downloads a little more slowly. But if there is interference on a WiFi delivered HDTV signal, the picture looks bad, defeating the purpose of upgrading from analog TV.
Such problems need to be solved if WiFi is to evolve.
“WiFi should be consumer-proof. It should just come up and work,” says Nicole Martin, spokeswoman for Bermai Inc., of Palo Alto, a maker of semiconductors for WiFi enabled devices.
Ms. Martin has heard of customers who lost their WiFi Internet connection because their cordless phone rang. Both devices operated at a frequency of 2.4 gigahertz.
Still, new WiFi products may be coming out this year.
When Rajeev Chand, a wireless equity analyst with the San Francisco investment bank Rutberg & Co., attended the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, he met with people from about a dozen of the top makers of consumer electronics products. Eight of them were interested in WiFi for their products, and seven of the eight were testing products they hoped to bring to market.
“In 2003, a major development [effort] for consumer electronics companies is wireless,” Mr. Chand says.
Copyright 2003 American City Business Journals Inc.
Motorola Should Name CEO Quickly-Analysts
Sunday September 21, 8:37 PM EDT
By Ben Klayman
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Motorola Inc. (MOT) must quickly name a successor and map out a clear strategy following the surprise exit of its chairman Friday or the expected boost in the company's stock price this week could be short-lived, analysts and investors said.
"There are some serious strategic questions they need to answer," Shawn Campbell, principal with Chicago-based Campbell Asset Management, which holds Motorola preferred shares, said of the board. "There's a lot of wood to chop here."
Motorola director John Pepper told Reuters in an e-mail Sunday that the search committee of which he is a member will consider all options for a new leader.
"The search committee will identify what qualifications they are looking for in a candidate," he said.
The company has not hired an executive search firm, a Motorola spokeswoman said. The board said Friday internal and external candidates would be considered and the search has begun to replace Chairman and Chief Executive Christopher Galvin.
Pepper, in his e-mail, said he would not speculate how Galvin's departure would affect the world's No. 2 cell phone maker. He did not provide an explanation of the board's vision and the disagreements with Galvin, who announced his retirement Friday from the company.
Several analysts and a number of investors said Motorola stock is expected to get a boost from the news, announced after the regular stock market session close.
In after-hours trading Friday on electronic trading platform Instinet, the company's stock rose more than 2 percent to $11.33 per share from its close on Friday of $11.09 on the New York Stock Exchange.
Analysts and investors shared the view that the board needs to name a replacement quickly and clearly articulate their strategies, if the anticipated rise in the stock price is to be sustained.
ASSET SALES A POSSIBILITY?
Some industry analysts and shareholders have long called for Motorola to rid itself of the money-losing semiconductor and struggling wireless equipment units.
The differences between Galvin and the board lead analysts and investors to speculate directors are pushing for changes that Galvin resisted, including selling or spinning off units.
"Not a ton of the company is synergistic. It's just a big holding company. You could break it up five ways," said one institutional investor. He has held his shares, despite his dislike of Galvin, in the hopes of a company break-up.
Delays in naming a successor to chart the future could lead to executive turnover and indecision, as well as low employee morale, analysts and investors added. Motorola board member Pepper -- a former chairman and chief executive of consumer products company Procter & Gamble Co.(PG) -- said in his e-mail that Motorola's retention rate for its top executives over the last two years has been in the high 90 percent range.
Over the past year, Galvin, grandson of the company's founder, has been heavily criticized by investors for the slow pace of change at the company, which is based in Schaumburg, Illinois. At the May annual meeting, Galvin faced questions from angry shareholders, whose stock in the company has lost almost half its value since he was named CEO in 1997.
The board also was criticized then for not pushing change faster at Motorola and for its support of Galvin, who told directors after meeting with them on Tuesday and Wednesday he would retire.
INSIDER OR OUTSIDER BEST FOR COMPANY?
Opinions differ on a whether a replacement should come from inside or outside the company.
Some employees, analysts and investors tout Motorola President Mike Zafirovski as the choice to lead the company.
Known as "Mike Z," Zafirovski has a strong track record, having returned Motorola's core cell-phone unit to profits before he was promoted to his current role last year. Some argue he qualifies as an outsider because he arrived only three years ago from General Electric Co. (GE)
"It's got to be Mike Z," Campbell said. "If they don't name Mike Z, he's out of there." The worry then is other executives would follow, leading to instability when Motorola can least afford it, having recently returned to profitability.
Another option is to name Zafirovski CEO and someone else non-executive chairman, analysts said
Others are not convinced, arguing the board should name an outsider with fresh ideas, free from Motorola's insular culture and untainted by a past that saw the company lose its cell phone leadership to Finnish rival Nokia (NOK1V) (NOK).
"You want an outsider seasoned in technology and willing to be an agent for change," said David Katz, chief investment officer of Matrix Asset Advisors, which sold its Motorola shares a year ago to invest in other technology stocks. He said Motorola is back on his radar as a possible investment.
The company should be an attractive opportunity for whoever succeeds Galvin, analysts said. "Motorola has so many resources, the possibilities of what to do with that company are a dream," Avtera Management analyst Tom Lauria said.
Galvin will remain in place until his replacement is hired, a prospect that leaves some analysts and investors unsettled. They fear his "lame duck" status will lead to questions about who is in charge and whether business will suffer.
©2003 Reuters Limited.
Motorola chief to step down
Last modified: September 19, 2003, 4:40 PM PDT
By Ben Charny
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Motorola CEO Chris Galvin plans to leave his post, citing differences with other executives over the company's future direction, the handset maker announced Friday.
Galvin said in a statement that he's stepping down because he does not "share the same view of the company's pace, strategy and progress at this stage." The statement did not provide additional details on the reason for the departure. A Motorola representative was not immediately available for further comment.
The company's presiding director, John Pepper Jr., said in a statement that Galvin will remain in the top slot at the No. 2 mobile phone maker until a replacement is found. Galvin also will take part in the executive search process, Pepper said.
Speculation about Galvin's replacement began within moments of the announcement. Among the early favorites are Mike Zafirovski, Motorola's president and chief operating officer.
Galvin has worked for Motorola for 36 years. He has been the company's chief executive officer since 1997, a reign in which he was criticized by analysts for not spinning off Motorola's semiconductor or cell phone divisions once they began experiencing less demand. Also under his leadership, Motorola was overtaken by Finland's Nokia as the world's No. 1 handset maker.
Galvin said he's leaving about midway through a five-year turnaround plan he devised for the company, which has been plagued by slumping industry demand for new cell phones.
"It is time for me to pass the baton to new leadership," Galvin said in a statement. "I leave my successor with a formidable Motorola platform compared to three years ago."
OT: mschere
Happiness is finding out how to post "links"
LOL
I appreciate all of your efforts on this board.
IT job sector eyes wireless expertise
by EMILY MOTSAY
Sept. 19, 2003 11:52 AM EST
Wireless expertise is in high demand in the information technology job sector, according to Mark Stenberg, career training and management expert at Career Center, the largest computer training school in New York City.
Career Center, which specializes in IT training and certification, has experienced an increase in interest in its wireless technology offerings. According to Stenberg, interest has grown in classes for network security, wireless network management and wireless application programming.
The school offers courses addressing wireless network security, a major concern for enterprises employing wireless technology. In addition, Career Center provides Certified Wireless Network Professional (CWNP) certification, with which graduates can install, maintain, troubleshoot, manage and administer wireless and Wi-Fi networks. Classes on wireless programming are also offered, and classes on Java are the most highly demanded, according to Stenberg.
Students range from entry-level individuals searching for employment to advanced IT professionals upgrading their skills. Approximately 24,000 students per year take classes at the school. Instructors at Career Center are experienced and active in their fields, ensuring they bring the latest information to the classroom. "We do not teach theory here; we teach hands-on applications and courses," said Stenberg.
Classes range from one-day workshops to two- to three-month courses and are offered during the day, at night and on weekends to cater to various lifestyles. The school offers career placement assistance, including direct job placement, an internship program, resume preparation services and job readiness courses.
I would appreciate comments regarding these graphs. TIA
http://www.tradetrek.com/NN/default.asp?symbol=IDCC
http://stockcharts.com/def/servlet/SC.pnf?c=IDCC,P&listNum=
Intel to Ship WiMAX Products in 2004
By Mark Hachman
September 18, 2003
SAN JOSE, Calif.--Intel Corp. will produce integrated products that meet the 802.16 WiMAX specification by mid-2004, executives said Wednesday.
In a press briefing at the Intel Developer Forum here that was designed to acquaint reporters with Intel's communications initiatives, Shane Wall, director and general manager of the Emerging Platforms Lab at Intel, said the company will produce both 802.16 and 802.11 wireless silicon, and that the two are complementary, not competitive.
In July, Intel announced its intention to develop 802.16a silicon in a joint partnership with Alvarion, a manufacturer of wireless equipment. 802.16 networks satisfy the "last mile" portion of a communications infrastructure, with the capability to transfer data at up to 30 miles at data transfer rates that approach 70M bps.
"A lot of people tried to take 802.11 and expand it to wider areas, with a lot of [resulting] deficiencies," Wall said. "WiMAX is 802.11 designed from the ground up. We expect to be first to market with integrated 802.16 by midyear, and systems and products by the end of next year."
Intel also manufactures 802.11b silicon, with 802.11a/b silicon due by the end of the year. In 2004, Intel will ship its "Sonoma" platform, the second generation of the Centrino platform that includes the Banias mobile processor, the Odem chip set and the Calexico 802.11b wireless card, according to Don MacDonald, director of marketing for Intel's Mobile Platforms Group.
The Sonoma platform will include the next-generation Dothan chip with a larger 2M-byte cache, the "Alviso" chip set with third-generation Intel Graphics, support for DDR-2 memory and PCI Express, as well as the "Calexico II" wireless card, which will support 802.11a/b/g, the 802.11i security specification and Cisco's second-generation Cisco Compatible Extensions (CCX), MacDonald said.
Check out eWEEK's coverage of the Intel Developer Forum.
Although executives at rival Broadcom Corp. have claimed that their products are a year ahead of those developed by Intel, MacDonald said that the "experience" of using Intel's silicon will be better than its rivals, as the company has had more experience testing the Calexico silicon against a number of access points.
The 802.11 and 802.16 products will be complementary, said Eric Mentzer, vice president of the Intel Communications Group and its chief technology officer. "The initial plan isn't to backhaul 802.16 [directly] to 802.11 hot spots," he said. "802.16 will go to the house, and 802.11 will be used inside the house."
Data - Not that I want to detract from the question that you just asked Ronny, which was, "ronny - good sleuthing! thanks...so it's not a stack license at all, but a chip royalty....so if selling price of the baseband is ~$25 our take would be......"
From a very old post by "Corpgold" (that has been near and dear to my heart), on Raging Bull, the expect range per chip should be $3 to $7 each. (Sorry I need to leave now so no time to try and find that link)
Nortel, Lucent continue to target China
by Sam Omatseye
Sept. 16, 2003 1:29 PM EST
In a simultaneous score for China's stride to third-generation technology, Nortel Networks Ltd. announced a carrier contract and a research and development investment, while Lucent Technologies Inc. announced successful interoperability testing.
Nortel said it has invested $200 million in R&D in China during the past three years, and it expects to double its number of employees in the country year over year. The company also plans to construct a campus in the Chao Yang District, the first phase of which will be completed late next year.
"With our ongoing emphasis on R&D in China, we are strengthening our presence here to drive the most advanced customer network transformations on a timely basis," said Frank Dunn, president and chief executive officer of Nortel.
The company also signed a $139 million contract to with China Unicom to expand its CDMA networks. The new equipment rollout began in April.
"The market keeps growing in both sheer numbers and in demand for more sophisticated applications," said Robert Mao, chief executive of Greater China for Nortel.
Lucent said it completed W-CDMA interoperability testing with key players like Alcatel, Motorola Inc., ZTE and Huawei.
"Our W-CDMA customers can now deploy mobile networks using equipment from multiple vendors with confidence that those systems will work together seamlessly," said Roger Derrin, vice president for W-CDMA product management with Lucent Mobility Solutions group.
Primus enters handset market with low-end phone
by Mike Dano
Sept. 16, 2003 1:31 PM EST
PTL 650
Communications company Primus Telecommunications Group Inc. announced an innovative plan to sell low-end mobile phones in Europe, a move that further expands the mobile-phone market to include telecommunications providers.
Primus is a global telecommunications company offering bundled voice, data, Internet, digital subscriber line, Web hosting, enhanced application, virtual private network, voice-over-Internet Protocol and other value-added services throughout the world. In Europe, the company serves residential subscribers and provides solutions to corporations such as Apple, BMW, British Airways and Volkswagen.
Now Primus said it will sell its PTL 650, a low-end, monochrome-screen handset that is "unlocked." This means customers will be able to use the phone on a variety of networks and with a range of payment methods. The phone will be available at a variety of retail outlets. Primus said the phone is the first in a series of devices it will sell.
The move further expands the boundaries of the mobile-phone business. Indeed, some in the wireless industry have been working to lower the barriers for entry for players such as Primus by providing low-cost mobile-phone design references and manufacturing services. Such reference designs have allowed a variety of new players, mostly Asian manufacturing companies, to enter the wireless market with little effort.
Indeed, also today semiconductor company Infineon Technologies announced a partnership with network equipment company Huawei Technologies to offer a reference design and protocol stack software for a W-CDMA mobile-phone platform.
Now it seems even telecommunications providers are jumping onto the bandwagon, possibly putting additional pressures on the industry's established players.
Data -
From you post, "$30 for a complete phone is REALLY cheap"
Could this be retail pricing after operator subsidizing is deducted?
China question -
What is China's authoritative body that is comparable to our U.S. Patent Office? Is IDCC filing our patents with that organization at this time to protect our investment in the IPR in China? TIA
Wireless webs to cope with a crisis
Center develops tools to address emergencies in post-9/11 era Paul Kolodzy, director of the Wireless Network Security Center at the Stevens Institute of Technology, talks about the Canobeam optical transmission camera mounted atop the physics building on the campus.
By Brian Bergstein
ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOBOKEN, N.J., Sept. 12 — Perched on a hilltop campus across the Hudson River from Manhattan, Paul Kolodzy sees more than New York’s hulking grandeur and the gap where the World Trade Center once towered. He sees innumerable places where wireless technologies ought to be making everyone safer.
THOSE FERRIES on the river? Let’s give them satellite transponders that could get important data if radio systems become swamped in a crisis. That Port Authority building? Let’s send it information with a laser.
And, says Kolodzy, why not give authorities in different agencies a way to share encrypted information instantly through whatever kinds of networks — like radio, cell phone, Wi-Fi — are available to them at any given moment.
Kolodzy and other researchers are testing these ideas at the Stevens Institute of Technology’s Wireless Network Security Center with one main goal: avoiding the communications knots that have plagued emergency responders for years and glared on Sept. 11, 2001.
Fire and police officials with radios on different frequencies had trouble coordinating actions. Overwhelmed and weak radio transmissions kept commanders from tracking firefighters inside the Trade Center and warning them the towers were about to collapse.
LITTLE IMPROVEMENT
There has since been little improvement in the communications systems authorities would need in another catastrophe of such magnitude.
Key airwave frequencies remain congested. Newer radio equipment is expensive and problematic. Different emergency agencies communicate not only on different frequencies but with different terminology.
Overall, agencies are getting better at jointly planning how to handle regional emergencies, but that is a time-consuming slog.
“Don’t forget: We’re government, and government doesn’t move that fast,” said Vincent Stile, police radio director in Suffolk County, N.Y., and president of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials.
Even so, in a world where conversations, shopping transactions, e-mails and other bits of our digital existence routinely flit across the airwaves, technology experts say there should be better solutions for situations with lives at stake.
Stevens’ engineers hope to weave several network technologies into one system that would let public-safety officials get a clearer sense of unfolding emergencies and communicate better with authorities in neighboring jurisdictions.
SATELLITE PHOTOS AND STARS
Inside the second-floor office of the school’s Wireless Network Security Center, engineer Jason Evans clicks on a laptop to show a satellite photo of Hoboken. Stars denoting campus police cars move on the screen, tracked in real time as the cops’ laptops communicate with wireless computer networks at Stevens and cellular phone networks off campus.
An adjoining laptop shows photos just taken by cameras that are automatically tripped by sensors on fences and at other strategic spots on campus.
“We’re trying to link a network of networks,” said Kolodzy, who previously served as wireless guru for the Pentagon and the Federal Communications Commission. “There’s a huge amount of infrastructure out there — why can’t we somehow exploit existing infrastructure instead of having to build yet another?”
Similarly, some technologists expect big things from “software-defined” radios that could communicate on several different frequencies. A police radio, for example, could be programmed to dodge interference while doubling as a cell phone.
Another flexible technology showing promise is “mesh” or “ad hoc” networking, which was developed in the military. In mesh networks, individual radio devices serve not only as receivers but also as relay points that pass information on to other devices.
So while a firefighter might be too deep in a big building to be able to radio directly back to command officials, in a mesh network he need only be able to reach another firefighter nearby, whose radio could zap a conversation or nugget of data to the next closest radio, and so on until it reaches the intended target.
The setup requires less power and deprives attackers of a centralized target to take down.
“It’s like trying to kill an anthill. You can step on as many ants as you want, and it doesn’t matter,” said Rick Rotondo, a vice president of MeshNetworks Inc., which recently provided the technology to rescue crews in Orange County, Fla.
Mesh networks also can give commanders real-time updates of their users’ physical locations, even indoors.
That ability is “sort of the Holy Grail for first responders,” said Nader Moayeri, a wireless-group manager at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. “There is nothing like that right now that they have.”
By adding special software to off-the-shelf handheld computers with wireless networking cards, Moayeri’s team has designed an ad hoc network of devices that let emergency crews talk to each other, share pictures and even make phone calls, using “voice over Internet protocol” technology that translates sound into packets of data.
NIST is developing the technology in order to create standards that all commercial vendors could follow — hopefully to avoid interoperability problems that plague emergency radio communications.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS TANGLE
In recent years, many emergency responders have bought “trunked” radio systems, which establish one network that different agencies can use together. But those systems are expensive, sometimes difficult to master and iffy in hilly areas and big buildings.
Plus, they generally transmit in the 800-megahertz band, a frequency already used by mobile phone carriers, primarily Nextel Communications. The resulting interference often deadens public-safety communications.
Nextel is willing to move to other bands and pay for public-safety agencies to realign their frequencies. But those plans are being contested by rival wireless carriers that fear Nextel might unfairly benefit from the spectrum swap.
Another spat in Washington is complicating efforts to give public-safety agencies the 700-megahertz band, which could support new applications such as quick transfers of fingerprints, mug shots and pictures useful in emergencies.
Some TV broadcasters will have to vacate that band, but not until 2006, and only then in markets where 85 percent of households can get digital TV signals.
Consequently, public-safety groups want Congress to put more teeth into the 2006 deadline.
“We’ve been squeezing as much as we have from the spectrum available to us,” said Stile, head of the public-safety communications group. “The 700 band is an area of spectrum that we need desperately.”