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oldie but a goodie...
TY...I will...its been a long time since I made a post. I have read much, but just been lurking mostly. The Verizon announcement was excited since that's my service provider. I however, am very happy with my Samsung Fascinate. The Samsung smart-phones are phenomenal in my opinion.
The droid phones are going to give Apple a run for their money!
TY Data...I was hoping so. Sounds like a logical point you bring up. I think Verizon has the ability to go ballistic with the iphone starting in Feb. Lets hope so........
will IDC get paid for IPR on the CDMA Apple iphone built for Verizon?...theres several million units there easy
good reading on new iphone
http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/24905 part I
http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/24905 part II
LOL......Corn? way to go Samsung....
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9098178&source=rss_topic75
Nokia Siemens looking to pump up EDGE
Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:16AM EDT
See Comments (0)
Buzz up!on Yahoo!Annoyed by your iPhone's pokey Web surfing over EDGE? Well, your browsing might get a lot faster thanks to Nokia Siemens, which is promising to double the speed of EDGE wireless networks with a mere software upgrade.
CNET News.com reports that the Nokia Siemens software, which should be ready by the third quarter of 2008, could boost EDGE download speeds to about 592kbps, compared to an average of 210kbps over the iPhone's EDGE connection.
Naturally, AT&T would need to deploy the Nokia Siemens software upgrade on its network for subscribers to reap the benefits; so far, not a peep from AT&T about Nokia Siemens' announcement.
And the upgrade wouldn't just help iPhone owners; anyone with an EDGE-only phone would get much faster Web browsing and data access. T-Mobile, which has yet to launch its own 3G network, could particularly benefit from a speedier EDGE network.
That said, enhanced EDGE access would still lag well behind 3G networks. As CNET points out, AT&T's HSDPA network boasts download speeds in the 600kbps to 1.4MB range—and that means that any goodies in store for the upcoming 3G iPhone might still be out of reach of the original iPhone, enhanced EDGE or no.
http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/15743
Qualcomm focuses on 'pocketable computers'
Nancy Gohring Today’s Top Stories
January 08, 2008 (IDG News Service) -- At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Qualcomm Inc. offered a sneak peek of its concept for an ultramobile PC for the largely untapped market where it will meet Intel Corp. head on.
For the first time, Qualcomm demonstrated a prototype of a device reminiscent of Nokia Corp.'s N800. Qualcomm calls it a pocketable computer because "if you can't carry it in your pocket, you can't carry it with you," said Sanjay Jha, chief operating officer and president of Qualcomm's CDMA Technologies Group. The device, which has a slide-out keyboard, runs Windows Mobile and has HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9056158&source=rss_topic75
View more stories from 2008 International CES The screen is 800 pixels wide so that most Web sites designed for PCs render nicely, Jha said. That means users could view the regular YouTube.com site, rather than a version of the site designed for mobile phones, he said.
The prototype runs on the 7201 chip, a new chip released recently by Qualcomm, but the design is intended to showcase Qualcomm's new Snapdragon line of chips. Those chips are now being sampled by hardware vendors, with initial commercial devices expected out this year, he said.
Despite the slow takeoff of such devices that sit between notebooks and mobile phones -- such as the Samsung Q that runs on Microsoft Corp.'s Windows-based ultramobile PC platform -- Jha said other factors are finally falling into place to increase their appeal. Faster wireless networks, better processors that require less power and in the near future, the openness of mobile networks and billing plans should increase demand and sales, he said.
Still, Qualcomm doesn't expect that this category of device will approach the widespread adoption of mobile phones. He figures that smart phones make up about 200 million of the entire 1.3 billion handsets on the market. "I think it's possible to envision a device that sells in that ballpark volume," Jha said.
The chip maker will face Intel in this market, which is also introducing chips for devices that are smaller than laptops but bigger than cell phones. In fact, Apple is rumored to be developing an ultramobile PC product based on Intel's processors.
"We come at this problem from an understanding of wireless," Jha said. "Intel comes at it from an understanding of computing. We both bring different things to the table. Time will tell how our vision works versus Intel's direction."
The companies are also making different bets in terms of wireless network compatibility. "We're working on WiMax as well, but our priority is clearly 3G," Jha said. Intel, a big backer of WiMax, has said that it may build WiMax into Menlow, its platform for ultramobile devices, for release some time this year.
Nokia's N800 devices fit into a similar category between a phone and a notebook. Despite the fact that Nokia and Qualcomm are in a bitter licensing dispute, Jha praised the N800, saying it sold more initially than Nokia expected. Nokia has typically declined to reveal sales figures for the devices.
Qualcomm doesn't envision that Snapdragon will only be used in pocketable computing devices. The chips could be used in navigation devices with wireless connectivity to deliver traffic information to users. Gaming devices, dedicated Internet devices or gadgets like Amazon's digital book reader Kindle could also use the chips, Jha said.
LOL Nokias spins this their own way....
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUKL2148427520071221?rpc=44
HELSINKI/LONDON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Nokia (NOK1V.HE: Quote, Profile, Research) on Friday welcomed what it said was an extremely favourable court decision in a battle with wireless firm InterDigital (IDCC.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on patents relating to the UMTS mobile standard.
Nokia, the world's largest mobile-phone maker, won a London High Court declaration that most of the patents in the case are not essential for mobile phone operators wishing to comply with the third-generation (3G) standard, as claimed by InterDigital.
"I consider that three out of the four patents in issue before me are not essential to the standard,"Mr Justice Pumfrey said in his decision on Friday.
He did rule that one patent relating to power control in mobile handsets was essential to the 3G standard. The validity of that patent may be considered at a later hearing and Nokia could be found to have infringed it.
The patents involved in the case relate to power control, increasing capacity of mobile base stations and improved signal quality.
"The result is an extremely favourable outcome for Nokia and other industry participants," Nokia said in a statement.
Nokia filed a complaint in July 2005 asking the High Court to declare that 31 of InterDigital's European patents were not essential to the UMTS standard, saying the it was proactively defending itself from potential infringement suits in Europe by InterDigital.
InterDigital filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission in August saying Nokia was engaged in unfair trade practice involving two InterDigital patents related to certain 3G handsets and components.
InterDigital also filed a complaint against Samsung Electronics (005930.KS: Quote, Profile, Research) and certain of its affiliates with the Commission in March, alleging patent infringements.
InterDigital said in October the International Trade Commission had consolidated proceedings in the two cases. (Reporting by Sami Torma in Helsinki and Roger Pearson in London; Editing by Quentin Bryar)
Also...looks like some countries have laws against only one carrier having the rights to any particular cell phone like the iphone.....should be good for us in some places...to bad it cant happen here.
http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/7338
Tell Me LG will not have a winner with this baby......
Very, very impressive...the new Voyager...or the VX 10000 by Verizon
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071004/BLOG01/71004011/1002/BUSINESS&imw=Y
LG's Voyager mimics some Apple features but has regular keyboard
By Jeffry Bartash, MarketWatch
Last Update: 12:32 PM ET Oct 3, WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Verizon Wireless hopes to bear fruit from the hype surrounding the Apple iPhone with the release of its own touchscreen-based handset.
The No. 2 U.S. wireless carrier plans to start selling the Voyager, made by LG of South Korea, before the end of the month.
While Verizon Wireless, owned by Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ:verizon communications com
News, chart, profile, more
Last: 45.21-0.13-0.30%
On the outside, the Voyager looks somewhat like LG's current EnV model, but it has a bigger screen and a full set of touch-based controls. On the inside, the Voyager includes a second screen as well as a full keyboard with push buttons. See Photos.
By contrast, the iPhone has one screen and employs a virtual touchscreen keyboard that lacks actual buttons. Some customers have found the touchscreen keyboard difficult to use.
"The company expects the Voyager to compete well with the iPhone," UBS analyst John Hodulik told clients Wednesday. "It has a larger touchscreen, but unfolds a traditional keyboard for ease of writing."
The Voyager also includes an Internet browser, a two-megapixel camera and Bluetooth wireless headphone capability. Customers can add as much as 8 gigabytes of storage with SD flash memory, the same capacity of the iPhone or an iPod Nano music player.
One potential advantage of the Voyager is that the device runs on the Verizon Wireless high-speed network, which is significantly faster than the AT&T network on which the iPhone operates. Yet the iPhone partly offsets that feature by being able to connect at even faster speeds when users are near a Wi-Fi "hotspot."
'High-end multimedia phone'
"If you have your heart set on an iPhone, I don't think that the Voyager -- or LG's brand -- is strong enough to overcome that," said Current Analysis analyst Avi Greengart, who tested a beta version of the devic.
"However, LG has crammed a tremendous amount of entertainment technology into a nice package, and Verizon Wireless subscribers looking for a high-end multimedia phone will definitely want to put this at the top of their holiday wish list."
Verizon Wireless didn't list a price for the Voyager, but the device is expected to cost less than the $399 iPhone when it goes on sale. Verizon Wireless also plans to release three other new models shortly before the start of the busy holiday shopping season.
Since the iPhone was launched in late June, more than 1 million units have been sold. The handset is offered exclusively through AT&T, the largest mobile carrier in the U.S. and the top rival of Verizon Wireless.
Verizon Wireless has clearly aimed the Voyager at prospective iPhone customers. Over the past two years, the company has been growing faster than AT&T on a quarterly basis and doesn't want to surrender this advantage.
The iPhone gave AT&T a boost in the third quarter, and a recent price cut is likely to generate strong fourth-quarter sales as well.
Also Wednesday, UBS predicted AT&T will gain 1.7 million net customers in the third quarter, compared with its prior estimate of 1.6 million. The brokerage also forecast Verizon Wireless would add 1.6 million net customers and said that
At $ 99.95 USD the LG Voyager, it is a great price for better technology and has a keyboard.
Useful, low-cost and high tech is a winning combination.
Bottom Line
http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/03/verizons-lg-voyager-heads-up-newly-official-fall-lineup/
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/lgs-voyager-handset-positioned-challenge/story.aspx?guid={9E8A....
September 19, 2007 -- A day after announcing a Nov. 9 launch for its iPhone in the U.K., Apple Inc. today said it will debut the smart phone in Germany on the same day.
Apple's wireless partner in Germany will be Deutsche Telekom AG's T-Mobile International AG unit. "We're thrilled to be partnering with T-Mobile to bring the iPhone to Germany," said Apple CEO Steve Jobs in a statement.
The 8GB iPhone will be sold in Deutsche Telekom retail stores, the T-Mobile online shop and Apple's own e-store starting Nov. 9 for €399 ($556 U.S.), including value-added tax. The price in the U.S. is $399, sales tax not included. Yesterday, Jobs pegged the price of the iPhone in the U.K. at £269, or about $537.
Unlike the announcement in the U.K., however, where carrier partner Telefonica O2 Europe PLC spelled out iPhone plan prices, T-Mobile only said that its plan or plans -- dubbed "tariffs" in Europe -- will come with two-year contracts. Monthly rates and plan specifics won't be unveiled until shortly before the iPhone goes on sale, T-Mobile CEO Hamid Akhavan told reporters this morning in Berlin.
German customers will have to make do with the same iPhone that debuted in the U.S. in June. Apple said the device will connect to an Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) network when outside the range of a Wi-Fi hot spot. EDGE, sometimes called 2.5G, is slower than the 3G (third-generation) wireless data networks that are more common in Europe than in the U.S.
T-Mobile said it will deploy EDGE throughout its German coverage areas by the end of this year but did not say what portion would be ready by the Nov. 9 launch. Nor did T-Mobile say whether its Wi-Fi hot-spot network -- the company has some 8,600 hot spots in Germany alone -- will be available free of charge to iPhone users.
T-Mobile International and T-Mobile USA Inc. did not respond to questions about its tariff plans and EDGE coverage.
Speculation had fingered T-Mobile as the most likely exclusive iPhone carrier in Germany. In France, which hasn't been visited yet by Jobs on his multicountry tour, pundits have been putting money on Orange PLC, the wireless arm of France Telecom, as the probable partner.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9037598&so...
Thing I'm confused about...is how can a public company have the legal right to hide stuff from the shareholders?...I mean I dont work in the market, so can someone explain that to me?
Isnt there reporting rules and disclosures?....
Now I'm really confused. If the reason for the hush hush, is more more deals or information to follw....then why cant they just say so.
Damn this company is frustrating.....I'll be honest, I cant wait till this company is either bought or reached its Pinnacle. Whenever that may be...........this has got to be one of the most ridculous stocks ever, with the amount of potential it has............unbelievable
I agree with that....because how could a company double dip?...I mean if your getting a royalty for the chipset...how can you charge them for the license per phone too? Maybe they worked out a deal.
MHO
Fingers crossed...eom
heres why Apple signed...
http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/2007/pulpit_20070705_002421.html
Apparantely this guy worked with Steve Jobs at Apple...many , many moons ago.
Ericsson Shares Rise On Strong Q3 Outlook
Posted by Eric Savitz
Ericsson (ERIC) shares are higher this morning after some upbeat comments on the third quarter from CEO Carl-Henric Svanberg.
September 11, 2007, 10:13 am
According to Bloomberg, Svanberg said at a meeting with investors in London today that growth will remains “strong” in the third quarter as more clients upgrade networks to accommodate higher data traffic.
Svanberg said the company sees 2007 growth in the mid-single digits, and said the company continues to do well “in all our areas.”
He said that wireless network demand is “beyond any expectation.”
Ericsson is up $1.49, or 4%, at $37.74.
CMON IDCC time to get these guys done on 3G already !!!!!!!!!
Interdigital and Infineon mentioned in EE Times
3G version of the iPhone imminent, says analyst
John Walko
EE Times Europe
(09/11/2007 8:24 AM EDT)
LONDON — There is no doubt a 3G version of Apple's iPhone is in the wings and it could be announced soon, according to wireless chip and DSP sector analyst Will Strauss of Forward Concepts.
There is also speculation that Apple will announce the Wideband-CDMA 3G capable version of the phone when it finally reveals which operators it has chosen for the European launch of the handset.
An announcement is expected imminently, and could come as soon as this week.
Whether the iPhone's 3G baseband chip would also include the higher-speed HSDPA capability for the next release is uncertain, according to Strauss.
"We have, however, confirmed that Infineon Technologies is producing UMTS baseband chips for at least two cellphone companies, and Infineon is also the only non-captive source for WCDMA/UMTS transceiver chips — and also the biggest producer of GSM/GPRS transceivers, with a third of the world market last year — said Strauss.
Infineon (Munich, Germany) already supplies the EDGE baseband and associated RF transceiver for the existing 2G version of the iPhone that is being sold in the U.S through AT&T Wireless.
Strauss also suggests that there is significant Intellectual Property from InterDigital Communications in the 3G iPhone baseband chip likely to be manufactured by Infineon.
He notes that last week Interdigital, Inc. (IDCC) and its subsidiaries (including InterDigital Communications LLC) signed a worldwide, non-transferable, non-exclusive, fixed-fee royalty-bearing patent license agreement with Apple.
Under the seven-year license agreement, InterDigital granted a license to Apple under InterDigital's patent portfolio covering "the current iPhone and certain future mobile phones, if any."
Meanwhile, it seems certain that Vodafone has lost out, probably to Telefonica subsidiary O2, for the rights to distribute the iPhone in the U.K.
On Monday (Sept. 10), Vodafone launched an unlimited music download service dubbed MusicStation, trying to steal Apple's thunder in Europe about the music playing capabilities of the iPhone. MusicStation has a library of over 1 million tracks from the major music publishers and will be available for download to about 75 percent of Vodafone's current handsets.
Also over the weekend, in an interview with the Sunday Times Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin, referring to the existing iPhone, said: "It's a 2G phone, not 3G. When it's a broadband phone we will be interested in carrying it."
The speculation still persists that France Telecom subsidiary Orange will win the rights to sell the iPhone ѿ whether 2G or 3G capable at launch — in France, while T-Mobile will get the nod in Germany.
All European operators will, however and unusually, have to share revenues of as much as 10 percent with Apple for both voice and data usage.
Related Links:
European suppliers score in Apple's iPhone
Apple demands a high-price for iPhone from European carriers
Infineon shares jump on iPhone price cut
http://www.eetimes.com/news/semi/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201805434
Apple article from June 29 where Steve Jobs hints at 3G future
Bandwidth 101: Why the iPhone Is So Slow
Moving swiftly to address the issue identified by early reviewers as the iPhone's weakest link, the CEOs of Apple (AAPL) and AT&T (T) launched a two-man media offensive on the eve of its launch.
In a series of interviews with the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today, Steve Jobs and Randall Stephenson used nearly identical talking points as they defended their decision to rely on AT&T's sluggish EDGE network rather than the faster 3G network that AT&T sells corporate customers. "It's good enough," Jobs told the Journal. "But you wish it was a little faster."
Jobs described the iPhone's network strategy as a "sandwich": it connects to fast Wi-Fi networks where they are available and switches back to the slower EDGE network when they're not -- which is the case for most of the U.S.
"We think we made a pretty good doggone decision," said Jobs.
So what exactly are these acronyms -- EDGE, 3G and Wi-Fi -- and how do they compare? A primer:
2G: Second generation (2G) cell phone and data standards differ primarily from first generation (1G) in that they are digital, not analog. They come in two main flavors: GSM, used by roughly 2 billion people in the world, and CDMA, used by fewer than 300 million.
3G: There are a dozen variations of s0-called third generation (3G) standards, which have been widely deployed in the Far East and to a lesser extent in Europe. But coverage in the U.S. is spotty. Jobs said he looked at 3G chipsets, but decided they were too bulky and drained batteries too quickly or use in the first generation iPhone. He hinted broadly that that might change in future versions.
EDGE: An acronym for Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution, this is what experts call a bolt-on enhancement of GSM. It takes a second generation (2G) network and makes it roughly 2.75G. EDGE can carry data speeds up to 236.8 kbit/second for 4 timeslots. AT&T's EDGE network was delivering roughly 40 kbit/s before it was upgraded in advance of iPhone's launch. Today several sites are reporting download speeds of better than 200 kbits/s over the same network. (link)
HSDPA: An acronym for High-Speed Download Packet Access, this is the protocol AT&T uses to deliver 3G data speeds. In its current form, HSDPA supports download speeds of 1.8 Mbit/s, 3.6 Mbit/s, 7.2 Mbit/s and 14.4 Mbit/s. It can eventually be upgraded to 42 Mbit/s.
Wi-Fi: Thought to stand for Wireless Fidelity, Wi-Fi is usually used to deliver wireless connections to local area networks to computers, but it can also be used for phone calls over so-called VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol). In its various flavors it can deliver from 4 Mbits/s to 74 Mbits/s over relatively short distances (from 30 to 100 meters). Many commercial establishments (like Starbucks) offer Wi-Fi for a price, but computer owners often share their Wi-Fi connections and several U.S. cities have started blanketing public areas with free Wi-Fi.
http://blogs.business2.com/apple/2007/06/bandwidth-101-w.html
WTF?....LOL.......what would be considered material to him? I think Apple is one of them companys that anything surrounding them will get attention whether its deserved or not. Wall Street has its darlings and right now they are in the top 10
MHO
IPhone outsells smartphones in U.S. in July: iSuppli
Friday September 7, 1:18 pm ET
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Apple Inc's (NasdaqGS:AAPL - News) iPhone outsold all smartphones in the United States in July, its first full month on sale, accounting for 1.8 percent of all U.S. mobile handset sales, research group iSuppli said on Tuesday.
ISuppli reiterated its forecast that Apple would sell 4.5 million iPhones this year, rising to more than 30 million in 2011.
The two models of the iPhone on the market sold more than any of Research in Motion's (Toronto:RIM.TO - News) BlackBerry series, the entire Palm (NasdaqGS:PALM - News) portfolio and any individual smartphone model from Motorola (NYSE:MOT - News), Nokia (Helsinki:NOK1V.HE - News) or Samsung (005930.KS).
ISuppli issued a clarification on Thursday that the iPhone had not outsold the entire BlackBerry range.
"ISuppli's sell-through research and the subsequent press release indicated that the iPhone outsold all smart phone models in July in the United States on an individual basis. While iSuppli stands by this analysis, it is important to note that iPhone's retail sales did not exceed the combined retail sales of the entire BlackBerry line of smartphones (approximately twice that of the iPhone if taken in total," it said in a statement.
Sales equaled those of LG Electronics' (066570.KS) Chocolate, the most popular feature phone on the U.S. market, iSuppli said.
ISuppli classifies the iPhone as a crossover phone that competes with both smartphones, which have personal computer-like functions such as e-mail, and feature phones, which have extras such as cameras and music players.
"While iSuppli has not collected historical information on this topic, it's likely that the speed of the iPhone's rise to competitive dominance in its segment is unprecedented in the history of the mobile-handset market," iSuppli said.
"Apple achieved this in the face of numerous, well-entrenched competitors."
Most buyers of iPhones in the United States in July were male, under 35 and had a college degree, iSuppli said.
A quarter of those who bought an iPhone switched to operator AT&T (NYSE:T - News), which has an exclusive service agreement for the iPhone in the United States.
The iPhone will go on sale in Europe later this year.
ISuppli gathered its data through a consumer survey of 2 million participants in the United States that it carries out online once a month.
Will HTC sue Apple over 'Touch'
September 06, 2007 (IDG News Service) -- High Tech Computer Corp. celebrated its 10th anniversary on Thursday with a rare compliment from Apple Inc.: The company adopted the same name HTC uses on one of its smart phones for the iPod touch.
HTC, a Taiwanese handset and PDA maker, earlier this year launched the HTC Touch, a Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 Professional OS smart phone designed with one-touch screen features, viewed by many as a rival to the iPhone.
Upon hearing of the name of the new iPod, HTC President and CEO Peter Chou said, "HTC Touch is a trademark, but I can't comment right now" on whether HTC might file suit against Apple.
Apple's use of the moniker, however, proves it's a good product name, he added.
Apple launched the iPod touch Wednesday. The digital music player sports a 3.5-in. wide-screen display and Wi-Fi capabilities so users can connect to the Internet. The device will be priced at $299 U.S. for an 8GB model and $399 for the 16GB version. The touch will go on sale in a few weeks.
HTC is the largest maker of mobile devices based on Microsoft Windows operating systems, and its focus on a 2.8-in. touch screen in the HTC Touch is similar to Apple's emphasis on touch screen features in its iPhone. The HTC Touch beat the iPhone to market by a few weeks back in June, but the iPhone was unveiled much earlier, on Jan. 9 at Macworld.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9034621&so....
Nokia discontinues some chip set development
The mobile phone maker will rely on technology from other chip set makers
August 08, 2007 (IDG News Service) -- Mobile phone maker Nokia Corp. said today it will halt some chip set development and instead rely on technology from other chip set manufacturers.
As a result of the change in strategy, half of a 400-person group focused on chip set development will move to STMicroelectronics NV, one of four chip suppliers that Nokia will use for its mobile phones, said Arja Suominen, Nokia's head of communications. STMicroelectronics will supply chips for third-generation technology.
The remaining 200 researchers will work on modem and protocol technologies and other services and application development, according to Suominen. Overall, the group represented a "very small" part of Nokia's research and development operation, she said. The research that group produces can then be licensed to the chip set makers, according to Nokia.
The move will also help Nokia save money when buying high volumes of chip sets, Suominen said.
Nokia views its modem technology, the communication center of the chip set responsible for aspects such as call quality, as one of its high-value assets, said Niklas Savander, executive vice president for technology platforms.
"This technology has played a very important role in our success," Savander said during a conference call with analysts and journalists.
By licensing its modem technology, Nokia hopes chip set manufacturers will avoid developing their own modem and protocol stack and instead invest in other areas, Savander said.
The amount of licensing revenue from Nokia's development deal with STMicroelectronics will depend on how successful the chip maker is at selling its chip sets to other vendors, Savander said.
Texas Instruments Inc. will continue to be the primary supplier for a range of chips used in Nokia phones, Suominen said. However, Nokia also said it has picked Broadcom Corp. to supply chips with EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) technology. Earlier this year, Nokia picked Infineon Technologies AG as a supplier for GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) chips.
Nokia has purchased chips from Broadcom previously, but the latest deal focuses on products for EDGE networks, which are expected to be "a very large piece of the overall mobile phone market," said Yossi Cohen, senior vice president and general manager of Broadcom's mobile platforms group. The deal is Broadcom's first for these specific kind of chips.
Broadcom will supply Nokia with a low-power chip set made using the 65-nanometer process, capable of handling H.264 video compression and high-speed USB connections of up to 480Mbit/sec. with PCs, Cohen said. Broadcom will also supply a separate power management chip that controls lighting and the distribution of power to different subsystems, he said.
Cohen said phones using the chips are expected in the second half of 2008, but Nokia's Suominen declined to confirm that timeline.
It's also unclear whether the changes in Nokia's chip set development plans will result in cheaper phones. The chip set is just one component in a mobile phone, and it's one of several factors that influence pricing, Suominen said.
"As you know, the competition in this market is tough, and the average selling prices [of mobile phones] in the industry have declined, so we need to take care of our competitiveness," she said.
Five Reasons Not to Buy an iPhone
By Brett Arends
Mutual Funds Columnist
6/29/2007 10:06 AM EDT
There is much to admire about the new iPhone. The hardware looks beautiful and the product is apparently smooth and easy to use. It's a terrific achievement for Steve Jobs and the Apple (AAPL - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr - Rating) team. So give them their moment in the sun.
But beyond all the iHype and iMania, let's get one thing clear. The iPhone isn't the future. It isn't a revolutionary mobile device ushering in a new era.
At its heart, this fancy-looking new product is very old fashioned. The reason: It tries to keep Apple and AT&T (T - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr - Rating) in control instead of you.
How?
1. You need to pay AT&T to make phone calls.
The first thing that stands out about this supposedly "revolutionary" communication device is that it is missing the one revolutionary piece of technology that is turning telecommunications upside down.
Walter Mossberg at The Wall Street Journal and David Pogue at The New York Times both harped on about the fact that the iPhone can't use modern "3G" data networks, but they missed an even bigger omission.
'VoIP,' or Voice over Internet Protocol.
For the uninitiated, this is the technology that allows you to make free, or nearly free, phone calls over any Internet connection. No, this isn't just geek stuff. Skype and Vonage (VG - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr - Rating) are two widely used VoIP services, and there are now many more. The technology is growing rapidly. Free and open Wi-Fi networks are springing up like weeds in every city.
Sources close to Apple confirmed to me that the iPhone lacks VoIP technology. It cannot use Wi-Fi networks to make cheap calls over the Internet
(Stop the Presses: Steve Jobs has just revealed in a Wall Street Journal interview that he excluded VoIP from the iPhone because he didn't consider it a "breakthrough" technology. He has added, though, that a third party developer may produce a VoIP program for the iPhone in due course, to run through the browser.")
That's great news for AT&T, of course. It's bad news for consumers.
My Nokia (NOK - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr - Rating) e61 smartphone -- which I bought online from Europe -- can use VoIP. Net result? I just slashed my cell-phone bills by $80 a month. That's nearly $1,000 a year. And I expect to cut a lot more. I am already shifting the bulk of my phone calls to VoIP and I mainly use the cellular network for backup.
True, I am not always near a Wi-Fi network -- but it's remarkable how often I am. Boston, where I live, is rolling out citywide Wi-Fi over the next 18 months.
The irony? The original "iPhone" was a Cisco Systems (CSCO - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr - Rating) phone for making VoIP calls.
2. It will cost you more than $2,000 over the next two years.
Yes, you read that right. Ignore the reports that an iPhone will "only" cost you $499 or $599. That's just what you pay to start. To use your new phone, you will then have to sign up for a two-year voice and data plan with AT&T. Minimum charge: $59.99 a month, or $1,440 for the life of the contract. Add that to the initial cost and you're looking at $2,000 or more.
How, in an age of freedom, can people agree to be locked into a contract for two years simply for the privilege of buying a phone? The kicker: Your iPhone will be obsolete long before your contract expires because it doesn't even run on the modern "3G" data connections. The first iPhones only run on AT&T's slower, 2004-era EDGE network.
3. You can't choose networks.
Henry Ford once said customers could have their Model T in "any color so long as it's black." That worked for a while. Then people got bored and switched to General Motors (GM - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr - Rating).
Today, Steve Jobs tells customers they can use their iPhone on any network ... so long as it's AT&T.
The iPhone is electronically "locked" so you can't use it on any other cellular system, like T-Mobile. That means you aren't free to shop around for the best deal. It also means you will pay a fortune if you try to take it overseas. You will be stuck using AT&T's overseas partners and paying their international "roaming" charges. The last time I did that it cost me hundreds of dollars in a few days.
Now I have an "unlocked" smartphone (from Europe). When I go abroad I just buy a pay-as-you-go SIM card from a local network. It costs me pennies on the dollar. A growing number of Americans are rebelling against network control and buying their own unlocked cell phones, many of them imported, over the Internet.
Steve Jobs could have struck a blow for freedom by launching his iPhones unlocked, so his customers could take them to whatever network they wanted.
4. Where's my third-party software?
Apple will only allow third-party applications that run through the iPhone's Safari browser. That's going to mean limited selection and limited functionality. This is a far cry from the freedom and innovation of true open-platform development. How does Steve Jobs know what programs I want? Or you want? He doesn't.
If you use a mobile device that runs Linux, Palm (PLMO - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr), Microsoft's (MSFT - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr - Rating) Windows Mobile or Symbian, you can choose from hundreds, even thousands, of independent programs. Hunting around for interesting new programs to buy is half the fun. That's how it should work.
5. You can only download media to your iPhone while plugged into a computer.
How mobile is that? You can't download songs or podcasts over the cellular network or Wi-Fi. Instead you'll need to go home, plug your iPhone into your computer, and then download the media through your iTunes account.
Ah, the open road!
With my smartphone I can download whatever music or podcasts I want, whenever and wherever I am. I can use the cellular network or Wi-Fi.
Net result: I have sat in a bar in Victoria Station, in London, waiting for a train, and downloaded NPR's On Point, CNN's headlines and the latest Hardball podcast over a free Wi-Fi network.
That's mobile. And it's the future.
The last time I questioned Apple I was deluged with hate mail from iFanatics. They were full of iRe. This led me to describe Steve Jobs' company as "the world's only publicly traded religion." Doubtless I will get the same response again.
Apple's products stand out because they are well designed, well made and easy to use. I have a Mac at home. All credit to Steve Jobs. The iPhone will surely be no exception.
But it's tethered to an old-fashioned business model that is afraid of freedom. It seems a shame, especially for a company like Apple. This was Steve Jobs' chance to spark a real revolution in America's laggard mobile industry. He hasn't -- yet.
Apple did not respond to requests for a comment yesterday.
http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/newsanalysis/techgames/10365549.html?cm_ven=YAHOO&%3bcm_cat=F....
Didnt someone say from the ASM meeting, that Harry commented that "if they wanted, they could have everybody signed yesterday". The only problem was that it wouldnt be for the lucrative contracts they wanted.
I understand you have to get what your inventions deserve, but is it possible this company keeps pricing themselves out of the contracts? Are they asking for to much to make up what they lost in 2G with the big dogs?
One would have to think that maybe better to have everyone licensed on some reduced rates than none at all. I mean nothing from nothing leaves nothing right?....
I thought back when we settled with Ericsson this would be all behing us. Who ever thought we would be in the same boat all these years later.....simply mind boggling
Sidestepping the Qualcomm Ban
Verizon Wireless' licensing deal with Broadcom sets a precedent that could leave consumers paying more for new mobile phones or service
by Olga Kharif
By shaking hands with Qualcomm's worst enemy, Verizon Wireless is not just undermining Qualcomm's hard-line legal strategy, but setting a precedent that could have far-reaching consequences for wireless service providers, handset makers, and mobile-phone users for years to come.
On July 19, Verizon Wireless struck a licensing pact with Broadcom (BRCM), the victor in a patent-infringement suit against Qualcomm (QCOM) that has led to an import ban on all new phone models containing Qualcomm's next-generation wireless chips. Under the deal, Verizon Wireless agreed to pay Broadcom a $6-per-device licensing fee, subject to certain caps, to bypass the ban and continue importing new phones.
Simply put, the arrangement is unprecedented. No wireless chipmaker, be it Broadcom, Qualcomm, or Texas Instruments (TXN), has ever charged a mobile-service provider for royalties on phones containing its components or technology. Until now, only handset makers, like Nokia (NOK), Samsung, Motorola (MOT), and LG have paid these licensing fees.
But the deal with Verizon Wireless, owned jointly by Verizon Communications (VZ) and Vodafone (VOD), introduces a new model for licensing arrangements. Think of it as a shift in how royalties in the wireless industry are administered, collected, and paid—a shift that could leave U.S. consumers paying more for new mobile phones.
Passing On Costs, but to Whom?
It appears unlikely that Verizon would be willing to eat the entire $6 extra cost. It's possible the company may seek or has already arranged to recover all or some of the expense from its handset suppliers, Qualcomm, or even its subscribers. "I'd speculate that Verizon will ultimately have to pass these costs on to their customers," says John Lau, an analyst with Jefferies. Verizon begs to differ: "The price of handsets to consumers won't increase as a result of this agreement," says spokeswoman Nancy Stark.
Either way, the licensing deal could force rivals like Sprint Nextel (S) to follow suit as the critical holiday shopping season approaches for an industry that's already scurrying to compete with AT&T's (T) flashy new iPhone from Apple (AAPL). The import ban, ordered by the International Trade Commission (ITC) in June, only affects new phone models containing Qualcomm chips with a speedier technology for wireless Internet access. But with revenue from wireless calls declining, such cutting-edge devices are precisely what carriers are depending on to boost usage of mobile-data services.
The inability to introduce devices containing Qualcomm's next-generation chips would strike hard at Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel because their networks are based on Qualcomm's core wireless technology. And unlike Verizon, the best performer in the U.S. wireless industry, Sprint can ill-afford the ITC ban. Sprint's subscriber base has been shrinking in recent quarters, and with the iPhone selling fast, that exodus could turn into a flood, unless Sprint can spring a new best-seller of its own.
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A Chorus of Wireless Comrades
The ITC ban is unlikely to be lifted any time soon, and Qualcomm has steadfastly refused to settle the case on Broadcom's terms (see BusinessWeek.com, 6/8/07, "Banned: New Phones With Qualcomm Chips"). On July 20, a federal appellate court dismissed Qualcomm's appeal of the ban "for lack of jurisdiction." While President George W. Bush has the authority to overturn the ITC decision by Aug. 6, such actions are rare, and most experts consider intervention in this case unlikely.
In fact, since Qualcomm has been banking heavily on a chorus of wireless comrades urging the President to act, the defection of such an influential player marks a serious setback in that strategy. With Verizon Wireless withdrawing its support for a Presidential veto, the chances of one being granted have fallen from "60% to 70%, to 10% to 20%," according to Blair Levin, an analyst with Stifel Nicolaus.
Potential Import Bottleneck
Where does that leave Sprint? In a bind, as the ban may even inadvertently delay shipments of phones not covered by the ITC order, says Lyle Vander Schaaf, a former ITC attorney and a partner at the law firm Bryan Cove. "Customs may be stopping all things that look like communications devices. And in some circumstances, delays can be devastating." As a result, he says, it may be cheaper for Sprint to just pay the same $6-per-phone licensing charge as Verizon. Sprint says in a statement, "We're continuing to focus on efforts to encourage the (White House) to disapprove the Order."
Broadcom won't say if it's negotiating similar deals with other companies. "We remain willing to talk to others," says David Rosmann, Broadcom's vice-president of intellectual property litigation.
A series of carrier licensing deals would effectively bypass Qualcomm to resolve a nasty, years-old royalty dispute that's repeatedly threatened to disrupt the industry. "If all carriers obtain similar licenses from Broadcom, it would not be necessary for Qualcomm to negotiate to pay [these] royalties to Broadcom," explains Vander Schaaf.
Broadcom Benefits From Extra Fees
And by negotiating directly with Broadcom, carriers may be able to get a better deal than Qualcomm. "This deal was dramatically better than what we have [been offered]," argues Bill Davidson, director of global marketing at Qualcomm. While Verizon Wireless' deal limits the payments to $40 million per year and $200 million over the lifetime of the patents involved, Qualcomm says it was offered no such caps by Broadcom and would have owed billions.
Yet while the Verizon deal appears to hurt Qualcomm's legal strategy, it would help the company avoid some of the near-term sales disruptions expected under the ban. In a research note, Mark McKechnie, an analyst with American Technology Research, writes that the 5% to 10% earnings drop he expected Qualcomm to suffer in the next few quarters due to the ban may be drastically lessened by the Verizon-Broadcom deal.
Broadcom, of course, will benefit from the extra licensing fees collected from Verizon Wireless. More important, the alliance may bring Broadcom more Verizon business. "We are going to pursue a whole range of potential opportunities," Rosmann says. "This may be several times more significant than the cash payments." Eventually, the alliance could help Broadcom get handset makers to use its components in place of Qualcomm's.
"If you are in bed with one of the world's largest operators, you can influence software and handset design," says David Wu, an analyst with Global Crown Capital. "It's a godsend for Broadcom."
Kharif is a reporter for BusinessWeek.com in Portland, Ore.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jul2007/tc20070722_911768.htm?campaign_id=yhoo
Tellabs shares up on report of Nokia Siemens offer
HELSINKI/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Tellabs Inc. (TLAB.O: Quote, Profile, Research) rose 8.5 percent on Monday after a financial news Web site reported the U.S. telecommunications equipment maker was entertaining a $7 billion bid from a joint venture of Nokia Oyj (NOK1V.HE: Quote, Profile, Research) and Siemens AG (SIEGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research).
TheStreet.com said Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN.UL: Quote, Profile, Research) was offering about $16 to $17 a share for Tellabs, citing a source familiar with the deal. That would be a 35 percent to 43 percent premium to Tellabs' closing price on Friday of $11.85 -- a price that many analysts said looked too steep.
Shares in Nokia fell 0.52 percent in Helsinki trading, compared with a 0.42 percent rise in the DJ Stoxx European technology index (.SX8P: Quote, Profile, Research).
The two companies declined comment.
Tellabs has long been seen as a potential takeover target, as its rivals have merged to gain bargaining power over telephone carrier clients, which are also consolidating.
JP Morgan analyst Ehud Gelblum said merger talks with Nokia Siemens are likely as Tellabs' has previously said it was examining a variety of strategic alternatives, although he said the reported premium was "robust and perhaps implausible."
"From a Nokia Siemens perspective, a deal makes good sense as it would give it an incumbent position as the wireless backhaul provider to all the major North American wireless providers," Gelblum said in a report.
The analyst also said he believed Tellabs was not negotiating from a position of strength, as he expects its 2007 revenue to decline 3 percent and earnings per share to decline 25 percent year-over-year.
A spokeswoman for Tellabs, which makes equipment used to transmit data, video, and voice signals, declined comment on the report on Monday, saying the company could not discuss "industry rumors" for competitive reasons.
A Nokia Siemens spokesman said it would not comment on market rumors.
Analysts in Helsinki said the reported hefty premium would dent Nokia shares.
"With such a premium and as the timing is in the middle of Nokia Siemens Networks' own integration, the first impression of such a deal would be slightly negative," said Handelsbanken analyst Karri Rinta. "I cannot think of any other reason for the share price decline."
EQ analyst Jari Honko said: "This is not impossible, but the price seems high." (Reporting by Ritsuko Ando in New York and Tarmo Virki and Sami Torma in Helsinki, editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUKN2332899220070723?rpc=44
Its mind boggling how much we have put up with all these years. The thing that kills me is how can these analysts differ so much in their opinions?
Why is it that this Amit guy can so easily throw out an insane opinion like that, for a $10 price drop from last week? Does the company not work with these guys enough so they are close to being on the same page at least? Then they say nothing?
What happened at the PJ prsentation?...wasnt it just a short time ago?.....unbelieveable. We really need someone who can box with these analysts or give them more of a open communication to see that this stuff doesnt just blind side us when we are getting positive press.
Its always something....I think we are the dummies as we should know by now, that something always explodes in our faces.
Now its another 6 months of trying to retrace where we were just 4 days ago......unreal
Absolutely Ditto here....my feelings exactly....this thing has been killin me since 1999...always another hill to climb
LG Electronics Reports 4Q Profit Surge
(AP) SEOUL, South Korea
LG Electronics Inc. reported Tuesday its fourth-quarter profit nearly doubled on robust handset sales and strong results at liquid crystal display maker LG.Philips LCD Co., in which it holds a major stake.
The world's fourth-largest maker of mobile phones by volume and South Korea's biggest manufacturer of home appliances said net profit jumped 91 percent to 312.2 billion won (US$318.3 million; euro259.1 million) in the October-December quarter, the company said in a statement.
Sales at the company fell 5.2 percent to 6.18 trillion won (US$6.3 billion; euro5.13 billion) from 6.52 trillion won a year earlier as a stronger South Korean won made its products less competitive overseas.
The profit result was far better than expected. The average estimate of nine analysts surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires forecast net profit of 201.1 billion won (US$205 million; euro167 million), or 23 percent more than the year before.
Analysts had forecast sales would decline 4.2 percent to 6.26 trillion won (US$6.38 billion; euro5.2 billion).
LG.Philips LCD Co., one of the world's top makers of liquid crystal displays, reported earlier this month that its fourth-quarter profit soared from the year before on strong demand for liquid crystal displays used in hot selling flat-screen televisions.
It said it earned 328 billion won (US$334 million; euro272 million) in the three months ended Dec. 31, up from 35 billion won from a year earlier.
LG Electronics owns a 37.9 percent stake in LG.Philips LCD, which competes with South Samsung Electronics Co. for dominance in liquid-crystal displays.
Shares in LG Electronics, which released earnings results before the stock market closed, rose 4.8 percent to 81,500 won US$83; euro68) in late session trading in Seoul.
Bagerkid: did she say why this isnt released in a regular PR as well?...and only in an 8k?...just curious
Delete his post because 3Gdollars is lying then about talking to IR
OT: Because Texas couldnt stop White inside all night long and Vince Young was going to score with a 50 yard field or an eighty yard field in front of him. He is a larger version of Mick Vick.....was unbelievable.
However I agree.....you punt the ball and make him go 80...Pete Carroll maybe a great coach, but that showed a little arrogance there and it came back to bite him. Im glad to see the Longhorns win...I really like that program....been watching them play as well as ND since Im a kid.
Any SC fan that crys about the Vince Young knee touching the ground before his lateral.....can go cry on Charlie Weiss' shoulder after the Bush push that beat ND with no time remaining...thats a bigtime no no in college to assist the runner..........thats sports and thats the referee factor, all part of the game.
does the news on Yahoo have any merit?...guy says DJN released Judge Pauley confirmed IDCC award.........
he wont get to plug his portfolio Ill bet.....well at least he has the Bull in back of him, with the Heartland Fund Hat....LOL
130811 Mactrader
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=8279132
Jag Rumour
JAGfn Rumors
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JagNotes
12:39 p.m. 10/28/2005
Oct 28, 2005 (JAGfn.com via COMTEX) -- (IDCC) $18.59 RUMOR (LU) WILL ANNOUNCE SETTLEMENT WITH (IDCC) AND ALSO GIVE COMPANY A LARGE LICENSING AGREEMENT.
I guess this vindicates JAGfn again......but as they say even a broken clock is right twice a day.........I bet that was the best wasted trip you ever took.............what kind of tie did you get...an ugly fish tie?....LOL