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90 Million Homes Worldwide Will Employ Home Automation Systems by 2017
New subscription-based home automation offerings are rapidly transforming the way consumers will monitor, secure, and control their homes. Long the preserve of more expensive, custom-installed technology, home automation is moving into the mainstream, with companies such as ADT, Comcast, Verizon, Lowe’s, and many others all adding home automation to their customer services. A number of factors are driving the new entrants into the market. Connectivity is one key factor. Not only are there currently high home broadband penetration rates, as well as the potential for embedded cellular connections to connect systems, but also smartphone applications allow consumers to control and check their homes from wherever they are. As connectivity options make the home automation systems more useful, market changes are also making home automation more affordable. A traditional large up-front installation and equipment purchase is increasingly being replaced by monthly subscription offerings – often bundled alongside already existing services.
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Case studies on broadband and MDGs
The Broadband Commission for Digital Development, in partnership with ITU- BDT, has developed country case studies taking an in-depth look at the state of broadband development in four emerging economies spanning the Americas, Asia and Europe. A series of case studies are being conducted to underline the importance of broadband and ICTs in achieving the MDGs, and to assist countries in meeting the Broadband Challenge and Targets adopted by the Broadband Commission in October 2011. The studies were launched during a special side event held at the WSIS Forum 2012.
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Twitter embraces UK's policymakers after eventful year
Twitter has told the BBC it now wants to have a closer role with government and policymakers in the UK. The site has revealed that there are over 10 million active tweeters across the nation. The site's UK general manager Tony Wang said it is a priority to "protect and defend" the voice of those users. It has been a year since Twitter opened its UK operations. It has faced tough questions over privacy and regulation, according BBC News. The network said it now has over 140 million active users worldwide. In the UK, 80% of active users access the site through their mobile, compared to 55% globally. Now, Mr Wang said the company is looking to work closer in the public sector. As part of a massive worldwide recruiting push, the company is hiring a public policy manager.
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Amazon Web Services Launches Dynamic Content Support in Amazon CloudFront
Amazon Web Services LLC (AWS), an Amazon.com company, today launched support for dynamic content in Amazon CloudFront. This new capability gives AWS customers a simple, cost-effective way to improve the performance, reliability and global reach of their website by using Amazon CloudFront to deliver all their content, including the dynamic portions of their site that change for each end-user. Amazon CloudFront works seamlessly with dynamic applications running in Amazon EC2, without any custom coding or proprietary configurations, making the service simple to deploy and manage. And, because Amazon CloudFront charges the same low rates for both static and dynamic content, customers can now accelerate all of the content on their website for a low price, without any up-front fees or long term commitments. For more information about delivering dynamic content with Amazon CloudFront, visit http://aws.amazon.com/cloudfront.
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Orange Poland launches multi-platform TV service
Orange Poland has launched a new TV service, available on TVs (via IPTV and satellite), mobile handsets (via a downloadable application) and computers (in an over-the-top [OTT] web format), according TeleGeography. The new offering, dubbed ‘TV Here and There’ gives customers access to 20 TV channels, as well as a video-on-demand (VoD) library currently boasting 50 films. Orange has also created a new wireless package for customers looking to take advantage of the TV service; the package includes 1,200 minutes of TV and video from TV Here and There, and 500MB of data for PLN15 (USD4.61) per month.
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Yahoo chief executive Scott Thompson steps down
The chief executive of computer firm Yahoo has stepped down, amid accusations that a fake computer science degree was included on his CV. The California-based company confirmed media reports that Scott Thompson (photo) had quit his post, according BBC Mobile. He has been replaced by Yahoo's global media head Ross Levinsohn. The firm is also reportedly close to agreeing a truce with activist shareholder Daniel Loeb, who discovered Mr Thompson's mistake. Mr Loeb, a hedge fund manager who lobbied for Mr Thompson's dismissal, is set to be appointed a company director. Other new directors will also be appointed and Yahoo has named Fred Amoroso as the new chairman of its board.
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Microsoft's Bing search engines to use Facebook tips
Microsoft is revamping its Bing search engine to include advice from Facebook and other social media platforms. The move involves the introduction of a new sidebar which seeks to connect users with friends and other enthusiasts who can provide help, according BBC Mobile. The firm says it is based on the fact "90% of people consult with a friend or expert before making a decision". Surveys suggest Bing has about a 15% share of the US search market, lagging behind Google's 66% portion. The new service appears on the right-hand side of all results and includes a feature dubbed Friends Who Might Know. "Bing suggests friends on Facebook who might know about the topic - based on what they 'like', their Facebook profile information, or photos they have shared so you can easily ask them about relevant experiences and opinions," said Microsoft on its blog. "For example, if you're searching for diving spots in Costa Rica... you may discover that one of your friends knows a great spot, based on photos from their last trip."
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MirageTable: Microsoft presents augmented reality device
Microsoft has shown off an augmented reality system that allows users at different locations to work together on tabletop activities, sharing objects which they can both handle, according BBC Mobile. The MirageTable was demonstrated at a conference in Austin, Texas and is outlined on the firm's research site. Researchers said it could "fool" the eye to suggest both parties were using a "seamless 3D shared task space". The team admitted more work was needed before the system could be marketed. The MirageTable uses a 3D-video projector to beam images onto a sheet of curved white plastic placed in front of the user. At each end one of Microsoft's Kinect depth camera sensors is used to track the direction of each person's gaze as well as to capture the shape and appearance of objects placed on the surface and the participant sitting behind them. Users are also required to wear shutter glasses in order to see the projected image in three dimensions. Two computers linked by a network connection are required to power the experience.
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GSA confirms 72 commercial LTE networks launched, LTE will enter mainstream in 2012
The GSA (Global mobile Suppliers Association) has published an update to its Evolution to LTE report which confirms 319 operators have committed to commercial LTE network deployments or are engaged in trials, technology testing or studies. The report covers LTE FDD and LTE TDD system modes. 258 firm commercial LTE network deployments are either in deployment, commercially launched, or are planned in 84 countries. Another 61 operators in 13 additional countries are engaged in LTE technology trials, tests or studies. 72 LTE operators have launched commercial services, including 25 networks launched so far in 2012. Commercial LTE services are available today in 37 countries, in developing and developed markets in all regions: Angola, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Japan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, UAE, Uruguay, USA, and Uzbekistan.
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Twitter resists US court's demand for Occupy tweets
Twitter is contesting a US court order ordering it to hand over the message history of one of its users. A New York state court has called on the firm to release tweets written by an activist who took part in the Occupy Wall Street protests last year. The micro-blogging service disputes a judge's ruling that messages are owned by the firm rather than its users, according BBC mobile. The American Civil Liberties Union commended the company for defending free speech rights. Twitter's lawyer, Ben Lee, said: "Twitter's terms of service make absolutely clear that its users 'own' their own content. Our filing with the court reaffirms our steadfast commitment to defending those rights for our users."
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Nokia Siemens Networks breaks ‘spectrum barrier’ to enhance mobile broadband #CTIA12
Nokia Siemens Networks has introduced two innovations that allow operators to deliver mobile broadband more effectively with their existing spectrum. They form part of the company’s Liquid Radio GSM software suite*, the industry’s first complete offering for frequency re-farming that ensures exceptional flexibility in using limited GSM spectrum more efficiently. Described by the company as Energy Efficient Coverage (EEC)**, the first innovation enables existing GSM spectrum to support up to double the amount of traffic. Alternatively, it can achieve the same GSM performance using less spectrum, thus freeing up more frequencies for WCDMA re-farming. In addition it can significantly improve network coverage. The second innovation is Configurable Carrier Bandwidth*** for WCDMA. This allows WCDMA carrier bandwidth to be set in software configurable steps of 200 kHz from the very narrow 3.8 MHz up to 4.2 MHz, depending on an operator’s spectrum. It gives operators full flexibility to allocate more GSM spectrum to WCDMA as it becomes available. The feature also allows co-location of GSM and WCDMA on the same frequency band for operators with extremely limited spectrum.
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Government broadband plans face £1bn funding shortfall
A £1.1bn funding gap means the government's targets for broadband are unlikely to be met, says a report by the London School of Economics. The government wants 100% access to fast broadband services and 90% access to superfast services by 2015, according BBC mobile. The report says the government should do more to ensure that underinvestment does not harm the UK economy. A rise in broadband penetration of 10% can lead to a 0.9%-1.5% boost in GDP per capita, the report adds. The cost of meeting the targets will be £2.4bn but funding for broadband from all public sources amounts to a total of £1.3bn, according to the LSE report, which was sponsored by customer management software company Convergys. That leaves an estimated £1.1bn gap that private investors will be expected to fill, it says. "The government target of 100% coverage by basic broadband by 2015 is likely to be met, but it is less clear when the government targets of 90% coverage by superfast broadband, and 100% coverage by fast broadband, are likely to be met," the report says.
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Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone unveiled
Samsung has unveiled its latest flagship smartphone - the Galaxy S3. The handset has a 4.8 inch (12.2cm) screen, an increase on the 4.3 inch screen of its predecessor. The device is perceived to be critical to how people view both Samsung's brand and the Android system it runs, according BBC mobile. Analysts say the popularity of the previous Galaxy - the S2 - was a major factor in the firm overtaking Nokia to become the world's best-selling mobile phone maker. Samsung said that the new Super Amoled (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) display was 22% larger than its predecessor, but the actual device was not much wider since it had shrunk the size of the bezel. The development allows Samsung to boast it has a slightly larger screen than the 4.7 inch dimensions of the HTC One X, the top of the range model from its Taiwanese rival.
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Samsung to launch next Galaxy phone at London event
Samsung will put the rumours and alleged leaks about its next flagship smartphone to rest when it unveils the handset in London later on Thursday. More than 20 million copies of the existing Galaxy S2 have been sold since its launch in April 2011. Analysts say its success helped Samsung overtake Nokia to become the world's best-selling mobile phone maker, according BBC mobile. Changes in screen size, form factor and a higher-resolution camera are among changes that may drive its appeal. Samsung has been close lipped ahead of the event, refusing even to confirm the device's name - its website only states that its is "the next Galaxy". It has, however, said the phone will not include a 3D display, but will be the first device to feature its new Exynos 4 quad-core chip. It promised the Arm-based design would offer double the processing capability while using 20% less energy than the chip used in the S2. It can also record and playback video in 1080p high definition resolution.
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RIM offers Blackberry 10 prototypes to developers
Mobile phone maker Research in Motion has kicked off its annual conference by handing out thousands of prototypes for its next line of smartphones, according BBC mobile. The devices - dubbed Blackberry 10 Dev Alpha - also offer a sneak preview of RIM's new operating system. Both the OS and the new range of handsets are seen as hugely important as RIM struggles to compete with Google's Android and Apple's iOS. RIM hopes it will inspire developers to create much-needed apps. The prototype bears more of a resemblance to smartphones from competitors than many of its previous handsets. The device comes without a keyboard, a feature which had previously set RIM apart from its rivals. It is not the first time the company has relied on an on-screen keyboard, but a previous effort - in the Torch 9850 - was criticised in some reviews for being too cramped.
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Computaris and Prime Telecom will launch the first MVNE in Romania
Computaris, a leading consultant and system integrator in the communication industry (www.computaris.com), and Prime Telecom, a fully privately owned Romanian telecommunications company (www.primetelecom.ro), today announced the establishment of a partnership aimed at launching the first MVNE (Mobile Virtual Network Enabler) in Romania. Marian Velicu, a veteran of the Romanian telecommunications industry, will lead the project. "The launch of the first MVNE in Romania will facilitate the launch of mobile virtual network operators in the domestic market, as MVNOs will be able to significantly reduce their start-up costs by not having to invest in network equipment and infrastructure. In turn, the introduction of the MVNO business model in Romania will increase the competition in the mobile communications market and stimulate the launch of new, innovative services" says Marian Velicu.
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Apple Profit Rises on Higher iPhone and iPad Sales
Not long after the iPhone came out, skeptics questioned how much appeal the costly device and related wireless service would have in countries like China with lower income levels. On Tuesday, Apple provided the answer: A lot. The company reported Tuesday that soaring sales of the iPhone, especially in China, helped Apple nearly double its profit in the company’s fiscal second quarter. Apple said it sold 35.1 million iPhones in the quarter, an 88 percent increase from the period a year ago. It sold 11.8 million iPads, more than double the number it sold in the same quarter last year. "It was an incredible quarter in China," Timothy D. Cook, Apple’s chief executive, said in a conference call with Wall Street analysts. "It is mind-boggling that we could do this well." For the quarter that ended March 31, the company reported net income of $11.62 billion, or $12.30 a share, compared with $5.99 billion, or $6.40 a share, in the period a year earlier. Apple’s revenue was $39.19 billion, up from $24.67 billion a year ago.
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European telco revenues set to decline
A new report suggests that core European telco revenues will decline by 1.8 per cent per year until 2015, due in part to the competition of OTT services. But does everyone agree? Guy Daniels reports, according TelecomTV One. The latest annual edition of the joint telecoms report from management consultancy Arthur D. Little and equity broker Exane BNP Paribas suggests that European telcos are going to have a difficult job if they are to report revenue growth from their core services over the next few years. Indeed, the report suggests that revenues will actually fall by 1.8 per cent per annum until 2015, driven by a combination of macroeconomic factors, regulatory intervention and strengthening competition from OTT players. However, the report also suggests that substantial diversification revenues and cost transformation opportunities exist for operators that make the right strategic choices in their markets. Whilst the move to an all-IP world presents a major threat to telcos’ core voice and SMS revenues, it also presents significant opportunities for these operators to extract value from adjacent markets.
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Calix E7 Brings Gigabit Speeds to Rural Britain
Calix, Inc. today announced that Cybermoor Networks has selected the Ethernet eXtensible Architecture (EXA) Powered E7 Ethernet Service Access Platform (ESAP) for its Cybermoor fibre broadband project, a pioneering new initiative to bring ultra high-speed broadband services to the local residents and businesses of Alston Moor in Cumbria, UK. The Cybermoor project will thrust this rural community, in the heart of the Pennine mountain range, to the forefront of advanced broadband services in the UK, leveraging local and Rural Development Programme for England funds to bring gigabit speeds and new opportunity to one of the country’s most remote regions. The Cybermoor fibre broadband project will utilize powerful gigabit passive optical network (GPON) technology delivered via the Calix E7 and 716GE-I indoor optical network terminals (ONTs) to provide a world-class fibre access network to residents and businesses on Alston Moor. This advanced broadband services network will be capable of delivering a host of new services, such as high-definition video, faster movie downloads, and access to telehealth and other e-services.
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US website covering China's Bo Xilai scandal hacked
A US-based Chinese-language website that has reported extensively on the Bo Xilai scandal in China says it was crippled for several hours by a concerted hacking attack, according BBC Mobile. The Boxun website had to move to a new webhost after the denial-of-service attack on Friday, its manager said. Boxun has reported for several weeks on the scandal surrounding Bo Xilai. Mr Bo was removed from key political posts as his wife was investigated for the murder of a British businessman. Boxun's original webhost, Name.com, told the Associated Press news agency that the hack was one of the biggest in the company's history. (photo - A stream of reports about the fate of Bo Xilai has appeared on Boxun.com) It reportedly followed an emailed threat that it would be attacked if it did not disable the site. It is not clear who launched the attacks, but the manager of Boxun.com, Watson Meng, was quoted as saying he believed they were ordered by China's security services. A denial-of-service attack involves hackers paralysing a website by bombarding it with enquiries.
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Microsoft quarterly profits beat expectations
Microsoft's profits in the three months to the end of March dropped slightly but the results still beat analysts' expectations after a surprise rise in sales of its Windows operating system, according BBC Mobile. The world's largest software firm made a net profit of $5.11bn (£3.2bn), compared with $5.23bn a year earlier. Sales rose by 6% to $17.41bn. Windows sales rose 4% against forecasts of a 4% decline, though sales at its entertainment division, which includes the Xbox console, fell 16%. Its business division saw revenues increase 9% "reflecting the continued strength of Office 2010", the company said. Brendan Barnicle, analyst at Pacific Crest Securities, said the results looked good. "Particularly good was the Windows business, which grew about 4%, more than PC industry growth. In the last few quarters, Windows has been growing less than PCs overall," he said. "It's not clear yet what drove this change, but it could be that the negative impact on PCs from tablets has peaked. The Office business was particularly strong too, which is encouraging."
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Report: Oracle mulled smartphone push
Enterprise software giant Oracle considered making a smartphone powered by its Java technology, as well as having mulled acquisitions of Palm and RIM, according to reports from an ongoing intellectual property trial involving the company and Google. According to Bloomberg, Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle, said: "We explored the idea and decided it would be a bad idea." The two companies are embroiled in a dispute about the use of Java technology in Google’s Android platform. While Oracle is positioning itself as protecting its intellectual property and safeguarding Java, Google has argued that the company actually wants a share of the success of Android. Oracle also held talks with Google to avoid Java fragmentation, which did not come to fruition, it was reported. The Wall Street Journal said that Ellison had "struggled at times to maintain patience with the line of questioning from Google’s counsel, and occasionally smirked as he delivered his testimony." In contrast, Larry Page, CEO of Google, "maintained near-constant visual contact with the jury members, and a boyish grin."
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Google fined in Street View probe
Google has been fined $25,000 (£15,700) after US authorities found the internet giant stalled an investigation into its Street View mapping feature. The Federal Communications Commission said Google "deliberately impeded and delayed" the investigation for months, according BBC Mobile. The online search leader did not respond to requests for information and documents, according to the agency. The inquiry began in 2010 after Google said Street View cars had inadvertently logged unsecured Wi-Fi data. Information gathered by passing Street View cars in more than 30 countries included passwords, emails and other data that was being transmitted wirelessly over unprotected routers, according to the FCC. The FCC said it still had "significant factual questions" about the Street View project that have not yet been been answered. The agency has subpoenaed a Google engineer who developed the software code that the company used to collect the data.
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Maravedis and Rethink Research Announce Strategic Partnership
Maravedis Inc., the leading analyst firm focusing on 4G, broadband wireless and mobile cloud markets, and Rethink Technology Research (www.rethinkresearch.biz), a thought leader in quad play and emerging mobile broadband technologies, announced today a partnership bringing together their strengths in research, sales and marketing. This will create the most comprehensive available 4G and mobile cloud research offering. The 4G and mobile cloud ecosystem will benefit from this joint expertise, combining the capabilities, teams and experience of the two firms in generating a combination of hard data and qualitative analysis surrounding mobile broadband and 4G issues. In future, Maravedis'4GCounts and Clearspectrum research services and the Wireless Watch product from Rethink Research will both be co-branded Maravedis-Rethink.
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HGI Strengthens Board and Sets Sights on Smart Home Ecosystem
Telecom Italia’s Luca Giacomello has been voted in as the new Chairman of the Home Gateway Initiative (HGI) during the organisation’s first meeting of 2012. The new board has confirmed that the development of a Smart Home ecosystem is a key target for HGI. NTT and NEC have also joined the board in a move that is boosting the top-level involvement of HGI’s Asian service provider and vendor members. Mr Giacomello commented: "HGI is now moving with increasing momentum towards the specification of a service-enabling architecture that wraps together the OSGi framework for software applications, service APIs for the home, and the inclusion of cloud-located service logic.
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