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Irvine, Calif — Dec 31, `07 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ — Broadcom announced that a federal judge today issued an injunction against Qualcomm’s continued infringement of three Broadcom patents.

As ordered by US District Court Judge James V. Selna, the injunction prohibits Qualcomm from making, using and selling certain chipsets and software that infringe the three Broadcom patents. Qualcomm is also barred from engaging in a range of marketing and customer support activities related to its WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) and EV-DO (EVolution-Data Only) chips, which are used to process data on high-speed wireless networks.

A Qualcomm spokeswoman said the company was reviewing the ruling and declined further comment. Qualcomm, based in San Diego, is the world’s second-largest chip supplier for mobile phones after Texas Instruments Inc. It earns much of its money from licensing fees on its patented technology.

Broadcom, based in Irvine, California, is a newcomer to the cell phone business but gained ground in 2007 in a wide-ranging court battle with Qualcomm.

In May 2007, a jury awarded Broadcom $19.6 million in damages for the same chip patents. In November, Selna indicated he would up the award to $39.3 million, but reversed himself when a a federal appellate court raised the bar for proving willful patent infringement.

The judge then took up the question of whether future sales of the chips should be stopped, resulting in Monday’s order.

“The ITC order did not go nearly as far in prohibiting other activities from Qualcomm,” said David Rosmann, vice president of intellectual property litigation with Broadcom. “The U.S. District Court order has in some respects much broader remedies. So the activities that are going to be barred by this injunction go a long way to stopping Qualcomm’s continued operations in support of these infringing chips.”

Broadcom is also suing Qualcomm on other patent infringement and antitrust claims, Rosmann said. The antitrust case is expected to go to trial in 2009. More at Broadcom.

BASKING RIDGE, NJ and SUNNYVALE, Calif — Dec 17, `07 /PRNewswire/ — Verizon Wireless and Palm today announced the immediate availability of the Palm Treo 755p smartphone in exclusive deep blue- green.

Beginning today, customers may purchase the Treo 755p online at VerizonWireless.com or by calling 1-800-2 JOIN IN. The device will be in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores on Jan. 7.

Compared to its Treo 700p predecessor, the Treo 755p has a sleeker design with an internal antenna and a soft-touch feel.

Featuring a large, high-resolution, color touch-screen for quick stylus access to applications, the Treo 755p offers a full QWERTY keyboard for easy e-mail creation, Web browsing and text messaging.

It also includes features such as a 1.3 megapixel camera and built-in support for Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents and PDF documents. Customers can view and edit Microsoft Word and Excel files, and view PowerPoint and Adobe PDF files.

Built-in Support for Direct Push Technology for E-mail
The Treo 755p offers VersaMail 3.5.45 with built-in Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync support for Microsoft Direct Push Technology that delivers e-mail and calendar updates from a home or office PC using Outlook. Businesses connected to a Microsoft Exchange Server get fast, automatic wireless updates of e-mail, calendar and contact information with added IT security and remote manageability.

Treo 755p users also have the option of using Verizon Wireless’ Wireless Sync for quick and easy access to personal or corporate e-mail, contacts, calendar, and tasks from their home or office PC. Customers can sync up to 10 POP3 or IMAP e-mail accounts, including AOL, Yahoo! Premium and more with their Treo 755p. Wireless Sync supports Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Notes and IBM Lotus Domino.

Pricing
The Palm Treo 755p from Verizon Wireless is available for $399.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and new two-year customer agreement. Customers who purchase a qualified voice plan along with a data plan may be eligible for an additional $100 credit making the Treo 755p $299.99 for those customers. More at Verizon.

Dec 13, `07 — Igor Skochinsky didn’t take too long to crack Amazon Kindle’s DRM. On his ‘Reversing Everything’ blog he details the workaround to read encrypted Mobi books on Kindle, which involves two Python scripts.

In his words, “We’ve known for some time already that Amazon’s AZW files are actually Mobi files, but Amazon didn’t share Kindle’s Mobi PID which would allow one to buy encrypted Mobi books for Kindle.

Well, I’ve discovered the algorithm used to generate the PID and was able to use it on Fictionwise, but there was another catch. AZW files have a flag set in the DRM info which is not present in books bought from other vendors. After fixing that, I could read the book on Kindle.”

And there goes Kindle’s DRM, so whats next?  Free EV-DO I guess! More at Igor Skochinsky’s blog ‘Reversing Everything’.

Finally Dell has released details of its first Tablet PC, Dell Latitude XT, which will have multi touch capabilities at a later date.

Dell Latitude XT Specs:

- Intel Core 2 Duo 1.2GHz ULV processor U7600 or Core 2 Solo 1.06GHz ULV processor U2100
- Vista Business (32-bit or 64-bit); Vista Ultimate (32-bit) or Windows XP Tablet Edition 2005
- 12.1″ 1280 x 800 WXGA  Display; Optional LED-backlit Display
- Multi Touch - Capacitive Touch Screen
- Integrated ATI Radeon X1250 UMA Adapter
- Memory up to 3GB
- 40 or 80GB 1.8″ 4200 RPM / 120GB 1.8″ 5400 RPM Hard Drive OR 32 or 64GB Solid State Disk (SSD) Drive options
- 802.11a/b/g/n; HSDPA or EV-DO rev A; Bluetooth 2.0 and Gigabit Ethernet
- ExpressCard54 and SD slots, 1394, VGA and USB 2.0
- Scroll Wheel, Biometric Reader, TPM 1.2, Super Low Profile Power Adapter
- Up to 5 Hrs Battery life with standard 43WH pack or up to 9 Hrs with extended 45WH pack
- Weighs 3.57 lbs, 1-inch thick
- Starts at $2500

More at Direct2Dell here and details and video about Multi-Touch Capacitive Touch Screen here.

White Plains, NY — Dec 03, ‘07 — Nokia today applauded Verizon Wireless’ announced plans to develop and deploy a fourth generation (4G) mobile broadband network. The Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology Verizon Wireless chose is an open and global specification for next generation networks that will bring scale and efficiencies for manufacturers, choice in network equipment and device for operators, and ultimately better value and richer experiences for consumers.

Broadband wireless technologies have the power to change the way people work, live, play and communicate. As the world leader in converged devices, Nokia is dedicated to offering a wide choice of mobile devices to consumers and remains committed to openness and innovation. Nokia is proud to expand our collaboration with Verizon Wireless to develop products that allow consumers to experience the benefits of mobility and the Internet.

“Nokia has long been committed to working closely with operators in the US and around the world, and is very pleased to support Verizon Wireless in their choice of LTE as their global 4G evolution path,” said Mark Louison, President, Nokia Inc., the North American arm of Nokia.

“It is very exciting to see Verizon Wireless, one of the world’s leading wireless providers, announce their open development initiative for devices and their decision to evolve their network to the open, global specification of LTE.”

Within the next 10 years, Nokia sees that demand for an enriched mobile experience and mobile computing will continue to grow at exponential rates. LTE will help to enable faster, richer multimedia services such as multi-player gaming with rich 3D graphics and simultaneous Instant Messaging or voice calls and a host of other applications providing a much more compelling mobile experience for consumers everywhere. Nokia.

TORONTO, ONTARIO –Marketwire– Dec 03, ‘07 — Nortel has successfully tested a solution with Qualcomm that will improve the mobile phone experience for users by allowing them to continue conversations uninterrupted and avoid additional roaming charges when a caller is moving between different wireless networks.

The completion of testing between Nortel’s IMS-based Voice Call Continuity (VCC) network solution and the Qualcomm chipset solution that uses their IMS/VCC device client is a major step towards the availability of out-of-the box VCC-enabled mobile phones.

VCC helps decrease mobile phone charges by seamlessly switching voice calls, without interruptions, between WiFi and cellular networks. Airtime and long distance charges do not apply when the user roams into areas of WiFi coverage - which can be in the home, office or some public retail locations.

As an IMS-based application, VCC moves beyond traditional cellular solutions by enabling service providers to offer innovative multimedia services on mobile phones like network-based real-time, multi-player gaming, enterprise service integration and interactive blogging.

“Because Nortel’s VCC is based on IMS, it will allow operators to deploy more multimedia services compared to other FMC solutions,” said Alf Decardenas, general manager, Carrier Multimedia Networks, Nortel.”

Also, Nortel’s VCC solution supports seamless voice calling across a wide range of next-generation technologies, as well as Femto cellular access points that are able to connect to the network using residential DSL or cable broadband connections.

Nortel is a leading contributor to VCC standards and our successful completion of testing with Qualcomm illustrates that we are committed to deploying commercial VCC solutions in the market, making them available to service providers within their current networks or as they evolve to 4G solutions such as WiMAX, UMB and LTE.”

Testing included authentication, calls on cellular/WiFi, in-call handover using manual and automatic triggers and a variety of error cases. Both Nortel and Qualcomm have implemented the VCC standards defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the global standard for 3G mobile phone systems.

The Nortel VCC network solution is expected to be commercially available from Nortel in the first quarter of 2008. VCC-ready devices are expected to be available from Qualcomm in the market mid 2008.

BASKING RIDGE, NJ, Nov 29, ‘07 /PRNewswire/ — Verizon today announced plans to develop and deploy its fourth generation mobile broadband network using LTE — Long Term Evolution – the technology developed within the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards organization.

The selection of LTE provides Verizon and Vodafone — joint owners of U.S.-based Verizon Wireless - - with a unique opportunity to adopt a common access platform with true global scale and compatibility with existing technologies of both companies.

Verizon and Vodafone have a coordinated trial plan for LTE that begins in 2008. Trial suppliers include Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia- Siemens, and Nortel. These suppliers, along with others in the world community, have contributed significantly towards development of the standards in 3GPP.

Discussions with device suppliers have expanded beyond traditional suppliers such as LG, Samsung, Motorola, Nokia, and Sony Ericsson, as consumer electronics companies anticipate embedded wireless functionality in their future products.

“We fully support Verizon’s decision to select LTE as their next generation wireless broadband solution,” said Steve Pusey, Vodafone’s global chief technology officer. “LTE will build on the capabilities of Vodafone’s 3G broadband High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) network technology, which is available across the entire Vodafone 3G footprint.”

“Today’s 4G announcement, coupled with our Open Development initiative announced earlier this week present a major growth opportunity for Verizon Wireless,” said Doreen Toben, chief financial officer of Verizon. “Fourth generation’s higher data speeds wi usher in a new era of wireless applications and appliances, all of which can benefit from connecting to the nation’s premier wireless network.”

More at PRNewsWire.

IRVINE, Calif — Nov 23, ‘07 — Chip maker Broadcom said Friday it will try to stop rival Qualcomm from making, using, selling or developing cellular chips based on contested patents.

It’s the latest legal cannonball hurled by Broadcom in its wide-ranging court battle with industry Goliath Qualcomm over the rights to technology for cell phones.

The move comes two days after Broadcom chose to accept a reduced damage award of $19.6 million rather than retry its case against Qualcomm in a California federal court.

U.S. District Court Judge James V. Selna initially indicated he would award Broadcom $39.3 million in damages, double what a jury awarded in May. The panel found that Qualcomm willfully violated three of Broadcom’s patents on technologies that help cell phones process video and walkie-talkie conversations and hand off calls between different networks.

Selna overturned his own ruling after a federal appellate court raised the bar for proving patent infringement. That ruling came in a dispute between an individual investor and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology against Seagate Technology, the world’s largest maker of hard drives.

Broadcom spokesman Bill Blanning said the company was glad Selna allowed the original jury verdict to stand and hoped he would grant the company’s request for an injunction on Qualcomm’s production of third-generation WCDMA and EV-DO cellular chips.

Qualcomm plans to ask the judge to approve a system of royalty payments by its customers to Broadcom in lieu of ordering an injunction, said spokeswoman Christine Trimble. Earlier this year, Verizon Wireless agreed to pay Broadcom $6 for each phone with a patent-infringing Qualcomm chip — up to $40 million a quarter or $200 million over the life of the agreement.

Qualcomm, based in San Diego, is the world’s second-largest chip supplier for mobile phones after Texas Instruments but earns much of its money from licensing fees on its patented technology. Broadcom, based in Irvine, is a newcomer to the cell phone business but has scored several legal victories against Qualcomm this year.

Qualcomm is also embroiled in several legal battles with leading mobile phone maker Nokia. They are currently in arbitration proceedings after failing to renew a technology license agreement that expired in April. More at Broadcom.

Nov 22, ‘07 — DiveintoMark.org shows us two sides of Jeff Bezos and of Amazon Here is how:

“When someone buys a book, they are also buying the right to resell that book, to loan it out, or to even give it away if they want. Everyone understands this.”

Jeff Bezos, Jeff Bezos, Open letter to Author’s Guild, 2002

“You may not sell, rent, lease, distribute, broadcast, sublicense or otherwise assign any rights to the Digital Content or any portion of it to any third party, and you may not remove any proprietary notices or labels on the Digital Content. In addition, you may not, and you will not encourage, assist or authorize any other person to, bypass, modify, defeat or circumvent security features that protect the Digital Content.”

Amazon, Kindle Terms of Service, 2007

More in-depth stories / discussion on Amazon Kindle at DiveintoMark.org

Nov 21, ‘07 Verizon has started selling its latest addition, 3-Megapixel Samsung SCH-U900 FlipShot Camera Phone. FlipShot features a 2.2″ 240×320 Display, 3-Megapixel Camera, EV-DO, GPS-VZ Navigator, Bluetooth Stereo, MicroSD Slot, and weighs 3.88oz and is available for $199 with a two year contract from Verizon Wireless.

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and SAN DIEGO, Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ — Verizon Wireless, the company with America’s most reliable voice and data network, and Kyocera Wireless Corp., a leading global manufacturer of CDMA wireless phones and devices, today announced the immediate availability of the KPC680 ExpressCard with CDMA2000 1x Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revision A (Rev. A) technology.

The KPC680 ExpressCard is available now through business sales channels and online at www.verizonwireless.com; it will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City, on Nov. 30.

The KPC680 ExpressCard has average download speeds of 600 kilobits per second (kbps) to 1.4 megabits and average upload speeds of 500-800 kbps, BroadbandAccess from Verizon Wireless allows customers in Rev.

Pricing and Availability

The KPC680 ExpressCard is available for $49.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and new two-year customer agreement. Customers can get BroadbandAccess service for $59.99 monthly access with a new one- or two-year customer agreement.

SEATTLE –BUSINESS WIRE– Nov 19, ‘07 — Amazon.com today introduced Amazon Kindle, a revolutionary portable reader that wirelessly downloads books, blogs, magazines and newspapers to a crisp, high-resolution electronic paper display that looks and reads like real paper, even in bright sunlight.

More than 90,000 books are now available in the Kindle Store, including 101 of 112 current New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases, which are $9.99, unless marked otherwise. Kindle is available starting today for $399 at Amazon/Kindle.

- Downloads Content Wirelessly, No PC Required, No Hunting for Wi-Fi Hot Spots

The Kindle wireless delivery system, Amazon Whispernet, uses the same nationwide high-speed data network (EVDO) as advanced cell phones. Kindle customers can wirelessly shop the Kindle Store, download or receive new content — all without a PC, Wi-Fi hot spot, or syncing.

- No Monthly Wireless Bills or Commitments

Books can be downloaded in less than a minute and magazines, newspapers, and blogs are delivered to subscribers automatically. Amazon pays for the wireless connectivity for Kindle so there are no monthly wireless bills, data plans, or service commitments for customers.

- Reads Like Paper

Kindle uses a high-resolution display technology called electronic paper that provides a sharp black and white screen that is as easy to read as printed paper.

- Books, Blogs, Magazines & Newspapers

The Kindle Store currently offers more than 90,000 books, as well as hundreds of newspapers, magazines and blogs

- Subscriptions are auto-delivered wirelessly to Kindle overnight so that the latest edition is waiting for customers when they wake up. Monthly Kindle newspaper subscriptions are $5.99 to $14.99 per month, and Kindle magazines are $1.25 to $3.49 per month.

- The Kindle Store has over 300 blogs on topics ranging from Internet and technology to culture, lifestyle, and humor, to politics and opinion.

- Holds Hundreds of Books in 10.3 Ounces

- Built-In Dictionary and Wikipedia

- Adjustable Text Size

- Comes Ready To Use

SAN DIEGO  —  November 14, 2007 — Qualcomm today announced that it is delivering the first groundbreaking chipset products from the Snapdragon platform to numerous device manufacturers. The QSD8250 and QSD8650 are now shipping to customers worldwide, offering an unprecedented combination of mobile data processing, multimedia performance, 3G wireless connectivity and the lowest levels of power consumption for all-day battery life.

The Company will be demonstrating the Snapdragon platform running both Windows Mobile and Linux to deliver productivity applications, entertainment applications and advanced user experiences at Qualcomm’s New York Analyst Meeting.

The QSD8250 supports HSPA data rates of up to 7.2 Mbps on the downlink and 5.76 on the uplink, with full backward compatibility. The dual-mode QSD8650 supports HSPA, as well as CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev. B, with full backward compatibility. The two solutions feature a custom gigahertz microprocessor core paired with Qualcomm’s sixth-generation DSP core running at 600 MHz for unsurpassed mobile performance delivering an instant-on and always-connected user experience.

Snapdragon’s support for HD video decode, 12 megapixel camera, GPS, broadcast TV (using MediaFLO, DVBH-H and/or ISDB-T), Wi-Fi and Bluetooth deliver even greater opportunities for device manufacturers to design compelling mobile products that make the promise of constant, seamless connectivity in an extremely thin and small form-factor a reality. More at Qualcomm.

New Low-power QSC Solutions Offer Latest Modem Technologies, Multi-band Transceiver, High-performance Application Processor, Bluetooth, FM Radio and GPS in a 12mm x 12mm Package.

SAN DIEGO  —  November 13, 2007 — Qualcomm today introduced three new 45 nm single-chip solutions designed to enable mass-market smartphones with an unsurpassed range of capabilities. The QSC7230 for HSPA+ devices, QSC7830 for CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev. B devices, and multi-mode QSC7630 for both HSPA+ and EV-DO Rev. B, all feature the highest levels of integration in the wireless industry today and deliver support for third-party operating systems. These three single-chip solutions are the fifth generation of dual-core solutions from Qualcomm, comprising the next evolution of the Company’s MSM7xxx-series dual-core chipsets.

The products offer the most advanced cellular modem technologies, a multi-band RF transceiver supporting all frequency bands worldwide, an ARM11 application processor running up to 600 MHz, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR, FM radio and GPS - all in a single 12×12 package. Additionally, the three chipsets feature new power-saving innovations to deliver more than 80 hours of music playback, a full day of talk time, and more than a month of standby time.

The QSC7230 supports UMTS Release 7 (HSPA+) and Cat. 9 UMTS for 10.2 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA data speeds. The QSC7830 supports EV-DO Rev. B for up to 14.7 Mbps on the downlink and 5.4 Mbps on the uplink. The QSC7630 supports both EV-DO Rev. B and HSPA+. All three products feature full backward compatibility to previous-generation networks, as well as:

· ARM11 applications processor running at up to 600MHz
· Support for 5 megapixel camera, VGA display resolution and TV-out
· Support for third-party operating systems such as Windows Mobile and Linux
· 45 nm CMOS process technology
· 2D and 3D hardware-accelerated graphics
· Fully integrated GPS, FM radio and Bluetooth, eliminating the need for many external components
· Integrated support for worldwide cellular frequency bands

- For CDMA2000: 450MHz, 700MHz, 800MHz, J-800MHz, 850MHz, 1500MHz, AWS, KPCS 1.8GHz, 1.9GHz, 2.1GHz, 2.5GHz
- For UMTS: 700MHz, 800MHz, 850MHz, 900MHz, 1500MHz, AWS, 1800MHz, 1900MHz, 2.1MHz, 2.6GHz
- 4-band EGPRS support in 900MHz, 1800MHz, 850MHz, 1900MHz

· 12mm x 12mm package size

The QSC solutions are scheduled to sample in the fourth quarter of 2008.

Qualcomm Makes First Call with Chips Using TSMC’s 45 nm Technology

Qualcomm today also announced that it has made the first phone call on a 3G chip manufactured with 45 nanometer (nm) process technology. The next generation of CMOS semiconductor manufacturing, 45 nm technology enables chips that feature higher speeds, lower power consumption and enhanced integration, all with reduced die cost by providing more die per wafer. Qualcomm’s call was made on the first 45 nm chips received from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest dedicated semiconductor foundry. More at Qualcomm here and here.

World’s First Soft Modem to Achieve 2.8Mbps Transfer Rate Powers Samsung SGH-T578H.

EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands –BUSINESS WIRE–Nov 09, ‘07– Samsung, NXP Semiconductors and T3G Technologies today announced the world’s first TD-SCDMA HSDPA/GSM/GPRS/EDGE multi-mode mobile phone, which has also been demoed at the PT/Wireless Exposition in Beijing on October 23^rd. Powered by a software-defined modem capable of achieving data transfer rates of 2.8Mbps, the Samsung SGH-T578H enables about 20 times faster transfers than GPRS, allowing consumers to download several high-quality MP3 files in less than a minute. The phone is based on the T3G7210 system solution featuring the industry’s first soft modem empowered by NXP’s Embedded Vector Processor (EVP) to achieve high data transfer and multi-mode capability.

TD-SCDMA network deployments have been completed in 10 major cities across China where there are more than 70 million potential subscribers. This network is planned to be upgraded to support Release 5 (HSDPA) of the TD-SCDMA standard during the course of 2008. With the Samsung SGH-T578H mobile phone, users will be able to enjoy the widespread deployment of TD-SCDMA infrastructure to support high-speed streaming of multimedia coverage of the Beijing Olympics 2008. With this new milestone reached by Samsung, NXP and T3G, the TD-SCDMA standard is rapidly progressing towards the current W-CDMA capabilities.

“Samsung has always been at the cutting edge of mobile technology. Together with NXP and T3G, we have achieved several major milestones for TD-SCDMA phones – from the first TD-SCDMA video phone to this current high data transfer rate TD-HSDPA dual-band prototype,” said Mr. W.S. Lee, Vice President, Handset R&D Planning, Telecommunication Network Business, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. “Multimedia and sharing of content will be the drivers for next-generation handsets. The combination of T3G’s leading TD-SCDMA technology and NXP’s very innovative EVP technology make them obvious partners of choice to provide consumers a high-end multimedia experience in a run up to the Beijing Olympics.”

“The China 3G subscription is expected to grow rapidly. By realizing 3.5G capabilities on Samsung’s SGH-T578H, NXP is driving the commercialization and adoption of next-generation wireless technologies – not only for China’s TD-SCDMA standard, but also proving successful our EVP-based software-defined radio approach,” said Marc Cetto, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Mobile & Personal Business Unit, NXP Semiconductors.

Mr. Johan Pross, CEO of T3G, said, “The T3G7210 is the first cellular system solution to use NXP’s breakthrough embedded vector processor to support multi-mode and multi-standard platforms, also allowing us to deal with possible changes in the standard or operator requirements. It enables mobile phone makers to offer more commercialized handsets with a broad scope of 3G multimedia applications.”

Samsung’s SGH-T578H is based on the T3G7210 system solution which uses the world’s first 2.8Mbps HSDPA modem IC, TD60291. NXP’s Adelante VD32040 embedded vector processor enables the modem to achieve 2.8Mbps peak data rates and fully supports the 3GPP TDD-LCR Standard Release 5. The T3G7210 system solution also supports quad-band EDGE and dual-band TD-SCDMA with integrated multimedia accelerators to allow for the development of high-end feature phones without the need for additional external co-processors.

Beijing — Chinese news agency Xinhua is reporting on China would be using their own home grown TD-SCDMA mobile technology during the upcoming Olympics next year.

Xinhua reports, “We are expanding the TD-SCDMA (Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access) network tests and the public will enjoy customized 3G services at next year’s Olympics,” said Xu Qin, director of the high-tech industry department of the National Development and Reform Commission, at a forum.

 But the official did not say whether the other two types of CDMA technologies - the US-made CDMA 2000 and the European WCDMA, which have both been given the green light by the Ministry of Information, would be used in the Olympics.

The Chinese government has promised to provide 3G mobile communications services in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympics but has not specified what kind of 3G technologies will be used.

Lou Qinjian, deputy minister of the Information Industry, said last Thursday that it was undecided what kind of 3G technologies would be used during the Beijing Olympics. ”Our major concern is whether the technology can satisfy the bandwidth and transmission speed requirements,” he said.

Lou also disclosed that there was no timetable for the issuance of 3G licenses as relevant departments were still mulling over the management and operational mode of 3G services. But analysts said the homegrown standard is most likely to get the first license. TD-SCDMA Forum

SAN FRANCISCO  —  October 23, 2007 — Qualcomm, a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies and data solutions, today introduced Gobi™ global mobile Internet, an embedded solution for notebook computers. Notebooks featuring the multi-mode Gobi solution can take advantage of the high-speed mobile Internet services offered by leading network operators in virtually all parts of the world, as well as GPS. The Gobi solution is meeting the demand from leading notebook manufacturers for worldwide connectivity capabilities beyond Wi-Fi and is being certified to operate on CDMA2000 EV-DO and UMTS HSPA networks worldwide. The Gobi solution is available today, and enterprise and consumer notebooks powered by Gobi are expected to be commercially available in the second quarter of 2008.

“Gobi-enabled notebook computers with global mobile Internet unify the most important wireless carrier network technologies deployed around the world, providing comprehensive support for all 3GPP and 3GPP2 technologies,” said Dr. Sanjay K. Jha, chief operating officer of Qualcomm and president of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. “We are leveraging Qualcomm’s expertise in multi-mode wireless chipsets to bring unparalleled connectivity to notebook users, who can now be confident they can instantly access the Internet without searching for a hotspot - today.”

The embedded Gobi solution for notebook OEMs through Qualcomm customers includes Qualcomm’s MDM1000™ chipset, associated software and API, and a reference design for a software-defined configurable data module supporting both EV-DO Rev. A and HSPA with full backward compatibility, as well as GPS functionality. By supporting both the 3GPP and 3GPP2 standards, notebook manufacturers can deliver products with global connectivity capabilities while benefiting from greater efficiencies and a simplified user experience.

To make it easier for Qualcomm customers and notebook OEMs to feature the Gobi solution in their notebooks and certify their products with operators, Qualcomm has introduced a common software API with support from numerous connection manager software vendors, including Birdstep Technology AB, Diginext B.V., PCTEL Inc. and Smith-Micro Software Inc.

More at Qualcomm

PARIS and SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ — ONEMAX, a new and innovative broadband wireless access provider serving the Dominican Republic, and Alcatel-Lucent today announced the launch of the first-in-world WiMAX 802.16e-2005 (Rev-e) network in the 3.5 Gigahertz (GHz) spectrum.

ONEMAX is the first service provider in the Dominican Republic to offer subscribers and visitors wireless high-speed broadband Internet, multimedia and Voice over IP (VoIP) services. WiMAX is a flexible wireless technology that enables people to access high-speed, high-quality broadband wireless services wherever they are, providing truly “universal” wireless broadband access in fixed, nomadic and mobile environments.

“The launch of ONEMAX is generating a great deal of excitement in the Dominican Republic, an ideal market for WiMAX technology because of its strong economy and relatively large and young population of more than 9 million people whose rapidly growing demand for broadband services needs to be met,” said Raoul Fontanez, ONEMAX CEO.

“As the first operator to commercially introduce WiMAX Rev-e services, ONEMAX is truly a world pioneer and we are gratified to play such an important role in enabling them to develop the wireless broadband market in the Dominican Republic,” said Olivier Picard, President of Alcatel-Lucent’s activities in the Europe and South region.

More at PRNewsWire

NEW YORK - October 23, ‘07 - Verizon Wireless has agreed to pay a penalty and reimburse users who were disconnected for “excessive” use of a cellular broadband service that was marketed as allowing “unlimited” use, New York’s state attorney general announced Tuesday.

A nine-month investigation by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s office found that Verizon Wireless disconnected 13,000 subscribers for exceeding an undisclosed monthly usage cap.

Under the settlement, Verizon Wireless will reimburse the terminated subscribers for the cost of the laptop cards or laptop-connected cell phones they bought to use the service. The company put the cost at around $1 million. It will also pay $150,000 in penalties and costs to the state.

The prosecutor’s office said the company voluntarily stopped disconnecting customers based on their data usage in April. More at AP

PALO ALTO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–HP today announced that it will integrate Sprint mobile broadband capabilities into several HP business notebook PCs, giving mobile professionals convenient access to the fastest and largest U.S. mobile broadband network.

The companies will jointly market HP business notebooks that can take advantage of the dynamic features of the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network, such as the faster data speeds provided by 3G EV-DO Rev. A technology.

When on the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network, HP business customers will be able to enjoy wireless connections at broadband speeds to corporate networks, email and the Internet without being tied to a wireless hotspot. Customers also will be equipped for more powerful applications and services as they become available.

HP mobile broadband notebook PCs

Across the lineup, HP business notebook PCs feature security, reliability and ease of use innovations such as Drive Encryption for HP Protect Tools, HP DuraKeys and HP QuickLook, which with a touch of a button allows users to browse email, calendars and contact information in as little as 10 seconds. HP business notebooks that will integrate Sprint Mobile Broadband service, including support for EV-DO Rev. A technology, include the following models, as well as additional models expected later this year:

• HP Compaq 2710p Notebook PC – Weighing only 3.6 pounds, this sleek, ultra-thin convertible notebook combines conventional notebook productivity with tablet PC flexibility. It features an optional integrated camera for convenient video conferencing, image capture and integrated business card reader software, as well as HP NightLight on the keyboard to improve visibility in low-light conditions.
• HP Compaq 6510b Notebook PC – This notebook boasts a low-profile, 14.1-inch diagonal widescreen display that offers 30 percent more viewing content than the standard 15-inch diagonal XGA display.
• HP Compaq 6910p Notebook PC – With industry-leading battery life of up to five hours and 45 minutes and weighing only 4.7 pounds, this notebook is designed with enhanced reliability features for on-the-move productivity. The Ultra-slim MultiBay II drive bay allows users to swap optical drives for increased storage or optimal travel weight.
• HP Compaq 8510 series – This notebook PC and mobile workstation offer a choice of intense graphics from ATI and NVIDIA in a 6.1 pound, highly mobile design. Users also can develop, record, re-write and playback high-definition video, as well as store up to 50 gigabytes (GB) of data, with optional Blu-ray DVD+/-RW SuperMulti DL Drive.

Pricing and availability

HP business notebook PCs with integrated Sprint Mobile Broadband service are expected to be available starting in October. Sprint Mobile Broadband service package pricing will vary. Estimated U.S. street prices for the HP Compaq Notebook PCs:

• HP Compaq 2710p Notebook PC starts at $1,599.
• HP Compaq 6510b Notebook PC starts at $929.
• HP Compaq 6910p Notebook PC starts at $1,199.
• HP Compaq 8510p Notebook PC starts at $1,479, and the HP Compaq 8510w Mobile Workstation starts at $2,049

^{More at BusinessWire}

October 19, ‘07 — BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Verizon Wireless today announced the immediate availability of the UM150 USB wireless modem through business sales channels and online at Verizon. The UM150 USB modem will be in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City, on November 2.

Designed to work with any computing device equipped with a Type A USB port, the UM150 USB modem is optimized for Verizon Wireless’ Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revolution A (Rev. A) network and the company’s BroadbandAccess service, which provides average download speeds of 600 kilobits per second (kbps) to 1.4 megabits and average upload speeds of 500-800 kbps.

UM150 features a high-performance, retractable antenna and a Y-shaped extension cable for added performance and convenience. In addition, the UM150 serves as a mass storage device with its built-in microSD™ memory slot which has a minimum capacity of 4 GB. VZAccess Manager Software is included to simplify set-up and navigation through the UM150’s features.

Pricing and Availability
The UM150 USB modem is available for $79.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and new two-year agreement. Customers can get BroadbandAccess service for Internet browsing, e-mail and intranet access for $59.99 monthly access with a new one- or two-year customer agreement.

More at Verizon here and here