Did Google PreEmptively Block a 4G iPhone on Verizon?

The Commission’s open access rule is clear that C Block licensees “shall not deny, limit, or restrict the ability of their customers to use the devices and applications of their choice….” The rule thus plainly proscribes a C Block licensee from selling handsets to customers that hinder a customer’s ability to use applications of their choice, and applies to all customers of a C Block licensee.

Verizon’s position would completely reverse the meaning of the rule such that the open access condition would apply to none of Verizon’s customers, and thereby render the condition a nullity.

The FCC decided to impose rules on the 700 Mhz block after noting that carriers had blocked applications and crippled devices — such as turning off their WiFi chips or disabling Bluetooth, something Verizon used to be notorious for.

“Although wireless broadband services have great promise, we have become increasingly concerned that certain practices in the wireless industry may constrain consumer access to wireless broadband networks and limit the services and functionalities provided to consumers by these networks,” the FCC said in a 350-page ruling on the auction .

Mobile phones: How to 'keep your brain away from the antenna'

Some doctors encourage people to keep phones away from their heads as a way to reduce radiation exposure.




Ah, the what-do-I-do-about-this frustration of science.
A government-funded study published Tuesday says radiation from mobile phones can change the way brains process sugar.
Is that a big deal? The scientists aren't sure, according to CNN Health's report. But our story has scary tidbits.
Like this quote, from Dr. Nora Volkow, the Journal of the American Medical Association study's lead author and a neuroscientist at the National Institutes of Health:
"The human brain is sensitive to the electromagnetic radiation emitted by cell phones, but for the brain to be impacted the cell phone has to be close to the antenna. So keep your brain away from the antenna."
In layman's terms: It's better to be safe than sorry, she says.
Despite years of research, there's still no conclusive proof cell phone radiation causes cancer and other health problems in the brain. Studies, some of them funded by the wireless industry, have produced contradictory findings.
But the nearly ubiquitous devices haven't been proven 100% safe either.
So, for the sake of argument, let's say you are worried about this and you do want to "keep your brain away from the antenna."
How do you actually do that?

Microsoft opening Kinect to PC apps

Microsoft intends to bring its Kinect device, which lets Xbox 360 users play games using body movements, to PCs.








Software developers will be able to tap into the Kinect gaming system thanks to an application builder that Microsoft plans to release this spring, the company announced Monday.
With this new development kit, Microsoft is hoping its innovative, controller-free camera system will woo more developers to Windows. Many developers have shifted their focus from desktops toward mobile platforms like Apple's iOS and Google's Android.
Unlike current Kinect games, which can be played only on an Xbox 360 game console, these apps would run on Windows computers connected to the device.

AT&T iPhone beats Verizon in nationwide 3G speed tests

The Verizon iPhone and AT&T iPhone have gone head-to-head in thousands of broadband tests, and the numbers tell the story you'd expect: AT&T's network is much faster.
Ookla, creators of the Speedtest.net broadband test, compiled data from tests run by iPhone customers using the Speedtest.net app on both AT&T and Verizon.
On average, the reported AT&T iPhone transfer rates were roughly two times faster than the Verizon iPhone's.
The AT&T iPhone's average download speed was 1,769 Kbps, and the average upload speed was 730 Kbps. By way of comparison, the Verizon iPhone's average download speed was 848 Kbps, and the average upload speed was 506 Kbps.
The results come from 43,000 AT&T iPhones and 14,000 Verizon iPhones all over the United States. Most Speedtest.net app users ran the tests multiple times, totaling 106,000 results from AT&T iPhone users and 49,000 results from Verizon iPhone users.

Researchers Muffle Radio Noise to Make WiFi Breakthrough

A team of Stanford researchers have come up with "full duplex" radios that can talk and listen at the same time -- a feat that enables communications simultaneity over WiFi networks. Cutting through existing WiFi congestion could double network speeds and capacities, encourage ambitious new projects -- such as citywide WiFi -- and even help prevent plane crashes.







On a radio or over the TV airwaves, speakers have to rely on back-and-forth communications because radio traffic only flows in one direction at a time on a frequency. Or so said scientific conventional wisdom, until Stanford researchers developed so-called "full duplex" radios that can send and receive signals at the same time. Twice as fast as existing radio devices, the new technology promises less congested, more efficient networks.

Apple could be working on television

Is Apple working on turning Apple TV into an Apple-branded television from a tiny set-top box?









We know Apple already sells Apple TV. But it might be working on an another kind of Apple TV--as in an Apple-branded television, not a set-top box that hooks up to your TV.
Eagle-eyed bloggers at 9to5 Mac noticed a job listing today that Apple posted that leaves little doubt it's something the company is at least exploring.
The listing asks, rather benignly, for someone who wants to work on "new power management designs and technologies." But in what will Apple use this new power-management technology? The listing goes on to say that it will be used for "Apple's next-generation Macintosh platforms spanning from notebook computers, desktop computers, servers, standalone displays, and TV."

No-contract smartphone may lure first-time users

The economy is still tight, so for many U.S. mobile users a key obstacle to upgrading to a smartphone is cost.

It's not just a matter of the upfront cost for the device. If you're feeling insecure about your future income stability, it might seem reckless to commit to two years of a monthly bill of $90 or more, plus the risk of "surprise" charges for overages of various kinds, and hefty early termination fees if you decide to cancel.

This is why no-contract discount wireless carriers such as MetroPCS have been doing a brisk business, mainly in nonsmart "feature phones."