Items tagged with CTIA
Smartphone theft (and, let’s be honest with our absent-minded and clumsy selves, loss) is a major problem, and a potential solution proposed by lawmakers in San Francisco and New York has been shot down by the big four wireless carriers. San Francisco DA George Gascón (who has been working on solutions with New York AG Eric T. Schneiderman) told the New York Times that he had been working with Samsung--a company that makes a great many of the nation’s smartphones--to put antitheft software on the company’s handsets that would give carriers a killswitch to deactivate a stolen smartphone. Gascon (center) and Schneiderman (second from right) (Credit: Bebeto Matthews/AP)...
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When new FCC chairman Tom Wheeler stepped into his new job, he had some big shoes to fill after predecessor Julius Genachowski left an impressive track record behind, but Mr. Wheeler seems to be hitting the ground running. This week, he wrote a letter to the CTIA urging the group to amend its Consumer Code to change consumers’ right to unlock their mobile devices. Wheeler noted, in a not-so-subtle way, that the FCC prefers when industries promote competition voluntarily, and he said that after eight months of work between the FCC and CTIA enough is enough. “Let’s set a goal of including the full unlocking rights policy in the CTIA Consumer Code before the December holiday season.”...
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In a one-city crusade, San Francisco attempted to pass an ordinance requiring retailers to post warnings to consumers about the potentially dangerous levels of radiation coming from their cell phones. It didn’t get far, as a judge blocked the 2011 ordinance before it could take effect, and now, Reuters reports that the city has backed down from the measure. The city had already lost in court against the CTIA, and the permanent injunction against the ordinance was part of a settlement. The CTIA had posited that such an ordinance would violate its free speech rights and would mislead consumers about an issue that currently doesn’t appear to have consensus among the scientific community....
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Verizon has let the press know about a “special event” that’s happening on May 22nd at CTIA, and we’re left to speculate about what that announcement might be. In typical teaser fashion, Verizon sent out a note without any real details; sometimes, companies will throw us little hints with these things, but that’s not the case with this one. It just says, “Save the date” and “Join Verizon Wireless for a special announcement at CTIA.” And so we wonder. The company could announce the availability of the Samsung Galaxy S4 or HTC One, both of which are hot, eagerly-awaited, high-end smartphones; rumors have Verizon availability for those handsets...
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No one likes to be surprised by insanely high mobile bills. Or any bills, really. But with those mobile bills, at least there's a governmental agency watching out for Americans, right? Sheers and jeers aside, the CTIA and FCC has announced today new commitments by providers that represent more than 97 percent of wireless consumers in the U.S. to send free alerts to help consumers avoid unexpected overage charges. The joint announcement was made by CTIA President & CEO Steve Largent, Federal Communications Chairman Julius Genachowski, and Consumers Union's Communications Policy Counsel Parul Desai. The plan – called the "Wireless Consumer Usage Notification Guidelines" – will provide...
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Last week, we told you that Google and Samsung were postponing an event out of respect for Steve Job's recent passing. Now, the two companies are ready to reschedule this event. On October 19, Samsung and Google are expected to reveal the Nexus Prime smartphone and Google's latest version of Android known as Ice Cream Sandwich. The October 19 event will take place in Hong Kong. Samsung said it plans to reveal a new smartphone that will run on the latest version of Android at the event. Although Samsung didn't disclose the name of the phone, the company released the following statement, "We are unpacking our new Android phone in concurrence with Google." The Google/Samsung Hong Kong event is scheduled...
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Yesterday, we told you about the Nexus Prime, a hot new smartphone that was expected to be unveiled next week. Now, we're getting word that Google and Samsung may be delaying the arrival of this highly-anticipated smartphone. In a statement released today, the two companies said they won't be showing off the Nexus Prime at the Samsung Unpacked event next week during CTIA as we expected. The Nexus Prime is also known as the Galaxy Nexus and the Droid Prime. Whatever you call it, this smartphone was expected to give us the first look at Google's next version of Android known as Ice Cream Sandwich. The two companies issued this statement: "Samsung and Google decide to postpone the new product announcement...
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CTIA, the wireless industry's biggest trade group announced on Friday that it has sued the city of San Francisco over its recently passed ordinance requiring retailers to display the radiation levels emitted from cellphones. The “Cell Phone Right-to-Know” law requires retailers to display the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) next to phones they sell. In the U.S. and Canada, the SAR must be 1.6 watts per kg or less. In Europe, the maximum level is 2.0 kw per kg or less. At the time of passage, the CTIA said then, and emphasizes now, that the law will confuse consumers. It will, the CTIA said, make them believe that certain models will be "safer" to use than others. John Walls, a spokesman...
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Considering 91% of Americans carry a cell phone, there are not a lot of new customers for wireless carriers to target. That is, unless you start considering non-human customers. That's just what AT&T has in mind with a new dog collar that can connect to the Internet. After talking about wireless dog collars for more than a year, AT&T is almost ready to deploy a collar. The collar could send text messages or emails to a pet owner if the pet strays outside of a predefined area. It could also provide continuous tracking of the pet. A wireless dog collar is just one of many new devices AT&T hopes will catch on and provide additional streams of revenue. Other gadgets could include a pill...
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If we were to ask you what percentage of Americans do you think own a cell phone, what would you say? 35 percent? 50 percent? 75 percent!? If you said 75 percent, pat yourself on the back for picking the most obvious answer, but you're still wrong. The answer is D, 91 percent of Americans carry a cell phone.That's according to the CTIA, which recently released the results of its semiannual U.S. wireless industry survey for the last half of the 2009. According the CTIA, there are over 285 million Americans who are mobile subscribers, which is 15 million more than one year prior.That's great for wireless service providers, who benefited from $77 billion in total revenue for the last half of the...
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In a one-on-one meeting with Engadget, Verizon Wireless' Senior VP and CTO Tony Melone revealed some interesting details about the wireless carrier's plans for LTE and LTE-related devices. More specifically, Melone confirmed that ALL of its data-only LTE WWAN devices (such as aircards, MiFi-type products, and USB data sticks) will also support 3G. This is definitely good news for users, especially those who may find themselves traveling in and out of 4G data coverage areas. Considering some of today's WiMAX products don't offer the same versatility, this is a welcome announcement. Although data-centric devices such as aircards, USB data sticks, and MiFi-type devices supporting LTE will be the...
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While most wireless carriers are touting their 4G plans at the CTIA trade show, T-Mobile is focusing on its 3G network. The company unveiled plans to upgrade its 3G service to High Speed Packet Access Plus (HSPA+) technology. HSPA+ will give customers faster data speeds than today's 3G network. By the end of this year, T-Mobile plans to have deployed HSPA+ across the breadth of its 3G footprint and cover more than 100 metropolitan areas and 185 people with the upgraded service. T-Mobile to Rollout the Nation’s Fastest 3G Wireless Network with HSPA+ to More than 100Metropolitan Areas in 2010 T-Mobile delivers home broadband-like experiences on-the-go when surfing the web,accessing multimedia features,...
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Today is the day for Android-related news. We've already heard announcements from Samsung and Sprint/HTC. In an attempt to return to the smartphone space, Kyocera revealed its own Android-powered smartphone today. The new Kyocera Zio M6000 will launch in the second quarter and feature a 3.5-inch WVGA motion enhanced touchscreen display as well as a 3.2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 256MB of internal memory. Kyocera Reveals the Human Side of Android with the Kyocera Zio M6000 Smartphone LAS VEGAS--Kyocera Communications Inc., provider of Kyocera- and Sanyo-branded wireless devices, today added a human touch to the high-tech smartphone market with the introduction of the Kyocera Zio™...
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Samsung is hoping to make your life "more convenient, more exciting, and more integrated," with its new Galaxy S smartphone. This smartphone runs on the latest version of Android, offers a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen, and has a 1GHz processor. The Galaxy S will be coming to Europe, North America, Latin America, Australia, and Asia soon. Although the phone hasn't been formally announced for a US carrier, since this is a GSM phone, AT&T and T-Mobile are the most likely candidates. Samsung Welcomes You to the “Smart Life” with the Global Launch of the Galaxy S Powered by 4-Inch Super AMOLED and the Latest Version of Android™, Galaxy S Brings Rich Technology and Enhanced Mobile Experience...
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This summer, Sprint customers will be able to get their hands on the world's first 3G/4G Android-powered smartphone. Otherwise known as the HTC EVO, this smartphone features a 4.3-inch touchscreen, 8 megapixel camera, HD video capture capabilities, HDMI output, and the HTC Sense user interface. Behind the scenes, the EVO is powered by a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Thanks to the phone's built-in mobile hotspot functionality, you can share the 4G connectivity with up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices. The phone also has dual cameras—an 8 megapixel autofocus camera and a forward-facing 1.3 megapixel camera. After capturing video, you can upload it to YouTube, Facebook, or share it live over...
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Sprint is expected to unveil a WiMAX phone from HTC at the CTIA trade show next week. According to analysts, Sprint will show off the first WiMAX phone for its network on March 23 at the annual CTIA show. Previously, Sprint promised a WiMAX phone for sometime this year, but the carrier has not announced a launch date. The rumored phone would support WiMAX as well as Sprint's existing CDMA network. The WiMAX network is a joint venture between Clearwire and Sprint. "Our checks indicate that Sprint will launch a CDMA/WiMAX handset at CTIA called the HTC Supersonic," Macquarie analyst Philip Cusick said in a research note. Avi Greengart from Current Analysis also expects to see a device announcement...
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