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May 31, 2006

Qualcomm Discusses MediaFLO

By Glenn Fleishman

Alan Reiter writes up a briefing on Qualcomm’s broadcast format for cell phones: MediaFLO will use former UHF Channel 55 in the U.S., carrying 20 video and 10 audio channels over 6 MHz. It’ll also stream 800 minutes of short, downloadable clips across each day and provide “IP datacasting”—data broadcast to a granular subset of users, such as stock ticker or sports updates as games progress. Verizon has committed to the service.

Posted by Glennf at 8:15 PM | Comments (0)

May 18, 2006

Survey of Cell Data Options

By Glenn Fleishman

The New York Times runs down what cellular data networks are, where they work, and how to use them: It’s a good introductions, and it’s part of their Basics series, so nothing new in this item. I’d take issue with three points raised, however.

First, the intro states, “Wi-Fi, the wireless networking technology that can create an invisible field of Internet access over a limited area, has revolutionized the world of mobile computing.” The last clause is true, but cellular base stations also create service over a limited area; putting them in overlapping areas creates seamless coverage, same as with metro-scale Wi-Fi. My caveat, Wi-Fi is designed to cover a limited area where cell and WiMax are not.

Second, no mention of adding EVDO or UMTS service on an existing cell phone instead of purchasing a PC Card. This tethered option often comes with a smaller price tag for unlimited service. Cingular doesn’t offer HSDPA phones yet, so it’s no really worth getting a UMTS phone today for that purpose along.

Third, while the last section notes that Verizon and Cingular told the Times reporter that sharing a connection violates its terms of service, Cingular has authorized use of the Junxion box. And the Junxion box isn’t really designed for SOHO users; Kyocera’s is.

Posted by Glennf at 10:44 AM | Comments (0)

May 12, 2006

Novatel Has PCI Express Mini HSDPA Modem

By Glenn Fleishman

The EU740 is an embeddable PCI Express Mini Card handling HSDPA: These cards are designed for OEMs, or manufacturers of equipment. A Dell or HP would purchase the EU740 from Novatel as a standard feature or add-on option for laptops that use the PCI Express bus. This bus is the wave of the future, no exaggeration, with much higher performance and better parallel operations. It’s found in many of the newest laptops and some desktops that use Intel Core chips, such as Apple’s new MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini models, and laptops from Dell and others.

The press release merely points out that the EU740 (and the U740 PC Card) have received certification from a global organization.

Posted by Glennf at 10:12 AM | Comments (0)