As the economic crisis continues to wend its way through world markets, telecom companies such as Qwest have begun putting the brakes on some of their growth initiatives. But if recent comments by CEO Ivan Seidenberg are any indication, Verizon Communications isn’t making retrenchment plans. Speaking at the Dow Jones-Nielsen Media and Money conference earlier this week, Seidenberg reportedly told the crowd that Verizon wasn’t worried about the fluctuating stock market and was going ahead with its previously announced plans. According to Deal Journal, he said: “We have to retool the work force. We’re not going to do it by hunkering down. We’re going to do it by reinvesting…we can’t allow this period in which we feel bad about dislocations to take away from what America should be doing, which is creating competitive edge. If we ever lose our nerve to continue to take risk, then we’re in a lot of trouble.” So bring on the fiber and bring on Alltel! Seidenberg is pressing the FCC to approve Verizon’s proposed $28.1 billion buy of the cell phone maker service provider that will require the company to take on $22.2 billion of Alltell’s debt and refinance another $7.7 billion coming due this year. The FCC is expected to vote on the merger at its Nov. 4 public meeting. As for fiber, Verizon’s still pushing FiOS to new markets as part of its $18 billion plan to offer fiber to the home. Seidenberg may be content to take risks despite the stock market’s gyrations, but given the debt Verizon will need to take on, I think he might be wearing rose-colored glasses. Less

Nokia posted a 30.5 percent drop in earnings today on sales of 12.2 billion euros ($16.5 billion). This wasn’t surprising as the Finnish phone maker had warned the world last month that this would happen. But it’s frustrating that the company, which saw its market share erode by 2 percent from the previous quarter, would blame price cutting by its competitors for taking buyers. Part of the problem is that Nokia’s late to the game when it comes to giving buyers what they want. Sure, price-cutting is a pain to deal with, but since Nokia said it doesn’t plan to answer those price cuts with cuts of its own, it needs to get in gear and focus on boosting sales of its high-end phones. Although, price cuts in that market are coming too. Nokia has made some brilliant phones but has lagged when it comes to building new ones targeted at the consumer population, which is snapping up smartphones at a rapid clip. An analyst told Forbes that half of the total value of the cell phone market will comes from sales of smartphones next year. But the people spending those dollars aren’t the business users who have purchased Nokia’s N or E series of devices — they want music players, touch screens and whizzy apps that allow them to see their social networks. Nokia’s getting started with the launch of its 5800 XpressMusic handset earlier this month, so we’ll see if that will help keep it on top. Also as part of the earnings call, Nokia revealed that it would pay Qualcomm 1.7 billion euros ($2.29 billion) in the fourth quarter as part of a patent settlement made earlier this year. I’m hoping this means good news for getting Nokia phones on Verizon’s CDMA network. Less

It’s here: the Google Phone. After years of speculation and months of waiting, the first Google Android OS-based smart phone has finally been released by T-Mobile USA. The device formally called as G-1 is made by HTC has started to ship and will be made available to those who have pre-ordered the phone sometime today. T-Mobile USA sent me a pre-release review unit, and after playing around with it for a few days, I have some observations, which might help you make a buying decision about this device. I am eschewing the traditional review format because there are dozens of very smart people who have reviewed the G-1 after putting it through its paces. Here are my major takeaways:This isn’t an iPhone competitor. If you look at it, you can very quickly see that G-1 is a Honda to iPhone’s BMW. After a few days of usage I have become increasingly convinced that for people who like the Apple iPhone, will find Google-based G-1 aesthetically lacking. Maybe it is because I have been so conditioned by the iPhone’s touch screen, I don’t care for too much buttons on the phone that has touch screen ability, though it makes navigating through a complex array of features relatively easy. I like the trackball, which makes flipping through features very easy. The device is very easy to use. It took me less than an hour to figure out how to use the phone, most of its features including touch-screen abilities, surfing and setting up the network, without as much as referring to the accompanying handbook even once. Most people who use Windows XP or Vista for their daily computing will find Google Android user interface remarkably familiar and find comfort using this device. In other words, it will sell a lot of units. And yes it is going to become a thorn in Windows Mobile’s side. What I like about the G-1 Phone. It has the width of a normal phone, and still packs a big enough screen that makes web browsing via a great Webkit-based browser a meaningful experience. (iPhone still has a better, bigger, crisper screen.) The keyboard makes it easier to sift through a lot of emails, whether they are coming to your GMail account or from your IMAP account. Seamless Instant messaging with Google Talk, Windows Live, AOL and Yahoo Messenger, and the cutest, funniest smiley icons based on the Android logo. This has to be the best Mobile IM client on the planet! Google Apps and Search are so tightly integrated into the phone that you often wonder why you don’t use these services more often. Amazingly robust operating system with little or no lag time. It makes Windows Mobile feel like a retiree and even iPhone feels like a middle-aged person compared to Android OS. A simple easy and comfortable keyboard designed with real people in mind. The keys are small but well spaced and comfortable to type with thumbs. Music player supports MP3, M4A (iTunes AAC, DRM-free), AMR, WMA, MIDI, WAV, OGG Vorbis. Phone part of this smart phone actually works like a phone, something I can’t unfortunately say about the iPhone. What I Hate about the G-1. G-1 feels bulky in hand, even though it has svelte dimensions. It is heavier than the iPhone 5.6 ounces versus iPhone 3G which weighs in at 4.7 ounces. Despite the heft, the battery life isn’t superior to iPhone if you have all networks (including Wi-Fi) turned on Google Maps on G-1 feels like a poor cousin of iPhone-based Google Maps and Microsoft Maps on Windows Mobile. Though I do like this feature, which uses the built-in compass on the phone to allow users to view locations and navigate 360 degrees by simply moving the phone with their hand. Not enough built-in storage – the device comes with a puny 1GB MicroSD memory storage. The AppStore when compared to the iPhone lacks in user experience, and reminds me of the carrier decks which are awkward and non intuitive. And lastly, I hate the Dialer on this phone. It just isn’t good enough. So what is my verdict? Will I recommend this phone to anyone out there looking for a smart phone? The answer is yes, especially if you don’t much care for either Windows Mobile or Apple’s iPhone device. Less

The Federal Communications Commission has released an engineering report that increases the chances of a new wireless broadband network operating in the so-called white spaces, or unused spectrum, between digital TV channels. Such a service could compete with existing broadband networks from cellular carriers and perhaps cable and and DSL offerings. The report details the effects of interference (and there are some) from devices operating in the white spaces. The FCC will now take comments, then create rules to determine how such white spaces devices should operate. From the report: This action will open for use a significant amount of spectrum with very desirable propagation characteristics that has heretofore lain fallow. It will also allow the development of new and innovative types of unlicensed devices that provide broadband data and other services for businesses and consumers without disrupting the incumbent television and other authorized services that operate in the TV bands. The Commission is considering whether to also allow “personal/portable” WSDs to operate in the TV spectrum. Technology companies, including Google, Microsoft, Motorola and Dell, have all stepped forward to show their support this proposal. On the other side, several groups using the spectrum, including the National Association of Broadcasters, the National Cable and Telecommunications Association and those using wireless microphones have protested, citing the potential for interference. The FCC undertook 18 months of testing that is reflected in this report. Ben Scott, policy director of Free Press, issued the following statement: “This isn’t about one industry versus another. And the real value of unlicensed white spaces isn’t in the devices of today — it’s in their future potential to connect all Americans to a fast, affordable, open Internet. Freeing up these powerful airwaves will create a boom in innovative technologies and expand the opportunities for citizens to communicate with one another and the rest of the world.” It could also lead to a bonanza for device makers who can sell devices to access such spectrum, and for firms such as Google who would see more consumers online viewing more of its advertising. Depending on the quality and speed of access offered over white spaces, it might also affect the monthly data services wireless operators currently sell for $60 a pop. However, until the FCC begins setting rules for this spectrum, it remains hard to see how this will play out in the real world. As we’ve said before, the FCC could still create rules for devices operating in this spectrum that limit the usefulness of a white spaces network. Less

Recently it was revealed that the newest version of Microsoft’s mobile operating system, Windows Mobile 7.0, would be delayed until as late as 2010. The updated version, which the company’s partners had reportedly been hoping to have by early 2009, was aimed at giving Microsoft a bigger presence on the mobile stage. But delay or no delay, I don’t think it would have been enough. With competition from a resurgent BlackBerry platform from Research in Motion, Apple’s iPhone and most importantly, the Google Phone platform (I will analyze Nokia’s Symbian platform in a separate post at a later date), Microsoft’s mobile platform is facing its toughest environment yet. I’m not saying that Windows Mobile is no longer relevant. What I am saying is that Microsoft’s grand mobile ambitions might have to come down a few notches. Just like open-source server software made it impossible for Microsoft to extend its stranglehold to servers and the back-end infrastructure business, these newer mobile platforms will act as speed barriers to Microsoft’s mobile ambitions. Research firm Gartner recently released smartphone market share data for the second quarter, and some of the numbers were pretty astonishing. RIM’s market share surged 126 percent over the second quarter of 2007, to 17.4 percent. For the same year-over-year period, Apple’s OS X platform rocketed higher by 230.6 percent to encompass 2.8 7.3 percent of the worldwide market. Symbian was flat, and Windows Mobile market edged up a mere 20.6 share to stand at 11.5 percent for the period. Notably, this was before Blackberry figured out its game and announced a slew of devices, among them its new flip phone, aimed at higher-end consumers. A bunch of others, like the Bold and the Storm, will soon be released in the U.S. as well. And Apple continues to wow with its iPhone. But none of those present the most immediate threat to Microsoft’s mobile platform — that comes from Google’s Android. Over the weekend, rumors began surfacing that T-Mobile USA had pre-sold nearly 1.5 million units of the Google Phone, the G-1, made by handset maker HTC. After seeing the phone up close and personal, I’m not at all surprised. A few weeks ago, I moderated a panel in Boston that included Rich Miner, group manager of mobile platforms at Google and one of the co-founders of Android, a startup that Google acquired in 2005. Android, of course, has become the underpinning of Google’s assault on the mobile industry. Miner, who was a keynote speaker at our Mobilize conference, let me play around with his Google Phone. Since I wasn’t able to attend the launch event in New York, it was my first interaction with the device whose existence and emergence over the past few years we have closely followed. It didn’t take long for me to conclude that the device was well designed, sturdy, fast, easy to use and very intuitive — many of the same sentiments already expressed by experts such as Walt Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal and über gadget blogs Engadget and Gizmodo. (Of course, we share similar concerns as well.) What I don’t believe is that the device will have a major impact on Apple’s iPhone. The two have a lot in common the way a Mercedes and a Toyota truck have a lot in common: While they contain some of the same basic features — in this case a touch screen, an application framework that draws inspiration from their web peers and a near-identical Webkit browser — the user experience on the two devices is markedly different. In other words, the companies are going after different market segments. Google’s Android, in my opinion, is a direct competitor to Windows Mobile. Put another way, it’s Windows Mobile done right. I say this because I have tried dozens of Windows Mobile-based phones and their user interface always leaves me feeling like someone with multiple cuts being submerged in salt water. Don’t get me wrong – I think Windows Mobile as an OS has come a long way since its early, awkward roots. It’s just that the new guys are better. A lot better. In fact Miner, when he used to work at French-owned mobile carrier Orange, was one of the people who helped introduce a customized version of a Windows Mobile-based HTC device there. The experience with Windows Mobile left him so frustrated that he convinced Andy Rubin to team up and build the Android OS. Sometime later this month, the G-1 will go on sale and people (at least those in the U.S.) will be able to experience the difference between a Windows Mobile- and an Android-based phone for themselves. Of course, some will find the shortcomings of the Google Phone — and according to Mossberg, there are many — grating. Others, like me, will be suitably impressed. And if they’re impressed enough, most handset makers will want to join the party. So is Windows Mobile a lost cause? Absolutely not: Microsoft still sells millions of devices based on this platform, has brand-name mobile phone makers as partners and, most importantly, the ability to spend seemingly endlessly. They could start by buying browser maker Cellfire Skyfire to make up for Internet Explorer Mobile. And they could hammer home the advantages of Mobile, like how easy it to run VoIP and other applications such as Skype, or how it can work seamlessly with Microsoft Exchange. That will at least keep them on par with their upstart competitors. Less

  Cablevision said today it now offers Wi-Fi access to commercial and high-traffic locations across its Long Island, Connecticut and Westchester/Dutchess service areas as an additional service for its high-speed Internet customers. Commuters may enjoy the fact that the Wi-Fi is also available on the commuter rail platforms and station parking lots across Long Island as well as many Metro North stations. Cablevision touts the move as doubling its Wi-Fi network since its deployment a month ago, but it is easy to double things when they start small. Still, the Cablevision vision is impressive, with plans to offer Wi-Fi across the entire Tri-State area within two years. The Wi-Fi network delivers symmetrical speeds of up to 1.5 Mbps, which is currently faster than the data rates my 3G modem gets. Less

Roundup, deals, acquisitions Gregory T. Huang wrote: Heading deep into the battles of October (hang in there, Red Sox), dealflow has been fairly strong. The Northwest saw plenty of action in mobile, biotech, health care, and seed-stage tech funds in the past week. —Redmond, WA-based MobUI, a mobile software developer, acquired Bellevue, WA-based Action Engine, as Ryan reported. MobUI also raised new funding, led by GlobalNET Mobile Solutions, a South American wireless application service provider, but no financial terms were disclosed. —Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and San Diego-based Scripps Health teamed up with Bay Area firms Affymetrix and Navigenics to study the effects of personal genome testing on up to 10,000 people’s health behaviors. The researchers will use genetic scans to tell participants about their risk for various ailments, and then will track their lifestyle choices and their health outcomes for 20 years. Their personal health information will be kept in Microsoft’s secure HealthVault accounts. —Seattle-based Dendreon raised $20 million in a stock sale to Azimuth Opportunity, as Luke reported. Earlier in the week, Dendreon (NASDAQ: DNDN) said an interim analysis of a 500-patient study of its drug Provenge for prostate cancer found that it lowered the risk of death by 20 percent. —Mentor Graphics, an electronics design and analysis firm based in Wilsonville, OR, acquired the Flomerics Group, a U.K.-based maker of fluid-dynamics simulation software. Flomerics will become the mechanical analysis division of Mentor Graphics (NASDAQ: MENT). —Luke reported that Founder’s Co-op, the Seattle-based seed-stage fund run by Andy Sack and Chris DeVore, raised a new investment round, worth $1.8 million, and announced 12 more limited partners, bringing the total to 14. Founder’s Co-op is a peer-to-peer investment firm in which the partners, all established entrepreneurs, help guide strategy and support the portfolio companies. —Bellevue, WA-based Monster Venture Partners acquired a controlling stake in BitWine, a startup that lets users share knowledge and get expert advice online. Financial terms were not disclosed, but former Expedia exec Ronnie Gurion is BitWine’s new CEO, and Rob Monster is now chairman of the board. Comments | Permalink | Share |  E-mail Less

deals, wireless, iphone Ryan McBride wrote: MobUI, a Redmond, WA, developer of mobile applications, announced it has acquired mobile application platform firm Action Engine of Bellevue, WA, and raised an undisclosed amount of new funds. MobUI says the new financing—led by South American wireless application service provider GlobalNET Mobile Solutions—will help the firm develop applications for the iPhone, mobile Web, and major consumer brands. The firm did not disclose terms of the Action Engine buyout. Comments | Permalink | Share |  E-mail Less

Mobile, Software, VC Wade Roush wrote: Charles River Ventures of Waltham, MA, is one of the lead participants in an $11 million Series A funding round for Mumbai, India-based Webaroo, according to several reports this week. The mobile software company sells SMS-based systems for group messaging. Charles River was joined in the round by Helion Venture Partners. Comments | Permalink | Share |  E-mail Less

Global Markets, innovation, Mobile Gregory T. Huang wrote: ‘Tis the season for grand tours of Asia. Last week, we covered life on the road with Intellectual Ventures, as the Bellevue, WA-based invention firm launched offices in five Asian countries, including China. This week, it’s the Washington Technology Industry Association’s turn. Together with the Washington State Community, Trade and Economic Development office, the WTIA is coordinating a three-city visit to China for five Seattle-area tech companies: RealNetworks, Formotus, Mobile Semiconductor, Zoodango, and McObject. It’s the third WTIA-organized trip to China in the past year, and the first dedicated to a specific tech industry—mobile telecommunications. The trip’s focus “is on understanding the opportunity and dynamics of the China mobile market and setting up one-on-one business matchmaking meetings with the participants,” says Ken Myer, CEO of the WTIA (and an Xconomist). “Our goal with this mission is to open up business opportunities for our members who are seeking to enter or expand their presence in China.” The business opportunity is a no-brainer, given the size and growth of China’s mobile market (600 million subscribers and counting). This week’s agenda includes stops in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, and meetings with more than 20 prominent companies, including Microsoft, Huawei, China Mobile, Hurray!, Sina.com, and Tencent. Myer says his team will also visit the WTIA’s office in the Longgang district of Shenzhen and its local host, Pacific Prestige, along with Chinese government officials there, including the Shenzhen vice mayor, Xu Qin. All in all, it sounds like a fun and productive tour—one designed to build long-term relationships in the area. I had a chance to talk with a couple of the Seattle-area companies about their expectations for the trip. Joe Verschueren, co-founder and CEO of Formotus, a Bellevue-based maker of mobile software for businesses, says his goal is “to meet with potential strategic investors and go-to-market partners. Our partner candidates include carriers, device manufacturers, device distributors, industrial handheld computer manufacturers, distribution partners, potential joint venture partners and other companies involved in the cellular mobile industry.” Verschueren adds that he sees “tremendous opportunity for Formotus in China. We believe Formotus is favorably positioned to become an important partner to IT and Telco companies in China.” Cameron Fisher, co-founder and CEO of Mobile Semiconductor, a Seattle-based maker of memory technologies for mobile handsets, emphasized the importance of really connecting with the local companies he’s meeting. “We hope to first understand the market and what these companies see as important differentiators,” Fisher says. “Our memory technology can enable new applications, especially data-intensive applications such as video sharing, mobile database access, or simply large file system access. As we understand their needs, we can help them to design better cell phones, mobile gaming devices, etc. Next we would like to partner on a next-gen handset design, and license our technology,” he says. “I expect to spend one or two years developing a few key partnerships. That would most likely include our retaining some local representation.” There’s also a local celebrity among the WTIA contingent. James Sun, founder and CEO of Seattle-based Zoodango, a business-networking site, was the runner-up on ABC’s “The Apprentice 6″ last year. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, Sun’s experience with the Donald buys him in China. Comments | Permalink | Share |  E-mail Less

Last Friday afternoon, the FCC issued a report putting to rest worries about interference from a free wireless broadband service using the AWS-3 spectrum, paving the way for an auction sometime next year. However, opponents of the auction, including T-Mobile, aren’t going to give up without a fight. The original proposal for the spectrum, put forth two years ago by a Kleiner-backed company called M2Z Networks, had asked the FCC for use of the spectrum in the 2155-2175 MHz band to create a wireless broadband service. M2Z offered the FCC 5 percent of its revenue in exchange for the spectrum. It also pledged 25 percent of its network for free broadband service at lower speeds. The company would charge more for faster speeds and would build out 90 percent of its network in 10 years at a cost of $2 - $3 billion. In June the FCC issued its own rulemaking proposal, which hewed closely to the M2Z proposal. The FCC proposal would also restrict material that could be deemed obscene and “harmful” to children between ages 5 and 17 (i.e., porn) on the resulting wireless broadband network. Update: An FCC spokesman says that aspect of the proposal will likely get tweaked during the rulemaking process to allow adults to opt-out of such filters. T-Mobile had argued against the potential auction and use of the spectrum on the grounds that it would interfere with services deployed on the neighboring AWS-1 spectrum, which T-Mobile leased for $4 billion. But it appears that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, isn’t buying into the argument now that T-Mobile’s filters have proven to be ineffective at keeping out content from the nearby spectrum. “You shouldn’t have equipment that reads spectrum you don’t own,” Martin told Dow Jones. Damn! Who is this reasonable, carrier-smacking FCC chair? It’s nice to see a potential wireless broadband competitor making it out into the world, but the content limitations should give everyone pause. A whole mess of litigation will stand between this network and real use, as any government-created wireless broadband network should probably be free of censorship. Meanwhile, a mess of litigation might still stand between an AWS-3 auction and the creation of a network, as T-Mobile seems inclined to release the lawyers if the FCC goes forth with its proposal. The company issued a statement from Kathleen Ham, VP of federal regulatory affairs, via email, but didn’t answer my question about suing to protect its interests directly. The statement read: While we are glad the FCC engineers finally put their observations on the record, we have serious concerns that their analysis is flawed and relies on factors that were not the subject of the testing, while ignoring other important data in the record. In light of this, we are concerned that the result was predetermined unfairly. We and the multiple parties concerned about interference will strongly urge the FCC to provide for sufficient time for comment on their report before any FCC action on these rules. I may have to eat my words about the unliklihood of wireless broadband competition, but I’ll wait until the networks are up and devices are out before admitting defeat. Less

Asus Eee PC A new report from ABI Research on ultra mobile devices will warm Intel’s heart. The report estimates that the sale of all ultra mobile devices including mobile Internet devices,  ultraportable PCs, netbooks and basically anything larger than a phone and smaller than laptop will move from $3.5 billion in 2008 to nearly $27 billion in 2013. The firm issued a report a few weeks ago saying 200 million of these devices will be sold in 2013 — something I doubt. But this report is encouraging for Intel, which is pushing its low-power, x86 Atom chip into that market. From the report: In 2013 more than half of all UMDs will have x86 processors at their heart (largely Intel’s Atom), with the balance based on ARM processors. When it comes to operating systems, in 2013 Linux will outnumber Windows devices by two to one across all UMDs, despite the higher return rate for Linux products (compared to Windows products) experienced by netbook vendors today. I’m not sure how Linux will overcome those higher return rates, but the idea that Intel chips will power more than half of these devices might give pause to companies such as Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, Nvidia and others seeking to use ARM-based processors to get a piece of this market. If Intel has more than half (even of a smaller market), the rest will have to be split between myriad other vendors. In this case, the real winners will be Intel, with ARM coming in a distant second. Less

Asus Eee PC A new report from ABI Research on ultra-mobile devices will warm Intel’s heart. The report estimates that the sale of all ultra-mobile devices including mobile Internet devices,  ultra-portable PCs, netbooks and basically anything larger than a phone and smaller than laptop will move from $3.5 billion in 2008 to nearly $27 billion in 2013. The firm issued a report a few weeks ago saying 200 million of these devices will be sold in 2013 — something I doubt. But this report is encouraging for Intel, which is pushing its low-power, x86 Atom chip into that market. From the report: In 2013 more than half of all UMDs will have x86 processors at their heart (largely Intel’s Atom), with the balance based on ARM processors. When it comes to operating systems, in 2013 Linux will outnumber Windows devices by two to one across all UMDs, despite the higher return rate for Linux products (compared to Windows products) experienced by netbook vendors today. I’m not sure how Linux will overcome those higher return rates, but the idea that Intel chips will power more than half of these devices might give pause to companies such as Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, Nvidia and others seeking to use ARM-based processors to get a piece of this market. If Intel has more than half (even of a smaller market), the rest will have to be split between myriad other vendors. In this case, the real winners will be Intel, with ARM coming in a distant second. Less

CLICK HERE to download the file and listen directly. MoTR 150 is 36:15 minutes long and is a 33.3 MB file in MP3 format. INTRO: Based on Time v2.1 by Meta Sektion, additional mixing by James Kendrick. HOSTS: James Kendrick (Houston), Matt Miller (Seattle) and Kevin C. Tofel (Philadelphia) TOPICS: Three years and 150 episodes: for that, we thank you! Did Matt buy an MSI Wind, since he was tempted on the last show? More thoughts on the Lenovo S10 netbook, which is now even less expensive. Who wants a dual core Intel Atom in netbook? Matt’s also looking at the Everun NOTE UMPC, which has plenty of power. Next week brings new Mac notebooks. Hmm… WiMAX in Baltimore… works great where there’s service. Lenovo’s X301 with embedded WiMAX in the house. Thin and light, but still has power. Thoughts on the Nokia N96 after some more play time. A rare teaser: we’ll have a hot new device in hand for the next show! CONTACT US: E-mail us or leave us a voicemail on our SkypeLine! SUBSCRIBE: Use this RSS feed with your favorite podcatcher or click this link to add us to iTunes Less

CLICK HERE to download the file and listen directly. MoTR 150 is 36:15 minutes long and is a 33.3 MB file in MP3 format. INTRO: Based on Time v2.1 by Meta Sektion, additional mixing by James Kendrick. HOSTS: James Kendrick (Houston), Matt Miller (Seattle) and Kevin C. Tofel (Philadelphia) TOPICS: Three years and 150 episodes: for that, we thank you! Did Matt buy an MSI Wind, since he was tempted on the last show? More thoughts on the Lenovo S10 netbook, which is now even less expensive. Who wants a dual core Intel Atom in netbook? Matt’s also looking at the Everun NOTE UMPC, which has plenty of power. Next week brings new Mac notebooks. Hmm… WiMAX in Baltimore… works great where there’s service. Lenovo’s X301 with embedded WiMAX in the house. Thin and light, but still has power. Thoughts on the Nokia N96 after some more play time. A rare teaser: we’ll have a hot new device in hand for the next show! CONTACT US: E-mail us or leave us a voicemail on our SkypeLine! SUBSCRIBE: Use this RSS feed with your favorite podcatcher or click this link to add us to iTunes Less

An almost decade-long effort to bring an unknown wireless broadband technology to the U.S. is set to bear fruit next month in Florida after XG Technology Inc. scored a $375 million infrastructure deal backed by a secretive Swiss billionaire. Earlier this week the Financial Times said Sarasota, Fla.-based XG scored a $375 million deal from an investment firm owned by Johan Bohman to start deploying XG’s low-power wireless base stations. So far I’m taking this story with a heaping grain of salt, especially since other reports call this guy a reclusive Swedish billionaire, and there are allegations of fraud regarding a member of the company’s management team, plus uncertainty about the technology. XG, which is listed on the AIM market in London, is pushing a low-power, long-range wireless technology called wMAX that they’re pitching as a competitor to cellular and WiMAX networks. They already have handsets in the works, and FCC approval. According to the company, its signal range at 900MHz is 7.55 miles, compared with 2.3 miles for GSM, 2.46 miles for WiMAX and 2.53 miles for UMTS (3G), all using equal average power. The goal is to roll out a VoIP service in South Florida this year and launch data and modem services in 2009, according to the Financial Times.  I’ve called the company to learn more, but have not heard back. If it can deliver a low-power, mobile broadband service that would be a cheaper alternative to cellular and possibly to other wireless broadband efforts, that’s pretty sweet, but it seems a little too good to be true. Less

El objetivo es alinear entorno a la visión de la marca Telefónica, la comunicación de todas sus marcas comerciales. Brasil es el primer mercado en el que se ejecuta el plan. Tras realizar un concurso entre su pool de agencias Publicis resultó ganadora de un ambicioso proyecto que responde a la necesidad de Telefónica de comunicar [...] Less

EQO Communications, a communications company based in Vancouver that made waves at Demo 2006 and raised a total of $13 million in two rounds of funding from GrowthWorks, BDC Capital and Ventures West is rumored to have cut nearly 65% of its work force — reducing the number of employees from 35 to 12. The news was reported by Techvibes, a Canadian startup related publication. I have called their marketing manager for a comment but had not heard back at press time. When it launched, we were intrigued by EQO because it was one of the first clients out there that allowed you to make Skype calls from a regular phone. Making Skype mobile was an opportunity that slipped away from EQO mostly because competitor iSkoot was better funded and had a better execution strategy. In August 2006, EQO got into a bit of a tiff with Skype. The company then refocused on social networks but it seems even that strategy didn’t go anywhere. The company raised another $9 million in August 2007. Funny thing about these rumored job cuts is that the company has been supporting more and more mobile phones and was supporting all high growth devices. The job cuts, if true, don’t bode well for the long term health of the company. VoIP as an industry has proved to be hard nut to crack for start-ups, especially those aiming for the consumer market. Jangl and TalkPlus were two startups that hit the deck earlier this year. We are going to see more of these”save money on LD” phone apps with no discernible business model and relatively little traction or loyalty to follow suit.  * Approximately Less

Mobile, wireless, WiMax Wade Roush wrote: On Monday I blogged about a report that the XOHM WiMax network, Sprint Nextel’s venture into broadband wireless service, is up and running in Boston and several other cities, even though the company has officially launched the service only in Baltimore. Today, the source of that report, Robert Wray of in-car-computing site MP3Car.com, wrote to let me know that he has verified that XOHM is active here by driving through the city with a WiMax-enabled laptop. Wray flew into Boston on Wednesday, rented a car, and drove south from Logan Airport to Weymouth, measuring his network connection speed along the way. Even driving at 65 miles per hour, he was able to connect at about 2.5 megabits per second—three or four times the speed of 3G devices such as the Apple iPhone. “Coverage was patchy, but when it worked, it really worked,” Wray writes. Wray, who lives in Maryland, was even able to use the location-finding features provided by XOHM’s network, watching as a little man-shaped icon representing the car’s position moved across a Google map. An official at Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S) told me on Monday that the XOHM service is still in the “developmental” stages in Boston and several other cities, including Providence, RI, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Fort Worth, TX. Any announcement about the official launch of the network in these cities, the official said, would probably come from “the new Clearwire,” the company expected to be formed this year from the pending merger of Sprint’s XOHM subsidiary with Kirkland, WA-based Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR). That merger is still under review by courts in Illinois and regulators in Washington, and is dependent on a $3.2 billion investment from Bright House Networks, Comcast, Intel, Google, and Time Warner Cable. Clearly, though, Sprint has already installed enough WiMax equipment in and around Boston to provide fairly comprehensive coverage. Wray’s full results are posted at his blog; he says he plans to test XOHM connection speeds at several more locations while he is visiting Boston. Comments | Permalink | Share |  E-mail Less