ATT Wireless Brings Customers Holiday Cheer With Free Music!!!

ATT Wireless announced today a number of holiday offerings that wireless customers can take advantage of throughout the season, including free downloads of holiday ringtones, Answer Tones (TM), a new mobile game and Tone E-Cards, a fun gift for friends and family that's easy to purchase and send.

"This time of year is traditionally one of the most popular for music and entertainment downloads," said Mark Collins, vice president of Consumer Data for ATT's wireless unit. "ATT is excited to offer free and festive holiday favorites for customers to enjoy throughout the season."

To obtain the free offer, customers must simply send a text message with the word GIFT to the number 7230. They will receive a text message with a link to download their free tone or game. Normal data usage charges apply during download, based on the customer's data plan.

Anyone with an ATT wireless phone can use a Tone E-Card, which make great last-minute gifts. The Tone E-Cards, valued at $9.99 or $19.99, can be ordered online. After the receiver gets an e-mail alert with their PIN code, they can shop for ringtones or graphics at MEdia Mall and redeem their gift by entering the eight-digit code in the Coupon/Tone Card Code field on the Ringtone or Graphic Purchase page.

With ATT, customers can choose from a wide selection of alternative, classic rock, hip-hop, R&B, pop, Latin, country and holiday ringtones that download quickly and easily. There are more than 10,000 ringtones available to match each customer's personal style.

Wireless Phone Services Get An Upgrade As Verizon Opens Network To Phones From Other Companies!!!

Verizon Wireless plans to open its network to devices and software from any company, becoming the first U.S. mobile-phone service provider to promote unrestricted access. Device makers can use instructions Verizon plans to publish early next year to create and sell phones, gaming devices, household appliances and other gadgets that will work on the nationwide network. Clients also can keep buying phones directly from the company, the second-biggest U.S. wireless carrier.

Expanding the variety of services may help Verizon win customers as wireless subscribers growth slows in the U.S., where about 80 percent of the population has a mobile phone. Verizon's decision may force rivals AT&T Inc. and Sprint Nextel Corp. to follow suit, Gartner Inc. analyst Tole Hart said:

"This is a pretty big step," said Philadelphia-based Hart. "There will be more applications out there that people want to use and more use use of the wireless Internet."

The decision also aligns Basking Ridge, New Jersey-based Verizon Wireless with former opponent Google Inc., which had urged the government to create rules forcing carriers to open their networks ahead of an airwave auction. Verizon had sued the Federal Communications Commissioner over those rules, and dropped the legal action last month.

Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group Plc jointly own Verizon Wireless. Verizon Communications rose 23 cents to $41.46 at 4 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The stock has gained 11 percent this year.

Harmon Kardon Gets Into Wireless Video Transmitter Business!!!

Harmon Kardon Inc., today announced the introduction of the Guide + Play GPS-810, the newest products in the company's Guide + Play line of portable GPS navigation units.

The new models feature the same clean lines, slim profile, crisp WQVGA LCD screens and intuitive touchscreen operation of the successful Guide + Play GPS-300 and GPS-500 models, but provide added functionality, with some or all of the models incorporating text-to-speech and real-time traffic features, Windows Media(R) digital-rights management (WM-DRM10), a picture viewer, Bluetooth hands-free calling and a breakthrough rotary wireless controller.

"For the consumer, the possibility of upgrading from an aging OEM head unit to one that offers connectivity to the growing range of popular portable devices is diminishing. Meanwhile, the use of portable devices to deliver content and connectivity in the car is exploding in popularity.

As this phenomenon evolves, the average dashboard is getting overcrowded with multiple devices, a rat's nest of wires, and a distracting array of different user interfaces," said Mike Griffin, president of the Mobile, Portable and Companion Products Division of Harman Consumer Group. "Our Guide + Play personal GPS product line solves this problem. We start with the most accurate, intuitive, easy-to-use GPS navigation products available. Then we incorporate unsurpassed multimedia and connectivity functionality and versatility for a seamless, integrated mobile-infotainment experience."

All three Harmon Kardon Guide + Play units offer a superior navigation and multimedia experience.

Wireless Sensors To Monitor Bearings In Jet Engines Developed!!!

Researchers at Purdue University, working with the U.S. Air Force, have developed tiny wireless sensors resilient enough to survive the harsh conditions inside jet engines to detect when critical bearings are close to failing and prevent breakdowns.

The devices are an example of an emerging technology known as "micro electromechanical systems," or MEMS, which are machines that combine electronic and mechanical components on a microscopic scale.

"The MEMS technology is critical because it needs to be small enough that it doesn't interfere with the performance of the bearing itself," said Farshid Sadeghi, a professor of mechanical engineering. " And the other issue is that it needs to be able to withstand extreme heat."

The engine bearings must function amid temperatures of about 300 degrees Celsius, or 572 degrees Farenheit. The researchers have shown that the new sensors can detect impending temperature-induced bearing failure significantly earlier than conventional sensors.

The sensors could be in use in a few years in military aircraft such as fighter jets and helicopters. The technology also has potential applications in commercial products, including aircraft and cars.

The MEMS devices will not require batteries and will transmit temperature data wirelessly. Power will be provided using a technique called inductive coupling, which uses coils of wire to generate current.

CBS Mobile Zone To Utilize Wireless Transmitters!!!

CBS Corporation announced today that it will "light up" midtown Manhattan with the creation of the "CBS Mobile Zone," a wireless high-speed network enabling New Yorkers with Wi-Fi enabled cell phones, laptops or other devices to access the Internet for free, and make voice over Internet calls. The Wi-Fi HotZone, which is available today in certain areas, will be fully operational on by month's end with a footprint of more than 20 city blocks from Times Square to Central Park South and from 6th Avenue to 8th Avenue.

This initiative is part of a 6-month pilot program with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and New York City Transit to test the potential communications capabilities of Wi-Fi technology.

New Yorkers who access the "CBS Mobile Zone," will be greeted by an ad-supported homepage that includes hyperlocal content such as breaking local and national news, sports highlights, weather reports, music discovery, wallpapers, ringtones, maps, a social network and the ability to search for nearby restaurants, shops and entertainment complete with geographically-targeted community reviews. Citi and Salesgenie.com have signed on to be early sponsors of the Wi-Fi HotZone.

"We are pleased to deliver what may be the most advanced wireless and pre-WiMax, outdoor offering of it's kind in the U.S.," said Cyriac Roeding, Executive Vice President, CBS Mobile. "Whether it's surfing the web on your laptop from a park bench, receiving breaking news, sports scores, locating the closest recommended pizza shop or calling your friend for free via your Wi-Fi enabled phone, we believe we're offering something helpful to all New Yorkers. Thanks to the extraordinary capabilities of our partners the whole project took less than six months to complete and was highly cost effective."

The "CBS Mobile Zone," will be powered by CBS Outdoor billboards and MTA New York City Transit-owned urban panels located above select subway station entrances that have been fitted with transmitters in a joint initiative between CBS Interactive and CBS Outdoor. In addition, many local businesses will be offered free routers allowing companies and patrons to tap into the "CBS Mobile Zone" from indoors.

In launching this first-of-its-kind WiFi network, CBS partnered with the MTA New City Transit and several next-generation companies including Tropos, BIG, Fon, Yelp, 1020, Aptilo and Can-Do Entertainment, with more to be added throughout the duration of the midtown offering. The "CBS Mobile Zone" also provides interactive advertising opportunities that can be localized down to the individual billboard.

X-Gene, the brand name for Next Generation Tech, Inc. products, announces the introduction of its newest wireless keyboard, th PN-01030. This feature rich board makes a couch potato's dream come true with 2.4GHz wireless technology for precise keyboard and trackball commands at a distance of up to 45 feet.

The full-size unit is Mac, Windows XP Media Center Edition, and Windows Vista Premium compatible. A space-saving trackball allows easy 360-degree navigation for gamers in the family. Offering low profile keys and multimedia controls, the wireless keyboard is ideal for all types of home entertainment.

The PN-01030 wireless keyboard provides the ultimate in convenience for not only general usage, but also for anyone operating a Windows Media Center. Plus, it is sleek, and has an elegant design that adds a look and feel of sophistication no matter where it is used.

2.4 GHz Wireless Technology by using radio frequency communications technology, the PN-01030 keyboard is able to function up to 45 feet from the host computer in any direction. Radio Frequency technology is superior to the Infrared technology used by most wireless keyboards, because with Radio Frequency technology you do not have to have the keyboard pointed directly at the host computer.

This keyboard will easily operate through the closed doors of your home entertainment center, walls and other obstacles.

Silicon Valley's Huge Wireless Network Stalling!!!

The ambitious plan to blanket 1,500 square miles of California's Silicon Valley with a wireless network may be on the edge of stalling, still unable to raise funds for even two one-square mile test sites, according to a recent column in the San Jose Mercury News.

The two test sites would need $500,000 , which so far the region, which covers most of the peninsula south of San Francisco and is one of the wealthiest regions in the United States, has begun unwilling to cough up, according to Mercury News columnist Vindu Goel.

In one sense, Goel's interviews show little has changed since the glacial pace of the project was reported five months ago, except for one critical thing: the reasons for the delay. The contract for the high-profile project, spawned by a nonprofit called Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network was awarded last year to Silicon Valley Metro Connect, a cooperative venture that has Cisco as equipment supplier, IBM as systems integrator, Azulstar Networks as the network owner and operator, and nonprofit SeaKay to address digital inclusion issues on behalf of the poor and other undeserved groups.

This project is a mutually reinforcing hesitation. Investors want proof the network can deliver , which is why the two test sites - covering one square mile in Palo Alto and San Carlos respectively - are essential. But unconvinced of the value of such a vast network, investors are not willing to fund the test. "Project backers also need to explain how the valley will benefit from a network that costs $125,000 to $150,000 per square mile to build," Goel writes.

Goel concludes his column with a complaint, asking, "Why won't any of our civic-minded investors step up for a project that could help Silicon Valley keep its cutting edge?" But his own column is the answer: They clearly do not believe this megamesh is necessary to that cutting edge.

HP Readies Wireless Access Point To Ease Wireless Traffic!!!

Hewlett-Packard announced this past Tuesday that it plans to release its first wireless access point for small enterprises under the ProCurve brand. The ProCurve Wireless Access Point 10ag ships with a simple Web-managed interface that enables the device to be configured in minutes.

The hardware, however, cannot be configured through HP's Mobility Manager software, which is used to deploy, manage and monitor access points on a ProCurve wireless local area network. The ProCurve WAP can communicate with devices using 802.11 a, b, and g wireless connections. The new device can be wall-mounted or placed on a flat surface, and has the option of being powered by power over Ethernet, which provides more location flexibility. Power over Ethernet technology is a system that transmits electrical power, along with data, to remote devices over standard twisted-pair cable in an Ethernet network.

For security, the new hardware includes authentication for granting network access, and either Advanced Encryption Standard or Temporal Key Integrity Protocol for encryption of wireless traffic. In addition, the device supports up to eight service set identifiers. SSID is a code attached to all packets on a wireless network to identify all data as part of that network. Devices attempting to communication with a WAP must share its SSID.

In addition to the new hardware, HP plans to ship in January version 2 of ProCurve Mobility Manager, which is a plug-in module to ProCurve Manager Plus. PMM 2 provides a single-screen dashboard for monitoring access point activity. ProCurve Manager Plus is a Windows-based network management platform for configuring, updating, monitoring, and troubleshooting ProCurve devices on a weird or wireless network.

HP in the beginning of the year unveiled a strategy of providing products to build ProCurve networks that dynamically adapt to the changing needs of users, applications, and organizations. the goals are to make the network simpler, increase workers' productivity, and fortify security. Not unlike its biggest competitor Cisco, HP is focusing heavily on software that manages and secures networks.

Verizon Launches Wireless Broadband In North Carolina Hot Spot!!!

More customers can now get High-Speed Wireless Internet and E-mail service and download music and video clips to handsets. Verizon Wireless customers in North Carolina's Outer Banks and Elizabeth City can now access e-mail, everyday corporate data, the Internet and more at faster speeds, download video and music directly to their wireless phones and play 3D games as the company rolls out its wireless high-speed broadband network.

The company’s wireless broadband network allows customers to access Broadband Access on their laptops, e-mail on their PDAs, and VCast Video and Music on their wireless phones.

The company’s flagship business data service, Broadband Access, provides average download speeds of 600 kilobits per second to 1.4 megabits and average upload speeds of 500-800 kbps, which means customers can download a 1 Megabyte e-mail attachment - the equivalent of a small Power Point presentation or a large PDF file - in about eight seconds and upload, or send, the same-sized file in less than 13 seconds. Verizon Wireless' Broadband Access service allows customers to download files approximately 10 times faster than customers of other wireless service providers that use different broadly deployed network technologies.

The company’s high-speed network also enables its V-CAST multimedia services, offering customers the ability to download full song tracks, play cutting-edge D games and stream video clips straight to their cell phones. With content uploaded daily, customers can watch dozens of on-demand videos, including breaking news, weather, sports highlights, and the hottest entertainment clips.

Cricket Wireless Offer Special Deal For Steeler Fans!!!

Attention all Steelers fans! Cricket Communications, Inc., a leading provider of unlimited wireless services, is partnering with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Motorola, and Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward, to give people another ring to be proud of.

Cricket Wireless will be the exclusive carrier of the official Hines Ward MotoRAZR V3a complete with Hines' signature, Steelers logo, Hines Ward ringtones, wallpaper, and certificate of authenticity. The complete package, available for a limited time, is $299.99 with an option of adding Hines Ward ringback tones for an additional fee.

"This is Cricket’s first authorized NFL player phone, and with a Super Bowl MVP!" says Sam Sarnicke, Cricket Wireless General Manager. It is also the first time that Motorola has worked on this type of project. A portion of the proceeds from all sales will support the Hines Ward Helping Hands Foundation.

Cricket is a simple, affordable wireless service offering consumers and local businesses a flat-rate unlimited service over the latest technology, high-quality, all-digital CDMA2000 1XEV-DO wireless network. This is designed for customers whose basic and advanced wireless needs have not been met by traditional companies.

Cricket is the pioneer of unlimited services with no long-term commitments or credit checks required. Cricket offers customers access to a variety of the latest devices and feature-rich mobile applications such as unlimited text, instant and picture messaging, Mobile Web, popular games, ringtones, and wallpapers.