July 9, 2007

Subscribe to IT-Wireless

This week's sponsors:
Telelogic

Editor’s note:
What's next?

What's New:
• EmComm wants RoIP
• Getting inside the iPhone

Executive Analysis:
• iPhone excitement is for real
• Ready for the YouTube phone?

Also Noted:
Gadgets up energy use; Inside the iPhone;
And much more...

Hands-On Wireless:
• FCC down on Linux devices?
• Hacking mobile phones

The iPhone's out, the hysteria is waning, and people are trying to figure out how the newest form of cell phone will actually be used. Now what? With the speed of product introductions, I figure it's only a matter of weeks before something comes along that will help pull the market's attention in a different direction. LG and YouTube have announced their candidate, and I think they may well be onto something--not necessarily the YouTube phone, but the concept of marrying strong mobile applications with a solid device. As smart phones and other wireless platforms become more capable, it will make more sense to base product designs and buying decisions on the software that the phone brings to the party.

Of course, software is also at the heart of a decision that might limit the availability of low-cost devices. One of the factors in lower-cost platforms is their dependence on open-source software. Now, the FCC (with apparent help from Cisco) has written rules that will, at a minimum, make it more difficult for manufacturers to gain approval for Linux-based devices. The concern over software-defined radio security is legitimate: declaring that all software released under a particular intellectual property agreement isn't secure, is not. The FCC should get far more input from many well-balanced sources before releasing rules that, by its own admission, could have a significant impact on the availability of affordable mobile devices. -Curtis

Comment | Forward to a friend

What’s New

1. EmComm wants RoIP

Comment | Forward to a friend

You've had time to get used to VoIP--are you ready for RoIP (Radio over Internet Protocol)? A national alliance of emergency responders, acting under the name Comcare, wants to see RoIP used as an emergency communication channel for first responders in police, fire, and EMT departments. The idea of radio using VoIP principles isn't new, but there is a new sense of urgency for emergency responders to have fail-safe communications systems. With the increasing integration of VoIP and e911 systems, the Internet is becoming a must for complete emergency communications plans.

For more on RoIP for emergency communications:
- read the complete article at Wireless Week

2. Getting inside the iPhone

Comment | Forward to a friend

Ah, curiosity. It drove thousands of people to buy an Apple iPhone. It also drove a handful to take their iPhones apart to find out what makes them tick, or beep, or play videos. What did they discover? A processor and memory from Samsung, a wireless chip from Marvell, and a case that comes apart far more easily than it goes back together. What can you learn from their exploration? Some companies are learning how much the components cost, exactly what goes into the device, and (just maybe) how to make a phone that's as close to an iPhone as laws and regulations will allow.

For more on the iPhone's insides:
- read the hands-on article at eWeek

Executive Analysis

1. iPhone excitement is for real

Comment | Forward to a friend

When employees come in asking for an iPhone, or want to add their Apple phone to the corporate network, your first instinct might be to say no. According to one reviewer, however, you might want to delay that refusal until you've had a chance to look at the phone yourself, because it's a very capable device with capabilities that might just be beyond what you've imagined. It might be time to requisition an iPhone--for "research purposes" only, of course.

For more on the iPhone:
- see this unboxing/review from DailyTechRag
- and read this review at InternetNews

2. Ready for the YouTube phone?

Comment | Forward to a friend

Employees obviously don't have enough ways to waste time. That's why LG Electronics has announced plans to build a mobile phone optimized for content from Google's YouTube online video service. The announcement follows Google's public statements that the company would be looking for partnerships to take it into the mobile market. LG has already begun selling phones pre-loaded with Google software in Europe, where the YouTube phone should be available later this year, with availability around the world by the end of the year.

For more on the LG YouTube phone:
- see this article from DailyTechRag article
- read the product story at CIO-Today

> Gadgets driving up energy use. Article

> Inside iPhone and FCC tests. Article

> Men talk as much as women. Article

> Cracked iPhone activation. Article

Hands-On Wireless

1. FCC down on Linux devices?

Comment | Forward to a friend

Many of the mobile devices popular today use Linux and other open-source software to control the Software-Defined Radio (SDR) and other device features. A new set of regulations from the FCC would seem to make it more difficult for future such devices to win approval. At issue is the question of how hard it would be for someone to hack the software and re-define the radio functions: The FCC wants it to be nearly impossible and seems to believe the open-source nature of Linux makes it more likely that a hack could be developed. No devices have yet been denied acceptance, and industry vendors seem unlikely to give up less-expensive software without a fight.

For more on the FCC regulations:
- read the regulatory report at LinuxDevices.com

2. Hacking mobile phones

Comment | Forward to a friend

After a Washington family claimed that its cell phones had been hacked, Nokia delivered a report on the possibilities of hacking into the Symbian operating system. The verdict? It could happen, but it wouldn't be easy, and the company doesn't think it has happened. Feel better, now?

For more on hacking Nokia phones:
- read the story at NetworkWorld

©2007 FierceMarkets, Inc. This email was sent to tayllorcriss@gmail.com as part of the IT-Wireless email list which is administered by FierceMarkets, 1319 F Street NW, 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20004, (202) 628-8778.

Manage Your Subscription

To ***, click here or send an email to: ***-74020@emaillabs.com

Contact Us

Editor: Curtis Franklin. VP sales and business development: Jason Nelson. Publisher: Jeff Giesea.

Advertise

General advertising: Jason Nelson. Press releases: Curtis Franklin. Request a media kit.

Explore Our Network

You may enjoy these other publications from FierceMarkets: