Sprint in alleged talks to acquire Clearwire, cablers huddle ’round for some LTE pie

‘Tis the season for patent disputes and wireless industry takeovers, or so a recent glut of moves would indicate. Shedding a little light on Clearwire’s recently announced allegiance to LTE, Bloomberg is reporting that the company’s currently in talks to sell its business to Sprint, and perhaps secure the funding it so desperately needs for a network build out. According to several insider sources, the third place wireless carrier’s considering a joint investment (amongst other options) with Comcast, Cablevision and Cox, that would give the cablers a bundled high-speed, wireless broadband competitive advantage, and Sprint an LTE boost in its battle against AT&T and Verizon’s rival 4G networks. None of the players in this rumored takeover have yet to comment on the purported transaction, although the business gossip has had quite an uplifting effect on Clearwire’s shares. While we can’t speculate as to the veracity of the claim, we know one thing for sure — that LTE network’s not gonna build itself.

Sprint in alleged talks to acquire Clearwire, cablers huddle ’round for some LTE pie originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Mobile Burn  |  sourceBloomberg  | Email this | Comments

Engadget Podcast 253 – 08.19.2011

Sometimes, you just can’t handle it all. There is so much to learn about consumer electronics every week that you simply can’t handle the stress. Don’t despair: we, The Engadget Podcasters, are here to help. Let us do the tough work of digesting acquisitions, spinoffs, Grids, Xiaomiphones, and a pocketful of BlackBerrys while you lay on the chaise and have grapes fed to you by your loved ones…or whatever it is you people do to relax these days. Just make sure to listen, let the news wash over you, and feel the knots in your neck and back go the way of the TouchPad.

Host: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater
Guests: Dana Wollman, Josh Fruhlinger
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: S&M

00:02:30 – Editorial: Engadget on the death of HP’s webOS devices
00:03:38 – HP may spin off PC business, shift focus to software and services
00:05:10 – HP will ‘discontinue operations for webOS devices’, may spin off Personal Systems Group
00:22:55 – Google acquiring Motorola Mobility
00:28:45 – Verizon embraces Google’s Moto Mobility deal, hopes for an end to patent disputes
00:38:30 – TabCo reveals itself as Fusion Garage, unveils Grid 10 tablet and Grid 4 smartphone (update)
00:41:25 – Fusion Garage Grid 10 tablet and Grid 4 smartphone hands-on
00:46:48 – The Engadget Interview: Fusion Garage’s Chandra Rathakrishnan
00:53:11 – BlackBerry Bold 9930 review
00:55:25 – BlackBerry Torch 9850 review
00:56:30 – BlackBerry Torch 9810 review
00:58:14 – Xiaomi Phone hands-on (updated with video)
01:02:07 – Motorola Photon 4G review
01:02:58 – The NYC Engadget Reader Meetup is less than two weeks away!
01:04:43 – The Engadget Show returns Friday, August 19th — win a ticket to the taping!
01:09:28 – Listener questions

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Engadget Podcast 253 – 08.19.2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon embraces Google’s Moto Mobility deal, hopes for an end to patent disputes

Android’s always had a best friend forever (or, for the time being) in Verizon. Together, the two companies were able to establish Andy Rubin’s mobile OS as a serious platform competitor, fighting back against the then threat of AT&T’s exclusive iPhone juggernaut with Moto’s Droid. Flash forward to present day and it’s no wonder Big Red’s SVP John Thorne is giving a public-facing, albeit tentative, thumbs up to Google’s Motorola Mobility acquisition. Thorne’s official line on the deal concerns the “stability [it might bring] to the ongoing smartphone patent disputes,” but the executive declined to comment further, citing a lack of known details for the proposed buyout. Certainly, the wireless operator has good reason to keep a close eye on the takeover, as a recent Chitika survey pegs it with a commanding 41 percent share of active Android handsets. So far, only Nokia has come out from behind Microsoft’s shadow, hailing the move as a boon for WP7 and casting shade on Google’s intentions. As for the rest of the industry, it appears they’re all making heavy use of that nifty statement generator. Hit the more coverage link to see what we mean.

Verizon embraces Google’s Moto Mobility deal, hopes for an end to patent disputes originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 19:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceWall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments

Nokia chimes in on Google’s Moto deal, reaffirms its dedication to WP7

Google Moto

All the major Android players were, at least publicly, supportive of Google and its move to snatch up Motorola Mobility yesterday, and so is Nokia it seems. The company released a statement saying:

“This further reinforces our belief that opportunities for the growth of Nokia’s smartphone business will be greatest with Windows Phone. This could prove to be a massive catalyst for the Windows Phone ecosystem. Additionally, with our respective intellectual property portfolios, Nokia and Microsoft are working together to build and nurture an innovative ecosystem that benefits consumers, operators, developers and other device manufacturers.”

Clearly, the Finnish company isn’t buying the big G’s lines about keeping its mobile OS open and staying out of the way of its hardware partners. It also sounds as if Nokia is prepared to enter the patent battle fray on behalf of Microsoft, should the need arise. The Mountain View crew may have bolstered its legal weapons cache with Moto’s 17,000-plus patents, but things could get uglier before they get better for the mobile giant.

Nokia chimes in on Google’s Moto deal, reaffirms its dedication to WP7 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink WMPowerUser  |  sourceThis Is My Next  | Email this | Comments

Google’s Moto Mobility deal may have had Microsoft roots, comes with $2.5 billion break-up fee

Is Microsoft preparing to fill in Google’s old mobile boots? It could very well be, now that the search king has firmly committed to the hardware side of the mobile business. According to a report on GigaOM, MS was one of many potential suitors circling Motorola’s treasure trove of patents, effectively forcing El Goog to swoop in for the $12.5 billion kill. Moto’s portfolio of 17,000 patents and 7,500 patent applications would have significantly strengthened Redmond’s attack on the Android platform, but it appears the loss might actually benefit MS in other unintended ways. Despite the cheery, public well-wishing from handset makers, insider rumblings indicate a possible mass OEM defection to Windows Phone 7 could shortly be afoot, paving the way for a fierce, three-way mobile OS fight. For its part, Google doesn’t seem too worried about the competition, considering the deal’s hefty $2.5 billion break-up fee — a percentage three times that of the AT&T / T-Mobile merger penalty — a confident financial sign it intends to win this wireless race.

Google’s Moto Mobility deal may have had Microsoft roots, comes with $2.5 billion break-up fee originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink FOSS Patents  |  sourceGigaOM, Bloomberg  | Email this | Comments

Editorial: Engadget on Google’s Motorola Mobility acquisition

Google’s announcement today of its planned Motorola Mobility acquisition may come as a surprise to some, but Moto’s dedication to producing Android handsets, along with its recent $56 million Q2 net loss and comprehensive patent portfolio, make this a logical next move for Mountain View’s search giant. Operating independently — for the near-term, at least — both companies will cooperate to grow Android, while Google claims that it will remain committed to its other partners as well. So what will this mean for Google and the future of the smartphone industry as a whole? Jump past the break for our thoughts.

Continue reading Editorial: Engadget on Google’s Motorola Mobility acquisition

Editorial: Engadget on Google’s Motorola Mobility acquisition originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 15:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google acquiring Motorola Mobility

Google acquiring Motorola Mobility
Happy Monday to you, and happy Monday to Motorola Mobility, which Google has announced is about to become its next acquisition. This comes hot on the heels of a $56 million Q2 net loss for Moto — and CEO Sanjay Jha’s less than subtle hints about going fishing for Android-related patent royalties. Now, at a price of $40 per share for a total of about $12.5 billion, Big G will be making Moto a “dedicated Android partner” to “supercharge the Android ecosystem” and “enhance competition in mobile computing.”

Larry Page had this to say about the deal:

Motorola Mobility’s total commitment to Android has created a natural fit for our two companies. Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers. I look forward to welcoming Motorolans to our family of Googlers.
What happens next? While this will of course strengthen the ties between hardware and software, Google is pledging to continue offering Android as an open platform — Moto will license it and others will be able to as ever. Additionally, Google will continue to operate its new toy as a separate business and not morph it into an in-house hardware wing. But, one has to wonder what this means for companies like Samsung, which partnered closely with Google on the Nexus S, and of course HTC, which released the Nexus One and the iconic G1. And then there’s the big question: just where does Moto Blur fit into this equation?

Update: More quotes from Android partners after the break.

Continue reading Google acquiring Motorola Mobility

Google acquiring Motorola Mobility originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 07:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceThe Official Google Blog  | Email this | Comments

Telecommunications Industry Association gives AT&T / T-Mobile merger a big thumbs up

The Telecommunications Industry Association claims amongst its ranks some of the biggest names in the tech space, including the likes of Apple, Intel, Microsoft and Nokia — so when the organization talks, people tend to listen. This time out, the TIA is giving the nod to AT&T’s acquisition of T-Mobile, urging that the FCC seriously consider the positive impact it would “have on investment and innovation, expanding consumer access to mobile broadband and addressing the looming spectrum crisis in America.”

Telecommunications Industry Association gives AT&T / T-Mobile merger a big thumbs up originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 17:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Mobile Burn  |  sourceTIA  | Email this | Comments

HTC posts record sales (again), getting itself something nice (Dashwire) to celebrate

HTC: quietly loaded

While the top three smartphone makers (Apple, Samsung, and Nokia) garner most of the press, HTC is quietly becoming a juggernaut. IDC’s number five just posted yet another month of record sales, hitting $1.56 billion — almost twice what the company moved in July of last year. To celebrate its continued meteoric rise, the Taiwanese manufacturer has announced it plans to acquire Dashwire, the cloud services company behind the awesome brilliant Awesome Drop, for $18.5 million. The only question is, how long HTC can keep this growth up? After all, common sense says what goes up, must come down — just ask Nokia.

HTC posts record sales (again), getting itself something nice (Dashwire) to celebrate originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 13:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Phone Arena  |  sourceReuters  | Email this | Comments

Facebook burns a little cash, buys group messaging and digital book outfit

Facebook gone and done some serious damage to the company credit card, but thankfully, it’s being used for more than replacing chimneys and repairing pool liners. Zuck’s prized possession has just snapped up Push Pop Press and Beluga, with the former being best known for creating interactive digital books, most notably gadget junkie Al Gore’s “Our Choice” book for iPad. Beluga on the other hand, gained lots of attention for its group messaging app built for iOS and Android. Push Pop Press co-founders (and former Apple engineers) Mike Matas and Kimon Tsinteris were quick to say that Facebook has no plans to publish digital books; they did confirm, however, that “the ideas and technology behind Push Pop Press will be integrated with Facebook, giving people even richer ways to share their stories.” Mysterious. Could the Push Press Pop acquisition be the key to the fantasmical iPad app we’ve yearned for since the dawn of the new millennium? Beluga confirmed the future of Facebook mobile messaging when it said, “we’re excited to build our vision for mobile group messaging as part of the Facebook team.” Equally mysterious. Unfortunately, no concrete details are being made available, with each site’s homepage simply confirming that It’s Complicated.

Facebook burns a little cash, buys group messaging and digital book outfit originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink All Things D  |  sourceBeluga.com, Push Pop Press  | Email this | Comments