According to sources who spoke to Bloomberg, Amazon is looking to expand beyond its mere Whispernet offerings and has engaged in testing of its own wireless network. The network will reportedly be used by its customers to connect devices to the hivemind, and was conducted on the wireless spectrum of satellite company Globalstar. Neither Globalstar […]
Amazon may not be happy with just piggybacking on other wireless carrier’s signals for Whispernet-style offerings, as Bloomberg has heard it’s trying out technology that would let it create its own wireless network. The technology used in the tests is from Globalstar, which is seeking to convert its spectrum — intended for use by satellite-connected devices like the Global Phone pictured above — for strictly ground-based use. The report points out a letter from Globalstar technical adviser Jarvinian to the FCC indicating it was helping a “major technology company” assess the performance benefits available earlier this year. The usual people with knowledge of the situation have filled in the blanks, however whether the tests are continuing or if Amazon will ever make real use of it is unknown. If things do move forward Amazon would hardly be alone in its efforts with Dish Network’s similar push to use spectrum it owns for LTE. If Globalstar really can do LTE / public WiFi better we’re ready to hear about it, although hopefully it will connect to more hardware than just some future Kindle Fire 4.
Source: Bloomberg
According to a Bloomberg report, Amazon has tested its own wireless network. As in a network that people would use to connect to the Internet. As in axing the middle man and essentially becoming a carrier or ISP on its own. As in potentially using a ‘Amazon Wireless’-type service to get on the Internet from our Amazon Kindle Fire tablets to shop on Amazon.com or stream Amazon Instant Videos. Crazy.
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Coming August 26th, T-Mobile will make its Simple Choice plans available to business customers, effectively severing the tie between the cost of devices and mobile service. The pricing structure is geared to customers with six lines or more, with rates that start at $20 per line for unlimited talk, text and 500MB of overage-free / throttled data. Keeping in line with its approach on the consumer end, business users can then pay for additional data, starting at $30 for an extra 2GB and going up to $50 for unlimited 4G data (and 2.5GB of limited hotspot use). T-Mobile is hoping its new approach will be popular with the BYOD crowd, but it’s also performing a balancing act with a subsidized Simple Choice Classic plan that runs an additional $20 per month. Meanwhile, companies with less than six lines can tap into T-Mobile’s small business plans, which parallels the pricing that individuals pay.
Filed under: Wireless, Mobile, T-Mobile
Via: Android Community
Source: T-Mobile
The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project has paired with Open Garden to bring mesh-networking to the new XO Tablet, allowing users of the low-cost open source slate to get online via bridged connections with other owners. Part of what OLPC describes as its vision of “a network made of connected devices and internet access […]
Wireless charging for phones is taking off, and we’re seeing the feature popping up more and more as the months go by, but it’s something that certainly isn’t the norm just yet. However, GM wants to incorporate the technology into cars, and it’s reported that the company will be including wireless charging in some of […]
Smartphone wireless chargers are easier to find than ever, but built-in inductive systems for cars? Those we don’t see often. According to Bloomberg, General Motors will incorporate wireless charging systems for phones on some of its 2014 car models, joining the ranks of Toyota and Chrysler. Unlike the chargers aboard the 2013 Avalon and the Dodge Dart, however, GM’s cars will (officially) be the first ones to use Powermat. When the carmaker first announced a $5 million stake in Powermat in 2011, it said the Volt will be the first to offer the wireless charging perk. A two-year delay might have changed GM’s plans — it originally wanted to launch an in-car system in 2012 — but we won’t know for sure until the company releases official details.
Filed under: Wireless
Via: Autoblog
Source: Bloomberg
American LTE rollouts by themselves are nothing special now that 4G covers large parts of the country. AT&T just gave us reason to take notice, however, with promises that it will bring LTE to 50 more markets before the end of the year. The deployments cover a wide swath of the US, ranging from the northern climes of Fargo and Fairbanks to balmier locations like Amarillo and Kauai. You’ll find the full list in AT&T’s press release after the break, but it’s safe to say that Frances McDormand would approve.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, AT&T
Source: AT&T
Google is hunting volunteers to test early Project Loon balloon-broadcast internet services, proposing mounting bulbous Loon antennas on participants’ roofs. Limited to those in California’s Central Valley, the research scheme would see the antennas stress-testing Project Loon’s potential bandwidth as the high-altitude balloons pass overhead. Although Google has billed Project Loon as potentially bringing internet […]
Amped Wireless will be releasing a new product tomorrow, the REA20 High Power 700mW Dual Band AC Wi-Fi Range Extender. It’s the first to come to market that features 802.11ac tech, expanding the reach of wireless communication further for both home and office applications while offering speeds previously unseen in range extenders of this type. […]
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