Ofcom must play fair over 4G, says Everything Everywhere

It would be inappropriate to prevent mobile network Everything Everywhere from providing 4G LTE technology to UK customers, according to the network’s senior adviser, Kip Meek.

According to Three, one of Everything Everywhere’s rival networks, Everything Everywhere has the biggest (43 per cent) spectrum share in the market, while Vodafone (25 per cent), O2 (22 per cent) and Three (10 per cent) are lagging behind.

Further reading

• Three CEO laments Ofcom decision to drop low-frequency guarantee at 4G auction

• 4G mobile broadband could be available this year, says Ofcom

• Ofcom again revises plans for much-anticipated 4G spectrum auction

This has allowed Everything Everywhere to apply to use its existing 2G spectrum to deliver 4G services, potentially by the end of the year, while other operators have to wait until the outcome of the 4G spectrum auction, which is also set to take place at the end of 2012.

Speaking at an event in Westminster this week, Meek said that when T-Mobile and Orange merged to create Everything Everywhere, it gave up a quarter of its spectrum and it would therefore be unfair for regulator Ofcom to stop the network launching 4G LTE technology this year.

“It would not be fair for Ofcom to say 4G should not be launched in the final quarter of 2012 and instead to be launched in the first quarter of 2013.

“In the interest of consumers, we are already behind globally in LTE technology and it would be inappropriate to deny customers the technology when it could be available,” he said.

The CEO of rival network Three, David Dyson, said that an early 4G launch for Everything Everywhere would give it an unfair advantage.

“If Everything Everywhere got their spectrum liberated, it would use it to its advantage. Customers would have to pay a reasonable premium for the service and it wouldn’t be a broad proposition but a niche one. This will give them marketing power,” he said.

Dyson believes that Ofcom should prevent Everything Everywhere from launching 4G before any of the other operators.

“They should not be able to use spectrum for 4G services. Ofcom should have waited until after the auction [to consider this]. A lot of spectrum should be available [to all operators] next year, which is when Everything Everywhere should be able to use 4G LTE technology,” he said.

Head of spectrum at Telefonica O2, Nicholas Blades, said O2 shared the concerns of Three but also had concerns about Three.

Blades questioned Dyson on reports that Three and Virgin Media had signed a contract to provide 4G services six months after Everything Everywhere.

Dyson said that there were on-going discussions taking place.

Earlier this month, Everything Everywhere submitted an application to Ofcom to use its existing 2G spectrum to deliver 4G services that give mobile networks a more efficient capacity at higher speeds.

At the time, Ofcom said that it had “provisionally concluded that [Everything Everywhere delivering 4G services] would not” distort competition.

However, the communications regulator has bowed to pressure from rival networks and has since extended the consultation period until 8 May 2012.

“We have decided to extend this period following requests from stakeholders for more time to respond,” it said in a statement.

via Ofcom must play fair over 4G, says Everything Everywhere – 29 Mar 2012 – Computing News.

Android ICS 4.0.4 rolling out to Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S?

Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.4 has reportedly started rolling out to the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S devices

Published on Mar 29, 2012

The Android ICE Cream Sandwich update (version 4.0.4) is now rolling out across SIM free Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S devices in Europe.

Google announced the milestone on its own Google+ page.

The exact announcement read:

‘We’ve started rolling out Android 4.0.4, Ice Cream Sandwich, to UMTS/GSM Nexus S, Xoom Wi-Fi, and HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus devices, and we’ll be rolling it out to more devices in the coming weeks. Some of you will be receiving Ice Cream Sandwich for the first time, while others will be receiving an update to your existing Ice Cream Sandwich experience with stability improvements, better camera performance, smoother screen rotation, improved phone number recognition and more.’

Followed by a load of predictable comments asking when it will be released for other devices, including the HTC Desire HD, Xperia-branded devices, Galaxy Note and Galaxy S2 (network-branded devices).

Google declined to comment when all these other updates would be coming, but everyday we’re hearing about more devices benefiting from the update.

If you do have the Galaxy Nexus or Nexus S, it may be a good idea to check whether the update has arrived. For those with network-branded devices, you may have to wait a little longer for your network to properly test the update before rolling it out.

via Android ICS 4.0.4 rolling out to Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S? – News – Know Your Mobile.

Google’s Android will overtake Windows by 2016

Android devices will surge to slim lead in 2016

Number of ‘smart devices‘ shipped worldwide will DOUBLE in five years to 1.84 billion in 2016

By 2016, devices running Windows will be eclipsed by phones and tablets running Google’s Android, according to a report by analysts IDC.

More than 90 per cent of the world’s PCs still run Windows – but the whole technology landscape is changing around Microsoft’s operating system.

By 2016, Microsoft’s leading market share of 35.9% will slip to 25.1%.

Devices running Google’s Android will climb from 29.4% to 31.1%.

As smartphones grow in relation to PCs, Microsoft’s market share will slide so that its once-dominant Windows software will be second-placed after Google’s Android.

Microsoft is to launch a new ‘tablet friendly’ version of Windows, Windows 8, later this year.

But analyst IDC still predicts a ‘dramatic shift’ towards devices running Android.

‘IDC expects a relatively dramatic shift between 2011 and 2016, with the once-dominant Windows slipping from a leading 35.9% share in 2011 down to 25.1%,’ the analyst predicts.

The number of Android-based devices running on ARM CPUs, on the other hand, will grow modestly from 29.4% share in 2011 to a market-leading 31.1% share in 2016.

Google ‘to launch’ new GDrive storage service in April to take on rivals such as Dropbox

Meanwhile, iOS-based devices will grow from 14.6% share in 2011 to 17.3% in 2016.

Last year, 916 million smartphones, tablets and PCs were shipped worldwide.

By 2016, that figure will have doubled to 1.84 billion units.

‘Android’s growth is tied directly to lower-priced devices,’ said Tom Mainelli, research director, Mobile Connected Devices. ‘So, while we expect dozens of hardware vendors to own some share in the Android market, many will find profitability difficult to sustain.’

Samsung’s mid-sized Galaxy Note device which recently passed 5 million units shipped: In the next four years, Android devices are predicted to pass Microsoft’s Windows in terms of units shipped.

‘Whether it’s businesses looking at deploying tablet devices into their environments, or educational institutions working to update their school’s computer labs, smart, connected devices are playing an increasingly important role in nearly every individual’s life,’ said Bob O’Donnell, vice president, Clients and Displays at IDC.

Next year, 1.1 billion ‘smart devices’ – smartphones, PCs and tablets – will ship worldwide.

The numbers are growing at a compound annual growth rate of 15.4%.

Research conducted by IDC suggests that many individuals own and regularly use multiple smart connected devices. ‘We are in the multi-device age,’ continued O’Donnell, ‘and we believe the number of people who use multiple devices will only continue to increase. The trick, moving forward, will be to integrate all these devices into a unified whole through use of personal cloud-type applications and services. That’s the real challenge of what we have often called the ‘PC Plus’ era.’
‘Smartphone growth will be driven by Asia/Pacific countries, especially China, where mobile operators are subsidizing the purchase of 3G smartphones, thus increasing the total addressable market. In many if not all instances, the smartphone will be the primary connection to the Internet,’ said Will Stofega, program director, Mobile Phone Technologies and Trends. ‘In countries where devices are not subsidized by the mobile operators, competitive and component-based pricing will help drive volume.’

Google’s Android will overtake Windows by 2016 | Mail Online.

CyanogenMod-7.2.0-RC1 is upon us…

It’s been a long time in the making, but it’s finally here: CyanogenMod 7.2, the latest version based on Android 2.3(.7), has reached the release candidate stage!

We’ve been delaying it for too long, mostly because new devices kept being submitted to us, and now we feel that at 69 devices, CM7.2 is more than ready for everybody to enjoy 🙂

7.2 adds a couple of backported features and fixes from Android 4 (ICS), over 20 new devices when compared to 7.1, and even some new features to boot (be sure to check out the new predictive contact search in the phone dialer!). We’ve also fixed some bugs along the way. Some of them device-specific, others that affected everybody, and one in particular that’s been plaguing Android for a long time: the mysteriously vanishing SD-card ringtones are no more! You can check the full list of noteworthy changes at the CHANGELOG.

As usual, you can submit bug reports on these builds: if you find anything broken in your device while running CM7.2-RC1, (as downloaded from our mirrors or ROM Manager! Please do not submit reports if your build came from elsewhere), be sure to submit a report through http://code.google.com/p/cyanogenmod/issues/ , so that we can fix it in time for the final 7.2 release.

Also worthy of note: the new release files have a slightly modified naming-scheme, including the codename instead of the commercial/common name in the filename. So the following is a handy “translation chart” to make sure you don’t mis-identify your device:

ace – HTC Desire HD

anzu – SE XperiaArc-LT15i

blade – ZTE Blade

bravoc – HTC Desire CDMA

bravo – HTC Desire

buzz – HTC Wildfire

c660 – LG Optimus Pro

captivatemtd – Samsung Captivate

click – HTC Tattoo

coconut – SE LiveWithWalkman-WT19i

cooper – Samsung GalaxyAce

crespo4g – Google Nexus S 4G

crespo – Google Nexus S

desirec – Droid Eris

droid2 – Motorola DROID2

droid2we – Motorola DROID2 World Edition

e510 – LG Optimus Hub

e730 – LG Optimus Sol

e739 – T-Mobile LG myTouch

encore – Barnes&Noble Nook Color

epicmtd – Samsung Epic

espresso – HTC Slide

fascinatemtd – Samsung Fascinate

galaxys2att – Samsung Galaxy S2 ATT

galaxys2 – Samsung Galaxy S2

galaxysbmtd – Samsung GalaxyS_B

galaxysmtd – Samsung GalaxyS

glacier – T-Mobile myTouch 4G / HTC Glacier

hallon – SE XperiaNeo-MT15i

heroc – HTC Hero CDMA

hero – HTC Hero

inc – Droid Incredible

iyokan – SE XperiaPro-MK16i

jordan – Motorola Defy

legend – HTC Legend

liberty – HTC Aria

mango – SE XperiaMiniPro-SK17i

mesmerizemtd – Samsung Mesmerize

morrison – Motorola Cliq

motus – Motorola Backflip

olympus – Motorola Atrix

one – Geeksphone ONE

p920 – LG Optimus 3D

p925 – LG ATT Thrill

p970 – LG Optimus Black

p990 – LG Optimus 2X

p999 – T-Mobile G2x

passion – Google Nexus One

saga – HTC Desire S

satsuma – SE XperiaActive-ST17i

shadow – Motorola Droid X

sholes – Motorola Droid

showcasemtd – Samsung Showcase

smultron – SE XperiaMini-ST15i

speedy – HTC Evo Shift

supersonic – HTC Evo

tass – Samsung GalaxyMini

u8220 – Huawei U8220

urushi – SE XperiaRay-ST18i

v9 – ZTE V9

vega – Advent Vega

vibrantmtd – Samsung Vibrant

vision – T-Mobile G2 / HTC Desire Z

vivo – Droid Incredible S

vivow – Droid Incredible 2

zeppelin – Motorola CliqXT

zero – Geeksphone ZERO

zeusc – SE Xperia Play CDMA-R800x

zeus – SE Xperia Play -R800i

And that’s all, folks; Head on to http://get.cm/?type=RC , install, and have fun!

Aaa

Woho

via CyanogenMod-7.2.0-RC1 is upon us | CyanogenMod.

DARPA’s “Cheetah” robot sets new speed record of 18mph on treadmill

DARPA’s “Cheetah” robot sets new speed record of 18mph on treadmillBy John Timmer | Published about an hour agoBiologically inspired designs are not a new thing in robotics, but the video embedded below is the first time I’ve ever seen something that looks like it’s modeled on a family pet. Development of the Cheetah robot is being funded by DARPA, the US’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The folks at DARPA have been seing an increased military reliance on robots for disarming and disposing of explosives, so they’ve set about funding programs to improve the perforance of this hardware.Cheetah, built by Boston Dynamics, is an attempt to add some speed to robots with legs wheeled robots can already go pretty fast. It’s somewhat disorienting to watch, because it appears to be running backwards—the legs are flexed in the opposite direction from the one most animals travel, and a bit of hardware that looks like a head is actually in the rear. But one key development is actually in the robot’s body, which is able to flex as part of the stride. The end result is a top speed of about 18 miles an hour, nearly a third faster than the previous record for a robot on legs.There’s still a long way to go before we catch up to an actual cheetah, which can hit 70 miles an hour. A video of the robot is embedded below.

via DARPA’s “Cheetah” robot sets new speed record of 18mph on treadmill.

New Suttronix Facebook Group.

Come join the Suttronix.co.uk Facebook group to talk with like minded people and to ask any technology related questions.

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Dolphin Browser Comes to Barnes & Noble’s Nook | Dolphin Browser® Blog

Browsing just got sweeter for those of you with a Nook tablet.

Dolphin Browser HD is the fastest, easiest and most fun mobile Web browser. It’s also the world’s first Gesture, Webzine and Add-on enabled mobile web browser on Android — All of this is now available on Barnes & Noble’s Nook.

Continue to browse your favourite sites, books, magazines and videos through Dolphin Browser on your Nook.

Download your free Dolphin Browser for Nook Colour and Nook Tablet here.

• #1 Mobile Web Browser on Android Market Over 10 million downloads

• #2 on CNETs 100 Android Apps for 2011

• #1 PC Mags “The 40 Best Free Apps for 2011″

• Dolphin Browser’s Gestures and sidebars make Web surfing fast, intuitive and fun while on the go. – USA Today

• Its a great, simple browser that feels more at home on a touchscreen device than pretty much anything else you’ll try. – Lifehacker

Features:

• Gesture – Let your inner artist out and create a personal Gesture (symbol) to access the mobile and desktop websites you use the most.

• Webzine – Fast Web page loading, with no ads. Dolphin Webzine simplifies the way you read your favourite mobile content, from news to blogs and websites.

• Speed Dial – Visit you favourite mobile and desktop websites on the go with one touch.

• Tabbed browsing – No need to toggle between screens, tabbed browsing lets you open and switch between Web pages fast as lightning.

• Sidebars – Make the best of mobile interface via Dolphin Sidebar.

via Dolphin Browser Comes to Barnes & Noble’s Nook | Dolphin Browser® Blog.

PayPal UK Twitter account hacked, apparently by angry customer

PayPal UK Twitter account hacked, apparently by angry customerHack is second high-profile hack of the week against Twitter accounts, showing weakness of single-password process for critical accounts.

A disgruntled customer appears to have taken control of PayPal UK’s Twitter account and has used it to complain about the service in a series of angry tweets on the service.

The person, who has not given any clue to their identity, has put out a series of tweets complaining that PayPal froze their account and seeking to embarrass the company by linking to paypalsucks.com, which says it is “an anti paypal site exposing the nightmare of doing business ‘the paypal way’.” It is not known whether the customer has any link to paypalsucks.com, which was first registered in 2000 and has remained under the same owner since.

A spokesman for PayPal UK said that the company is looking into what happened but emphasised that it was only the Twitter account, and not any of the sensitive customer systems with credit card or other data that had been breached. Twitter accounts are protected by a simple password which can sometimes be guessed or stolen and means that the service can be accessed by anyone with that password.

Earlier this week the Twitter account of Fox News politics was hacked by a group with links to the Anonymous hacker collective, and used to falsely claim that Barack Obama had been assassinated.

One was to prevent such account hacking would be to introduce “two-factor authentication” to certain accounts. That would require anyone who tried to log in from a different computer, or after a specific delay, to get an authentication code sent from Twitter to a mobile phone, or use a preset code. The Guardian has asked Twitter whether it plans to introduce this, though so far without response.

Ebay-owned PayPal has more than 100m credit card accounts.

Update 10.10pm: Twitter has suspended the PayPal UK account.

via PayPal UK Twitter account hacked, apparently by angry customer | Technology | guardian.co.uk.

Google+ Targeted By Spam Offensive In First Week | ITProPortal.com

Only a few days after its launch, Google’s social networking platform, Google+, has been exploited in a massive spam campaign.

According to a post on the Naked Security blog run by security firm Sophos, scammers are sending out fake Google+ invites that redirect users to a pharmaceutical website.

“The messages look similar to the real emails that users may receive from friends who are already members of Google+,” the security firm said.

Instead of redirecting users to the social networking platform, the spam email takes users to a website that sells Viagra, Cialis and Levitra.

“The spammers are no doubt hoping that the email will be too hard to resist for many people eager to see Google’s new social network, although just how many users will be tempted to buy drugs online is a mystery,” wrote senior technology consultant at Sophos, Graham Cluley.

Google’s new social network, which is currently undergoing a limited public trial, is becoming increasing popular with everyone frantically trying to get access to the platform. Spammers seem to realise that and are exploiting the situation for their nefarious purposes.

Meanwhile, even Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has registered on Google+, and has indeed become the most followed user within the first week.

via Google+ Targeted By Spam Offensive In First Week | ITProPortal.com.

Google Realtime search suspended after Twitter deal ends – Telegraph

Up until July 2, Google had been allowed access to Twitter’s data stream in real time, allowing it to feed tweets into the main body of its search engine and power Google Realtime, a dedicated search engine to live information.The deal was announced by top Google search executive Marissa Mayer in October 2009 at the high profile Web 2.0 Summit. The partnership was seen as a way that the search giant could quickly and easily improve the relevancy of its search index, which had started to look out of date following the advent of Twitter and real-time information. Google was believed to have somewhere close to $20 million for the access.A Google spokesman said: “Since October of 2009, we have had an agreement with Twitter to include their updates in our search results through a special feed, and that agreement expired on July 2.“While we will not have access to this special feed from Twitter, information on Twitter that’s publicly available to our crawlers will still be searchable and discoverable on Google.”Evan Williams, one of the Twitter founders, told The Telegraph in an interview last year that deal was set up on a rolling contract. He left the firm a few months ago.

via Google Realtime search suspended after Twitter deal ends – Telegraph.