Mid-Tex Cellular systems out of De Leon, Texas is currently running both GSM and CDMA network using a software-based radio system on nine of of their cellular towers. Because the Vanu, Inc. designed software can be upgraded easily, there is no need for costly new hardware when supporting new or incompatible networks. If this technology is widely adopted, cellphone carriers will be able to upgrade and adjust to new standards more cheaply and users will see bigger, better, and possibly cheaper coverage.
Currently, Vanu is looking to expand their business outside of Texas with 200 towers set to go up in Alaska. They have also announced a prototype of a “femtocell” device —a base station of sorts for a single house or office. The plan is to use the device with the 700-MHz spectrum band that is coming up for auction from the FCC in January 2008. [Wired]
We’ve been playing with a few headsets from Plantronics .Audio range over the last few weeks. We’ll mention a couple more soon, but the 480 stood out here as a really interesting take on the portable headset. We’re basically talking about a set of earbuds with a mic attached on the left bud. A little weird, but the whole thing works a treat – good passive isolation, super portability, and good, reliable mic tech (the Plantronics speciality) so you can take calls anywhere. The boom is flexible, so it will sit comfortably wherever you want it. The cable has inline volume and mute, too.
The double earbud arrangement means it all doubles nicely as earbuds for music playback and phone headset, or even a really portable gaming headset. No device switching, of course, so the double duties part won’t work for most people, but if you have jumped to a combo phone that does both, this is a sexy little number. It’s just such a great concept in ultra portability for a headset, and you can get a standard jack connector version or a USB version, depending on your need. They’re priced at $119.
A few weeks ago, Apple implemented a policy limiting iPhone sales to two per customer and sale by credit card only. Seemed likely that this was to stem unofficial market sales abroad, and this Wired piece by Aventurina King confirms it. The iPhone, known as the “Ai Feng” (“Crazy Love”) is growing quite a market. The market is trim selling the handsets at about $474 for unlocked models, imported in copious amounts via HK mules, which must feel like coming home for the asia-born devices. After all this, does China need an official market when the country so clearly loves all things illegal better than the legit deal? [Wired]
It is no secret that many of the best ideas are doodled down on a napkin in a moment of inspiration. Now you can keep the ideas flowing at all times thanks to this spiral-bound cocktail napkin notebook. It even comes with its own pen for optimum napkin doodling effectiveness. Now if they could only harness the inspirational power of the toilet, we would be on the brink of a second Renaissance. Available soon. [Product Page via IBIA via Electro Plankton]
Some more EPG/TV news: SMH reports the Channel Nine and Ten EPGs began broadcasting this week, while the Channel Seven EPG is the one that won’t go live until January 1st.
IceTV also reports that with the multi-channel programming about to launch on the HD channels of the commercial networks, IceTV remains on the outer, so it will take them 2-3 weeks “after the start of full strength programming” to get this new section of the EPG operational.
Our latest instalment in the long running “they just don’t get it” series, the electronic program guide that has been coming together (slowly) from the free-to-air networks via FreeTV Australia is now looking to lock out any players that allow 30-second jumps or fast forward speeds of 60x or more. If you don’t agree to modify your DVR to meet this requirement, you can’t have their EPG.
IceTV is breathing a lot easier with this news, because (a) almost no international DVR manufacturer (which pretty much means ALL DVR manufacturers) will be changing their systems just to suit a not-so-open EPG and (b) if they do, users will still have plenty of reason to buy into IceTV’s offering.
IceTV expressed their opinion in a letter to subscribers, giving a nod to the fact FreeTV’s EPG will be good for people viewing digital through an integrated tuner or on a basic set-top box while emphasising that their position is all about the consumer hippie free love “do what you wanna do, be what you wanna be” thang.
How the FreeTV EPG will block such usage is anyone’s guess. If it is a free over-the-air 7-day EPG, will they try and sue anyone using it who offers slip / fast forward features? That’ll be tough to police. [FreeTV, IceTV]
The imminent announcement about wider coverage of Verizon’s symmetrical FiOS that was teased last week has arrived, and it’s pretty nice: Everyone gets it. FL, MA, and RI get 20Mbps up and downstream like NY, NJ and CT, while the rest get 15Mbps both ways. They’ve also got an option for 30 down and 15 up, but the trailblazing tri-state area picks up a new 50 down/20 up package. No word on that 400Mbps Gozilla bandwidth, unfortunately. [Verizon]
As any hardcore fan of the Trek series will tell you, the smallest adjustments made to the originals are bound to undergo a tremendous amount of scrutiny. That having been said, the first reviews of the new HD DVD release of Star Trek have become available—and by the looks of things there is a lot to like, and a few things that will surely piss off more than a few fanboys—namely redesigned visual effects involving the show intro and the Enterprise.
While both Blu-ray and HD-DVD use the long-cracked AACS copy protection scheme, Blu-ray has its unique flavor of DRM underneath that, BD+, which is based on the Self-Protecting Digital Content spec. Macrovision is plunking down $45 million for SPDC and its related patents. This is despite the fact BD+ was cracked by AnyDVD’s daddy, Slysoft, a couple weeks ago. So why drop that much dough on cracked tech?
Licensing. Even if the formerly uncrackable scheme has been busted wide open, Macrovision is looking at piles of revenue from licenses paid by studios to use BD+. It’ll then go about playing the never-ending copy-protection cat-and-mouse game with crackers and hackers. It’s comforting to know some things never change. [Ars]
