SAN JOSE, Calif.-Nvidia Corp. said it plans to acquire Hybrid Graphics Ltd., a Finnish company that provides embedded 2-D and 3-D graphics software for handheld devices. Under the definitive agreement, Hybrid is to become a subsidiary of Nvidia, maintaining support functions for its existing...
WASHINGTON-The National Religious Broadcasters came out against Senate legislation aimed at allowing the TV white spaces to be used for unlicensed operations, charging that such devices are untested, the digital TV transition is not complete, and such devices could interfere with wireless microphones that...
FREMONT, Calif.-The Flo Forum ratified technical specifications for devices, transmitters and test applications based on Qualcomm Inc.'s Flo technology standard for mobile TV. The group said the new specifications are companion documents to the previously ratified Flo Air Interface Specification submitted to the TIA...
WASHINGTON-The Supreme Court and Congress are jumping into the powder-keg patent debate, one encompassing a morass of complex issues increasingly confronting wireless and high-tech sectors at a time when innovation in knowledge-based economies is driving significant growth in developed and emerging markets alike. The...
PLEASANTON, Calif.-Verizon Wireless selected Xign Corp., a purveyor of on-demand, order-to-pay software, to streamline its order delivery, invoice processing and payment management. By moving to electronic billing and payment of vendor accounts, Verizon Wireless plans to save money through efficiencies and by garnering discounts...
Six Apart Ltd., a company that specializes in blogging software and services, bolstered its position in the mobile blogging arena with the acquisition of SplashData Inc.'s SplashBlog mobile photo blogging application and service. Terms of the deal were not released. The SplashBlog service allows...
WASHINGTON-The Justice Department last week filed a slew of documents with a New York federal court in support of a request to join the auction fraud lawsuit against Wall Street telecom titan Mario Gabelli, a belated move in the five-year-old case that followed a...
WASHINGTON-Telematics providers have come out against FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's numbers-based approach to financing the universal-service fund . Those providers noted that because telematics is not connected to the public-switched telephone network Martin's plan would significantly add to the cost of automatic crash-notification systems....
NEW YORK-Price Communications Corp.'s board of directors has decided to pursue liquidating the company, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The small wireless operator has been operating in partnership with Verizon Wireless since 2002; prior to that, Price operated its...
BOULDER, Colo.-The Mobile Marketing Association revised its "consumer best practices," updating the guidelines to include chat services, interactive television, and viral and affiliate marketing. The rules are designed to establish a standard, efficient platform for brands, advertisers and carriers looking to market to wireless...
REDMOND, Wash.-Microsoft Corp. is expected to overhaul its ActiveSync Windows Mobile device management offering, when the software giant rolls out the next version of its PC operating system, which has been delayed until next year. Microsoft will change the service's name to Windows Mobile...
BOSTON-Everypoint, a mobile sports application firm, attracted $10 million in a second round of venture-capital funding, the company reported. Venrock Associates led the round, which included existing investors Prism Venture Partners and TD Capital Ventures.Everypoint's downloadable applications provide live scores and sports commentary in...
You can thank Socrates-the illustrious Athenian of the fifth century B.C.-for establishing the power of asking leading and potentially unpopular questions, without feeling the need to provide definitive answers. Ask the right questions, so the Socratic method would have it, and those around you...
Editor's Note: The companies listed below represent the four first-tier wireless operators that control enough spectrum for a nationwide footprint. They are ranked by their number of subscribers at the end of 2005. Subscriber additions and financial results are from company records and are...
WESTBOROUGH, Mass.-Eager to expand its portfolio, tower owner and operator Optasite Inc. completed a $125 million round of debt and equity financing.The company also closed on a slew of site acquisitions, bringing the company's portfolio of towers to more than 200. The acquisitions range...
SANTA CLARA, Calif.-Lucent Technologies Inc. outbid L.M. Ericsson in the auction of Ethernet developer Riverstone Networks Inc.'s business. Riverstone said Lucent's final bid was $207 million in cash along with certain modifications to the Asset Purchase Agreement originally signed by the two companies in...
BURNABY, Canada-Fortuna Gaming Corp., a Canadian-based company focused on online and mobile gambling, sees mobile gambling as a big part of its future and eventually wants to launch a mobile virtual network operator service for gambling enthusiasts. "The long-term vision is to develop the...
NEW YORK-Frazzled, on-the-go parents can now entertain their kids with Thomas & Friends stories on their Sprint Nextel Corp. mobile phones. Vocel and Random House Children's Books teamed up to bring the adventures of Thomas the Tank Engine to mobile phones. Thomas & Friends,...
WASHINGTON-Requiring network neutrality would thwart investment in high-speed networks, Wall Street analysts warned lawmakers. Network neutrality generally refers to the ability to run any lawful application or connect any lawful device to the communications network. For content providers, it means not being required to...
The newest player on the crowded mobile search playground is one of the most vocal. Promptu-known until this week as Agile TV-officially joined the world of wireless, delivering a voice-recognition offering designed to allow users to discover, purchase and download content over mobile phones....
WASHINGTON-Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review a federal appeals court decision striking down a state law that would have required cell-phone carriers to notify subscribers of-and sometimes get permission for-changes to wireless contracts. In December, the 8th...
BERWYN, Pa.-Wireless location technology developer TruePosition Inc. said it is moving forward with its lawsuit against Andrew Corp., alleging the company's products infringe on its patents for dealing with the location of cell phones using the wireless network control channel. TruePosition's lawsuit focuses on...
WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission is seeking comment on whether broadband services can be used in the 700 MHz public-safety band. Twenty-four megahertz of spectrum is becoming available with the transition to digital TV. When the 700 MHz band plan was developed in 1998, the...
AMSTERDAM-Half of all malfunctioning products returned to stores are in working order, but customers can't figure out how to operate the devices, according to a study reported by Reuters. Though product complaints and returns are often caused by poor design, companies frequently dismiss them...
