WiMAX News & Opinion

Heavyweight contender Microsoft gave the ol' right-uppercut-left-hook combo on middleweight champion, Apple. (Sorry, Apple - as much as I love you, you're just not a heavyweight. Yet.)

Recently,� the US Patent & Trademark office� rejected a patent request for the beloved iPod because Microsoft had already filed for a similar request just 5 months prior.

Intel & Nokia are partnering up to offer WiMAX for gamers

Intel and Nokia will support WiMAX development in hopes that this will be the be-all for video games.

From gameshout.com:  Intel will focus on IEEE 802.16e, a mobile version of the technology that will offer broadband Internet access to users playing video games on the move. This standard is currently under development.

Just be sure to take regular breaks, drink plenty of fluids, and avoid 50 hours of straight gaming.

Perhaps I should warn fellow blogger David Butcher about mobile phones taking over countries. Well, maybe not take over, but they're certainly outnumbering the citizens.

AFP reported today that in Lithuania, there are more mobile phones than there are people. 4.1 million mobile phones for 3.4 million people?

An interesting release issued today by ABI Research examines offerings in the automotive/navigation market, specifically satellite radio and streaming video.

Sirius Satellite Radio announced earlier this month that Ford will offer Sirius Satellite Radio as a factory-installed option, and Toyota and Lexus will offer SSR hardware. Land Rover was also among the players in the automotive industry to offer factory-installed SSR. ABI Research wants to know, however, when will streaming video grace auto consumers via satellite radio?

Made you read!

I promise this will not be a prolonged post about baseball players. In fact, this will not be about baseball at all.

Whilst surfing through WiMAX news, I found --yet again-- the overly-used term to describe WiMAX - WiFi on steroids.

And now you can be just like Peter Parker, too....

No, I don't mean you'll be bitten by a radioactive spider, causing your body to mutate and do odd things, such as swinging from building tops or scaling walls. And no, you won't get to wear that really cool suit or shoot webs from your hands.

Well, if you really want, I'm sure you can wear the really cool suit.

Some interesting news just hit my inbox and I had to post. TowerStream announced an alliance with Vonage Marketing.

What's this all about? Well, of course there is WiMAX in here!

What exactly does technology have to do with cake? I realize you must be wondering...

Really, nothing. But I thought I'd write a bit about my search for a red velvet cake recipe and of course, my first engine of choice� was Google.

Russian Broadband Wireless Access Vendor to Expand R&D for IP-Based WiMAX Solutions for Global Markets

Moscow, Russia, July 27, 2005 - InfiNet Wireless announced that the company has signed an investment deal with Baring Vostok, Intel Capital, and Boston-based investment fund Russia Now. After closing, the funds will be used for R&D work on IP-based WiMAX solutions, as well as to fund regional and worldwide sales and marketing expansion programs.

In addition to the company’s financial contribution to the recent funding round, Intel has signed a business agreement with InfiNet Wireless. The contract outlines the collaboration of Intel and InfiNet Wireless in the areas of 802.16 WiMAX technology development, public relations support and joint marketing initiatives in the Russian and CIS markets.

"InfiNet Wireless’ vision of broadband wireless networks everywhere is consistent with how Intel sees growth in this field," said Dmitri Konash, Intel Russia Sales and Marketing Group.

Motorola Accelerates Development of WiMAX End-to-End Solutions; Introduces Moto Wi4 Product Portfolio

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. - 25 July 2005 - Motorola Inc.� has expanded its strategic focus to bring comprehensive WiMAX (802.16e) solutions quickly to market to fulfill the rapidly growing demand for fixed and mobile wireless broadband solutions. The initiative includes a combination of increased R&D, resources, and technology relationships; and the introduction of the Moto Wi4 product portfolio that will take operators to the 4th generation of mobile wireless networks.

"Motorola has aligned our Networks business to support a companywide initiative to develop WiMAX and other mobile broadband wireless solutions that provide an effective means for carriers to give their customers broadband services when and where they want them at an affordable cost," said Dan Coombes, senior vice president, general manager of Wireless Broadband Networks, and chief technology officer for Motorola Networks.

Interesting report issued today across the AP Wires....

It seems the iPod sales have skyrocketed this last quarter, and who knows who we have to thank for that. It probably is all of those psychadelic commercials -- blaring songs such as "Jerk It Out", watching blacked out people dance in front of neon colored backgrounds, white wires hanging from their ears. (oh admit it - it's catchy!)

In case you haven't heard the news today....directly from the WiMAX Forum.

The WiMAX Forum Showcases Equipment and Breadth of Applications, Opens Test Lab

WiMAX technology has taken a bold step onto the proving grounds this week in Vancouver, BC, and Malaga, Spain. During the WiMAX Forum

“We’re excited by the opportunity to show off the capabilities of WiMAX technology in Vancouver and prove that WiMAX is real,” said Ron Resnick, president of the WiMAX Forum. “At the same time, the fact that much of the equipment running successfully in Canada is the same equipment going through certification in Spain is extremely encouraging and bodes well for the future of WiMAX and the advent of true personal broadband.”

More than 400 participants from WiMAX Forum member companies are attending the event in Vancouver, where there have been keynote speeches from Nortel and KT (Korea Telecom).

...and so are the purchases of 7-inch singles.

That's right. Vinyl isn't dead.

AFP reported that while there were 5.7 million music downloads (legal, of course) from sources such as iTunes and the newly installed Napster, vinyl 7-inch singles rose a whopping 87 percent.

Scanning iPod news lately can be a bit depressing, especially since someone was�  murdered on Saturday� in an iPod robbery.

In an article posted by AFP,� the Big Apple (not NYC, Steve Jobs...) spoke with the bereaved father of the 15 year old who was the one who perished in the first murder ever� in iPod theft history.

The rise in subway crime has NYPD and authorities warning iPod users to be more careful when it comes to traveling and sporting the obvious white ear buds. Some have suggested switching to less-noteable ear phones -- regardless, some eager person wanted the iPod bad enough that someone had to die.

The new MAX on the street according to� TechWhack is not WiMAX, but xMAX -- a "new modulation and encoding technology that allows the deployment of broadband services using lower frequency bands."

A company based in Florida is taking the credit for introducing the new wireless technology and it is the next contender up against WiMAX.

While we're only beginning to see WiMAX, especially in the United States, this new MAX supposedly has the capability to power connections up to 22 KMs away (you go right ahead and figure out the mileage....I haven't had my coffee yet) but I will mention (according to the article) this surpasses the distances in which WiMAX can perform.

From 'xMax to challenge WiMAX' : 'Joe Bobier is credited to inventing this new technology and he said in a statement: xMax is trespassing radio frequencies, although trespassing is not the right word, because we’re allowed to transmit a signal if it doesn’t interfere with other, stronger signals.” With xMax, a city as large as� London can be covered by just four base stations!