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Pop quiz: which of the following is the most energy efficient method of delivering mobile broadband?

1. WCDMA (cellular)
2. WiMAX
3. WiFi

Here with your answer is ABI Research analyst Stuart Carlaw (quoted from a recent news release): “From a pure coverage perspective WiMAX is twice as energy-cost-effective and metro Wi-Fi is 50 times more energy-cost-effective than WCDMA. When data traffic is factored into the equation, WiMAX can accommodate 11 times today’s average data consumption and still be more energy-cost-efficient compared to WCDMA or HSDPA.”

Considering the fact that energy costs are the third most significant operating expense for cellular carriers (at least, according to ABI), this little quiz is rather an important one.

Indeed, ABI noted in a recent report that the introduction of mobile broadband “means that the energy required per subscriber arising from increasing data uptake will push per-subscriber energy OPEX for cellular solutions past acceptable barriers - unless carriers move from a traditional cellular-only approach to one that integrates WiMAX and Metro Wi-Fi.”

Chalk one up for WiMAX and WiFi. Rah, rah, rah!

I suppose it says something about my level of geekiness (in every positive sense of the word) that last night I went home and spent the evening watching the video of Steve Jobs’ Macworld keynote speech. At roughly two hours, the speech represented a time investment equal to that of a feature-length movie. And it was worth every second.

I came away from watching the keynote with a firm conviction that Jobs and Apple not only are masters of product design, but also of theater. Presentations using images or slides projected on a giant screen can be boring or mediocre—yet the Macworld keynote was anything but that.

Perhaps my favorite moment in the presentation was the brief pause after Jobs outlined Apple TV and before he launched into the iPhone. A hush fell over the hall as a giant Apple logo, with light streaming from behind it, was displayed on screen. Jobs let several seconds of silence pass. You could feel the anticipation in the room; something big was coming.

The whole presentation up to this point had served to heighten the anticipation. Apple TV was cool and exciting, but it was just the trailer, the appetizer. Everyone expected the TV announcement, and anyone who had seen Jobs speak before probably knew that he wouldn’t spill the big beans right at the start.

I absolutely loved how Jobs and Apple chose to present iPhone—first implying that the company was launching three revolutionary products, and then by combining the logos for each (widescreen iPod with touch controls, revolutionary mobile phone, breakthrough Internet communication device) into a box and spinning that box around to show each side in turn until the audience got it and reacted with a combination of laughter, cheering and clapping.

That was a great moment. I wasn’t at Macworld, but I was transported there, back to that moment, simply by watching a somewhat grainy, streaming video of Jobs’ speech. Great theater, indeed.

Jobs’ skill at working the crowd was brought home by a study in contrasts when the CEOs of Google, Yahoo! and Cingular took the stage one by one to outline their iPhone-related partnerships with Apple. While each of these men adequately conveyed their information, none could hold a candle to the excitement Jobs garnered. You could almost feel the audience patiently waiting for Jobs to return to the spotlight.

If you haven’t watched Jobs’ speech yet, I urge you to do so. Even if you are lukewarm in your enthusiasm for iPhone, its still a very entertaining presentation. After you watch, let me know what you think.

Warning: time is running out to issue predictions regarding what cool, new products and services Apple will announce at the Macworld Expo next week. If you’ve got Apple fever, here’s a little something to keep your temperature high over the weekend.

In a posting Thursday, AppleInsider blogger posted information from the latest Macworld Rumor Roundup from research and investment firm PiperJaffray.

The roundup gives numerical rankings/probabilities for a variety of products that Apple potentially could be unveiling. I won’t be a spoiler—you’ll need to read McLean’s post to get the whole scoop. But here’s a quick ‘n dirty summary of the alleged probabilities.

Event	Certainty Rank
iPhone entering production phase (12 million units) in the next 2-6 months	9 out of 10
iTV (MSRP $299) released at Macworld	10 out of 10
iPhone with candy-bar form factor introduced in next 6-12 months	9 out of 10
Introduction during next 6-12 months of widescreen iPod with touch-sensitivity and wireless features	7 out of 10
Launch during next 6-12 months of second smartphone iPhone with integrated keyboard	7 out of 10
Introduction of iSight camera and 4GB or 8GB storage on iPhone during next 6-12 months	7 out of 10
During next 6-12 months, multiple carriers will provide service for iPhone (versus Cingular only)	6 out of 10
Launch of ultra-portable, 12-inch MacBook Pro during next 12-18 months	4 out of 10
Use of radio-transparent material for iPhone casing during next 12-18 months	3 out of 10
iChat Mobile and instant messaging made available on iPhone during next 12-18 months	2 out of 10
Release of OSX 10.5 (Leopard) at Macworld	3 out of 10

All of this is very well and good, but I can’t help but note that the vast majority of these predictions hinge on the idea that Apple will introduce an “iPhone” product this year. I suspect that Apple will launch such a product eventually, but 2007 may or may not be the golden year.

If nothing else, the iPhone hysteria should be dampened somewhat by the fact that the iPhone name is already taken. Or hadn’t you heard? Last month Cisco’s Linksys group introduced a line of seven VoIP/wireless products under the iPhone brand name. So even if Apple does bring a cell phone to market this year, it’ll almost certainly have to be called something other than iPhone—unless Linksys decides to sell the name to Apple.

As I noted in a previous blog post, trademark protection for the name “iPhone” has been filed for no fewer than four times with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office since 1994. The oldest apparently applicable document is Cisco’s, filed March 20, 1996, for “computer hardware and software for providing integrated telephone communication with computerized global information networks.”

Apple allegedly filed a trademark application for iPhone in a far-Eastern trademark office in the not-too-distant past, and the company did apply for an iPhone trademark in Canada in 2004, but that filing is disputed by Comwave Telecom.

Is an iPhone by any other name as sweet? When Apple does launch a cell phone, what will it be called?

See you on the other side once Macworld Expo gets underway and we finally, finally find out what Apple has up its sleeve.

Warning: technical language ahead.

Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s proceed.

Ever hear of MEMS (short for Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems)? Neither had I until reading a recent report from ABI Research claiming that, starting in 2008, this technology will be all the rage in mobile handsets.

Okay, so what the heck is MEMS? Wikipedia defines it as a very small technology (most devices range in size from a millionth to a thousandth of a meter), useful in a variety of applications including inkjet printers, airbags, tire pressure sensors, disposable blood pressure sensors, and smartdust.

Apparently, MEMS also is potentially useful in mobile phones. Makes sense, since more and more functions are being packed into the handsets we carry around. It will take some very small bits and pieces to make all those applications work in a form factor that can be slipped easily into a pocket or a purse.

ABI’s report cites the size, flexibility, and performance of MEMS technology as key reasons why it will soon be part of all handsets.

Okay, so here’s a question: if MEMS is to great, why isn’t it already part of all mobile handsets?

Here’s ABI analyst Alan Varghese: “The traditional challenges for MEMS related to the difficulty of reliably manufacturing components at high volumes, effective packaging techniques, long-term device reliability, technology cost, and supply chain robustness, all of which had a damping effect on the industry. However the MEMS industry has been addressing these concerns, and innovative solutions are being offered in high volume markets such as mobile phones and consumer devices.”

ABI said in its report that MEMS has five major application areas in mobile phones:

• RF filters
• Adaptive tuning circuits
• Resonators and oscillators
• Audio microphones
• Accelerometers
• Motion sensors

Okay, did you catch all that? (If you didn’t, this detailed look at how cell phones work, from HowStuffWorks.com, may be helpful. The site also has entries for oscillators, microphones, and motion sensing lights/alarms).

One challenge does remain for the use of MEMS technology: cost of manufacturing compared to incumbent solutions. As with all technologies, though, economies of scale soon will render that barrier obsolete.

Some of the companies ABI says already are innovating in the MEMS space, and are worth watching, include:

• WiSpry – developer of MEMS-based RF capacitors, tunable filters, duplexers, and RF switches
• XCOM Wireless – focused on making the front end of mobile phones as agile and tunable as a software radio
• Avago Technologies – this company’s MEMS-based FBAR filters are useful for filtering higher frequency bands used in cellular applications
• Discera and SiTime – producers of resonator/oscillator sections for handsets
• Knowles Acoustics – currently rules the MEMS roost, but soon will be knocked from its perch by other companies such as Akustica, Sonion, and Matsushita

I’ve made a mental note to file MEMS away in my mind as an emerging technology to keep an eye on. How about you?

It’s a problem most users of cell phones and other wireless devices have encountered at some point: spotty indoor network coverage. The signal that may be so strong while walking around outside or driving from Point A to Point B may be weak or nonexistent inside a house or other building.

 

Broadening and strengthening indoor coverage for wireless networks is the topic of a recent report from ABI Research, in which the firm notes the current and anticipated growth of the in-building wireless systems market.

 

Revenues from deployment of such systems, ABI says, likely will exceed $3.6 billion by 2011. Most deployments will be focused on commercial buildings. The growth of this industry will affect carriers, businesses, building owners, equipment manufacturers, and solutions providers.

 

ABI analyst Dan Shey noted in the report that indoor wireless coverage is about more than just convenience; it also impacts business productivity. That is why business locations will be the primary locations where networks are expanded.

 

The report predicts that the majority (more than 60 percent) of in-building wireless networks will be deployed using distributed antenna systems. That type of technology also will dominate more than 75 percent of equipment revenues for in-building systems.

 

“These systems are most economical for buildings larger than 100,000 square feet, a size where coverage and signal level capacity from outdoor networks into buildings begin to fall significantly,” ABI notes in its report.

 

Of course, not all buildings are larger than 100,000 square feet. For smaller structures, ABI said that repeaters will be most useful for extending network coverage. As time goes on, though, repeaters will be replaced by picocells and femtocells.

 

For buildings smaller than 100,000 square feet, repeaters are the primary solution; however repeater shipment growth will slow due to replacement by picocells and femtocells.

 

“Repeaters are a cost effective way to provide coverage inside buildings but they do not add capacity, which will be needed as 3G services usage increases,” Shey said in a statement. “New picocells and femtocells which can be backhauled via an IP connection are a cost effective way to add capacity and coverage.”

 

Regardless of the technology used, for most people the fact that wireless coverage will be improved indoors is a cause for celebration. What will you do once you don’t have to worry about signal fading away when you step through the doors?

This seems to be the week of the phone. First, the long-awaited iPhone hit the market… but it turned out to be a VoIP phone from Linksys rather than a cell phone from Apple. Then, ASUSTeK Computer, Inc., launched a wireless music Skype phone in India.

Now comes news that, later this month, Samsung Electronics will be introducing in Korea what it describes as “the world's first mobile phone featuring a n optical joystick for a whole new mobile experience.”

Based on the image Samsung provides, the joystick in question appears to be something like the “J-key” integrated into some computer keyboards—a button that can be toggled around to move a cursor on the screen.

“Users utilize the optical joystick key by placing their finger and moving a cursor to navigate through the menu, similar to a cursor of a mouse on a PC ,” Samsung explained in its announcement. “Optical sensors will read and react to users' finger movement, thus breaking down the traditional four-way menu navigation and providing 360 degrees of freedom.”

 

Samsung is betting that the joystick will revolutionize the way users interact with their cell phones—or, more specifically, with the company’s SCH-V960 phone.

 

“Users can point the cursor and click directly on icons on MyScreen, similar interface to that on a PC environment, and gain direct access to frequently used menus such as photo album, messaging, and music menu,” Samsung said in its announcement. “Users can also use the Optical Joystick to easily scroll through the play list while listening to their music.”

 

I’ll be keeping my eye on the joystick phone. If it takes off in Korea, chances are U.S. consumers will be able to get their hands—or rather, their fingers—on the phone before long, too.

If you’re traveling by car this holiday season, you may be considering installing a GPS-based navigational device in your vehicle to reduce at least some of the hassles of the trip. A variety of such products are available, should you opt for an in-vehicle device.

 

But you may also be considering a navigational service delivered to your cell phone. One such service is TeleNav’s GPS Navigator, available now to Alltel Wireless customers using selected handsets.

 

Alltel announced rollout of the service earlier this month. Here’s how it works: if you own one of the supported phones (for now, BlackBerry 8703e or Samsung u520), you can subscribe to the service (unlimited use) for $9.99 per month. One-day use subscriptions also are available for $2.99 on the Samsung phone. You’ll also need an Alltel Wireless data plan (optionally, you can choose to use voice minutes). 

 

Once service is activated, the TeleNav GPS Navigator application can be downloaded directly to your phone.

TeleNav’s GPS Navigator includes the following features:

• Voice and on-screen turn-by-turn directions

• Biz Finder (find businesses, services, WiFi hotspots, and more)

• Fuel Finder (locate lowest gas price in five-mile or wider radius)

• Full-color moving maps (pan and zoom)

• Easy destination entry (preplan trips online, type destinations into phone using keypad, dictate destination using voice recognition system)

• Automatic map updates

• Spot marker (e.g. find your car wherever you park it)

• My Favorites (save multiple addresses for later access)

TeleNav’s director of business development, Hassan Wahla, exuded the expected enthusiasm in his statement about expanded coverage of the service to include Alltel customers: “With Alltel’s expansive wireless network and reputation of embracing advanced technologies, Alltel’s customers have come to expect the very best from their wireless service.”

 

Just another thing to consider this holiday season.

It’s not too late to add another item to your Christmas wish list, is it? If you’re a power laptop user, an announcement yesterday from HP and Cingular may have you dropping some last-minute hints to Santa. The two companies announced availability of the first laptop in the U.S. market with built-in mobile broadband capability.

Cingular Wireless contributed the UMTS/HSDPA technology that’s built into HP’s Compaq nc6400 Notebook PC, which “allows business professionals to connect in more areas at broadband speeds to corporate networks, email and the Internet without being tied to a wireless hotspot.”

To take advantage of the feature, you’ll need a service subscription, of course—to Cingular’s Wireless BroadbandConnect or high-speed EDGE offerings. That’s in the U.S.; the laptop also can be used abroad “in more than 115 countries in which there are UMTS or GPRS/EDGE networks available.”

The companies noted in their announcement that Cingular’s UMTS/HSDPA network is currently available in 145 major metro areas in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The broadband network offers download speeds of 400-700 kilobits per second.

Compaq nc6400 uses a tri-band UMTS modem that supports transfer rates of up to 3.6 megabits per second. Dual antennas are integrated into the laptop, and it comes with Cingular Communications Manager software for establishing connections to Cingular’s 3G network.

Some of the other notable features of the Compaq nc6400 include:

• Wireless LAN and Bluetooth connectivity

• 14.1-inch diagonal widescreen display

• Optional HP Privacy Filter

• Intel Core 2 Duo processors

• Support of 3D graphicsMicrosoft Windows Vista capable