Verizon Wireless, Mozilla Join LiMo Foundation (TechWeb)

Hoping to give Linux a boost on mobile devices, several hardware and software vendors including Verizon Wireless and the Mozilla Foundation on Wednesday signed on to join the LiMo (Linux Mobile) Foundation.

In addition to Verizon Wireless and Mozilla, new members joining LiMo include Infineon Technologies, Kvaleberg AS, Red Bend Software, Sagem Mobiles, SFR, and SK Telecom.

"Verizon Wireless is committed and invested in encouraging innovation, providing developers the opportunity to deliver wireless choices and expanding the mobile market," said Kyle Malady, the firms vice president of network, in a statement. "We expect our involvement with LiMo to advance these principles."

When will the first Verizon handsets based on LiMo appear? Malady said its first LiMo phones will likely appear next year, relatively simple designs before smart phones work their way up the Verizon food chain later.

The global consortium of mobile wireless firms was created a year ago by Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic Mobile Communications, Samsung, and Vodafone Group with the goal of providing a Linux software framework that can be quickly designed into handsets. The group competes directly with the Open Handset Alliance (OHA) a Google-backed consortium that rallies around its Android software.

"It is now clear that LiMos transparent and participative governance model and total focus on the handset operating system -- which are designed to avoid value-chain distortion -- are proving to be very attractive to the whole industry, Morgan Gillis, executive director of the LiMo Foundation said in a statement."

The decision by Verizon Wireless to join the LiMo Foundations "open and transparent governance model" intensifies the war of nerves between Verizon and Google over exactly which firm will have the more "open" cell phone service.

The two firms have been sparing for months over the so-called openness of cell phone service with Google earlier this month agitating Verizon by asking the FCC to require the carrier to make certain that there will be open access to Verizons recently-acquired 700MHz spectrum.

Now Verizon has responded indirectly Wednesday by becoming the first U.S. major wireless carrier to join the LiMo Foundation and becoming a core member and a board member of the foundation, which pledges to deliver an open handset software platform based on Mobile Linux. Although Google is neither cell phone service provider nor handset supplier, its Android OHA follows the search engine firms version of an open architecture.

Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile are members of the OHA group while AT&T hasnt joined either organization. Since both OHA and Limo have open memberships, carriers and handset developers could join at a later date.

For instance, AT&Ts Mobility CEO Ralph De La Vega has said his firm may provide phones for the OHA and Verizon Wireless has said it wont rule out providing products for OHA.

Both OHA and LiMo have reported progress. The LiMo Foundation has been making APIs available to its members for several weeks. Gillis said recently that because early releases of the foundations platform will include technology and designs already proven in the marketplace, the LiMo releases should get to the marketplace quickly.

As for the OHA, its leaders have predicted that early Android handsets will appear by the end of the year.

See original article on InformationWeek.com

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Glitch Mars Launch of Wi-Fi on High-speed Trains (PC World)

The train was on time, but the commercial launch of Wi-Fi Internet access service on high-speed trains between Brussels and Paris was marred by a technical glitch that kept many travelers offline for much of the inaugural journey.

Train operator Thalys is installing Wi-Fi access points on its high-speed trains running between Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and the German city of Cologne to connect travelers to the Internet via a satellite link or 3G (third generation) mobile networks while the train is moving, or to Wi-Fi hotspots in stations along the route.

But for the senior executives of the train operator and the systems developers gathered on board the 1:13 p.m. departure from Brussels for the commercial launch of the service on Wednesday, pride quickly turned to dismay as they realized that dozens of journalists invited to test the service were unable to log in.

As technicians attempted to restore service, Henry Hyde-Thomson, founder and chairman of 21Net, the company behind the technology, said the satellite link was still working but that the problem was with the on-board equipment.

"The DHCP server has given up for some reason," he said, referring to the system that hands computers the IP (Internet Protocol) addresses they need to use the system.

When working, ThalysNet allows first-class passengers to create an account and connect to the Internet free. Passengers in second class can access an on-board portal offering travel information and ticket reservations for free, but Internet access costs EUR6.50 (US$10) an hour, or EUR13 for the full journey. The trip from Paris to Brussels takes only one hour and 20 minutes, but the journey to Cologne is over three hours long.

By journeys end, the server was working and it was possible to search Google and see the news headlines on CNN.com.

Jean-Michel Dancoisne, CEO of train operator Thalys, sees broadband Internet access quickly becoming a basic need among business travelers. The ability to deliver it will be a major differentiator between rail and air travel, he said.

ThalysNet is managed for Thalys by a consortium of three companies: 21Net, which developed the satellite communications system for high-speed trains; Nokia Siemens Networks, which supplies some of the equipment and installs and integrates the systems on the trains, and Telenet, a Belgian Internet service provider and hotspot operator, which provides the billing and authentication system.

So far, seven of Thalys 26 trains have been fully equipped for Wi-Fi: Paul Broekhuizen, head of the consortium, expects to have work on all 26 trains completed by October.

Signals are bounced off a satellite over the Atlantic Ocean and down to a base station in Spain. The company currently allocates around 2M bits per second to each train-- although with compression, that looks more like 4M bps to users, said Hyde-Thomson.

There are no plans yet to shape or block particular kinds of traffic, and unlike many mobile phone operators, ThalysNet allows video streaming and voice-over-IP calls. The only restriction is that access to certain Web sites carrying adult content is not allowed, said Ines Clenjans, business manager for Wi-Fi on trains at Nokia Siemens Networks.

For now, the Wi-Fi-enabled trains are easy to spot: in addition to the "Wi-Fi inside" stickers in every window, they have a large white radome on top, protecting a satellite dish 80 centimeters in diameter and 72 cm high. The dish is motorized to keep it pointed at the satellite, however the train turns. 21Net is seeking certification for a lower-profile dish that is oval in shape and just 45 cm high, said company spokesman Philip Haines.

In the future, the company hopes to use a phased-array antenna just 3 cm thick, "covering as much of the trains roof as we can," said Haines. Phased-array antennas are composed of many flat elements which each transmit the same signal at different times to direct the beam. Picture a "Mexican wave" in the crowd at a football match, where each person in the crowd jumping up and down creates the impression of a wave moving around the stadium. The wave can be sent in another direction by changing the order in which people jump. With a phased-array antenna 21net hopes to do away with moving parts and bulky covers.

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Sony TV on UK iTunes Store

Apple is continuing to expand on its newfound variable pricing policy for TV shows, an announcement for the UK reveals. The region's iTunes Store has added a variety of shows under the Sony Pictures label (iTunes link), including episodes of Damages, NewsRadio and The Larry Sanders Show, as well as the kids' programs Spiderman and Jackie Chan Adventures. Pricing is staggered at three different levels, with NewsRadio, Spiderman and Jackie Chan being priced at �1.19, Larry Sanders at �1.49, and Damages at �1.89.

The scheme follows the debut of variable pricing at the American iTunes Store, where episodes of Rome, Deadwood and The Sopranos are a dollar more than other HBO shows such as Flight of the Conchords. The trend began back at the UK store, where NBC/Universal programming is now on sale despite NBC's infamous row with Apple, and its competing Hulu website.

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BUILT sleeves, backpacks

Online vendor Koyono has introduced two notebook cases by BUILT to its lineup, the Cargo Laptop Sleeve and the Laptop BackPack. The sleeve uses a thick neoprene layer, which stretches to accommodate the shape of different notebooks; there are additionally three external pockets, sized to fit gear such as iPods, power adapters and cellphones. Zig-zagging stitches are used to improved durability and protection against water. The sleeve comes in black, brown, green and orange colors, and 13-, 15- and 17-inch sizes; prices range from $40 to $50.

The BackPack uses a different approach, and holds all notebooks in a space with enough room for a 17-inch system plus books and folders. Phones and iPods are kept in a strap compartment, while miscellaneous items are stored in one on the main body. Black and green colors are available for $80.

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MO-Call international service optimized for iPhone

Morodo on Friday unveiled an iPhone-compatible web app version of its MO-Call low-cost calling service, allowing iPhone users to place international calls at low per-minute rates. The service requires an account signup at the company's mobile website, and Morodo is currently offering a free trial of the service for users in Canada, the US, and Hong Kong. International rates start at around 8� per minute for calls to land lines.

"The iPhone is a very desirable object but I think everyone agrees that there's not much to like about Mobile Network Operator call charges," said Andrew Reid, managing director for Morodo. "MO-Call for the iPhone provides a great money-saving alternative for consumers. This is yet another step towards our goal of becoming a global Virtual International Mobile Network Operator."

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Apple quadruples iPhone TAM, stock set to take off

Analyst firm Piper Jaffray on Friday offered analysis of the recent additions of many new carriers and countries to the iPhone fold, pointing out that Apple could quadruple its total addressable market share from 153 million potential subscribers to 575 million in 42 countries. In a note to investors, senior analyst Gene Munster says the recent agreements with Orange, Vodafone, SingTel, American Movil, and Swisscom put Apple's international rollout of the iPhone eight months ahead of schedule.

Munster feels that the agreements are not exclusive, with eight of the carriers sharing four countries. This goes contrary to Apple's earlier deployment strategy, with AT&T, Orange, O2, and T-Mobile all having exclusive distribution rights in their own countries. Munster believes that this will have a positive effect on overall unit shipments, but negatively impact iPhone revenue share.

Overall, Munster sees the situation as a growth opportunity for AAPL stock, citing that share pricing will be heavily reliant on units currently in shipment. The recent announcements solidify Munster's estimate that Apple would ship 12.9 million iPhones by calendar year-end.

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LG Electronics Watching Nokia's South Korea Plans (TechWeb)

By Marie-France Han

SEOUL, May 26 - LG Electronics, the worlds No.4 handset maker, is closely watching rival Nokia amid talk the top-ranked mobile phone maker may cut its prices and re-enter the South Korean market later this year.

Shares in LG Electronics tumbled more than 8 percent on Monday as investors gauged the impact of potential price cuts by Nokia. But an LG executive said the firm was generally positive about the industry this year.

"We are interested in the Korean market and investigating it, but we have not unveiled any products for that market," said Nokia spokesman Kari Tuutti, declining comment on future pricing.

LG shares ended down 3.8 percent, while Samsung Electronics, the worlds No.2 handset maker, closed down 4 percent. The main Korean market fell 1.5 percent.

"We are carefully watching Nokia," Chang Ma, LGs vice president for marketing strategy, told Reuters in an interview.

Analysts were split on the impact of a Nokia move.

"Nokias handset price cuts, if they actually happen, will certainly not be applied universally to all its models," said Lee Sung-june, an analyst at SK Securities.

"Besides, Nokia and LGs handset strategies are different in that while Nokia is more about offering cheaper models, LG is more focused on technologically advanced models."

John Park, analyst at Daishin Securities, noted that since LG had benefited from Nokia losing market share in North America, the Finnish firms possible expansion in that market could be a factor to watch for LG.

Ma said LG was also ready to seize any opportunities arising from difficulties at third-ranked Motorola Inc and No.5 manufacturer Sony Ericsson

Motorola has been losing market share to rivals after failing to follow up its blockbuster Razr phone, and Sony Ericsson saw its profit halved in the first quarter as demand slowed for its more expensive camera and music handsets.

"We see some risks from the economic slowdown, the rise of raw material prices and the possibility of unexpected moves by competitors, but we will compensate these risk factors with our product portfolio and our marketing strength," Ma said.

LG sold a record 24.4 million phones in January-March and looks set to beat its target of 100 million phones for the year.

First-quarter operating profit margin on handsets was 15.9 percent on a parent basis, almost double the previous quarters 8.3 percent and against 6.6 percent a year earlier.

Ma said he expected the handset division to post a "double digit" operating profit margin in the second quarter.

"The handset business remains strong in LGs overall earnings, accounting for as much as 80 percent of operating profit throughout 2008," said Daishins Park, though he added that handset marketing costs would likely grow and eat into margins in the third and fourth quarters.

In a separate interview, the head of LGs display division said the companys plasma business had suffered from lower than expected demand this year, but hopes to improve operating profits during the rest of the year.

"We are aiming to post better second-quarter operating profit ... from the first quarter," said Simon Kang, responsible for LGs plasma business, which makes screens for LGs own televisions and for external customers. "We also expect to post better operating profit in the second half from the first."

Kang acknowledged that demand from China had been slower than initially expected due to the snowstorm early this year and the recent earthquake.

LG is expected to post 2008 net profit of 2.5 trillion won, more than double last years 1.2 trillion won, according to Reuters Estimates. (Additional reporting by Tarmo Virki in HELSINKI and Park Jung-yun and Park Ju-min in SEOUL; Editing by Ian Geoghegan)

Copyright 2008 Reuters. See original article on InformationWeek.com

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