The next time you finish using that free AT&T hotspot that stands as one of the few highlights of being an iPhone users on that network of questionable dependability, you might want to make sure your phone forgets that particular Wi-Fi connection. Read more »
Are you a golf fan who’s sick of Tiger Woods giving press conferences and just wants to watch some golf already? Well, your patience is about to be rewarded, as the 2010 Masters Tournament this Thursday at noon– Oh, no, you have a day job? Never […] Read more »
The Wall Street Journal is just barely reporting that a CDMA iPhone will be introduced this fall, and that Apple’s exclusive relationship with AT&T “appears set to end.” According to “people briefed by the company” (presumably Apple), the CDMA iPhone will be one of two released, with the GSM model “likely to be thinner and have a faster processor.” Read more »
CW to Double Ad Load in Its Web Shows; the CW Network plans to put as many ads in Web versions of its shows as it airs on TV. (The Wall Street Journal) Bitbop: Is This the Hulu of Mobile?; Fox Mobile unveiled Bitbop this week […] Read more »
For many iPhone users held hostage by AT&T’s second-rate 3G network, the announcement that a nationwide rollout of the AT&T 3G MicroCell will begin in April sounds like a long-awaited promise of coverage rescue finally coming true. Certainly that’s what I thought when I started using […] Read more »
For those of you who are just unimpressed with sub-4G speeds on your iPhones (or those who do not wish to upgrade to a new device), consider the Sierra Wireless Overdrive 4G WiFi hotspot by Sprint. Though coverage is not the best at the moment, Sprint […] Read more »
When the fanfare of the iPad launch begins to diminish, eyes will begin to look to the fast approaching summer and seek an updated iPhone. Though rumors of the iPhone 4.0 OS are circulating, there’s been little talk about what could be next for the iPhone […] Read more »
Palm today announced the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus are coming to AT&T’s network. Wi-Fi at AT&T hotspots is included but will that be enough to move webOS handsets? AT&T will have to help market the phones while Palm hopes to compete with Apple’s iPhone. Read more »
We hear far too often of travelers who travel abroad, only to get hit with ridiculous charges from their U.S. carrier for firing up the laptop to get online. I think it’s time to stop these charges which amount to nothing more than legal theft. Read more »
The Motorola Backflip is AT&T’s foray into the open world of the Android phone. Unfortunately, it seems the carrier wasn’t just content to replace Google search with Yahoo’s offering, it also has disabled some of the capabilities that make an open platform like Android popular. Read more »
Without a doubt, among the most interesting announcements to come out of Apple’s iPad unveiling were the wireless plans. A close look at the mobile data plans reveals that they may be major competitive advantages. Read more »
Would anyone think seriously about making a Google Phone, based on Android, and removing Google search? You would think not, but then you don’t understand the business of phones. AT&T is releasing its first Android phone, without Google search. It’s basically the Yahoo Phone. Read more »
AT&T joins the Android party on March 7, with the introduction of the Motorola Backflip. The device offers a unique navigational trackpad on the back and just might be a good introduction to Android for first-time smartphone buyers. Read more »
It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for another Palm Press, our weekly look at the world of Palm. Flash 10.1 support may hit Palm phones next week if the rumors about webOS 1.4 are true. Flash support is expected to be in that update for Sprint. Read more »
iPad Puts Focus on Apple’s Flash Feud; Apple and Adobe, which used to be cozy partners, have become increasingly estranged since the computer maker unveiled its iPad tablet late last month. (Wall Street Journal) Electus Hires Starcom Entertainment Vet Caraccioli-Davis; entertainment marketing specialist Laura Caraccioli-Davis is […] Read more »
Evidence supports Palm’s webOS handsets could be joining AT&T’s network in May. Surely that’s good for Palm, but how good will it be? Will iPhone users abandon Apple’s iTunes ecosystem to make the switch? And what about those expected Android phones coming to AT&T? Read more »
People are excited about the arrival of the iPad (or at least, some people are), but the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is a little more apprehensive about what the device could mean for AT&T’s wireless 3G network. In an official FCC blog posting at Broadband.gov, Director […] Read more »
An event more than a year in the making, Microsoft’s Windows Azure cloud-computing offering is finally available to the public. The software giant announced Azure in October 2008, made the service available as a limited Community Technology Preview (CTP) project shortly thereafter, and has been releasing pricing and product details at a regular clip in the meantime. Preview customers have been experimenting for free with a limited version of Azure, but as of April 1, 2010, all existing CTP customers who have not upgraded to the official version will have their accounts deleted. As the cliché goes, general availability is where the rubber meets the road for Microsoft and its vaunted cloud platform: If it can leverage its existing customer base and convince potential users to trust an oft-criticized software vendor with an entirely new delivery model, Microsoft could become a major force among cloud providers. While Windows Azure is a more-than-capable offering, trust could be an issue for a large number of developers and businesses that don’t believe Microsoft will deliver the openness so valued in the cloud world. Here’s a look at what Azure is, what it costs, and how it fits into (and will differentiate itself in) the market. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Google is selling the Nexus One unlocked, but so far it can only be used on the T-Mobile 3G network in the U.S. That may be changing as evidence is mounting that the phone will soon be capable of working with Verizon, Sprint and AT&T. Read more »
This morning, we’re hosting the latest GigaOM Bunker Series event here at our San Francisco offices. The topic this time is next-generation applications for the smart-grid sector. We’ll examine what applications and services will be delivered on top of the current smart grid infrastructure buildout, including ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
AT&T has amended the terms of use for the iPhone and now allows Apple has apparently updated its iPhone SDK to allow VoIP applications to run over 3G data networks. Previously, VoIP applications were only approved for sale in the App Store if they were limited to […] Read more »
Today’s launch of the Apple iPad came with a big surprise to those of us following the sad story of the iPhone’s network issues: The new device will stick with AT&T as the cellular data provider. We can argue forever about whether or not AT&T set ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
A few months back, I gave up on posting all of the various Apple Tablet rumors. There were just too many and to be honest, I was simply tired — after all, these rumors have run rampant for years. Now that I’ve caught my breath and […] Read more »
According to a report over the weekend on HotHardware.com, Apple may have more to announce at its special event this Wednesday than its mythical tablet. We have been led to believe by an inside source that AT&T will lose their iPhone exclusivity on the same day, […] Read more »
The growing ubiquity of the Internet is having a major influence on the video and software industries, which are using it to enable delivery of their products online.
Advanced infrastructures are required to deliver those contents efficiently. The Internet has been built on a best-effort model, but ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Microsoft has launched a lawsuit against TiVo, alleging that the DVR maker is infringing on patents related to the display of programmable information and the sale and delivery of videos, according to a report from Bloomberg. Microsoft’s lawsuit is widely seen as a move to defend […] Read more »
Have you heard about AT&T’s A-List? (In my circle of acquaintances, surprisingly few have.) Similar to other carriers, AT&T now offers five to 10 (depending on your rate plan) numbers that are free of charge. If you combine this with a Google Voice account, you can […] Read more »
Last year is in the rear-view mirror, and it’s time to sober up and get back to work. With a sharp — if bloodshot — eye on the new year, then, I’ll wager some predictions for 2010. ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Shortly before Christmas, my iPhone started misbehaving. I’d get an odd little notification message popping up on the screen telling me it “Could not activate cellular data network.” Despite not usually getting odd little errors on the iPhone, I didn’t worry too much about it. After […] Read more »
At the close of 2009 — a year that saw AT&T add 2,000 towers to its mobile network to help it handle demand for 3G data on the popular iPhone and Verizon embrace the concept of fiber backhaul for its own and others’ mobile networks — ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
It’s hard to know where to begin. The weekend has seen a series of events unfold that manage to combine — beautifully, perfectly — into a single glorious mutually-annihilating maelstrom of silliness. On Friday the Wall Street Journal published an inflammatory piece by Randall Stross which […] Read more »
In case you didn’t realize it, listening to voicemail is a colossal waste of time. Humans read much faster than they can listen, so AT&T’s entry into the Voicemail to Text field is welcome, but it’s a bit late to the party. Other services have been quietly […] Read more »
AT&T Looking For An Original Content Exec; a job posting reveals the telco wants to hire an executive to lead the development of original programming for its “multiple entertainment and communications platforms.” (Multichannel News) Rogers Launching On Demand Online Next Week; a beta version of the […] Read more »
AT&T wasn’t the only company that took offense to Verizon’s “There’s a Map for That” ad campaign and responded in kind. Monday night, Apple premiered two new iPhone ads that are actually aimed at pointing out the downsides of Verizon’s network, though they don’t state that […] Read more »
Over the past three years, the Internet has become a major secondary distribution platform for free-to-air broadcast programming. Whether through network programmers’ own sites, such as ABC.com, or through aggregators like Hulu and TV.com, ad-supported broadcast programming today is generally available online shortly after its initial airing at no cost to the user. However, programming such as ESPN, TNT and the Discovery Channel, which originates on pay-TV platforms (i.e. cable, satellite and telco TV services) has been a different story.
Cable system operators and other multichannel video program distributors (MVPDs) are loathe to see the programming for which they are charging subscribers hefty monthly fees made available “over-the-top” without a subscription. Over time, they fear, consumers would be tempted to drop their expensive cable service if they could access their favorite programs online.
Cable networks, for their part, collect hefty fees from MVPDs for the right to retransmit their programming, from a few cents per subscriber per month, to as much as $3.75 per subscriber per month, for the most popular channels like Disney’s ESPN. In aggregate, cable networks collect about $25 billion per year in “affiliate fees” from MVPDs, about the same amount as they generate collectively from advertising sales.
As a result, much of the original programming on pay-TV networks is not currently available online, and that which is often doesn’t appear until well after its original air date. The popularity of portals like Hulu (not to mention illegal sources of TV content), however, has accustomed consumers to expect access to their favorite shows online, putting pressure on the industry to respond. Network programmers and marketers, meanwhile, are also anxious to extend their programming franchises by tapping the broad, online audience.
TV Everywhere, which aims to make subscription programming available online exclusively to current pay-TV subscribers, represents an effort to square that circle. In this report, we look at the players, potential costs, and emerging opportunities of these efforts. Read more »
Even as Verizon continues attacking AT&T’s comparatively poor network with new ads, and by proxy the iPhone, the latest rumor has Apple developing a “worldmode” iPhone capable of running on any network. The three holiday-themed ads, “Blue Christmas,” “Elves,” and “Misfit Toys,” each highlight the weakness of […] Read more »
As an iPhone user held hostage in AT&T’s network by the exclusivity agreement with Apple, the arrival of the AT&T 3G MicroCell felt like being rescued. Four weeks later, I now realize only Verizon can do that, but my updated assessment of the 3G MicroCell is […] Read more »
EchoStar: Sling Brings TV Everywhere; new ad campaign from the satellite company aimed at cable MSOs claims simplicity for distributing content. (Multichannel News) CIMM Lauches Web Site; the Nielsen rival debuts cimm-us.org and prepping to release RFPs this week. (Broadcasting & Cable) Microsoft Drops Family Guy […] Read more »
As we reported just yesterday, Apple didn’t take too kindly to El Gato’s “accidental” inclusion of a workaround to enable 3G streaming of live TV on the iPhone using its EyeTV app. The app, combined with an EyeTV USB Mac TV tuner, allows users to stream […] Read more »
3G may be the current standard in network data communication, but 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks are just around the corner. Verizon is working on building its own LTE network as we speak, and the latest rumors suggest that Apple is working together with Big […] Read more »
