Ericsson pulls Bluetooth division - News - ZDNet

Ericsson pulls Bluetooth division

By Richard Shim
CNET News.com
August 27, 2004, 1:42 PM PT

One of the key developers of Bluetooth is shutting down the division that helped foster the personal area networking technology.

Ericsson has already started to shut down its 125-worker Technology Licensing group and will reshuffle employees into other divisions, a representative confirmed Friday. A majority of the workers affected will remain with the company. Ericsson did not make a formal announcement of the closure.

Bluetooth is a short-range radio technology that connects portable devices such as cell phones, handheld devices and notebook computers. The technology has a range of up to 10 meters and wirelessly transfers data at rates of up to 720 kilobits per second.

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TheStar.com - Axe falls at Wi-Lan after loss

Axe falls at Wi-Lan after loss



CALGARY—Wireless communications equipment maker Wi-Lan Inc. says it is firing senior executives and other "under-performing" workers after reporting a quarterly loss of $2.2 million.

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NTT DoCoMo to Test International Roaming for Wireless LAN Services


TOKYO, JAPAN, March 8, 2004 --- NTT DoCoMo, Inc. (DoCoMo) announced today that DoCoMo and Singapore Telecom Mobile Pte Ltd (SingTel Mobile) will conduct a trial to test international roaming between their Wireless LAN services. The trial is aimed at verifying technologies and marketability under a plan to jointly launch a commercial international roaming service.

During the trial, DoCoMo and SingTel Mobile will share access to their respective Mzone™ and "Outdoor Wireless Surf" Wireless LAN services, which they currently offer at cafes and other locations to enable users to connect to the Internet via PDAs and notebooks equipped with Wireless LAN cards. DoCoMo's Mzone service is currently available at 216 locations in Japan and SingTel Mobile's Outdoor Wireless Surf service is available at more than 230 locations in Singapore.

To participate in the roaming trial, users from Japan must subscribe to DoCoMo's Mzone service and will be asked to answer questionnaires before and after the trial. There will be no charge for participation other than the regular basic fee for the Mzone service.

In April 2003, DoCoMo and SingTel Mobile agreed to collaborate in 3G mobile multimedia services based on W-CDMA technology, including the joint study of advanced Wireless LAN services. Today's announcement is a part of this agreement.

The trial will be conducted from April to June 2004. Details on how to participate and other information regarding the trial will be announced later in DoCoMo's Mzone website at www.nttdocomo.co.jp/p_s/mzone (Japanese only).




About NTT DoCoMo
NTT DoCoMo is the world's leading mobile communications company with more than 47 million customers. The company provides a wide variety of leading-edge mobile multimedia services. These include i-mode®, the world's most popular mobile internet service, which provides e-mail and internet access to over 40 million subscribers, and FOMA®, launched in 2001 as the world's first 3G mobile service based on W-CDMA. In addition to wholly owned subsidiaries in Europe and North America, the company is expanding its global reach through strategic alliances with mobile and multimedia service providers in Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America. NTT DoCoMo is listed on the Tokyo (9437), London (NDCM), and New York (DCM) stock exchanges. For more information, visit www.nttdocomo.com
i-mode and FOMA are trademarks or registered trademarks of NTT DoCoMo, Inc. in Japan and other countries.
NTT DoCoMo's FOMA service is available only to subscribers in Japan.
Mzone is a trademark of NTT DoCoMo, Inc. in Japan.

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Intel seen readying new Wi-Fi chips this week

Intel seen readying new Wi-Fi chips this week
Monday August 23, 3:15 pm ET
By Daniel Sorid


SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Intel Corp. (NasdaqNM:INTC - News) this week is expected to introduce a chip that adds support for a relatively obscure version of Wi-Fi, analysts said on Monday, in a move that could help ease congestion on wireless networks.


Endorsement last year by the world's largest chip maker of the wireless communications technology known as Wi-Fi helped turn wireless networking into a must-have for notebook computer users. But as wireless networks have popped up in homes, businesses and public places, some network administrators have begun to warn of network traffic jams.

Forbes.com: Freescale Lands First FCC Certification for UWB

Freescale Lands First FCC Certification for UWB
Online staff, 08.20.04, 12:52 PM ET

Freescale Semiconductor Inc. today claimed to be the first company to receive Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification for its Ultra-Wideband (UWB) communications solution.

The government approval, said the Motorola spin-off, clears the way to start shipping its XS110 chipset so UWB technology can be designed into consumer electronics applications for unlicensed operation in the U.S.

Initial applications for UWB are expected to include large screen plasma and LCD displays, digital video recorders and set-top boxes. Mobile applications, such as portable hard drives and digital cameras, are expected for next year.

The XS110 chipset uses the direct sequence UWB (DS-UWB) approach, a leading candidate for the IEEE 802.15.3 standard for high-speed wireless personal area networks (WPAN). DS-UWB enables more than 110Mbits/sec. data rates with low power consumption, making it ideal for multimedia applications requiring the wireless distribution of audio and video.

Offering Wi-Fi at safety rest areas will not cost state
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, June 18, 2004

Texas is taking steps to become the first state to host free rest area wireless "hotspots" as well as fee-based Internet access, at no cost to the state.

Last fall, TxDOT began experimenting with the technology at four safety rest areas on U.S 287 in north Texas. The pilot program was well-received by the traveling public and offers multiple benefits, which include:

Improved highway safety by offering an incentive for fatigued drivers to take a break, thereby reducing fatigue-related crashes,
Free Internet access to travelers with wireless equipment, and
Kiosks with fee-based Internet service (paid by the citizen to the vendor) for travelers without their own equipment.
Internet connections that will be installed at no cost to the state.
TxDOT’s goal is to equip all 84 safety rest areas and 12 Travel Information Centers with wireless Internet service.

"The feedback we’ve received so far has been very positive," said Andy Keith, Safety Rest Area Program Manager for TxDOT’s Maintenance Division. "Texas’ highways are seeing an increasing number of business travelers, truckers and RVers, and access to e-mail is important to them. They have responded very favorably to our four ‘hot spots’ on U.S. 287."

Keith envisions computers in the kiosks being available to visitors in 15-minute increments by swiping a credit card through a reader. But wireless access will be offered free of charge to anyone supplying their own equipment.

Once the program is up and running, anyone with wireless laptops or similar devices will be able to send e-mail or browse the Internet free of charge. Travelers without wireless equipment will be able to connect to the Internet at kiosks for a reasonable fee to be collected on site by the vendor.

"We think this will be a huge win-win for Texas’ travelers," Keith said. "First, it costs the state nothing. Secondly, the incentive in getting motorists to pull off the road and take a break will help make our highways safer."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 1,500 people die in fatigue-related crashes each year in the United States. An additional 77,000 are injured.

Firms providing wireless Internet service have until 3 p.m. on June 25 to submit a proposal. TxDOT will then review the offers and award a contract. Interested vendors can learn more by downloading the request for offer or by calling (512) 374-5444.

The safety rest areas are there to make the roadways safer for today’s traveling public," Keith said. "Wireless Internet access meets the modern traveler’s needs so we want this to happen as quickly as possible."

More than 50 million people a year visit Texas’ highway safety rest areas.



For more information, call Mark Cross, TxDOT Public Information Office, (512) 463-8585.

3Com Leaps into Wireless LAN Switching


3Com Leaps into Wireless LAN Switching
By Carmen Nobel
August 16, 2004





Networking industry veteran 3Com Corp. is jumping into the wireless LAN switching fray through a partnership with Trapeze Networks Inc. that promises to push wireless technology throughout the company's current product line.

3Com, of Marlboro, Mass., later this year will begin reselling a version of Trapeze's Mobility Exchange Switch and management software under the 3Com brand. But long-term plans call for full integration of WLAN switching into 3Com's product line, which should be a boon to current 3Com customers already moving into wireless, company officials said.