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ACCESS
Playing Catchup
Following the path of AOL, Earthlink is now going to raise their monthly service rates by $2 to $21.95... guess what’s good for the leader is also good for the one trying to supplant that leadership within the unlimited net access arena. Thankfully, the Earthlink price is still below the AOL monthly requirement. The new pricing will go into effect as of August 1st and will find the more than three million subscribers shelling out a bit more cash for their surfing activities. The rise in price also brings into play some additional services, such as more storage space and more email boxes. Plus, to retain the original $19.95 price, subscribers can opt for a one–year, pre–pay plan. Those who sign–on with Earthlink on or before June 30th will also receive a 90–day, $19.95 grace period.
ANTENNAS
Andrew Masters Data at Wide Degrees
Andrew Corporation’s new Wideband Datamaster hub sector antennas have been designed to provide two–way, high–speed Internet access services and wireless cable services using the MMDS spectrum. A single wideband antenna can be used in place of several antennas to reduce windload on communication towers, and lower site rental expenses. Wideband Datamaster antennas provide full coverage of the entire 2150 to 2700 MHz frequency band, and are currently available with a 60–degree or 90–degree azimuth half power beamwidth.
APPLICATIONS
Prepaid and Postpaid Billing Converge
Convergys Corporation’s Atlys wireless billing and customer care solution now features the TeleCommunication Systems (TCS) WIN Call Control and Monitoring application. Convergys clients use Atlys to monitor customer credit limits, and send courtesy account balance alerts. With Atlys’ new network–based capabilities, a client can verify a customer’s account status before a call is connected, or update the customer’s balance information in real–time.
HANDHELDS
Portsmith Cradles the Palm
Portsmith, Inc. announced the release of an Ethernet Connectivity solution for Palm handheld computers. The latest Portsmith Ethernet Cradle offers synchronization–level access to critical company data from anywhere within the enterprise. The Palm III and VII cradle is also compatible with the IBM c3, Symbol SPT 1500, and the 330 and TRG Pro models from Handera.
IM
Video Added To Chat
New Instant Messaging capabilities will be part of Yahoo’s service, becoming the first to add video to this technology. All a user needs is a Web camera and the video will be streamed at about one frame–per–second. Certainly not a broadband solution, but this is a first! A customer can decide whether or not to use the video portion of the IM offering. Currently, only about 14 percent of Web users possess and use Web cameras. Yahoo indicates they have around 192 million registered users. Starting next month, a partnership with Logitech will find that company supplying Web cameras for the Yahoo IM service.
PARTNERSHIPS
Axis Aligns with Palm
Axis Communications and Palm, Inc. have teamed up to provide Palm handheld users with Bluetooth Network Connectivity. Together, the two companies will create a new class of high–speed, short–range wireless services powered by the AXIS 9010 Bluetooth Access Point. In addition, Axis and Palm will collaborate on business development and marketing efforts. Axis Communications is now a member of Palm’s PluggedIn Program, and Palm has joined the Axis Mobile Internet Partner Program. Axis will also extend its AXIS 9010 prototype and a Software Developer Kit (SDK) for location–based services to all Palm OS Bluetooth developers.
TESTING
ISCO and Verizon Test
ISCO International (Illinois Superconductor Corporation) completed a significant field trial with Verizon Wireless. The Chicago–based trial was designed to evaluate the benefits of interference–control on system capacity, minutes
of use, and other measures of physical, operational and economic performance in a high–traffic region. ISCO’s test involved 37 individual CDMA sectors in 12 cell–sites.
WEB
Caught Taking a Nap–ster
There&#!46;s a new version available of the software used by Napster to help clients find many of the songs that recently disappeared from its file–swapping service, and also determines which songs it’s supposed to block. These new song–swapping filters are mandates of the courts and the record industry, which greatly decreases the songs that are available. According to stats from Webnoize, the number of files that were shared by folks on Napster went from 220 in February to 21 by the end of May, and 360 million files were traded in May as opposed to 2.9 billion in February.
WIRELESS
IIS Debuts PIB
Interactive Imaging Systems, Inc.’s (IIS) upcoming iCOM Wireless Personal Internet Browser (PIB) is being demonstrated this week at the PC EXPO in New York City. The handheld wireless device features a full–screen, full–color VGA display that provides Internet data in a viewable image equivalent to a desktop PC. PIB connects to the Internet via wireless modems, wireless LANs, Bluetooth and cellular phones. PIB will be available by early next year.
WIRELESS
New WAP Forum Board Picks
The WAP Forum announced the 2001 Board of Directors electees. Jon Prial of IBM and Ikuyoshi Inoue of KDDI have been re–elected to the Board, while Dave Williams of Cingular Wireless and Maasaki Ohara of NEC enroll in their first term on the Board. In addition, Jerry Upton, VP of Motorola’s Internet Software and Content Group, will serve as chairman; Dave Williams, VP of Strategic Planning for Cingular Wireless, as vice chairman; and John Yuzdepski, VP and General Manager of Sprintpcs.com for Sprint PCS, as treasurer.
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