The CTIA and ESRB pulled back the curtains on their new mobile app rating system today, and it looks like with the help of their six founding partners, app ratings could soon grace a smartphone near you.
The new app rating system will be implemented first by AT&T, Microsoft, Sprint, T-Mobile USA, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon Wireless, and other storefronts are said to have expressed interest.
If that list appears to be missing a bit of star power, you’re right: Apple and Google aren’t participating in the program as they both already provide age and maturity level suggestions for each app listed in their app stores. → Read More
Here’s something I’m sure no one expected to see today: the CTIA Wireless Trade Association has just issued a release stating that they have struck a partnership with the Entertainment Software Rating Board in order to start rating mobile applications. Yes, really.
The ESRB, if you’ve managed to avoid picking up a video game in the last decade or so, are the folks that decide how appropriate a game is for certain age groups. This isn’t their first foray into the mobile space (that would be their game ratings app), but this new rating system is certainly going to make a splash when it debuts in Washington D.C. on November 29. → Read More
Obscenely high phone bills have a habit of coming from out of the blue, but that could all change in coming months. According to Reuters, the wireless trade association CTIA is expected to announce a new set of guidelines today under which all wireless carriers must notify their customers when they’re nearing overage territory. → Read More
You may remember at CES this year we had a chance to meet with MagicJack and see the prototype for their Femtocell technology, which they said would be coming out in the first half of the year. Well they missed their projected launch date, but it’s looking like the Femtocell product may still be coming this year. → Read More
As anyone who follows the mobile space knows, the CTIA, aka the International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry, is holding its annual conference this week in San Diego. Besides serving as a stage for new wireless products and services, the CTIA Board has convened to discuss a variety of issues that affect the industry as a whole. Perhaps the most important news to come out of the conference this week is the Board’s decision to back universal standards to “[s]implify input/output features on mobile devices.” → Read More
Earlier today, CTIA-The Wireless Association announced its support for the “Universal Charging Solution” (UCS) for mobile phones (developed by the Open Mobile Terminal Platform industry standards group) “to celebrate Earth Day.” CTIA joins the GSMA, which announced its endorsement of the Micro-USB-based universal mobile charger solution back in February. → Read More
Earlier this year at CES I got to spend some time with Microsoft’s Surface device, and I was impressed by what they’re doing. I’ll admit I went in with the attitude of “oh, touchscreen table, big deal”, but it’s far, far more than that. Earlier today we brought you news that Surface was going to start appearing in AT&T stores, perhaps as customer service kiosks, and now we have a date: April 17. That’s rather soon. If you haven’t had a chance to check Surface out yet, make a stop in to your local store. It’s worth it. → Read More
I have a friend who’s obsessed with Second Life. She doesn’t play it much, but she’s in love with the idea. And she’s in the market for a new cellphone. Perhaps I shouldn’t tell her about this new Second Life client Samsung is planning on making available for some of its handsets. Is it a good idea? We don’t know. Is it a good idea my easily obsessed friends know about this? No. → Read More
Hi-res version of ‘iphone’ results Sprint’s Instinct is supposed to be one of the better iPhone pretenders. Biggs lauded its user interface while simultaneously panning other n’er do wells for their haphazard use of haptic or multitouch-for-multitouch’s sake. So you would think the phone, which is, nearest I can tell, one of the standouts at this year’s CTIA, would have more than a handful of column inches devoted to it. Doesn’t appear to be the case, a Lexis Nexis (Academic) search reveals. Compare it to the iPhone, which was officially unveiled January 9, 2007 at MacWorld. Within 24 hours, as the screenshot above shows, some 409 articles, press releases and the like mention “iPhone” in the Nexis database (under the US Newspapers and Wires category). The Instinct, 24 hours after its April 1, 2008 debut, has a grand total of 16 articles. Twenty-five times fewer articles in the same time frame. → Read More
Sprint launched a handful of new phones today at CTIA, and they were thoughtful enough to make a summary page including all of the phones and devices in one spot with specs, press releases, images, and fact sheets. This isn’t hard work. This is Webmastering 101. This is what the Internet is for. And note that Sprint isn’t trying to make you buy the phones, jump through hoops, or use you as an ATM? Well done. The other carriers should pay attention to how Sprint’s using their Website and CTIA together to get the word out. AT&T’s hasn’t been updated, neither has T-Mo’s or Verizon’s. They’re losing out on an opportunity to be first in people’s minds, and it’s a problem with the cellphone industry. → Read More
If you are attending this year’s CTIA Wireless convention is Las Vegas this week, you may want to stop at booth #6935 and have a visit with Vantrix. The Weather Channel Interactive and Vantrix are hosting a set that lets you announce the weather in front of a camera with Jim Cantore. Your debut in broadcast storm tracking will be available on your mobile phone within minutes to share with the world. “Our mobile video show highlights and weather forecasts were a huge success at CTIA last October,” said Daniel Torras, VP Marketing & Product Strategy for Vantrix. “CTIA is an extremely important event in the wireless community and we are honored to help bring aspects of the show together, most especially by including show attendees as the future weather reporters of America.” Who knows, you might have what it takes to take the weather world by storm. And even if you just make a fool of yourself on camera, it might be fun to clown around for a few minutes while you are hard at work at the convention. → Read More
Past disasters like Hurricane Katrina knocked out wireless communications and impacted emergency crews and victims when they needed to talk. To avoid similar losses of communications in the future, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) wants most cell phone transmitter sites in the U.S. to have at least eight hours of backup power in the event main power fails. Regulators claim this will make the nation’s communication system more reliable. Eight months after the FCC released this new regulation, the two sides are still fighting over the issue. The federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., put an injunction on the rule as it considers an appeal by some in the wireless industry. The Cell companies claim the FCC’s backup power regulations were illegally drafted and would present a huge economic and bureaucratic burden. The United States has nearly 210,000 cell towers and roof-mounted cell sites across the country, many of which would require modifications. One industry estimate puts the per-site price tag at up to $15,000. In a request for the FCC to delay implementing the change, Sprint Nextel Corp. wrote that the rules would lead to “staggering and irreparable harm” for the company. The cost couldn’t be recouped through legal action or passed on to consumers, it said. Jackie McCarthy, director of governmental affairs for PCIA — The Wireless Infrastructure Association, said the government should allow the industry to decide how best to keep its networks running, pointing out that all the backup power in the world won’t help a cell tower destroyed by wind or wildfires. “Our members’ position is that the ‘one size fits all’ approach to requiring eight hours of backup power at all cell sites really doesn’t accomplish the commission’s stated purpose of providing reliable wireless coverage,” McCarthy said. Those fighting the regulation are also claiming that the FCC didn’t follow proper federal guidelines for creating new mandates and that it went far beyond its authority when it created the eight-hour requirement last summer. So far, the FCC is standing its ground and not backing down. “We find that the benefits of ensuring sufficient emergency backup power, especially in times of crisis involving possible loss of life or injury, outweighs the fact that carriers may have to spend resources, perhaps even significant resources, to comply with the rule,” the agency said in a regulatory filing. “The need for backup power in the event of emergencies has → Read More
The international CTIA WIRELESS 2008 trade show announced that Virgin founder and chairman Sir Richard Branson will deliver a keynote address on the show’s opening day, April 1 at 9:oo a.m. Keynote speeches will take place in the Barron Room at the Los Vegas Hilton. CTIA WIRELESS will take place April 1-3 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Conceived in 1970 by Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin Group has gone on to grow very successful businesses in sectors ranging from mobile telephony to transportation, travel, financial services, leisure, music, holidays, publishing and retailing. Branson and Virgin have created more than 200 branded companies worldwide, employing approximately 50,000 people in 29 countries. “From mega brand to emerging brand, wireless is a key component of building, running and growing any business; today all brands are wireless,” said Robert Mesirow, CTIA vice president and show director. “CTIA has aggregated leaders from all wireless industry segments to convey their visions to our global audience. This year’s keynotes should not be missed.” Slated to speak on the first day of the show, Tuesday, April 1 at 9:00 a.m. are Lowell McAdam, president and CEO of Verizon Wireless and CTIA chairman; Sir Richard Branson, founder and chairman of Virgin Group; Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft; and Dan Hesse, president and CEO of Sprint Nextel. On Wednesday, April 2 at 9:00 a.m., Arun Sarin, CEO of Vodafone Group and Marco Boerries, president of Yahoo! Mobile will deliver keynote speeches. An Infrastructure Roundtable will conclude the session, discussing real-world plans and technology developments hastening the availability of 4G services for mobile subscribers. Panelists will include Simon Beresford-Wylie, CEO of Nokia Siemens Networks; Patricia Russo, CEO of Alcatel Lucent; Carl-Henric Svanberg, president and CEO of Ericsson; and Mike Zafirovski, CEO of Nortel. Additional information about the April 3 keynote session will be released shortly. To register for the conference, or to get more information on keynotes, see links below. Registration Keynotes → Read More
The speakers for this year’s International CTIA Wireless 2008 Educational Sessions, which takes place in Las Vegas April 1-3, have been chosen. Approximately 175 speakers will lead discussions on this year’s topics. These sessions will address the most important issues facing wireless carriers, mobile device and infrastructure manufactures, content developers, media companies and technology enablers. The conference will focus on the changing marketplace as the wire line and wireless industries converge, impacting nearly all aspects of life and business. “The CTIA Educational Sessions are designed to explore the complex issues impacting the wireless industry,” said Robert Mesirow, show director and vice president of CTIA WIRELESS. “We have made some exciting additions to our program this year that reflect new developments in infrastructure, the emergence of new players in the industry, and the widespread adoption of wireless technology worldwide. Attendees can look forward to two days of insightful commentary and discussion from the leaders who are shaping a new generation of technology and enabling an even greater wireless lifestyle.” This year’s educational sessions are broken into three categories: Mobile Blueprint – Addressing the technical strategies for building wireless networks, devices and applications, this track will delve into issues surrounding open networks and the impact on devices, services and applications. Andrew Seybold will moderate the opening session on Open Networks along with Tony Mestres, GM of Mobile Communications at Microsoft, and former CTIA keynoter Atish Gude, senior vice president of Mobile Broadband for Sprint’s Xohm business unit. Other sessions in this track will address the emergence of mobile widgets; 4G technology; the outlook for handset features; cost concerns associated with cell site backhaul; mobile operating system technology; security trends and technologies; and the distribution of applications as software (rather than through service plans). Mobile Lifestyles – This track, focusing on the content and usability of wireless devices, will feature two high-level carrier panels with representation from Alltel, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless. On Tuesday, April 1, carrier executives who have P&L responsibility for mobile content will engage in a discussion about new products and services aimed at gaining subscriber revenue. On Wednesday, April 2, Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) from leading carriers will discuss how they are adjusting their business models and strategies to compete in the future with open networks and fixed/mobile convergence. Other lifestyle sessions will address the rise of the “Pro-sumer”; issues associated with the use of one device → Read More
Got a note this morning from a concerned reader who is watching some carrier noise. Apparently some of the bigs are talking to the FCC about having cellular repeaters classed as “jammers” because they might interfere and oscillate with regular cell tower signals. tia complained to fcc about repeaters, said they were essentially jammers asked for them to be banned. but repeater manufacturers have hired lobbyists/lawyers, and if my sources are accurate, things seem to be going their way. wilson electronics actually used a story about someone who had his leg cut off in an dirt biking accident in the desert and whose life was saved because he was able to use a repeater. i imagine they might have some sort of further testing on repeaters to allow them, and to make sure they don’t oscillate i mean, they might add a further certification beyond the normal fcc one What does this mean? It means places like my dead zone house and Arrington’s pad will be completely off the cellular grid, reverting many of us to Stone Age. Well I, for one, refuse to eat uncooked mastodon meat. Watch this space for more info. → Read More
Available the first half of next year, Microsoft’s System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 will allow IT departments to remotely administer mobile phones, allowing them to do cool tricks like "turn off a phone’s camera and prevent the use of unauthorized messaging services." For the end user, it’ll be similar to how you’re able to connect to your workplace PC from home over a VPN connection. You’ll be able to access certain files that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to grab over a regular connection, run "Web-based applications that reside on the corporate intranet," and fun stuff like that. Basically, you’ll be able to work all the time from wherever you can get a signal. Hooray! Microsoft Unveils Remote Mobile Management Software [washingtonpost.com] → Read More
