Carmen Nobel

The Federal Communications Commission is defending its decision to give away valuable spectrum to satellite service providers, saying the move was required to fill gaps in rural cell phone service. But wireless carriers—which have been waiting for a chance to bid billions of dollars for a slice of the nations precious airwaves—are crying foul. Such […]

Wireless data pioneer Metricom Inc. said it plans to continue offering its flagship Ricochet services despite last weeks bankruptcy filing, and its partners appear willing to stand by the struggling company—for now. Metricom, of San Jose, Calif., was the first to offer 128K-bps data service, but for months, the company has had trouble gaining financial […]

Palm Inc. will step into the PC Expo spotlight this week in the worst shape in its history. Dogged by plummeting stock value, burgeoning inventory, layoffs and even the sale of land once planned as the site of the companys new home, the longtime leading handheld developer desperately needs to shake off numerous setbacks and […]

Research in Motion Ltd., a leader in the handheld wireless e-mail arena, is looking to extend its lead through additional application developer partnerships and a new single-mailbox patent. RIM, developer of the popular BlackBerry device, last week announced a deal with ERP (enterprise resource planning) software developer SAP AG at that companys Sapphire show in […]

Efforts by cell phone makers to promote Bluetooth-enabled handsets are being stymied by carriers reluctant to buy in to the pricey, slow-growing wireless technology. In the United States, where phone sales are contingent on carrier support, only Alltel Corp. has agreed to sell a Bluetooth phone. Verizon Wireless Inc., Sprint PCS Services and AT&T Wireless […]

Although it was created by a phone maker and aimed at the cellular phone industry, the short-range wireless protocol called Bluetooth is now finding more of a home in devices for the enterprise. While the shift from phone to peripheral device has vexed the big cell phone makers, which happen to be the largest backers […]

With the first bits of Bluetooth hardware trickling to market, proponents of the much-heralded short-range wireless protocol are turning their attention to software developers for much-needed application support. But while Bluetooth supporters maintain wooing the developers is vital to the technologys success, some in the development community say theyve wearied of waiting for the technology […]

Despite the scrapped merger deals and inventory problems plaguing Palm Inc., developers continue to add products to the Palm repertoire, though some are hedging their bets. “Theyve had bad news, and theres not a lot we can do about it,” said Scott Thompson, a product manager at DataViz Inc., a wireless synchronization company in Trumbull, […]

Instability in the wireless industry is vexing leading vendors such as Ericsson AB, but despite deep personnel cuts and gloomy product forecasts, officials said theyre sticking with next-generation technologies such as Bluetooth and WCDMA. “There is a waiting game ahead of investments in new technology,” Ericsson President and CEO Kurt Hellström said at the companys […]

Compaq Computer Corp. is reworking its corporate PC line and showing a new willingness to share its prototypes and development plans with users. But while customers said theyre pleased the computer maker is touting its innovation, their primary interest remains stability, not bells and whistles. The Houston manufacturer this week will launch a line of […]

A month of government scrutiny and some high-profile accidents have highlighted the hazards of driving while fumbling with a cellular phone. But even as carriers push manufacturers to make safer handsets, wireless industry officials and drivers advocates say that the risks are overstated and that proposed legislation aimed at curbing cell phone use in cars […]

While numerous high-speed wireless technologies flap about, WLANs have continued a steady migration into corporate America, gaining ground with added speed, security and the number of devices supported. At this weeks NetWorld+Interop show in Las Vegas—an event traditionally more concerned with function than flash—wireless LAN will be the primary wireless focus. Startup Atheros Communications Inc. […]