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Palm, Handspring Merger Clears Antitrust Hurdle
Two of the biggest names in the wireless PDA convergence space moved a step closer to merging Friday with an announcement from Palm Inc. that the antitrust waiting period for its purchase of Handspring Inc. had expired. The expiration of the waiting period required by the Hart-Scott-Rodino Anti-Trust Improvements Act clears the way for the closing of the $169 million stock swap deal hammered out between the former rivals earlier this year. The acquisition is expected to close in the fall, subject to certain conditions, including approval from both companies stockholders, Palm said in a brief statement.
Read the full story on: InternetNews.com
D-Link to Ship TI-Powered 802.11g+ Products
D-Link Systems Inc. last week announced Texas Instruments (TI) as its third 802.11g chip supplier. The company will use TIs TNETW1130 chipsets for its AirPlus Xtreme G+ product line, which includes access points, CardBus adapters and PCI adapters. These products will be available in the late third quarter in Europe and Asia, D-Link said in a statement.
Read the full story on: DigiTimes
GSM Penetration Grows 121 Percent
GSM is a hot technology in Latin America and the Caribbean. In one years time, penetration of the technology has increased 121 percent, according to 3G Americas. As of June 2003, wireless carriers are operating on 66 GSM wireless networks in Latin America and the Caribbean. Migration to GSM technology is fueling the growth. “The GSM/GPRS/EDGE migration path has proven to be the best technical and business choice for both new operators and existing TDMA operators evolving to 3G networks,” said Erasmo Rojas, director of Latin America and the Caribbean for 3G Americas. To date, 32 TDMA operators have made the switch.
Read the full story on: WirelessWeek.com
3G, Security Drive Smart Card Sales
The advent of 3G and various credit card security programs will enable smart card manufacturers to leave behind a troubled 2002 and look to a period of sustainable growth. Fierce competition in the low-end SIM market dampened revenue growth in 2002. Analyst firm Frost & Sullivan expects prices to continue falling in 2003, but at a lower rate than last year, when prices of SIM cards fell 25 percent to 30 percent. Manufacturers are expected to offset price declines through improved product mixes, with a focus on Java cards as well as on high-end 32k and 64k SIM cards with higher prices and larger memory.
Read the full story on: The Register
Live Traffic Videos Coming to Your Mobile
Taiwans Asia Pacific Broadband Wireless Communications (APBWA) on Friday launched video-streaming service that allows customers to view real-time traffic videos on their mobile phones, using CDMA technology, the company said. APBWA has set up an initial network of 42 cameras at congested areas in Taiwan.
Read the full story on: CNET News.com