Reuters: a failed takeover of T-Mobile would cost AT&T as much as $6 billion
May 12, 2011 No Comment
AT&T’s proposed acquisition of T-Mobile was a big deal as soon as it was announced, but now Reuters has unearthed some more context to lend it even more cruciality. We already knew that in the event of AT&T&T-Mobile failing to garner regulatory approval, AT&T would owe Deutsche Telekom, the current owner of T-Mo USA, $3 billion in cash, some spare AWS spectrum, and a roaming agreement “on terms favorable to both parties.” Reuters’ sleuths say that the spectrum in question is worth $2 billion and the roaming deal a further $1 billion, bringing the total breakup payout to a hair-raising $6 billion. Given the wording of the two companies’ deal, we don’t expect the roaming part of that settlement would be free for T-Mobile (so $6b looks to be a bit of an over-estimation), but the fact remains that AT&T is staking a whole lot of moolah on this takeover going through. Whether it does or not, Deutsche Telekom’s Ren
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We thought it was an impossible dream, like world peace or a second season of My So Called Life , but we finally have the answer to the immortal question: “When will FL Studio be available on operating systems besides Windows?” The answer? “Soon.” That’s right — FL Studio Mobile is coming to all of your favorite iOS devices, and all things considered, it looks pretty, pretty good. 128-track sequencer, step sequencer for individual MIDI clips, a mess of drum loops, reverb, delay, equalizer, amp, and filter effects… how can you find fault with that? And when you get back to your PC, your mobile project can be mixed down to wav, exported to MIDI, or the session file can be loaded right in the desktop version of the software. Not bad, eh? At the very least, it sounds like it will give GarageBand for the iPad a run for its money. Sadly, we don’t have a street date for the app right this moment, but you can get a pretty good look at what’s in store in the video after the break. Continue reading FL Studio coming to iOS (unicorns, leprechans, phat beats to follow) FL Studio coming to iOS (unicorns, leprechans, phat beats to follow) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 19:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Ah, the joys of being in a relationship. You now have someone to share all of your deepest darkest secrets with, take long strolls on the beach with, and eat the same string of spaghetti together until your lips meet. (What, you don’t model your dates after Lady and the Tramp?) And before you know
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It seems Fujitsu’s got a thing for morphing PCs. Way back in 2006, we saw this mysterious tri-fold concept , which was rumored to be making the rounds inside Fujitsu R&D, and now the outfit’s short-listed this d
Continue reading …Dutch telco KPN using deep packet inspection to monitor mobile customers, throttle services
May 12, 2011 No Comment
KPN set off some alarms in Holland last month when it announced a plan to start charging customers separate fees for using VoIP, streaming video, and sending instant messages. But, the question remained: how exactly would it keep mobile data users honest? The answer turns out to be deep packet inspection , which examines network traffic to identify what you’re sending and where it’s going. It’s been suspected that the secret ingredient in KNP’s service-throttling sauce was DPI, but it was finally confirmed in a presentation to investors recently. In fact, Mark Fisher, the director of KPN Mobile, bragged that it was the “very first” provider to be “able to identify by deep packet inspection what is actually the destination as data packages go along.” Predictably, privacy and net neutrality advocates are up in arms, with some claiming it is a violation of the Dutch Data Protection Act. We just hope someone nips this in the bud soon — we don’t need American carriers knowing about our Scottish Fold obsession. Check out the source link for an audio clip of Fisher’s confession. [Thanks, Daan] Dutch telco KPN using deep packet inspection to monitor mobile customers, throttle services originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 17:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …What stalled negotiations between Google and the music industry? (Hint: money)
May 12, 2011 No Comment
It’s no secret that negotiations between Google and the recording industry haven’t been going very well. Perhaps even less surprising are the reasons behind the stalemate. According to the Hollywood Reporter , discussions between the two parties have sputtered thanks to three usual suspects: money, file-sharing and concerns over competition. During licensing talks, Google agreed to pay upfront advances to all participating labels, but the major players wanted bigger guarantees. That prompted the indie contingent to ask for similar money, unleashing a snowball of stakes-raising. The two sides also failed to agree on how to handle pirated music, with the industry demanding that Google not only ban illegally downloaded files from users’ lockers, but that it erase P2P sites from its search results, as well. Hovering above all this bargaining was a thick cloud of destabilizing uncertainty. Some execs welcomed the idea of a new iTunes competitor, while others were less enthusiastic, amid concerns that Google Music wouldn’t deliver new revenue streams. The ultimate question, of course, is how negotiations will proceed now that Google’s already launched the service. The labels were warned that Tuesday’s I/O announcement was coming, but the search giant didn’t do much to mend fences when it effectively blamed the record execs for holding up negotiations. It’s hard to say whether Google’s bravado will help or hurt matters, but according to a source from a major label, “People are pissed.” What stalled negotiations between Google and the music industry? (Hint: money) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 16:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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You’ve got to hand it to Tokyo’s University of Electro-Communications, the school’s researchers have presented some truly unique methods for interfacing with our electronics — fake finger sliding , a head-mounted video display , a thing that makes it feel like you’ve got insects on your palm , and, of course, the old kissing machine . A few recent inventions have expanded the latter trend, giving us creative new ways of getting intimate with our machines. There’s the tickle interface, for one, which beams images from a connected smartphone creating the illusion that the person on the other end is tickling your palm — made all the more real by tactile vibration hooked up to the rear of the device. And then there’s the older, oddly-named Sense-Roid, sort of a clunkier version of the Hug Shirt , which, among other things, lets you “hug yourself.” Both are demonstrated in a pair of videos after the break. Whatever you do, don’t miss the second one. Continue reading Tokyo school takes Facebook Poking to a creepy new level (video) Tokyo school takes Facebook Poking to a creepy new level (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 16:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …That is, Mark S. Zuckerberg, not the more famous Mark E. Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook. Life on the Internet can be tough for a Googleganger. (via Techland) Indianapolis bankruptcy attorney Mark S. Zuckerberg told WishTV on Wednesday that the social media company shut down his personal Facebook account, because they thought he was lying about
Continue reading …Sprint / Google Voice integration now available for discounted accounts, still AWOL in sunny Puerto Rico
May 12, 2011 No Comment
We’ve been keeping a close eye on Sprint’s Google Voice integration since its troubled release last month, and Sprint has confirmed that many more of you are now able to activate the feature. Previously, individual customers with discounted accounts were being grouped with corporate and government enterprise customers, but it appears that the issue has been resolved (though corporate and government accounts are still unable to activate). However, Sprint confirmed that readers in Puerto Rico remain unable to activate regardless of their account status, and was unable to provide as estimate as to when integration will be available there. That said, Google has been incredibly proactive in getting these issues resolved from day one, despite clearly having their hands full this week . It looks like Google and Sprint have managed to work out some of the major kinks, but let us know in the comments if you’re running into any other problems. Sprint / Google Voice integration now available for discounted accounts, still AWOL in sunny Puerto Rico originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 13:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos didn’t confirm a Samsung-built tablet today, but he’s not saying no — in fact, the tell-it-like-it-is founder of the massive e-tailer suggested quite the opposite in an interview with Consumer Reports . “Stay tuned” was the answer, and then Bezos told the publication that if such a device were on the way, it would be complimentary to Amazon’s existing Kindle, as Bezos doesn’t want to disturb the market for that “dedicated reading device.” If we were to read between the lines — which is often a bad idea — we’d say that could pave the way for an Amazon tablet to launch without a sunlight-readable screen , but it could just be that a tablet would be pricier, while the Kindle could remain relatively cheap. Speaking of E Ink, the CEO said that a color version “is not ready for prime time.” As of January, we’d agree . Bezos says ‘stay tuned’ on potential Amazon tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 14:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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