Yet another Microsoft white space device fails FCC testing

Although several other companies have submitted white space devices to the FCC -- we know Philips has one in, and Google's making a lot of noise about new and improved reference designs -- it looks like Microsoft's run of bad luck with the tech continues, with yet another white space transceiver unexpectedly failing during FCC tests last week. There's no word on if the latest unit failed for the same power-related reasons as the previous test devices, but Microsoft's doing a little damage control and saying that the FCC hasn't found any interference with TV signals so far, and that it's easier to pull the plug now and let other, non-MS devices finish out testing. Yeah, we'd say so -- at this point Redmond's bungled attempts to get this stuff working are becoming sort of embarrassing. Google to the rescue?

[Yevon @ Mar 30th 2008 11:09AM]

Google FTW.

[Yevon @ Mar 30th 2008 11:10AM]

Microsoft FTL.

[Yevon @ Mar 30th 2008 11:10AM]

Yahoo - meh.

[Khris @ Mar 30th 2008 11:24AM]

Wow! Commenting TWICE on your own post. Either you think you're witty, or funny.....I think you're neither.

Yevon FTL!

[Blaktornado @ Mar 30th 2008 11:44AM]

/facepalm

[Kevin (you-can-call-me 'Whitey') Spacey @ Mar 30th 2008 11:46AM]

I don't know, Khris... I thought the first one was pretty good, especially if he meant it as a street-smart shout out of Google's uncanny ability to rarely misstep ("For The Win")... Now if he meant "Fuck The What" as a rejoinder to an unreferrenced (but understood) "WTF", I'd have to give him kudos as well. As for the Follow up comment, "Microsoft FTL", well... we can only hope he was referring to "Faster Than Light", (rather than the obvious "For The Loss" 'get') which as a tantalizing non-sequitur at least has that "Hmmmmm?" 'mystery' thing going for it!

[JimReaper @ Mar 30th 2008 12:02PM]

@Kevin (you-can-call-me 'Whitey') Spacey, say what?!

[Flashpoint @ Mar 30th 2008 11:15AM]

I wonder when Engadget will post pictures of Apple employees looking insane.

[JimReaper @ Mar 30th 2008 11:33AM]

I can't remember seeing many insane looking apple employees, I do however remember Mr. Ballmer jumping around a stage while screaming in an ape like fashion...Twice.

[Blaktornado @ Mar 30th 2008 11:43AM]

When Hell freezes over... what? It's happened before: http://ssp.gbassi.org/graphics/HellFrozeOver.jpeg

;)

[Generic @ Mar 30th 2008 11:55AM]

@Flashpoint

you said exactly what I wanted to comment about

[fred @ Mar 30th 2008 1:38PM]

"I wonder when Engadget will post pictures of Apple employees looking insane. "

It's not so much that Balmer looks insane, it is that they took a photo shot at mid gesture where the person look unflattering or silly. It's done with political journalism all the time when a reporter wants to make a public figure look bad.
I'm more than sure that there a photos of Steve Jobs in similar unflattering, mid-gesture poses, but no Engadget will never use them to illustrate a store about Apple.

Will they admit that they use photos like the above for that purpose? Doubt it.

[JimReaper @ Mar 30th 2008 1:45PM]

@fred, good point

However Ballmer is known for his somewhat unusual presentation style and engadget could have chosen this photo on the basis of his err... reputation. I have never heard of steve jobs acting in a manner that would justify the use of photos equivalent to this.

[hypereric @ Mar 30th 2008 5:56PM]

I agree 100%. So I ask Engadget as I asked everyone on a previous thread, "can't we all just get along?"

For I have a dream. I have a dream that one day, here on Engadget, with its' vicious OS fanbois, with its posting of unflattering poses of Ballmer and not of Steve Jobs; that one day right here on Engadget, little MS boys and little MS girls and little Mac girls and little Mac boys and little *nix boys and little *nix girls will be able to join hands as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream.

[Nohone @ Mar 30th 2008 9:43PM]

the will not. The latest PS3 firmware broke MP4 video playback, no article about that but when live has scheduled downtime this week, we know it will be made into a big deal. They blast vista every chance they can, but when leopard has missing driver issues, not a sound.

[buu700 @ Mar 30th 2008 9:49PM]

@Blaktornado

http://ssp.gbassi.org/graphics/HellFrozeOver.jpeg

[skulldriveshaft @ Mar 31st 2008 12:25AM]

Forbidden

You don't have permission to access /graphics/HellFrozeOver.jpeg on this server.

[Brian @ Mar 30th 2008 11:20AM]

It's starting to look like MS is trying to sabotage the process and convince somebody @ FCC that the devices are inherently unstable.

[ethana2 @ Mar 30th 2008 5:10PM]

Just like they did with desktop computers.

I wouldn't be surprised.

[hypereric @ Mar 31st 2008 1:15PM]

Ummm... All I can think of as a reply to your comment is some propehtic words uttered by the late-twentieth century Sages known as the Kinks:

"Dr. dr. help me please, I know you'll understand
Theres a time device inside of me, Im a self-destructing man
Theres a red, under my bed
And theres a little green man in my head
And he said, youre not going crazy, youre just a bit sad
cause theres a man in ya, knawin ya, tearin ya into two.

Silly boy ya self-destroyer.
Paranoia, the destroyer

Self-destroyer, wreck your health
Destroy friends, destroy yourself
The time device of self-destruction
Light the fuse and start eruption"

Amen and amen.

[Stem $ell @ Mar 30th 2008 11:24AM]

In white space, no one can hear Steve scream....

[Mike @ Mar 30th 2008 11:40AM]

Does Microsoft understand product testing?

[boe @ Mar 30th 2008 12:48PM]

Have you tried Vista? Obviously they don't. They'll just declare it the standard and their fanboys will insist it works fine and you should just buy new equipment and software if you have any problems - oh and turn off all the features on the product - that usually helps.

[Mike @ Mar 30th 2008 12:56PM]

I understand they don't ;)

[The Dude @ Mar 30th 2008 1:24PM]

boe, boe, boe. Taking a break from trolling over at Jizzmodo, I see.

[Mike @ Mar 30th 2008 2:16PM]

Sorry, but you have the wrong Mike.

[Mike @ Mar 30th 2008 2:17PM]

Oh... I didn't realize that 'boe' was the poster that replied to me >_

[SPR000X @ Mar 31st 2008 4:34AM]

Obviously not: VISTA, XBOX 360 Red Ring Of Death

[R @ Mar 30th 2008 11:40AM]

Why it gotta be white?

[Rob @ Mar 30th 2008 11:45AM]

Well, like the slogan goes "if it's white, it's gotta be ..." lol...
Good question though. Does it have any relation to "white noise"?
Anyone? This is all I found on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_space_%28telecommunications%29

[Kevin (you-can-call-me \\\'Whitey\\\') Spacey @ Mar 30th 2008 12:21PM]

Channeling Chris Rock and Eddie Murphy, 'R' hits it outta da park!

[Robert @ Mar 30th 2008 11:44AM]

Why is he pretending to be spiderman climbing a wall?

[Generic @ Mar 30th 2008 12:01PM]

his powers are doubling

[ethana2 @ Mar 30th 2008 5:11PM]

He is demonstrating how to properly throw a chair.

[Robert @ Mar 30th 2008 11:44AM]

Why is he pretending to be spiderman climbing a wall?

[Generic @ Mar 30th 2008 12:02PM]

his powers are doubling

[Rowdehaj @ Mar 30th 2008 1:25PM]

Not unlike your comments.

[Derek @ Mar 30th 2008 4:33PM]

Wow, Deja vu...

[ethana2 @ Mar 30th 2008 5:13PM]

Good job engadget! That's some really solid web code you're using!
*cough*

[Generic @ Mar 31st 2008 5:15AM]

I don't think it was code issues with Robert but rather something like stopping the page after clicking then cliking "Add Your Comments" again.

On the other hand I posted twice with pun intended (read the post)

[Joe Pellett @ Mar 30th 2008 12:27PM]

jeez engadget, when did you become such a Microsoft hater?

I guess Apple is paying you more than just those ads.

[zed @ Mar 30th 2008 12:47PM]

you must be new here

[Dan Z @ Mar 30th 2008 1:05PM]

Does it feel like every positive story about this white space stuff is centered around Google, and every failure is centered around Microsoft? Aren't there a number of companies working together? And, at least Microsoft has a device going to the FCC....Google has 'improved reference designs.' Its still a design at this point

[Jordan @ Mar 30th 2008 12:20PM]

Rawr

[boe @ Mar 30th 2008 12:48PM]

MS is probably developing using Vista - where as everyone else is using XP, OSX or Linux so MS is at a decided disadvantage. It will probably take them twice as long to create their reference design.

[The Dude @ Mar 30th 2008 1:28PM]

What the honest-to-Jebus fuck has this got to do with Vista you goddamned moran [sic]?

Get out more, get laid, maybe die. Do whatever is more within your capacities. Probably die.

[Neebs @ Mar 30th 2008 2:08PM]

this OP doesn't even make sense.

[tha-don @ Mar 30th 2008 2:31PM]

i have a feeling boe's imaginary girlfriend cheated on him with someone from microsoft.

[Tony Rayo @ Mar 30th 2008 1:39PM]

"Considering where we are in the lab testing process... we think that it's more prudent to continue with the other non-Microsoft devices that are currently going through testing," Terzano said.

At least Microsoft knows that they should stop mucking up the system, esp. since according to them there are three other non-M$ on the testing blocks (I'm going to assume at least one of those devices is from Google Labs, same for Philips). I'm kind of glad the National Association of Broadcasters is being so pushy about the topic though. Without their opposition, this testing would not be happening, so if and when we finally do see retail products in this field, they should be a bit better off than other emerging technologies.

I'm also kind of surprised there isn't an IEEE group behind this. Maybe there is and I just don't know about it, but I thought they were the ones to create the new communication standards.

[Tony Rayo @ Mar 30th 2008 1:49PM]

Ah nm, there is an IEEE group working with white space (IEEE 802.22), but they seem to be operating independently from the White Space Coalition and other groups (which will just slow this process down). Seems like wireless microphones will be one of the first working applications to use this protocol. I don't know if that means radio transmissions or what but as we've seen in the past, with different companies/orgs all take their own route, it just bogs down progress (still waiting for Wireless-N to pass the 2.0 Draft phase).