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AT&T opens second Foundry lab in Plano, Texas, hopes to foster the 'Internet of Things'
Carriers need to innovate their way to bigger profits, so AT&T has been opening up foundries -- startup incubators that try and recreate the spirit of Bell Labs. While the company already has a software-focused facility in Plano, 'Ma Bell has now rented the office space directly above it for the follow-up. The second Texas facility will concentrate on hardware for the "Internet of Things," packing gear like a faraday cage, fast prototyping equipment and 3D printers. Aspiring inventors should just bear in mind that whatever you go there to build will probably need to sell a wireless plan alongside -- after all, AT&T is paying the bills.
Huawei R&D department gets new home, sets up shop in Silicon Valley
Chinese manufacturing giant Huawei has been calling Plano, Texas its North American home since 2010, but now it seems the company's ready to explore a different business territory. Huawei's just announced its Research and Development squad -- in which it invested about $3.6 billion dollars last year -- is setting up shop in Silicon Valley in a move that could certainly be seen as an effort to rub elbows with the big players this side of the pond. According to the Dallas Business Journal, the company piled up $30 billion in sales last year, and while the new 600-plus human R&D operation will be calling California home, Huawei's Honorary headquarters won't be moving away from the state where "everything's bigger" anytime soon.
Gearbox to move HQ to new $61 million building in Frisco, TX
Randy Pitchford's Gearbox Software (currently working on Borderlands 2) has entered into a lease for a 61,000 square foot space in Dallas, Texas, part of a new $61 million "mixed-use" space called Frisco Square that will also host other businesses, "220 apartments, 50,000 square feet of retail space and an 800-space parking garage," according to the Dallas Business Journal. The project is scheduled to break ground sometime next year, and will be done in 2013 if things go as planned. At that time, Gearbox is scheduled to move its headquarters from about 15 miles away in Plano, TX to Frisco. A developer for the project says that Gearbox is "the straw stirring the drink" in development, with various other businesses showing interest in space after the initial deal. That's all fine and good, but we just hope there's a nice penthouse. Duke can't be expected to move in somewhere without a fully-stocked penthouse!
Plano, TX gripes to FCC after police radio signals disrupt sprinklers
We've seen the boys and girls in blue disturb the peace on occasion, but this is just downright bizarre. It's bruited that the city of Plano, Texas has complained to the FCC about a powerful new police communications system that's being testing in Cedar Hill, DeSoto and Duncanville. The signals have the ability to reach some 30 miles away, and they're driving the radio-controlled sprinklers that Plano uses at parks and road medians absolutely crazy. The whole ordeal has made for some pretty interesting conversation amongst those involved, with one Tim Smith, managing director of the Southwest Regional Communications Center, asserting: "Which comes first: watering plants or protecting police and fire?" If anyone catches grown men fighting about this, do us a favor and send in the video.[Thanks, Travis]
TWC adds 11 HD channels in Dallas, Texas region
Considering that Time Warner Cable has been beefing up the HD lineups in San Antonio, Austin, Waco and other areas of Central Texas, it's about time the slighted Dallas region got their due. As of today, TWC is dropping 11 high-def newcomers in Dallas, Plano, Richardson and Mesquite, and we're told that other local cities "should get the new feeds, and more, in the next nine months." According to company spokesman Gary Underwood, North Texas "should have around 50 HD channels, not counting HD video-on-demand, by the end of the year." These 11 bring the total in the area up to 31, which catapults it above FiOS TV but still situates it well below U-verse and the two sat providers. Still, you lucky North Texas folks are some of the few enjoying March Madness on Demand in high-def, so click on through for the list of newbies and hush that complaining for at least, oh, a week day or two. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family][Thanks, Len]
