interoperability
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EU sets framework for contact tracing apps that work across borders
The Commission has agreed on a set of technical specifications that will allow info to be exchanged between national contract tracing apps.
Senate bill aims to make user data 'portable' across social networks
Three senators think they have a way to address some of the antitrust concerns around social media companies. Today, Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-Virginia), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) will introduce a bill that would force social media companies to make user data "portable," so that it can be easily transferred to competing (read: smaller) services.
AT&T and Verizon want your LTE calls to cross networks
As nice as it is that the big US carriers are starting to roll out high-quality calls over LTE, there's a big catch: those calls don't cross networks, so you're frequently stuck with regular voice service. Happily, that's going to change soon. AT&T and Verizon have revealed plans to make voice over LTE work between their systems in 2015. If all goes well, you'll get pristine-sounding conversations when you reach a Verizon customer from your AT&T phone (and vice versa).
Intel, Samsung join forces to streamline connectivity for the Internet of Things
The upside to connected devices is pretty obvious: From smart thermostats to smartphone-controlled light bulbs, these gadgets have the potential to make our lives easier. There is a downside, though and it's a pretty significant one; with so many companies trying their hands at the Internet of Things, there's an ever-growing list of protocols for getting gadgets connected. And considering that the IoT market is projected to reach 212 billion devices by 2020, it's pretty much guaranteed to be a huge mess if products continue to run independently of each other. One universal spec allowing interoperability across all kinds of devices would help to simplify things, and that's what Intel, Dell, Samsung and other tech giants hope to achieve with the just-announced Open Interconnect Consortium.
FCC rubber-stamps use of select AT&T LTE bands by smaller US carriers
Last month, AT&T agreed to let smaller US carriers use its 700MHz LTE spectrum, and now the Federal Communications Commission has rubber stamped the company's interoperability plan. With the approval in place, the way is paved for punier providers -- often in rural areas -- to support 4G devices built for Big Blue's network, and potentially leverage roaming over the particular waves. However, there's no word on how quickly other outfits will be able to take advantage of the fresh frequencies, even with the agency's blessing. Regardless, Uncle Sam is pretty optimistic about the deal, as the FCC says it will "improve wireless availability and competition, spur investment in and build out of the networks in the Lower 700MHz band, and result in significant savings to the consumer." Sure, congress still hasn't confirmed Tom Wheeler as the commission's head honcho, but acting chairwoman Mignon Clyburn seems to be warming his chair quite nicely.
AT&T agrees to LTE interoperability with smaller US carriers
Numerous regional US carriers have called for AT&T to support their 700MHz bands, which would give them the LTE devices and roaming coverage they need to compete with national rivals. These networks may soon get their wish: as part of an FCC-led deal, AT&T has agreed to support LTE on the 700MHz A Block frequencies held by smaller providers. While AT&T is short on details, it's already modifying its network to support the additional bands. Compatible devices will arrive in a "reasonable time frame," the telecom giant says. The commitment doesn't address LTE interoperability problems with Verizon and other major US networks, but it should help at least a few tiny carriers stand a fighting chance in the 4G era.
Orange begins first HD Voice calls between countries, decides clarity knows no borders
Orange was one of the vanguards of high-quality cellphone calls, having kicked off HD Voice with a Moldovian launch back in 2009. The premium chatter has always stopped at the border, however -- even two Orange customers couldn't see the improvement if they were in different countries. The carrier is bridging that gap with claims that it's the first to support improved voice on the international level: starting today, Moldovans and Romanians on Orange can give each other a ring and expect the extra-smooth calling they're used to from local conversations. We don't yet know if and when other countries will hop on the bandwagon. We've reached out, but it's possible that any upgraded links between other countries will come only from case-by-case negotiations. Those in Bucharest might want to track down any relatives in Chișinău for a quick chat in the meantime.
Qualcomm building babel-fish chip to support multiple LTE bands
Qualcomm has revealed that it's developing a new mobile radio that'll operate across multiple LTE bands. While dreams of a cross-network standard were burned to the ground last July, the chip company revealed that the MSM-8960 will connect to three frequencies below 1GHz and four above. Qualcomm has said that the hardware will make its way into handsets by the end of the year at the same time it voiced opposition to the FCC's plan to standardize the lower 700MHz band -- something the smaller networks feel is necessary to prevent them being squeezed out by the big three.
Microsoft launches API Mapping tool to help devs point iPhone apps at WP7 libs
If you've spent much time coding in a development environment that has buttons, you know that Microsoft's tools are among the best. In the spirit of helping developers (developers, developers) find their way to its mobile platform of choice, the company has launched the API Mapping tool for iPhone. Basically, it's a utility that will look at the calls your iOS app's code is making and help you find a new home for them in .Net's ample libraries. Microsoft is also providing documentation to help with the porting and, we hear, asking really, really nicely that you consider Windows Phone for your next project.
W3C tests HTML5 browser compatibility, crowns IE9 the champ
The World Wide Web Consortium -- you know, the team responsible for certifying and standardizing HTML5 -- has put together its first table of official conformance test results, giving us an idea of how well prepared each of the most popular browsers is for the oncoming web standards revolution. The data show Internet Explorer 9 as the most adroit performer (again), though Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Safari don't seem to be too far behind in their HTML5 compliance, either. Of course, these checks don't cover the entire spec, which in itself isn't even finalized yet, but they provide us with a glimpse into a brave new world where Microsoft actually cares about coders keen on maximizing interoperability by adhering to web-wide standards. Good stuff. Check out the full results at the source link below. [Thanks, Mehran]
Qi wireless power standard finalized, universal contactless chargers look closer to reality than ever
The Wireless Power Consortium took a big step forward this past week with the confirmation that its precocious Qi interoperability standard has been finalized. Composed of three documents setting out the interface, performance and compliance requirements, the new dictum has set itself the not inconsiderable challenge of making wireless charging universal, so that any Qi-approved phone can soak up juice from any Qi-verified base station, dock or omnitool. This first spec is limited to devices requiring no more than 5 Watts, an appropriately humble early goal, though cauldrons are already bubbling with ideas for laptops and the like. We just hope the impressive list of big time companies on the Consortium will succeed in taking Qi into the mainstream -- who here hasn't dreamt of their phone being compatible with the Touchstone? [Thanks, MrStringTheorist]
Droid made to work with iPod docks using unholy homemade adapter
What, our ultra-special Droid dock's not enough for you? There's now another way to avoid buying Motorola's official accessories, though this one's a bit more blasphemous. Thijs Bosschert over in the Netherlands has put together a fully fledged adapter for his Milestone (aka Droid European Edition), which allows it to interface with docks designed for iPods and iPhones. He's done it using mostly parts he had lying around -- and a well-placed magnet, of course -- though he had to resort to using the 3.5mm headphone jack to extract audio from the device. The result might not look like a million bucks, but then it didn't cost that much either. See more pictures and Thijs' full how-to guide at the source.
Ericsson trials HSPA-LTE interoperability, we count 7 Gs in total
Since it'll be eons until we enjoy the kind of 4G coverage that we've grown used to on 2G (and to a lesser extent, 3G), manufacturers and carriers are hard at work making sure that we've got a reliable way to interoperate for the foreseeable future -- TeliaSonera, for instance, wants to swap out its customers' modems for LTE / HSPA dual-mode versions once they're available next year. To that end, Ericsson and ST-Ericsson are trumpeting that they've become the first to establish "LTE and HSPA mobility" in accordance with 3GPP's Release 8 specification, which dictates this sort of stuff in a way everyone can agree on (that's a good thing). Verizon's naturally more interested in the CDMA handoffs that have already gone down, but for AT&T and most of the rest of the world, this is exciting news indeed.
802.11n finalization just a formality, interoperability to be preserved
C'mon, say it with us: "phew!" Considering that just about everyone has been shipping "802.11n" wireless kit since draft 2.0 was put into play two summers ago, we couldn't be more relieved to see the Wi-Fi Alliance confirm that it won't change the baseline requirements of its 802.11n certification program when the format gets certified this September. Just as we'd heard, the WiFi standard will leave its stagnant draft status and sashay into the wondrous realm of officialdom in merely two months, with the updated test program to "preserve interoperability with more than 600 Wi-Fi certified 802.11n draft 2.0 products released since June 2007, while adding testing for some optional features now included in the standard." Good thing, too -- can you imagine the uproar if your forthcoming 802.11n dongle wouldn't play nice with that draft-N router you snagged last June?[Via Electronista]
SATA Revision 3.0 specification completed and released
Well, it sure took 'em long enough. In August of last year, the Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO) got us all hot and bothered when it introduced the SATA Revision 3.0 specification to double transfer speeds to 6Gbps. It's taken until today, however, for that very specification to be completed and released. Thankfully for those who love to relish in the past, the new spec is backward compatible with earlier SATA implementations, and for those looking forward to new innovations, you'll appreciate the new streaming commands for isochronous data transfers between audio and video applications and the Low Insertion Force (LIF) connector for more compact 1.8-inch storage devices. We're told to expect SATA Revision 3.0 demonstrations next month at Computex, but who knows how long it'll be before this stuff seeps into shipping products.
SATA Revision 3.0 specification to double transfer speeds to 6Gbps
While not the most mesmerizing news to flow from 2008's Intel Developer Forum, this is a welcome piece for anyone who appreciates hasty transfers. The Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO) has announced that the partially complete SATA Revision 3.0 specification will eventually double data transfer rates to 6Gbps. This week's release gives the green light to developers to begin designing products based on said tech, though the finalized paperwork won't be ready until later this year. On a related note, the same consortium has announced the formal launch of its certified logo program, which will enable consumers to easily recognize when a product has passed SATA-IO interoperability testing and is a bona fide SATA 6Gb/sec-enabled device. Enough chatter -- wares, please?[Via SmallNetBuilder]Read - SATA 3.0 specificationRead - SATA-IO certification logo
Microsoft announces new strategy of interoperability, jumps on the "open" bandwagon
Someday in the distant future, your grandkids will be hugging their Microsoft Robot Friend, browsing the Weboverse on Internet Explorer 29, and going to a rock concert held by Steve Ballmer's head, and they'll have never known the evil, nasty Microsoft we grew up with. Starting today, Microsoft has dropped a bit of a bombshell on the computing community by jumping on the "open" bandwagon and altering the way they do business with third-party developers. According to a wordy press release issued by the company, the Redmond giant will begin embracing an open attitude by publishing documentation for all of its "high-volume product" APIs free of charge, will detail patents it holds and applications that cover its protocols (to avoid nasty, Linux-like mixups, we assume), and will provide a "covenant not to sue open source developers for development or non-commercial distribution of implementations of these protocols." Sound like big news? They've got a lot more to say on the matter -- hit the read link and learn all about cuddly new Microsoft.
Microsoft due for another round of EU antitrust probes
Microsoft, the ever-present target of scorn from the little guy, has once again been hit with antitrust charges in the EU, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal today. This time it's charges related to the company's refusal to disclose "interoperability information" for a variety of products, including Office, which is keeping competitors from marketing compatible software (we've heard complaints of this type from Open Office users for some time). Additionally -- just as we reported in December -- Norwegian web browser outfit Opera is stepping up to the plate, alleging that Redmond's inclusion of Internet Explorer with its ubiquitous operating system leaves little room for rival companies to enter the game. Considering how Microsoft's last antitrust case went in the EU, this may bode poorly for the giant, though a ruling in favor of reforms could benefit the end user. Stay tuned to this space for more information as we get it.
More thoughts for the future in Second Life and beyond
It being the end of the year, people are prognosticating like mad. Analysts for Second Life and virtual worlds are no exception. This time it's Gartner again, but with a "future of education" slant. There is also a "future of virtual world economics" post, which highlights the future of education in virtual worlds, so next year will be the year of the virtual teacher. (With my teaching in Second Life hat on, I might argue it's the year of the Johnny-come-lately virtual teacher, there is a lot of education already happening in Second Life.)In summary, the pieces on Virtual Worlds News suggest: Education will be big next year Second Life, World of Warcraft and Habbo Hotel (amongst others) will continue to grow The usage by children/tweens will be a big growth area Challenges are: Ease of use and induction Spreading platforms that can access virtual worlds Interoperability Globalisation Please, go read both articles and add your comments here or there!
Will iTunes truly support interoperability?
Earlier this week, Apple and EMI broke some serious ground in the digital music industry by announcing DRM-free music across the entirety of EMI's catalog, beginning with the iTunes Store. In the conference call, Steve Jobs cited interoperability as a key reason for the move; songs downloaded from the iTunes Store can only be played on iTunes, the iPod and other Apple products, and the record labels EMI decided to do something about this handicap. Everyone, from consumers to the EU, have been asking for the abolishment of DRM, and reactions to Steve Jobs' Thoughts on Music essay (which more or less agreed with us) ran the gamut, from Cory Doctorow's shoot-from-the-hip-and-not-from-the-head call-out to general intrigue and interest in what could actually happen to an industry when one of its front-runners calls for change. Regardless of what was said, EMI has taken the first step into a world of selling legitimate digital music sans-DRM through the iTunes Store. The big question, however, is how truly interoperable iTunes will allow these new downloads will be.iTunes Store songs are in the AAC file format, not MP3. While this arguably standard/non-standard file type is considered by some to be proprietary to Apple and/or the iTunes Store, this is entirely not the case. Plenty of other software and DAPs (Digital Audio Players) support the AAC format, even including, as John Gruber points out, Microsoft's own iPod competitor, the Zune. If these non-Apple products don't support AAC, they easily could with a software plugin or firmware upgrade.More important, however, is the fact that the iTunes Store is still the world's most popular legitimate digital download store, and that popularity could skyrocket even farther once they unleash these much, much higher quality downloads (higher than any digital store I know of) in a legitimate, affordable and DRM-free download. The newfound interoperability that Apple is boasting for its present and soon-to-be customers could meet a roadblock, however, if the company doesn't build compatibility for non-iPod devices into the iTunes software itself. While customers can buy DRM-free AAC files through the iTS, iTunes is still the gateway for easily moving those files from one's computer to a DAP, and the claims of interoperability and unparalleled experience could crumble quickly as consumers plug in their Creative Zens, Microsoft Zunes and [insert non-iPod here], only to find out that iTunes scoffs at their non-Apple-branded device.Will Apple support other DAPs in iTunes? Could we see a 'sync with TiVo' option in the preferences of a forthcoming iTunes 7.5? Time will only tell, but Apple and EMI just opened the doors on the issues of DRM and interoperability - we'll just have to see whether consumers who own something other than an iPod are actually invited to the party.
