zcallingcard.com

Hewlett-Packard plans to keep the webOS platform it acquired from Palm but will make the operating system open source, allowing developers and others to modify and expand on the platform. The decision brings a sense of finality to the fate of webOS, which has been uncertain ever since HP effectively killed its webOS device business in August.

Interestingly, HP also said it plans to build webOS-powered gadgets in the future. Although the company was reluctant to provide a specific timeframe and details, HP CEO Meg Whitman said HP likely will sell webOS tablets in 2013, according to TechCrunch. Whitman told The Verge that HP will not make smartphones. HP plans to build Windows 8 tablets next year.

That HP is planning webOS tablets comes as a surprise. The company in August discontinued sales of its webOS-powered TouchPad tablet (as well as its smartphone business), citing weak demand.

As for HP’s plans to open source webOS, the company said it plans to continue to be active in the development and support of the platform. HP also will make the underlying code of webOS available under an open source license. The company said this will allow developers, partners, HP engineers and other hardware makers to enhance webOS and bring new versions to market.

HP will work with the open source community and will look to foster “good, transparent and inclusive governance to avoid fragmentation.” Additionally, HP will contribute ENYO, the application framework for webOS, to the open source community in “the near future.”

In an interview with The Verge, Whitman declined to discuss possible layoffs involved in the move.

In November HP wrote down a total of .67 billion in its fiscal fourth quarter related to its decision to wind down its webOS device business, the company said, giving a financial postscript to its .2 billion acquisition of Palm in 2010.

HP said it booked a total charge to its operating income of 8 million related to the closure of the webOS device business, a move announced Aug. 18. On the company’s earnings conference call for the fiscal fourth quarter, HP CFO Catherine Lesjak said the charge consisted of a net revenue reduction of 2 million related to a sales incentive program, 8 million in cost of sales due to supplier-related obligations and inventory reserves and million in operating expenses and restructuring charges. In addition to that charge, HP also was hit with an impairment expense of 5 million against a carrying value of goodwill and purchased intangible assets related to the acquisition of Palm.

For more:
- see this TechCrunch article
- see this Verge article
- see this release
- see this AllThingsD article
- see this GigaOM post

Related Articles:
HP writes down nearly .7B in losses on Palm investment
Report: HP wants to sell webOS for ‘hundreds of millions’ of dollars
HP to decide webOS future in ‘next couple of months’
Report: Amazon close to acquiring webOS assets from HP
Selling webOS: The toughest job in the mobile industry
HP kills webOS device business

FierceWireless

One of the most neglected aspects of mobile game development is localization, and localization can be costly, ranging in price dramatically depending on how much text or dialogue there is in a game. In his latest column for FierceDeveloper, David Marino, the CFO and co-founder of Hidden Variable Studios, discusses the benefits that localization for specific markets can bring to mobile gaming and application developers in general. Chief among them is that localization helps reinforce the impression that the game or app was carefully crafted and tailored for each market, rather than simply “mass-produced” for worldwide consumption. Additionally, it allows the game or app to build credibility by demonstrating that developers care about the customs and sensitivities of other cultures. Commentary

FierceWireless

Best Buy is expected to start taking preorders for the LG Thrill 4G soon.  A leaked Best Buy August catalog shows the LG Thrill 3D.  The LG Thrill 4G is an AT&T-branded LG Optimus 3D for the United States with a glasses-free 4.3″ touchscreen.

First, we thought that the LG Thrill 4G would have an August 7 release date, many believe now that August 21 will be the release date for the LG Thrill 4G. RadioShack began taking preoders for the LG Thrill 4G in July. An unnamed source told Phone Arena that Best Buy plans to take preorders soon.

LG Thrill 4G
also allows you to record 3D photos and videos with
5-megapixel dual-cameras with added video stabilization technology that
will correct any shaking during recording.  Specs of the LG Thrill 4G
include a 1GHz dual-core, dual-channel RAM processor, 16GB of memory
(8GB on board plus an 8GB microSD card), Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It comes
with 3D games, such as “Let’s Golf 2″ and “NOVA,” the Gameloft 3D store,
as well as YouTube 3D and 3D movies from mSpot.

It is will available from from AT&T. Read all LG Thrill 4G articles.

WIRELESS AND MOBILE NEWS

In days long gone, Nokia roamed the earth selling handsets to eager operators anxious to get their shipment of these objects of consumer desire. Such was the demand that it altered the very ethos of Nokia. The company metamorphosed from being a fast moving and innovative vendor, to one that became sluggish and arrogant.

The result was that the once-mighty Nokia was slain by unheard of upstarts that recognised consumers were looking for something new. One of the leaders in this revolution–if not the standard bearer–was Apple with its iPhone.

The demand for this particular product caused operators to rush to California to gain access to this transformational device, with the result that it boosted their businesses, but also made them beholden to a company with an unusual approach to partnerships.

Operators are now apparently complaining that Apple is treating them as very junior partners, and dictating which particular hoops each mobile service provider should jump through–and when. According to the Scandinavian consultancy Northstream, operators are being told to agree to numerous NDAs to satisfy Apple’s draconian supply conditions. “When we hear about operators and how Apple treats them–they’ve never seen anything like that before in the industry,” said Bengt Nordström of Northstream. “It’s always been a buyer’s market.”

Having jumped into the fire, operators are now keen for Nokia to appear phoenix-like from its self-inflicted wounds and challenge Apple with its new Lumia brand and other smartphones.

Given the level to which Nokia has sunk, and that almost none of the former management walk the corridors, there might just be a chance of sending a faint ripple of worry through the offices of Cupertino-based Apple. –Paul

FierceWireless

TS2R Wireless News from Wireless and Mobile News:

Full news stories today include, expected Best Buy preorders for the HTC Thrill 4G, an OTA update for the HTC Inspire 4G, the Android 2.3 Huawei Vision, QNX BlackBerry Colt and Samsung Galaxy S II Hercules.

Here’s the news that’s too short to report:

• New Droid Bionic Photos – The Android paparazzi have photographed a candid shot of the Droid Bionic showing all the usually suspected features that came to light in yesterday’s FCC filing including a 4.3″ touchscreen, global connectivity and  HDMI mirroring. (Photo appears at end of this).
• Verizon Roots-Out Tethered Hotspotters - It has been reported by ReadWriteWeb that an employee with a jailbroken Droid X who was trying to use it as an unauthorized mobile hotspot and was automatically send to Verizon webpage asking the user to sign-up for a tethering plan.
• HTC Dev Website Live with SDK & Code – HTC has launched its developer website, that  gives developers access to kernel source code and will show the web tool for unlocking Android bootloaders.
• Virgin Gal in Red Takes on T-Mobile Pink Gal – A new commercial shows a Virgin Mobile gal in a hot red dress take on the T-Mobile spokesmodel in pink who is with that old AT&T nerd guy.  It shows the price advantage of Virgin Mobile. The video follows the Droid Bionic photo.

WIRELESS AND MOBILE NEWS

CrackBerry published a leaked roadmap from Wireless Giant (BlackBerry) stores showing BlackBerry release dates and prices including the BlackBerry TV (Cyclone) but is listed according to codename.  To make it easier for you with have written out the release dates and prices for the most popular BlackBerry smartphones.

The 4G BlackBerry Torch 9810 (.99) from AT&T and Sprint Touch Bold 9930 (9.00) have August 21 release dates.

The CDMA BlackBerry Torch 9850 has a September 1 release date and 9 price tag.  This most likely is the Sprint BlackBerry Torch . 

The BlackBerry TV (Cyclone) will have October 31 release date.

The AT&T BlackBerry Torch 9860 (Monza) is priced at 9 and 4G BlackBerry
Bold 9900(Dakota) priced at 9 are shown to have November 6 and
November 20 release date respectively.

BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 9930 is the world’s thinnest phone with a dedicated QWERTY keyboard and 2.8″ touchscreen.  Features include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 1.2GHz processor, GPS, NFC (Near
Field Communications), microSD slot, 5MP camera, 768MB of RAM, 8GB
onboard memory, and a 1230mAh battery.

The 4G BlackBerry Torch
9860 is called the “multimedia powerhouse” with a 3.7″ 253ppi high-resolution touchscreen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 1.2GHz processor, GPS,  microSD slot, 5MP camera, 768MB of RAM and 4GB
onboard memory.

As we know from the past, release dates for smartphones can be delayed and can change due to “issues” with networks.

WIRELESS AND MOBILE NEWS

Telefónica blamed fierce competition in its domestic Spanish market for dragging the company into its first quarterly loss in nine years. The operator the third-quarter loss of €429 million was caused by the decision earlier this year to cut 6,500 workers within its Spanish unit at a cost of €2.7 billion, and lower revenue from its domestic operations as customers switched to rivals’ cheaper offers.

While a loss was expected, forecasters had only predicted a loss of €213 million, according to the average estimate of 11 analysts compiled by Bloomberg.

“Expectations were low ahead of earnings, but across the board [core earnings] weakness is an incremental negative in our view,” said Goldman Sachs’ analyst Tim Boddy in a note to clients, according to Reuters.

In a statement, Telefónica blamed a tough regulatory environment and difficult business conditions amid sluggish economic growth for a weak performance, but forecast that the restructuring announced in September would positively impact the company’s efficiency. Telefónica confirmed that sales in its home market slid 8.8 per cent in its third quarter.

What also caused consternation among financial analysts was the company announcing a dividend payment of €1.75 per share for next year, and to keep this amount as a minimum from then on. “It’s shocking they haven’t lowered their guidance,” a London-based analyst (who requested anonymity) told Reuters.

Giovanni Montalti, an industry commentator with Credit Agricole Cheuvreux in London, heaped further criticism on Telefónica, telling Bloomberg: “Spain has deteriorated even further from previous quarters and we can expect weakness to persist. More austerity measures will also hit consumption. Telefónica should rethink its dividend policy and capital allocation.”

Any relief for the company was provided by its Latin American operations where sales climbed 18 per cent to €7.4 billion. The region now accounts for 46 per cent of its total revenues, up by 5 per cent from September of last year.

For more:
- see this Bloomberg article
- see this Reuters article
- see this Financial Times article (reg. req.)

Related Articles:
Telefónica to cut handset portfolio by nearly 60%
Telefónica drops separate Spanish unit in bid for growth
Telefónica’s O2 encourages users to shape new services
Telefónica and the irrelevance of mobile operators

FierceWireless

AT&T (NYSE:T) said it now expects its proposed billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA to close by the end of the first half of next year, a few months later than it originally planned, according to a regulatory filing. 

In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, AT&T said the deal will close in the first half of 2012, pending regulatory approval. Previously, AT&T had anticipated the deal closing in March 2012. The Department of Justice sued in August to block the deal on antitrust grounds, and a trial is set to begin Feb. 13. AT&T first announced the deal in late March 2011.

If the merger transaction does fall apart, AT&T will be required to pay T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom a billion breakup fee, which includes billion in cash and billion in spectrum and roaming agreements.

The legal troubles for AT&T grew after U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle ruled on Wednesday that Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) and C Spire Wireless could continue parts of their lawsuit to block the AT&T/T-Mobile deal. While Huvelle threw out many of the claims Sprint and C Spire, formerly Cellular South, made in their filings, she ruled that the two could continue to pursue claims that the deal will harm the mobile device marketplace. 

Interestingly, AT&T also said in the SEC filing that it now expects its proposed .93 billion purchase of Qualcomm’s (NASDAQ:QCOM) 700 MHz Media FLO spectrum, which was announced in December 2010, to close by the end of the first quarter of next year, later than its previous expectation for the deal to close by year-end. The FCC needs to approve the license transfer.

In August the FCC said it would consider the AT&T/Qualcomm transaction side-by-side with the AT&T/T-Mobile deal. While the FCC did not formally combine the reviews of the two acquisitions, the move was a setback for AT&T and Qualcomm, which argued that the two deals should be evaluated independent of one another.

For more:
- see this SEC filing
- see this WSJ article (sub. req.)

Related Articles:
Judge allows Sprint, C Spire to continue AT&T/T-Mobile legal battle
AT&T prepares for October legal battles over T-Mobile deal
Google wants confidential Android info protected in AT&T/T-Mobile litigation
AT&T’s Stephenson: We will argue for efficiencies from T-Mobile deal
Sprint’s Hesse: DOJ lawsuit against AT&T/T-Mobile won’t prevent consolidation
Cellular South jumps into fray, sues to block AT&T/T-Mobile

FierceWireless

Mobile WiMAX carrier Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) announced a five-year wholesale deal with United Online, the company behind the NetZero Internet service brand, extending its wholesale umbrella at a time when it is shuttering its own branded postpaid service.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed. NetZero customers will be able to access Clearwire’s network in early 2012, though the companies did not say exactly when the service will become available.

Clearwire and United Online said that consumers will be able to access the service by purchasing either a NetZero USB modem or a NetZero personal hotspot that can connect up to 8 Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously. Clearwire’s network currently covers around 130 million POPs. Clearwire spokesman Mike DiGioia directed questions on pricing, availability and devices to a United Online spokesman, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

NetZero started in 1998 offering free dial-up Internet, and in 2003 it launched NetZero Hi-Speed, which was the fastest dial-up service offered at that time. However, NetZero is clearly looking to expand, and noted Clearwire’s WiMAX network provides speeds of 6 to 10 Mbps with a wider range than Wi-Fi.

Clearwire’s NetZero deal comes after Clearwire disclosed that it will streamline its Clear-branded service to offer unlimited prepaid Internet service at per month. The move essentially removes its previous postpaid service plan options along with device leasing, activation fees, early termination fees and restocking fees.

Moreover, Clearwire plans to move to LTE-Advanced network technology, but that action is contingent on the carrier obtaining another 0 million in financing. Further, the carrier has said it needs between 0 million and 0 million to maintain its existing WiMAX network.

Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S), Clearwire’s majority owner and largest wholesale customer, recently announced its own 4G plans that involve building its own LTE network on its 1900 MHz spectrum–plans that did not include any mention of Clearwire. However, Sprint recently disclosed a non-binding agreement with Clearwire under which the companies will work to develop LTE roaming between their planned networks. Clearwire reports its third-quarter earnings after the market closes Wednesday.

For more:
- see this release

Related Articles:
Clearwire ditches postpaid service, offers prepaid unlimited at
Sprint inks deal with Clearwire, predicts up to B in value from iPhone
Sprint drops unlimited WiMAX data for mobile broadband plans
Sprint to launch LTE on 1900 MHz spectrum by mid-2012
Clearwire adds 1.9M wholesale subs in Q3

FierceWireless

Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) and Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) are working out the details of a new contract that would extend their existing wholesale deal for another three to five years, according to a report in Bloomberg, citing three unnamed sources who are said to have direct knowledge of the deal.

The contract will allow Sprint to use Clearwire’s network to provide service to its customers after the current deal expires at the end of 2012. Although the details aren’t final, the report said that the price Sprint will pay for Clearwire to handle its traffic is likely to fall.

A new wholesale deal with Sprint would provide a much needed boost for Clearwire, which has said it needs about billion in additional financing to deploy LTE and finance its existing WiMAX operations. However, according to the sources, Sprint won’t provide financing to Clearwire as part of the new deal.

Sprint announced Oct. 7 that it will launch LTE service by mid-2012 using its 1900 MHz spectrum and move away from WiMAX as its 4G technology of choice. In addition, the company said during its earnings call earlier this week that it had signed an agreement with Clearwire that essentially will allow the companies to work together toward a joint LTE network.

The agreement covers cell site selection, site builds, chipsets for devices and is intended to assure seamless handoffs between Sprint’s network and Clearwire’s LTE network.

For more:
- see this Bloomberg article

Related Articles:
Sprint inks deal with Clearwire, predicts up to B in value from iPhone
Sprint drops unlimited WiMAX data for mobile broadband plans
Sprint Chairman Hance vows company will reveal iPhone financial costs
Sprint’s stock plunges following LTE strategy conference
Sprint adds another 1.1M subs in Q2, along with 1.7M WiMAX devices

FierceWireless