By now, we are sure you are well aware of the challenges that Apple has experienced with their new iPhone 4 and the issues with the antenna.  (If you've been living under a rock these past few weeks, you can catch up here.)  This is not about whether one loves (or not) Apple.  For many, that is a device that makes them happy.  Okay... But let's talk about the challenges of wireless and of building really good antennas for really small receiver/transmitting devices.  Let's just say it's a bit of black magic.  The fact is that ever since we just decided to carry around sophisticated devices that used cellular technology, good antenna designs have been tough.  Remember that first "mobile" you had?  The only reason why it was mobile was because it was bolted in to the trunk of your car! And that antenna was much larger than the phone.  For those of you that can't remember back that far, here is a quick history of portable cellular devices and the changes we have seen regarding antenna designs.  And for a quick review of the why wireless can be so confusing for so many, check out this PodSnack we did on the topic.

It just never ceases to amaze us how many security breaches that occur.  (You can always get a data loss list or a chronological list on line.)  If we just look at what has occurred so far just this year, it has already been far from quiet.  This list of top 10 list of hacks, breaches and compromises would suggest that there is a lot to discuss at this year's Black Hat security conference.  But then (ironically) the video stream from the conference was hacked.  Guess you can never be too careful, no matter who you are.

In case you missed it in the news, Facebook achieved a milestone yesterday, reaching 500 million users.  That is incredible, given that it was created only six years ago!  (There is also an interesting interview of Mark Zuckerberg on line.) No question that social media is a phenomenon today, especially with the younger generation.  But, that may not necessarily be a good thing for them.  Witness this story of cyberbullying also in today's news.  One must remember that what is posted on the Internet is forever.  Think electronic tattoo, but never being able to totally get rid of it.

One final observation based on this week's news.  Perhaps it is also worth noting that in this day of wanting access to everything newsworthy, there is often a jump to conclusion (perhaps too quickly) before all the facts are known.  The story of Sharon Sherrod and the ability to watch her watch the live White House Press briefing is an example.  Link that to how we often just forward emails we believe are interesting to those we know without getting the facts.  There is an email circulating now about the proximity of Mars to the earth occuring August 27th.  Not true.  Yet, I've seen it twice this week.

Is it time to re-evaluate the benefits of always on, always connected, and always wanting more, now?

UPDATE:  New article from David Pogue, NY Times columnist interviewing John Palfrey, Harvard Law School professor, and author of "Born Digital" on related topics.

With businesses and carriers discovering the benefits of MetroEthernet solutions, it was on the radar to update the standards to enable Gigabit Ethernet throughput beyond the current 10Gbps standards.  We report in our May Newsletter that 40/100 Gbps Ethernet was on deck at InterOp.  Now, it is reported that the IEEE has finally ratified the new standards.

What might Video on Demand be like in the not too distant future?  Perhaps this will provide some insight if you are curious.

We've always enjoyed reading David Pogue's columns in the NY Times.  This week, he asked a question around security, and how much risk is acceptable in order to maintain efficiency and productivity?  A great question, and an interesting read.

In addition, and while we are on the subject of security, you may have also seen some of the recent reports regarding the challenges Facebook has been facing with regard to the privacy settings users have to deal with while Facebook is working on a way to make money from information that is posted on such social networking sites.  In the end, though, it is worth reminding everyone - user beware.

With the release of our May newsletter, there are new reports that the Chairman of the FCC, Julius Genachowski, will announce today (May 6th) an attempt by the Commission to reverse a court ruling in favor of Comcast and restore a "free and open use of the Internet."  We'll watch this over the next few days, and keep you posted on this update on the net neutrality battle.

 UPDATE (MAY 06 2010)

Today, the FCC Chairman announced a "third way" to create a broadband framework.

Albert Gonzalez, the computer hacker who engineered one of the largest credit and debit card thefts in history, was sentenced to 20 years in jail.  We often commented on this case in the past, and even created a TJX Fiasco PodSnack series on the event and lessons learned.  It's a clear reminder that hackers and thieves are out there.  There were also two recent reports by ABCNews on this - one on Albert Gonzalez and the other on the risks of Social Networking. (The videos are in the article.)

 Be careful out there.

Google announced on its blog today that it plans to build out a series of experimental high-speed networks in select locations that will provide connectivity at speeds 100 times faster than today's typical user connectivity.  This rapidly hit the blogsphere with follow up articles in the New York Times, Information Week, CNET, Reuters and others.

Will Google be able to accomplish what the Fed and other major carriers have not?  Perhaps, as Eric Schmidt, Google's Chairman and CEO noted in a Washington Post Op-Ed piece.  This could be part of the the answer to the United States' "innovation deficit."  Could be.  It certainly can't hurt.  In the latest report, the US is placing 18th on the worldwide broadband list... at an average 3.9Mbps! 

May the new ultra-fast broadband connectivity reach you soon.

UPDATE (FEB 12 2010):  What might Google be up to?  Here are Five Possibilities.

For those that have been waiting patiently for ISP Clearwire to roll out WiMAX, aka 802.16e to your neighborhood, you may want to wait a tad longer.  It looks like there is an upgrade about to be approved by the IEEE this year, with product trials in 2011.

Seems like 2010 is definitely going to be the year of wireless.  Is WiMAX in your backyard?

 UPDATE FEB 3 2010: Is Spring about to annouce the first WiMAX smartdrive?  And it's Android-based....

There was a fascinating article in Business Week on how the battle between Apple and Google is shaping up.  Here are two companies that together have won the hearts and minds of users in recent years.  They have recently imitated each other, and were so close that the CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt, sat on Apple's board at the request of Apple CEO, Steve Jobs.  But now things are different.  Both seem to be set on a collision course to gain dominance in the growing market of mobile computing.

Google's Android-based Nexus One has not yet set the world on fire, but it is gaining ground.  And Apple's new announcement of the iPad is clearly focused on rocking the mobile computing world like the iPhone and iTouch have over the past three years.  But is it just a larger i-Device?

An interesting prediction in the BW article is that "within five years more users will tap in to the Internet via mobile devices than PC's."  The trend certainly seems to be headed in that direction. So what happens when more people want more data over their wireless networks?  It requires more bandwidth.  Let's hope that LTE is deployed sooner rather than later, and folks get to spread out their usage over several providers.

How much are you willing to spend on these devices?  And how much more for your "unlimited" data plan?

(For those looking for early iPad reviews, here are some that are just now coming out from eWeek and David Pogue of the New York Times.)

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Cox Communications has announced that it has successfully completed another 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) trial in the Phoenix and San Diego areas.  The tests were focused on delivering voice and high-def video streaming capabilities.  According to this report, Cox seems close to launching LTE in several markets, although no specific dates were given.  

We've heard that Verizon is looking to launch LTE this year, and AT&T in 2011.

Sounds like everyone is gearing up for 2010 to be the year of LTE. What are you hearing from customers about their desired to try out LTE?

In a recent Washington Post article, that suggests we may be at a critical turning point with regard to just how far we may see the FCC extend its reach in to the often contentious net neutrality debate.  This stems from a hearing by an appeals court regarding a 2008 case of Comcast cable's blocking consumer access to web content.  We have talked about this previously, but this is more about whether the FCC even has the authority to regulate the likes of Comcast - and other ISPs.

This will be fascinating to watch.  What's your thought on the subject?

"It’s hard to believe that a decade ago, there was no Facebook, iPhone, Wikipedia or YouTube." 

That's the opening line from a New York Times Tech post on New Year's Day.  It's that time of year for looking back as well as looking forward.  Often times, adversity is the engine of creativity.  No question, the past year has been a tough year for many reasons.  And one can reflect on the "aughts" as the "decade of zero" for many reasons - not the least of which is financial growth. 

But - let's be positive here.  What do you think the next few years will bring in technology revolution?  Do you think the Times is on target here?  Let us know your thoughts on the matter.

Several of us at Hill will be getting new PC's in the upcoming weeks.  (It will be interesting to also report on Windows 7 from a personal perspective.)  However, it is also worth noting that with the proliferation of virtualization expanding to the desktop, it begs the question of whether one really needs a stand-alone PC.  (Okay sure, some of us actually work in environments that are not connected to a network, and need the applications and documents in hand as opposed to the network.)

It is clear that several large organizations are taking a serious look at replacing their PC's with thin-client computing as reported in the recent issue of Forbes. The Total Cost of Ownership is proven to be lower (support costs, administrative costs, software licensing, security, backup, etc are all lower) for thin clients over PC's.  And it's greener!

So, have we come full circle?  We are reminded of the early days of computing with "intelligently deficient machines" (aka 'dumb terminals') moving to a model of desktop computing ('power to the people') and now are we back to centralized computing?

What's your take?  And what are finding both in your client base, as well as within your own organization?