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LTE Connected Car redefines the 'mobile' in mobile broadband (video)

If you think cellphones have become overbearingly complex, look away now. A partnership of tech companies and content providers, known as the ng Connect Program, has revealed a prototype "LTE Connected Car," which, as you might surmise, combines 4G mobile broadband connectivity with a bunch of cloud-sourced facilities, such as video on demand, audio libraries, and multiplayer gaming. It can also serve as a Wi-Fi hotspot, connect directly to home automation or monitoring systems, and probably cook you scrambled eggs if you ask nicely. A Toyota Prius serves as the guinea pig for this new concept, and we've got video of the whole shebang after the break.

Read - ng Connect Program Puts Connectivity in the Fast Lane with the LTE Connected Car Concept Vehicle
Read - ng Connect Program Reveals the Long Term Evolution (LTE) Connected Car

Video: Novatel Wireless' GSM MiFi 2352 launches on Telefonica Espana


Remember that Novatel MiFi 2352 we got our hands on a few months back? Well, it looks like it got a little makeover just in time for yesterday's launch on Telefonica Espana. While we're digging the look of the thing, it's what's going on under the hood that really piqued our interest: Adding to the usual WiFi connectivity and encryption, this guy sports two processors, a separate Linux OS and additional flash RAM for hosting and running third party apps accessible to its WiFi clients. If anything, this suggests that Novatel has "big plans for the platform," as SlashGear notes. While available apps are currently limited to Alcatel-Lucent's Nonstop Laptop Guardian (a user admin package for enterprise users) we're looking forward to seeing what the company and its partners cook up in the future. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's commence with the unboxing. Shall we? Video's after the break.

Viettel, Alcatel-Lucent and RIM bring BlackBerry solution to Vietnam


It's a good week internationally for BlackBerry lovers. First we hear that South Korea finally has unbridled access and its own Bold to toy with, and now we're hearing a similar story for the people of Vietnam. Viettel (a mobile operator in the country), Alcatel-Lucent and RIM have all joined hands to make it happen, with "it" being the launch of BlackBerry wireless service. Speaking of launch, prospective buyers can look forward to wrapping their palms around the Pearl 8100, BlackBerry 8700 or the Curve 8320 initially, though we wouldn't be surprised to see even more flavors roll out soon. There's no talk of price just yet, but feel free to phone up your nearest Viettel shop and see what's up.

[Image courtesy of thugian]

Alcatel-Lucent cuts 1,000 jobs

It's not an easy time to be a provider of wired and wireless network infrastructure. Actually, let's be honest -- it's not an easy time to be in most any line of work -- but the infrastructure guys are having a particularly tough time right now, and it's definitely showing in Alcatel-Lucent's latest unfortunate move. The Paris-based company is trimming a grand worth of heads out of its 75,000-plus workforce and culling some 5,000 contractors, a move that it hopes will stop a cash hemorrhage that's been persistent since Alcatel's purchase of Lucent in 2006. The embattled CEO already stepped down earlier this year in a quest for profitability in a desperately brutal economy, so it stands to reason that there'll be some belt-tightening down below until they can right the ship -- but it's always sad to see the parent company of what remains of Bell Labs struggle to keep its head above water.

Alcatel-Lucent's CEO and chairman to exit


Shortly after Alcatel-Lucent posted yet another quarter of net losses, two of its biggest bigwigs have decided that enough is enough. Chairman Serge Tchuruk and CEO Patricia Russo have both announced plans to exit the company, and while the former will be clocking in for the final time on October 1st, the latter has agreed to stay on until a new CEO is found. According to Tchuruk, the time has come for the outfit to "acquire a personality of its own, independent from its two predecessors." The search for replacements has already begun, though analysts assert that filling the holes won't be a lesson in simplicity. Something Motorola would likely agree with entirely.

[Via RCRWireless, image courtesy of The New York Times]

Read - Announcement of resignations
Read - Search for replacements

DISH Networks teams with Alcatel-Lucent for DVB-SH trial in US

Ah ha! So this is what DISH Network was planning on doing with its recently-purchased swath of spectrum. Just under two months after analysts pondered what the firm was thinking throwing out bids for a smidgen of bandwidth -- and not even a fortnight after the ICO G1 successfully launched in order to bring DVB-SH to America -- out comes the whole truth. The satcaster is teaming up with Alcatel-Lucent to test the Digital Video Broadcasting - Satellite services to Handhelds technology right here in the US, with A-L providing the equipment, test tools and training. The evaluation will be taking place at a DISH facility in Atlanta from May until August, with the ultimate goal to "validate the performance and cost-efficiency of the DVB-SH standard." As expected, we're only given crumbs of information as to where this partnership may lead, but we should be much more clear on everything by the time the summer concludes.

DVB-SH mobile TV trials to crank up in Italy

Though it once appeared as if DVB-SH was headed for high times in Europe, DVB-H eventually won out as the nationwide standard, but that certainly doesn't mean other standards can't compete within the region. Reportedly, Alcatel-Lucent has agreed to launch the first trial of the technology in Italy with RAI and 3 Italia, and while DVB-SH would likely be more costly to implement due to its position in the spectrum, European telecoms are grasping for options to satisfy the growing desire for mobile TV. If all goes as planned, the trials will take place in Turin over the next few months, but it wasn't clear when Jane / John Doe would be called in to participate. Also of note, a cellphone provider has yet to be selected, but it sounds like Samsung and Sagem both made it onto the short list.

[Via mocoNews]

SprintSecure Laptop Guardian provides nonstop laptop security

Sprint users (or corporations with Sprint-using employees) can now look forward to "24/7 laptop security through remote monitoring, location and locking if a machine is lost or stolen." Thanks to a partnership with Alcatel-Lucent, the carrier will soon be offering up the OmniAccess 3500 PCMCIA card, which features its own battery, a "small operating system, a CPU, memory and an SD slot." When inserted into a lappie, it "hijacks the TCP/IP stack, so the card can enforce policies regarding what users can download, no matter what method the user employs to connect to the internet." Furthermore, the card must be loaded in for the laptop to even become usable, and the built-in GPS enables it to be located (and subsequently wiped or locked) regardless if the machine it's in is powered on. Reportedly, the device itself will run you around $250 and can only be used with unlimited data plans, and the extra security features will tack on another $10 to $12 per month.

[Via InfoWorld / Yahoo]

Verizon Wireless to spend $6 billion on network upgrade

Alcatel-Lucent has just landed a $6 billion deal with Verizon Wireless to upgrade the carrier's U.S. wireless network. Verizon Wireless is planning to expand its wireless data network with the equipment deal, scheduled to run a solid three years. So is this all going to come in the form of EV-DO Rev. A upgrades for the carrier? Nah -- Big Red will be investing in VoIP and video telephony services as the carrier transitions over time to an all-IP network and away from a circuit-based network. Alcatel-Lucent products such as digital microwave radios, optical cross-connects and bandwidth management devices are part of the $6 billion deal, and will include network support services from Alcatel-Lucent, too. How funny would it be to see a Verizon network engineer waiting on hold for an Alcatel-Lucent customer service rep?

Alcatel-Lucent deploys UMTS 900; world's handset makers cry uncle

We're still bellyaching over T-Mobile's unfortunate (but necessary) addition of 1700MHz to the world's WCDMA spectrum, but it seems four bands of UMTS -- 850, 1700, 1900, and 2100MHz -- wasn't enough to satisfy everyone's needs. Or the Isle of Man's, at least. The British territory is the first landmass in the world to get a trial UMTS / WCDMA deployment on the 900MHz band, thanks to Alcatel-Lucent and O2's Manx Telecom. Though there's already a 2100MHz 3G network alive and well in those parts, the companies are touting 900's advantages -- chiefly its increased building penetration and enhanced range, letting carriers get 3G to more places with fewer cells. Though the trial has run for a full six months, there appear to be no plans to make it live and accessible to customers at the moment; that's probably just as well, seeing how there's no retail equipment to take advantage.




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