tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636093417288013802024-03-07T00:41:56.297-08:00for bored mindz | bored4u.com | illuminati blogFAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law.mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13126205483592611094noreply@blogger.comBlogger1821125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-263609341728801380.post-53048138549693994252020-03-18T22:35:00.002-07:002020-03-18T22:35:33.972-07:00Anonymous Predicts What Coronavirus Will Bring In The Coming Months<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dwk0aiV8ZXI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13126205483592611094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-263609341728801380.post-14464358082639532362020-03-18T18:37:00.000-07:002020-03-18T18:37:25.010-07:002020 - CORONA VIRUS UPDATES<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<iframe align="”middle”" allowfullscreen="”allowfullscreen”" frameborder="0" height="1080" margin="”auto”" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6" title="Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by Johns Hopkins CSSE" width="1920"></iframe>
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mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13126205483592611094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-263609341728801380.post-54150003164834944182015-02-20T14:04:00.002-08:002015-02-20T14:04:35.036-08:00Qualcomm Facing $1B Potential Chinese Fine<header class="entry-header">
<h2 class="entry-title">
<a href="http://www.dailywireless.org/2014/12/16/qualcomm-facing-1b-potential-chinese-fine/" rel="bookmark">Qualcomm Facing $1B Potential Chinese Fine</a></h2>
<div class="entry-meta">
<small>Posted by
<span class="author">
Sam Churchill </span>
on
<time datetime="2014-12-16T12:02:47+00:00" itemprop="datePublished">
December 16th, 2014 </time>
</small>
</div>
</header>
<div class="entry-content">
Qualcomm could be hit with a fine as high as $1 billion, <a href="http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/ahead-qualcomm-decision-obama-administration-leans-china-over-antitrust-iss/2014-12-16">reports Fierce Wireless</a>.
The San Diego-based company could also be forced to make concessions
that would negatively impact its licensing business. At least 30
foreign firms have come under the scrutiny of China’s 2008 anti-monopoly
law, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/16/us-qualcomm-china-antitrust-idUSKBN0JU0AK20141216">reports Reuters</a>. Qualcomm is the only major ongoing antitrust case in China involving a U.S. company and royalty fees.<br />
Qualcomm’s prospects have been hampered by the <a href="http://en.ndrc.gov.cn/">National Development and Reform Commission’s</a>
(NDRC) 13-month investigation into the firm. An imminent decision in
the case could force the company to pay fines potentially exceeding $1
billion and require concessions that would hurt its highly profitable
business of charging licensing fees on phone chipsets that use its
patents. <br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://seekingalpha.com/article/287408-google-buys-motorola-for-12_5-billion-what-interdigital-is-now-worth?page=2"><img src="http://mms.businesswire.com/bwapps/mediaserver/ViewMedia?mgid=258365&vid=5&download=1" style="width: 502.2px;" /></a>
</div>
Qualcomm derives most of its profit from licensing fees and most of
its revenue from sales of chipsets and modems. Qualcomm reportedly
earned about half of its global revenue of $26.5 billion in China for
the fiscal year that ended Sept. 28. <a href="http://www.rcrwireless.com/20100520/network-infrastructure/ltes-clouded-ipr-pool-expected-to-be-clearer-than-3g">Some observers believe that Qualcomm controls some 21% of LTE royalties</a>.<br />
President Barack Obama, during his recent visit to China, pushed his
Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on the use of Chinese antitrust policy
to limit royalty fees for foreign companies. The push by Obama could
alter China’s calculus on the issue, but it could just as well backfire.
<a href="http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/ahead-qualcomm-decision-obama-administration-leans-china-over-antitrust-iss/2014-12-16">reports Fierce Wireless</a>. It underscores the importance Washington places on China’s investigation.<br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/11/world/asia/liu-tienan-gets-life-in-prison-in-china-anticorruption-campaign.html?_r=0">The former deputy head of NDRC, Liu Tienan, was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month</a> after convicting him of taking bribes and abusing his power, reports the NY Times.<br />
<a href="http://www.rcrwireless.com/20141217/carriers/china-lte-market-set-expand-china-telecom-unicom-extend-hybrid-lte-networks-tag2">China Mobile recently said it had 50 million LTE subscribers</a>,
with plans to have 150 million customers on the network by the end of
next year and 300 million customers by the end of 2016. Their LTE
network runs across a total of 130 megahertz of spectrum in the
1880-1900 MHz, 2320-2370 MHz and 2575-2635 MHz bands. China Unicom, the
country’s No. 2 wireless carrier, said its 3G and LTE network attracted
4.9 million customers during Q3, while China Telecom, the country’s
third-largest mobile operator, had 1.33 million LTE customers. <br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.ericsson.com/res/docs/2014/ericsson-mobility-report-november-2014.pdf"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7469/15850491468_0ffa75139b.jpg" /></a>
</div>
<a href="http://www.ericsson.com/mobility-report">The latest edition of Ericsson’s Mobility Report</a>
predicts that 90 percent of the world’s population over six years old
will have a mobile phone by 2020, with smartphone subscriptions forecast
to top 6.1 billion by then.<br />
</div>
mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13126205483592611094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-263609341728801380.post-19431786089302670102015-02-20T14:03:00.002-08:002015-02-20T14:03:35.995-08:00Sprint & T-Mobile Charged with “Cramming”<header class="entry-header">
<h2 class="entry-title">
<a href="http://www.dailywireless.org/2014/12/18/sprint-charged-with-cramming-by-fcc-and-consumer-bureau/" rel="bookmark">Sprint & T-Mobile Charged with “Cramming”</a></h2>
<div class="entry-meta">
<small>Posted by
<span class="author">
Sam Churchill </span>
on
<time datetime="2014-12-18T12:31:37+00:00" itemprop="datePublished">
December 18th, 2014 </time>
</small>
</div>
</header>
<div class="entry-content">
<a href="http://www.consumerfinance.gov/newsroom/cfpb-sues-sprint-for-cramming-consumers-with-unauthorized-third-party-charges/">Sprint is facing a lawsuit by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau</a> that alleges <a href="http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/sprint-hit-government-lawsuit-over-third-party-charges-fccs-105m-fine-looms/2014-12-18">the carrier illegally billed wireless consumers for tens of millions of dollars in unauthorized third-party charges</a>.
The lawsuit contends that Sprint operated a billing system that allowed
third parties to bill for unwanted services, a process known as “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cramming_%28fraud%29">cramming</a>.” <br />
<a href="http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2014/db1219/DA-14-1704A1.pdf">T-Mobile has agreed to pay the FTC and FCC $90 million to settle cramming charges</a>,
according to the FCC’s site. An FTC and FCC investigation found
T-Mobile guilty of breaking the law by “engaging in an unjust and
unreasonable practice of billing consumers for products or services they
had not authorized; and failing to provide a brief, clear,
non-misleading, plain language description of the third-party charges.”<br />
“Today we are suing Sprint for allowing illegal charges to be crammed onto consumers’ wireless bills,” <a href="http://www.consumerfinance.gov/newsroom/cfpb-sues-sprint-for-cramming-consumers-with-unauthorized-third-party-charges/">CFPB Director Richard Cordray said in a statement</a>.
“Consumers ended up paying tens of millions of dollars in unauthorized
charges, even though many of them had no idea that third parties could
even place charges on their bills. As the use of mobile payments grows,
we will continue to hold wireless carriers accountable for illegal
third-party billing.”<br />
The CPFB contends Sprint outsourced payment processing for digital
purchases such as apps, games, books, movies, and music to vendors
called “billing aggregators” without properly monitoring them. The lack
of oversight, the lawsuit alleges, gave aggregators “near unfettered
access to consumers’ wireless accounts,” according to a CPFB statement.<br />
“Sprint’s system attracted and enabled unscrupulous merchants who, in
some cases, only needed consumers’ phone numbers to cram illegitimate
charges onto wireless bills,” the CPFB said. “The charges ranged from
one-time fees of about $0.99 to $4.99 to monthly subscriptions that cost
about $9.99 a month. Sprint received a 30-40 percent cut of the gross
revenue from these charges.”<br />
“We strongly disagree with (the CFPB’s) characterization of our business practices,” <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/17/us-usa-sprint-corp-cramming-idUSKBN0JV26F20141217">Sprint spokeswoman Stephanie Vinge Walsh said in a statement</a>.<br />
“It appears the CFPB has decided to use this issue as the test case
on whether it has legal authority to assert jurisdiction over wireless
carriers,” she said in an email.<br />
Prodded by state attorneys general, Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and
T-Mobile last year agreed to stop billing customers for third-party
services.<br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/technology/sprint-is-sued-over-cellphone-bill-cramming.html?_r=1">The F.C.C. is conducting a similar investigation</a>,
and people close to the investigation said the parties were close to
completing a settlement under which Sprint would pay $105 million in
refunds and restitution for the unauthorized transactions.<br />
</div>
mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13126205483592611094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-263609341728801380.post-27567822857918061512015-02-20T14:02:00.001-08:002015-02-20T14:02:17.507-08:00Year-end US Carrier Coverage Report<header class="entry-header">
<h2 class="entry-title">
<a href="http://www.dailywireless.org/2014/12/18/year-end-us-carrier-coverage-report/" rel="bookmark">Year-end US Carrier Coverage Report</a></h2>
<div class="entry-meta">
<small>Posted by
<span class="author">
Sam Churchill </span>
on
<time datetime="2014-12-18T15:41:53+00:00" itemprop="datePublished">
December 18th, 2014 </time>
</small>
</div>
</header>
<div class="entry-content">
<a href="http://www.verizonwireless.com/news/article/2014/05/xlte-by-the-numbers-infographic.html">Verizon Wireless</a> and <a href="https://www.wireless.att.com/businesscenter/plans/network-coverage/lte.jsp">AT&T Mobility</a> say their 3G/4G coverage in the United States <a href="http://www.fiercewireless.com/special-reports/how-much-lte-spectrum-do-verizon-att-sprint-and-t-mobile-have-and-where">is now pretty much universal</a>
with more than 300 million pops currently covered, mostly due to both
carrier’s extensive 700 MHz LTE networks. Now it’s a matter of keeping
up with capacity requirements.<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://assets.fiercemarkets.net/public/newsletter/fiercewireless/attspectrum1.jpg"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8628/15433335213_c43507ac6c.jpg" /></a>
</div>
<div align="center">
<a href="http://assets.fiercemarkets.net/public/newsletter/fiercewireless/verizonspectrum1.jpg"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8637/15865706450_e29e01582b.jpg" /></a>
</div>
<a href="http://www.rcrwireless.com/20141218/carriers/sprint-touts-lte-progress-hits-2-5-ghz-coverage-goals-tag2">Sprint says its LTE network now covers 260 million people</a>,
mostly through the use of 10 megahertz of spectrum in the 1.9 GHz band.
Next year, Sprint’s Chief Network Officer John Saw said Sprint will
continue to build out its LTE network with its 800 MHz buildout about
halfway finished. “We expect to be substantially complete with our LTE
800 MHz build by the end of 2015 in markets where the spectrum is
available,” according to Saw.<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://assets.fiercemarkets.net/public/newsletter/fiercewireless/sprintspectrum1.jpg"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8657/15865709600_11ac18dc74.jpg" /></a>
</div>
<a href="http://newsroom.sprint.com/blogs/sprint-perspectives/sprint-meets-its-2014-network-milestones-sets-its-sights-on-the-year-ahead.htm">Sprint’s 2.5 GHz coverage is now available in 62 markets</a>, utilizing the carrier’s <a href="http://newsroom.sprint.com/blogs/devices-apps-and-services/sprint-spark-makes-its-debut-in-17-new-markets.htm?previousArticle=11619&nextArticle=11610&gotoArt=%2Fblogs%2Fdevices-apps-and-services%2Fsprint-spark-makes-its-debut-in-17-new-markets.htm">Spark program</a>, reports Saw, which combines 800Mhz, 1.9GHz and 2.5 GHz. Their 2.5 GHz network covers about 100 million people.<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://assets.fiercemarkets.net/public/newsletter/fiercewireless/tmospectrum1.jpg"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8665/15866942219_b504de3629.jpg" /></a>
</div>
Meanwhile <a href="http://newsroom.t-mobile.com/issues-insights-blog/t-mobile-lte-now-reaches-250-million-americans-months-ahead-of-schedule.htm">T-Mobile US CTO Neville Ray</a> said the <a href="http://www.t-mobile.com/coverage.html">carrier’s LTE network coverage</a>
currently serves a similar 260 million pops, matching Sprint. Ray says
T-Mobile is now on track to cover 280 million people with 4G LTE by
mid-2015, and expects to hit the 300 million mark by the end of 2015. <br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/t-mobile-aims-scoop-more-700-mhz-spectrum-lte-deployments/2014-12-01"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7492/15867249067_74024613b3.jpg" /></a>
</div>
T-Mobile has acquired more 700 MHz spectrum in the “A” block,
reports FierceWireless, with the carrier making several deals for
airwaves with small license holders in the last few months.<br />
</div>
mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13126205483592611094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-263609341728801380.post-50087864607585741372014-11-19T15:41:00.000-08:002014-11-19T15:41:03.821-08:00McDonald’s Gets Softcard<br />
<header class="entry-header">
<h2 class="entry-title">
<a href="http://www.dailywireless.org/2014/10/29/mcdonalds-gets-softcard/" rel="bookmark">McDonald’s Gets Softcard</a></h2>
<div class="entry-meta">
<small>Posted by
<span class="author">
Sam Churchill </span>
on
<time datetime="2014-10-29T10:18:54+00:00" itemprop="datePublished">
October 29th, 2014 </time>
</small>
</div>
</header>
<br />
<div class="entry-content">
<a href="https://www.gosoftcard.com/">Softcard</a> (formerly <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softcard">Isis</a>), a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_payment">mobile payment system</a> that competes with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Pay">Apple Pay</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Wallet">Google Wallet</a>,
announced today that it is accepted at more than 14,000 McDonald’s
locations around the country beginning today. Smartphone owners can make
NFC-based mobile payments at the register and the drive-thru at all
McDonald’s restaurants. <a href="http://news.mcdonalds.com/Corporate/manual-releases/2014/McDonald-s-Announces-New-Collaboration-With-Apple">McDonald’s will also accept Apple Pay</a>.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/G8XPcZARCJ8" width="560"></iframe>
<div align="center">
</div>
Last month, <a href="http://www.qsrweb.com/news/subway-completes-mobile-payments-deployment/">Subway also announced a partnership with Softcard</a> to support mobile payments. <br />
<a href="https://www.gosoftcard.com/get-the-app.html">Softcard is free to download</a>
and is compatible with more than 80 Android handsets sold by AT&T,
T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless. Softcard combines payments, offers and
loyalty in one app. Softcard uses <a href="http://www.emvco.com/specifications.aspx?id=21">the EMV Contactless specification</a> and <a href="http://www.nfcworld.com/technology/isis-smarttap/">SmartTap technology</a> to enable payments, offers and loyalty redemption through one tap.<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://blog.unibulmerchantservices.com/the-state-of-mobile-payments-in-the-u-s/"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3939/15474412788_c433df069e.jpg" style="width: 499.2px;" /></a>
</div>
<a href="http://www.nfcworld.com/2014/10/28/332317/million-consumers-sign-apple-pay-first-72-hours/">Apple Pay saw more than one million card activations within 72 hours of launch</a>, reports NFC World, and is already the leading NFC payments player in the US, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook. <a href="http://www.wsj.com/video/tim-cook-on-retailers-that-refuse-apple-pay/3E4536CB-D63F-4B9B-8C0B-B7E48DF6D8F8.html">Cook outlined future growth plans for the service at the WS Journal D Live conference</a> this week, including a potential partnership with Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba.<br />
<a href="http://www.nfcworld.com/2014/09/03/331179/retailer-owned-payments-venture-mcx-unveils-currentc-brand/"><img align="right" src="http://cdn2.nfcworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/currentc.jpg" hspace="10/" /></a>US pharmacy chains Rite Aid and CVS plan to launch their own <a href="http://www.nfcworld.com/2014/09/03/331179/retailer-owned-payments-venture-mcx-unveils-currentc-brand/">CurrentC mobile payment service</a> in 2015, and <a href="http://www.nfcworld.com/2014/10/27/332293/mcx-retailers-turn-nfc-payments/">have stopped accepting NFC payments</a>, blocking mobile payments services like Apple Pay, Google Wallet and Softcard.<br />
Unfortunately, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/currentc-hacked-2014-10">CurrentC is now warning people</a> that hackers have already swiped some of the beta tester’s email addresses. <br />
Mobile proximity payments have to date proven lacklustre despite the
hundreds of millions spent on developing these platforms. But loyalty
rewards and benefits of the digital wallet is now seen by many as
potentially the killer app that will help to finally ignite the long
simmering mobile proximity payment market.<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.mobilepaymentsworld.com/analytics-loyalty-will-drive-proximity-payments-growth/"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3950/15474364188_67ef4f9076.jpg" style="width: 499.2px;" /></a>
</div>
Ovum’s research indicates that 53% of consumers globally report
they’ve either used or are interested in redeeming offers and coupons
with their handsets, while 44% have used or are interested using their
mobile device to pay for things in store and restaurants, explains
Gilles Ubaghs, Senior Analyst, Financial Services Technology at Ovum.<br />
<br />
source : dailywireless.org </div>
mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13126205483592611094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-263609341728801380.post-78956599167390257562014-11-19T15:36:00.000-08:002014-11-19T15:36:43.305-08:00AT&T Verizon Work Toward VoLTE Interoperability<br />
<header class="entry-header">
<h2 class="entry-title">
<a href="http://www.dailywireless.org/2014/11/04/att-verizon-work-toward-volte-interoperability/" rel="bookmark">AT&T & Verizon Work Toward VoLTE Interoperability</a></h2>
<div class="entry-meta">
<small>Posted by
<span class="author">
Sam Churchill </span>
on
<time datetime="2014-11-04T09:57:52+00:00" itemprop="datePublished">
November 4th, 2014 </time>
</small>
</div>
</header>
<br />
<div class="entry-content">
<a href="http://www.verizonwireless.com/news/article/2014/11/verizon-and-att-move-toward-voice-over-lte-volte-interoperability.html">Verizon and AT&T are working to enable Voice over LTE interoperability</a>, <a href="http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/verizon-att-launch-volte-volte-calling-interoperability-2015/2014-11-03">reports Fierce Wireless</a>. The two carriers said they are going to enable VoLTE-to-VoLTE connections in 2015. <a href="http://www.radio-electronics.com/info/cellulartelecomms/lte-long-term-evolution/voice-over-lte-volte.php">Voice over LTE</a> (VoLTE) was devised to standardise a method for transferring voice over LTE data networks. <br />
<a href="http://www.verizonwireless.com/news/article/2014/11/verizon-and-att-move-toward-voice-over-lte-volte-interoperability.html">According to a Verizon blog post</a>,
engineers from both companies will start with lab testing and then move
to field trials next year. Verizon said customers will have a seamless
experience making VoLTE HD Voice calls between the two networks as well
as other Rich Communications Services (RCS) such as video calls, rich
messaging and more. <br />
T-Mobile, meanwhile, <a href="http://support.t-mobile.com/community/coverage/blog/2014/06/19/volte-expands-to-more-markets-devices">has VoLTE available in more than a dozen cities</a> (with the proper phone), and <a href="http://support.t-mobile.com/community/coverage/blog/2014/05/22/t-mobile-begins-rolling-out-voice-over-lte-volte">has been testing interoperability</a>, with interop agreements with VerizonWireless and Sprint since May, <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnLegere/status/529394316393709568">notes John Legere</a>.<br />
<a href="http://www.cnet.com/news/6-reasons-why-youll-eventually-want-voice-over-lte/"><img align="left" hspace="10/" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3955/15525423348_5abf3eca37_n.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/services/hd-voice.html#fbid=1-m6UQr4bOv">AT&T introduced VoLTE services in its initial markets earlier this year</a>,
and will continue to expand to more devices and more markets across the
United States. “Interoperability of VoLTE between wireless carriers is
crucial to a positive customer experience,” said <a href="http://www.phonearena.com/news/AT-T-Labs-event-showcased-WATSON-technology-haptics-steering-wheel-shadow-puppets-and-more_id29322">Krish Prabhu</a>, president, AT&T Labs and Chief Technology Officer, AT&T. <br />
Currently, to experience Verizon’s VoLTE service both parties on a
call need to be using a VoLTE-enabled Verizon smartphone. AT&T’s
VoLTE-enabled HD Voice service lets customers only make HD Voice calls
with other AT&T customers using AT&T HD Voice-capable devices
within AT&T HD Voice coverage areas.<br />
An additional requirement for VoLTE enabled networks is to have a
means to handing back to circuit switched legacy networks in a seamless
manner, while only having one transmitting radio in the handset to
preserve battery life. A system known as <a href="http://www.radio-electronics.com/info/cellulartelecomms/lte-long-term-evolution/srvcc-single-radio-voice-call-continuity.php">Single Radio Voice Call Continuity</a>
(SRVCC) is required for this. Handover from LTE to the legacy network
is required when the user moves out of the LTE coverage area.<br />
The benefit to wireless operators is more-efficient use of their network resources, <a href="http://www.cnet.com/news/6-reasons-why-youll-eventually-want-voice-over-lte/">explains C/Net’s Maggie Reardon</a>.
VoLTE benefits for consumers include faster call setup times (twice as
fast as a non-VoLTE call setup), LTE data speeds while you are on a
call, and HD Voice service with greater call quality.<br />
<br />
source : dailywireless.org </div>
mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13126205483592611094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-263609341728801380.post-45619450078479510662014-06-03T08:25:00.000-07:002014-06-03T08:25:54.233-07:00End of America Bill 2847<script type="text/javascript">
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</script>mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13126205483592611094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-263609341728801380.post-31740517668386736652014-02-19T12:38:00.002-08:002014-02-19T12:38:44.953-08:00Executive Cyber Intelligence Bi-Weekly Report by INSS-CSFI February 1st, 2014<h2 align="\"center\"">
<b>Executive Cyber Intelligence Bi-Weekly Report by <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/inss" target="_blank" title="View all posts in INSS">INSS</a></span>-CSFI</b></h2>
<div align="center" style="text-align: left;">
<b>February 1st, 2014</b></div>
<h3 align="\"center\"">
<span style="color: #003366;"><b style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Israel</span></b></span></h3>
<strong style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em;"><strong>Cyber Park in Beer Sheba expanding</strong></strong><br />
One of the biggest network companies, Cisco, will invest millions of dollars in the Israeli <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/cyber" target="_blank" title="View all posts in cyber">cyber</a></span> industry through the JVP foundation, The Marker reported. This investment joins the announcement made by <span class="wp_keywordlink"><a href="http://defense-update.com/business-directory/41123/lockheed-martin" title="Lockheed Martin">Lockheed Martin</a></span> and EMC on opening a research center/<span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/cyber" target="_blank" title="View all posts in cyber">cyber</a></span>
park in Beer Sheba (initial investment being one million dollars). The
park will be called Cyber-Spark and will accommodate leading <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/cyber" target="_blank" title="View all posts in cyber">cyber</a></span>
industries, academic research, and the national cyber command. Another
addition to the ever growing park will be made by IBM in cooperation
with Ben Gurion University, who declared their intention to open a
center for global excellence in the field of cyberspace. The rise of the
cyber industry in Beer Sheba is meant to create a cyber hub in the
middle of the South, as well as mixing economic and security growth by
creating 15,000 jobs in a few years.<br />
<strong>Israel’s Darknet and TOR dilemma</strong><br />
Last year, Edward Snowden turned over to <i>The Guardian</i>
58,000 classified U.S. government documents, and only a fraction of the
files have been made public. To avoid detection, Snowden almost
certainly relied on one very specific and powerful tool to cover his
tracks – TOR. TOR, an acronym for “the onion router,” is software
providing the closest thing to anonymity on the Internet. Engineered by
the TOR Project, TOR has been adopted by both agitators for liberty and
criminals, and many people who use TOR do so to browse the Darknet
liberally. Many countries have faced questions on how to deal with
Darknet, and an example occurred with two young men in Israel, standing
trial for using Bitcoins to purchase drugs on the Darknet. The young men
also used fake credit card numbers, which were bought through the
Darknet. This criminal issue related to Darknet is one of several cases
the Israel court has had to deal with in the past few months.<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #003366;"><b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">USA</span></b></span></h3>
<strong>Changes in NSA and cyber security matters due to Snowden affair</strong><br />
General
Keith Alexander, Director of the NSA, is stepping down and being
replaced by U.S. Navy’s Cyber Security Chief, Michael S. Rogers. Since
whistle-blower Edward Snowden revealed the intensity of U.S. spying on
its citizens and allies, a call has been made for intelligence agencies
to be more transparent and for them to uphold the law. The U.S. has
faced many embarrassments and the need for explanation since the Edward
Snowden affair. Yet because of the Snowden affair, policy decisions in
cyber security have reached a stalemate as the U.S. has begun struggling
to deal with the daily cyber-attacks from Russia and China. Plans and
projects in the NSA have halted even though ideas could be effective,
and decision makers in Congress explain: “[Snowden] slowed everything
down.” However, opposing and pro-Snowden supporters insist the problem
in U.S. and fighting terrorism was never lack of information but U.S.
intelligence agencies not sharing data or informing the public. As it
currently stands, the FBI, NSA, and DHS are denied to share classified
cyberspace information with the civilian population. Since Snowden, the
U.S. has faced growing criticism internationally, with foreign leaders
disregarding Obama’s warnings regarding cyber affairs. The announcement
of Rogers as Director of NSA comes a few days after the cyber hackers
group Anonymous hacked and publicized email addresses of U.S. members of
the Federal Bureau Investigation.<br />
<h4>
<strong>Microsoft answers to growing criticism</strong></h4>
Microsoft
has responded to breaches in its security when it announced plans to
launch ‘Transparency Centers’ worldwide, enabling government customers
to verify their Microsoft products. Microsoft has faced growing pressure
and criticism over its involvement with U.S. spying after the
revelations of Edward Snowden Prism, a top-secret program giving the NSA
direct access to the systems of Google, Microsoft, and Facebook.
Microsoft also faced the embarrassment of being hacked by the SEA
through phishing attempts on Microsoft email accounts to steal
information. Microsoft plans to expand encryption across its services to
provide legal protection for customer’s data and government users.
Plans to reveal the source code have remained unannounced.<br />
<h4>
<strong>USA: </strong><span style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em;">Major retailers in the U.S. hacked during holiday season</span></h4>
Massive
cyber-attacks hit major U.S. retail stores of high end Neiman Marcus.
Neiman Marcus confirmed a data breach involving credit card theft from
customers during the holiday shopping season, where hackers rooted
payment information from customers. Neiman Marcus spokesperson, Ginger
Reeder, stated the company is unaware of the cause or identification of
the data breach, but they informed “federal law enforcement agencies and
are working actively with the U.S. Secret Service, the payment brands,
our credit card processor, a leading investigations, intelligence and
risk management firm, and a leading forensic firm to investigate the
situation.” Similar breaches affected Target on Black Friday, the
biggest shopping day in the U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass)
responded to the attack stating: “In the wake of the Target breach,
customers, lawmakers, and consumer advocates have stepped up calls for
Congress to set up guidelines on how merchants should protect consumer
data…a need for clear, strong privacy and security standards across all
industries.” Target has already responded with CEO Gregg Steinhafel
proclaiming to improve Target’s understanding of consumer-based scams,
including removing the malware the cyber criminals installed, hiring a
team of data security to investigate occurrence, and working with law
enforcement. Target is also preparing to announce an education campaign
on accelerating the knowledge on technology and cyber security. Some
believe other retail stores have been affected, causing a pattern in
attacks heading towards larger widespread attacks. Chris Petersen, CTO
of LogRythm remarked that this would entail extremely sophisticated
malware software. At this time, these are just rumours circulating, and
IntelCrawler contended the attacks on Target and Neiman Marcus were
separate. Nevertheless, no national breach disclosure law exists,
allowing many companies who may have been attacked to not publicize it.<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #003366;"><b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Russia</span></b></span></h3>
<h4>
<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><strong>Russia to set up a cyber-defense unit</strong></span></h4>
Russian
Maj. Gen. Yuri Kuznetsov was quoted by the national news agency RIA
Novosti, stating a cyber-defense unit will be ready “to defend the
Russian armed forces’ critical infrastructure from computer attacks” by
2017. The mission maintains to better protect the defense sector from
cyber-attacks. Cyber-warfare has emerged and has become a national
security threat in recent years to Russia. Websites used by Asian
governments were targeted by the “Anonymous” cybercrime organization in
2013, and U.S. and Chinese officials have traded accusations about cyber
espionage in recent years. RIA Novosti reports the Russian newspaper
Vedomosti was knocked offline Thursday by a DDoS cyber-attack
(denial-of-service), overwhelming servers with requests. Alexei Moshkov,
Russia’s top cybercrime official, claimed cyber-attacks last year on
Russian citizens combined cost around $28 million.<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #003366;"><b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Middle East & Iran</span></b></span></h3>
<h4>
<strong>Palestinian hackers suspected to be behind breach in Israeli defense ministry computers</strong></h4>
Hackers
broke into Israeli defense ministry computers by sending phishing
e-mails containing an advanced remote access Trojan called Xtreme Rat,
Aviv Raff, CTO of Seculert Research Lab, blogged on January 27th. The
e-mail appeared as if it was sent by the Israeli Security Agency
enabling legitimacy, and the original target was Israeli Customs,
according to TrendMicro. One of the 15 breached computers revealed to
be Israeli Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria, which monitors
entry and work permits into the West Bank from Israel. The Civil
Administration made no comment in regards to an attack. Even though the
attack was conducted from a server located within the U.S., similarities
in code to past cyber-attacks conducted from a Hamas server on the
Israeli Police, enhanced rumours the Palestinians were behind the
cyber-attack. As of now, it is unclear if the hackers used or gained any
information.<br />
<strong>Saudi Arabia to launch National e-Security Center to Protect Government against Hackers</strong><br />
Saudi
Arabia embarked on producing a national authority for information
security called the National e-Security Center. The main goal will be to
protect important networks against cyber-attacks. The decision came
after numerous attacks were launched by both cybercriminals and
hacktivist on the Saudi Arabian government websites. An example was when
the Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry was breached with a DDoS attack,
disrupting the website for several hours in May. The attack was traced
back to various countries.<br />
<strong>Iran unveils new cyber security products </strong><strong></strong><br />
Fars
news agency reported Iran was unveiling 12 new Iranian technological
products within the cyber field at a ceremony held and attended by
Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan and Head of
Iran’s Civil Defense Organization Brigadier General Gholam Reza Jalali.
Among the products revealed was a cell phone providing secure
communications, immune from tapping. Other products unveiled were a
home-made, secure operating system, a indigenized navigation system, a
telecommunications optical transmission system, Padvish anti-malware, a
cyber threats recognition and identification system, a security
operations center, a high-speed and high-capacity firewall, and a
software firewall.<br />
Iran has launched an indigenous cyber defense
network cited as “Shahpad,” according to project manager Mohammad
Naderi. The initial idea stemmed from missile defense shields used in
different countries to prevent missile attacks. “Shahpad” is the outcome
of several years of research. The system protects data, operates as a
data manager, and is responsive to the safety needs of all
organizations. According to Iranian news agency ISNA, whenever a threat
against an organization is detected, the system informs other sensors
using smart mechanisms for the exchange of intelligence. The system is
capable of informing all sensitive and important agencies such as
Security Operations Centers across the country, facilitating a swift
reaction.<br />
<strong>SEA attacks PayPal UK and <a class="vglnk" href="http://www.ebay.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Link added by VigLink"><span>eBay </span><span>UK</span></a></strong><br />
The Syrian Electric Army (SEA) used a DDoS cyber-attack on PayPal UK and <a class="vglnk" href="http://www.ebay.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Link added by VigLink"><span>eBay </span><span>UK</span></a>, causing Twitter to shut down the SEA’s official Twitter handle. Both PayPal UK and eBay UK
verified the attacks occurred, and they were resolved shortly
afterwards; however, they made no mention of the crude defacement SEA
had left on their webpages with messages: “Hacked by the Syrian
Electronic Army. Long live Syria. F*ck the United States government.”
SEA stated the cyber-attack occurred because of PayPal’s denial to allow
Syrians to purchase products online and also assured no information had
been gathered by the account, unlike previous cyber-attacks were it was
documented the SEA had stolen law enforcement data from Microsoft.<br />
<b style="color: #003366; font-size: 1.17em; line-height: 1.5em;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">China </span></b><b style="color: #003366; font-size: 1.17em; line-height: 1.5em;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">and APAC</span></b><br />
<strong>Japan sending Self Defense Forces to U.S. for cyber training</strong><strong></strong><br />
The
Japanese government will send members of its Self-Defense Forces (SDF)
to receive specialized training in cyber defense with U.S. forces in a
cooperative program to bolster Japan’s defense against cyber-attacks,
sources said. The SDF members will learn from technologies and
experiences of the more advanced U.S. forces in countering
cyber-attacks. The project aims to improve the SDF’s cyber defense
capabilities and to strengthen Japan-U.S. cooperation. Until today, the
Japan-U.S. cooperation in the field of cyber-defense was limited to
exchanging information; however, this project is expected to strengthen
the collaboration between the two countries.<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #003366;"><b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Europe</span></b></span></h3>
<strong>Europol smashed financial cyber-crime gang targeting UK citizens</strong><br />
The
European cyber-crime agency EC3 of Europol was thanked after Polish
police arrested five Bulgarian citizens accused of electronic payment
card fraud targeting mainly UK citizens. The agency declared three
hackers from the gang were caught, two of them were carrying out illegal
electronic payment card transactions at automated cash machines (ATMs).
One of them was receiving compromised card numbers online and encoding
counterfeit plastic cards. The other two suspects were arrested in
different hotels in Krakow on 22 January. Europol said the financial
data involved came mainly from the U.K., but a spokesperson informed to
online security magazine <a class="vglnk" href="http://scmagazineuk.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Link added by VigLink"><span>SCMagazineUK</span><span>.</span><span>com</span></a>
that they could not divulge about the UK card holders involved as “the
investigation is still ongoing.” The European cybercrime center was
created a year ago, and its role is to help to co-ordinate national
police forces targeting cyber criminals all over Europe.<br />
<strong>Germany: Increase of Cyber Attacks</strong><strong></strong><br />
A
study conducted by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) in
Germany recorded 2,000 to 3,000 attacks on the German government
Internet domains per day. Some cyber-attacks are on such an advanced
technical level, the alleged offenders are suspected to be intelligence
services. Hundreds of thousands of computers in Germany are infiltrated
and potentially could be operated for cyber-attacks through so-called
bot networks by remote control, making computers used as tools for crime
without the knowledge of the actual owner. Many German companies
experience cyber-attacks; however, instead of reporting these offenses,
companies conceal them to avoid damage control.<br />
The Federal
Criminal Police Office counted almost 64,000 cases of cyber-crime solely
in Germany, raising concerns with security experts. According to the
EU, more than a million people fall victim to cyber-attacks each day,
ranging from hacked bank transfers to digital blackmail to dispersal of
child pornography. At this point, the President of BSI Michael Hange
expressed the relevance to sensitize and educate the public in IT
security. The President of the Federal Academy for Security Politics
Hans-Dieter Hermann spoke about a confidence crisis and how European
states must realize their standards.<br />
<h4>
<a href="http://www.inss.org.il/"><img alt="inss150" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-39959" height="97" src="http://defense-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/inss150.jpg" width="150" /></a>About the Cyber Intelligence Report:</h4>
This document was prepared by The Institute for National Security Studies (<span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/inss" target="_blank" title="View all posts in INSS">INSS</a></span>)
– Israel and The Cyber Security Forum Initiative (CSFI) – USA to create
better cyber situational awareness (Cyber SA) of the nature and scope
of threats and hazards to national security worldwide in the domains of
cyberspace and open source intelligence. It is provided to Federal,
State, Local, Tribal, Territorial and private sector officials to aid in
the identification and development of appropriate actions, priorities,
and follow-on measures. This product may contain U.S. person information
that has been deemed necessary for the intended recipient to
understand, assess, or act on the information provided. It should be
handled in accordance with the recipient’s intelligence oversight and/or
information handling procedures. Some content may be copyrighted. These
materials, including copyrighted materials, are intended for “fair use”
as permitted under Title 17, Section 107 of the United States Code
(“The Copyright Law”). Use of copyrighted material for unauthorized
purposes requires permission from the copyright owner. Any feedback
regarding this report or requests for changes to the distribution list
should be directed to the Open Source Enterprise via unclassified e-mail
at: <a href="mailto:inssdcoi@gmail.com" target="_blank">inssdcoi@gmail.com</a><b>.</b> CSFI and the <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/inss" target="_blank" title="View all posts in INSS">INSS</a></span> would like to thank the Cyber Intelligence Analysts who worked on collecting and summarizing this report.mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13126205483592611094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-263609341728801380.post-92109451003460967812014-02-19T12:32:00.002-08:002014-02-19T12:32:35.793-08:00Mobile World Congress: What to Expect <div class="title">
<h2 id="post-79632">
<a href="http://www.dailywireless.org/2014/02/17/mobile-world-congress-what-to-expect/" itemprop="name">
Mobile World Congress: What to Expect </a>
</h2>
<small>Posted by
<span class="author">
Sam Churchill </span>
on
<time datetime="2014-02-17T10:02:55+00:00" itemprop="datePublished">
February 17th, 2014 </time>
</small>
</div>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<a href="http://www.mobileworldcongress.com/">Mobile World Congress</a>, the world’s largest mobile show, starts on the 24th (, <a href="http://www.mobileworldcongress.com/2014-exhibitors/">exhibitors</a> and <a href="http://www.mobileworldcongress.com/mobile-world-daily/">Mobile World Daily</a>). <br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.mobileworldcongress.com/" target="new"><img src="http://cdn3.pcadvisor.co.uk/cmsdata/features/3497657/MWC_2014.png" /></a>
</div>
A plethora of smartphone, tablet, wearable, and infrastructure announcements are expected and reported on (<a href="https://twitter.com/mobileworldlive">twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MobileWorldLive?ref=mf">facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/MobileWorldLive">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gsma/id586161271?ls=1&mt=8">IOS App</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.geniemobile.app3188488">Android App</a>).<br />
<h2>
Smartphone and tablet announcements</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.mobileworldcongress.com/samsung/">Samsung</a>:
At CES Samsung announced two tablets: the Galaxy TabPro and the Galaxy
NotePro. A big Samsung event on February 24, is rumored to announce <a href="http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/mobile-phone/3495265/samsung-galaxy-s5-release-date-price-rumours-leaked-images/">the new flagship S-5 smartphone</a>. <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57619010-94/samsungs-galaxy-s5-fingerprint-sensor-confirmed/">It is expected to feature a fingerprint reader</a> on the home button. Phones based on Tizen, an alternative operating system to Android, are also rumored.
</li>
<li><a href="http://www.lg.com/us/mobile?s_kwcid=TC%7C18464%7C%2Blg%20mobile%20phone%7C%7CS%7Cb%7C23455410485">LG</a>: <a href="http://www.knowyourmobile.com/mobile-phones/lg-l-series/21876/lg-l90-l70-l40-get-official-ahead-mwc-2014">LG has announced three new smartphones called the L90, L70 and L40</a> which will become the L Series III from LG. It follows up the L Series and L Series II. <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/lg-rumored-release-lg-g3-smartphone-mwc-2014-along-smart-watch-fitness-wristband-1520244">The flagship G3, a G Pro 2 phablet, and a watch are also rumored</a>. The G3 may have a 2.2GHz octa-core run Android 4.4 KitKat, 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution, and feature a fingerprint scanner. <a href="http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_g2_pro_camera_confirmed_to_have_ois_and_4k_video_capture-news-7730.php">The LG G2 Pro</a> will feature a 13MP camera with improved optical image stabilization (OIS+) and 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) video recording.
</li>
<li><a href="http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/htc-desire-8-tipped-for-february-24-mwc-unveiling">HTC</a>
The 5.5-inch HTC Desire 8 will be formally unveiled next week while
the flagship HTC One 2 is expected to have its own dedicated launch
event in March. HTC could also announce a line of mid-range devices.
</li>
<li><a href="http://www.huawei.com/mwc2014/en/preview/index.htm">Huawei</a>
a new smartphone, two new tablets, and most interestingly, a smartwatch
are expected from the manufacturer. Specs, or other details are still
few.
</li>
<li><a href="http://lenovodev.com/calendar/events/2014/02/24/mobile-world-congress-2014/">Motorola</a>
No new hardware, but there could be some details about how the Lenovo
purchase of Motorola will work and what it means for the future of the
company.
</li>
<li><a href="http://press.nokia.com/">Nokia</a>: <a href="http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/nokia-lumia-930-tipped-for-mwc-2014-release">The Lumia 930</a>
would be the successor to the Nokia Lumia 920 and would launch with a
quad-core 2.2GHz processor and 2GB of RAM. Nokia’s event could include
an 8-inch tablet – possibly the Lumia 2020, but the really interesting
rumors are of an Android smartphone.
</li>
<li><a href="http://www.techradar.com/us/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/sony-xperia-g-breaks-cover-mid-range-handset-coming-at-mwc-2014--1225125">Sony</a>: According to rumors, there will be a new flagship phone – the 5.2-inch Sirius or Xperia Z2 at MWC, and possibly a <a href="http://www.phonearena.com/news/Sony-might-announce-a-new-tablet-at-MWC-2014_id51081">Sony Castor tablet</a> to update the Xperia Tablet Z.
</li>
<li><a href="http://www.techradar.com/us/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/zte-geek-could-be-first-tizen-smartphone-at-mwc-2014-1216787">ZTE</a>:
The Chinese gian showed off the Grand S2, a couple of Nubia phones, and
the Sonata 4G at CES. Announcements at MWC could add Tizen phones and
smartwatches to the lineup. <a href="http://www.techradar.com/us/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/zte-geek-arrives-wants-to-be-teacher-s-pet-1143745">The ZTE Geek</a> is the first ZTE smartphone to sport an Intel processor (the new 32nm Atom Z2580).
</li>
</ul>
<h2>
Infrastructure announcements</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www2.alcatel-lucent.com/mwc/">Alcatel-Lucent</a>: Small Cells, WiFi 2.0 Integration, LTE-Advanced and new LTE wins are expected. Alcatel-Lucent will <a href="http://www.telecomlead.com/telecom-equipment/mwc-2014-te-connectivity-in-das-deal-with-alcatel-lucent-69132/">showcase a new Distributed Antenna System</a>. The U.S. and China are the world’s largest DAS markets and are expected to remain so through at least 2017.
</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ericsson.com/mwc2014/">Ericsson</a>: The largest cellular infrastructure company will likely have announcements across the board, including their new <a href="http://www.ericsson.com/news">4G-compatible cloud-based push-to-talk</a> (PTT) service in Europe.
</li>
<li><a href="http://nsn.com/news-events/events-and-webinars/mobile-world-congress-2014?_oskwdid=13655047&_engineadid=38850791857">NSN</a>: Announcements on 5G, Mobile Broadband/LTE, Big data, OTT, telco cloud and outsourcing are promised.
</li>
<li><a href="http://www.huawei.com/mwc2014/en/preview/index.htm">Huawei</a>: <a href="http://www.huawei.com/mwc2014/en/articles/hw-u_319871.htm">Huawei is promoting its FusionSphere</a>
— an open cloud platform optimized for convergence. Huawei’s Cloud DC
solution flattens architecture to facilitate global management &
resource scheduling.
</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2014/02/13/china-telecom-set-to-enter-4g-telecom-market-with-a-hybrid-lte-network/">China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom, received TD-LTE licenses in December last year</a> and can now offer TD-LTE in mainland China. <br />
</div>
mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13126205483592611094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-263609341728801380.post-73870592460146566132014-02-19T12:31:00.002-08:002014-02-19T12:31:57.306-08:00Reconnaissance Aircraft Monitor Flooded Areas over Southern EnglandStormy weather and unprecedented rainfall over the UK is causing
floods throughout southern England, some areas have been flooded for
several weeks. As 14 severe flood warnings remain in place along the
Thames, Berkshire and Surrey, and two in the Somerset Levels, the
military is called to help local communities fighting the rising water
in an effort to protect property and restore routine life.<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_48835" style="width: 710px;">
<img alt="Soldiers have been working in Staines putting up a dam in a field to redirect water away from housing into fields. The soldiers are from C company Royal Ghurka Rifles. Photo: Crown Copyright" class="size-full wp-image-48835" height="344" src="http://defense-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/gurkas_flood_relief700.jpg" width="700" /><div class="wp-caption-text">
Soldiers
have been working in Staines putting up a dam in a field to redirect
water away from housing into fields. The soldiers are from C company
Royal Ghurka Rifles. Photo: Crown Copyright</div>
</div>
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_48836" style="width: 360px;">
<a href="http://defense-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Raptor_2014_floods700.jpg"><img alt="The deployment of the Tornado GR4 from RAF Marham in Norfolk has produced detailed imagery that will aid the planning and co-ordination of multi-agency efforts to provide relief to local residents and communities. Photo: Crown Copyright" class=" wp-image-48836 " height="247" src="http://defense-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Raptor_2014_floods700-300x212.jpg" width="350" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text">
The
deployment of the Tornado GR4 from RAF Marham in Norfolk has produced
detailed imagery that will aid the planning and co-ordination of
multi-agency efforts to provide relief to local residents and
communities. Photo: Crown Copyright</div>
</div>
More than 3,000 military
personnel have already joined flood relief efforts, and 5,000 more are
preparing to help flood-stricken communities. “We’ve got to treat it
like any other national security issue” Labour leader Ed Miliband said,
describing the floods and climate change in general as a “national
security issue” for the UK.<br />
While soldiers creating sandbag walls
and flood defense are a regular view in the flood stricken areas, the
RAF has provided additional support from above, committing surveillance
aircraft to provide authorities a unique picture of the situation on the
ground.<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_48839" style="width: 360px;">
<a href="http://defense-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/flooded_area_based_on_sar.jpg"><img alt="Flooded area analysis of the Thames Valley and Hampshire, UK generated by SAR imaging provided by Sentinel R1 sortie over Somerset. The Sentinel was operated by the RAF’s 5 (Army Cooperation) Squadron from RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire. Photo: Crown Copyright" class=" wp-image-48839 " height="247" src="http://defense-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/flooded_area_based_on_sar-300x212.jpg" width="350" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text">
Flooded
area analysis of the Thames Valley and Hampshire, UK generated by SAR
imaging provided by Sentinel R1 sortie over Somerset. The Sentinel was
operated by the RAF’s 5 (Army Cooperation) Squadron from RAF Waddington
in Lincolnshire. Photo: Crown Copyright</div>
</div>
Two of the assets employed include surveillance patrols <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/sentinel-r1" target="_blank" title="View all posts in Sentinel R1">Sentinel R1</a></span> employing synthetic aperture radar (<span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/sar" target="_blank" title="View all posts in SAR">SAR</a></span>)
clearly indicating the wet and flooded areas over wide areas of land.
With mapping provided the Sentinel, the RAF could deploy Tornado strike
fighters carrying RAPTOR electro-optical reconnaissance pods, to bring
visual reconnaissance from the affected areas. The combination of wide
area surveillance and reconnaissance delivered by fast jets could
process a situational picture of the wide area affected by the storm and
floods, enabling authorities to focus on the worst affected areas.<br />
By
using the imagery gathered by both systems, civilian authorities will
be able to compare the current flooding in the Thames Valley to how the
same area was affected during a similar devastating period of flooding
in 1947 which was caused by melting snow and extended periods of heavy
rain. Being able to draw comparisons may help to indicate what areas are
most likely to be affected next and help the civilian authorities to
make informed decisions about where best to target their efforts.<br />
“The
Sentinel has long-range capabilities which enable highly trained
Airborne Image Analysts onboard to capture imagery of large parts of the
flooded areas.” Squadron Leader Victoria Fulton, Chief of Staff 5 (Army
Co-operation) Squadron saID, “It is hoped that this key information
will greatly assist the civilian authorities when determining where best
to focus their efforts.”<br />
The Tornado aircraft and RAPTOR has been
used in many military operations and is currently in use over
Afghanistan. It was selected for this task as it can rapidly scan and
capture a huge area of interest in just one sortie – in this case areas
in need of flood relief work.<br />
<span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em;">“The
sortie launched today demonstrates the versatility of both the
[Tornado] aircraft and its reconnaissance systems and of the men and
women who support those operations.” Wing Commander Neil Tomlin, Acting
Station Commander said, “It is hoped that the imagery provided by our
RAPTOR reconnaissance system will provide valuable assistance
in supporting the flood relief efforts currently under way in the South
of England.”</span><br />
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_48837" style="width: 710px;">
<img alt="The Royal Air Force launched one of its Tornado strike fighters on Thursday February 23, 2014 to capture a highly detailed aerial picture of the areas affected by the floods in southern England, after a request by Gold commanders in the Thames Valley. The aircraft, operated by the RAF’s 31 Squadron, is equipped with the highly versatile RAPTOR – Reconnaissance Air Pod for Tornado – which enables it to gather high-resolution imagery. " class="size-full wp-image-48837" height="438" src="http://defense-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/MARHAM_RAPTOR700.jpg" width="700" /><div class="wp-caption-text">
The
Royal Air Force launched one of its Tornado strike fighters on Thursday
February 23, 2014 to capture a highly detailed aerial picture of the
areas affected by the floods in southern England, after a request by
Gold commanders in the Thames Valley. The aircraft, operated by the
RAF’s 31 Squadron, is equipped with the highly versatile RAPTOR –
Reconnaissance Air Pod for Tornado – which enables it to gather
high-resolution imagery. Photo: Crown Copyright</div>
</div>
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_48846" style="width: 310px;">
<img alt="The air crew of the Sentinel monitoring surveillance images collected in flight. Photo: UK MOD, Crown Copyright" class="size-full wp-image-48846" height="351" src="http://defense-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/SENTINEL_CREW.jpg" width="300" /><div class="wp-caption-text">
The air crew of the Sentinel monitoring surveillance images collected in flight. Photo: UK MOD, Crown Copyright</div>
</div>
No 5(Army Cooperation) Squadron operates the Advanced Stand Of Radar (ASTOR) radar surveillance system, and comprises 5 <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/sentinel-r1" target="_blank" title="View all posts in Sentinel R1">Sentinel R1</a></span>
aircraft and 8 Ground Stations. The concept of the ASTOR system is to
provide a highly effective 24-hour surveillance and target acquisition
capability. It delivers wide area, all-weather, tactical, theatre and
national surveillance information in near real time. At its heart is a
dual mode Synthetic Aperture/Moving Target Indicator (<span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/sar" target="_blank" title="View all posts in SAR">SAR</a></span>/MTI)
radar. The SAR provides high-resolution images and the MTI monitors
hostile forces – their quantity, direction and speed. The imagery can be
exploited both on board the aircraft and on the ground, is passed to
Ground Stations at both theatre and tactical level. By operating at high
altitude and considerable stand-off distances, the radar platform is
able to remain over safe territory while providing an excellent
‘look-down’ angle of the target area.<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_48845" style="width: 710px;">
<img alt="Sentinel R1 aircraft operated by No 5 Squadron. Photo: UK MOD, Crown Copyright" class="size-full wp-image-48845" height="411" src="http://defense-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/sentinel_r1700.jpg" width="700" /><div class="wp-caption-text">
Sentinel R1 aircraft operated by No 5 Squadron. Photo: UK MOD, Crown Copyright</div>
</div>
mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13126205483592611094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-263609341728801380.post-8770519128554348872014-02-19T12:30:00.001-08:002014-02-19T12:30:23.334-08:00WiFi Roaming Demoed at MWC <div class="title">
<h2 id="post-79638">
<a href="http://www.dailywireless.org/2014/02/17/wifi-roaming-demoed-at-mwc/" itemprop="name">
WiFi Roaming Demoed at MWC </a>
</h2>
<small>Posted by
<span class="author">
Sam Churchill </span>
on
<time datetime="2014-02-17T10:41:25+00:00" itemprop="datePublished">
February 17th, 2014 </time>
</small>
</div>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
The <a href="http://www.wballiance.com/">Wireless Broadband Alliance</a> (WBA) and <a href="http://www.wi-fi.org/">Wi-Fi Alliance</a> will <a href="http://www.wi-fi.org/news-events/newsroom/wireless-broadband-alliance-and-wi-fi-alliance%C2%AE-to-demonstrate-wi-fi%C2%AE-roaming">co-host a demonstration of Wi-Fi roaming</a> at <a href="http://www.mobileworldcongress.com/">Mobile World Congress</a> next week in association with the <a href="http://www.wballiance.com/carrier-wi-fi-summit/?gclid=CIWM2Inm07wCFZRsfgod5ksAPg">WBA Carrier Wi-Fi Summit</a> hosted onsite. <br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.wballiance.com/carrier-wi-fi-summit/?gclid=CIWM2Inm07wCFZRsfgod5ksAPg" target="new"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7299/12595004234_f458258140.jpg" /></a>
</div>
<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/17/tx-wi-fi-alliance-idUSnBw175223a+100+BSW20140217">The demonstration features seamless network authentication and roaming</a> across different networks using <a href="http://www.wi-fi.org/discover-wi-fi/wi-fi-certified-passpoint">Certified Passpoint devices</a>
made available for attendees. Supported by 18 operators, the
demonstration offers a look at a live Next Generation Hotspot network
from seven vendors. The association says it reflects the momentum toward
industry-standard easy-to-use Wi-Fi hotspots and roaming.<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.maravedis-bwa.com/en/" target="new"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7348/12594497705_061643de30.jpg" /></a>
</div>
According to research conducted by <a href="http://www.dailywireless.org/page/2/xxx">Maravedis-Rethink</a>
on behalf of WBA, more than half of operators surveyed have become
“more confident” about investing in public Wi-Fi than in the previous
year. More than 27 global operators have participated in three phases of
WBA NGH trials, and to date, more than 400 devices have obtained
Passpoint certification, including a wide range of smartphones and
tablets. <br />
By 2018, ,small cells will be contributing 28% of additional capacity and 75% of them will integrate Wi-Fi, according to <a href="http://www.maravedis-bwa.com/en">Maravedis-Rethink</a>.<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.maravedis-bwa.com/en/" target="new"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2821/12594498075_98ea371d70.jpg" /></a>
</div>
<a href="http://www.wballiance.com/2014/02/14/wireless-broadband-alliance-unites-industry-stakeholders-to-define-carrier-wi-fi/#more-4176">The WBA brought together nearly 20 of the world’s largest operators and vendors</a>
to participate in defining the Carrier Wi-Fi vision. They include:
Accuris Networks, AT&T, BSG Wireless, BSkyB, BT, CableLabs, China
Mobile, Cisco, Comcast, Ericsson, Huawei, Intel Corporation, NTT DOCOMO,
Orange, Qualcomm, Ruckus Wireless, SK Telecom, Time Warner Cable and
Towerstream. <br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.dailywireless.org/2014/02/13/comcast-buying-time-warner-cable" target="new"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7438/10348615326_92d52d7b8e.jpg" /></a>
</div>
The “<a href="http://www.cablewifi.com/">CableWiFi</a>” network
identifier (SSID) allows devices to auto-connect to a “CableWiFi”
hotspot when in range. The wireless gateways that Comcast is installing
in Xfinity Homes, contain two SSIDs, enabling consumer cable WiFi boxes
to “share” their WiFi. <br />
See related Dailywireless articles; <a href="http://www.dailywireless.org/2014/02/13/comcast-buying-time-warner-cable/">Comcast Buying Time Warner Cable</a>, <a href="http://www.dailywireless.org/2013/11/05/ad-sponsored-wifi-initiatives-from-gowex-facebook/">Ad-Sponsored WiFi Initiatives from Gowex & Facebook</a> and <a href="http://www.dailywireless.org/2013/06/10/comcast-creates-hotspot-2-0-national-network/">Comcast Creates Hotspot 2.0 National Network</a><br />
</div>
mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13126205483592611094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-263609341728801380.post-55294220870152473662014-02-19T12:22:00.001-08:002014-02-19T12:22:23.064-08:002013: 6.7 Billion Mobile Subs <div class="title">
<h2 id="post-79711">
<a href="http://www.dailywireless.org/2014/02/18/2013-6-7-billion-mobile-subs/" itemprop="name">
2013: 6.7 Billion Mobile Subs </a>
</h2>
<small>Posted by
<span class="author">
Sam Churchill </span>
on
<time datetime="2014-02-18T10:44:53+00:00" itemprop="datePublished">
February 18th, 2014 </time>
</small>
</div>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<a href="http://www.ericsson.com/news/140218-lte-subscriptions-reached-200-million-in-q4-2013_244099438_c">The Ericsson Mobility Report released today</a>
says mobile subscriptions through 2013 are now 6.7 billion, although
the actual number of subscribers is around 4.5 billion, since many have
several subscriptions. <br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.ericsson.com/news/140218-lte-subscriptions-reached-200-million-in-q4-2013_244099438_c" target="new"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7439/12618093824_7ffe1d31ab.jpg" /></a>
</div>
Close to 60% of all mobile phones sold in Q4 2013 were smartphones,
compared to around 45 percent in Q4 2012. Some 40 million new LTE
subscriptions were added during Q4 2013.<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.ericsson.com/news/140218-lte-subscriptions-reached-200-million-in-q4-2013_244099438_c" target="new"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3765/12617675035_6e799cca49.jpg" /></a>
</div>
The report also shows that data traffic grew 70% between Q4 2012 and
Q4 2013. Voice traffic, meanwhile, was practically flat, and an
increasingly tiny percentage of the bandwidth used.<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://blog.3g4g.co.uk/2014/02/the-rise-and-rise-or-4g-update-on.html" target="new"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXp_yu2oXLUDaHasUfoH4fO_Ltoa6zDl7BgBE58q3eDNjoXdjdrCImN-S3L_c1Ml8Ifo5OuAegPgIuEi4mmEEUvsUNdSGm1b23Ut-zGNBKd-WbpRQN-1B_4Vc-0RfEEmeZmI-k5IIYNx4/s1600/2014-02-14-china-technology-share.png" /></a>
</div>
<a href="http://blog.3g4g.co.uk/2014/02/the-rise-and-rise-or-4g-update-on.html">A recent GSMA report</a> suggests that China will be a significant player in the field of 4G with up to 900 million 4G users by 2020.<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://blog.3g4g.co.uk/2014/02/the-rise-and-rise-or-4g-update-on.html" target="new"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7431/12638234905_95f30713f9.jpg" /></a>
</div>
<a href="http://www.4gamericas.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=pressreleasedisplay&pressreleaseid=5095">4G Americas predicts</a> that by the end of 2018, HSPA/HSPA+ subs would number 4.2 billion while some 1.3 Billion connected devices would use LTE.<br />
</div>
mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13126205483592611094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-263609341728801380.post-61344756983637490362014-02-19T12:21:00.003-08:002014-02-19T12:21:49.340-08:00Pentaband Antennas Deployed<div class="title">
<h2 id="post-79718">
<a href="http://www.dailywireless.org/2014/02/18/pentaband-antennas-deployed/" itemprop="name">
Pentaband Antennas Deployed </a>
</h2>
<small>Posted by
<span class="author">
Sam Churchill </span>
on
<time datetime="2014-02-18T12:12:13+00:00" itemprop="datePublished">
February 18th, 2014 </time>
</small>
</div>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<a href="http://www.stc.com.sa/wps/wcm/connect/english/individual/individual">Saudi Telecom</a> will <a href="http://www.telecomlead.com/4g-lte/saudi-telecom-deploy-huawei-penta-band-antennas-boost-td-lte-fd-lte-network-53778/">deploy Huawei Penta-band Antennas</a>
to boost their TD-LTE and FD-LTE network. STC, the Middle East’s
largest operator with 160 million subscribers, decided to deploy <a href="http://www.huawei.com/us/products/radio-access/antenna-rf/list/index.htm#">Penta-band Antennas</a>
since its GSM/UMTS network was unable to meet rapid growth in demands
for data services. It now operates the world’s largest TDD/FDD
convergent network.<br />
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/167737083/Huawei-Antenna-Antenna-Line-Products-Catalogue-general-version-2013-01-20130128-pdf" target="new"><img align="right" hspace="10/" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2834/12619223455_3e1981b4a3_o.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.huawei.com/ilink/en/about-huawei/newsroom/press-release/HW_326119">Huawei’s Penta-band antennas</a> simultaneously supports five bands on the 690-960MHz and 4×1710-2690MHz spectrum bands in a single compact antenna design.<br />
The antennas support plug-and-play EasyRET (Remote Electronic Tilt),
which provides embedded remote control unit to enhance system
efficiency. Different spectrum bands are able to be independently
adjusted to achieve better coverage. <br />
Huawei says they have shipped more than 1.65 million antennas to more than 360 operators in 155 countries. <a href="https://www.abiresearch.com/press/lte-tdd-has-a-lower-total-cost-of-ownership-than-l">According to ABI Research</a>, the Total Cost of Ownership is 13% lower for a LTE-TDD network. If utilized for backhaul, <a href="http://www.microwavejournal.com/articles/20654">LTE-TDD can provide a 33% saving over Point-To-Point Microwave</a> and a 43% saving over fiber. <br />
<a href="http://nsn.com/news-events/press-room/press-releases/nsn-and-sprint-hit-26-gbps-td-lte-throughput-triumphs-previous-record-by-63-percent-mwc14">Sprint recently demonstrated 2.6 Gbps TD-LTE throughput</a> over a single sector using NSN’s commercially available <a href="http://nsn.com/portfolio/products/mobile-broadband/single-ran-advanced/flexi-multiradio-10-base-station">Flexi Multiradio 10 Base Station</a>. <a href="http://www.convergedigest.com/2014/02/nsn-and-sprint-hit-26-gbps-with-td-lte.html">The tests conducted at NSN’s Mountain View facility, aggregated 120 MHz</a> of Sprint’s TDD spectrum to achieve an unprecedented speed of 2.6 Gbps. <br />
<div align="center">
</div>
The <a href="http://nsn.com/news-events/press-room/press-releases/mobile-broadband-ace-nsn-wins-sprint-deal-for-large-scale-tdd-lte-roll-out">previous record was 1.6 Gbps</a>.
Sprint has plenty of 60 GHz chunks, which can deliver over 1.3 Gbps.
Even if the average total throughput is something closer to 300 Mbps to
end users, that’s still equivalent to 100 HD video streams (using H.265
at 3 Mbps each).<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.convergedigest.com/2013/11/nsn-enhances-td-lte-base-station-for-26.html" target="new"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfuze2zfbEi3c08U8Yhk1yPtcN_Z83ClHLi-jdacAqfkVVilAimiMEQghgnfD88jELEmxj4Rm4FKpqexdVW4seNEnq1i6MjKO4hQXcPNgkfSHyzlQMnjdM9rXqgy8EPwCcQTzFFB6Pow/s320/nsn-bs.jpg" /></a>
</div>
<a href="http://nsn.com/news-events/press-room/press-releases/nsn-enhances-td-lte-base-station-transmission-power-and-capacity-for-band-41-1gbperday">NSN’s TD-LTE 8-pipe radio module supports up to 120 MHz of channel bandwidth in Band 41 spectrum</a> (used by Sprint’s 2.6 GHz band). The 2.6 GHz LTE TDD spectrum is used in Brazil, China, India, Japan, Russia and the USA.<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.slideshare.net/NokiaSiemensNetworks/tdlte-using-8-pipes-radio-head" target="new"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2837/12619711165_7569a26755.jpg" /></a>
</div>
Broadcom, NSN and Finnish operator Elisa demonstrated LTE data rates
of 300 Mbps on a live commercial network in the Nordic Countries, <a href="http://nsn.com/news-events/press-room/press-releases/broadcom-and-nsn-demonstrate-category-6-lte-advanced-300-mbps-on-live-commercial-network-f">aggregating two 20 MHz channels</a>, one in the 1800 MHz band (LTE Band 3) and one in the 2600 MHz band (LTE Band 7) to reach speeds of 300 Mbps.<br />
<a href="http://www.fiercewireless.com/tech/story/sprint-nsn-tout-demo-26-gbps-throughput-td-lte/2014-02-05">NSN provides infrastructure equipment for all three of South Korea’s FDD-based LTE Advanced networks</a>, which were each launched last summer by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SK_Telecom">SK Telecom</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KT_Corporation">KT</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LG_Uplus">LG U+</a>.<br />
</div>
mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13126205483592611094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-263609341728801380.post-90063919336858295792014-02-19T12:20:00.002-08:002014-02-19T12:20:52.712-08:00 Tablets Up, Laptops Down, Desktops Out <div class="title">
<h2 id="post-79754">
<a href="http://www.dailywireless.org/2014/02/18/tablets-up-laptops-down/" itemprop="name">
Tablets Up, Laptops Down, Desktops Out </a>
</h2>
<small>Posted by
<span class="author">
Sam Churchill </span>
on
<time datetime="2014-02-18T22:44:08+00:00" itemprop="datePublished">
February 18th, 2014 </time>
</small>
</div>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<a href="http://www.displaysearch.com/cps/rde/xchg/displaysearch/hs.xsl/140206_global_tablet_pc_shipments_to_reach_455_million_by_2017.asp">A report tabled by NPD Display Search</a> claims demand for tablet devices is expected to scale new heights this year with <a href="http://goodereader.com/blog/tablet-slates/tablet-sales-trend-discussed-phablets-emerge-strong-player">315 million tablet devices projected to be sold in 2014</a>, rising to 455 million by 2017.
<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://goodereader.com/blog/tablet-slates/tablet-sales-trend-discussed-phablets-emerge-strong-player" target="new"><img src="http://goodereader.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/uploads/images/tablets4.jpg" /></a>
</div>
“Competition is expected to increase as traditional notebook PC
brands, including Lenovo, HP, and Dell update their product portfolios
to emphasize tablet PCs”, said Richard Shim, senior analyst at NPD
DisplaySearch.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<ins style="background-color: transparent; border: none; display: inline-table; height: 60px; margin: 0; padding: 0; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 468px;"><ins id="aswift_0_anchor" style="background-color: transparent; border: none; display: block; height: 60px; margin: 0; padding: 0; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 468px;"></ins></ins></div>
<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.displaysearch.com/cps/rde/xchg/displaysearch/hs.xsl/140206_global_tablet_pc_shipments_to_reach_455_million_by_2017.asp" target="new"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3684/12629242274_4ac04afbb1.jpg" /></a>
</div>
Standard notebook PC shipments are forecast to decline from 155
million in 2013 to 105 million in 2017. Ultra-slim PC shipments will
rise from 26 million in 2013 to 57 million in 2017.
<br />
Emerging regions will account for an increasing share of
worldwide mobile PC shipments, growing from 57%, or 274 million in 2014,
to 62%, or 385 million, by 2017. Growth will be led by tablet PCs,
which will account for 70% of mobile PC shipments to emerging regions in
2014.
</div>
mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13126205483592611094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-263609341728801380.post-85303901043905565992014-02-19T12:19:00.002-08:002014-02-19T12:19:57.321-08:00Google Fiber Expands to More Cities <div class="title">
<h2 id="post-79788">
<a href="http://www.dailywireless.org/2014/02/19/google-fiber/" itemprop="name">
Google Fiber Expands to More Cities </a>
</h2>
<small>Posted by
<span class="author">
Sam Churchill </span>
on
<time datetime="2014-02-19T11:23:34+00:00" itemprop="datePublished">
February 19th, 2014 </time>
</small>
</div>
<a href="http://arstechnica.com/business/2014/02/google-fiber-chooses-nine-metro-areas-for-possible-expansion/">Google Fiber is ready to expand</a>, reports ArsTechnica. <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/exploring-new-cities-for-google-fiber.html">Google has identified nine areas around the country</a> as possible deployment sites. Currently, Kansas City (KS and MO), Provo UT and Austin TX are using Google’s gigabit fiber.<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/exploring-new-cities-for-google-fiber.html" target="new"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3719/12640761204_f4cfa11170.jpg" /></a>
</div>
“We’ve invited 34 cities in nine metro areas across the US to work
with us to explore what it would take to build a new fiber-optic network
in their community,” Google said in an announcement today. There’s no
guarantee for any of these cities. <br />
Google is asking municipal officials to do the following:<br />
<ul>
<li>Provide detailed, accurate maps of existing infrastructure like utility poles, conduits, and water, gas, and electricity lines.
</li>
<li>Ensure the company can access and put its fiber on existing poles or conduits.
</li>
<li>Review permitting processes to make sure cities can handle as much
as 100x their usual number of permit requests—once it starts building.
</li>
</ul>
mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13126205483592611094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-263609341728801380.post-35394610427345825982014-02-19T12:01:00.002-08:002014-02-19T12:01:54.853-08:00British Taranis Stealth UCAV is Expanding Flight Envelope over Australia<em><strong>Last week the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) and <span class="wp_keywordlink"><a href="http://defense-update.com/business-directory?listing=bae-systems" title="BAE Systems">BAE Systems</a></span> confirmed that the <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/taranis" target="_blank" title="View all posts in Taranis">Taranis</a></span> stealthy Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (<span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/ucav" target="_blank" title="View all posts in UCAV">UCAV</a></span>)
demonstrator surpassed all expectations during its first flight trials
last year. Since the first flight, conducted August 10th, 2013 the <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/ucav" target="_blank" title="View all posts in UCAV">UCAV</a></span> has been expanding the flight envelope in preparation for the follow-on operational demonstration phase.</strong><br /> </em><br />
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_48853" style="width: 710px;">
<img alt="A side view of the Taranis UCAV in flight. Photo: BAE Systems/MOD" class="size-full wp-image-48853" height="353" src="http://defense-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/taranis_flight_side.jpg" width="700" /><div class="wp-caption-text">
A side view of the Taranis UCAV in flight. Photo: BAE Systems/MOD</div>
</div>
<span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/taranis" target="_blank" title="View all posts in Taranis">Taranis</a></span>
is designed to demonstrate the UK’s ability to create an unmanned air
system which, under the control of a human operator, is capable of
undertaking sustained surveillance, marking targets, gathering
intelligence, deterring adversaries and carrying out strikes in hostile
territory.<br />
<span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/taranis" target="_blank" title="View all posts in Taranis">Taranis</a></span> made its maiden flight at the <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/woomera" target="_blank" title="View all posts in Woomera">Woomera</a></span> test range in South Australia on Saturday 10th August 2013, under the command of <span class="wp_keywordlink"><a href="http://defense-update.com/business-directory?listing=bae-systems" title="BAE Systems">BAE Systems</a></span>’
test pilot Bob Fraser. The first flight lasted only 15 minutes, in
which the demonstrator aircraft took off, rotation, ‘climb-out’ and
returned for landing. In a number of follow-on flights that took place
last year, Taranis extended flight duration to one hour, operating at a
variety of altitudes and speeds, as part of the envelope testing.<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_48852" style="width: 710px;">
<img alt="The serrated contour of the weapon's bay is clearly seen in this photo, where the stealthy Taranis shows its belly and underwing area on a banking turn. Photo: BAE Systems, UK MOD." class="size-full wp-image-48852" height="376" src="http://defense-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/taranis_in_flight.jpg" width="700" /><div class="wp-caption-text">
The
serrated contour of the weapon’s bay is clearly seen in this photo,
where the stealthy Taranis shows its belly and underwing area on a
banking turn. Photo: BAE Systems, UK MOD.</div>
</div>
“The findings from
the aircraft’s flight prove that the UK has developed a significant
lead in understanding unmanned aircraft which could strike with
precision over a long range whilst remaining undetected.” BAE Sources
said, indicating the technological advances made through Taranis will
also help the UK MOD and Royal Air Force make decisions on the future
mix of manned and unmanned fast jet aircraft and how they will operate
together in a safe and effective manner for the UK’s defences. The MOD
is considering a yet undefined ‘Future Combat Air System ‘FCAS’ –
possibly a UCAV to replace the Eurofighter Typhoon in RAF service as the
Typhoon reaches retirement by 2030. As Defense-Update reported two
weeks ago, the UK and France announced an agreement to explore
collaborate in the development of such platform, at an investment of
£120 million. The two countries are expected to sign a formal memorandum
of understanding (MOU) to launch the two-year program in July 2014.<br />
“The
first flight of Taranis represents a major landmark for UK aviation.
The demonstrator is the most advanced air system ever conceived,
designed and built in the UK. Nigel Whitehead, Group Managing Director
of <span class="wp_keywordlink"><a href="http://defense-update.com/business-directory?listing=bae-systems" title="BAE Systems">BAE Systems</a></span>
said, commenting on the Taranis flight announcement, ”It truly
represents an evolution of everything that has come before it. This
milestone confirms the UK’s leading position as a centre for engineering
excellence and innovation.”<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_48854" style="width: 410px;">
<img alt="Taranis awaiting takeoff at Woomera Test Range, South Australia. Photo: BAE Systems/UK MOD " class="size-full wp-image-48854" height="316" src="http://defense-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/taranis_on_runway.jpg" width="400" /><div class="wp-caption-text">
Taranis awaiting takeoff at Woomera Test Range, South Australia. Photo: BAE Systems/UK MOD</div>
</div>
Costing
£185 million ($300 million) and funded jointly by the UK MOD and UK
industry, the Taranis demonstrator aircraft was formally unveiled in
July 2010. The Taranis demonstrator is the result of 1,500,000 man hours
of work by the UK’s leading scientists, aerodynamicists and systems
engineers from 250 UK companies, but only few scientists and engineers
have ever been given full access to the top secret aircraft.<br />
About the size of a <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/bae_sys" target="_blank" title="View all posts in BAE Systems">BAE Systems</a></span> Hawk aircraft – Taranis has been designed and built by <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/bae_sys" target="_blank" title="View all posts in BAE Systems">BAE Systems</a></span>,
Rolls-Royce, the Systems division of GE Aviation (formerly Smiths
Aerospace) and QinetiQ working alongside UK MOD military staff and
scientists. In addition to prime contracting the project, BAE Systems
led on many elements of the Taranis technology demonstrator, including
the low observability, systems integration, control infrastructure and
full autonomy elements (in partnership with QinetiQ).<br />
Ground
testing commenced later in 2010 at BAE Systems’ military aircraft
factory in Warton, Lancashire in the UK, followed by a comprehensive and
highly detailed programme of pre-first flight milestones including
unmanned pilot training, radar cross section measurements, ground
station system integration. Taxi trials began in April 2013 taxi trials
on the runway at Warton. Following those tests the aircraft and its
ground station were shipped to Australia where it was re-assembled and
prepared for further tests. The aircraft resumed high speed taxi tests
in July 2013 before its maiden flight in August.<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_48851" style="width: 710px;">
<img alt="taranis_prepared_tug" class=" wp-image-48851" height="378" src="http://defense-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/taranis_prepared_tug.jpg" width="700" /><div class="wp-caption-text">
Taranis is towed to the ground preparation position before flight. Photo: UK MOD/BAE Systems</div>
</div>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_48850" style="width: 710px;">
<img alt="Taranis awaiting takeoff at Woomera Test Range, South Australia. Photo: BAE Systems/UK MOD " class="size-full wp-image-48850" height="411" src="http://defense-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/taranis_taxi800.jpg" width="700" /><div class="wp-caption-text">
Taranis on the runway. Photo: BAE Systems/UK MOD</div>
</div>
mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13126205483592611094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-263609341728801380.post-70986804704433674422014-02-19T12:00:00.001-08:002014-02-19T12:00:56.813-08:00General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) Canada has won a major arms procurement contract from Saudi Arabia, for the procurement of armored vehicles worth over $10 billion.General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/canada" target="_blank" title="View all posts in Canada">Canada</a></span> has won a major arms procurement contract from <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/saudi-arabia" target="_blank" title="View all posts in Saudi Arabia">Saudi Arabia</a></span>, for the procurement of armored vehicles worth over $10 billion. The vehicles will follow a new design to be built at <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/gdls-canada" target="_blank" title="View all posts in GDLS Canada">GDLS Canada</a></span> plant at London, Ontario.<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_48813" style="width: 710px;">
<img alt="GDLS Canada is currently producing at London, Ontario the Ocelot light armored vehicle and the Piranha based LAV 8x8 vehicle. Photo: DLS Canada. " class="size-full wp-image-48813" height="367" src="http://defense-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/ocelot_700.jpg" width="700" /><div class="wp-caption-text">
GDLS <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/canada" target="_blank" title="View all posts in Canada">Canada</a></span>
is currently producing at London, Ontario the Ocelot light armored
vehicle and the Piranha based LAV 8×8 vehicle. Photo: DLS Canada.</div>
</div>
Two vehicle families are currently built at the plant – the <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/piranha" target="_blank" title="View all posts in Piranha">Piranha</a></span> based Light Armored Vehicle (<span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/lav" target="_blank" title="View all posts in LAV">LAV</a></span>) and <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/ocelot" target="_blank" title="View all posts in Ocelot">Ocelot</a></span>
originally designed by Force Protection Inc. The first vehicles will
roll off the production line in 2016. The number of vehicles included in
the deal has not been disclosed. The package includes training in <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/canada" target="_blank" title="View all posts in Canada">Canada</a></span> and <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/saudi-arabia" target="_blank" title="View all posts in Saudi Arabia">Saudi Arabia</a></span>, as well as logistical support.<br />
The
Saudi government has been shopping for light, fast and off-road
maneuverable armored vehicles from different manufacturers since 2009.<br />
Responding
to criticism about selling arms to a country that have systematically
violated human rights, the Canadian Government defended the deal saying
that the Saudi deal will create and sustain more than 3,000 jobs a year
for 14 years and will benefit 500 Canadian companies. “Canada won these
jobs over rival bids from our western allies Germany and France. We
supported this agreement to bring these jobs to Canada.” Trade Minister
Ed Fast said, adding that the value of the deal could climb to nearly
$14 billion if all options are exercised.<br />
The contract with the
Saudis follows an agreement last year that saw General Dynamics win a
$65.3-million US contract with the Colombian government for the
acquisition of 24 light armored vehicles. General Dynamics continues to
bid for other international orders, including one from Morocco.<br />
In
contrast, last December the Canadian Ministry of Defense cancelled the
procurement of 108 ‘Close Combat Vehicles’ (CCV) in a deal that would
have worth $2 billions. <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/gdls-canada" target="_blank" title="View all posts in GDLS Canada">GDLS Canada</a></span>, the French Nexter and <span class="wp_keywordlink"><a href="http://defense-update.com/business-directory?listing=kmw" title="KMW">KMW</a></span> of Germany were all competing for this program.<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_48812" style="width: 810px;">
<img alt="GDLS is currently producing the upgrade kits for the Canadian LAV III vehicles (LAV UP) for the Canadian Army. Photo: GDLS Canada" class="size-full wp-image-48812" height="470" src="http://defense-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/lav3up-800.jpg" width="800" /><div class="wp-caption-text">
GDLS is currently producing the upgrade kits for the Canadian <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="http://defense-update.com/tag/lav" target="_blank" title="View all posts in LAV">LAV</a></span> III vehicles (LAV UP) for the Canadian Army. Photo: GDLS Canada</div>
</div>
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