Washington D.C. -based public interest group Public Knowledge has published a new consumer warning against new 4G service being offered by wireless operators in the U.S.

In a new report entitled “4G + Data Caps = Magic Beans,” the firm said that “consumers will find their experiences with the faster services severely hampered by the rationing techniques the carriers impose on customers who use lots data — such as watching video.”  The warning comes as operators like Verizon, Sprint and AT&T are feverishly marketing their 4G networks to help sway new subscribers.  With low data caps, however, consumers might not get what they thought they were signing up for.

Continue Reading

The BBC is going mobile.

The venerable British news organization is actively developing a smartphone app that, according to published reports, will enable BBC reporters in the field to upload video, photos and audio clips directly into the BBC system from an Apple iPhone or iPad.

The new app, due to be in use within a month or so, is also intended to allow reporters to broadcast live from an iPhone using only 3G signal.

Continue Reading

Qualcomm, a leader in 3G and next-generation mobile technologies, is ramping up its Wireless Reach initiative by forging relationships for an exciting new project with Gyeonggi Province, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), and Korea Telecom (KT).

Given the rapidly escalating age of the Korean population and the similar escalation in associated medial costs, Qualcomm and company are hopeful that the new joint effort will be consequential in host of positive ways.

Continue Reading

Sprint has announced a new partnership with health monitoring systems provider BodyMedia and the result of which could be a newer, healthier you.

At least that’s the pitch that Sprint and BodyMedia are trying to make in a clear effort to capitalize on the fitness frenzies that usually accompany the start of a new year via millions of resolutions made in regard to weigh loss and greater physical fitness.

Continue Reading

The iPad will make its grand debut in an unlikely location this Friday, September 17th.

On Monday, Apple announced that China will receive the Wi-Fi iPad before the end of the week. The tablet will be available through Apple’s retail outlets and other select authorized dealers.

The 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB models will all be released. The 16GB model, however, will be the cheapest at roughly $590. The 32GB and 64GB models will run $708 and $826, respectively.

It should be noted that the Chinese Wi-Fi iPad is practically identical to the iPads released elsewhere around the world.

Nonetheless, doubts remain as to whether the 3G model will ever see the light of day China, as Chinese government officials remain concerned about the device’s 3G use in the nation.

Continue Reading

Version 1.1.0 of the hugely popular Netflix App has been released. And, as promised, it delivers video streaming Support both to Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch.

The iOS App Store software update, released on Thursday, makes good on the pledge from Netflix last April to provide iPhone and iPod touch users with the ability stream movies directly from their handset.

Netflix subscribers with unlimited memberships can now view unlimited content on their iDevices directly from their Instant Watch queue.

From PC World:

Browsing through and searching for titles is as easy as it sounds, though you can expect to do a lot of scrolling on the iPhone’s 3.5-inch screen. Once you find a title you like, you can add it to your Instant Queue or start playing it immediately.

Continue Reading

Mobile video ad network Rhythm NewMedia indicates in a new report that 3G networks are responsible for carrying a whopping 72% of all video content watched on Android smartphones in the United States.

When it comes to video consumption over 3G, Android takes the cake hands down. iPhone users, in fact, only tap 3G for 56% of their mobile video consumption.

Overall, the report notes, 3G accounts for 53% of mobile video traffic. The remaining 47% is attributed to WiFi.

With regarded to concentrated use, however, Rhythm NewMedia indicates that mobile video viewing habits are evenly distributed throughout a 24-hour period. This represents a stark contrast to the viewing patterns of mobile TV fans, who tend to concentrate their use of mobile TV in the evening.

Interestingly enough, despite criticisms of the “short attention span” of many mobile phone users, of all the viewers who access full-length chunks of video and episodic content, an impressive 26.5 percent of viewers watch the content in its entirely from their mobile device.

Continue Reading