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| AT&T blames iPhone 4 slowdown on Alcatel bug |
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Heavy demand for upload capacity from the iPhone 4 has exposed a flaw in the software for Alcatel-Lucent's 3G network equipment, temporarily forcing lower upstream speeds for some AT&T subscribers.
Alcatel is working on fixing the bug and expects to know soon when it will be fixed, according to company spokeswoman Mary Ward. The flaw did not cause problems until the introduction of the iPhone 4, which comes with features such as high-definition video that can require a fast connection from the phone up to the network, she said. Downstream performance is not affected.
"It came to the forefront after the iPhone 4 launch because of the big increase in the uplink data," Ward said.
The problem affects devices that use HSUPA (High-Speed Uplink Packet Access) technology, the fastest upstream system AT&T uses. In addition to the iPhone 4, that includes AT&T's LaptopConnect cards for PCs and netbooks. However, because the problem is only in areas where AT&T uses Alcatel equipment, it affects only about 2 percent of the carrier's mobile subscribers, said AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel.
While the bug is being fixed, AT&T is providing regular 3G upstream speeds instead of HSUPA, but the carrier will not shut down service in the course of solving the problem, he said.
iPhone 4 users commenting on some message boards have said their upstream speed in the past few days has fallen below 100Kbit/sec. from more than 1Mbit/sec. Some accused AT&T of capping iPhone users' upload speeds.
The problem is not affecting other carriers that use Alcatel's HSUPA equipment, according to Ward.
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| Three more Microsoft zero-day bugs pop up |
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Microsoft faces a rash of zero-day vulnerabilities in some of its most important software, according to recent disclosures of unpatched bugs, including flaws in Windows XP, Internet Explorer and its flagship Web server.
Along with the unveiling of a vulnerability by a group of disgruntled security researchers who have dubbed themselves the Microsoft-Spurned Researcher Collective (MSRC), Microsoft has been served notice of at least three other flaws in the last few weeks.
Last Thursday, researcher Soroush Dalili published information about a vulnerability in Internet Information Services (IIS), Microsoft's Web server software. According to Dalili, who works as an information security analyst in the gambling and casino industry, authentication in older editions of IIS can be bypassed, giving attackers a leg up in any assault on a companies Web server.
The bug can be exploited in IIS 5.1, but not the newer IIS 6, IIS 7 or IIS 7.5, said Dalili.
Microsoft said it was investigating the vulnerability, but as it did Tuesday when it commented on the Microsoft-Spurned Researcher Collective-issued bug report, the company downplayed the threat. "IIS is not installed by default and users must change the default configuration in order to be vulnerable," said Jerry Bryant, a group manager with the Microsoft Security Response Center, in an e-mail today.
Vulnerability tracker Secunia rated the threat as "moderately critical," the middle ranking in its five-step system.
Earlier last week, Ruben Santamarta, a researcher at the Spanish security firm Wintercore, disclosed information and published attack code for a critical vulnerability in Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) running on Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7. Santamarta claimed that the bug could be used to sidestep DEP (data execution prevention) and ASLR (address space layout randomization), two security defenses baked into Windows.
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| Bluetooth 4.0 spec approved; will reach devices later this year |
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The Bluetooth 4.0 low-power wireless networking specification has been approved, and the technology will start appearing in devices such as smart meters and laptops later this year, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group said on Wednesday.
Chips with the Bluetooth 4.0 standard have gone through a rigorous testing process, and the technology is being certified and licensed for use in chips and devices, said Mike Foley, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG, the standards-setting organization. Companies can now start designing and manufacturing devices using the standard.
The Bluetooth 4.0 standard is an update to the previous Bluetooth 3.0 wireless technology, which was announced in 2009. The new standard adds a low-power specification for transmitting small bursts of data over short ranges. The standard will also include the high-speed data transfer capabilities introduced with Bluetooth 3.0, which allows devices to jump on Wi-Fi 802.11 networks to transfer data at up to 25M bps (bits per second).
The technology could first make its way to watches, smart meters, pedometers and other gadgets that run on coin-cell batteries, Foley said. Laptops and smartphones could ultimately include Bluetooth 4.0 and be able to collect data from gadgets. That should help in activities such as monitoring health and energy usage, Foley said.
Wireless capabilities are continuously being added to gadgets like cameras to help them communicate with other devices. Technologies such as Wi-Fi maintain continued connectivity, which could affect the battery life of devices. Bluetooth 4.0 could be used for devices to exchange low-level information over short distances without using much energy.
There are other already wireless technologies that could compete with Bluetooth 4.0. The Nike+iPod kit uses proprietary technology to send quick bursts of information from a sensor in a Nike shoe to Apple's iPod and iPhone devices. In late June, Monster announced the Vision Max 3D glasses, which uses Zigbee Alliance's low-power wireless networking specification to communicate with a TV set.
The Bluetooth SIG has more than 13,000 member companies worldwide, including Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft, Motorola and Nokia.
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| Flying cars set to soar into the marketplace in 2011 |
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omputerworld - A Massachusetts company hopes to start delivering its flying car to customers by late 2011.
Terrafugia Inc., founded about five years ago by MIT graduates, got a key go-ahead last month when the Federal Aviation Administration granted a special weight limit exemption to the company for its flying car -- or "roadable aircraft" -- which is called the Transition.
With that FAA clearance under the its belt, the company said it is on track to deliver the first Transitions to customers late next year.
The Transition, which is designed with foldable wings, successfully completed its first flight on March 5, 2009, after six months of road testing.
"To actually have it fly is a dream come true," said Richard Gersh, a vice president at Terrafugia, at the time. "I'm not sure it's up there with the Wright brothers, but it's awfully close."
The two-seater vehicle falls into the light sport aircraft category and is expected to be priced at about $148,000. People will need a sport pilot certificate to fly the Transition, which is designed to take off and land at small, local airports and to drive on virtually any road.
The vehicle, which runs on unleaded gasoline, can travel up to 450 miles and can fly at 115 mph. It's also designed to fit into a typical household garage.
Company executives said during a meeting with Massachusetts legislators earlier this year that Terrafugia hopes to create "hundreds" of new manufacturing jobs as production of the Transition nears.
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| Expected NAND flash shortages could boost consumer tech prices |
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Demand for NAND flash could outstrip supply in the third quarter of this year as consumer electronics companies prepare products for the holiday season, leading to price increases and shortages, research firm iSuppli said on Friday.
"When there is a constrained market, average selling prices do go up," said Rick Pierson, senior semiconductor analyst at iSuppli. NAND flash memory is commonly used in electronics like digital cameras, smartphones and video cameras for data storage.
There was an abundant supply of NAND flash in the second quarter which led to prices trending downward, Pierson said. But devices like smartphones are integrating components like video cameras, creating a need for additional storage.
Factory output won't necessarily be constrained because of excess demand, but suppliers will allocate NAND flash shipments to key partners based on contractual obligations and relationships.
The suppliers will also direct NAND flash shipments to markets like video streaming that represent long-term growth opportunities, Pierson said.
"It's also a chance for suppliers to take profit," Pierson said. Companies such as Samsung, Toshiba, Texas Instruments and STMicroelectronics could benefit from the increased selling prices.
A shortage of components like capacitors, which helps NAND flash work on PCs and other devices, could push the price increases.
NAND flash supply and demand will reach an equilibrium in the fourth quarter which could stabilize prices, Pierson said. He couldn't comment on the effect of the increase in NAND flash prices on the end prices of consumer electronics.
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| Intel releases new Core chips for overclockers |
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Intel released new Core i5 and Core i7 desktop processors on Friday that can be overclocked, giving users the flexibility to ramp up the clock speed to boost application performance.
The new chips include the quad-core Core i7-875K processor, which runs at 2.93GHz, and the dual-core Core i5-655K, which runs at 3.2GHz.
Intel is trying to bring flexibility into its chip offerings from which users can benefit, said Dan Snyder, an Intel spokesman. PC makers have been asking for unlocked chips, Snyder said.
The Core i7-875K includes 8MB of cache and can run at speeds of up to 3.6GHz. The chip is made using the older 45-nanometer process and draws 95 watts of power. It is priced at $342.
The Core i5-655K includes 4MB of cache and can run at speeds of up to 3.46GHz. The chip is made using the current 32-nanometer process and draws 73 watts of power. It is priced at $216.
The processors integrate memory controllers and are able to run two threads per core simultaneously, which helps boost application performance. The chips are available worldwide, and companies including Asustek Computer and MSI are offering motherboards for the processors.
The new chips come ahead of the Computex trade show next week in Taipei, where Intel is expected to make new chip announcements.
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| Will your next phone be a videophone? |
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Videophone technology has matured to the point that sales of the devices could explode in the next two years.
In one example, ACN Inc. of Concord, N.C., recently announced it is buying at least 300,000 Ojo Vision digital videophones over the next two years from WorldGate, a Trevose, Pa., provider of phones and services.
The Ojo devices, with 7-inch screens, operate as wired desk-style phones and will be sold to consumers and businesses alike, ACN Chairman and co-founder Robert Stevanovski told Computerworld on Wednesday.
The phones are equipped with a video out port, meaning the video can be viewed on a nearby flat-panel display.
They will sell at retail for $200 to $250, below the price of videophones currently on the market, and they will offer high quality video resolution with 150 Kbit/sec of wired throughput, Stevanovski said.
Recent generations of videophones have required 450 Kbit/sec of throughput to provide quality video resolution.
ACN also plans to sell the Ojo Vision with a $30 monthly residential service, which can replace a conventional home phone service, allowing all the cordless phones in a home to connect to a wired network via a hub connected to the Ojo device, he added.
ACN has sold about 250,000 videophones in the past two years, using products from UMEC in Taiwan. Based on prior success with that product, "which is only half as good an Ojo," Stevanovski projected promising sales for the new device.
He also cited an "onslaught of high speed Internet" that will allow videoconferencing to become more prevalent.
Cisco Systems recently purchased Tandberg and has been promising a home-based videoconferencing system later this year, although the form factor is not known.
Video systems and video transport have taken up a central role in Cisco's future plans.
Stevanovski predicted dozens, if not hundreds, of competitors will enter the market in the next few years as customers realize the value of videoconferencing in communications.
The videophone concept has been around for decades, but caught the public's imagination with the appearance of the AT&T Picturephone at the New York World's Fair in 1964.
"That device never had a proper delivery system and even 10 years ago there was not enough bandwidth to deliver a good enough videoconferencing experience," Stevanovski said.
Not only are wired networks more robust, but wireless networks are getting faster. Cable TV and wired telecom providers are offering high-definition home television, while wireless carriers are touting new smartphones that transport video clips.
The new fourth-generation iPhone, due out this summer, is expected to include a wireless video chat function with a front-facing camera.
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