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digiGO! — The Digital (R)Evolution

  • ABI Research logo In February 2009, ABI Research found that dual-mode cellular/Wi-Fi handset shipments were set to double between 2008 and 2010. With the latter date fast approaching, ABI Research analysts have confirmed that a similar pattern will hold true — or even accelerate — for the period 2009-2011. This year is on track to see 144 million handsets shipped, with forecasts for 2011 at just over 300 million. However mobile operators’ attitudes to Wi-Fi have been changing. At first many feared that Wi-Fi would take traffic off their networks, resulting in lost revenue. Now they’re starting to realize that it may instead mean an increase in available network capacity. Wi-Fi’s benefits depend on a carrier’s circumstances too. Consider T-Mobile: a wireless carrier that owns no landline assets. It used Wi-Fi (via ‘Hotspot at Home’ access points) to deliver an improved in-home service that it couldn’t achieve before. In contrast, AT&T does have landline assets. Here Wi-Fi’s benefit is to take a load off AT&T’s cellular network. ABI Research’s “Wi-Fi Capable Handsets” examines the market opportunities and provides forecasts for Wi-Fi from a handset-based perspective, focusing on drivers, barriers, and competing technologies.


  • TiVo Inc. (Nasdaq: TIVO) has filed complaints in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas against AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications, Inc. for infringement of the following three TiVo patents U.S. Patent Nos. 6,233,389 B1 (“Multimedia Time Warping System”), 7,529,465 B2 (“System for Time Shifting Multimedia Content Streams”), and 7,493,015 B1 (“Automatic Playback Overshoot Correction System”). The complaints seek damages for past infringement and a permanent injunction, similar to that issued by the United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas against DISH/EchoStar. TiVo will be hosting its second quarter fiscal year 2010 earnings results conference call today at 2pm PT/5pm and will discuss this development in more detail at that time.


  • WASPi Mimosa diagram WASP3D will showcase their WASP3D 2009 edition, the on-air graphics solution equipped with interactive tools and features for enhanced presentation of television content, at IBC2009. Key highlight of the product is its easy-to-use, touch screen based, non-linear broadcast presentation tool, WASPi Mimosa. The module offers touch gestures based options (pan, zoom, rotate etc.) and advanced, inbuilt telestration tools for drawing arrows, ellipses, and highlighters on the touch panel. The demos for several interactive applications would be given on a large touch screen at WASP3D stand. Also available on demo will be WASP3D’s integration with newsroom control systems.