metro

MetroPCS urges investors to vote for latest T-Mobile deal

MetroPCS is asking its stockholders to give the thumbs-up to the latest buyout bid from T-Mobile USA parent Deutsche Telekom.

Following months of talks with MetroPCS, Deutsche Telekom finally sweetened its buyout offer Thursday, prompting the board of MetroPCS to amend its terms for the proposed merger.

Amid some concerns over the deal, Deutsche Telekom reduced the amount of debt the combined company would take on from $15 billion to $11.2 billion. The interest on the debt will also be lowered by 50 basis points, allowing the combined company to more easily pay it back.

To address fears that … Read more

Deutsche Telekom offers 'best and final offer' to MetroPCS

Major MetroPCS shareholders that have urged their fellow owners to scuttle the merger deal in the works with T-Mobile might have been heard by Deutsche Telekom after all.

Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile's parent company, announced today that it has slightly modified the merger agreement between T-Mobile and MetroPCS to make it more amenable to the latter's shareholders. The new terms will see Deutsche Telekom reduce the amount of debt the combined company would take on from $15 billion to $11.2 billion. The carrier will also reduce the interest on those loans by 50 basis points, to make it … Read more

T-Mobile to improve bid for MetroPCS, report says

Deutsche Telekom, the owner of U.S. wireless carrier T-Mobile, is working on improved terms for the carrier's bid for MetroPCS, according to a report today in The Wall Street Journal.

Unnamed sources told the Journal that the German telecommunications company is probably going to announce the sweetened deal as early as Wednesday. The new terms, which could help save the merger despite shareholder protest, will likely reduce the amount of debt transferred to the new company, according to the report.

When CNET contacted T-Mobile, the company declined to comment. Deutsche Telekom said earlier this month that its existing … Read more

The Top Essential Hotkeys for Windows 8

Whether you're new to Windows 8 or a seasoned veteran, it's always good to have a few tricks up your sleeve. Let's face it: without a touch screen, Windows 8 can get a tad tedious to use. Here are the most essential Windows 8 shortcuts for accessing and working with the Charms menu, and system-wide. You can thank us later.

Useful keys to access Charms in a touchless world

Windows Key + C: Opens Charms Bar Windows Key + I: Access the settings or control panel for active app Windows Key + Q: Search your applications Windows Key + Z: Open … Read more

No new terms for T-Mobile-MetroPCS merger, Deutsche Telekom says

Looks like there won't be any sweetened deal terms for the T-Mobile/MetroPCS merger, as much as MetroPCS shareholders may wish.

Deutsche Telekom, speaking with FierceWireless, refuted a Reuters report from earlier today that it was considering changing the terms of the merger agreement reached in October.

"We are not considering changing the terms of the proposed merger," DT spokesman Philipp Kornstaedt told FierceWireless.

The company later gave CNET this statement:

In response to a variety of published rumors and reports, Deutsche Telekom clarifies that it has no comment as to possible changes to the terms of … Read more

FCC refuses to state the obvious: Mobile market is competitive

Late last month, the FCC issued its 16th Mobile Competition Report, a 400-page document that analyzes in detail the competitive landscape for mobile carriers and the ecosystem that surrounds them.

Congress charged the FCC with answering one simple question in the annual report: Is there "effective competition" in the mobile ecosystem?

But since the 2009 confirmation of Genachowski as the chairman, the FCC has refused to answer the question one way or the other. Here, as in its previous two reports, the commission comes tantalizingly close to the right conclusion, but then backs away from it in the … Read more

MetroPCS advises investors to say 'yes' to T-Mobile merger

MetroPCs wants its shareholders to vote thumb's up on the T-Mobile merger.

In a letter sent today by MetroPCS to its investors, the company said it could provide no assurance that it would offer better shareholder value remaining as a standalone carrier, according to Reuters. If approved, the deal would see MetroPCs declare a 1-for-2 reverse stock split and give its stockholders $1.5 billion back in cash.

Investors would actually own 26 percent of the combined company, while T-Mobile USA's parent Deutsche Telekom would wind up with the remaining 74 percent.

The letter urging approval of the … Read more

MetroPCS shareholders told to vote against T-Mobile merger

A prominent organization that advises major shareholders in public companies how they should vote in corporate elections has told MetroPCS owners to vote against the T-Mobile merger.

Institutional Shareholder Services wrote to shareholders yesterday, saying that seeing their company merge with T-Mobile would not be in their best interests. According to The Wall Street Journal, which obtained a copy of the note, ISS was especially concerned with the way the market has responded since the deal was announced.

"In light of the negative market response to this transaction (shares are down 14.4 percent since announcement), the lower equity … Read more

ModernMix 1.0

Still feeling the Windows 7 blues? Ever wish you could take your apps out of Win8's Modern UI and onto your desktop? ModernMix is a utility that enables Windows 8 Modern-centric apps to run inside a windowed frame, resulting in a more traditional experience like previous versions of Windows. Regardless of your feelings about Microsoft's current direction, ModernMix is an attractive utility made especially for the classically desktop dependent.

When running multiple Modern apps, the applications are not normally running or visible in desktop view. Instead, the charms bar acts as your standard task manager for Modern apps. … Read more