cisco

Cisco Systems has hired the former Apple executive in charge of design and engineering for the iPhone 4--the gadget that sparked a PR headache for Steve Jobs and Co. when its supposedly innovative antenna design proved problematic.

Mark Papermaster, 49, will oversee the creation of chips for Cisco's networking switches, an area of the company's business that accounted for a third of its total revenue in the third quarter, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The iPhone "antenna-gate" debacle eventually led to a high-profile press conference at which Apple announced it would provide free "bumper cases" … Read more

Cisco Systems delivered solid first-quarter earnings and said it is focused on "execution in the areas we can control." In other words, capital spending is tailing off for some of Cisco's businesses. And one of the areas where it's becoming most evident is government spending.

The company reported first-quarter net income of $1.9 billion, or 34 cents a share. Non-GAAP earnings were 42 cents a share. First-quarter revenue was $10.75 billion, up 19.2 percent from a year ago. Wall Street was expecting earnings of 40 cents a share on revenue of $10.74 … Read more

Links from Monday's episode of Loaded:

Facebook is set to announce something mobile this week

PayPal's new iPhone app lets you search for local vendors that accept its payments

Google is working on another unlocked Samsung phone but it will not be called the Nexus Two

The Cisco Flip Cam grows a mustache for Movember Charity

Logitech launches a solar-powered keyboard

Mount Everest gets 3G coverage

Gucci now sells 3D glasses

"Honey, I'm going to the office," is a remark we may not hear as much if more people have their way.

Three out of five workers around the world said they don't need to be in the office to be productive, according to a study out yesterday from Cisco. The "Cisco Connected World Report" collected the results of two surveys that questioned both IT and non-IT professionals about mobile work habits.

The belief that people can work just fine from home or on the road was especially pervasive in Asia and Latin America. Around … Read more

CHICAGO--Wireless operators are adding more smarts to their networks to ensure the flood of new smartphones, tablets, and other wireless connected gadgets don't overwhelm them.

Equipment suppliers gathering here this week at 4G World to discuss the next generation of wireless network infrastructure are working not only to help wireless operators add more capacity to their network, but they are also adding more intelligence into the network to make more efficient use of the resources.

Analysts predict that data traffic on the wireless network could increase 700 percent by 2015 as smartphones and other connected-devices access the Net wirelessly. … Read more

The quality and availability of broadband around the world have improved dramatically in recent years, according to an Oxford University study out today.

Sponsored by Cisco Systems, the third annual study from the Oxford's Said Business School examined broadband access across 72 countries and 239 cities. Due to investments around the world, the quality of broadband has improved by 50 percent in just the last three years, the study found, while 49 percent of the countries in the study now have broadband access, compared with 40 percent in 2008.

The average global download speed has shot up from 3.… Read more

Social network giant launches new group feature designed just for you and your few close friends. We immediately get invited to 500-person groups. How romantic. Also, Verizon iPhone rumors heat up (again); Cisco tries to sell $600 product to compete with free video conferencing services; and Russian Space Porn!

Cisco Systems unveiled Cisco Umi today, its consumer-focused telepresence offering that lets people connect to each other using videoconferencing on their HD television in their living rooms.

Cisco Umi (pronounced YOU-me) is a telecommunications system that requires a mix of Cisco hardware and hardware you'll already need to own. The Umi service includes a Cisco-issued high-definition camera with an embedded microphone, a set-top box, and a remote, but you'll need your own HD TV (1080p) and Internet connection to use it. There is no external microphone, but you can recalibrate the audio quality. Cisco's algorithms cancel external … Read more

High-quality, high-definition videoconferencing is coming to the living room, but consumers should expect to pay top dollar for it.

Tomorrow not one but two major technology companies will be announcing new videoconferencing products for the home. Cisco Systems, which already has a well-established telepresence line of products for large companies, and Logitech, which makes Webcams and other PC peripherals, each in separate press conferences plan to announce products that will bring telepresence videoconferencing to consumers in the home.

For years, technology companies have been describing a day when grandmas halfway around the globe could dial in to a video call to watch their grandchildren take their first steps. Loved ones separated by oceans could share in all kinds of special moments via high-quality videoconferencing that makes them feel as if they are in the same room.

Finally, the promise will soon be reality. As high-speed Internet access and high-definition TVs become more ubiquitous, and the cost of high-definition cameras and high-end processors comes down, the time is finally right for high-quality videoconferencing technology to come to the home.

But even with price drops on these components and the ubiquity of broadband, getting this high-quality video experience won't come cheap. The Wall Street Journal reports that Cisco is expected to charge $600 for new hardware and a $30-a-month service fee for its home telepresence service. Other news outlets cite a lower-end Cisco solution that costs $200. If Cisco teams up with service providers, such as Comcast or Verizon Communications, it may offer the device for a subsidized price and make up the difference on monthly service fees. … Read more