verizon

Verizon made a big splash in 2007 by talking up its plans to open its network to third-party developers. "Any application, any device" was the mantra.

Several months later, however, more questions than answers remain as to just how open Verizon plans to be, and what it's going to charge for the privilege of openness, as BusinessWeek has highlighted.

Among the biggest concerns: Verizon did not divulge any details of the pricing plans customers would be offered to use such devices. Nor did it publish any specifications to help software developers create applications for the network. In fact, the company distributed materials to attendees online, stressing that the company "will not approve, test, or service third-party applications that customers load onto their Open Development Devices."… Read more

NEW YORK--Verizon Wireless unveiled specifications for its new open wireless program Wednesday as part of a strategy that could change the future of the wireless market. But the road ahead will likely be a long and slow one.

Traditionally, cell phone operators have tightly controlled the entire cell phone experience--from the network to the handsets to the applications running on those devices. But now Verizon, and others like AT&T, are looking for ways to open up their networks.

Verizon first announced plans for an open development network in November with the hope that it would make it easier … Read more

Phone Arena managed to get a picture of what looks like the LG VX9700 slated to come out for Verizon this spring. It's a touch-screen phone in the vein of the LG Prada, and reportedly features a 3.2-megapixel camera, EV-DO support, an MP3 player, and a microSD card slot. It'll be interesting if this comes out at the same time as AT&T's own Prada clone, the LG Vu, since the Vu is also slated to be AT&T's MediaFLO launch device. Looks like we'll have to wait a month or two … Read more

Happy Pi day! http://www.piday.org/

Trend Micro’s Web site hacked in massive attack http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9894181-7.html

Verizon embraces P4P, a more efficient peer-to-peer tech http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/ 20080314-verizon-embraces-p4p-a-more-efficient-peer-to-peer-tech.html http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-P2P-Verizon.html

Sweden pursues illegal file-sharers http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080314/ ap_on_hi_te/sweden_file_sharing

Music industry proposes a piracy surcharge on ISPs http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/news/ 2008/03/music_levy

Google exec: Android will outsell iPhone http://news.yahoo.com/s/cmp/20080314/tc_cmp/206903637

What if Apple really opened up … Read more

We once thought the LG Voyager (which won an Editors' Choice, by the way) was the successor to the much-beloved LG enV, since both of them sported a flip-out QWERTY keyboard. But it seems like we may be wrong--the LG VX9100, which may be dubbed the LG enV2, looks to be the true successor to the LG enV. Indeed, the VX9100 (or enV2) has that same candy bar look when the phone is closed and doesn't have the fancy touch-screen display like the Voyager. Engadget Mobile shows off a few pics of a black and maroon version, and we … Read more

In the long and arduous battle between P2P file sharing services and ISPs, the former have done all they can to stay on top, while the latter have done all they can to eliminate them as quickly as possible. And just when I started losing hope, Verizon, for once, made me feel just a little bit better about ISPs. Will it last? I doubt it.

According to Verizon, it will do everything in its power to ensure that P2P downloading is brought into the new century and given the kind of treatment it has deserved for years. The company researched P2P file sharing and found that when an ISP cooperates with an P2P file sharer, they can speed downloads by a whopping 60 percent.

"This test signifies a turning point in the history of peer-to-peer technology and ISPs," said Robert Levitan, chief executive of file-sharing company Pando Networks Inc. "It will definitely show ISPs that the problem is not peer-to-peer technology, the problem is how you deploy it. It is possible to deploy P2P to their advantage."

But perhaps what's most important to this test is that Verizon is pledging availability of some of its infrastructure information to P2P file sharing services to increase the efficiency of both services.… Read more

A real-world Internet test reveals that "intelligent" routing of peer-to-peer traffic can drastically reduce network utilization and speed up downloads for subscribers, according to a new study.

Verizon Communications, which participated in the study headed by researchers at Yale University, plans to release the data on Friday at the Distributed Computing Industry Association's P2P Market Conference in New York City.

Using network topology data from Verizon and Telefonica, Yale University tested a software enhancement to the peer-to-peer protocol that it developed with software developer Pando Networks.

What the researchers discovered was that when using the so-called P4P … Read more

Rumors are swirling today over the future of Sprint. First off, Seeking Alpha is reporting that Sprint has hired Morgan Stanley for a possible spin-off of its Nextel brand. Sprint's ongoing troubles have been widely reported over the last few months and many analysts have named the 2006 merger between Sprint and Nextel as a key cause of the carrier's ongoing troubles. With that in mind, a spin-off of Nextel may be surprising, but it wouldn't be so shocking.

But that's not the only Sprint dish going around today. The Kansas City Star said that Merrill … Read more

Qwest Communications International is in talks with Verizon Communications to bundle its wireless service with Qwest's broadband and landline voice services, according to a Wednesday report in The Wall Street Journal.

Qwest, the only major phone company without its own wireless service, has been reselling wireless service from Sprint Nextel. But Qwest CEO Ed Mueller said earlier this week at his company's analyst conference that he is not happy with the arrangement and is looking for a new partner.

The problem with the Sprint deal is that Qwest is unable to offer the same services and handsets that … Read more