telecommunication

Sprint Nextel to cut 8,000 jobs

Sprint Nextel on Monday announced plans to cut approximately 8,000 jobs through the first quarter, as the economic meltdown cuts into the telecommunications carrier's business.

In addition, Sprint plans to suspend its 401k match in 2009, as well as continue with its salary freeze for a second year. The telecommunications carrier's tuition reimbursement program will also be suspended this year.

The workforce reduction is expected to result in a $300 million charge in the first quarter for severance payouts, but also is anticipated to save the company $1.2 billion in annualized labor costs.

Sprint said the … Read more

Keystrokes can be recovered remotely

Wired keyboards, like those found on desktop PCs, emit electromagnetic waves that can be read remotely, according two Swiss researchers.

Researchers Martin Vuagnoux and Sylvain Pasini of the Swiss Security and Cryptography Laboratory at LASEC/EPFL, were able to recover keystrokes from wired keyboards at a distance up to 20 meters (about 65 feet), even through walls, simply by reading the electromagnetic emanations of the peripheral device. The experiments focused on wired keyboards attached to a computer either by PS/2 or USB connections.

In two videos, Vuagnoux demonstrates the attacks.

In the first video, he shows how only the … Read more

U.N. agency eyes curbs on Internet anonymity

A United Nations agency is quietly drafting technical standards, proposed by the Chinese government, to define methods of tracing the original source of Internet communications and potentially curbing the ability of users to remain anonymous.

The U.S. National Security Agency is also participating in the "IP Traceback" drafting group, named Q6/17, which is meeting next week in Geneva to work on the traceback proposal. Members of Q6/17 have declined to release key documents, and meetings are closed to the public.

The potential for eroding Internet users' right to remain anonymous, which is protected by law … Read more

Viacom CEO: 'Great' content is king

HALF MOON BAY, Calif.--If content is king, then technology is its queen.

Viacom's CEO Philippe Dauman, who spoke here Tuesday at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference, said that despite talk that content has become a commodity (i.e., reality TV shows), it's quite the opposite. Great content is never a commodity, he said, and the Internet and mobile communications are helping Viacom broaden its reach internationally and among younger audiences online and via mobile devices.

"If you have a great brand supported by great content, there has never been a better time to reach more consumers, … Read more

First Alcatel phones for a U.S. carrier

After introducing its cell phones to North America at the 2006 CTIA show, Alcatel has remained silent on exactly when its handsets would arrive here. But this weekend Locus Telecommunications and O2 Wireless announced they were adding the Alcatel OT-E206A and the OT-ET227A Alcatel to O2's lineup. MVNO O2 is the first wireless operator in the United States to offer Alcatel handsets.

The GSM OT-E206A is a black candy bar phone. Its features are limited to text messaging, polyphonic ringtones, games, a 250-contact phone book and a 65,000-color display. The GSM OT-ET227A is equally simple. It sports a … Read more

AT&T to trim workforce

AT&T will cut roughly 1.5 percent of its workforce, primarily among its management ranks, according to a filing Friday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The move is part of its "next step in streamlining its operations," following its acquisitions of several regional companies in recent years. AT&T expects to take a pre-tax charge of $374 million in the first quarter as a result of the layoffs.

AT&T said that most of the positions will be in areas that have little contact with customers and that it's workforce is expected … Read more

Intel Capital unveils second China venture fund

Chipmaker Intel has doubled down on China, announcing Tuesday that it has launched its second venture capital fund for the region.

Intel Capital China Technology Fund II is a $500 million fund that will focus on investments in start-ups doing work in areas such as wireless broadband, media, telecommunications, and "clean technology."

Over the past five years, the Chinese government has been trying to promote innovationand is working on developing a Nasdaq-like market for young companies.

"Given the success of the original China Fund--with investments in more than 28 companies--it is time to renew our commitment," … Read more

FCC bans exclusive telephone service deals in apartment buildings

WASHINGTON--Residents of apartment and condominium buildings will have to be allowed a choice among telephone providers serving their area, thanks to new rules adopted Wednesday by federal regulators.

The Federal Communications Commission order, which passed unanimously, prohibits telecommunications companies from inking exclusive deals with multi-unit buildings that are primarily residential. It also throws out any exclusive contracts that already exist.

The action builds upon the FCC's move last fall to ban exclusive deals for cable and Internet TV companies in apartment buildings. It also extends a 2000 FCC order that banned exclusive contracts for telephone service in non-residential "… Read more

eComm conference: The conversation is entering the mobile realm

I caught a few of the later sessions today at the Emerging Communications (eComm) conference in Mountain View, and the program was pretty good. The rigorously enforced commitment to micro-formats--a mix of five-minute lightning talks, 15-minute sessions, and 20-minute keynotes--worked out well: The presenters were forced to condense their thoughts to the core, and a wide range of viewpoints could be heard during the course of the day. Even the five-minute shorts were informative and sparked follow-up conversations.

For Luca Filigheddu from abbeynet, the five-minute limit was a natural fit for his topic, "Micro Video-Blogging and the Future of … Read more