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Will Qmadix biodegradable cables untangle the future?

You probably find yourself more often needing an extra cable than having too many, but in case you worry about what to do with your extra cables when you're done with them, Qmadix has one answer: just toss 'em.

The mobile-accessory company today announced its Ecoustic biodegradable cables. These are regular cables like those you have at home, such as USB cables, HDMI cables, auxiliary audio cables, and of course iOS-based 30-pin cables for the iPhone, iPod, and iPad. The difference is their coating, "a resin mixture made from biodegradable, plant-based by-products and other natural properties" that quickly degrades naturally, rather than staying in a landfill for hundreds of years. … Read more

Carriers may be handicapping cell phone networks

New research suggests that wireless operators may unwittingly be degrading performance on their networks as the technology they use to shuttle traffic around their networks gets more and more complex.

Researchers from the computer science department at University of Michigan along with experts from Microsoft Research discovered that "middleboxes"--or network hardware that performs tasks such as firewalling, deep packet inspection, and intrusion detection and prevention--may be slowing down network connections and even exposing wireless subscribers to security vulnerabilities.

According to the report published last month, "An Untold Story of Middleboxes in Cellular Networks," researchers observed … Read more

AT&T 3G Upgrades Reportedly Degrade EDGE Service

AT&T has been very vocal about its efforts to rapidly build up its 3G voice and data network. The reality really hit home with the advent of the iPhone, 3G which many feel overwhelmed AT&T's 3G network. The sheer number of iPhones on AT&T's network due to the popularity of Apple's handset was never before seen in the current mobile phone market. Complaints poured in, eventually leading to class-action lawsuits against both AT&T and Apple over performance complaints. This has led to AT&T's aggressive 3G infrastructure … Read more