| Mobility | |
| By Humphrey Cheung | |
| Friday, July 18, 2008 15:46 | |
| Los Angeles (CA) – AT&T has retracted its offer of free wireless Internet access for iPhone users. According to company officials, the offer was mistakenly put up on the AT&T website earlier today, but it was quickly removed after just a few hours. This is the second time AT&T has jumped the gun on the free wireless announcement. The original text of the website read, “We are proud to offer iPhone customers free access to the nation’s largest Wi-Fi hotspot network with more than 17,000 hotspots.” AT&T hotspots typically located at Starbucks coffee shops, many airports and bookstores. iPhone users at such hotspots would presumably be able to check their emails, surf the web and possibly use VoIP clients at a much higher speed than AT&T 3G network. In addition, battery life could also be increased – early iPhone reviewers claim 3G usage severely impacts battery life. Back in April, AT&T said free wireless would eventually be available to iPhone users, but so far it hasn't commented on specific dates. It’s obvious that something will happen soon since a webpage has already been created. Back in May, AT&T also mistakenly popped up an announcement of free wireless access. Opening up wireless access to iPhone units would relieve AT&T cellular networks because traffic would be offloaded through traditional landlines installed at the wireless hotspots. However, revenue from voice and text messaging might be adversely affected if people use VoIP apps to tunnel traffic past AT&T’s prying eyes. Recently, SIPGATE announced that its application would allow VoIP access through jailbroken iPhones. Some market research analysts claim the 3G iPhone sold over three million units since its Friday launch. BY-TGDAILY | |
AT&T retracts free Wi-Fi offer for iPhone
Gray wolves back in protected column
BILLINGS, Montana (AP) -- A federal judge has restored endangered species protections for gray wolves in the Northern Rockies, derailing plans by three states to hold public wolf hunts this fall.
A judge has restored the protections for gray wolves in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho.
U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy granted a preliminary injunction late Friday restoring the protections for the wolves in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. Molloy will eventually decide whether the injunction should be permanent.
The region has an estimated 2,000 gray wolves. They were removed from the endangered species list in March, after a decade-long restoration effort.
Environmentalists sued to overturn the decision, arguing wolf numbers would plummet if hunting were allowed. They sought the injunction in the hopes of stopping the hunts and allowing the wolf population to continue expanding.
"There were fall hunts scheduled that would call for perhaps as many as 500 wolves to be killed. We're delighted those wolves will be saved," said attorney Doug Honnold with Earthjustice, who had argued the case before Molloy on behalf of 12 environmental groups.
In his ruling, Molloy said the federal government had not met its standard for wolf recovery, including interbreeding of wolves between the three states to ensure healthy genetics.
"Genetic exchange has not taken place," Molloy wrote in the 40-page decision.
Singing for sex and other fishy sounds
WASHINGTON (AP) -- It's not exactly Tony serenading Maria in "West Side Story," but for all their homeliness toadfish also sing to attract mates.
The toadfish makes a humming sound to attract a mate.
OK, singing may be a stretch; it's more of a hum.
But it turns out to be useful, for science as well as the fish.
Exploring how their nervous system produces sounds is allowing scientists to trace the earliest developments of vocalization in other animals, including people.
Many animals communicate vocally -- birds chirp, frogs thrum, whales whistle -- and comparing the nerve networks in a variety of vertebrates suggests that making sounds originated in ancient fishes, researchers report in Friday's edition of the journal Science.
The sounds of whales and dolphins are well known, but most people don't realize fish also make sounds, lead researcher Andrew H. Bass of Cornell University said in a telephone interview. He's a professor of neurobiology and behavior.
"I'm not saying fish have a language or are using higher powers of the brain," he added quickly. "But some of the networks of neurons, nerve cells in the brain, are very ancient."
Unsafe chargers 'flooding' the UK
Hundreds of thousands of unsafe chargers for mobile phones, games consoles and music devices could have made their way into the UK.
Trading standards officers studying dangerous chargers being imported from China say vast numbers are available on the internet and in shops.
Their tests show one brand can overheat or cause electrocution.
One of the chargers concerned has the code marking DE62347066. Others have no code and are called Travel Charger.BY-BBC NEWS
Authorities: Scam used name of dead Mich. soldier
DETROIT - The Michigan attorney general's office and Better Business Bureau are investigating an online scam using the name of a Waterford soldier whose remains were found last week in Iraq after a 14-month search.
The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press report Saturday a listing on Craigslist offered to sell a car owned by 19-year-old U.S. Army Spc. Byron J. Fouty. Someone who claimed to be Fouty's father, Mick, offered to sell a 2006 BMW M6 for $2,800.
Fouty's stepfather, Gordon Dibler, learned about it this week. He says Fouty never owned a car.
Bureau spokesman Tim Burns says officials are trying to track the source. The listing has been posted and removed, and changed e-mail addresses and domain names in an effort to avoid being traced.
BY-BBC NEWS
The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press report Saturday a listing on Craigslist offered to sell a car owned by 19-year-old U.S. Army Spc. Byron J. Fouty. Someone who claimed to be Fouty's father, Mick, offered to sell a 2006 BMW M6 for $2,800.
Fouty's stepfather, Gordon Dibler, learned about it this week. He says Fouty never owned a car.
Bureau spokesman Tim Burns says officials are trying to track the source. The listing has been posted and removed, and changed e-mail addresses and domain names in an effort to avoid being traced.
BY-BBC NEWS
Growth ahead for more diversified game industry
By Kiyoshi Takenaka - Analysis
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The video game industry looks set for at least another year or two of strong growth, driven by geographical expansion, a strong hardware lineup and growing pool of casual gamers, industry executives said.
In a move to capitalize on emerging economies, Sony Corp's (6758.T: Quote, Profile, Research) game unit said at the E3 video game trade show this week it will launch operations in Argentina, Columbia and Peru by March 2009, its first step into the South American market.
Rival Nintendo Co Ltd aims to start offering its Wii console in China this year.
Hardware makers' broader reach beyond the established markets of North America, Europe and Japan would open up new business opportunities for hundreds of software makers and follow the lead of other technology sectors turning to emerging markets for growth.
"Game makers like us are now trying to get into such vibrant regions as Latin America, Eastern Europe, Russia and Asia," Konami Corp Executive Corporate Officer Kazumi Kitaue said on the sidelines of the E3.
"With the overall market expanding like this, we should be able do better and better if we really buckle down."
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