ctia

On a sultry New Orleans afternoon today, AT&T took over a century-old Garden District mansion to open the 2012 CTIA. Yes, the annual wireless confab doesn't formally open until tomorrow morning, but the news already is coming fast and furious. And though I don't arrive in the Big Easy until tomorrow either, a big CNET team is on the ground by the Mississippi. Here are the highlights of what they saw today. … Read more

Wireless charging isn't new, but the technology soon will get a new push from large industry players like Samsung and Qualcomm.

At CTIA in New Orleans today, the two companies announced the formation of the Alliance for Wireless Power (AWP). The organization will "promote global standardization of a wireless power transfer technology" by fostering an industry dialogue and developing a product testing, certification, and regulatory compliance processes.

Qualcomm first delved into wireless power three years ago when it announced the WiPower wireless charging system and Samsung said last week that it may deliver a wireless charging accessory … Read more

NEW ORLEANS--In addition to the many niche devices Kyocera has under its belt, like its handful of rugged phones for enterprise workers, the phone manufacturer announced tonight its hard-tissue conduction audio technology.

Considered a "revolution" in voice clarity by Kyocera representatives, the company plans to roll out new devices equipped with a ceramic transducer that can transmit sound through the cartilage in your ear, as well as other localized hard tissue.

"When you hold a device to your ear or head, the sound bypasses the eardrum and puts those vibrations into your inner ear," said John … Read more

NEW ORLEANS--AT&T's Samsung Focus 2 made an appearance today at an AT&T event before CTIA 2012 officially kicks off on May 8.

Like the carrier's other low-cost Windows Phone, the Samsung Focus Flash, the Focus 2 is also priced at $49.99 after a two-year contract. Unlike the Focus Flash, the Focus 2 runs on the carrier's 4G LTE network.

Here in New Orleans, AT&T's LTE network has been a solid performer so far, so we have high hopes for the Focus 2's speed.

It satisfies aesthetically as well. … Read more

NEW ORLEANS--Think there are too many digital wallets out there? MasterCard would disagree.

The No. 2 payments processor today unveiled PayPass Wallet Services, its own take on the digital wallet. Initially, it will pop up in the form of a payment icon at merchant Web sites. The wallet will allow users to store all of their cards, and MasterCard plans to distribute developer tools to allow other wallets to work with its network. The move is an attempt to broaden PayPass beyond contactless payments and into something more ubiquitous.

MasterCard is just the latest to be lured in by the … Read more

NEW ORLEANS--AT&T is proposing some serious branching out with its new services for securing your home, and managing its appliances remotely from your smartphone or tablet.

At CTIA 2012, AT&T showed off its concept with a demo house equipped in the Big Easy's lovely Garden District.

Let's tackle security first. AT&T lays physical sensors on the doors and windows. If they trip, or if the smoke detector trips, a couple of things happen. First, any response you've programmed goes into effect. For instance, you might decide to set it to blare the radio or TV, or sound an alarm or flash a strobe light.… Read more

NEW ORLEANS--Today, I caught a glimpse of CTIA 2012 one day earlier than most and roamed around the show floor before its set to kick off tomorrow.

Among all the construction and chaos, as companies in the mobile phone industry scurried to finish building their booths, I came across LG's splice of convention real estate.

Among its TVs and other electronics, display kiosks for LG's Optimus 4X HD, Optimus Vu, and 3D Max were also set up.

These three devices were already unveiled in late February's MWC, but none of them had carrier's attached to them. … Read more

In today's show, it's time to Hangout with the world, seek out new smartphones and take a ride on the Yahoo drama train:

Your Google+ Hangout video chat sessions can now broadcast live to the world. Google made it easy to share the live stream of a Hangout on your Google+ page, or embed it on another Web site. You can see how many people are watching, and once the live show is done it can be uploaded to YouTube.

Google has been working with some television shows to broadcast their Hangouts live. If you want to check it out, … Read more

NEW ORLEANS--Omnilink, a company that provides industries such as fleet owners, construction companies, and law enforcement with location-based solutions, announced today that along with its long-time partner, Sprint, it will be releasing three new devices to help enterprise companies track their valuables.

These products will be able to locate and monitor assets such as bank bags, ATMs, and cars. Even items like liquor, cigarettes, and prescription drugs can be tracked using Sprint's network.

The Sendum PT300 is one of the new devices offered under Omnilink's Asset Tracker platform, and it can sense temperature, light, and motion changes. The … Read more