Metro

Justice Dept sought review of T-Mobile-MetroPCS deal in November

Correction, 2:55 p.m. and 6:55 PT: CNET incorrectly stated that the Justice Department had sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission today and implied there was additional concern about the national security implications of that deal. There have been no additional concerns raised, and the review is part of a standard process when a foreign company is involved in a merger.

The U.S. Department of Justice had previously asked the Federal Communications Commission to defer its review of the T-Mobile and MetroPCS merger in late November.

In a letter dated Nov. 26, 2012, attorney adviser … Read more

Crave Ep. 106: DIY laser cannons

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This week on Crave, we take a look at the deadly do-it-yourself Iron Man Laser Gauntlet and monkey around with Apps for Apes. After playing with monkeys all day, maybe we should consider washing our hands with ManHands manly scented soaps. Our favorite one: Urinal Mint.

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The strange resurrection of Net neutrality

WASHINGTON, D.C.--At this week's State of the Net conference, an annual event of the bipartisan Congressional Internet Caucus, members of Congress, staffers, and technology policy junkies gathered once again to explore the government's Internet-related priorities for the new year.

A few themes emerged, including possible legislation over cybersecurity, a rewrite of the 1996 Communications Act, reforming federal electronic-surveillance laws, and the continuing threat of both national governments and the United Nations trying to wrest control of Internet governance from engineering-driven groups.

The general consensus, however, was that for at least the next several months, the fiscal … Read more

AT&T eyes international expansion for growth

AT&T is interested in buying a European carrier for growth, according to the Wall Street Journal.

With the U.S. market about to get more competitive, AT&T is looking at markets in Europe where it can upgrade technology and roll out new services and pricing strategies, the Wall Street Journal said, citing unnamed sources. It reported that AT&T is studying potential acquisitions, and could strike a deal by the end of the year. In particular, AT&T is looking at the U.K., Germany, and the Netherlands.

While the U.S. carriers have … Read more

FCC, stakeholders align on communications policy -- for now

LAS VEGAS--Peace appears to be breaking out between mobile Internet users and regulators.

During the three-day Innovation Policy Summit here at CES, members of Congress, FCC commissioners, industry representatives, and consumer groups found little to disagree on, whether the topic was incentive auctions for more broadband spectrum, retiring legacy copper networks in favor of native IP, sharing government spectrum in the 5 GHz band for high-speed Wi-Fi, or the continuing threat of international efforts to turn Internet governance over to repressive national governments so they can destroy it.

Some minor skirmishes broke out, of course, but the conversation this week … Read more

MetroPCS debuts new 4G LTE plans starting at $40

Prepaid carrier MetroPCS is rolling out a new line of wireless plans that it's dubbing "simpler" 4G LTE plans. All three plans offer unlimited data and are available on several of the smartphones MetroPCS offers.

The cheapest plan is $40 per month and includes unlimited data with the first 500MB of data running at 4G LTE speeds. The next unlimited data plan is $50 per month and the first 2.5GB of data runs on 4G LTE. And the final $60 per month plan offers complete unlimited data at 4G LTE speeds. All three plans include unlimited … Read more

Windows 8 wrestles with PC's legacy

I'm by no means the first one to say this but Windows 8 and older PCs make an odd couple.

But let me back up for a second. Before the release of Windows 8 on October 26, I tested Windows 8 on tablets only, such as the Intel-based Samsung slate that Microsoft sold in its stores. And I was impressed with Metro.

That was then. Windows 8 Pro 64-bit is now installed on my Dell Adamo laptop. And I rarely venture into the Metro UI unless if I'm forced to.

Of course if you're one of the … Read more

Mobile: 10 predictions for 2013

If nothing else, 2012 has shown that the mobile industry is a pretty tough business to be in.

Many handset manufacturers, wireless carriers, and component suppliers felt the pressures of mobile business sink in, and as a result, there were a lot of shake-ups this year.

The same pressures and competitive dynamics are expected to persist next year, so expect a lot more action. The following predictions are based on conversations with industry sources over the last few months, market trends, speculation, and a little wishful thinking.

One thing's for sure, the industry should keep us all on our … Read more

MetroPCS announces mid-range ZTE Avid 4G

Although ZTE is pouring more money into high-end phones like the ZTE Warp Sequent, the Chinese manufacturer is still releasing entry to mid-level handsets as well.

Today, the prepaid carrier, MetroPCS, is offering the ZTE Avid 4G, a mid-range 4G LTE handset, for $149.

Running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the handset has a 1.2GHz dual-core processor.

It also has a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a front-facing VGA camera.

In addition, its 4-inch TFT display has a 480x800-pixel resolution.

Other features include Wi-Fi hotspot, and joyn capabilities, which is MetroPCS' content sharing and chat client.

T-Mobile rolls out enhanced 4G coverage in dozens of new cities

T-Mobile announced today that it added five new metro areas to its list of U.S. cities served by 4G (HSPA+) on its faster 1900 network, including Chicago, Reno, and three regions in California.

"T-Mobile has now enhanced the network in 23 metro areas, and we have already reached 100 million people with this improved network experience," T-Mobile USA's chief technology officer Neville Ray said in a statement. "These upgrades will now provide voice and data enhancements, improved signal strength and in-building coverage for customers."

One of the devices that the carrier specifically highlighted to … Read more