In calling the GPS industry too big to fail, the folks at LightSquared have noted that instead of improving their devices to avoid LightSquared’s frequencies, they’ve simply had the government outlaw LightSquared’s usage of the seemingly completely legally usable frequencies. Jeff Carlisle, LightSquared’s executive vice president for regulatory affairs and public policy, wrote the following on the matter:

“GPS manufacturers have been selling devices that listen into frequencies outside of their assigned spectrum band — namely into LightSquared’s licensed band. The GPS industry has leveraged years of insider relationships and massive lobbying dollars to make sure that they don’t have to fix the problem they created.” – Carlisle

Telecommiunications experts speaking with the NY Times have noted that interference between LightSquared’s signals and GPS signals is a tricky subject for the FCC because the interference itself appears not to be the fault of LightSquared’s at all. The GPS band on the electromagnetic spectrum is right next to the airwaves of satellite-telephone segments used by LightSquared, this making it quite easy for GPS devices to hear those extraneous transmissions. So instead of calling on GPS manufacturers to create devices that do not stray into nearby airwaves, the FCC is shutting down LightSquared’s use of the airways they should, if it weren’t for GPS, be able to use.

Because the GPS industry is too gigantic and a change on their part would be undeniably costly, the FCC is simply not allowing LightSquared to move forward. the commission will be sending out a request for public comment on Wednesday for the proposed action – so it’s not over yet!

[via NY Times]

Namely, that little SoC gives the Lytro camera both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. With those two capabilities inside the camera, it would be easy to see the ability to wirelessly transfer photos taken with the camera to your computer or other device. That hardware would also allow the control of the camera from a smart phone or other device. However, just because both capabilities are available on that chip doesn’t mean Lytro will enable both.

Other hardware the FCC tear down turned up includes the 11-megaray sensor, which is by far the largest thing on the camera’s mainboard. You can also see the 2100mAh battery and a Zoran processor. This little camera is interesting to me; I would like to try one out once it’s on the market.

[via theVerge]

The bulk of the changes are aimed at cutting out waste and abuse in the Lifeline program, which has been around for 25 years. The changes include setting up the National Lifeline Accountability Database that will prevent the subsidies from being funneled to multiple phone carriers on behalf of the same family or individual. The changes will also make a more streamlined way to determine if a family or individual qualifies for free service.

The changes also mean that homes with multiple families living in the home will count all families and their income to determine eligibility. The goal of the FCC is to save $2 billion over the next three years and funnel some of that money into a program to pay for rural broadband tests. The rural broadband test program is called the Broadband Adoption Pilot Program. The savings goal from the Lifeline subsidy for 2012 is $200 million, with $25 million of those funds earmarked for the new broadband pilot.

[via The Verge]

The Federal Communications Commission approved today a full overhaul of its universal service program which over the past 25 years has helped “tens of millions” of low-income American afford a most basic service: the telephone. In 1985 when the program began, 80% of low-income families had phone service – just this past year the rate was 92% due in no small part to the Lifeline project. This program is getting updated rules that address wireless phone service’s increased popularity as well as past perversions of incentives for some carriers.

Changes to Phone service

The changes the FCC is going through with will, as they say, “eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse, saving up to $2 billion over 3 years.” The first and perhaps most important item is creating a National Lifeline Accountability Database which will stop the biggest loss-leader in this program, that being users scamming the program by having multiple accounts on different carriers at the same time. Next, eligibility databases will be created from government data sources, this allowing fully automated verification for consumers and carriers. Stopping Toll Limitations, this being subsidies to carrier for blocking or restricting long-distance services, will take place, and Link Up will be cut everywhere except in Tribal Lands.

That’s an odd point there – Link Up is a set of subsidies that are given to carriers for initial connection charges. This will be cut everywhere except in Tribal Lands, this leading us to believe that landlines must still be much more prevalent in such areas compared to the complete lack of a need for such a program in more mobile-heavy areas.

Modernization with broadband internet

The biggest and broadest point here is the FCC expanding Lifeline to adopt an express goal for the program which will ensure availability of broadband for all low-income Americans. The cash for this adoption of services will come from “up to $25 million” in savings picked up from reforms to the landline services taking place now. Bundled plans for service will allow combining voice and broadband as well as packages that include optional calling features. Welcome to the connected future, for everybody!

[via FCC]

This device has been tipped to be coming out on Verizon’s network with 4G LTE intact, this making it the first 7-inch LTE device on the market – just so long as it comes out before the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 this spring. The image above indicates that this tablet is refined up to a point where it can be tested and soon sent out as review units with a release soon after. Whether or not it will actually be released on Verizon is still not know, but it does appear likely given the amount of ZTE that’s been coming to big red lately.

The price is still a mystery, as is the release date, but we’re guessing that this tablet will be coming in right at or around $300. This puts it in range with the upcoming ASUS MeMO which thought it has much more powerful specs will be released for a mere $249. This device will likely be showing up next month in Barcelona where we’ll be sending you some hands-on looks at it straight from the events themselves. Seeya there!

[via Android Community]

These regulations had recently diminished, and current requirements state that a device has to have geolocation capabilities and access the spectrum database. Regulations were formerly in place because it was thought use of this spectrum would interfere with TV signals. When in fact, the white space will operate at 40 milliwatts alongside these stations. Without interference, the network will operate at 100 milliwatts, and users should see much faster speeds.

Hanover County is the precise location for this project, and if successful it would be great to see it blanket the nation. It would help those in rural areas finally have a decent internet connection. Actual purchase for these white space spectrums will be very competitive. They are essentially untouched television stations, so all broadcasting and wireless companies will be potential buyers.

[via NetworkWorld]

“Eliminating the FCC’s authority to establish competitive rules, just as Congress is poised to authorize significant new auctions, could discourage participation by bidders other than the largest carriers, ironically driving down auction revenues and potentially undermining the very economic development Congress hopes to gain through its legislation” Kathleen Ham, VP of Federal Regulatory Affairs, T-Mobile USA

T-Mobile’s need for spectrum has been exacerbated after the collapse of the AT&T acquisition. The carrier will receive a “record high break-up fee” from AT&T, including $3bn in cash and “a large package” of AT&T’s AWS spectrum (plus mandatory roaming agreements), but experts say that’s still not enough to make it competitive today.

In fact, it’s estimated that T-Mobile USA will need to spend around $9bn in order to bring its network up to scratch, and it’s presumably this which has motivated the carrier into speaking out over the FCC’s involvement in upcoming auctions. “The FCC has the experience and expertise to ensure that each auction is structured to promote robust competition, both in bidding and service provision,” Ham concludes, “and results in the most efficient and effective use of the spectrum.”

Maps were released earlier this week showing exactly where T-Mobile will gain coverage from AT&T’s spectrum handover. The exchange is believed to be worth around $bn.

AT&T had called off the merger in December after facing several hurdles, including lawsuits brought on by the US Department of Justice, state attorneys general, and rival carriers. The company finally buckled on the merger when the FCC threatened to request an administrative hearing.

As part of the deal, AT&T had promised to fork over a $4 billion breakup fee should the acquisition fall through. That break-up fee includes $1 billion of spectrum and $3 billion in cash. T-Mobile has said it needs the spectrum to keep up with competition.

[via TMoNews]

Alternate words from LightSquared on the subject have included them pushing for additional testing and trying to get the FCC to say that GPS has no exclusive rights to the waves they use. This most recent statement from the group has us wondering how much time they’ve got left given how far they’ve gotten thus far. As LightSquared Executive VP Jeffrey Carlisle says:

“The testing just doesn’t reflect reality — and it was probably never intended to. [Recent testing] was rigged by manufacturers of GPS receivers and government end users to produce bogus results. We’ll continue to look at alternatives … assuming this goes past the end of January.” – Carlisle

The folks on the GPS side of things have another opinion, that LightSquared is attempting to attack the testers because they do not like the test results. This would certainly seem to be correct save for the idea that maybe, just maybe, GPS doesn’t hold the exclusive rights to the waves (reserved mainly for faint emissions from satellites), and LightSquared has full rights to argue. As Jim Kirkland, general counsel to GPS maker Trimble Navigation Ltd, notes,

“LightSquared does not like the test results, so it is attacking the testers. Test after test has shown that LightSquared’s ill-conceived plans do in fact cause widespread interference with GPS.” – Kirkland

It appears that GPS might come out on top of this one, by the looks of it, and LightSquared’s position will turn into a move over or get out sort of situation. Will the group be able to convert their technology to turn over a new leaf, or is this the end for LightSquared? We’ll see in a few weeks, at the latest!

[via Business Week]

The accessory is called the MeMic, and it is specifically made to go along with the MeMo tablet. The point of the accessory is that it connects with the memo tablet and allows you to hold the much smaller and more handset-like device to your face for making and receiving calls. The MeMic connects to the tablet via Bluetooth.

We did briefly mention the MeMic in the hands-on story, but the details at CES were scant. This device will likely be one of the more popular accessories. At this point, we don’t know when the MeMic will launch or how much it will cost. I would bet the accessory would launch alongside the tablet in the next few months.

[via Pocketables]

One of the big issues for LightSquared is that without FCC approval, its critical 15-year plan with Sprint for sharing 4G spectrum and equipment is void. Sprint has offered LightSquared a bone with an extension to the deadline for approvals. Sprint has granted LightSquared another 30 days to land the FCC nod.

The original deadline was December 31. The deal with Sprint is critical to LightSquared since it will save LightSquared $13 billion through the end of the decade. LightSquared has a bunch of deals in place already to sell service to retailers like Best buy and Leap Wireless. Not getting approvals for its tech would kill the company before it starts.

[via WSJ]

In a statement issued today and published by the NY Times, the FCC expressed concern over the matter and said it will be looking into the proposed $2 convenience fee that Verizon has scheduled to take effect starting January 15.

“On behalf of American consumers, we’re concerned about Verizon’s actions and are looking into the matter,” said the FCC in the statement.

The $2 fee would be applied to any one-time credit card payments made online or via telephone. The fee can be avoided if payments were made by electronic checks or auto-pay plans. Gift cards, in-store, and mail-in payments would also be exempt.

Fortunately, following the FCC statement, Verizon has quickly axed its plans to institute the new convenience fee. The carrier attributed the change of mind to customer feedback.

“At Verizon, we take great care to listen to our customers. Based on their input, we believe the best path forward is to encourage customers to take advantage of the best and most efficient options, eliminating the need to institute the fee at this time,” said Dan Mead, president and chief executive officer of Verizon Wireless.

[via Android Community]

AT&T’s bid to purchase $1.9 billion worth of airwave licenses from Qualcomm has now been approved as of late Thursday night. This is good news that should make AT&T feel a bit better after the rough few months the company had has. The new spectrum licenses will help AT&T to ease its congested network with the number of smartphone and tablet data users on the rise.

There were conditions imposed on the deal that have to do with data roaming and interference reports The Hill. The FCC approved the deal 3-1 with the sole person not for the plan being Michael Copps. He said that he could be persuaded to agree with the right set of conditions on the deal to make it more pro-consumer. With three needed votes in place, AT&T is set though.

LightSquared here is noting that they’ve done no wrong because the problem is caused, first of all, by GPS receivers looking into its fully licensed spectrum. What they’re saying with this then is that even if the interference exists, these GPS representatives have no rights that would stop LightSquared from continuing on with business as usual. In fact, if what LightSquared executive vice president for regulatory affairs and public policy Jeff Carlisle says is true, the GPS industry agreed to their plans years ago:

“LightSquared has had FCC authorization to build its network for over eight years and that authorization was endorsed by the GPS industry.” – Carlisle

What LightSquared’s CEO Sanjiv Ahuja says is especially pointed in this regard as well:

“This petition goes to the very heart of the FCC’s mission, which is to ensure that the nation’s airwaves are governed by regulatory certainty.” – Ahuja

You can read the petition for declaratory ruling in a PDF file hosted by LightSquared and note the massive nature of the soft threat. When you tell a group like LightSquared that they can’t go through with a plan they’ve had on the books for 6+ years because some punk GPS jockeys have an issue with you, it’s time for business.

“This is one of the highest payments ever agreed between two companies for the termination of a purchase agreement” Deutsche Telekom said in a statement about the break-up fee. While the cash will be welcome in the company’s bank account, it’s the AWS spectrum AT&T is forced to hand over that could really be the prize: a package consisting of spectrum in 128 Cellular Market Areas (CMAs), including 12 of the top 20 markets.

“Both companies are in agreement that the broad opposition by the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) and the U.S. telecommunications regulator (FCC) is making it increasingly unlikely that the transaction will close. Both companies are of the opinion that important arguments in support of the transaction have been ignored, such as the significant improvement in high-speed mobile network coverage for the U.S. market, as well as the positive employment effects. In addition there was no indication that either authority would move away from it’s non-supportive stance in return for concessions from the parties in terms of the scope and structure of the transaction” Deutsche Telekom

Those markets include Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Washington, Boston, San Francisco, Phoenix, San Diego, Denver, Baltimore and Seattle. Meanwhile the roaming agreements will help fill in the gaps in existing UMTS coverage, taking T-Mobile USA’s served population to 280m, a 50m increase on today.

“Deutsche Telekom would like to express its gratitude to AT&T and to Randall Stephenson and his team for the positive cooperation over the past few months” the company concludes. “Our working relationship was characterized by fairness and respect at all times.”

Update: T-Mobile USA has released a public letter to customers, claiming its “ focus is unchanged” from before.

Last week, AT&T and T-Mobile USA owner Deutsche Telecom said they were examining “whether and how to revise our current transaction.” The pair had been criticized by US District Court Judge Ellen S. Huvelle over withdrawing the FCC application yet still pushing for a fast-track hearing from the Justice Department, suggesting it was a waste of time.

Although the FCC allowed the application to be withdrawn without prejudice, it followed up with a cutting summary of why the agency believed the merger was not in the public interest. AT&T fired back with accusations that the agency had been one-sided and of delivering “an advocacy piece, and not a considered analysis.”

Most likely now, some insiders claim, is a revised deal that will fall short of full acquisition. Instead, as rumored toward the end of November, AT&T may take a significant stake in T-Mobile USA, or set up a joint venture that would share network infrastructure. Still, the sources maintain that the original deal is still on the table, if the carriers can figure out a way to push it through.

The tablet is dubbed with the model number SCH-i815 and sports CDMA 800/1900 and LTE radios, indicating that it’s heading to Verizon. The WiFi-only and HSPA+ versions of the tablet have already passed through FCC testing before and with this model finally getting approval, we’re hoping to see the device on store shelves soon.

The Galaxy Tab 7.7 features a 7.7-inch Super AMOLED display, which has a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution. It also rocks a powerful 1.4GHz dual-core processor and measures in under 8mm thin. For more details on the slate, make sure to check out our hands-on with the tablet at IFA as well as our comparison of the device with the Galaxy Note and Galaxy S II.

[via Engadget]

The Federal Trace Commission (FTC) is the US organization that protects consumer privacy and enforces privacy-related laws, and would be Carrier IQ’s primary foe if an investigation is undertaken. The company says it is “not aware of an official investigation into Carrier IQ at this time”; however, sources inside the FTC – who spoke anonymously as details have not been publicly announced yet – seemingly confirmed that an inquiry is, indeed, going ahead.

Carrier IQ made headlines in November, when security researchers discovered what appeared to be keypress logging in Android handsets. That logging and data collection was subsequently found across multiple platforms in devices distributed by various carriers, though the extent to which information was stored differed by handset.

The ensuing furore caught the attention of Congressman Edward J. Markey, who demanded an investigation into the software. Carrier IQ came out on the charm defensive, releasing a comprehensive FAQ detailing exactly what – and what not – was supposedly collected by its network monitoring tools. Nonetheless, many carriers themselves have been quick to put distance between them and the analytics firm.

This is rather interesting to find the manual on the FCC site considering that the last time Nokia said anything about the 710 and the US when the info was on the US Nokia site, the firm was claiming the 710 would not come to the US. It’s also worth noting that the invites to the T-Mobile event we posted up are expected to be for a Lumia phone, now it seems like the 710 is that phone.

The manual the FCC posted is clearly for the 710 considering the image above is from the manual and shows that T-Mobile brand on the bottom. The smartphone has a 1.4GHz Snapdragon CPU and the ability to capture video in 720p HD resolution. The phone also comes in bright colors with shiny plastic rather than matte like the 800 gets.

[via WPCentral]

The P’9981 is passing through the FCC with support for AT&T’s GSM 850/1900 and WCDMA bands II and V. The filing also reveals that it supports Bluetooth, WiFi, and NFC. Previous announcements have confirmed that the P’9981 will sport a 1.2GHz processor, HD video recording, 24-bit graphics, and advanced sensors for augmented reality technology.

Love it or hate it, the industrial angular design of the P’9981 is quite striking and will certainly be an attention-grabbing device in your hands. And if that’s what you’re going for, you’ll have to fork over about $2,000 for it. However, an exact date of availability has not been announced yet.

[via Wireless Goodness]

The Galaxy Nexus for Verizon made a trip to the FCC back in November, but this time around, it’s sporting AT&T’s GSM 850/1900 and WCDMA II/IV bands. It’s not clear if there will be any major changes, but the documents suggest that the AT&T version might not support LTE. AT&T has not made any announcements yet.

The device could still be heading to T-Mobile and Sprint as well, requiring a different version for each. The Verizon model is expected to hit first before any other Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich devices begin to roll out. For more details on the device, be sure to check our full review.

[via Android Community]

There’ll also be what the cable companies and Verizon Wireless are describing as “an innovation technology joint venture for the development of technology to better integrate wireline and wireless products and services.” Exact details on what each of the cable providers might use the Verizon services for are unclear, though Comcast has said it sees them as a way to potentially extend its Xfinity TV services to mobile users.

Bright House and Time Warner have been more circumspect with their plans, simply indicating that they may repackage and offer on wireless service as a sideline to their existing subscriptions.

Of course, Verizon is making no bones about its intentions for the spectrum, which will be used to bolster its LTE coverage. “Spectrum is the raw material on which wireless networks are built,” president and CEO Dan Mead said, ”and buying the AWS spectrum now solidifies our network leadership into the future, and will enable us to bring even better 4G LTE products and services to our customers.”

The deal will need to be approved by the FCC, among others, before it gets the green light to go ahead.

AT&T then breaks down individual points made by the FCC, which the agency had used to express its concerns that the acquisition of T-Mobile USA would be contrary to the public interest. It dismissed the authors’ suggestions that, even without the deal, AT&T would “expand its LTE deployment from 80% of the population to 97.4% even without the merger” but points out that it later goes on to argue “that the level of wireless competition in more populated areas of America is so fragile that the merger must be disallowed.”

Meanwhile, there is little mention of the spectrum issue, AT&T argues, and “seems to discount the significant spectrum constraints faced by AT&T, including an 8,000% increase in data traffic on our network over the past four years, even though we have submitted volumes of evidence documenting these constraints.”

“Surely, it is neither fair nor logical for the FCC to trumpet a national spectrum crisis for much of the past year, and then draft a report claiming that two major wireless companies face no such constraints despite sworn declarations demonstrating the opposite” AT&T

As for whether acquiring T-Mobile USA would allow AT&T to return the wireless market to its previous days of tightly restricted voice bundles, limits on VoIP and the like, the carrier dismisses suggestions by the FCC that its acquisition target is “a critical “disruptive force” in the industry.” Instead, it points out, T-Mobile USA has been losing subscribers for two years, has no path to LTE and is being distanced from its parent company, Deutsche Telekom.

“We believe that the utter absence of balance is clear, and demonstrates that the document lacks all credibility” AT&T concludes, seemingly hoping that a raging tirade of criticism will persuade the FCC to be more favorable when it eventually resubmits its bid. You can find the full AT&T statement here.

AT&T opening comments:

“We expected that the AT&T-T-Mobile transaction would receive careful, considered, and fair analysis. Unfortunately, the preliminary FCC Staff Analysis offers none of that. The document is so obviously one-sided that any fair-minded person reading it is left with the clear impression that it is an advocacy piece, and not a considered analysis.

In our view, the report raises questions as to whether its authors were predisposed. The report cherry-picks facts to support its views, and ignores facts that don’t. Where facts were lacking, the report speculates, with no basis, and then treats its own speculations as if they were fact. This is clearly not the fair and objective analysis to which any party is entitled, and which we have every right to expect.

All any company can properly ask when they present a matter to the government is a fair hearing and objective treatment based on factual findings. The FCC’s report makes clear that neither occurred on our merger, at least within the pages of this report. This has not been our past experience with the agency, which lets us hope for and expect better in the future.”

As AT&T’s planned $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA faces rising opposition from the FCC, which has stated that the merger would lead to significant job loss, negligible cost savings passed on to consumers, overestimated efficiences, and that the lack of evidence that AT&T couldn’t provide more than 80% LTE coverage without the merger. Well then, the FCC doesn’t sound like they’re much of a fan of any kind of contact between the AT&T and T-Mobile USA.

The potential panacea to all problems telecom? According to WSJ, a joint venture between the two companies could help solve some of the wireless-capacity impediments both companies are expected to face in the oncoming years while also being to avoid the industry competitive issues brought up by the Justice Department. Analysts have also suggested that two companies could jointly use the T-Mobile spectrum that AT&T have had their eyes on while Deutsche Telekom retains its T-Mobile customers.

[via Wall Street Journal]

The FCC findings include the assessments that the merger would lead to significant job loss, the cost savings would unlikely be passed on to consumers, the efficiencies attainable by the merger have been overestimated, and that there lacks evidence that AT&T can’t provide more than 80% LTE coverage without the merger.

A report of the findings will be sent in full to the Department of Justice to aid in their lawsuit against AT&T. The trial date is scheduled for February 13, with a hearing set for November 30, when it’s speculated that AT&T may propose selling greater portions of T-Mobile’s assets in order to close the deal.

[via TmoNews]

According to the source, AT&T is offering to divest a much larger portion of assets than it had initially expected. That amount could be as much as 40 percent of T-Mobile USA’s assets. The move would be to address the concerns of the Department of Justice (DOJ), which had sued to block the merger back in August. AT&T insisted that withdrawing its FCC application for the deal was so that it could focus on addressing the DOJ lawsuit first.

The proposal to sell a larger portion of assets could be presented as soon as November 30, during the next hearing with the DOJ. AT&T could end up paying less than the original $39 billion offer should regulators agree to asset sales greater than 20 percent of that number or about $7.8 billion. Otherwise, AT&T may have to duke it out in a full court battle, of which the first trial date is scheduled for February 13.

[via Bloomberg]

T-Mobile USA could sell off its spectrum and network, but continue to operate with its existing userbase, analysts at Citi have suggested, in effect renting space on AT&T’s combined network, Reuters reports. However, because the carrier has expected the deal to go through, little effort is believed to have been expended on winning new custom or securing new devices; that, the NYTimes reports, would leave T-Mobile USA floundering in the market, albeit a potential new target for external investor groups lured in by the $1bn-worth of AT&T spectrum the carrier would be forced to hand over as part of the break clause.

An alternative route might be selling to Sprint, though the incompatibilities of the two networks – and the fact that the third-largest carrier is already struggling with its own financial uncertainties – means the purchase price would likely be considerably lower than Deutsche Telekom has been expecting from AT&T. T-Mobile USA could be spun off as a completely separate entity, though again it would likely struggle to stand on its own feet.

However, if the FCC decided it really wanted to stick the knife in the merger’s chances, experts suggest, it could refuse to accept AT&T and Deutsche Telekom’s withdrawal request. In denying it, both companies would be forced to continue through the process – including the judicial hearing threatened earlier this month – an expensive process likely to end in tears. Alternatively, it could grant their request but do so with prejudice, preventing the companies from re-filing the application at a later date.

The two companies already have litigation pending in the District of Columbia, which could help secure Department of Justice approval, but faced renewed interest from the FCC as to whether the deal could be counter to consumer good. Earlier this week, the FCC announced it was requesting an administrative hearing of the type that helped scupper the proposed merger of EchoStar and DirecTV back in 2002.

The $4bn meanwhile – which is made up of $3bn in cash and wireless spectrum with a value estimated by AT&T to be $1bn – is part of the carrier’s penalty pay-out should the deal fall through. In short, even if Deutsche Telekom AG can’t shift T-Mobile USA off its hands, it will still walk away with a hefty chunk of AT&T’s purse along with some extra spectrum to keep it happy.

Although billed as a positive thing to subscribers from the outset, the AT&T acquisition of T-Mobile USA has been fraught from the start. The FCC has been wary of the deal and insisted on giving it extra attention, with various hearings and trials pushing the potential complete date back into mid-2012. The FCC’s administrative hearing plans could have delayed that even later.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is requesting an administrative hearing to discuss the acquisition, a move that will certainly add more complexity to the deal. It would also extend the time needed to make a decision and hinder AT&T’s efforts to expedite the process. The antitrust lawsuit from the Justice Department has already set back the deal to mid-2012 with the first trial set in February of next year.

With the addition of the FCC administrative hearing, it could mean a further delay. It’s rare for the agency to make such a request and the last time it did was in 2002 for the proposed merger of EchoStar and DirecTV, which resulted in the companies pulling out of the deal.

[via IntoMobile]

This latest Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet sports 3G bands with support for GSM 850/1900, CDMA 850/1900, and WCDMA bands II, IV, and V. This will allow the tablet to be used with pretty much most wireless carriers in the US as well as abroad. Now if only it could support LTE as well, but nothing in the FCC filing suggests that capability.

The rest of the hardware should remain relatively the same as the WiFi-only model, which featured an NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, dual cameras, and a good number of ports including micro-USB and HDMI. The capacitive touchscreen can also be used with an optional digitizer pen. For more details, make sure to check out our hands-on.

[via Wireless Goodness]

Stylishly starved, the Arrows F-07D does have to forgo some on the specs, packing in a moderate single-core 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 512MB of RAM. But it otherwise features a large 4-inch 480×854 display covered by Gorilla Glass, sports 1GB of internal memory, offers a 5-megapixel camera, and manages to squeeze in micro-USB and micro-HDMI ports.

Plus, the Arrows F-07D doesn’t cheat with a large hump on the backside like the DROID RAZR and other ultra-thin smartphones. This one’s uniformly thin, varying less than 2mm between its thinnest and thickest sections. The device is expected to launch on NTT DoCoMo in 2012. There’s no word on pricing yet.

[via Android Community]

The two notebooks don’t seem to have been announced before. They’re dubbed Dalmore 15 and Dalmore 14 with model numbers P19F and P25G. The FCC diagrams reveal that the backside of the notebooks are about as thick as an Ethernet port, which pegs them at about 15 to 20mm thick. In addition to the Ethernet port, they also feature HDMI, a mini-dsiplay port, as well as a couple USB ports. A SATA Flash label on the notebook reveals that it will use SSD.

The frame of the notebooks also feature an interesting design that isn’t seen in any of Dell’s current models, suggesting that this could be part of a completely new line. The backside is flat but then angles slightly at the corners reminiscent of the angular corner design we’ve seen on the Motorola XOOM 2 tablet.

[via Wireless Goodness]

The Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus features a 7-inch display with a 1024 x 600 resolution touchscreen, 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, a 3-megapixel rear-facing camera, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It also runs Samsung’s proprietary TouchWiz UI on to of Android 3.2 Honeycomb and comes in either a 16GB or 32GB model.

For more details on the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus WiFi version be sure to check out a full review here. The version passing through the FCC today shouldn’t see much change in specs except for the addition of an HSPA+ radio and support for 850MHz and 1900MHz GSM bands. Since these are compatible with AT&T’s network it’s safe to assume that’s where it’ll be heading.

Of course the so-called delayed release of this device has been attributed to several factors, one of them the seemingly ill-prepared face-unlock sequence, another the release of the current hero phone for Verizon, that being the Motorola-made DROID RAZR. Word has it that this Galaxy Nexus device will be dropping inside one of three dates: November 17th, November 21st, or somewhere inside December. All you need to know is that it’ll be out inside 2011 : that’s never been contested.

As for how neat this device actually is in the flesh, we’ve got you fully covered. Not only do we have a hands-on look at the device as it appears in the chassis, we’ve got a hands-on look at the system its running – Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and we’ve got no less than a hands-on comparison between the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy Note. Did you know you’d get such a delicious dish of videos when you popped in this post? I think not!

[via Android Community]

The catch with the Motorola Lapdocks so far has been that they typically work with only one smartphone and they aren’t exactly cheap. If you buy one and then upgrade your smartphone, you have to get a new Lapdock. A new dock from Motorola has cleared the FCC for its approvals on its way to retail stores called the Lapdock 500. In the pics here that is the Droid Razr along for the ride.

The 500 is made to run the Motorola Webtop apps like Firefox, Facebook, and others. It can also run a bunch of game apps. It has a webcam integrated and extends the battery life of the smartphone using the dock. It has a pair of USB ports for accessory hook up. The cool part is that the Lapdock 500 and its smaller sibling the Lapdock 100 will both work with the range of higher end Motorola Android smartphones so you can upgrade and still use the same dock.

[via Android Community]

Like its predecessor, the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer will sport a 10-inch display and tout the ability to transform into a notebook with the addition of a keyboard dock that also acts as a battery extender. Although details on its exact specs are not confirmed yet, ASUS chairmen Jonney Shih did show off the tablet back at the AsiaD conference last month, confirming that it would pack a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor.

The slate is also expected to either ship with the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS or to get the upgrade soon after it’s released. Shih did not confirm either way but did insist that ASUS tablets will all be running the latest Android version before the end of the year.

UPDATE: it appears that WirelessGoodness has located a few teardown photos as well – check them all out in the gallery below:

The tablet uses HSPA+ and 3G connectivity getting you on the faux 4G network. The processor is a 1.2GHz unit and that tablet rocks a 7-inch display. The screen resolution is 1280 x 800 and it has dual cameras of unknown quality and HDMI output. The operating system is Android 3.2 Honeycomb. This sounds like a solid smaller screen tablet offering for those that like media on the go.

The normal price for the tablet is said to be $500, making it overpriced for today’s market off contract. The Kindle Fire tablet will sell for the same $200 with no contract but lacks 3G connectivity. The launch date for the MediaPad is unknown, but it should be soon.

[via Android Community]

Included in this set of completely voluntarily followed guidelines, providers would be sent information about their monthly limits BEFORE they reach them – plus, for those traveling abroad, alerts will be sent out showing customers what they’ll be paying if they want to continue using the devices they’re using overseas – roaming fees and the like. These regulations come from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and include the stipulation that all alerts will be completely free to customers.

Kathleen Grillo, Verizon senior vice president for federal regulatory affairs had the following to say on the situation:

“Chairman Genachowski [of the FCC] deserves credit for raising the industry’s awareness of the value of more usage alerts. He encouraged the industry to address usage alerts in a manner that recognizes that innovations in the wireless world develop quickly. The result is an industry code that will serve consumers better than rules that would soon be outdated, and that is responsive to President Obama’s request that federal agencies avoid imposing unnecessary regulation on businesses when a nonregulatory solution is available. We hope that in the future this industry effort serves as a model for the communications space.”

Guidelines were revealed today at a conference that included the head of wireless industry trade group CTIA. According to the LA Times, a Consumers Union poll this May showed more than 60% of wireless customers polled supported a government-led initiative and rules to avoid bill shock. Since then, CTIA opposed the first round of FCC regulations and they’ve been in talks since that’ve lead to today’s announcement. CTIA notes that “Regulations, no matter how well-intentioned, simply cannot be as flexible and responsive to consumer needs as a self-regulatory code.”

Alerts will be in place, all four of them: voice, data, text, and international charges, within 18 months on of the carriers that’ve agreed to take part.

HTC reckons a two hour charge is good for up to 8hrs of music playback, and if your budget – or the petty cash in your office – only stretches to a single unit there’s support for mono playback too. Standby time is 200hrs, and the Conference Speaker recharges via a regular microUSB port so you can use the same AC adapter as came with your phone.

Range is 10m and the device can retain pairing information for up to eight phones (but be actively connected to only one at a time). Obviously no word on pricing or availability, but we’re guessing HTC will pull the trigger on this sooner rather than later.

[via Android Community]

Although the documents don’t reveal a whole bunch, it does suggest that Garmin is aiming to more tightly integrate its other fitness gadgets with the iPhone. The company recently launched a new sports watch called the Garmin Forerunner 910XT GPS watch as well as the Garmin Vector and Edge 200 Cycling GPS devices that target pro cyclists with advanced fitness metrics.

From the looks of the adapter, it should be compatible with the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and possibly the iPhone 4S, by attaching to the bottom of those devices. Garmin will probably have to come out with a free app to work in tandem with the adapter as well.

[via Engadget]