The deal isn’t complete just yet and is subject to regulatory clearance. The two companies expect the deal to close in April. If the deal receives regulatory approvals Telefonica UK customers will be moved from existing O2 and BE broadband and will become Sky customers.

The deal will make Sky the UK’s second largest Internet provider putting it behind BT and ahead of Virgin Media in size. The deal breaks down to £180 million for Telefonica’s broadband business. An additional £20 million will be granted conditionally. The condition for that extra money is the “successful delivery completion of the customer migration process.”

According to reports, Telefonica’s broadband fixed line service has seen its customer base shrinking. The company peaked at 671,000 customers and then declined to its current 560,000 customer range. Many companies within the UK are keen to acquire other firms so this isn’t likely to be the only consolidation in the UK market for telecommunications this year.

[via Gigaom]

Telefonica I+D invented the Thinking Things concept and believes that the product will significantly boost the development of M2M communications and help to establish an Internet of physical things. Thinking Things can connect all sorts of inanimate objects to the Internet, including thermostats and allows users to monitor various assets or tracking loads.

Thinking Things are comprised of three different elements. The first is a physical module that contains the core communications and logic hardware. The second element is energy to make electronics work via a battery or AC power. The third element is a variety of sensors and actuators to perform the tasks users want.

The Thinking Things device is modular, and the user can connect together multiple bricks to perform the task they need. This is an interesting project that can be used for anything from home automation offering simple control over a lamp to just about anything else you can think of. The item connected to the web using Thinking Things automatically gets its own webpage. That webpage provides online access allowing the user to control the function of the modules and devices attached to the modules. An API allows developers to access all functionality of the Thinking Things from within their software.

The fact that all of the apps pictured are available for free suggests that Mozilla has yet to work out a pricing scheme (or payment methods) for the Marketplace, but with the OS not launching until 2013, it has time to figure that out. Naturally, a number of apps will be available for the reasonable price of absolutely nothing, but expect to see some paid apps on offer as well.

The Firefox OS Markerplace is obviously geared toward easy searching, and like most app stores, selecting an app you’re interested in will take you to a page that offers descriptions and ratings. The Marketplace looks a little rough around the edges in this early state, but for the most part it also looks like Mozilla has almost everything in place. This suggests that Mozilla is pretty far along in the production of the Marketplace, which is something to get excited about if you’re looking forward to Firefox OS.

That being said, keep in mind that the Marketplace as we see it today could change – perhaps radically – by the time Firefox OS is released. Speaking of that, we don’t have a solid release date yet, as Mozilla is sticking to an “early 2013″ release window for the first Firefox OS devices, which will be coming from Telefonica. Be sure to peruse our story timeline below for more information on Firefox OS!

Apple had been looking at so-called Retina Display panels for the third-gen iPad, DigiTimes‘ sources say, running at 2,048 x 1,536 resolution; however, recent supply channel checks supposedly now find that the company has cancelled related orders. The tipped reason for the change in strategy is a shortfall in suitable display yields: neither Samsung nor LG are said to be able to produce sufficient supplies for Apple’s expected demand, while alternative manufacturer Sharp is said to be charging too much for the Cupertino company’s liking.

There are also reportedly concerns around backlighting, and whether the tablet-scale Retina Display technology is compatible with Apple’s super-thin design intentions. The higher-res screens apparently require more than a single edge light bar can output, potentially making for a thicker display package overall.

It’s not the first we’ve heard in recent weeks about tablet panel problems. LG Display – the major supplier for the iPad 2 screen – supposedly saw its orderbook frozen by Apple after yield and durability issues fell short. However, a 2012 iPad 3 release would perhaps make more sense given the Apple A6 processor is expected to be ready for prime-time in Q2 next year.

The Telefonica news – which will see the Dell Streak arrive in Europe before it launches in the US – confirms our speculation last month that the carrier had clinched a deal with Dell for an O2 Streak exclusive.  Still to be announced is pricing and specific availability of the Dell Streak, together with which of the countries Telefonica serve – which includes the UK, Germany and Ireland – will get the MID first.

The Dell Streak has a 5-inch capacitive touchscreen, UMTS/HSPA modem with voice-call functionality and a 5-megapixel camera.  Running the Android OS – version as yet unconfirmed – with several Dell UI tweaks, the company have previously positioned it as a “voice-enabled tablet” rather than an oversized smartphone.

Dell Streak/Mini 5 demo:

[via Android Community]

Alternatively, the Airlife 100 can be had for €300 ($397) with a cheaper, €39 per month plan ($52).  Both plans seem to come with unlimited on-device data access, with the difference being the sorts of speeds you can expect: up to 10Mbps downlink on the €49 tariff, or up to 7Mbps on the €39 tariff.

As for the smartbook itself, that comes with 16GB of SSD storage, WiFi and GPS, together with a webcam and a battery HP reckon will last up to 12hrs.  For more, check out our hands-on preview.

HP Compaq Airlife 100 demo:

[via Carrypad]

The press release, with phrases like “enhanced data-first experiences,” certainly seems to point to a device like the Mini 5, which – although it can be used for voice calls – primarily uses its 3G connectivity for data services.  The Android-based MID has a 5-inch capacitive touchscreen and a customized, widget-heavy interface, and you can see it cavorting with an iPad here.

We’ve pestered our contacts at Dell, but unfortunately their lips are well and truly sealed on this one.  At the very least, we can probably expect O2-connected data modules in upcoming Dell netbooks and notebooks.

Press Release:

Dell and Telefónica Form Strategic Alliance to Deliver Innovative Connectivity and Communication Solutions

April 14, 2010 10:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time
MADRID & ROUND ROCK, Texas–(EON: Enhanced Online News)–Dell and Telefónica today announced a strategic alliance that marks the beginning of a new collaboration effort to develop future products and services designed around enhanced data-first experiences, enabling customers to interact with family, friends and businesses whenever and wherever they choose.

“And we are very excited to work with Dell to develop these solutions.”
“The demand for pervasive, instant-on, web-connected devices is everywhere,” said Ron Garriques, president, Dell Communication Solutions Group. “We are excited to align with Telefónica and leverage our combined strengths to create products and services that provide a simple and seamless experience for our customers.”

“The new digital ecosystem, under construction, creates huge opportunities and advantages for all industries that transform and adapt to the digital world, and not only in terms of productivity, but also in terms of new lines of initiative, new applications and new business opportunities,” said Vivek Dev, Director of Innovation at Telefónica. “And we are very excited to work with Dell to develop these solutions.”

The alliance with Telefónica is part of Dell’s continued focus on developing smart mobile products and services through value-added relationships with leading operators.

The Alliance focuses on three areas:

Provide customers with choices they value most now
Deliver next generation solutions first
Enhancing the digital customer experience and driving information communications technologies to market

About Dell

Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to its customers and uses that insight to make technology simpler and create innovative solutions that simplify daily activities and help people stay entertained, connected and in touch. Learn more at www.dell.com.

About Telefónica

Telefónica is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world in terms of market capitalisation. Its activities are centred mainly on the fixed and mobile telephony businesses with broadband as the key tool for the development of both. The company has a significant presence in 25 countries and a customer base that amounts to 265 million accesses around the world. Telefónica has a strong presence in Spain, Europe and Latin America, where the company focuses an important part of its growth strategy. Telefónica is a 100% listed company, with more than 1.5 million direct shareholders. Learn more at www.telefonica.com.

Elsewhere there’s a 16GB SSD and WiFi along with the 3G connection, while HP also reckon the frugal smartbook will be leggy enough to last for 12 hours on a single charge.  Alternatively standby is tipped at 10 days.

From the photos it’s obvious that there’s a webcam and an SD card slot, together with some useful shortcut keys around the trackpad; HP have also loaded up their own touchscreen UI.  According to the company, the Compaq Airlife 100 will arrive in Europe this spring, as a subsidized deal with carrier Telefonica.  No word of a US launch or any pricing details.

[via Xataka]

The SIMFi uses SIM toolkit applets running on the card itself, meaning there’s no setup hassles or handset-specific configuration.  Instead users would presumably change any access point settings – security, for instance – via the SIM menu in the first device they slot the SIMFi into, and then use it plug-and-play from that point on.

It’s a promising idea, and we’re guessing that with Telefonica on board the SIMFi will be seeing a commercial release rather than floating around as a proof of concept we can’t get hold of.  No word on what sort of price each of the modules commands, but it seems likely that carriers would give the SIMFi away as long as you took out some sort of mobile data contract.

Press Release:

World premier: Sagem Orga and Telefonica turn the SIM card into a Wi-Fi hotspot

Barcelona, Mobile World Congress 2010

Smart card expert Sagem Orga (Safran group) and Telefonica, one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies, are enhancing mobile broadband services by offering “SIMFi,” the first SIM card with integrated Wi-Fi. Using the SIM as a hotspot is expected to have the potential of becoming the next killer application.

Millions of subscribers are using netbooks and notebooks to surf the Internet while on the move, and this has become a strategic market for mobile operators. To enable Internet access, all of these mobility devices use the USIM card to authenticate the user on High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) networks, but there are some drawbacks that are slowing down market penetration. These include complex 3G modem and driver set-ups the user must perform, the use of accessories and cables such as USB modems, PCMCIA modems, handsets and certain software, and the complexity of service use.

By turning the SIM card into a Wi-Fi hotspot, Sagem Orga and Telefonica have developed a solution without all these hurdles. An embedded WLAN modem in the SIM card, driven by the SIM toolkit applets running in the SIM, will enable Telefonica to broadcast High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) Internet access through Wi-Fi to notebooks and netbooks. The new generation USIM card “SIMFi” can be inserted in any type of classic handset to act as a universal and interoperable HSPA/Wi-Fi router for any device.

“We strongly believe that SIMFi, with its unprecedented functionality for wireless access, will significantly improve the user experience,” explained Remy Cricco, Technology Innovation Manager at Sagem Orga. “If customers can connect their notebooks to the Web anytime and anywhere by simply using what they have with them most of the time and what is the most trusted secure device – the SIM card – adoption can be expected to be enormous.”

Unsurprisingly, perhaps, there’s no sign of any pricing information for the Pre in any of those four locations.  Nor do Palm clarify which bands the new handset’s radios use, something we know AT&T and T-Mobile USA customers have been eagerly waiting to hear.

We’re meeting with Palm this afternoon and will hopefully squeeze a few more details out of them.  Until then, the full press release is below and you can sign up for more information in the UK and Ireland here, Germany here, or Spain here. 

Press Release:

Palm Pre to Launch in Europe with O2 and Movistar

Palm webOS Phone to Arrive in UK, Ireland, Germany and Spain on Local Telefónica Networks

WINDSOR, England, Jul 07, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq:PALM) today announced that the Palm(R) Pre(TM) phone is scheduled to be available initially in the UK, Ireland and Germany exclusively on the O2 network, and in Spain exclusively on the Movistar network, in time for the holidays. Palm Pre, the first phone based on the new Palm webOS(TM) mobile platform, brings your information from the many places it resides – on your phone, at work or on the web – into one simple, integrated view.(1)

“Europe continues to be an important region for Palm, and we’re proud to work with O2 and Movistar to spread the excitement Palm Pre has already ignited in North America,” said Jon Rubinstein, Palm chairman and chief executive officer. “Since we showed Palm Pre at Mobile World Congress in February, there’s been a great deal of anticipation for an announcement about European availability, and that day is here.”

“We are fast becoming the home of the smartphone with the addition of the hotly-anticipated Palm Pre to our already extensive portfolio,” said Matthew Key, chairman and chief executive officer, Telefónica Europe. “Our customers will be the first outside of North America to experience one of the most successful mobile devices of the year.”

In its first weekend of availability in the United States, Palm Pre broke Sprint’s previous first-weekend sales records. Palm Pre also is scheduled to debut in Canada with Bell Mobility in the second half of 2009.

Palm Pre introduces a breakthrough user interface and hardware design that makes it one of the most integrated and user-friendly mobile phones on the market. Featuring a smooth, elegantly rounded ergonomic design and a physical keyboard that slides out only when needed, Palm Pre is engineered to feel natural in your hand and comfortably small in your pocket. When closed, Palm Pre is ideal for phone calls, web browsing, music, photos and videos; when open, Palm Pre is optimized for email and text messaging. It provides an exceptional experience for phone calls, whether held to your ear, over speakerphone or via Bluetooth.

With its curved slider and gesture-controlled touch interface, Palm Pre fuses exquisite design with the revolutionary webOS software for fast access to content on the device or web. Invented exclusively for mobile use, webOS offers an instinctive user experience that seems to anticipate your needs.

Key Features and Benefits of Palm webOS

Palm Synergy(TM), a key feature of the new webOS, brings your information from all the places it resides into one logical view. You don’t have to worry about tracking multiple calendars, contacts and messaging applications – Synergy seems to think ahead to bring you a more comprehensive and truly representative view of your life.

Linked contacts – With Synergy, you have a single view that links your contacts from a variety of sources, so accessing them is easier than ever. For example, if you have the same contact listed in your Outlook(2), Google and Facebook accounts, Synergy recognizes that they’re the same person and links the information, presenting it to you as one listing.
Layered calendars – Your calendars can be seen on their own or layered together in a single view, combining work, family, friends, sports teams, or other interests. You can toggle to look at one calendar at a time, or see them all at a glance.
Combined messaging – Synergy lets you see all your conversations with the same person in a chat-style view, even if it started in IM and you want to reply with text messaging. You can also see who’s active in a buddy list right from contacts or email, and start a new conversation with just one touch.

By smartly integrating your information, webOS seems to think ahead for you to keep you on top of the things that happen in your life, but that’s just the first step. The platform’s unique interface brings your information to you with the ease that only Palm can offer.

Run multiple applications at the same time – Palm’s revolutionary webOS lets you manage multiple activities more effectively than any other mobile platform today. It lets you keep multiple activities open and move easily between them like flipping through a deck of cards. You can rearrange items simply by dragging them; when you are done with something, just throw it away by flicking it off the top of the screen.(3)
Information at your fingertips – Finding what you need is easy with universal search – as you type what you’re looking for, webOS narrows your search and offers results from both your device and the web.(4)
Intuitive and unobtrusive notifications – When important things come up or new updates arrive, you’ll receive notifications with a diplomacy that’s a radical departure from other mobile platforms. For example, if you receive a text message or email, a scrolling notifications bar at the bottom of your screen lets you address it right away or leave until later. webOS alerts are one step ahead, ensuring that you never miss a thing, but never lose your place or train of thought.

Palm Pre Specifications

HSDPA/UMTS with EDGE/GSM
Integrated GPS(5)
Large 3.1-inch touch screen with a vibrant 24-bit color 320×480 resolution HVGA display
Gesture area, which enables simple, intuitive gestures for navigation
Slide-out keyboard (QWERTY in UK, Ireland and Spain, QWERTZ in Germany)
Email, including support for corporate servers with Microsoft Exchange(2), as well as personal email support (POP3, IMAP)
Robust messaging support (IM, SMS and MMS capabilities) (3)
High-performance, desktop-class web browser
Great multimedia experience and performance (pictures, video playback, music), featuring a 3-megapixel camera with LED flash and extended depth of field, and a standard 3.5mm headset jack
Bluetooth(R) 2.1 + EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support
8GB internal memory (~7GB user available)(6)
USB mass storage mode
MicroUSB connector with USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
Proximity sensor, which automatically disables the touch screen and turns off the display whenever you put the phone up to your ear
Light sensor, which dims the display if the ambient light is dark, such as at night or in a movie theater, to reduce power usage
Accelerometer, which automatically orients web pages and photos to your perspective
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g(7)
Ringer switch, which easily silences the device with one touch
Removable, rechargeable battery
Dimensions: 59.57mm (W) x 100.53mm (L, closed) x 16.95mm (D)
Weight: ~135 grams

An array of compelling accessories also will be available for Palm Pre, including the first inductive charging solution for phones (sold separately). Simply set Palm Pre down on top of the elegantly designed Palm Touchstone(TM) charging dock without worrying about connection, orientation or fit. Palm Pre is active while charging, so you can access the touch screen, watch movies or video, or use the speakerphone.

Availability and Pricing

Palm Pre is scheduled to be available initially in the UK, Ireland and Germany exclusively on the O2 network, and in Spain exclusively on the Movistar network, in time for the holidays. Pricing for the phone has not yet been determined.

Customers who would like to register to receive additional information about Palm Pre and be notified when it’s available can register at:

UK and Ireland: http://www.palm.com/uk-pre-notify
Germany: http://www.palm.com/de-pre-notify
Spain: http://www.palm.com/es-pre-notify

About Telefónica

Telefónica is one of the world’s largest telecommunications operators by market capitalisation. Its activities are centred mainly on the fixed and mobile telephony businesses, while its broadband business is the key growth driver underpinning both. It operates in 25 countries and has a global customer base of 260 million. Telefónica’s growth strategy is focused on the markets in which it has a strong foothold: Spain, Europe and Latin America. Telefónica is a 100% private sector company with its shares listed in Madrid and other stock exchanges and more than 1.5 million individual shareholders.

About Palm, Inc.

Palm, Inc. is a leading mobile products company, creating instinctive yet powerful mobile products that enable people to better manage their lives on the go. The company’s products for consumers, mobile professionals and businesses include Palm(R) Treo(TM), Palm Pre(TM) and Palm Centro(TM) phones, as well as software, services and accessories.

Palm products are sold through select Internet, retail, reseller and wireless operator channels throughout the world, and at Palm online stores (http://www.palm.com/store).

More information about Palm, Inc. is available at http://www.palm.com.

In fact, SlashGear is meeting with Palm UK later on today to discuss the GSM Pre smartphone.  Going by recent rumors in UK newspaper The Guardian, the Pre is expected to launch on O2 alongside the iPhone 3GS.

At time of writing the “more information” link on the Palm Spain site does not work; however we’re not expecting any significant changes to the smartphone beyond the switch from CDMA EVDO Rev.A to HSDPA/HSUPA (as indicated by the “H” icon you can see on the Pre’s display, above).  Hopefully we’ll have more information to tell you later on today.

[via MyPre]

In fact Telefonica have been tipped as an exclusive Pre carrier since March this year, albeit in Spain, the UK and Latin America.  The recent rumors from The Guardian newspaper tip their subsidiary O2 as official Pre carrier in the UK, an announcement expected to be made on Tuesday July 7th.

Other rumors have suggested a roughly September launch for the Pre in Romania and other parts of Europe.  Next week’s announcement is unlikely to reveal much aside from Palm’s UK plans, but assuming Telefonica are the parent network behind distribution there it’s pretty safe to assume they’ve clinched the deal in other locations.

[via Engadget]

Telefonica used the LTE network to place a VoIP call and make a video call, followed by downloading data at over 140Mbps.  That’s ten times faster than 3G HSPA download speeds.  The network itself had been installed by Ericsson at the Telefonica headquarters.

No definite timescale for rolling out Telefonica’s LTE network has been made public, but the carrier is saying that this successful demonstration is “an indication that applications could be just around the corner.”  Take it from us, Telefonica, we’ve applications a plenty for 140Mbps mobile download speeds: just give us the network and we’ll gladly use it.

Both carriers will continue to manage their network traffic independently, and operate as separate entities.  What this will mean for users, though, is broader cellphone coverage and, ironically, greater competition in areas where previously only Vodafone or Telefonica/O2 offered services like mobile broadband.

There’ll also be environmental impacts, as fewer sites are required and reduced amounts of hardware.  The degree of collaboration varies by location: in Spain, for instance, the two carriers simply share power, cabinets and masts, while in Ireland they now plan to open all network sites for sharing.

We also rounded out the last of our PMA 2009 coverage, and if you’re in the market for a new DSLR, lens or camcorder this year, there’s plenty of exclusive content that you really want to check out.  SlashGear’s resident photography expert Daniel Lim has been playing with lenses from Sigma, SigZilla, and Meike, plus cameras from Panasonic, Sony, Canon and Fujifilm.  Remember, you can read all of our PMA 2009 coverage with the PMA tag

Elsewhere, Dell announced the Studio One 19 multitouch-capable desktop PC, and Microsoft revealed further details of their Windows Marketplace for Mobile appstore.  We also joined Sprint for a Palm Pre webcast, amid rumors that Telefonica had clinched the exclusivity deal for the GSM version of the smartphone.

Finally, SlashGear reviewed the iLuv i1155 Portable Multimedia Player, which has room both for your DVD collection and your iPod, together with joining AT&T’s Network Disaster Recovery team.  Coming up this week, we’ll be live-blogging Apple’s preview of iPhone OS 3.0, so join us on Tuesday, March 17th for the full coverage.

O2 has been Apple’s UK partner since the launch of the first iPhone, and is currently the only UK network on which the 3G version of the smartphone is available.  Early suspicions pegged Vodafone as the most likely candidate for clinching the Pre deal, and indeed the GSM handsets Palm demonstrated at Mobile World Congress last month were running Vodafone SIMs.  At the time Palm told us these were simply the first available cards they could buy and solely for use at the show; this now looks as though it was actually the case.

The Palm Pre would go on sale in Spain under Telefonica and in Latin America through the Movistar brand.  Latin America uses the 850MHz and 1900MHz 3G bands, as does the US and Canada, raising the possibility that 3G GSM handsets could be officially or unofficially sold in those regions alongside the CDMA Sprint version.

[via My Pre]