Cell Phone News

Deutsche Telekom is considering merging T-Mobile with MetroPCS Communications, as it attempts to keep the carrier competitive in the wireless business.

The German telecom is still in talks with MetroPCS about combining T-Mobile and MetroPCS into a single entity, and is reportedly talking with several other undisclosed companies about similar possibilities.

A merger with MetroPCS would improve T-Mobile's spectrum situation, give it a slight bump in customers and give the company more tools to compete in the U.S. wireless market. Added spectrum would help T-Mobile as it continues to build out its HSPA+ and LTE network moving forward. Although merging with MetroPCS would improve T-Mobile as a carrier, it would not be enough to put the company on the same level as AT&T or Verizon.

Combining the companies would likely have the most direct effect on Sprint. The country's third-place carrier has been able to keep T-Mobile at bay and has even dipped into MetroPCS's business with its efforts in the low-cost phone market. A merger would better equip MetroPCS and T-Mobile to take on Sprint in the low-end market and strengthen their services enough to keep current customers from jumping ship.

Despite the improvements MetroPCS could bring to T-Mobile, the fourth-place carrier will need more if it really wants to make strides in the market. If merging with MetroPCS helps T-Mobile build out its LTE network faster, which in turn allows it to land the next-generation iPhone, then analysts will likely look back on the move as being a game changer for the company. However, without these major developments, the slight improvements MetroPCS would bring T-Mobile would only serve to improve the carrier's credibility, not its overall impact in the wireless market.

The partnership may help T-Mobile come closer to solving some of its problems, but the carrier will still lack the infrastructure, smartphone catalog and overall reach necessary to compete with the top players in the U.S.

If Deutsche Telekom is really looking to get T-Mobile headed in the right direction, it has to consider combining it with MetroPCS as the first step, not the finish line.

T-Mobile, MetroPCS Mull Merger to Stay Competitive originally appeared at Mobiledia on Thu May 10, 2012 11:33 am.

Facebook's impending IPO is exciting Wall Street investors, but one analyst has a big problem with Mark Zuckerberg's choice of clothing, and believes it might hurt the company.

Meanwhile, HTC CEO Peter Chou was awarded the honor of running with the Olympic Torch in London, and a London-based woman became the first paralyzed person to run a marathon.

A Japanese man may be the first person to sue someone for refusing to follow him on Twitter, though his lawsuit is highly unlikely to succeed. Hopefully, art historians will have more luck with their high-tech venture: using facial recognition software to identify famously mysterious portrait subjects like Mona Lisa.

Investment Analyst Disses Facebook Fashion Sense

Analyst Michael Pachter discussed his faith in Facebook's future as a company while ripping apart CEO Mark Zuckerberg's choice of clothing, insinuating Zuckerberg is a liability to the company he created and controls because of his love of hoodies.

Pachter insisted Zuckerberg's pro-hoodie stance tells investors he does not take the company seriously, or respect them, and said the young CEO would do better if he wore a suit and tie.

Pachter still plans to invest heavily in Facebook, so despite his invective, he can't be too put off by Zuckerberg's controversial hoodie.

Man Sues Porn Star For Twitter Rejection

An ardent fan of Japanese adult film actress Aoi Sora is suing her for not following him on Twitter after repeated requests. The man, who claims he is a reporter, used multiple accounts to pester Sora, who ignored his pleas for a Twitter follow-back.

Sora is hugely popular in both Japan and China, and she sparked hullabaloo when she started her Twitter feed, as the site is blocked in China -- and fans were excited enough to share software to access Twitter illegally so they could read her tweets.

There's no law that requires people to follow each other on Twitter, so the man is highly unlikely to win his case. Perhaps this is just another attempt at gaining the enchanting Sora's attention.

Paralyzed Woman Runs Marathon

A paralyzed British woman named Claire Lomas completed the London Marathon using a bionic suit to help her move, illustrating the potential for cleverly designed equipment to help disabled people regain control of their bodies.

The ReWalk, designed by Israeli quadriplegic Amit Goffer, lets paraplegic people control their legs with their arms. It is only approved for use in rehabs, but it has the power to let wheelchair-bound people rise and walk, and it may gain more widespread use in the future.

It took Lomas 16 days to complete the marathon, but she walked every step of the way, raising money for research into spinal injuries.

HTC CEO Will Carry Olympic Torch

HTC's CEO, Peter Chou, will carry the Olympic torch on July 6 in London. Chou joins thousands of other people carrying the torch as an honor for his work developing the global mobile industry.

The torch will make its way from Greece, where it was lit, across the world to arrive in London at the start of the games in late July.

Chou is one of 8,000 people carrying the torch, with the oldest topping out at 100 and the youngest only 11. Irish pop sensations Jedward are other notable torchebearers, but most are ordinary citizens.

Facial-Recognition Software Investigates The Woman Behind "Mona Lisa"

Researchers launched Faces, Art, and Computerized Evaluation System (FACES), a cutting-edge project using advanced facial recognition technology to solve some problems plaguing the art history world.

Portraits of identified people can be used to see if there are any similarities with portraits of still-mysterious subjects, helping historians find out more about mysterious paintings like the Mona Lisa.

The Chat Room: Mark Zuckerberg Need a Makeover originally appeared at Mobiledia on Wed May 09, 2012 4:02 pm.

Twitter is fighting to shield a Wall Street Occupier from demands for his network data, as the company campaigns to protect user privacy despite increasing government opposition.

The social media company seeks to overturn a subpoena demanding account records for Malcolm Harris, a Twitter user arrested during last fall's Occupy protests.

Police nabbed Harris for allegedly blocking the Brooklyn Bridge, though he maintains they first directed him to occupy the roadway.

District Attorney prosecutors, however, say the defendant's Twitter records will prove he was "well aware of the police instructions and acted with the intent of obstructing traffic on the bridge."

Furthermore, the prosecution maintains Harris has no right to challenge its subpoena, leaving Twitter as his only champion in the legal field.

"If the Order stands, Twitter will be put in the untenable position of either providing user communications and account information in response to all subpoenas or attempting to vindicate its users' rights by moving to quash these subpoenas itself," the company explained, hinting at future difficulties.

Twitter also argues the subpoena violates its Terms of Service in requesting user records across state lines without a warrant.

This isn't the first time Twitter has been ensnared in legal matters on users' behalf and likely won't be the last. But although the company continues to advocate for account privacy, it faces increasing government opposition to its efforts.

The San Francisco-based social media company tried its best to shield the account information of key WikiLeaks suspects, moving to suspend subpoenas against them, but ultimately failed in its attempt.

U.S. District Judge Liam O'Grady in January ordered Twitter to hand over records, saying, "Petitioners knew or should have known that their IP information was subject to examination by Twitter."

The Department of Homeland Security appears to agree with Judge O'Grady, as it continues to monitor Twitter for signs of illegal activities. The DHS "Social Networking/Media Capability" program worries civil liberties organizations, who say it may help the government target political dissidents.

Amid such increasing scrutiny and under pressure from Boston police, the company recently disclosed the user information of a suspected hacker, prompting backlash from the ACLU.

Twitter is also preparing to censor tweets that foreign governments may find offensive, as in Germany and France where pro-Nazi content is prohibited. The company argues it would rather eliminate a handful of comments than find itself banned altogether in such countries.

The young social media company has a difficult road ahead as it seeks to protect user privacy while complying with law enforcement demands. Still, Twitter insists that while it must sometimes bow to government pressure, its mission remains unchanged.

"Yesterday we filed a motion in NYC to defend a user's voice," Twitter's legal counsel, Benjamin Lee, said in a Tweet on Tuesday. He added: "#corevalues," suggesting however the specific case is settled, the core issues will remain open for debate.

Can Twitter Protect Your Data? originally appeared at Mobiledia on Wed May 09, 2012 12:34 pm.

As technology shakes off the geeky mystique of gadgets and mainstream consumers can't get enough of their products, companies are transforming their images, but not always for the better.

Is This Thing On?, or ITTO, is our Wednesday column showing how everyday people use technology in unexpected ways.

The rapid growth of iPods, smartphones, tablets and apps brings heaps of cash and is elevating the previously low-level coders who create them into a new status: the brogrammer -- a combo of nerdy programmer and college fratboy.

Incorporating the college term "bro" is a nod to the newfound swagger techies are enjoying as their products increasingly become what is hip and cool on campus, and a result, Main Street. Facebook's highly publicized IPO underscores what the newfound �lan means beyond that, to Wall Street, in terms of respectability and sky-rocketing fortunes.

Tech companies are taking notice of this trend -- something from their perspective that may be long overdue, and are using these terms to recruit young students to tech-start-ups. For example, one poster for job hunters asked students if they want to "bro down and crush some code" to check them out.

The new heavy hitter in the tech world is smart and knows code, but today he can also don cool sunglasses, pound a keg of beer, and produce some sexy bikini shots to share with his buds. But do these "frat boy" characteristics add an unattractive element of sexism to an industry whose users are increasingly female?

This spring a number of smaller tech firms like Sqoot, Klout and Geeklist got caught in dustups over sexism in their advertising and promotions, involving the stereotype of scantily-clad, bouncing women at the service of the nerd-turned-powerhouse men. And many are blaming this new machismo as part of the problem.

The development comes at an interesting time when women are incorporating technology in greater numbers than men, suggesting those who adopt the brogrammer swagger may do so at their own peril.

I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar

Women are significantly more likely to use social media, like building or updating a personal blog, than men, according to a Nielsen report last week. At first blush this may mean to the ego-centric brogrammer there are more women to adore his handiwork, but a deeper look reveals something else.

The news women are more apt to create digital personas, combined with reports they are nearly 20 percent more likely than the average American to follow a brand on Facebook or social media sites, represents a powerful position in the digital market. This growing female presence is underscored by a greater understanding and use social media communication tools, and online shopping -- factors that could fuel greater digital influence as women up their consuming power on the Internet.

The trend is already being felt in the gaming world. Recent reports from MocoSpace reveal more women than men play mobile games. Also, a study earlier this month found of a big upswing in the number of tween girls playing social online games, highlighting how the two trends represent the basis for a real and enduring shift in gaming industry.

Advocates for diversity may look at the growing female online presence as hope the Web can be an agent of social change, but those who think those changes come from the top down might be a little less encouraged.

Not Much Change At the Top

At top companies, leadership tends to be predominantly male despite tech audiences' increasingly female face. Most of Facebook's users and its top operating officer are female, but its board remains all-male, distinguishing the social network as one of the few in the Internet industry -- and even among most large public companies -- that doesn't have at least one female director.

The news from Catalyst, a New York-based company that researches women and business issues, is more puzzling considering Facebook's powerful chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, the company's best-paid senior executive earning $31 million last year, is also an outspoken advocate for gender equality.

A quick scan of most of the latest "hot tech start-ups" also reflects a gender imbalance, which can contribute to and reinforce a "fratboy" mentality. More importantly, it creates companies that might not fully represent the interests of their growing female consumer base.

"We're long past having to defend or explain why women should be on boards, given all the data that shows how companies with female as well as male directors perform better," said Anne Mulcahy, former chairman and chief executive officer of Xerox Corp. and a director at Johnson & Johnson, Target and Washington Post.

According to Catalyst's survey of Fortune 500 companies, firms with three or more female directors outperformed those with fewer, bringing in nearly a 50 percent better equity return. So even setting issues of gender equity aside, it makes good business sense to incorporate female perspectives and personalities.

"If they just have an old boys' network in the boardroom, they won't have access to diverse ideas and strategies," said Susan Stautberg, co-founder of New York-based Women Corporate Directors.

Smart leaders understand a broader, engaged base of users may lead to even further advertising dollars, and women executives, probably more keenly aware of this reality, aren't exactly waiting on the sidelines waiting to be called into the action.

Women Harness Own Power

Earlier this year, a powerhouse panel of the tech industry's top women leaders at the Consumer Electronics Show discussed the disappointingly small number of women in the field and the challenges they face in a male-dominated industry.

The CNET-officiated panel featured Google vice president Marissa Mayer, Flickr founder Catarina Fake, editor-in-chief of CNET Reviews Lindsey Turrentine, and Cisco Systems chief technology officer Padmasree Warrior, focusing on the increasing value of women consumers and how more female tech personnel could influence, build and market products.

The pioneering panelists speculated on many reasons why they don't have more female co-workers. Most felt there is still a lack of support for all students, especially girls, in the math and sciences arena, beginning at the grade-school level.

Another significant challenge for women tech workers is not having role models. Fake spoke about social constraints that often prevent female employees from seeking after-hours advice from experienced male colleagues due to negative stereotyping, and vice-versa.

"There is a barrier," she said, and that barrier, which often includes struggling for work-family balance, can sometimes prevent women from accessing the industry knowledge they need to ascend to top-tier positions.

"I always tell women that the fact that you're different and that you're noticed," Warrior said, "because there are few of us in the tech industry, is something you can leverage as an advantage."

This advice could run into some roadblocks if the brogrammer archetype continues to thrive and overtake what many people consider is a more temperate gender environment in the tech industry.

Either way, the tech industry is in the spotlight like never before -- featured in movies, television shows, music and books, and how it defines its own professionalism at this crossroads will reverberate for some time to come.

The industry has an opportunity to expand its gender perspective, and instead of bemoaning the rise of the brogrammer culture, it could get busy countering it, by welcoming women and others who don't fit this narrowing description -- if not for more noble reasons, then because it will best serve the industry's own interests.

ITTO: Do "Brogrammers" Make Tech More Sexist? originally appeared at Mobiledia on Wed May 09, 2012 12:29 pm.

Kanye West targeted men's fashion faux pas on Twitter this week, while RIM took an aggressive stance towards Apple and Facebook users tried to protect their privacy by lying through their teeth.

Meanwhile, Mexico City embraced the dirty side of dog ownership with a new campaign to clean up its public spaces, and the Obama campaign continued its love affair with social media, this time inviting supporters to use Spotify in support of the President's reelection bid.

Kanye West Uses Twitter As Fashion Rant Line

Kanye West recently released a song called "I Don't Like," and he took to Twitter to add a few additions to his litany of pet peeves, honing in on men's fashion in New York.

Kanye doesn't like a lot of things, including hoodies paired with sports coats, off-brand workout sneakers, khaki cargo shorts and "big ass striped scarves."

Unfortunately, Kanye is no stranger to sartorial folly, and his belt got stuck on a car door shortly after unleashing his Twitter rant, prompting his pants to fall down. New things Kanye may hate: heavy belts, and/or loose pants.

Obama Campaign Wants Your Spotify Playlist

President Obama's tech team already dominates Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram and other social media enclaves, and now they are using Spotify to reach out to the electorate.

The Obama campaign requested songs from supporters to go on its "Supporter Picks" playlist, which will be updated until the elections in November. So far, Obama supporters selected songs from Bruce Springsteen, Arcade Fire and Curtis Mayfield, and music-loving Democrats can submit their own recommendations via Twitter.

Perhaps the President's rousing imitation of Al Green will make the cut.

Are You a Facebook Liar?

According to a survey by Consumer Reports, one in four Facebook users lie on their profile -- but it's not always to make themselves look better. One quarter of the noted fabricators said they fudged information to protect their identity, up from 10 percent two years ago.

Facebook requires real names and e-mail addresses, but some people create separate accounts to protect their primary e-mail.

At the same time, other people change their Facebook information to keep their professional and personal lives separate, or simply for kicks.

Trading Dog Poop For Wi-Fi

An internet company in Mexico City rewarded responsible pet owners by giving them minutes of free Wi-Fi for every pound of dog poop collected, trying to encourage cleaning up public spaces.

The trade-off, called "Poo Wi-Fi," launched as a pilot program in ten different parks across Mexico City.

Sadly, mischievous Internet fans used rocks and other heavy objects to fake out the machines and get free access without pooper-scooping, and the city discontinued the program.

RIM Attacks Apple In New Campaign

Research in Motion started a campaign to promote its own products by attacking Apple, targeting iPhone users as sheep following a flock.

The campaign, called "Wake Up", positioned RIM's BlackBerry phones as the thinking person's alternative to Apple, and takes a pot-shot at Apple's slogan "Think Different" by emphasizing that RIM users "Do Different."

The negative ad campaign doesn't seem to be working, as RIM's finances continue to plummet, will Apple's dominance remains firmly in place -- threatened, if anything, by Samsung and Android, not RIM.

The Chat Room: Kanye Hates the Way You Dress originally appeared at Mobiledia on Tue May 08, 2012 3:15 pm.