AT&T feels threaten by 4G [WiMax]

The monster is begun to feels the pressure from upcoming network operator - ClearWire, which in co-operation (basically bought off) with Sprint planning to be first to deploy 4G network based on WiMax technology. This plan is heavily supported by Intel,Google, Mobile and cable operators and telecommunication manufactures

In it's latest move AT&T begun winning to FCC how "unfair" they are of letting the merger go "too easy" according to them, and should be under more scrutiny.

But what comes as surprise to me is AT&T itself and it's Alcatel-Lucent subsidiary are part of WiMax forum - So they do want access to technology, but can't stand someone doing it before them?

Speaking of WiMax Forum its consist from over 500 telecommunications and Hi-Tech companies formed with single task in mind - to crush Qualcomm monopoly, which currently basically holds patents to almost all cellphone technology including CDMA, EDGE, GPRS, WCDMA, 1x-EVDO and LTE. Also trying to claim patents on the father of Cell protocols - GSM (No so successfully)

Big players like Nokia long tired of paying , list carefully here, 5% from EACH device sold!! Doesn't matter if it's $600 Iphone of $25 El-Cheapo monoblock for emerging markets. And Nokia spent fair share of time in courts trying to ease the Qualcomm tyranny, I guess with some success.

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Technorati Tags: AT&T,WiMax,FCC,Cellphone,iPhone

Defending the iPhone 3G

I got my share of both WM and iPhone fanboys and haters on both sides of wall and I think I completely agree with author of this article (see link below)
He provides very consistent and correct (imo) evaluation of recent wave of iphone cries and rants.
Thumbs up!

Defending the iPhone

How to tether with iPhone 3G [Unofficialy]

If people really want something no locks can prevent them from reaching it, from Apple stating, what iPhone 3G is more secure and resistant to hack, it was Jailbroken same day - July 11.
Same happen to HD-DVD and eventually to blue-ray as well.
People were unhappy with lack of tethering - ability to use your smartphone data connected with laptop and people found way around apple limitation.
Be advised, it is vs AT&T Terms of service to tether with Iphone 3G so do it on your own risk.

Go here for instructions

Car Bluetooth Handsfree systems don't like iPhone 3G

Several iPhone 3G owners are reporting an issue in which severe echoes are generated through car audio systems with which the phones are paired. Generally, the driver hears echoes while the call recipient does not. The issue affects iPhone 3G models running iPhone OS 2.0, but not first-generation iPhones running the same.

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HP shatters excessive packaging world record

I Can't belive HP packed 32 A4 Paper pages in to soo much packaging, but then again HP probably hired someone from cdw.com :)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/18/hp_packaging/

How to make Ghost Network Boot Disks for HP dx2450 [nForce] - Updated

Sorry for a almost a two weeks lack of news or posts, but the 3 days July's 4th and hunt for new furniture dragged me a bit away.
Anyhow, this is something i feel like sharing with my small (yet) audience.

As I already mentioned, we recently bought new HP dx2450 workstations which originally came with Vista and rebuilt them for XP Pro.

Next task is of course lets build an image and put it on GhostCast Server. Here I had a small speed bump, finding the right network drivers for Ghost.

This is how this is done:

Go to http://nvidia.custhelp.com and type ghost in keyword search field, and click on "Where can I locate DOS/NDIS/ODI drivers for my NVIDIA nForce ethernet controller?"
Then download and unzip attached file - ndis.zip

RDP to your GhostCast Server and create “Nvidia DOS NDIS Ethernet" (w/o quotes) directory under
"C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Symantec\Ghost\Template" and copy content of ndis.zip.

The rest is really simple - Run the Norton Ghost Boot Wizard to create a network startup disk. The NVIDIA DOS NDIS Ethernet driver appears as a choice in the adapter list.

Update:
It looks like few things expired since I wrote original article :
1) tinyurl links got expired  (never going to use them again)
2) Nvidia removed Nvidia DOS/Ndis driver :( and suggested to go on wild goose hunt on your original equipment manufacturer web site – which in our case – HP – is a hopeless one.

I’ve decided you make your life a bit easier and simply to post online floppy image of boot floppy of Symantec Ghost  - No, It doesn’t include ghost app, and since It’s built on FreeOs (Not MsDOS) and in addition includes only couple of drivers , I feel pretty safe assuming sharing it would be legal.

So I assume you already got 2nd floppy with ghost.exe app itself, just download the image and extract it with WinImage.

I hope MediaFire will keep the file for now, but if any of you guys can host it, it’ll be great.

Download here 

 

Good Luck!

Related:
Windows XP drivers for HP dx2450 Workstation

Windows XP drivers for HP Compaq dx2450 PC desktop (Update 2)

--> My company recently switched from HP dx2250 desktops to dx2450 for a simple reason the prior were no longer available on the vendor site.
Since newer desktop came with Microsoft Vista Basic/OEM license only, without an option to downgrade it. 
I had to install our site licensed Microsoft Windows XP Pro and manually search for drivers for it since HP didn't provide application/drivers restore cd like it used to with previous models, which btw is a step into the wrong direction for them. This type of machine I'd expect oriented towards business should allow more flexibility for the IT team and technology integrators.
And now to the juicy part – search for drivers for Windows XP:
Drivers' search on hp.com failed to provide correct windows XP drivers for the network card.
It really bugs me actually - I go through the trouble specifying the exact model number and they give a list of 4 NIC drivers from 4 different manufacturers :( Shouldn't they know exactly which one the motherboard has installed??? How come to DELL and Lenovo just give one driver based on the serial number and it just works! In any case, neither of them was correct one...
As my boss always says, “Then in trouble - forums are your best friends” and this one wasn't an exception to this rule: looking up markings on the motherboard - M2N68-LA I found this document where it found this crucial piece of info: It is based on NVIDIA GeForce 6150SE nForce 430 chipset.

1. Motherboard, Video, Lan and Usb drivers all part of standard Nforce drivers package - here is the updated one, but if the link expires use this link and choose:
   Product Series: nForce 6 Series and Product: nForce 630i/Geforce 7150
2. Sound "card" is Realtek ALC888 hp support page has the drivers - if they don't work try ones from here

But the biggest challenge was to find drivers for Parallel and Serial posts located on dedicated PCI Card. So again I began to rigid search with buddy Google.
Device Manager shows - PCI\VEN_1415&DEV_9523 - Maker is eventually identified as Oxford Semiconductors and bit more search I found the HP name - KD062AA Serial & Parallel PCI Card and it's driver on this page

1. Serial & Parallel PCI driver

On this note, I'm glad to tell you - my holy grail search for drivers was a success! Hope this will help a person a two and help you :)

P.S: My company uses Volume license Key for most Microsoft products so no need to look around for Windows XP Professional License and I installed it without any issues.
Related:
Windows XP Articles
How-To guides
More Drivers related Articles

AT&T Revealed Official iPhone 3G Plans and Pricing

AT&T has announced its U.S. pricing plans for Apple's iPhone 3G...and they include future contract-free offerings for $599 and $699.

AT&T has unveiled its service plan pricing for Apple's upcoming iPhone 3G, due to splash into the consumer marketplace on July 11 at 8 a.m. local time. Two versions of the iPhone 3G are set to go on sale—an 8 GB version for $199 and a 16 GB version for $299—but the details of AT&T's service plans had not been announced.

AT&T plans to offer a variety of individual and family plans for the iPhone 3G; as expected, text messaging will be an additional fee on top of voice and data service. A basic plan with 450 "anytime" minutes, 5000 nights and weekend minutes, and a $0.45/minute fee above those limits starts at $69.99; an unlimited voice and data plan will cost $129.99 a month. FamilyTalk plans—which include two lines and can add up to three more for $39.99 each—start at $129.99 a month for 700 minutes and ramp up to $359.99 a month for 6,000 minutes; an unlimited family plan runs $259.99 and $129.99 per additional line.

Text messaging service is $5 a month for up to 200 messages, $15 a month for up to 1,500 messages, and $20 a month for unlimited texting. Family users can either pay $0.20 per text message or $30 a month for text service.

AT&T requires a two year contract with purchase of an iPhone 3G, which puts the total minimum out-of-pocket cost for an 8 GB iPhone 3G with no text service at $1,878.76—not counting taxes and activation fees. Want a 16 GB iPhone 3G with unlimited voice, data, and text messaging? If you buy it July 11, by uou'll have spent $3,658.76 by the middle of 2010—again, omitting taxes and fees.

AT&T also says it will offer a "no-commitment option" in for the iPhone 3G, charging $599 for the 8 GB version and $699 for the 16 GB version. Current iPhone customers can also purchase an "early upgrade" to an iPhone 3G, getting the 8 GB version for $399 and the 16 GB version for $499; AT&T will require users to sign a new two-year contract, but it's a quick way out of an existing iPhone contract for folks who must absolutely have the latest and greatest.

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