Former Apple SVP Scott Forstall, Skeuomorphs, and Windows Live Tiles
OK, we all know that all good things come to an end. So when did Scott Forstall's good thing with Apple come to an end?

HD Mobile Voice Quality - Coming to the U.S. Last
When you use Skype or Facetime over good Internet connections, it sounds far better than any telephone call. It's like being in the same room. This kind of HD voice quality has been part of high-end videoconferencing systems for decades. It's much more affordable now but, although used by Skype since 2003, HD has been slow to penetrate the rest of telephony. Yes, there are enterprise PBXs with HD capability, some landline HD voice services in France and recently Sprint announced a mobile HD voice service, but these are small islands that don't interoperate. Finally that's changing, at least in Europe and parts of Asia.

Caps Off to You!
4G LTE networks have created the opportunity for mobile subscribers to decide whether or not they really need their fixed broadband network connections. Mobile broadband connection speeds available before 4G LTE were not comparable in terms of bandwidth to fixed broadband networks. Today, we are seeing that mobile data bandwidth has increased dramatically to the point where it can realistically eclipse fixed broadband connections that are typically accessed through a local Wi-Fi network.

The Coming Mobile Bandwidth Capacity Crunch
The combination of smartphone penetration with advanced wireless networks and subscribers' widespread use of bandwidth-hungry services such as video applications are already stressing service provider networks. And it's about to get worse. Mobile data is expected to increase significantly between 2011 and 2016.

Surveying the Mobile Ecosystem and Personnel Trends
A while back, I commented in my TMCnet blog on rumors of a Sprint takeover by Google. At the time, many thought the idea was crazy. Fast forward a few years, tens of thousands of Android devices and a Motorola Mobility acquisition later, and Google is now reportedly in talks to launch a wireless service with a number of companies including Dish Networks.

Service Agility Part Two: Catalog-Driven Agility
the last issue, I wrote about service agility as a holistic endeavor - neither a single magic bullet nor a series of Band-Aids. Rather, I opined that our industry was changing from a low-volume manufacturing paradigm (in which a small number of services are introduced) to a high-volume innovation environment.

Apple Can Compete, but It Would Rather Just Win
It's been an interesting turn of events. Apple is the dominant brand in most people's mind, and certainly has mindshare. However, as IDC recently pointed out, 75 percent of the smartphone market was Android, while Apple owned a little over 12 percent.

Musical Chairs
The last few months have been particularly busy ones in the realm of wireless mergers and acquisitions. You had Deutsche Telekom making a play for MetroPCS, SOFTBANK announcing plans to invest in Sprint, and Sprint in turn moving to up its stake in Clearwire. Industry watchers expect the DT-MetroPCS deal, which is being done as a merger, to be much more palatable to regulators than AT&T's failed effort to buy T-Mobile for $39 billion.

Location-based Wi-Fi Can Aid in Staffing, Promotions, More

Wireless Service Providers React in the Face of iOS 6

Mobility's New Normal: Personalized

PowerSkin Launches NFC-Enabled Smartphone Battery Case

Honeywell Solution Buzzes with Communications

Hosted Space Sensor to Track North American Air Pollution

JAB Broadband Expands Rural Fixed Wireless Footprint

MIT Spinoff Improves Amp Efficiency

Bucking the Trend

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