| AT&T confesses: its network couldn't handle unchecked FaceTime over cellular Aug 22nd 2012, 14:13  Well, at least no one can blame AT&T for dodging the core issue any longer. After watching Verizon Wireless snag satisfaction crown after satisfaction crown from AT&T over the years, it seems that the latter is finally using a highly defensive blog post on the issue of FaceTime over cellular in order to cop to what we've all known: AT&T's network is in no shape to handle the glut of devices currently running on it. After being taken by storm in 2007 with the iPhone, AT&T has been racing to right the supply / demand curve, and it came to a head once more last week when the operator announced that only Mobile Share users would be able to use FaceTime over its 3G / 4G airwaves once iOS 6 hit. Naturally, pundits were quick to slam the company for implementing a policy that nudges existing users with grandfathered unlimited data plans to slide up to a plan that's potentially less awesome, but a lengthy letter on AT&T's Public Policy Blog lays out the real reason.
The company makes clear that the decision to limit FaceTime over cellular to Mobile Share customers does not violate the FCC's net neutrality rules -- after all, it's being decidedly transparent about the frowned-upon choice -- nor does it cross the line on any "blocking" issues. Its argument is simple: it's not blocking you from using any video chat application you want, but it is exercising its right to manage the doors through which all chat applications can and can't be used. The money quote is here: "We are broadening our customers' ability to use the preloaded version of FaceTime but limiting it in this manner to our newly developed AT&T Mobile Share data plans out of an overriding concern for the impact this expansion may have on our network and the overall customer experience." Despite our scorn, we're halfway glad the policy is in place -- after all, how would you feel if you couldn't load a vital email because everyone else on the block was chatting with their mum about chimera cats on FaceTime? Rock, meet hard place. Filed under: Cellphones AT&T confesses: its network couldn't handle unchecked FaceTime over cellular originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  AT&T Public Policy Blog | Email this | Comments | | Sky's Now TV service hits Xbox, beckons you forth with 30 day free trial Aug 22nd 2012, 14:02  After launching it on the PC, Mac, Android and iOS, Sky's adding another big platform to its Now TV service: Xbox. Gamers in the UK can now stream content at 720i, including the service's 11 movie channels. Those with a Kinect lying around can also use the peripheral to navigate around the offering. Interested parties can take advantage of a 30-day trial for free, after which they'll have to plunk down £15 a month for access to Sky Movies Pass titles from studios like Disney, Fox, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros. and Universal. The service has promised more content in coming months, including the launch of Sky Sports. For more info on the offering, check out the press release after the break. Continue reading Sky's Now TV service hits Xbox, beckons you forth with 30 day free trial Sky's Now TV service hits Xbox, beckons you forth with 30 day free trial originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  TechDigest | | Email this | Comments | | Mainland China, Taiwan send first data over direct fiber optic link, take steps towards peace and harmony Aug 22nd 2012, 13:41  Relations between mainland China and Taiwan haven't always been what you'd call warm, even with many companies having a footprint in both regions. Consider the first bursts of network traffic from a newly active connection as olive branches: a pair of undersea fiber optic cables running between southern China's Xiamen and the Taiwan-claimed Kinmen island chain represent the first truly direct data link between the two sides. Built by China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom and Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom, the link both has its share of diplomatic symbolism as well as the very practical advantage of a faster, more reliable route -- there's no globetrotting required to get data and voice to their destinations, and there's fewer chances of blackouts if a boat inadvertently slices a cable. We wouldn't go so far as to call it a Happily Ever After for either faction after decades of tension, but it does at least provide a greater semblance of normalcy to their communication. [Image credit: Aine Hickey, Wikitravel] Filed under: Networking, Internet Mainland China, Taiwan send first data over direct fiber optic link, take steps towards peace and harmony originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | BBC | Email this | Comments | | Google Octane benchmark tests JavaScript in the real world, scales to mobile sizes Aug 22nd 2012, 13:21  We're all too familiar with JavaScript tests like Sunspider -- we use them all the time to gauge browser speeds on phones and tablets. Most of these have little direct correlation to the sites we're visiting on our devices, however, and seldom acknowledge that we're testing with anything but a desktop. Google wants to drag the experience into this decade with its new Octane benchmark. The collection of tests uses real-life examples of JavaScript code -- who knew web-based Game Boy emulators were so popular? -- to generate results for a simple, more-is-better scoring system. Its interface also scales dynamically and should fit just about any screen size. While we can't guarantee that Octane will find a place within our own battery of tests, both the benchmark itself and the source code are available for anyone to investigate. Feel free to post and compare your results in the comments. Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs, Internet Google Octane benchmark tests JavaScript in the real world, scales to mobile sizes originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Chromium Blog, TechCrunch | Octane (benchmark), (source code) | Email this | Comments | |
