A new version of Sonos software lets customers use the Spotify app on a smartphone to control Sonos speakers and music around their households, said the audio company.
Apple Watch shipments plummeted 71 percent in Q3 vs. the year-ago quarter, IDC reported, citing partly an “aging lineup and an unintuitive user interface." The latest-generation watches address that, said the industry researcher Monday, but Apple's success will “likely be muted as the smartwatch category continues to be challenged.” Smartwatches were once expected to take the lead in the category, though “basic wearables now reign supreme,” said analyst Jitesh Ubrani. Apple didn't comment Tuesday.
Harman will sell an aftermarket augmented reality driving device through a partnership and investment in head-up display provider Navdy, it announced Tuesday. Harman will have exclusive rights to distribute the co-branded aftermarket Navdy display with Harman devices to mobile carriers and some other companies. Nandy's product uses AR technology to project car, phone and music information in the driver's line of sight. Samsung is buying Harman (see 1611140039).
The expected boom in mobile data traffic due to the IoT and connected cars, the deployment of millimeter wave, new mobile entrants like Google and cable, and the eventual build out of incentive auction spectrum will drive growth at tower companies, Macquarie Research analyst Amy Yong wrote investors as her firm initiated coverage on the tower industry. She said global tower growth is expected to outpace the U.S. economy through 2020, and mobile data traffic is expected to grow at 40 to 50 percent annually in the next couple of years. The 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference could allocate globally as much as 500 MHz for mobile, Yong said, saying the FCC concluding its proceedings on 5G spectrum might also lead to a millimeter wave auction. She sees three possibilities for Dish Network's 80 MHz of spectrum: leasing it or partnering with T-Mobile or smaller carriers; combining with T-Mobile; or an outright sale to Verizon or AT&T. The analyst said AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Comcast and Dish combined will likely spend $36 billion to $40 billion in the broadcast incentive auction (see 1612060034).
The FCC is seeking comment on Crown Castle’s plan to buy assets including FPL FiberNet from NextEra Energy, the Wireline Bureau said in a Tuesday public notice. Crown Castle last month sought FCC OK for the $1.5 billion fiber-services provider takeover (see 1611220043). The bureau accepted the transfer of control request as a streamlined application, meaning the companies can move forward with the deal Dec. 31 unless otherwise notified by the FCC. Comments are due Dec. 20; replies Dec. 27.
Intel, AT&T and Ericsson launched a business customer trial Tuesday in Austin, Intel said in a Tuesday news release. Intel and Ericsson provided 5G infrastructure and millimeter wave equipment, it said. The companies will test multiple business use cases, including internet access, VPN, unified communications applications and 4K video streams, plus 5G VoIP over the 15 GHz and 28 GHz spectrum bands, Intel said.
Sprint majority owner SoftBank committed to invest an additional $50 billion in the U.S. and to create 50,000 jobs in the country, President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday. Trump announced the investment plan via Twitter after a meeting with SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, who Trump said told him he “would never do this had we (Trump) not won the election!” SoftBank previously planned a $100 billion tech-centric investment fund in partnership with Saudi Arabia-based interests. SoftBank didn't comment.
The NPD Group forecasts virtual and augmented reality headset holiday sales will double from the year-ago period on use by smartphones, gaming consoles and PCs, said analyst Ben Arnold. U.S. dollar sales of VR/AR devices have been on the rise since July, jumping 300 percent in the six months ending October versus the previous six months from November 2015 through April, the research firm reported Monday.
CTA is teaming with Best Buy, Dell, HP, LG, Samsung and Vizio on a yearlong e-waste disposal “pilot program” in Nebraska, where consumer awareness of e-waste recycling options is lower than the national average, said the association in a Monday announcement. The pilot “will offer a range of recycling opportunities not only in Nebraska's larger urban areas, but also in smaller communities,” the group said. Manufacturers of consumer electronics are funding the program, it said. At the end of 2017, CTA “will analyze the results and produce a report summarizing the pilot process, deliverables and recommendations for future action,” it said. E-waste generated from homes is not regulated as hazardous waste in Nebraska, says a "guidance document" issued by the state's Department of Environmental Quality. The department "encourages, but does not require, households to recycle or reuse their electronics and computers rather than dispose of them in the trash," the document says.
Eighty-nine percent of adults over 50 own a mobile device, and 73 percent ages 50-59 own a smartphone, AARP reported Monday. Smartphone ownership among people 50-plus is up 10 percentage points over July 2014 and 25 points since 2013. Portable device adoption among Americans 50 and older is growing, while adoption of traditional computing has flattened or declined, said the group. Seventy-six percent of respondents 50-plus own a computing device defined as a desktop, laptop or tablet, and 11 percent of adults over 50 own a wearable device.