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Launch of Apple's TV device on hold

Apple's device that brings TV to PCs and Macs was set to ship this month, but now won't be available until mid-March. The $299 set-top box puts downloaded TV shows from personal computers onto TV sets in other rooms. The Associated Press (2/27) CNET (2/26) The Wall Street Journal (2/27)

Business & Industry Watch

Embarq promotes bundled offering
Embarq is embracing bundled services by offering its customer base both wireline and wireless services, but the company points to research showing that the home phone remains an important component of service. The company calculates that 90% of its wireless customers also have a landline phone. Las Vegas Business Press (2/26)

AT&T signs distribution deal with Scripps Networks
AT&T has added Scripps Networks to its U-verse programming platform. The distribution deal will give U-verse subscribers access to channels such as Home & Garden Television (HGTV), the Food Network and Great American Country, as well as high-definition channels for some of the programming and on-demand content. Yahoo!/American City Business Journals/San Antonio (2/26)

Baltimore County Council in talks with Verizon
The Baltimore County Council is in discussions with Verizon Communications in regards to providing video services to county residents. Currently, Comcast is the county's only cable provider, with about 220,000 customers. The Sun (Baltimore) (2/27)

• Verizon Wireless wins text-spam suit: Verizon Wireless has won a permanent injunction against Specialized Programming and Marketing and its owner preventing the company from sending further unsolicited text messages to its customer base. The court also awarded Verizon Wireless more than $200,000 in damages. Silicon.com (2/27) The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (2/26)

Alltel sticks with Convergys
Alltel inked a deal to continue using Convergys' Infinys Rating and Billing software. The four-year deal extends an existing agreement for billing services between the two companies. Wireless Week (2/26)

AOL looks at buying cell-phone ad firm
AOL is in negotiations to buy Third Screen Media. Third Screen Media, which Microsoft's MSN tried to acquire last year, is a mobile-advertising startup that posts small ads to cell-phone screens. The Wall Street Journal (2/26) Adweek (2/27)

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Technology Trends

Home networking standard gains international approval
The International Telecommunications Union cleared the HomePNA 3.1 multimedia networking specification as a standard. HomePNA technology is designed to advance IPTV, VoIP and other next-generation services in home networking, according to Home Phoneline Networking Alliance Chief Rich Nesin. EE Times (2/27)

Vox to develop VoIP networks with CityvoiceTEL
Canadian broadband provider CityvoiceTEL has partnered with Vox to begin providing VoIP services to its customers. The two companies are working to provide VoIP through wireless mesh networks, DSL, cable and BPL systems. CED Magazine (2/2007)

Siemens unveils FMC solution
Siemens Enterprise Communications is looking to bring together fixed enterprise VoIP, VoWLAN and cellular networks with its new HiPath MobileConnect enterprise FMC offering. The open-standards-based solution works with any SIP-supported IP telephony, WLAN and dual-mode handset, the company said. Converge! Network Digest (2/27)

Mobile companies mull bar code standard for handsets
Nokia, Ericsson, Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom are expected to attend a Hewlett-Packard-initiated meeting designed to help facilitate the adoption of mobile phones as bar code readers. The technology is already taking hold in Japan and South Korea, where marketers are using 2D bar codes to deliver product information directly to handsets via download. Financial Times (free content) (2/27)

Other News

• TI aims VoIP solutions at small businesses
  Telecommunications (2/26)

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