After generating disappointing results in our tests last spring, AT&T’s 3G network is now the top performer in our 13-city tests, with download speeds 67 percent faster than its competitors'.
Mark Sullivan, PCWorld

AT&T says it has worked hard to improve its much-maligned 3G network over the last eight months--erecting hundreds of new cell towers, using better-performing wireless spectrum, and souping up its cell sites across the country--and the results of our latest 13-city 3G network performance tests suggest that the network has indeed undergone a drastic makeover.

After registering the lowest average download speeds in our 3G performance tests last spring, AT&T’s network turned in download speeds that were 72 percent better than the numbers from eight months ago; in our latest tests, AT&T's download speeds were 67 percent faster on average than those of the other three largest U.S. wireless providers--Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

In our tests last spring, AT&T posted an average download speed of 812 kbps (kilobits per second) across 13 cities. In our tests conducted in December 2009 and January 2010, AT&T’s average download speed increased to 1410 kbps.

AT&T's download speeds in New York City were three times faster in our latest tests than in our tests last spring; in San Francisco, the AT&T's download speeds were 40 percent faster.

The AT&T network’s reliability improved dramatically, too: Last spring, PCWorld testers obtained a usable broadband connection with AT&T only 68 percent of the time. In our latest tests, testers connected to AT&T successfully in 94 percent of their attempts.



Verizon Wireless, which turned in the best all-around performance in last spring's 3G network testing, and Sprint, which finished a close second, both continue to perform well, according to our latest test results. Our tests found that Sprint’s network delivered download speeds nearly identical to those we measured eight months ago in the 13 test cities; Verizon’s download speeds decreased by 8 percent overall.

In the past year, Sprint and Verizon--like AT&T--have seen a marked increase in the number of 3G smartphones that rely on their networks. Our speed results suggest that Sprint is upgrading its network capacity fast enough to meet the demand, while Verizon may be having trouble keeping up. Nevertheless, both networks’ reliability (the likelihood that a user can connect to the Internet at a reasonable speed) improved in the most recent tests over how they fared last spring.

Via PCWorld

Windows Mobile users looking to download Skype may have to dig a bit deeper to find the necessary .cab file for installation. According to Skype’s website, the Windows Mobile version has been removed because it does not offer the same rich user experience that is available in Skype for the iPhone and Skype for Symbian, an unusual reason that leaves us scratching our heads. Skype does not indicate when the Windows Mobile version will return, if ever, and it is possible that Skype may have chosen to cease development of the older Windows Mobile version

via Pinstack

While some of this is not surprising the latest rumor from GizmoFusion shows that Verizon is moving 4 BlackBerry models to End Of Life status. This includes the BlackBerry Storm 9530 (Original Storm), BlackBerry Curve 8330, BlackBerry 8830, and the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230. I am still kind of shocked that Verizon is killing off the 8330 which is the most popular smartphone out today even though it has been replaced by the 8530.

Comments made by AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson during a recent investor conference indicate that metered data pricing is likely in the firm's future. Stephenson didn't say exactly how data pricing would be altered, nor when any change would take place, but he did say that the company will charge heavy users of its mobile data network more than those who use it infrequently. Stephenson also said that Apple's iPhone will be a key product for AT&T for "quite some time," which calls to question just how long the exclusive distribution agreement will last between Apple and AT&T. Stephenson reiterated that the company is taking measures to shore up its existing 3G network and believes HSPA will serve for several more years. "We're not in a tremendous hurry on LTE," Stephenson said. Competitor Verizon Wireless plans to trial two LTE markets late this year, with preliminary launches taking place in 2011.

more at MarketWatch

Opera Software announced a new version of Opera Mini 5 beta that is native to the Windows Mobile 5 and 6 platforms. Opera Mini traditionally runs on Java, but this version for Windows phones does not. It has been integrated into Windows Mobile. This lets the browser run much faster. Opera says that the Windows version of Opera Mini 5 offers all the same features that the standard Java version does, including tabbed browsing, the password manager, bookmarks and Speed Dial. The beta of Opera Mini 5 for Windows Mobile 5 and 6 is a free download.

more at Opera

Download
Windows Mobile 5 and 6 users can download Opera Mini directly to their phone for free from http://www.opera.com/mini/next/. Java is not required on the mobile phone for this download.

Microsoft announced that its new Windows Phone 7 platform will include the company's Silverlight and XNA technologies for developers. Silverlight is a runtime designed to make it easier for developers to create rich, attractive interfaces that are intelligently separated from lower-level logic code. On the desktop, Silverlight competes with Adobe Flash. XNA provides an alternative to Silverlight that is more tailored for creating 3D and 2D games. Developers will use Microsoft's C# programming language to write apps for Windows Phone 7. The new platform is not backward-compatible with Windows Mobile 6.x apps; developers will need to re-write their apps, although they may be able to re-use some behind-the-scenes (non-interface) C# code written using .NET CF for Windows Mobile 6.x.

more at Microsoft

According to an unnamed source cited by Reuters, Verizon Wireless plans to sell two new devices from Microsoft that are not Windows Phone 7 handsets. Reuters' source says that the two new phones are being developed under the code name "Pink" and they will be aimed at heavy users of social networks. More details about the devices weren't disclosed. Microsoft bought SideKick maker Danger several years ago. Danger's SideKick devices have always been targeted at those who take advantage of messaging and social networking services. Neither Verizon Wireless nor Microsoft has made any official announcements.

more at Reuters