"FCC Sets Rules for Cell-Phone Alerts"
"Federally supervised cell phone alerts about national emergencies came one step closer to reality Thursday when regulators released their final rules for how mobile providers must implement the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS). CMAS is a voluntary system available to wireless providers that will send out text message blasts in the event of a national disaster like Hurricane Katrina, or the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Though providers are not required to join the CMAS, major providers like Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint have already pledged their support."
"No Commissioner Commitment on FMs in Cellphones"
"On the issue of including FM chips in cellphones, saying there’s been pushback on the issue from wireless carriers. He asked whether the agency would consider approving a mandate, since radio needs a platform that’s growing. FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said, what you’re talking about is redundancy — that radio works even when cell phones fail during emergencies. Neither Copps nor two of his colleagues would commit to a mandate, however. Commissioner Meredith Baker said, it’s up to the marketplace to decide the matter of whether to include FM capability in phones."
"The Debate About FM Goes On and On"
"After an attempt to have the chip mandated was thwarted, broadcasters are now using community safety as their number-one selling proposition. Not everyone's buying the safety pitch. Carpenter says if broadcasters can get the chip into the phone, they wouldn't have to pay streaming fees because the chip delivers the over-the-air product, therefore eliminating the streaming cost. He was also less than impressed with the rollout last week of the new HD chip by iBiquity and Intel. I chuckled when I saw that. I don't know a soul who has HD. That was just an attempt to jump start the FM chip business which has not taken off. Carpenter also says those phones that already have the chips are not really being activated all that much."
"Radio: High Deception"
"Doesn't it remind you of iBiquity, the HD Radio Digital Radio Alliance, and the steady stream of misleading propaganda they attempt to flood the radio industry with? This past Friday the same iLounge site was pitching for comments in its latest reader’s poll, 'Which of the following next-gen add-on features most interests you?' Harmless enough – until you read the following line: 'Currently, HD Radio is leading the poll with 29% of the vote.' So we are to accept as fact that more iPhone/iPod users want HD Radio than, let’s say, a larger screen? Or, more likely, are we to believe that HD Radio proponents are manipulating the iLounge poll?"
"The Dark Secret iBiquity Doesn't Want You to Know"
"Hot in the news is a new patent application from Apple for what has been portrayed as HD Radio capability in iPods or possibly even iPhones. What's left out of the news is one important point: We're talking about an accessory here - not a core functional piece of the iPod hardware. That's abundantly clear from the title of Apple's application and completely missed by most of the radio industry trades."
"iPhone 5 Announcement"
"But Apple completely skipped over HD Radio again, as the company has done year after year since the Zune HD came out with the feature. And not only is there no HD Radio, radio itself is limited solely to the iPod Nano. If you have any other Apple product (iPhone 5, iPod Touch, etc.), you’re out of luck. Because apparently if you can get Internet over Wi-Fi, which is obviously everywhere, who needs the radio?"
"FM tuner to be in Google Nexus One smartphone"
"PC World reports the Google Nexus One Android smartphone, intended as a rival to the Apple iPhone, will include a chip for an FM tuner... RBR-TVBR observation: Again, not an HD Radio tuner, but analog FM. Guess there is still a way for radio to join the 'digital revolution' afterall."
"Windows Phone 7 Series"
"It seems the stunning Zune HD interface was something of a trial run for the new Windows Phone 7 Series software... It is also understood that Microsoft is stipulating all phones must also include an FM radio tuner."