Gizmodo: alcatel-lucent

Tikitag RFID Tagging System Makes an Internet Out of Your Stuff

Sean Fallon — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:18:00 EDT

Ideas like this have been tossed around for some time now, but Alcatel-Lucent's "tikitag" unveiled at the DemoFall conference may finally make the idea of everyday RFID tagging possible. For example, you could put tikitags on business cards and connect that card to online personal or social networking info. After that, the data could be retrieved easily by swiping the card over a tikitag reader.

If the service takes off and enough developers get involved with apps, another option for business owners would be to attach the tags to posters or advertisements that could interact with cellphones or other portable devices. The possibilities are endless. The service is set to go into a public beta on October 1st, with a 10 tag pack running about $50. Packs containing 25 tags will also be available sometime in the near future. [Tikitag via CNET]

WiMax Competitor LTE Runs Wii Online Multiplayer So Fast It Seems Local

matt buchanan — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:30:00 EDT

WiMax isn't the only the live 4G game in town. Alcatel-Lucent is running an arguably much sexier demo of LTE (long-term evolution), the high-speed 4G network that Verizon and AT&T are going to deploy. Besides streaming video to a wall of TVs with over 100Mbps of throughput, they have two Wiis hooked up, one on Wi-Fi and one on LTE, battling each other in an online Mario Strikers Charged match. It's totally lag-free, as frenzied and butter smooth as Striker gets. Full-fledged online gaming anywhere is so close it hurts.

Nokia Successfully Tests 100Mbps Wireless Data Network

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:53:14 EST

Today Nokia said that in technical trials, the target of 100Mbps download speed and 50Mbps upload speed for its next-gen cellular data network "can be met," and promised initial deployment by 2010. Americans probably won't see it until later, since the 3GPP LTE (don't ask) initiative has more momentum across the Atlantic. The founding members are all Euros, though some Asian companies just joined in, including LG Electronics, NTT DoCoMo and Samsung. Still, it's grounds for excitement, since those superfast wireless data rates will get here sooner or later. (FYI: The phone pictured is Nokia's concept Aeon, and no, that's not a real 100Mbps antenna.) [Gadget Lab]

Judge Tosses $1.52 Billion MP3 Patent Infringement Verdict Against Microsoft

Matt Buchanan — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 09:40:04 EDT

The dubious $1.52 billion judgment delivered against Microsoft for infringing on Alcatel-Lucent's MP3 patents back in February was set aside by a federal judge. In a 43-page judgment that would probably take longer to read than The Deathly Hallows, Judge Rudi Brewster said that "the jury's verdict of infringement was against the clear weight of evidence," as Microsoft didn't infringe on one of the two patents in question, while ownership of the other one is "questionable."

The situation is sticky because Microsoft paid the consortium that helped to develop the format, headed by the Fraunhofer Institute, to license the tech. However, Lucent claims the patents in question were developed before Bell Labs (Lucent's antecedent) joined the group to develop MP3. The overturned verdict also flash-freezes for the time being Alcatel-Lucent chances of going after other companies who picked up their license from Fraunhofer—Apple, Creative, Sony, etc.

On a less convoluted note, the $1.5 billion this frees up for Microsoft should nicely cover the billion or so they're dropping on the 360's extended warranty. See, it all works out in the end. [NYT]

Microsoft Slapped with $1.52 Billion Patent Fine; Alcatel-Lucent May Want More, More, More

Matt Buchanan — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 20:45:13 EST

The $1.52 billion in damages Microsoft was ordered to pay by a federal jury for infringing on Alcatel-Lucent's audio patents dealing with MP3 standards may in fact be a smaller note in the story. And not just because that's only about six weeks of cash flow.

One of the analysts said that the ruling could spur Alcatel-Lucent to go after money from other "providers of software and hardware that support MP3 files" such as "Apple Inc.'s iPod and iTunes" as well as Sony, Creative, and Napster (?). While I would peg an ensuing wave of lawsuits as unlikely, such a move could have interesting effects on the industry at a time when standards are essentially the talk of the town.

Bonus awesomeness: The caption for the Reuters photo reveals that the creepy silhouette is in fact Bill Gates. Spooky. – Matt Buchanan

Microsoft hit with $1.52 billion damages [Reuters/Yahoo!]