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Andrew Seybold: Kindle, Chumby and Gobi

Andrew M. Seybold — Thu, 08 May 2008 09:39:34 -0400

The Kindle is an electronic book from Amazon that receives purchased books via Sprint's EV-DO network. You don't need a Sprint account; when you purchase a book for $9.95 and turn on Kindle's wireless switch, it shows up in the menu. No fuss, no bother. The Chumby is an alarm clock (yes, an alarm clock) that has WiFi built into it, and a Chumby website provides information services through your DSL or cable Internet connection and your WiFi access point to the clock. You can get weather, MySpace, Facebook, news and lots of other content. It does not have a keyboard or a browser and is more of an information delivery tool.

What is Gobi? It is a chipset made by Qualcomm for embedded wide-area wireless in notebooks for now, but soon it will be embedded in all sorts of devices and appliances. Why is it different? Because it is a worldwide chipset that provides wide-area connections to CDMA and GSM/UMTS systems and it supports all of the frequency bands in use around the world for these technologies. This means a notebook with a Gobi chipset inside sold by Dell or HP, for example, can be shipped anywhere in the world and customers can sign up for whatever broadband wireless service is available. Just as important, I believe, is that it will begin to show up in devices such as the Kindle and many other appliances including dashboard navigation systems, game consoles, plush pets that can talk or recite a poem and the list goes on and on.

Ubiquitous wireless connectivity is where we are heading and we are moving at a fast pace. I have said many times that 100 percent penetration is just a number, and that we will end up with 300 percent or more penetration because all of sorts of devices will be enabled with wireless. Think about the Chumby. What more could we do with this clock radio? Well, how about if we put a Zigbee module into it? Zigbee is an in-home wireless system for controlling lights, music, video, temperature and many other things. So we set the alarm clock to 6 a.m. and, in turn, it sends out a signal over Zigbee to turn the heat up 3 degrees and turn on the coffee pot 15 minutes before you get up. OK, that's neat, now let's add some more wide-area capabilities to Chumby.

Let's have it monitor our route to work including the traffic patterns and the weather, which impacts the traffic, and have it send out an alarm plus or minus the time we set it for depending on the circumstances. Naturally, it would also automatically change the time for the heater and coffee pot to come on. But wait, there's more! Suppose our wireless phones were also our profile devices--that is, when we get into our car they set our seats, mirrors, radio station and the temperature? The phone would talk to our car, check the time, know we were headed for work, check traffic and select the best route. At the end of the day, if we needed to run any number of errands, our system would calculate the best possible and most efficient route between work and home.

I have often made reference to the fact that virtually anything we take mobile can and will be wireless in the future, and with tongue in cheek I refer to a dog collar complete with GPS and wireless capabilities so we can track the dog and tell it to come home or find it if it wanders off. Well, there are now products on the market that offer this for dogs, probably as an off-shoot of the kid-finders that are also available.

You would never recognize the Kindle as a wireless-enabled device unless you knew how it worked and what service it used. I have read some interesting speculation that it works over free Wi-Fi access points, but we know that is not true. The point here is that all manner of devices will become wirelessly enabled--with the Gobi chipset, Intel's WiMAX chip or perhaps both in some cases.

Today, instead of wearing a heart monitor that records your heart beats for a period of time, you wear a device that not only records the information but sends it back to the diagnostic client. If there is a problem, medical personnel can get in touch with you quickly, potentially saving lives. We will see more of these devices designed to help track those who need to be monitored on a part or full-time basis, which will, in turn, provide patients with increased freedom to live more normal lives.

All of these new devices and gadgets will be wirelessly enabled using wide-area technologies and, in most cases, the wireless access will be seamless. We won't pay extra for it. We may not even know which network it is using. But we will know that we have a mobile device with a lot more capabilities because we are receiving updates and information seamlessly behind the scenes. Isn't that the way it should be?

Andrew Seybold is an authority on technology and trends shaping the world of wireless mobility. A respected analyst, consultant, commentator, author and active participant in industry trade organizations, his views have influenced strategies and shaped initiatives for telecom, mobile computing and wireless industry leaders worldwide. For more, check out www.andrewseybold.com

SPOTLIGHT: Taiwan manufacturer ASUS debuts smartphone

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:59:52 -0400

ASUS hopes to follow in the footsteps of fellow Taiwanese manufacturer HTC by launching a smartphone. The firm debuted its P527 high-end Windows Mobile GSM smart phone targeted at the enterprise user. The P527 sells for $500 to $600 online and sports a bunch of features including a touch screen, WiFi connectivity and a camera. The company doesn't have an operator deal but sells an unlocked version of the phone through Amazon and TigerDirect. Article

Wireless penetration will reach 300 percent

Andrew M. Seybold — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:16:21 -0400

Today there are about 3 billion people in the world who are wirelessly connected, most by voice and some by data services. In the United States there is a concern that the growth will slow down because we are at about 250 million wireless customers out of a total population of 303 million. That is equal to about 83 percent of the U.S. population. There is a fear that as we approach 100 percent penetration, the industry is going to experience a slow down. But I think 100 percent penetration is just the beginning.

Why do I say that? The answer is that we are entering a new era where it is not just one device per person. Already some of us have three. For example, I carry a Blackberry, a phone and my notebook computer is equipped with a high-speed wireless broadband modem. I also own a Kindle, the Amazon electronic book reader that uses the Sprint EV-DO network to download books, and I only pay for the book, not the airtime. In fact, there is no subscription to Sprint and many people think that the books are delivered over free WiFi, but the reality is that it is Sprint's EV-DO network.

Next up is the Chumby, a clock radio that connects to my Wi-Fi network at home. It permits me to display (but not interact with) stock prices, pictures, several news broadcasts, weather and more. In the future, it will be tied into real-time traffic and it will adjust itself according to the weather and the traffic reports, giving you a few extra minutes of sleep or waking you early. It will also control my coffee pot, and the temperature of my house so that the heat will come on a few minutes before the alarm goes off.

I estimate that we will hit 300 percent penetration in the next five years. I don't think that this is unreasonable, since we are now in an era where wireless is not just about wireless. It is also about extending the capabilities of other devices. Anything we use today that could benefit from being connected. Think about your navigation system, the points of interest is old before you even buy it. Try finding a gas station along your route, many of them have been closed long ago. What if the road is under construction for the next year (as they all seem to be) but there is no data in your files to show that? Well with two-way communications via a simple wireless chip, your navigation system will be more up-to-date, traffic information will be relayed to it, and construction zones will show up on your screen.

You want to program your Tivo Digital Video Recorder? You can already do that today over the Verizon Wireless network, it will just cost you more. Want to get your dog home in time for dinner? Just go to your computer and look at the GPS they have on their collar and then using voice command them to come home. Think I am being funny here? I am not. All of this is either available or coming soon. Want to monitor your heart rate or your glucose values? Have the results sent to your PC for charting or to your doctor. We have phones that will do that too, today.

We are crossing the divide, not the chasm, but the divide. We are entering a time when there will be two types of devices: Those whose primary function is communications and those who use communications to add value to the device. My Kindle is not about communications, it is about electronic books. It just so happens that they are delivered via Sprint's EV-DO broadband network rather than to my computer.

There is still the question of if we have enough wireless bandwidth for all of us to do whatever we want, whenever we want to do it. The new pricing plans-- which are no longer based on unlimited data but rather on unlimited data usage--will help us be more aware of the bandwidth limitations of wireless.

So we are easily headed for 300 percent penetration and Sprint's WiMAX business model of charging us by the individual and the family and not the device is making more sense every day. We have just seen a shift in pricing, all you can eat voice for under $100, and data limits on a monthly basis. Can price per customer or family be far away? I don't think so.

In the meantime enjoy what we have available to us and think about having your favorite consumer product enabled with wireless. That is where we are headed.

FEATURE: Wireless penetration will reach 300 percent

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:59:53 -0400

Wireless penetration will reach 300 percent

By Andrew Seybold

Click here to continue reading...

DEALS: Amazon and Sprint Team

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 06:59:52 -0500

DEALS
WHO	WITH	WHAT	SCOOP
Amazon	Sprint	Amazon has launched an eBook device, called the Kindle, that makes use of EV-DO for over-the-air (OTA) downloads.	The Kindle Store will initially offer more than 90,000 books, including nearly all of the current New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases, for $9.99.
LG	AT&T	LG debuts its Shine handset with AT&T.	The sliding-form factor handset, which features silver exterior and 2.2 inch mirror LCD screen, hit store shelves on Black Friday.
Brightpoint	TESSCO	Brightpoint has acquired a 9.12 percent stake in TESSCO for $7.3 million.	Brightpoint has quickly become the dominant force in the distribution of wireless products with an acquisition of U.S. rival CellStar in March and an acquisition of Europe's largest wireless distributor, Dangaard Telecom of Denmark in July.
Samsung	Verizon Wireless	Verizon Wireless has launched Samsung's U900 FlipShot, a sub-smartphone.	Verizon's website will offer the black version of the handset and Best Buy will sell the red handset starting on the 26th.

Kindle: An ember of Sprint's WiMAX dream?

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 06:59:59 -0500

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Kindle: An ember of Sprint's WiMAX dream?

This week Sprint gave us a glimpse of its future WiMAX plans--should they come to fruition--when it teamed with Amazon.com to launch an EV-DO-equipped eBook device. The connected gadget is called the Kindle, and it relies on Sprint's EV-DO network for over-the-air (OTA) downloads of eBooks. The Kindle Store will initially offer more than 90,000 books, including nearly all of the current New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases, for $9.99. Monthly newspaper subscriptions cost anywhere fromÃ‚Â $5.99 to $14.99 per month and magazines are priced at anywhere from $1.25 to $3.49 per month.

The business model that the Kindle brings to market is similar to the ones Sprint has been giving as examples for its planned WiMAX network.

The Kindle is a consumer electronic device that needs to connect to a data network, but only from time to time, like when a user wants to shop for or download a book. When laying out its WiMAX plans, Sprint has consistently envisioned a future where devices like the Kindle would connect to the WiMAX network as needed. Users will have an account with Sprint that works across their WiMAX-enabled devices and businesses could subsidize the networking costs through the services they provide. That latter business model is the one in effect for the Kindle. Amazon.com charges users $9.99 per book download, a price that includes the cost of accessing Sprint's EV-DO network.

Earlier this year, Sprint told analysts that by 2010 its planned WiMAX service, called Xohm will cover 125 million people and could connect up to 130 million "consumer electronic devices." (The carrier has not updated those figures since news of its failed JV with Clearwire hit, but those metrics were supposed to preclude Clearwire's contributions.) Sprint has long used the term "consumer electronics devices" instead of handsets when describing the devices that will connect to Xohm.Ã‚Â

Chief Xohm evangelist and Sprint CTO Barry West has envisioned Xohm as an "all-you-can-eat" broadband access alternative that follows the Internet model, and not the cellular model. So Amazon.com's Kindle seems to be a perfect fit. Or does it? West characterized EV-DO and HSPA networks as providing a "reasonable experience" while WiMAX will offer a cheaper and faster one. At $9.99 a book the Kindle seems far from outrageous on the price front, and neither Amazon nor Sprint have provided estimated book download times.

If an open access business model will exist for Xohm--should it come to fruition--what devices will require a WiMAX hook-up? I can't imagine an eBook driving adoption of connected consumer electronics, even one with realistic ink properties. My books are already "mobile" enough. Many would agree that the most compelling consumer electronic device in need of a data hook-up is the digital camera, but mobile phone cameras are quickly encroaching on that gadget's value proposition, too. So network build-out problems aside, what devices do you think will run on Sprint's WiMAX network? Will Kindle or a similar device be the driver of this supposed trend? I'd like to hear your take. -Brian

P.S. FierceWireless is taking a holiday for Thanksgiving and will be back on Monday. Have a great long weekend and enjoy the turkey!

Amazon teams with Sprint for EV-DO eBook

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 06:59:54 -0500

Amazon has launched an eBook device, called the Kindle, that makes use of EV-DO for over-the-air (OTA) downloads. The Kindle Store will initially offer more than 90,000 books, including nearly all of the current New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases, for $9.99. Monthly newspaper subscriptions cost anywhere from $5.99 to $14.99 per month and magazines are priced at anywhere from $1.25 to $3.49 per month. The device's wireless delivery system, Amazon Whispernet, will operate via Sprint Nextel's nationwide EV-DO network, enabling wireless shopping and OTA content downloading.

The Kindle's screen uses ink, just like books and newspapers, but the device displays the ink particles electronically. It also reflects light like ordinary paper and makes use of no backlighting, which eliminates the glare that plagues other devices. So the Kindle is designed to be read as easily outside in the sun as inside.

Kindle is now available at Amazon.com for $399.

For more on Amazon Kindle:
- read this release
- check out this article with photo from DailyTechRag