Nielsen pressed the FCC to pause implementation of a mobile safe harbor for broadband provider compliance with net neutrality transparency rules. Nielsen said the commission should seek comment on the standards for safe harbor designations before allowing mobile providers to disclose Measuring Broadband America (MBA) network performance results as a safe harbor under the rules. "While safe harbors provide certainty and clarity to providers, the mobile [MBA] program may not be capable of providing the robust disclosures that the 2015 Open Internet Order requires and that consumers and edge providers deserve," said a Nielsen filing Wednesday in docket 14-28 on a meeting with Wireless Bureau Chief Jon Wilkins and others. Mobile broadband internet access providers can "disclose their results from the mobile MBA program as a sufficient disclosure of actual download and upload speeds, actual latency, and actual packet loss of a service" if the results satisfy sample size criteria and if the MBA program has provided certain network performance metrics, said May 19 guidance from the FCC's chief technologist, Office of General Counsel and Enforcement Bureau. Nielsen said: "Carriers may feel compelled to use the mobile MBA program as the basis of their required disclosures -- despite the flaws the record reflects -- to avoid the risk of severe enforcement action." CTIA and the Competitive Carriers Association criticized the quality of the mobile MBA data (see 1606210022).
A new speaker system from Logitech allows users to stream audio from a Bluetooth-enabled computer, tablet or smartphone and to switch among them, said the company in a Thursday announcement. The Z337 Bold Sound comes with a control pod that can be placed for easy access to speaker functions including power, volume and Bluetooth pairing, said the company. To switch from one source to another, users press pause on one source and then play on another. The pod also has a headphone jack and a knob to adjust the bass level from the subwoofer. A 3.5mm input allows connection to a monitor, computer or video game console, it said. The 80-watt system ships this month at a $99 list price, it said.
Pandora executives detailed changes in its usage and business models (see 1609150046) on an investor call Tuesday and at the Goldman Sachs Communicopia Conference in New York Wednesday. During both events, presenters showed a 10-second Taco Bell commercial that's representative of the video ads designed to help increase advertising revenue in the company’s still-free ad-supported service, the primary breadwinner for Pandora's foreseeable future. Also at the conference, executives from AT&T (see 1609210048), Comcast (see 1609200042) and other companies spoke.
Pandora executives detailed changes in its usage and business models (see 1609150046) on an investor call Tuesday and at the Goldman Sachs Communicopia Conference in New York Wednesday. During both events, presenters showed a 10-second Taco Bell commercial that's representative of the video ads designed to help increase advertising revenue in the company’s still-free ad-supported service, the primary breadwinner for Pandora's foreseeable future. Also at the conference, executives from AT&T (see 1609210048), Comcast (see 1609200042) and other companies spoke.
Pandora executives detailed changes in its usage and business models (see 1609150046) on an investor call Tuesday and at the Goldman Sachs Communicopia Conference in New York Wednesday. During both events, presenters showed a 10-second Taco Bell commercial that's representative of the video ads designed to help increase advertising revenue in the company’s still-free ad-supported service, the primary breadwinner for Pandora's foreseeable future. Also at the conference, executives from AT&T (see 1609210048), Comcast (see 1609200042) and other companies spoke.
The iPhone 7 launch will accelerate the headphone market’s shift, already well in motion, toward Bluetooth connectivity, said NPD analyst Ben Arnold in a blog post last week. Bluetooth generated 45 percent of all headphone revenue and 13 percent of unit shipments over the past 12 months, Arnold said, up from 31 percent and 9 percent in the prior period. In June and July, Bluetooth headphones were 52 percent of sales for the category.
As expected, Sonos announced voice control integration with Amazon’s Alexa voice engine at a Tuesday news conference in New York (see 1608150029). Sonos owners with an Alexa product -- an Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Tap or “any other Alexa-enabled device” -- will be able to control Sonos play, pause, skip and volume functions by voice early next year, said Mike George, vice president-Amazon Echo. Users can ask Alexa to play music from Amazon Music, Spotify and other services, and it will flow to any group of Sonos speakers in the home, said the companies.
As expected, Sonos announced voice control integration with Amazon’s Alexa voice engine at a Tuesday news conference in New York (see 1608150029). Sonos owners with an Alexa product -- an Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Tap or “any other Alexa-enabled device” -- will be able to control Sonos play, pause, skip and volume functions by voice early next year, said Mike George, vice president-Amazon Echo. Users can ask Alexa to play music from Amazon Music, Spotify and other services, and it will flow to any group of Sonos speakers in the home, said the companies.
Regulatory reviews of the Verizon's planned buy of XO Communications $1.8 billion moved forward in states and at the FCC. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission posted reply briefs by parties Thursday, while New York regulators continued their analysis after comments closed in June (see 1606270062). With the Hawaii PUC waiving review last week, 15 of 17 states have now cleared the deal. Wednesday, the FCC resumed its informal 180-day review clock at Day 86, making the target date for a federal decision in late November.
Regulatory reviews of the Verizon's planned buy of XO Communications $1.8 billion moved forward in states and at the FCC. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission posted reply briefs by parties Thursday, while New York regulators continued their analysis after comments closed in June (see 1606270062). With the Hawaii PUC waiving review last week, 15 of 17 states have now cleared the deal. Wednesday, the FCC resumed its informal 180-day review clock at Day 86, making the target date for a federal decision in late November.