Operators Take on Google, Yahoo! Mobile Search



Tired of losing mobile ad revenue to Google and Yahoo!, seven GSM operators have joined forces to create their own mobile search engine. The seven operators are Cingular, Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom, Hutchison Whampoa, Telecom Italia, Telefonica and Vodafone.

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Proxim Mixes Mesh and MAX

Service providers and municipalities interested in deploying Wi-Fi and WiMAX traditionally have had to deploy two separate units. However, Proxim Wireless has rolled out MeshMAX, a multiradio product line that incorporates Wi-Fi access, Wi-Fi mesh and WiMAX in a single integrated device.

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Wireless from your car

Inilex launched Kepler Advantage, which a GPS-enabled wireless device for security and monitoring that plugs into a car's data bus. From a phone, PDA or other device, you can set alarms, start the engine, unlock doors and receive messages, such as "your vehicle has been stolen." The QuickFence service locates the vehicle and sets a virtual fence around it. If the vehicle moves outside the virtual fence, the user gets a text message.

The Kepler Security System comes in three versions, starting at $695 for basic GPS tracking. The high-end version, at a pricey $1,279, provides various status and diagnostic reports and allows for control of locks, the ignition and other elements. I would expect this type of functionality to become more mainstream over the next few years, and baked in the extras of higher-end vehicles.