Intel completes Light Peak. Verizon to offer unlimited iPhone data plan?

Intel completes Light Peak

According to Electronista.com Intel has completed work on it's Light Peak technology. Light Peak is ultimately an optical communications protocol, but to bring it to market faster the initial offering uses copper cables. It currently has a top transfer rate of 10Gb/s, which according to Intel will transfer a full Blu-Ray movie in under 30 seconds. When the fiber optic version is released it will have a top speed of 100Gb/s, which I suppose means it will transfer 10 Blu-Ray movies in 30 seconds. I'm sure the MPAA will be thrilled when they hear about it.

But the high bandwidth offered by Light Peak may not be it's most interesting feature. Light Peak is a multiple protocol technology. What that means is that with one Light Peak port you can support multiple data transfer technologies. For example, after Light Peak becomes available you may be able to buy a multi-protocol hub that has USB, Firewire, SCSI, PS/2 and maybe other ports, connect it to a Light Peak port and connect all of your peripherals to the one port. The idea is to reduce the number and type of ports necessary on the computer. If you like computers with small form factors like netbooks, you can understand the need for such a port.

Verizon may offer unlimited data plan for iPhone

According to the Wall Street Journal, Verizon will be offering an unlimited data plan for the iPhone - if the rumors are true and a Verizon iPhone will be announced later this month. If they can support the added demand of millions of iPhones, that will be a major feather in Verizon's hat - and a major reason for people to move from AT&T to Verizon.

Verizon iPhone pretty definite in 2011; another iPhone alarm fail

iPhone on Verizon soon

If reports on Pocketnow.com are drawing the correct conclusions Apple should be announcing a Verizon iPhone soon. Apparently there are accessories availble for Verizon iPhones, and Verizon is buying iPhone related domains like "iPhoneVerizon.com" among others. Apple exclusive contract with AT&T ended in 2010, so there's nothing to keep Apple from making deals with other carriers - and if they want tocontinue to grow and remain a power in the smartphone market, they need other carriers. So there will probably be an announcement in January with phones available March or April. Or they may make a low end iPhone available immediately with higher end phones later. They may make high and low end available immediately, it's just not the way Apple usually does these things.

Another iPhone Alarm fail

It's over now, but for the first two days of January 2011 if you set a one time alarm on your iPhone it wouldn't go off. No word on what caused the problem, only that it would fix itself January 3rd. So if you missed something important because the alarm you set in your iPhone didn't go off, it won't happen again. Really.

Apple selling iPad through Verizon

Apple has announced that the iPad will available from both AT&T and Verizon stores on October 28th. The AT&T offering will be the standard selection, but Verison will only offer the iPad Wi-fi bundled with Verizons MiFi hotspot:

Verizon Wireless will offer three bundles, all featuring an iPad Wi-Fi model and a Verizon MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot, for a suggested retail price of $629.99 for iPad Wi-Fi 16GB + MiFi, $729.99 for iPad Wi-Fi 32GB + MiFi and $829.99 for iPad Wi-Fi 64GB + MiFi. Verizon Wireless is offering a monthly access plan to iPad customers of up to 1GB of data for just $20 a month. In addition, Verizon Wireless will also offer all three iPad Wi-Fi models on a stand-alone basis.

“This is the perfect pairing for holiday travels,” said John Stratton, chief operating officer for Verizon Wireless. “iPad together with the nation’s largest and most reliable 3G data network allows customers to easily connect on the go wherever they are.”

This is a little more expensive than just getting a 3G iPad from AT&T, but it's not a bad deal, if you are planning on travelling with more than just your iPad. The Mifi 2200 hotspot allows you to connect multiple devices the Verizons 3G network usign Wi-Fi:

MiFi 2200 is small enough to fit in a pocket and allows customers to create a personal Wi-Fi cloud capable of sharing the high-speed Internet connectivity of the Verizon Wireless 3G Mobile Broadband network with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices. The MiFi 2200’s rechargeable battery provides up to four hours of active use and 40 hours of standby time on a single charge.

Verizon's 3G network is larger than AT&T's, so if you want an iPad that is useable in as many places as possible, and want to be able to connect multiple devices to the web anywhere you can use a Verizon phone, this bundle may be just what you're looking for.

 

Apple is pushing the iPad far and wide. Now it is available from the two largest cell phone providers, Target, Amazon, Wal-Mart, and Sam's Club. I'm beginning to wonder if the next iPhone announcement won't be it's availability on more than just AT&T and Verizon. It seems unlikely, but I have to wonder.