The small wireless carriers are prohibited from getting the better devices because the mobile providers lock the manufacturer into contracts that prevent them from selling to everyone.  Verizon and AT&T said that they would open their services so that customers would be able to bring the device they wanted to their network or move to another.  However, we are still locked into contracts and carriers because of incompatible hardware and exclusivity contracts.

Despite the promises, we currently don’t see a change on the horizon.

In the other article the small or rural carriers ask the FCC to intervene and disrupt the exclusivity contracts.  These issues affect all those that want to take their iPhone to Verizon or another carrier.  This has a larger implementation that just the little guys that want to bring the latest bling to their networks.

The next change in hardware and services should, I hope, see the creation of a 700MHz chipset that will allow the owner of the hardware to migrate to the best provider for the area they live in.  I believe, eventually, that the carriers will become like the internet providers today and who you have won’t matter as much as the quality of service and the device you have.

Who wouldn’t like to have the iPhone in Alaska or Vermont?

iron wil

As I thought about it, I remembered that Verizon & AT&T both said they would open up their networks by the end of 2008.  Well, it is the beginning of 2010 and Verizon & AT&T, from what I know, are still clam-shelled.  They are not allowing users [us] to bring the device that we want to their service.

I am disappointed in this, very disappointed.

I believe that one day the mobile providers will have to open up because hardware manufactures & users will stick it to them and they will change.  The beginning of the end for their selecting of hardware we can use was started when Apple released the iPhone.  Since then, Google has released the Android software package and now the Nexus One phone.  Other hardware manufactures are jumping in and building handsets and devices that access mobile providers networks.

Times are changing.  The hardware manufactures are tightening the thumb screws and things will change for users and the carriers that provide our services.  I have to say that my prediction for 3 to 5 years is looking dismal; however, I am hopeful that it will happen.  That soon handsets and NetBooks will be open to provider transfer.  I know there are people that would like to take their iPhone to Verizon or T-Mobile and have the ability to move around per their need.

Time will tell, I am hopeful that it will happen soon.

iron wil

Hosts: Leo Laporte, John C. Dvorak, Bwana McCall, and Julio Ojeda-Zapata

The Facebook worm, Apple antivirus, Obama’s Zune, barcode-scanning phones, and more.

Links to all our stories are at http://delicious.com/twit/172.

Audible pick of the week: The Pixar Touch: The Making of a Company, Unabridged, By David A. Price, Narrated by David Drummond.

get yours here.

iron wil

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Patrick Norton, Jason Calacanis, and Alex Lindsay

Talkin’ Tesla, BlackBerry-less presidenting, robot bidets, tech economy, and more.

Links to all our stories are at http://del.icio.us/twit/169.

Audible pick of the week: Star Wars: Legacy of the Force #5: Sacrifice, Abridged, By Karen Traviss, Narrated by Marc Thompson. To get two free audiobooks, visit Audible.com/twit2.

get yours here.

iron wil

Hosts: Leo Laporte, John C. Dvorak, Sarah Lane, Martin Sargent, Steve Bass, and Bwana McCall.

G1 reboot, Google/Yahoo, McCain/Obama servers attacked, I’m a PC booth, and more.

Links to all our stories are at http://del.icio.us/twit/168.

Audible pick of the week: The books of Michael Crichton. To get two free audiobooks, visit Audible.com/twit2.

get yours here.

iron wil

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Wil Harris, Jason Calacanis, Sarah Lane, and Kevin Rose

Mahalo and other layoffs, MSFT earnings, virtual murder, FOWA, G1 phone release, and more.

Links to all our stories are at http://del.icio.us/twit/166.

Audible pick of the week: The Post-American World, Unabridged, By Fareed Zakaria, Narrated by Fareed Zakaria. To get two free audiobooks, visit Audible.com/twit2.

get yours here.

iron wil

Hosts: Paul Thurrott and Leo Laporte

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2, Windows Not Walls, new Hotmail, Windows Live Video Message, and more.

Topics:

• Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 released
• Mojave Experiment update
• Plus: Windows, Not Walls with Jerry Seinfeld
• Windows Mobile 6.1 phone arrives: BlackJack II
• iPhone 3G issues in D.C.
• Rumors of Windows Live Wave 3
• New Hotmail coming
• Windows Live Video Message
• Windows Live Movie Maker?
• Microsoft updates WGA notifications in XP
• Battle of the set-top boxes

Tip of the week:

• Use SendMeRSS.com to get RSS feeds in your email
• $0.99 iTunes Movie of the Week

Software of the week:

• Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2
• Teracopy

Audible pick of the week: Election 2008. For a free audiobook, visit Audible.com/windows.

Check out Paul’s blog at http://www.internet-nexus.com and the SuperSite for Windows http://winsupersite.com for more information.

get yours here.

iron wil

I have written about this over the past year or more. I would suggest that each of you take the time and see the article and more importantly hit Google’s site and sign the petition.

iron wil

Hosts: Steve Gibson with Leo Laporte

Our regular mailbag episode with questions and comments from our listeners.

For 16kpbs versions, transcripts, and notes (including fixes), visit Steve’s site: grc.com, also the home of the best disk maintenance and recovery utility ever written Spinrite 6.

get yours here.

iron wil

I am really looking forward to seeing how Android shapes the future of Mobile Phones and Mobile Computing [which the iPhone has really pushed to the forefront]. I am really excited to see [hands on] what the software will be capable of doing. With the expected changes [Verizon & AT&T opening their Wireless Networks] coming this year, I hope to see both AT&T and Verizon pick this up when it is a finished and polished product. It will also be interesting to see where and how other coders and system hackers implement the software. With open Wi-Fi becoming more pervasive and the availability of systems like the ASUS Eee PC, PSP, iPhone, and Nokia’s [N800] Internet Tablet; we may see system hacks that revolutionize the Mobile Phone/Computing markets.

I know that whatever happens, we are moving into exciting times. Now, if I could get the iPhone [without having to hack it] on my preferred wireless carrier.

iron wil

Notes:

1) dot.life article, Under the bonnet of Android

2) Open Handset Alliance