Men Free Blog

After a good bit of hand-shaking and check-writing to close out last year, Vonage has managed to remain out of the press for the majority of 2008. Now, however, the firm is sneaking back out from its cocoon in order to announce a partnership with Covad Communications. In essence, it seems that Vonage has inked an agreement to resell broadband packages using Covad’s nationwide DSL network. Jeffrey Citron, Chairman, Chief Strategist, and Interim CEO even went so far as to say that the newly coined Vonage Broadband would enable the firm to “respond to the demand it hears from customers who prefer the Vonage brand.” Really? You’ve got folks who prefer the Vonage brand? Maybe we missed the comeback.

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The ever-boastful MTI Micro is back again, just days after showing off a fuel cell-powered GPS prototype in Atlanta. This go ’round, the company is announcing a newfound partnership with an elusive Japanese developer of digicams in order to “evaluate the feasibility, development and production” of Mobion products. The love affair will enable the two to work together in evaluating and adapting the aforesaid technology for use in “various precision imaging applications, including digital cameras.” Best of all, work is apparently already ongoing, and MTI Micro is expected to deliver prototypes later this month. Going from prototype form to the store shelf, however, will be the hard part.

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Well, what do you know? Sometimes even the the most repetitive of rumors finally comes true. Barely 12 hours after the Wall Street Journal reported that a deal between Sprint, Clearwire and just about everyone else was dangerously close to going down, it seems as if the bottom lines have indeed been signed. Details are pretty light at the moment, but we definitively know that Sprint Nextel Corp. and Clearwire Corp. will be merging their “next-generation wireless broadband businesses to form a new wireless communications company.” Quite simply, the new outfit will be called Clearwire, even though Sprint will hold around 51-percent of the firm, while existing Clearwire shareholders will own 27-percent and the new investors will hold 22-percent. New investors? Ah yes, Intel, Google, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks will collectively invest $3.2 billion in the new company, but that figure is “based on a target price of $20 a share of Clearwire’s common stock, and is subject to a post-closing adjustment.”

[Via CNN]

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Here’s your heartwarming story for the day. Microsoft has teamed up with Companions in Courage in order to bring “hundreds” of Xbox 360 kiosks to children’s hospitals across the nation, and the gaming stations have already been installed at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian, Children’s Hospital & Regional Medical Center of Seattle and the Children’s Hospital of Orange County, California. The customized units are “hospital-friendly” and come pre-loaded with a variety of E and E10+ rated games, Y-rated television programs, G-rated movies and the Xbox Live headset / Vision camera in order for gamers to play online. Speaking of, each kiosk is wired to a private Live network which “allows hospitalized children across the country to play games and chat” with each other. There’s no word on where the stations are slated to arrive outside of the three venues already mentioned, but those interested in broadening the reach of the endeavor can feel free to donate to the cause.

[Via OhGizmo]

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Remember that WiFi pact brewed up between AT&T and Starbucks earlier this year? How could you forget, right? As if it wasn’t official enough already, the two have announced that the rollout has begun at company-operated Starbucks locations, and the nationwide effort will continue throughout 2008. Effective May 1st, qualifying AT&T high-speed internet / WiFi customers — that’s those who subscribe to one of the three higher-speed residential broadband packages, a small business broadband package or a U-verse offering with high-speed internet — will have free WiFi access at over 7,000 coffeehouses across the US. Unfortunately, we’re not given any real insight into what kinds of potential deals are in the works for AT&T wireless customers (if any at all), but here’s to hoping you all can get a little love, too.

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We knew it! There was just no way a single WiFi router was going to provide coverage from Mercury to Pluto. In order to ensure that all intergalactic beings are given fair and equal access to the intarwebz (and to build a “constellation” that’ll act as a space-based network for communication, data storage and Earth observations, too), NASA is syncing up with m2mi. Of course, these two entities have worked together on occasion before, but this go ’round, they’re looking to craft (relatively) minuscule nanosats that weigh between 11 and 110-pounds and could be placed in low Earth orbit in order to create a new telecommunications and networking system. As expected, nary a launch date is even hinted at, but while we lowly Earthlings worry over the eventual rollout of 4G services, these two hotshots will be focusing on 5G — which incorporates VoIP, video, data, wireless and an integrated machine-to-machine intelligence layer. Far out.

[Via CNET]

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Nothing shows your complete and unwavering devotion to a handset maker like buying an ultra-rare vehicle with its logos on there, wouldn’t you agree? Those vigorously nodding up and down (well, those vigorously nodding up and down in Brazil) can get set to grab a limited edition Renault Sandero, which will come “fully equipped with Nokia’s navigation system and [undisclosed] car add-ons.” The super-special Sandero will come stocked with an N95 and cost around €17,650 ($27,693), but you’d better hurry, as only 1,000 of these niche motorcars are being built. It’s like Nokia heard your cries for letting the chance to nab one of those co-branded Twingos slip through your too-busy-texting thumbs or something.Read

If you’ve been waiting on pins and needles for a small Chrysler that’s due to be built in China by Chery, you’re going to have to twiddle your thumbs a little longer. Though we’ve been hearing about a Chrysler/Chery Hornet or Demon for some time, execs from both companies don’t believe the products are ready for North America, yet. Quality and safety are still a concern with the vehicles, but Chrysler’s China boss Phil Murtaugh feels the challenges are far from insurmountable. Chery Chairman, Yin Tongyao, is also convinced that more work needs to be done to get the product up to US standards, saying the US and Europe are “very mature markets.”

Chery is dying to get its affordable vehicles into the US market, but both Chrysler and Chery seem to understand that any sub-standard Chinese vehicles are destined to take their place next to Yugo in the history books. Chances are that the two companies will only have one shot to get things right, and if the final product is garbage, Chery will be finished in the US, and Chrysler’s already dim rep will start to flicker. If the inexpensive vehicles are a big hit, however, the Pentastar will be pulling in Yuan hand over fist.

[Source: AP]

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