Level3 suffering major outages; effects are felt worldwide
You may wonder what Level3 is, but it is a major backbone of the Internet based in the US. Many services and even ISPs rely on it to ensure major parts of the world are connected; in fact everything from Yahoo Mail, PSN, Xbox Live, Outlook, BT, Twitch, HBO Go, Craigslist, and other networks […]
Internet-Plus Poised To Transform China’s Film Business Models
Self-confidence overflowed as Chinese film and Internet executives pitched a new business model that may be on the way to transforming the fortunes of local studios and rolling back the influence of Hollywood in China. At a high-powered seminar on Sunday at the Shanghai film festival, the plutocrat bosses of Bona Film Group and Enlight […]
Feds to cable industry “Embrace broadband competition, or else”
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler had a strong message for the cable industry at its annual conference Wednesday: Don’t interfere with broadband competition. Speaking at INTX: The Internet and Television Expo, Wheeler said the cable industry has reached a tipping point at which its broadband subscribers outnumber its pay TV subscribers. In this […]
New technology will slash foreign currency costs for consumers
Consumers should pay less than 1 percent in fees to exchange currency thanks to changes in financial infrastructure that are gathering pace, says the head of one of Europe’s biggest payment infrastructure providers. That compares to up to 10 percent still being charged by some of the market’s biggest players. Chief Executive John Sharman’s Tuxedo […]
Galaxy S3 claims top spot in smartphones worldwide
The latest statistics from research firm Strategy Analytics peg Samsung’s Galaxy S3 as the world’s most popular smartphone model, holding 10.7 percent of the global smartphone market in the third quarter. According to the research firm, Apple’s iPhone 4S was relegated to a close second place with 9.7 percent of the market after two years […]
Makeover gives Miami vet’s business side a boost
During the four years Dr. Marta Lista spent obtaining her degree from the prestigious University of Florida School of Veterinary Medicine, she learned many things. She learned about gross anatomy and embryology, studied parasitology, pharmacology and gastroenterology. She even got the “pig” talk, a lecture given by a professor to ensure students would pass the […]
Android 4.1 makes its way to Samsung’s Galaxy S3
Samsung is slowly rolling out a software update for the Galaxy S3. Forum posters over at XDA Developers reported today they’ve started receiving an update to Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). Based on the posts, it sounds as if that the replace is slowly making its approach across Europe. If Jelly Bean is, in fact, coming […]
Europe hits old internet address limits
Europe has almost exhausted its stock of old-style internet addresses. Strict rationing of these addresses – called IPv4 – has been started by the body that hands them out in Europe. From now on, companies can only make one more application for IPv4 addresses and, if successful, will only get 1,024 of them. In addition, […]
Miami-based Brightstar expanding role in wireless communications
Brightstar Corp., a leading middleman in wireless communications, celebrates its 15th birthday this fall, and like other teenagers, it’s getting bigger and adopting new interests. Miami-based Brightstar has become one of the world’s largest distributors of mobile telephones and much more, expanding its middleman role in recent years to encompass other types of wireless devices […]
South Florida economy hoping for a fall pickup
South Florida’s economy needs to shake off its summer slump. After strong growth to start the year, hiring remains stalled throughout the region. The presidential election and Washington’s budget dramas have many businesses holding off on spending decisions until the political picture stabilizes. Consumers haven’t regained previous optimism. Even tourism, which as soon as led […]
RIM finally unveils 4G LTE tablet, with Aug. 9 launch
The BlackBerry PlayBook will be available to Canadian customers first, the company says. It will be available in the U.S. and other territories “in the coming months.” After a long wait, Research In Motion has unveiled its 4G LTE BlackBerry PlayBook. The device will be available to Canadian customers first and come with 32GB of […]
Swimwear sales rising, say exhibitors at Miami Beach swim show
The swimwear industry is doing swimmingly, according to exhibitors surveyed at the world’s largest industry show now taking place at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Sales have taken off since the recession and are poised for further growth this year, even as the world economy slows, said executives from companies ranging from Miami’s giant Perry […]
Miami’s Tire Group International on a roll globally
As soon as Antonio Gonzalez was big enough, he began rolling tires around his father’s service station and tire business in Miami, pumping gas and repairing tires to help out. Today, the CEO of Tire Group International, a Miami company he founded with a friend in 1992, is moving more than 1.3 million tires a […]
Android rules U.S. and Europe smartphone sales
For the first time ever, Android has dominated smartphone sales in several major markets, including the U.S., Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, Spain, and Australia, according to data released today by market analysis firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. In all of these countries, Google’s mobile OS has taken at least half of smartphone sales, with the […]
Small businesses in South Florida provide a destination for shopping
South Florida is home to a variety of small businesses, many that offer products and services you can’t find anywhere else. Some establishments attract shoppers from across the tri-county area and beyond for their unique offerings or a surge in demand for their products. South Florida residents have been flocking to Naples for day trips […]
Retailers report tepid sales for June
Shoppers, worried about jobs and the overall economy, pulled back on spending in June, resulting in tepid sales for many retailers. The results raise concerns about Americans’ ability to spend during the back-to-school season, which is the second-biggest shopping period of the year and starts later this month. As merchants reported their sales early Thursday, […]
Consumer confidence rebounds in Florida
Consumers felt better about the economy in May, probably thanks to a decline in both gas prices and unemployment, according to a University of Florida survey. As economic prognosticators get more anxious, Floridians feel more optimistic. Consumer confidence improved across the state this month, the University of Florida reported Tuesday, even as a national survey […]
Cruise industry leaders talk safety in Miami
At a forum typically reserved for optimism, top cruise line executives on Tuesday spent a somber part of the morning discussing their dedication to safety and the fallout from January’s deadly shipwreck in Italy. The “State of the Industry” panel at this year’s Cruise Shipping Miami conference revealed an industry that is eager to emphasize […]
As web booms, so does demand for data centers
Almost overnight, Pinterest is racking up billions of page views. Instagram is touching the 27-million-member mark. Zynga wants to build its own platform. Everywhere you look, you see the web economy booming and growing like never before. And that boom is spurring demand for data centers like never before. A new survey by Campos Research […]
Under the Sea: In the Age of Wireless, Can’t We Do Better than Intercontinental Fiber Optic Cables?
On Saturday, a ship waiting to enter the Kenyan port city of Mombasa wandered into a restricted area and dropped its anchor, inadvertently severing a major undersea Internet and phone link to East Africa. This kind of thing occurs every so often, but Saturday’s incident represents a selected stroke of bad timing. The cable severed […]