FCC Articles on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

Apple: Apple TV spotted at FCC to offer same great experience, updated components

by Kelly Hodgkins (Jan 30th, 2013)

An Apple TV model spotted recently at the FCC won't bring our living rooms into the 21st century as hoped. According to a statement by Apple that was provided to The Verge, the unit spotted in FCC regulatory documents is only a refresh of the current version. It will include updated components ...

Could AT&T's blockage of FaceTime be an FCC violation?

by Steven Sande (Aug 21st, 2012)

Yesterday, TUAW noted that AT&T is planning on blocking Apple's iOS 6 FaceTime video calling app over cellular service except for those individuals who have signed up for one of the company's new "Mobile Share" plans. A few websites are now wondering aloud if AT&T's plans to proceed in ...

Verizon announces then kills extra $2 fee to pay bill by phone or online

by Mel Martin (Dec 30th, 2011)

Good news for iPhone owners on the Verizon network. A day after announcing a plan to charge customers a $2.00 fee for telephone and online bill payments the plan has vanished without a trace. Could it be the announcement today from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission today saying it ...

AT&T withdrawing merger application with the FCC while pursuing win with the Justice Department

by Mel Martin (Nov 24th, 2011)

AT&T apparently believes its idea to merge with T-Mobile is headed for trouble, and today the telecommunication giant announced it has withdrawn its joint application for FCC approval ahead of what was going to be a US $39 billion dollar deal. The two companies say they are going to focus ...

Pioneer registers with the FCC for AppRadio

by Mike Schramm (Apr 27th, 2011)

It seems like just the other day we were chatting with Pioneer about its interfaces for iPhones in the car, and sure enough, it seems the company has plans for even more integration between its in-car units and Apple's smartphone. A filing with the FCC has revealed something Pioneer is calling ...

AT&T filing shows that smartphone data is facing huge growth

by Mike Schramm (Apr 22nd, 2011)

AT&T has submitted a document to the FCC in the process of trying to get that T-Mobile merger approved, and it reveals that AT&T was overwhelmed by the amount of smartphone data traffic it had to push through with the arrival of the iPhone. 2010 saw an 8000% jump in data rates over ...

Report: FCC official doubts AT&T + T-Mobile deal will sail through

by Mike Schramm (Mar 24th, 2011)

An unnamed FCC official told the Wall Street Journal this week that "there's no way the chairman's office rubber-stamps" the recently announced merger between AT&T and T-Mobile USA. The official didn't go into further details, but said that the organization hadn't even begun preliminary ...

Woz speaks up on net neutrality (video)

by Kelly Hodgkins (Dec 22nd, 2010)

Steve Wozniak stepped up the plate earlier this week and spoke out on net neutrality. In both a written statement and a quick interview while at the recent FCC hearing on net neutrality, Woz singled out the telecommunication companies for their deceptive practices and monopolistic behaviors. ...

T-Mobile FCC memo cites Android app that caused network chaos

by Michael Rose (Oct 19th, 2010)

Remember, back in 2007 -- you know, Year One BTAS (Before The App Store) -- when Steve Jobs gave Apple's rationale for keeping the iPhone a closed platform versus allowing native app development? "Cingular doesn't want to see their West Coast network go down because some application messed up," he ...

New iPod touch has vibration motor (Update: No, it doesn't)

by Mike Schramm (Sep 8th, 2010)

FCC pictures of the brand new iPod touch's internal tech show that the device has a vibrating motor inside of it. According to Apple, the motor will be used with FaceTime, but presumably, it'll work when any app calls for vibration. That should help for gaming -- neither the DS nor the PSP has any ...

FCC dissects the new iPod touch

by Michael Rose (Sep 1st, 2010)

The public servants at the FCC are earning their keep today, favoring us with several PDFs full of lovely, detailed images of both the internal and external design of the soon-to-ship iPod touch. Check out the gallery below for several of the pictures, and consider how much nicer it will be ...

Apple's Magic Trackpad approved by FCC

by Mike Schramm (Jul 19th, 2010)

We've seen the Magic Trackpad name before, and we've even gotten a glimpse of what the device might be -- a larger, Bluetooth-enabled multitouch surface designed to bring all of the gestural and multitouch capability found on the iDevices and MacBooks to the desktop itself. Now, Engadget notes that ...

The science behind the iPhone 4's antennas

by Mike Schramm (Jun 25th, 2010)

The iPhone 4's outer ring of antennas has been earning some grief lately as some owners have found that reception can change even based on where your hand is placed. Even Steve has weighed in on this issue via his itchy email finger. Spencer Webb of AntennaSys (an "antenna design" firm) knows the ...

Apple wants the FCC to keep quiet on iPhone 4

by Keith M (Jun 21st, 2010)

What could be lurking among the iPhone 4's innards that hasn't already been disclosed to the public? Apparently Apple isn't just hinting that there's more than meets the eye with the new iPhone 4, they're flat-out admitting it. In a recent letter filed with the FCC, Apple has requested that ...

FCC shows off internal shots of iPad

by Dave Caolo (Apr 2nd, 2010)

Typically the iFixit guys are the first to post pictures of dismantled Apple hardware, but this time it's the FCC, and the hardware is the iPad. Engadget has the shots of the iPad's internals. Before you get too excited, note that the FCC took the time to cover up the specific chips, so we'll ...