AT&T will begin testing its wireless broadband service to two corporate customers, calling it a precursor to its eventual offering of the WiMax technology, the company said on Sunday.

WiMax is a technology standard that uses radio frequencies to blanket large areas with high-speed Internet access. Proponents claim the technology can reach a radius of up to two miles from the radio tower that transmits the signal.

Even as online pundits criticize traditional news organizations as slow, biased and technologically challenged, a group of bloggers is trying to use old-fashioned telephone conference calls to share their ideas with newspaper and television journalists.

The bloggers, who describe themselves as liberal or progressive, say the conference calls are intended to counter what they regard as the much stronger influence of conservative pundits online. Bob Fertik, president of Democrats.com, the host of the two calls so far, views them as a step toward getting their reports out to mainstream news organizations.

Microsoft plans to all but end its stint as an Internet service provider to Mac users, discontinuing its MSN for Mac OS X software, CNET News.com has learned.

The company plans to notify customers this month and discontinue the service as of May 31, a Microsoft representative said in an e-mail. Microsoft announced plans to get into the market in 2002 and began offering the service in the United States the following year.

Google began testing new customization features on its news aggregation site Wednesday in a salvo against competition from Microsoft.

Google News, still in its test or "beta" phase after launching in 2002, says it will let people specify what categories of news to display on the page, giving an array of choices including results chosen by keyword.

update Cell phone madness hits Bourbon Street this week, with wireless giants and newcomers alike vying for attention at a major industry gathering.

Below is a partial list of Monday's announcements, as CTIA Wireless 2005 kicks off in New Orleans.

CeBit, the world's largest telecom and tech trade show, is ringing with new cell phones as manufacturers demonstrate the latest built-in features to their new models.

Manufacturers gathered in Hannover, Germany, this week to show off products for the upcoming year. Many of the phones will initially be launched in Europe before making their way to North American markets.

update Sony's board of directors unanimously approved the selection of a British executive as the company's new chief executive and chairman amid a management shake-up Sunday at the electronics and entertainment giant.

 

Howard Stringer
Sony CEO

The company announced the appointment of Howard Stringer to lead Sony during an emergency meeting called by Nobuyuki Idei, whom Stringer will succeed. The changes are effective immediately but final approval will come following a shareholder vote on June 22.