dish

Rumors have been swirling for a long time about the possibility of Microsoft's Office suite coming to iOS, but new leaks point to this happening sometime in the next year.

The biggest question we have about this rumor is: why hasn't this happened already?

Also this week, we go on and on about Bloomberg's possible plans and what that means for LinkedIn, and Dish has its eye on your cell phone contract.

Thanks for watching!

Heard a tech rumor you think we should cover? Leave a comment below; ; send us a tweet (@EmilyDreyfuss, @karynelevy, and @CNETRumorShow); or … Read more

Dish has been given the official green light to fire up its wireless spectrum. The satellite TV provider announced today that the Federal Communications Commission has approved its request for wireless spectrum use.

"The FCC has removed outdated regulations and granted terrestrial flexibility for most of the AWS-4 band," Dish senior vice president and deputy general counsel Jeff Blum said in a statement today. "The Commission has taken an important step toward facilitating wireless competition and innovation, and fulfilling the goals of the National Broadband Plan."

Dish started talks with the FCC earlier this year. Initially, … Read more

Dish, the satellite-TV company, may start a mobile-phone service through Sprint Nextel's network, if it goes through with a rumored deal proposed by the wireless carrier, Bloomberg reported today.

Sprint has asked to partner with Dish in order to get access to Dish's currently unused mobile airwaves, unnamed sources told Bloomberg. In exchange, Sprint would let Dish offer its wireless service to its customers. The possible partnership was discussed "in recent months" and would let Dish get into the mobile phone game, something the satellite-TV company has been looking to do, without building its own network. … Read more

When DVD rentals don't work, maybe sell... mobile phones? Rumor has it that Blockbuster is getting into the phone hawking business at its retail stores, according to Bloomberg.

What seems like a random choice might actually be a conscientious maneuver by Dish Network, which bought the struggling movie rental chain last year. Dish is primarily a provider of satellite-TV service, but over the past year it's been making moves to get into the wireless business.

Recently, Dish launched Blockbuster Mobile and started selling smartphones online. Blockbuster Mobile works with Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon and offers devices including Samsung'… Read more

The FCC's chairman has given his thumbs-up to Dish Network's desire to enter the wireless market. But Dish is none too happy with the restrictions proposed.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said yesterday he would approve Dish's request to build its own 4G wireless network, the Washington Post reported. The federal agency, which opposed the proposed merger between AT&T and T-Mobile last year, wants to see more competition in the wireless industry.

"If approved, these actions will promote competition, investment, and innovation, and advance commission efforts to unleash spectrum for mobile broadband to help meet … Read more

Google and the satellite TV company Dish Network met recently to discuss a new wireless service that would pit it against giants like AT&T and Verizon, The Wall Street Journal is reporting.

The talks were not "advanced" and may not go anywhere, the Journal said.

Dish has made clear over the past year that it would like to build out a wireless network using spectrum that it has been acquiring since 2008.

The full story is here (subscription required).

A federal judge today denied Fox Broadcasting's attempt to block Dish Network's AutoHop feature, which allows customers to skip commercials at the touch of a button.

Fox filed a lawsuit in May to block Dish's transmission of the network's programs in such a way that allows viewers to watch them without commercial interruptions, claiming copyright infringement and breach of contract. Broadcasters worry the technology could destroy the industry since program owners need the advertising revenue to help cover the cost of producing their shows.

However, Judge Dolly Gee for the U.S. District Court for California'… Read more

Dish Network subscribers will get their AMC programming back tonight thanks to the settling of a lawsuit between the two companies.

Satellite TV provider Dish has agreed to pay $700 million in cash to AMC Networks, and in turn will receive licenses for wireless multichannel video distribution and data service in 45 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Philadelphia. Under a separate multiyear agreement, Dish will resume broadcasting the AMC channel tonight on channel 131. Programming on Sundance Channel, WE tv, and IFC will resume on November 1.

"We are glad to have settled the … Read more

The Federal Communications Commission has paved the way for AT&T to finally use spectrum for its 4G LTE network that had been sidelined for 15 years because it caused interference with satellite radio services.

At its open meeting today, which was Webcast for the public, the FCC approved a compromise proposal that had been submitted by AT&T and Sirius XM Radio earlier this year that protects the satellite radio service by instituting unused guard bands of spectrum that are right next to the spectrum that Sirius uses.

All five of the commissioners on the FCC supported … Read more