"Working group experts” from the fields of consumer electronics, medicine and chemistry convened in March on fashioning a global certification standard for wearable devices before TUV Rheinland formally launched its certification program on Friday (CD July 8 p10), said Simon Hung, a spokesman for the German-based provider of technical and safety certification services, in an email Wednesday. Manufacturers seeking to have their wearable devices certified under the program will submit their products to a testing “protocol” that will “evaluate the products from an end user’s point of view” regarding safety, functionality and ease of use, Hung said. “TUV Rheinland will launch a tailor-made logo for this service,” he said. The key words, “Smart Wearable Device,” together with TUV Rheinland’s logo, “could be presented on the product’s label and other artwork,” he said. Asked whether any products have yet landed certification, Hung said: “We are working on the first project from a famous IT brand,” and discussions are underway with “many manufacturers and solution/platform providers in this field.”

The FCC Wireless Bureau Wednesday sought comment on a request by Spectrum Networks Group (SNG) that it be allowed to use 900 MHz Business/Industrial/Land Transportation (B/ILT) Pool channels for Specialized Mobile Radio operations. The bureau said SNG has filed 111 applications since October for B/ILT channels at various locations. SNG wants to use some of the channels “to provide communications services to business for their private, internal machine-to-machine communications needs, and to provide service only to Part 90 eligible businesses,” the bureau said (http://bit.ly/1to2xFh). Comments are due July 30, replies Aug. 11, in docket 14-100.

Sprint announced the availability of LivePro, which it called the first commercially available combination pocket projector and mobile hotspot. The 4.7-inch-square x 1.1-inch thick device will be available exclusively from Sprint on Friday for $449, which qualified customers can spread across 24 months at $18.75 per month through Sprint Easy Pay, the company said. LivePro data plans start at $34.99 per month for 3GB of combined 3G/4G data while on the Sprint network, and the step-up plans include 6GB of 3G/4G data for $49.99 or 12GB of 3G/4G data for $79.99, it said. Projection display size ranges from 10 inches to 10 feet, it said. A speaker is built-in and for “bigger sound,” users can connect speakers via a 3.5mm jack or by Bluetooth, Sprint said. The unit has a 4-inch touchscreen display and uses Android 4.2, Sprint said, and the 5,000mAh lithium ion battery can be used to charge a smartphone, tablet or other devices via USB cable.

CTIA, NTCA and the Competitive Carriers Association jointly asked the FCC to put off the deadline for submitting short-form applications for the AWS-3 auction until after their separate conferences in September. The three groups met with Wireless Bureau staff to raise objections, said an ex parte filing posted by the FCC Tuesday in docket 14-78. CCA and CTIA both meet during the second week in September and NTIA has a meeting Sept. 21-24, they said. The filing notes that anti-collusion rules for the auction kick in the day short-form applications are due. “These conferences provide opportunities for wireless carriers to discuss business opportunities and policy issues in an open forum,” the groups said (http://bit.ly/1ohdSz0). “Our respective members take the FCC’s anti-collusion rules very seriously. As the FCC itself has recognized, the anti-collusion rules may place significant limitations upon an auction participant’s ability to pursue certain business opportunities."

The multiyear 800 MHz band reconfiguration “is nearing completion” and the FCC could simplify the process for all players by finding that Sprint has effectively met a requirement of the FCC’s landmark 800 MHz rebanding order and won’t owe the government a windfall payment, Sprint said in a filing at the FCC. The carrier reported on meetings with various agency officials. The landmark 2004 rebanding order required Nextel to pay out the full value of the 10 MHz national spectrum license it got as part of the order through rebanding costs or else pay the balance to the government. Nextel subsequently merged with Sprint. “The participants discussed the current process for reviewing Sprint’s external expenditures to credit them against the anti-windfall payment contingency,” Sprint said. “Sprint noted that the current process has effectively become an unnecessary and unwarranted audit of the records of each state or local government public safety communications operator (or law enforcement agency) after it has completed the Commission-required retuning of its public safety communications system and is operating on its prescribed replacement channels.” The filing was posted by the FCC Monday in docket 02-55.

Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson directed the Transportation Security Administration to start screening more closely cellphones and other electronic devices before they're permitted onboard international flights to the U.S., DHS said Sunday (http://1.usa.gov/1jhIuEn). During the screening, “officers may also ask that owners power up some devices, including cell phones,” the department said. Devices that can’t power up won’t be permitted onboard and the traveler may face “additional screening,” DHS said.

TUV Rheinland launched what it’s calling the world’s first certification standard for wearable devices. With sales of wearable devices rising, “product safety, performance, interoperability and durability still exhibit room for improvement,” said the German-based provider of technical and safety certification services. Manufacturers that subscribe to the standard will “stand out and gain a competitive edge,” it said in a news release Friday (http://bit.ly/1snXAIr). The certification “will also help consumers choose the safest high-quality wearable devices while promoting industry development,” it said. To gain certification, wearable devices must meet safety, “smart function” and wearability requirements, it said. For example, in terms of safety and wearability, TUV Rheinland said its certification process will assess the durability, environmental adaptability, skin contact, battery characteristics and electromagnetic interference of devices and components “to ensure comfortable fit and ease of use.” As for smart functionality, “the responses of imbedded sensors and the information security, connectivity, assessability and data analysis capabilities of the devices and their processors” will also be tested, it said. TUV representatives didn’t immediately comment on program specifics, such as whether it will include a logo, what it will be called and how product testing would be conducted.

The FCC Wireless Bureau will let a subsidiary of electric utility Pepco install seven fixed locations in Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey to support Pepco’s smart grid. The bureau issued an order Monday giving PHI a waiver to make use of Automated Maritime Telecommunications System spectrum for inland communications. But since AMTS spectrum is located to broadcast TV spectrum used by channels 10 and 13, the bureau stipulated that the operations must not result in harmful interference to broadcast TV (http://bit.ly/1n8u6hd). PHI plans to control interference “by operating with less power than permitted by the AMTS rules and using directional antennas to ensure that signals remain within the master station contours, and concludes that its proposed operations will cause no interference to television reception,” the bureau said. “While we do not agree in every particular with the methodology of PHI’s engineering study, we conclude that PHI’s unopposed proposed deployment does not appear to have any potential interference issues.”

The FTC formally revealed it added mobile cramming to a complaint against two organizations already accused of sending millions of unwanted text messages and making robocalls to consumers (http://1.usa.gov/1n1i1G1). The FTC told us about the amended complaint last week (CD July 7 p5). It’s the fourth mobile cramming complaint the commission has filed against a third party. The complaint alleges the companies -- Polling Associates and Boomerang International -- used their text message scam to also sign up owners of mobile phone numbers for recurring $9.99 charges without properly notifying consumers, the FTC said. Neither company could be reached for comment. The FTC last week also filed a lawsuit against mobile service provider T-Mobile, alleging it had earned hundreds of millions from taking a cut of numerous mobile cramming scams (CD July 2 p5).

IPS Group, which makes smart parking meters, agreed to pay $14,000 and implement a three-year compliance plan to resolve FCC complaints it had marketed some of the wireless meters without proper authorization, the Enforcement Bureau said Thursday. Rules impose restrictions marketing modified devices to ensure they continue to comply with commission rules, the bureau said (http://bit.ly/1kjmcgj). “These devices could cause harmful interference to other electronics and radio communications devices if they are not in full compliance with the Commission’s technical requirements.” The company manufactures and assembles smart parking meters, including credit card-enabled and solar powered units, and offers Web-based management systems, the bureau said. One of its competitors filed a complaint at the FCC a year ago, the bureau said.