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Will the 3G iPhone start shipping in June? That’s the prediction from Bank of America analyst Scott Craig.

Earlier this year Goldman Sachs analysts forecast two significant iPhone enhancements. The first: a small flash memory upgrade.

AT&T has indicated it’s onboard to support 3G. n Asian trade publication claims bidding is underway for the manufacturing deal. The Asian rumor mill suggests Hon Hai already has the 3G iPhone contract.

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Samsung builds a pretty good Blu-ray player. The second gen Samsung BD1200 is a solid rig, and for its price is probably the best Blu-ray player on the market right now.

The newer Samsung BD1400 has a higher pricetag and unlike the BD1200, supports Dolby Plus. And Dolby True HD.

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Richard Whitt is the attorney Google sends to Washington to try and get the FCC on board with Android.

The day before yesterday Whitt made his latest Google Android pitch. The goal: to minimize the damage of a lobbying backlash from TV broadcasters worried about spectrum noise… the concern that a generation of new wireless devices will play technical havoc with broadcast TV and wireless microphones.

Whitt left behind a six-page brief and a few dreams. The dreams: “Wi-Fi on steroids” using unused spectrum on the TV band, or “white spaces.”

This dream sets up a torrent of data, gigabits-per-second speed over long distances for handheld devices.

“We’re doing this because we want everybody to be satisfied with this process. We think it’s the right time to put these ideas in the record and see where they go.” says Whitt.

Where would Google like this all to all go?

We now know Google wants to start rolling our devices using its open source Android platform sooner rather than later, perhaps starting this summer.

We know that the spectrum won’t be available for Wi-Fi 2.0 for almost another year.

We know there will be a bunch of devices, with dozens of firms in a manufacturing partnership.

And we know this isn’t just Wi-Fi on steroids. Google Android is disruption on steroids.

TV broadcasters have a track record of effective lobbying. To try and protect their threatened technologies and the financial value of their licenses, they are sending lobbyists from the National Association of Broadcasters into the FCC to elevate concerns over technical interference.

A possible red herring issue over the technical sanctity of white space has the potential to filibuster, delay or derail innovation.

Or perhaps the red herring issue is a legitimate issue.

As NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton puts it, “Portable, mobile personal device operation in the same band as TV broadcasting continues to be a guaranteed recipe for producing interference and should not be allowed under any circumstances.”
The Google response to this argument: filtering, where an “all-clear” signal will need to be received in a slice of spectrum before the mobile device launches.
Meanwhile, our thirst for open-source Android gadgets will grow.

Our curiosity about Wi-Fi 2.0 will expand. Google’s advertising platform will conceivably expand as well.

And here comes our real world drama… how regulators and lobbyists address old world media’s efforts to close the door on open access and protect archaic interests. How the high-stakes financial conflict unfurls.

Google Android Goes To Washington… the potential to be more dramatic, substantive and engaging than anything what we might expect from the fictional fare of a broadcast or cable network.

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Microsoft Xbox will not be embracing Blu-ray technology.  Speculation over possible integration has been squashed by Mircosoft Group Product Manager Aaron Greenberg.

But intriguing speculation has been kindled over a potential new video format.

The death of HD DVD format leaves Microsoft homeless… it may be looking at ways to inject Xbox Live with new technologies to stay relevant in the digital content distribution business.

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DirecTV has an eye on NFL and College Football coverage… September is the date for rollout of new HD channels.

DirecTV will offer HD on 150 national channels.  There will also be local network broadcasts for 100 markets.

Additional HD coverage comes courtesy of the new DirecTV 11 satellite.  Another DirecTV satellite is planned for launch next year which will expand HD service to roughly 200 channels.

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