T-Mobile flips on 42Mbps HSPA+ across 55 markets, launching Rocket 3.0 modem stick tomorrow
May 23, 2011 No Comment
Fellow road warriors, we bring you good news: starting today, T-Mobile customers across 55 markets — including Chicago, Detroit, Honolulu, Pittsburgh, Miami, and many more — will have immediate access to a faster HSPA+ “4G” network. This means anyone with compatible devices can achieve theoretical download speeds of up to a whopping 42Mbps, as opposed to just 21Mbps from the good ol’ days. But of course, only time will tell whether this upgrade will deliver its promise — you may recall that even AT&T’s LTE demo last week delivered “realistic” download speeds of up to just 28.9Mbps, when in theory it should be capable of hitting up to 100Mbps. Anyhow, if you want to soldier on and be a guinea pig an early adopter, then help yourself to ZTE’s Rocket 3.0 USB modem stick starting tomorrow. Hit the press release after the break for the full list of activated markets. Continue reading T-Mobile flips on 42Mbps HSPA+ across 55 markets, launching Rocket 3.0 modem stick tomorrow T-Mobile flips on 42Mbps HSPA+ across 55 markets, launching Rocket 3.0 modem stick tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 May 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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E-reader manufacturers are doing their darnedest to get their devices to behave more like the old fashioned books we’ve all since abandoned, but we won’t be happy until we can roll one up and stuff it in our back pockets, paperback-style. Sony’s working hard to make that dream a reality — the company showed off some new bendable display technology behind closed doors at last week’s SID conference in LA, including a color unit and the extremely flexible black and white e-paper display seen above, which can be bent to a 5mm curvature radius. The 13.3-inch sheet has a 1,600 x 1,200 (150ppi) resolution and is powered by organic TFTs. Sony showed off and bent the thing at the show, reportedly to the cheers of the crowd in attendance. Clearly they’re all as excited as we are to make some really expensive e-paper airplanes. For more shots of the bending process, consult the source link below. Sony shows off, folds up super flexible organic TFT display originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 22:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Google recently rolled out the beta release of Chrome 12, and now Cr-48 owners are getting a matching version of Chrome OS . This latest version, 0.12.433.48, brings bug fixes, Flash 10.2.158.22, a file manager context menu, and some spiffy new icons and avatars to its browser-based UI. We grabbed the update on our own Google-fied laptops and got some pics of the beta’s new bits for your viewing pleasure. We’re still getting acquainted with all of the changes, so if you’ve also copped the new Chrome OS let us know how it’s treating you in the comments. [Thanks, Alex] Gallery: Chrome OS 12 update Google releases OTA update for Chrome OS, Cr-48 owners can upgrade now originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 20:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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For years, Dell’s been teasing supermodel-thin laptops , each one flawed out of the gate: too pricey , too underpowered , and with underwhelming battery life . This time, Dell told us we’d get something different — a laptop without compromise. Recently, Round Rock killed off the Adamo and nixed the XPS 14, and then rumors started to spin — a spiritual successor would be the slimmest 15.6-inch notebook we’d ever seen, be crafted from “special materials” and yet cost less than $1,000. Dell even stated that it would have an “innovative new form factor” of some sort. The company neglected to mention it would look like a MacBook Pro. This is the Dell XPS 15z, and we’re sorry to say it’s not a thin-and-light — it’s actually a few hairs thicker than a 15-inch MacBook Pro, wider, and at 5.54 pounds, it weighs practically the same. It is , however, constructed of aluminum and magnesium alloy and carries some pretty peppy silicon inside, and the base model really does ring up at $999. That’s a pretty low price to garner comparisons to Apple’s flagship, and yet here we are. Has Dell set a new bar for the notebook PC market? Find out after the break. Gallery: Dell XPS 15z unboxing and hands-on Continue reading Dell XPS 15z review Dell XPS 15z review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 21:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Microsoft’s Windows Phone VIP preview happens tomorrow, liveblog happens here!
May 23, 2011 No Comment
Microsoft has some Mango-flavored updates in store for its Windows Phone operating system, and we’re going to be there live to see whether they’re really ripe. Really juicy. Steve Ballmer has promised over 500 new features in this next major release of the OS and we can’t wait to hear him list them all out. One by one. In excruciating detail. Bookmark this page right here and come on back tomorrow at the times below to join in the fun. 04:00AM – Hawaii 07:00AM – Pacific 08:00AM – Mountain 09:00AM – Central 10:00PM – Eastern 15:00PM – London 16:00PM – Paris 18:00PM – Moscow 22:00AM – Perth 22:00AM – Shenzhen 23:00AM – Tokyo (May 11th) 00:00AM – Sydney (May 25th) Microsoft’s Windows Phone VIP preview happens tomorrow, liveblog happens here! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 20:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Dell XPS 15z available in Australia and Asia, fits Sandy Bridge in under an inch of thickness
May 23, 2011 No Comment
The XPS 15z, true to Michael Dell’s word, is now with us. Provided “now” is May the 24th in whatever part of the world you happen to live in. Laptop shoppers in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan — a group of nations already enjoying the glories of Tuesday — can now buy the 0.97 inches-thick 15z for prices starting at just under A$1,400. That buys you a Core i5-2410M from Intel (2.3GHz default speed, 2.9GHz with Turbo Boost), a generous 6GB of DDR3 RAM, backlit keyboard, GeForce GT 525M graphics with 2GB of dedicated memory, a 750GB hard drive, and a 64WHr battery. The screen spans 15.6 inches diagonally and offers 1920 x 1080 resolution. Stepping up to A$1,700 gets you a Core i7-2620M (2.7GHz default, 3.4GHz TB) and 8GB of RAM. Juicy specs, we must admit. Now when’s midnight coming? [Thanks, John] Dell XPS 15z available in Australia and Asia, fits Sandy Bridge in under an inch of thickness originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 18:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Verizon rolling out LTE coverage in 21 additional markets on June 16th, wins 4G blackjack
May 23, 2011 No Comment
This could be just the news your lonely little Thunderbolt has been waiting for. Verizon today announced the addition of 21 new markets to its LTE coverage, starting June 16th. The list includes some biggish spots, like Boise, ID, Milwaukee / Madison, WI, Salt Lake City, UT, and Hartford, CT — Northern California will be getting a major coverage boost, as well, with the existing Bay Area coverage being expanded to Marin and Solano counties. The network launched with 38 markets back in December and those, plus these new additions and a handful announced earlier this month , are bringing the company ever closer to its proposed 175 markets by the end of the year. That’s a whole lot of green stars. Verizon rolling out LTE coverage in 21 additional markets on June 16th, wins 4G blackjack originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 16:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Ubiquitous iRemoTap puts your powerstrip in the cloud, turns lights off remotely (video)
May 23, 2011 No Comment
It probably won’t help you if you leave your oven on, but if you let lights linger after leaving home, Ubiquitous’ iRemotTap may help you save a few Kilowatts. This seemingly vanilla powerstip is anything but, boasting the odd addition of a tiny OS embedded in a wireless LAN chip — all the better to turn your lights off. Users can control the internet-enabled socket stick remotely via a mobile or desktop web browser, allowing them to switch off gadgets and lights after leaving the house. Can’t be bothered to log in to switch off? No worries, this plug powers devices down automatically after they reach a pre-defined power consumption limit. If you’re forgetful enough to need a light switch in the cloud , Ubiquitous is hoping to sell you peace of mind for less than
Continue reading …Apple responds to Lodsys infringement accusations, says developers are not responsible
May 23, 2011 No Comment
Apple has responded to developers targeted by Lodsys , a patent holding firm that accused iOS devs of infringing on its intellectual property covering in-app upgrade purchases. In a letter from Apple dated today, the company claims that Lodsys’s accusations are baseless, and explains that devs, or “App Makers,” are “entitled to use this technology free from any infringement claims by Lodsys,” because Apple has already licensed the technology on their behalf. Apple’s response is firm, and as expected, the company is in full support of developers. Jump past the break for the full letter from Apple legal. Continue reading Apple responds to Lodsys infringement accusations, says developers are not responsible Apple responds to Lodsys infringement accusations, says developers are not responsible originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 15:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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While many of you continue your quest for an Eee Pad Transformer, some folks, predictably, have already figured out how to overclock it. Someone in the XDA forum posted a custom kernel allowing hackers to crank the tablet’s clock speed to 1.4GHz, the same peak reached by the ViewSonic G Tablet . Beware, though, that performance at that speed has proven unreliable, so the with the dev recommends a more modest 1.2GHz to avoid data loss, a meltdown, and “injury of assorted puppies.” Par for the course , really. Eee Pad Transformer gets overclocked to 1.4GHz, deemed less than stable originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 15:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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