Phones

Forthcoming 4G networks could interfere with TV in 10 percent of UK homes

If you live in the UK and a 4G wireless tower is going up right next to your house, you might want to hold off on the excitement. LTE networks occupying the 800MHz spectrum could cause some serious interference (sound familiar?), capable of knocking out around two million households' free terrestrial TV channels. An independent company has been set up to lessen the effects of the wayward waves and is installing government-subsidized filters in residences across the country. But even its valiant efforts could leave up to 8,500 homes without Freeview, as non-traditional antenna setups aren't covered by the public fund. Meanwhile, eager Brits continue to patiently line up for some kind of semblance of a 4G network.

Forthcoming 4G networks could interfere with TV in 10 percent of UK homes originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gartner: mobile phone sales fell two percent last quarter, Samsung confirmed as numero uno

Gartner's latest dispatch reveals a wobbly global trade in mobile phones. Although our love of smartphones continued to blossom, with sales of that subcategory up nearly 45 percent, it wasn't enough to stave off a two percent overall decline compared to the same quarter in 2011. A total of 419.1 million handsets were sold, representing the first hiccup after nearly three years of growth and leading analysts to point fingers at a slow down in the Asia / Pacific region as well as a lack of product launches at the start of the year. Meanwhile, these figures also confirm what was already gleaned from IDC's shipments data: Samsung has knocked Nokia off its 14-year-old perch to become the padrone of the mobile phone market, with a cut of over 20 percent. It also replaced Apple as the number one smartphone vendor, claiming ownership of almost half of that segment. Damn, it feels good to be a pebble.

Gartner: mobile phone sales fell two percent last quarter, Samsung confirmed as numero uno originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 05:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Behold a Multi-Touchscreen Tablet with Removable Hard Drives, a Smartphone, and a Tablet

While this post began as a simple presentation of the industrial design concept we're about to take a look at, it transformed ever so slightly into a work that explores what the possibilities could be for touchscreen conglomerations such as this. The concept at hand is called the Bento LaptopTablet Hybrid and it’s designed and rendered by Rene Woo-Ram Lee. This concept is sent to us by our good friends at Yanko Design, a site dedicated to such conceptual works. This design features a laptop with a 15? OLED touchscreen, a 1TB SSD drive, a solar-powered lithium-ion battery, an 11? tablet computer and a 4? phone, all of these bits able to sit in shallow depressions in the base of the laptop and connect as one device. via Behold a Multi-Touchscreen Tablet with Removable Hard Drives, a Smartphone, and a Tablet.      

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Sprint Teams Up With Google Voice | Epicenter | Wired.com

 

Google Voice is getting a lot easier for Sprint mobile phone customers to use starting Monday. The two companies are making it possible for customers to integrate their Sprint and Google Voice numbers, regardless of whether their phones are smart or dumb.

Sprint customers who don’t have Google Voice can now choose to use their existing Sprint number as their Google Voice number, without having to go through the hassle of porting it over to Google.

The move gives Sprint a marketing tool to win new customers — something Sprint will need if AT&T gets clearance to buy T-Mobile. The partnership also offloads some of the work in building new voicemail and phone features to Google, while the search and advertising giant finds a way to tie even more users to its web of software products.

It also marks the first time that a mobile carrier has partnered with Google Voice — which many had seen as a way for Google to eventually develop a phone service that bypassed traditional operators.

Google allowed any U.S. cellphone user to port their existing mobile number to Google Voice in January. That long-awaited feature makes it simple to switch to Google Voice because you don’t have train people to call a new number. However, the porting option is fraught with peril, due to the vagaries of cellphone contracts and mobile operator’s customer service.

The new Sprint partnership makes it much simpler to choose Google Voice. When you sign up, your Sprint number just becomes your Google Voice number without the hassle and expense of porting — or the need to download an app.

Once it’s set up, incoming calls to a Sprint user’s current number can also ring work and home numbers, as well as software inside Gmail. Those who switch also get low-cost international calls through Google Voice, call screening, voicemail transcription, phone number blocking, the ability to switch a call from phone-to-phone while in progress, free conference calling and per-person voicemail greetings.

Calls from Gmail and text messages sent using the Google Voice website, http://google.com/voice, will also display your.....Read more via Sprint Teams Up With Google Voice | Epicenter | Wired.com.

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Xobni Is Coming To Gmail, Android, And iPhone (100 Beta Invites)

Ever since Xobni launched at the first TechCrunch 40, it’s been about Outlook and then Blackberry. But those of us who use Gmail also want to make our inboxes smarter. Today, Xobni is launching aprivate beta for Gmail, and will soon also launch iPhone and Android apps. The first 100 readers to sign up for the Gmail beta will get in (use the code XOBNI-TC100). The Gmail app comes in the form of a browser extension for either Chrome or Firefox (Safari and IE will come later). Once you install it, a Xobni sidebar appears in your Gmail Inbox. Once you allow it to index your contacts and.... Read the rest of the story at TechCrunch: via Xobni Is Coming To Gmail, Android, And iPhone (100 Beta Invites).

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SMS On Steroids – eBuddy Debuts Realtime, Cross-Platform Messaging App

eBuddy, the Dutch company that enables millions of people worldwide to communicate with each other on the Web and a wide range of mobile phones, is today introducing a brand new application for iPhone and Android. With the app, dubbed eBuddy XMS, the company aims to go “beyond SMS” with a free realtime messaging tool that functions across a range of platforms (BlackBerry coming soon). eBuddy believes it can add value to the fast growing mobile messaging apps category based on its wealth of digital messaging expertise and by focusing primarily on the user experience. Already, the company enables over 30 million monthly active users to send via SMS On Steroids – eBuddy Debuts Realtime, Cross-Platform Messaging App.

Profit shocker! Android brings home more bacon than iOS for Pocket Legends developer

Back in 2009, we wrote a story on crack mobile developer Larva Labs lamenting its inability to make a living off top-rated games in the Android Market. Well, to put it lightly, it ain't 2009 anymore: the Android ecosystem has expanded exponentially in every conceivable direction, the Market has taken on tens of thousands of additional apps, and -- according to one research firm, anyway -- Android has now overtaken BlackBerry to become the most prolific smartphone platform in the US.

To that end, Spacetime Studios -- the company behind mobile MMORPG Pocket Legends, which brings in revenue through in-app purchases -- was shocked to discover that it's making some 30 to 50 percent more from its Android users than its iOS ones. Furthermore, they're spending more time playing and downloading the app with far greater frequency, which might be a testament to the fact that really great apps still stand out in the Market better than they do in the more mature (and more populated) App Store. The in-app purchase disparity is a little more difficult to explain, though -- especially since iOS has a slick, integrated purchase mechanism that Google won't be rolling out in Android for a little while yet. At any rate, the online mobile economy -- regardless of platform -- clearly still has some growing, maturing, and stabilizing to do.

[Thanks, Michael]

Profit shocker! Android brings home more bacon than iOS for Pocket Legends developer originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 03:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVOtainment System brings emulation greatness to the HTC EVO on a Wiimote and a prayer (video)

In a world full of cheap, plastic Wiimote accessories, aisles that overflow with flimsy little steering wheels for Mario Kart, one man found purpose. One man found something good to do with them. One man created the ridiculous contraption you see above. That man is Jack Malone, crafter of this the so-called EVOtainment System. It's a Wii racing wheel from Nerf that's been drilled out and augmented to enable a Classic Controller to join the party, backed with a strip of 3M Dual Lock. Up top a universal GPS mount clings desperately on to his HTC EVO, which connects over Bluetooth to the Wiimote. It's emulatory bliss in a design that's only a little bit less chunkier than the Game Gripper.

Update: Video after the break!


[Thanks, Jack]

Continue reading EVOtainment System brings emulation greatness to the HTC EVO on a Wiimote and a prayer (video)

EVOtainment System brings emulation greatness to the HTC EVO on a Wiimote and a prayer (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 14:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deutsche Telekom thinking of merging T-Mobile USA with Sprint?

It ain't as crazy as you may think. If you'll recall, we actually heard last month that Deutsche Telekom was mulling the idea of spinning off T-Mobile USA from its portfolio, and now it looks as if one carrier in particular is interested. According to the inimitable "people with knowledge of the matter," Bloomberg Businessweek is reporting that Deutsche Telekom has gone ahead with talks to "sell its T-Mobile USA unit to Sprint in exchange for a major stake in the combined entity." Granted, there's no guarantees at this point that the two will actually reach a deal that sits well with both boards, and up until now, they haven't been able to come to terms with T-Mob's valuation. As the story goes, Deutsche Telekom has purportedly said that it could sell "all or part of the US business, and all options are open." Meanwhile, Sprint's remaining mum. A merger of these two would combine the number three and four players in America, but if that doesn't pan out, T-Mobile USA may end up buying wireless spectrum from Clearwire as an alternative. We're hearing that an outright sale of T-Mobile in the US is pretty much off of the table, but considering just how many backroom talks are apparently going on in both camps, we won't be surprised until they tell us to be.

Deutsche Telekom thinking of merging T-Mobile USA with Sprint? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC seeks EVO View 4G trademark, all but confirming WiMAX tablet for Sprint

Not that we were doubting the veracity of our tipster's info, but here's a nice fat slice of pseudo-official confirmation of what we were told a couple of days ago. HTC has laid claim to the trademark of "HTC EVO View 4G," confirming our indications that an EVO View tablet would be coming to Sprint's Now Network. That postulation is also supported by the fact that the EVO branding has only ever appeared in association with Sprint as well as some pretty compelling circumstantial evidence. There is an interesting new piece to the puzzle, however, in the 4G appendage to the device's name, which would imply that we're looking at our first WiMAX tablet -- something Sprint promised for this year and looks set to unveil at the upcoming CTIA 2011 trade show. Our expectation is that the EVO View 4G moniker will be attached to HTC's1.5GHz Flyer, a 7-inch Android Gingerbread slate with aspirations for Honeycomb glory in its near future. Only one way to be sure though, keep an eye on our CTIA coverage and we'll let you know as soon as the official bird chirps out the official word.

HTC seeks EVO View 4G trademark, all but confirming WiMAX tablet for Sprint originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 05:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android Honeycomb’s music app extracted, brings cloud sync and streaming to phones

Those who are familiar with Android Honeycomb might have already come across its music player's cloud syncing feature, though previous attempts to port said app to phones hadn't been successful. Whatever it was that kept crashing the app back then, it seems to have fixed itself -- after xda-developers member WhiteWidows slapped the leaked app onto his rooted EVO 4G, the phone started to automagically sync his tunes to his Google account. The modder then swapped in an empty SD card, but he was still able to stream music straight from the cloud after checking the "Stream music" option in the app. Pretty neat, eh? That said, we do wonder if Google will be able to handle the exabytes worth of high-quality Justin Bieber and Spice Girl tracks.

Android Honeycomb's music app extracted, brings cloud sync and streaming to phones originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 22:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ComScore: Android leapfrogs BlackBerry among US smartphone subscribers to take first place in market share

Last time we checked in with ComScore's report on smartphone platform market share among US subscribers three months ago, Android was doing a little happy dance as it overtook iOS for the number two spot overall. Well, the cuddly green bots have self-replicated yet again, enough to overtake RIM this time thanks in part to a 5.4 percent decline on BlackBerry's part (down to 30.4 percent in January) coupled with a 7.7 percent boost on the Android side, moving up to 31.2 percent. We imagine ComScore's next report -- covering the period through March -- will see a little boost on the iOS side thanks to Verizon's iPhone launch, but RIM's knight in shining armor might be further out; we still don't know when QNX-based phones are going to happen, after all, and devices like the Monaco don't really seem like cure-alls.

ComScore: Android leapfrogs BlackBerry among US smartphone subscribers to take first place in market share originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Maps Navigation for Android adds real-time traffic re-routing

Google Maps Navigation becomes more of a threat to the traditional in-car GPS business seemingly on a daily basis, and they're taking another stab at it today with the addition of traffic re-routing capability in the Android app (which, while technically still in beta, is pretty darn solid) in both North America and Europe. Of course, Maps has had access to traffic information for a long time, so this is a natural progression -- and just as Google uses an interesting combination of sources (including phones) to cull that data, it's employing some smart schemes for re-routing that take into account both current and historical information about your route. The update's available today.

Google Maps Navigation for Android adds real-time traffic re-routing originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SanDisk introduces 32GB microSDHC cards

Ok, you have that new Android phone and you are installing apps like crazy, taking pictures and videos, and watching movies from your new-fangled device. But you need more space! Sound familiar? Just like regular computers, we seem to always need more room to put stuff! Read more

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Sprint to get Nexus One!

WOOHOO!!!! Finally! I have been waiting on this announcement for months now.  I want to upgrade my phone to the 21st century.....my Motorola Q9c has been a good phone and served me well for the past few years, but let's admit it....it's so, so....last century! No touchscreen, no apps to speak of, just kinda there doing what it does best.....send and receive emails. And it surfs ok, and has a pretty good GPS, and plays music nicely, and gets Sprint TV. But I want more! I want apps to clutter up my screen, I want to be able to get oily fingerprints all over the screen, I want a bigger screen, I want a more powerful phone! Read more

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Update: Just Great is now: At least it's something!

As I mentioned earlier this week: Just Great, Sprint no longer carries the NFL Network It appears Sprint already had another option in the works.....ESPN Mobile TV. Now while this is great for sports fans, it still sucks for me! But the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few....or one! According to Businesswire.com between now and the end of April:

ESPN Mobile TV coverage will feature more than 100 live events and over 250 hours of coverage for Sprint customers with this new agreement beginning just in time for fans to watch the Big 12 and Big East Conference Championship basketball games on Sprint mobile devices.

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Just great!

Just when I was all gung-ho about my new two year contract renewal with Sprint, this happens:

NFL switches wireless sponsors, Sprint’s out Verizon’s in Verizon is touting its new 4-year wireless mobile deal with the National Football League. The contract ends Sprint’s official NFL sponsorship that ran for five years. A Sprint spokeswoman said cost was a big issue. “We made the decision not to extend the sponsorship after the price-tag reached a point where we questioned the return on our investment,” Melinda Tiemeyer said. She added that the NFL contract does not change Sprint’s affiliation with individual NFL teams such as the Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts and others. Sprint still sponsors the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. The NFL deal allows Verizon to offer its mobile customers live viewing of the league’s Sunday night and Thursday night games, game highlights video, live radio broadcasts of games, NFL alerts and ringtones, live coverage of the NFL draft in April and other features. via sprintconnection.kansascity.com

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