What's new on SlashGear.com |
- World Governments Clamp Down on Anonymous, UK Arrests & FBI Warrants Served
- RIM begins modest BlackBerry PlayBook production
- Hands on the White BlackBerry Torch
- Android Honeycomb Could Support Smartphones?
- iTunes 10.1.2 released, supports CDMA iPhone 4
- Amazon Sells More Kindles, But the Margins are Razor-Thin
- Toshiba’s new 1.8 inch hard drives may mean new improved iPod classic
- The Next Generation of Leak Sites: 5 Wikileaks Descendants
- Motorola Atrix 4G Promo Video Released
- Verizon and AT&T Have Another Yet Spat (Over Subscriber Numbers)
- IBM Presents Centennial Short Film, 100 Years of Achievements That’ve Changed the World
- Yanko’s New Fire Watch is a Must-Have for Pyros
- Horizontal Symmetry – The Way of the Future Phone?
- Google Swipes PayPal Vice President of Product Development
- ZyXEL MWR211 Mobile Router Review
- SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up: January 28 2011
- AT&T MiFi 2372 Review
- Apple Seeking RFID Expert in Recent Job Postings
- Apple loses to ZTE in Global phone rankings for Q4 2010
- Egypt offline as government cuts comms over protest promise
- LiveView update fixes Bluetooth blips says Sony Ericsson
- Sony NGP “not going to be $599″ but pricing remains a mystery
- Princeton MyDitto NAS offers easy remote access with USB key
- Microsoft pushing for 16-core Atom CPUs
- Awesome Hublot La Cle Du Temps watch debuts
- Monster iMotion CarPlay 3000 lets you control your iPod in the car with motion control
- DirecTV will show Formula DRIFT in 3D
- World’s smallest HSPA+ platform for Android voice and data unveiled
- Callaway Golf unveils new upro mx golf GPS device
- Notion Ink Adam gets teardown treatment at FCC
| World Governments Clamp Down on Anonymous, UK Arrests & FBI Warrants Served Posted: 28 Jan 2011 03:02 PM PST Wikileaks isn’t the best-loved website in the world right now. Anyone associated with the leak page and its crusade against everyone are coming under harsh scrutiny. And that includes Anonymous, the Internet’s blind, vicious animal brain.
As a response to the near-global censure of Wikileaks, Anonymous launched D-DOS attacks at Amazon, PayPal, MasterCard, Visa and a PostFinance, a Swiss bank. MasterCard and Visa both went down under the strain. The website for the Swedish prosecutor going after Assange was also downed in a hail of bots. Government response has been swift and terrible. The FBI executed 40+ search warrants on members of Anonymous this week. At the same time, 5 members of Anonymous were arrested in the UK for the same attacks. This isn’t the first time members of Anonymous have run afoul of the law. Back in 2008, a number of them were arrested in the flesh at a protest in Atlanta. Alex Tapanaris, may have been arrested in Greece (but claims it didn’t happen), while two teenagers in the Netherlands were arrested for the pro-Wikileaks attacks last December. At this point, it is fully clear that “Anonymous” can’t (or never could) rely on anonymity from the entities they strike. So far, the mass of users are protected by sheer numbers and their relatively low level on the “collaboration” flagpole. But arrests like these may have a chilling effect on the people who put the most effort into organizing and executing these mass attacks. [Via TechDirt] Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| RIM begins modest BlackBerry PlayBook production Posted: 28 Jan 2011 02:56 PM PST Looks like RIM is playing it cautious with the PlayBook as the company needs the tablet to succeed to stay relevant. Production of the PlayBook tablet is between 150,000-200,000 a month from Quanta's plant in Taiwan, with shipments ready as early as February. Sources say that RIM is building the PlayBook exclusively in Taiwan so white-box makers in China won't be able to copy the tablet, while also protecting its security specifications.
As Apple continues to advance into the corporate field where RIM once ruled, the PlayBook could be RIM's rebuttal to the popular iPad. The PlayBook is set for a staggered launch, with the US getting the first shipments followed by an international expansion. Corporate executives have been longing for a BlackBerry like computer and RIM is hoping the PlayBook is what they've been waiting for. Quanta stated that it maintains sufficient capacity in Taiwan to meet client needs right now without the majority of its production lines in China. The low production numbers look to be part of RIM's strategy to see how popular the device is first in the US before full blown production takes place. The PlayBook currently has a March release date. [Via VentureBeat] Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| Hands on the White BlackBerry Torch Posted: 28 Jan 2011 02:31 PM PST Showing Apple how it’s done when it comes to releasing white versions of their phones–the white iPhone 4 being still elusive–RIM is now offering a white version of their BlackBerry Torch 9800. The folks over at Pocket-lint got intimate with the White BlackBerry Torch and offered up many lovely photos of their hands on experience.
When it comes to specs, everything remains the same as the original black version with Blackberry 6 OS, 5-megapixel camera with flash, autofocus, environment settings, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, 512MB of RAM, and a 3.2-inch 480×360 touchscreen. Only other difference besides being white appears to be the ribbed texture on the back side. The verdict is that it feels good. The phone will be available exclusively through Vodafone soon. [Via Pocket-lint] Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| Android Honeycomb Could Support Smartphones? Posted: 28 Jan 2011 02:30 PM PST Android 3.0, aka Honeycomb, has been pushed by Google and Motorola as a tablet-centric version of the Android OS. Google is open about their plans to unify Android and we may in the midst of a stirring towards that now. While Honeycomb’s default setting is 1280×768, it switches into a different mode when you change the screen setting to WVGA.
This setting includes the basic framework for a Honeycomb smartphone. It isn’t proof positive that Google plans to unify the two systems just yet, but it is evidence that they’ve toyed with the idea. We’ve also heard rumors that the next mobile version of Android will be 2.4 “Ice Cream Sandwich”. So really, anything is possible at this point. Handset Honeycomb (as I’m calling it) uses a more traditional, non-tabbed Android browser and also goes back to the old style of unlock screen. The status bar is more smartphone focused and the homescreen is notably more sparse. There’s a lot less battery life and processor power to play around with on most smartphones. Here’s one possibility I haven’t heard yet: What if this is the bare-bones of some sort of plan for the Atrix? If Honeycomb can switch between a large display mode and a WVGA mode, maybe the Atrix is meant to (eventually) run a stripped-down version of 3.0 in handset mode, and a full version of Honeycomb in notebook mode?
Beyond the Atrix, Google could be laying the groundwork for a generation of handsets that dock with full-on PCs and notebooks in a similar manner. [Via Engadget] Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| iTunes 10.1.2 released, supports CDMA iPhone 4 Posted: 28 Jan 2011 02:01 PM PST Apple has released iTunes 10.1.2 for the Mac and PC, adding CDMA support in the latest update. This is necessary for those who plan on buying Verizon's iPhone 4 and have it sync properly with iTunes. The release didn't specifically mention Verizon and only referred to an "iPhone 4 (CDMA model)" which has people speculating whether other CDMA carriers for the iPhone 4 may be in the near future.
The release also came with notes about AirPlay and the usual offerings of stability and performance improvements as follows:
[Via 9 to 5 Mac] Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| Amazon Sells More Kindles, But the Margins are Razor-Thin Posted: 28 Jan 2011 01:55 PM PST It’s a bold new day for reading. Amazon has just announced their financial results for Q4 of 2010. For the first time ever, the online retailer is now selling more Kindle books than paperback books. For every 100 “real” books, Amazon now moves 115 ebooks. Three times as many Kindle books sell as hardcover books.
The 3rd generation Kindle accomplished the most impressive milestone of all. It is now Amazon’s bestselling product of all time, edging out “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”. The U.S. Kindle store currently includes 810,000 books. The Kindle’s success isn’t the only thing Amazon has going. Q4 sales were up a total of 36%, to $12.95 billion. The company saw a total net income increase of 8%. This marks Amazon’s first $10 billion quarter- an increase in net sales of 40%. Sounds awesome, right? Put in PR speak, Amazon had a damn good quarter. But the Market didn’t like something about their operating margins. Despite wild sales and huge gobs of money taken in, the company profit remained rather static. Some credit this to the extreme cost of subsidizing and pushing the Kindle. See, the Kindle costs $33 less to make than it sells for. When you take the cost of software, patents, marketing, distribution, and licensing together, you’re looking at a potential loss per Kindle sold. Amazon is betting that, long term, their e-book business will make enough to offset the costs of pushing Kindles on every man, woman and child possible. It’s too early to tell whether or not they’re right, and Wall Street may not give them a chance to learn. [Via Amazon] Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| Toshiba’s new 1.8 inch hard drives may mean new improved iPod classic Posted: 28 Jan 2011 01:37 PM PST Apple's iPod classic could jump from the 60GB capacity to 220GB with the introduction of Toshiba's new 1.8-inch hard drives. The new MKxx39GSL series of hard drives will be available in 160GB, 200GB, and 220GB capacities. This development may mean not only increased capacity but also improved battery life.
The new drives are single platter and it allows them to fit into the iPod form factor, where older dual disk drives with higher capacities were not used because of their larger size. The MKxx39SGL series will use less power so you could expect the future iPod classic to last longer than the current version's 36-hours. The higher capacity would give you enough memory for 55,000 songs, 275 hours of video, or over 34,000 photos. Hardcore music fans or those that are particular about music quality and prefer lossless formats and enormous music libraries will probably celebrate the most should Apple implement this in their next rendition of the iPod classic. [Via 9 to 5 Mac] Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| The Next Generation of Leak Sites: 5 Wikileaks Descendants Posted: 28 Jan 2011 01:20 PM PST From Apple to his own once-loyal followers, Julian Assange is suffering from a lack of support on all sides. The future of Wikileaks is questionable at best. But that website’s death (or neutering) won’t be enough to stop a new wave of whistleblowing. The first new wave of leak sites is already here.
1. OpenLeaks: Formed by Daniel Domscheit-Berg, former co-spokesman of Wikileaks, and a number of other people who once worked under Assange.
Location: OpenLeaks.org. Purpose: To act as an intermediary between leakers, and corporate watchdog groups / news agencies. OpenLeaks will not profit from the exchange of information. Leakers will be able to designate a single recipient who will have exclusive access to the information for a limited embargo period. After that ends, all OpenLeaks “partners” will gain access to the data. 2. GreenLeaks (via Denmark): Formed by an ad executive and with the support of the Nordic branch of GreenPeace. They have a number of volunteers and private backers.
Location: GreenLeaks.org Purpose: In their own words, “Counterintelligence for the Earth”. There is no one, Assange-like leader to the organization and the focus seems to be on publicizing leaks, not the site itself. 3. GreenLeaks (via Germany): Yes, they both have the same name. This one was formed by Aussie docu-journalist Scott Millwood. The two agencies may end up in a legal battle for the name.
Location: Greenleaks.com Purpose: To spread leaks “of environmental significance”. They have a strong central head and spokesman- Scott Millwood- but differ from WikiLeaks in having an open agenda in their distribution of information. They “take an active role in facilitating stakeholders using information”. In other words, they aren’t just throwing data out there for people to digest, but assembling it to argue a point and then handing it out. 4. EnviroLeaks: The poor man’s version of the two above sites. Right now, they’re mainly collecting data from WikiLeaks and gathering damning data that is, nonetheless, currently available.
Location: EnviroLeaks.org Purpose: Information aggregation. There’s nothing new here, but it’s a good place to find existing data organized in a useful manner. 5. BalkanLeaks: A bunch of journos and activists committed to creating a Wiki-leaks style site with a regional focus on the Balkans.
Location: Balkanleaks.eu Purpose: As stated on the site, “to promote transparency and fight the nexus of organized crime and political corruption in the Balkan states.” It’s kind of sobering to think of the risk these folks are taking. Their site isn’t particularly slick or fancy, but it represents a stab of resistance that could never have happened without the Internet. [Via Reuters] Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| Motorola Atrix 4G Promo Video Released Posted: 28 Jan 2011 12:45 PM PST Highlighting what made the device such a hit at CES, Motorola just released a promo video with full on uplifting soundtrack touting the unique capabilities of the Atrix 4G and the amazing possibilities to come. The video focuses on the Atrix 4G's laptop and TV docks and demoes the user experience.
It's a very impressive package and deserving of Motorola's "World's most powerful smartphone" title. The Atrix 4G is set to be the next big thing in the smartphone market and could highlight an upcoming trend for future smartphones. Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| Verizon and AT&T Have Another Yet Spat (Over Subscriber Numbers) Posted: 28 Jan 2011 12:17 PM PST Verizon and AT&T can’t seem to stop fighting. They’ve fought over ads pretty extensively in the recent past. And the upcoming Verizon iPhone isn’t going to smooth any feathers. Instead, the two are gearing up for another public shouting match. AT&T’s 2010 numbers have lead some blogs to speculate that the carrier now beats Verizon.
Apparently, both companies count “subscribers” differently. AT&T considers every connected mobile device on their network to be a subscriber. That includes e-readers with dedicated market connections, iPad users, etc. By contrast, Verizon counts each rate plan as a subscriber. They file everything else in the “other connections” category. If you add that in to Verizon’s subscriber total, they again beat AT&T. Which is probably why the latter didn’t exactly make a huge fuss out of “beating” their biggest rival. This whole mess may have been a ploy by AT&T to get the tech blogs and news sites to advertise for them. Rather than calling themselves the biggest in an ad and immediately facing a lawsuit, AT&T goes with the subtle route and trusts word-of-mouth to spread the message. Well two can play at that game. Verizon has just “leaked” a slide that reveals their total subscriber number: 102.2 million, nearly 7 million ahead of AT&T. Big Red also showed off their postpaid net adds for Q4, 872,000. Which is more than twice what AT&T managed. The ball is in AT&T’s court now. Will they back down, or will iPhone madness lead these two titans into yet another multi-billion dollar slugging match? [Via Droid Life] Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| IBM Presents Centennial Short Film, 100 Years of Achievements That’ve Changed the World Posted: 28 Jan 2011 11:52 AM PST IBM has released a short film that almost went directly under our radar. It was released relatively quietly a few days ago, and tells an engaging story about their history and how through the 100 years they’ve been active, they’ve achieved many things that have changed the world. This film tells the history of IBM with one hundred ladies and gentlemen who were born along IBM’s timeline, each of them 1 year younger than the last. Behold 13 minutes of tale telling.
This video is released in tangent with IBM100, a site that celebrates the past 100 years and how IBM has affected the world. This site includes Icons of Progress, an exploration of 100 IBM innovations that helped shape the past century, this section added to throughout the coming year. They’ve got “A Celebration of Service” which is an invitation to work with IBM to volunteer for causes around the world. There’s Memorobilia, a store collecting items “designed exclusively for IBMers, families, and friends.” Then of course they’ve got the film that you’re about to watch. Enjoy! Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| Yanko’s New Fire Watch is a Must-Have for Pyros Posted: 28 Jan 2011 11:27 AM PST Few things are more satisfying than the click of a lighter and the subtle ‘whoosh’ a jet of fire makes. The sheer fun of using a good lighter is a leading reason many smokers have trouble quitting [Citation Needed]. All you amateur arsonists and recovering smokers may be able to relieve a tiny portion of your nervous energy if the latest watch design on Yanko ever becomes a reality.
The Lightning Watch has a blue LED for hours and a yellow one for minutes. Both are designed to simulate the look of a jet of fire, while the central “watch” face looks like a lit burner. If someone really wants to make this concept sell, all they’d need to do is make the burner functional and exchange the LEDs for little jets of real fire. I can think of only two downsides to that product. First, you couldn’t wear acrylic unless you like things melted into your flesh. And second, you’d have to buy two or three bottles of lighter fluid every day to keep it going. So yeah, it’s slightly less practical than this laser watch designed by the same guy. [Via Yanko] Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| Horizontal Symmetry – The Way of the Future Phone? Posted: 28 Jan 2011 10:33 AM PST The current trend in smartphone design is that of a vertical symmetry. It’s important to make sure the left and the right of the screen, (that being the right and left when the phone is held in a portrait mode,) are equal, or at least appear to be equal. The future of the phone is presented in a project by Jason Wang, a designer who believes that the next logical step in the evolution of the handheld communicator is symmetry in landscape mode. As a proof, he offers a conceptual design by the name of Nokia E2.
Wang believes that as the past several years have yielded a set of smartphones that are overwhelmingly similar to one another, it becomes difficult for the consumer to differentiate between them. He believes that the first step toward a new type of phone is the 21:9 aspect ratio. He notes though, that upon first viewing a traditionally designed 21:9 phone, it lacks visual appeal, especially due to the fact that they’re designed, still, to be held upright. His solution is the E2, a 21:9 device with a horizontal symmetry, and what he says is “a large screen, a relatively small size, no vertical orientation bias, and no compromises.” Specs for his concept phone are as follows: 4.6″ 21:9 ClearBlack display *What these two call mics do is assure the user that any way they hold the phone, its the right way.
What do you think? We’re already sort of leaning this way with flip-out keyboards and gamepads like the upcoming XPERIA Play – is this the way of the future? [Via Yanko Design] Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| Google Swipes PayPal Vice President of Product Development Posted: 28 Jan 2011 09:44 AM PST Google has just poached the top payment executive from PayPal Osama Bedier, a man apparently key in moving the payment brand toward mobile payments. Does this have anything to do with Google’s recent big moves toward NFC implementation in their Android OS? Paypal’s CTO Scott Guilfoyle writes his goodbyes and thank yous to Bedier on the PayPal Blog, noting that his replacement will be a man by the name of Matthew Mengerink, a 10 year PayPal veteran who’s led “PayPal architecture, infrastructure, payments development, core technologies, international development and customer quality and engineering services teams.” Guilfoyle also notes that Mengerink “has 95 musical instruments at home and plays most of them.”
If you do follow the link back to the last time we spoke about Near Field Communications, you’ll note that Google’s soon-to-be ex CEO Eric Schmidt speaks on NFC as one of the tools the world needs to move the financial world forward. He also mentions much cheaper phones, and expanded future 8-to-10 megabit networks. Is there a glorious future in Google phones activating the global economy in a way nothing has ever activated it before? [Via Near Field Communications World] Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| ZyXEL MWR211 Mobile Router Review Posted: 28 Jan 2011 09:30 AM PST Mobile hotspots are relatively common by now, and more and more smartphones offer data-sharing among their features; what, though, if you’ve already got a USB modem and are tied into – or content with – your existing data package? ZyXEL believes it has the answer in the shape of the MWR211 mobile router, a palm-sized way to share your connection while mobile. Check out the full SlashGear review after the cut.
HardwareAt 4.11 x 3.1 x 1.02 inches and 5.33 oz the ZyXEL MWR211 is a bigger block than most MiFi mobile hotspots, despite not actually having a 3G/4G modem built in. What you do get is WiFi b/g/n with support for WEP/WPA/WPA2 and WPS, an ethernet port and an integrated 3,000 mAh battery which ZyXEL reckon is good for up to 2hrs of standalone runtime. Setup is straightforward, but also more flexible than with a regular mobile hotspot. You can either plug in a USB modem – ZyXEL has a list of compatible models – and use that to get online, or you can plug in a regular wired internet connection and share that via WiFi instead. If you use a USB modem then the ethernet WWAN port can be used to connect a wired device instead (ZyXel also make a larger version, the MWR222, with two USB and two ethernet ports).
What that means is that the MWR211 can not only share out your USB dongle’s connection but allow more than one device to access hotel internet service. There’s also a physical WiFi switch (as well as a physical power switch) allowing you to turn the wireless off altogether and solely use the ethernet port. As with a regular router there’s MAC filtering, port forwarding, VPN support and a NAT firewall; you also get data usage monitoring, with user-assignable alerts to let you know if you’re nearing your monthly allowance, together with prioritized bandwidth (so that, say, VoIP traffic is treated as more important than gaming traffic) and even the ability to assign bandwidth limits by IP address or for clients hooked up to the ethernet port. Unlike most mobile hotspots there’s no artificial limits on WiFi clients, either, so assuming you have sufficient bandwidth you can share it with as many devices as you like. PerformancePlugging in a modem got us online straight away, with the default SSID and password easily changed through the web interface. We tried a number of different USB modems from various carriers and had no problems at all; similarly, having plugged in a wired connection from our router, we were able to share that connection as well. A simple row of LEDs show USB, ethernet, WiFi, WPS, battery and power status; although a display of some sort would be preferable, the browser-based control panel served its purpose.
Speed was obviously dependent on the 3G or 4G network we hooked up, though we noticed no difference in performance whether we were using the USB modem directly or connected via the ZyXEL. Battery life, meanwhile, fell in line with the company’s estimates, which means you’re getting around half the time most mobile hotspots with integrated modems promise. An AC adapter is bundled for recharging or using the MWR211 in a fixed position, and we had no issues with overheating. Wrap-UpA dedicated mobile hotspot or a hotspot app on your phone is always going to be more elegant than the ZyXEL; with a USB modem hanging off the back, and given its physical heft, this isn’t a device that slips comfortably into a shirt pocket, for instance. Still, what you lose in discretion you gain in flexibility. Being able to pick and choose between multiple networks depending on the coverage and data plan pricing of each is a real advantage, especially if you’re travelling and want to get online with a local data stick or make the most of a hotel connection. USB modems also tend to be cheaper than their hotspot counterparts, though obviously there’s the price of the MWR211 to take into account as well; ZyXEL given an RRP of $114.99, but you can find the mobile router for around $85 online.
For pure mobility purposes the 2hr battery is underwhelming, though of course you can easily unplug the modem and hook it up to your notebook direct if you can’t find a power point. Most users will probably find mobile hotspot apps easier to handle, but for those who regularly travel or who juggle a few USB modems to cater for different areas of coverage, the ZyXEL MWR211 does a lot to warrant inclusion in your gadget bag. Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up: January 28 2011 Posted: 28 Jan 2011 09:13 AM PST What’s the difference between a Windows 7 tablet and a steel hammer? Ask Fujitsu – they’ve got the answer. What’s better than listening to Aphex Twin? Listening to Aphex Twin on mushrooms. What’s a bigger reason for shuffling Google CEOs – their competitors, or China? Finally, what’s the biggest overnight news for Notion Ink’s Adam tablet? Is it a Honeycomb update, an FCC teardown, a root that allows Android Marketplace access, or their customer service possibly stalling past their 7 day return period? This question can only be answered by YOU. And what’s this – a review of a AT&T MiFi 2372 by none other than Chris Davies?! All this and MORE on SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up!
R3 Media Network Editor’s Choice Android Community SlashGear To see more Daily Slash posts, click here: [The Daily Slash] or here: [SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up] Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:30 AM PST It’s taken AT&T long enough to push a MiFi mobile hotspot out of the door, but finally the AT&T Novatel Wireless MiFi 2372 is available. As with the original MiFi units, the premise is straightforward: take one 3G connection and share it between a number of WiFi devices. Still, with 4G mobile hotspots on the market, and many smartphones offering integrated hotspot functionality, is the AT&T MiFi 2372 too late? Check out the full SlashGear review after the cut.
HardwareThere’s not a huge amount of difference between the MiFi 2372 and the original GSM MiFi 2352 we reviewed a couple of years ago. Inside the small, glossy box – 2.44 x 3.86 x 0.60 inches and 2.86 oz – is a UMTS/HSPA modem good for up to 7.2Mbps downlinks and 5.76Mbps uplinks on AT&T’s 3G network, together with a WiFi b/g router that shares out that connection between up to five other devices. That might be an iPad, a notebook, a portable games console or even a phone; basically, as long as your gadget has WiFi it should be able to get online via the MiFi.
Unlike the original CDMA MiFi units, the AT&T version also gets GPS functionality and a microSDHC card slot, the contents of which can be accessed by any of the WiFi-connected clients. It basically turns the hotspot into a tiny, portable NAS. Finally, there’s a rechargeable, replaceable 1,500 mAh battery, which AT&T reckon is good for up to 4hrs use, and a microUSB port to recharge it. SoftwareWhile many of the mobile hotspots we’ve seen of late have included small displays to show network, battery and device status, the MiFi 2372 falls short of that complexity. Instead, the power button changes color to indicate connectivity and battery status; green, for instance, means it can only connect at GRPS or EDGE speeds, while blue or violet mean UMTS or HSPA is available. A second LED shows WiFi status. To make up for that shortcoming, there’s an AT&T-branded landing page hosted by the MiFi itself, and accessible by visiting http://att.mifi on a WiFi-connected device (the default SSID and network key are printed on a label on the underside of the unit). The default “guest” page shows battery, network and GPS status, along with customizable widgets for things like weather forecasts (based on GPS position or your choice of location) and a geographic search with Google Maps powered data.
Log into the admin area and there are more widgets and access to the MiFi’s settings – things like changing the admin password, SSID, encryption (up to WPA2) and the like – together with the ability to send and receive SMS messages. It’s a definite advance over the somewhat basic UI of the original MiFi units, though we’d like to see Novatel Wireless and AT&T expand the number of widgets on offer there’s a third-party SDK available, but so far take-up has proved underwhelming from a consumer perspective. PerformanceThe exact speeds you’ll see with the MiFi 2372 will of course depend on the strength of AT&T’s network wherever you are, but we can’t really fault the Novatel hardware. Though it would be useful if it supported HSPA+ for 14.4Mbps and above, AT&T’s service at those speeds is still patchy at best. We observed download speeds ranging from 3-6 Mbps on average, while upload speeds came in at 2.5-4 Mbps. Battery life, meanwhile, will depend in part on 3G signal strength, as well as reducing the more WiFi clients are connected. AT&T’s 4hr estimate is based on sharing the MiFi’s connection with a single device; in that situation, with 4-5 bars of service shown in the status page, we generally managed 3.5-4hrs of use before the MiFi expired. In a perhaps more realistic test with two or more clients using the connection, we were more likely to see 3hrs.
As we’ve notice on other MiFi units, the 2372 did show a tendency to reset itself – kicking us off the network in the process – if it got hot, usually a side-effect of simultaneously charging and using the MiFi at once. Leaving it to cool down for a few minutes fixed the problem. PricingAT&T offer two ways of picking up the MiFi 2372, either on a new, two-year agreement at $49.99, or without a contract for $299.99. Either way, data plans are $35 for 200MB or $60 for 5GB, with each extra MB costing $0.10. There’s a dashboard widget which will keep a running total of how much data you’ve used. The 200MB plan is likely to be insufficient for most users, which leaves the $60 5GB as the probable choice. In contrast, AT&T offers smartphone users 2GB of data for on-device and tethering use for $45 per month, with each additional 1GB priced at $10. Use your iPhone 4 or Android device as a mobile hotspot, then, and it would cost you $75 for the same 5GB (on top of your regular voice plan). Wrap-UpThere’s no denying that a mobile hotspot is more useful on the move than a USB modem, with greater flexibility on what devices can take advantage of the connection. However, AT&T’s data fees do mean that it can work out as an expensive way to get online; it’s worth doing some basic calculations to see whether 3G-enabled versions of devices (like the iPad WiFi + 3G) will work out cheaper. We’d also recommend stumping for the off-contract MiFi, which while more expensive upfront does at least mean you can choose to cancel service the months you don’t need it. The absence of HSPA+ support and sub-4hr battery life are the key flaws of the MiFi 2372, but they’re not unusual among mobile hotspots. The bigger challenge will be 4G hotspots, though you’d obviously need to live or work in an area served by 4G coverage to make the most of them, and battery life can be worse than for their 3G counterparts. A boosted battery would go a long way to improving the MiFI 2372, but the surprisingly useful microSDHC sharing and widget dashboard do mark it out among the competition. Just make sure you’ve worked out the numbers first to see if AT&T’s plans do offer the best package for your needs. Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| Apple Seeking RFID Expert in Recent Job Postings Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:28 AM PST We all know Google is pushing big into the NFC market with the inclusion of support in the Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system, and it looks as if Apple is readying themselves to be ready for the next generation of mobile payment systems with two new job listings on their corporate site.
Among the required areas of knowledge for these jobs is RFID, which s a type of near-field communication (NFC). Essentially Apple is looking for a hardware developer to help turn the iPhone into an “e-wallet” for transactions. These job listings line up pretty well with recent rumor that Apple is readying an “e-wallet” strategy for both the iPhone 5 and second generation iPad. Some strategists even believe that Apple could have its own mobile payment service up and running as early as mid-2011 which is the expected launch date for the next iPhone. As to how Apple might implement such a system, rumors are circulating around payments going through its iTunes payment service. Hopefully we will see more of this develop as we near the announcement of the second generation iPad and iPhone 5. [Via AppleInsider] Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| Apple loses to ZTE in Global phone rankings for Q4 2010 Posted: 28 Jan 2011 07:33 AM PST Apple has been pushed from its number four spot in the top worldwide mobile phone market, with ZTE entering the top five ranking and pushing the iPhone maker down to fifth place. That’s according to IDC‘s Q4 2010 mobile phone market research, which pegs Nokia as maintaining the top spot despite a 2.4-percent slip in share. It’s worth noting, of course, that this particular research covers mobile phones overall, rather than simply smartphones.
Overall, IDC reckons the global mobile phone market grew 17.9-percent in the last quarter of 2010, exceeding 401m units of shipped devices. Altogether that makes 1.39bn shipments in 2010 as a whole, an 18.5-percent increase over 2009. ZTE’s success – the first time in IDC’s rankings that the company has broken into the top five – is put down to its low-cost portfolio of feature phones and smartphones, increasingly popular as developing users upgrade to affordable data-capable devices. Samsung’s success echoes the company’s financial results, published earlier today, in which the company announced over 80m devices sold in Q4 2010. IDC’s smartphone-specific research is due to be published next week. Press Release:
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| Egypt offline as government cuts comms over protest promise Posted: 28 Jan 2011 07:06 AM PST The Egyptian government has seemingly taken the internet offline in the country, with all international connections going through Egyptian ISPs shut down. According to Renesys, connectivity was suspended at 00:34am local time, with “the virtually simultaneous withdrawal of all routes to Egyptian networks in the Internet’s global routing table.” Meanwhile, Vodafone has confirmed that all mobile operators in Egypt have been told to “suspend services in selected areas.”
The huge endeavour is an attempt by the Egyptian government to manage potential protests expected to take place today. Blogs and social networks including Facebook and Twitter had been used to encourage and organize anti-government protests for those unhappy with Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak; the interior ministry had threatened to take “decisive measures” to handle the threat. Renesys has spotted that Noor Group still maintains full connectivity despite the block, and speculates that the Egyptian Stock Exchange – which uses a Noor address – might have been prioritized despite the overall takedown. Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| LiveView update fixes Bluetooth blips says Sony Ericsson Posted: 28 Jan 2011 06:48 AM PST A new firmware update for the Sony Ericsson LiveView promises to address the Bluetooth connection errors that soured our review of the companion display. Confirmed incoming back in December, the update tweaks the “most identified reasons” for the LiveView’s random disconnects, something that users told us was more than problem than simply our review unit.
It also boosts the number of supported simultaneous plugins to 30 – handy, since Sony Ericsson says there are now more than 30 on offer in the Android Market – and causes of random reboots and crashes have also been addressed. More information on the update here; let us know how you get on in the comments.
[via Android Community] Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| Sony NGP “not going to be $599″ but pricing remains a mystery Posted: 28 Jan 2011 06:45 AM PST Sony has remained coy on pricing for the Sony NGP, though it has dismissed concerns that the upcoming handheld will carry an extreme premium price tag. Speaking to GameInformer, SCEE president of worldwide studios Shu Yoshida confirmed that the NGP is “not going to be $599″ when reminded of the surprise many gamers experienced at the original launch of the PS3.
“From the very beginning of the project — since 2008 — pricing was one of the considerations that we had” Yoshida explained. “Hopefully when we announce the price, people will see the proper value.” Currently Sony is refusing to discuss pricing in anything more than vague terms; even the name of the NGP is described as a temporary one, standing merely for next generation portable. News earlier that different SKUs of the NGP would offer 3G and WiFi-only variants also raises questions about ongoing subscription plans for the 3G-enabled models. Sony is yet to suggest whether it will be bundling some amount of mobile network data access or expecting users to sign up for an ongoing plan of some sort. Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| Princeton MyDitto NAS offers easy remote access with USB key Posted: 28 Jan 2011 06:14 AM PST Just about every NAS offers a way to open up the contents of your network-attached storage to external access, allowing you to quickly retrieve a document or media file you’ve forgotten while on the move, but all too often the settings required are too tricky for the average user. Princeton reckons it has the answer, though, with the MyDitto DE-MD2H2T, a 2TB drive that comes with a USB stick that when plugged into a remote computer automatically gives access to the NAS’ files.
The MyDitto USB key loads a special management app and automatically negotiates the encrypted link between whichever computer you’re on and the NAS back home. Rather than having to remember passwords and login URLs, it’s a simple case of jamming in the stick and browsing the directories as if you were on your home network. Up to thirty keys can be registered to any one MyDitto unit (supporting four active simultaneously). There’s also a pair of USB 2.0 ports for hooking up external storage, a gigabit ethernet port for your network, and UPNP/DLNA and iTunes server support. Princeton also offer an iOS app for remote access from your iPhone. The Princeton MyDitto DE-MD2H2T is available in Japan now, priced at 39,800 yen ($484) for the main NAS (with two keys); twin packs of extra keys are 2,980 yen each ($36). [via Akihabara News] Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| Microsoft pushing for 16-core Atom CPUs Posted: 28 Jan 2011 05:54 AM PST Microsoft is reportedly pestering Intel for a 16-core version of its Atom processor, which would provide a low-power alternative to mainstream chips for use in data servers. Dileep Bhandarkar, an engineer at Microsoft’s Global Foundation Services, suggested that higher-power Intel chips more commonly positioned for servers, such as the Xeon, demand too much power and active cooling in return for their higher clock speeds, PC World reports, and that there is a “huge opportunity” for a different strategy to data center processing.
Global Foundation Services is the division of Microsoft responsible for managing the hosting of Bing, Hotmail and Windows Live Messenger, together with Sharepoint and Exchange installations for businesses. Bhandarkar said that ARM’s work on server processors was interesting but unproven, however it “lights a fire under Intel and AMD to deliver more effective x86 solutions.” For its part, Intel said it had “no announcements to make” regarding new Atom chips, but did point to the fact that its existing processors are already found in at least one HP Windows Home Server model. Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| Awesome Hublot La Cle Du Temps watch debuts Posted: 28 Jan 2011 05:29 AM PST I am not a watch wearer, I have said that many times. I do like to look at some of these awesome watch designs like the Hublot La Cle Du Temps “key of time” watch here. This thing is so cool it hurts. If Darth Vader had an awesome watch, this would be it.
The awesome watch is a follow up to one that was apparently designed with the Predator in mind with a dial meant to look like a brain. I don't see any resemblance to a brain or the Predator in the new design. All I see is a crazy watch with a really sweet design. The watch has a control on the side that will slow down or speed up time. Why you world want to do that is beyond me. The watch will always remember the correct time though. An exact price is unknown, but it is said to go in the high six-figure range. Via ABlogtoRead Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| Monster iMotion CarPlay 3000 lets you control your iPod in the car with motion control Posted: 28 Jan 2011 05:13 AM PST Controlling your iPad or iPhone in your car with a normal FM transmitter can be a pain in the butt. Controlling them through a device that plugs them into the AUX port on your car isn’t any better typically. The problem is that you have to look down to skip tracks and taking your eyes off the road isn't a good thing.
Monster has unveiled a new car adapter that connects the iPhone or iPad to the car via an aux input and a 3.5mm cord. The cool part is instead of having to look at the iPhone to control the thing; you can control it with hand gestures. The car adapter is called the Monster iMotion CarPlay 3000. Once connected you can swipe your hand from left to right to skip forward and from right to left to go backwards. The only downside I see is that the usefulness of the device might not be as good for everyone depending on where the aux input and DC outlet are. Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| DirecTV will show Formula DRIFT in 3D Posted: 28 Jan 2011 04:53 AM PST DirecTV has a bunch of 3D programs and movies that it shows to subscribers that have the hardware to support it. If you are into motorsports, DirecTV has announced a new 3D offering that you will really like. The satellite provider has announced that it will be offering the Formula DRIFT Round 7 coverage to subscribers in 3D.
The 3D program will offer complete coverage for the title fight in the season finale with the fight coming down to Tanner Foust and Vaughn Gittin. The show will have interviews with the drivers from the series and tips from the drivers. Faust is one of the drivers that I see everywhere with several shows he is part of on Speed network. The 3D coverage will begin at 8pm on February 4 on channel 103 and is sponsored by Panasonic. Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| World’s smallest HSPA+ platform for Android voice and data unveiled Posted: 28 Jan 2011 04:28 AM PST
Icera has announced a new platform for Android devices that might just facilitate some of these thinner devices that I would like to see. Icera calls the new platform Espresso 450 and it is claimed to be the world’s smallest HSPA+ voice and data platform for Android devices. The tiny platform measures 700mm2 and is scalable to include 2G, 3G, and 4G tech inside. The official debut will be made at MWC next month for the Espresso 450 platform Icera expects products using the platform to land in late 2011. Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| Callaway Golf unveils new upro mx golf GPS device Posted: 28 Jan 2011 04:00 AM PST Callaway is one of the biggest names in golf gear. The company has announced a new gadget for golfers that will let them know exactly how far they are from the hole when on many of the most popular courses around the country. The new gadget is called the upro mx.
The upro mx is a GPS device that comes loaded with 25,000 courses from around the world. The preloading of course layouts means the upro mx is ready to be used right out of the box. Callaway says that it is the only dedicated GPS device on the market that offers high-quality aerial maps of each course. The upro mx will ship in May for $199. It has a 2.2-inch color LCD, weighs three ounces and has no annual fees that the user has to pay if they use basic mode. An additional fee is required to activate the pro mode with the aerial photos. What that extra fee will cost is unknown. Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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| Notion Ink Adam gets teardown treatment at FCC Posted: 28 Jan 2011 03:45 AM PST When it comes to gadgets that hit the market you can count on some taking a shiny new toy and tearing it apart to document what it looks like on the inside and share that teardown with the rest of us. Often the first glimpse at teardown pics we see come by way of the FCC.
Earlier this month when the Notion Ink Adam tablet finally cleared the FCC and started to ship we hadn’t see any of the pics of the innards of the Android tablet we expect from the FCC. Those pics have now surfaced and looking at the inside of the tablet is a stark contrast to the sleek and high-quality internal construction for say an iPad or Galaxy Tab. Engadget reckons that some of the connections were actually made by hand and that the less than stellar build quality might signal build quality issues in the future. I’m not really one that cares what the thing looks like on the inside as long as it works. I would bet most of you are the same. Still, does the suspect build quality turn you off from the Adam? Relevant Entries on SlashGear
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I really don’t want my smartphone to be smaller. I like the screen to be big enough for comfortable use and reading. I would go for a thinner smartphone though and one that has better battery life. These things can all be granted when the hardware inside the phone gets smaller and more efficient.
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