We haven't heard much about DataWind's PocketSurfer 2 lately, but it looks like MobilePlanet may have gotten a bit more information on a possible release for the device, as its now has the handheld up for pre-order for $310. What's more, the site also says that a T-Mobile data plan is required for the device to function but, unlike the free GPRS for a year plan in the UK (up to 20 hours a month), those in the US will apparently have to drop $30 per month to get their web browsing done on the device. For those yet to be acquainted with the the device, be sure to check out Pocketables at the link below for a couple of better pics of it than we've seen before, and hit up the read link if you want to take a chance with that pre-order. [Via Pocketables]
You could almost feel this oneunraveling, but any remaining hope that Sprint and Clearwire would work something out has apparently been lost. Reportedly, the two have given up on trying to finalize an agreement to jointly build a nationwide WiMAX-based network, citing "complexities of the transaction and the departure last month of Sprint Chief Executive Gary Forsee" as primary reasons for the plan's deterioration. 'Course, Sprint still has a few options left, but it's fairly safe to say that what was the most promising one is seemingly out of the picture, at least for now. Interestingly, it wasn't noted as to whether the two would hook back up and give this one more go in the future, but there were suggestions that a number of big timers (Intel, Nokia, Samsung, etc.) would possibly "inject financing into Clearwire to help keep its WiMAX project on track." And here we thought this was only the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
We've already seen a number of ultra-high speed alternatives to LTEtrialed and drooled over, so it's about time that Long Term Evolution had its 15 minutes, too. The LTE / SAE Trial Initiative, founded by a gaggle of companies including Nokia, has recently revealed that initial testing "confirmed that the technology will deliver high levels of data throughput both for stationary and mobile devices." More specifically, it was suggested that peak 100Mbps downlink / 50Mbps uplink rates could indeed be met, and we're told that confirmation was "achieved using an agreed set of common transmission profiles, test procedures, and analysis methods." Beyond the hip, hip, hooray, there's not a lot of details to share, but those interested in basking in the glory of one darn fine trial can hit the read link and have at it.
Remember how Apple and Starbucks announced their partnership to sell music to Apple customers through the eighty 'Bucks locations per square city block? Well, the rollouts have begun, and as of today iPhone, iPod touch, and iTunes users can roll into just about any Starbucks in Seattle, New York, and now the SF bay area -- all in all about 800-900 spots -- and see what's playing over Starbucks radio and download a bunch of Starbucks-programmed music. We got a chance to sit down with Apple and Starbucks folks at a participating location in downtown San Francisco, here's what we learned:
Connecting iTunes through Starbucks is eminently simple: connect to the T-Mobile AP. That's it. It's all done behind the paywall, so you don't have to fork out $10 to get online to use the service. (You can also visit apple.com behind the paywall, but not .Mac services.)
As soon as you connect to the Starbucks T-Mobile AP with your iPhone / iPod touch / desktop machine running iTunes, you'll see Starbucks music show up in your iTunes Store interface. (Hit the gallery to see how it works.)
Downloading a track was reasonably fast, but the WiFi kept dropping with both our iPhone and MacBook Pro, leading us to believe there were some issues with the T-Mo hotspot. The download recovered fine through multiple disconnections, but it took us a little over 7 minutes to grab a single 8.5MB iTunes Plus track -- so be careful before grabbing an entire album.
More info after the break; check out the gallery for shots of the Starbucks store on a hacked iPhone (of course it works) and from iTunes on a Mac.
If you found yourself quite envious after hearing that Japan would be getting four new Toughbooks while America got the proverbial shaft, it's time to put your beef aside and bust out the party favors. Turns out, a trio of the new lappies have appeared on the FCC's website, giving us great hope that the revamped CF-W7, CF-T7 and CF-Y7 will be headed stateside soon. Sadly, none of the filings are very disclosing when it comes to specifications, but we are assured that each machine will sport Bluetooth, WiFi and integrated support for EV-DO Rev. A / HSDPA. We'll be keeping an ear to the ground for anything official, but for the time being, check out the FCC's uber-sweet photography skills on the W7 / Y7 after the jump.
It looks like Vista users jealous of their Mac and XP-based pals and their 1,000-foot range WiFire adapters can now finally get a range-extending fix of their own, as hField has just announced a Vista-friendly version of the device. What's more, the Wi-Fire is also now considerably cheaper than it was when it was first released last year, with it now setting you back just $79. It also now comes with some updated software for both XP and Vista, but otherwise appears to be the same 3 x 4 inch device as before, including support for 802.11b/g networks only and, of course, that aforementioned 1,000 foot range.
They're far from the first to put RFID tags to use for medical tasks, but Frank Sammeroff Ltd and Gentag Inc. look to have a slightly less invasive solution than some of the implantable or edible options we've seen in the past, with them instead making use of a tried and true skin patch to keep tabs on patients. That, they hope, will help to reduce medical errors by letting doctors use their cellphone or handheld to update medical records and receive warnings of potential drug interactions, among other information. Of course, the patches aren't necessarily limited to medical applications, with Sammeroff also touting them as a possible solution for large organizations or amusements parks, and even as a means for parents to keep watch on their kids. No word on any takers just yet, but the patches are said to be "competitively priced," so if you're looking to bring a little paranoia into your organization, you might want to look into them.
Yes, that's "Buy One, Give One" for those out of the loop, and for the sect willing to fork out $399 in order to claim an OLPC XO of their own and have one donated too, T-Mobile is announcing that it will give you a solid year of HotSpot access gratis. The partnership is hoping to encourage participation in the philanthropic campaign, but this is most certainly not the first time T-Mobile has handed out free WiFi in order to get its name out there. Nevertheless, if this tidbit somehow pushes you into the buyers' camp, you can place an order between November 12th - 26th and calmly anxiously await your new machine along with "information on how to activate the one year of complimentary HotSpot service." Go on, you know it's the perfect excuse to pull the trigger, and besides, that warm, fuzzy feeling you'll have will totally justify the hit to your checking account.
Sierra Wireless sure doesn't seem to be skimping when it comes to USB HSUPA modems, with it now following up its recently-released 880U and 881U models with its new and somewhat improved Apex 880 modem. About the biggest addition here is an always useful microSD card slot, which should let you ditch at least one USB thumb drive from your bag. The modem itself is also slightly smaller than the previous models, measuring just 85mm x 37.5mm x 15mm. Otherwise, you'll get the same peak data speeds of 7.2 Mbps on the downlink and 2.0 Mpbs on the uplink as before, and support for tri-band UMTS and quad-band GSM/ EDGE networks to keep you connected at all times. No word on a price just yet, but it'll apparently be available in January.
We're all for some genuine privacy concerns or legitimate RFID security scenarios, but we think this Enhanced Driver License scenario might be a bit overblown. The new licenses, which are due to launch in Vermont and Washington in 2008, are designed to expedite passport-free border crossing into Canada and Mexico. The critics point out that the RFID tags emit a unique ID tag that can be picked up by standard equipment, but beyond that they haven't really locked down a specific threat that a leaked ID number could be to users. "I'm tapping in to the emotion of those people who are sensitive to their rights to privacy," said Randy Vanderhoff of the Smart Card Alliance, which is promoting a competing standard. The licenses are completely voluntary, and both Vermont and Washington are going to be offering radio-blocking sleeves to users to allay any privacy concerns.
DARPA's latest initiative is far from revolutionary -- we've seen a number of installations aimed at improving communication in times of war -- but the Wireless Adaptive Network Development (WAND) project looks to "exploit commercial radio components, rather than custom ones," to "keep soldiers linked with each other on the battlefield." Essentially, soldiers would be equipped with $500 handheld radios that would form far-reaching ad hoc networks that could "shift frequencies and sidestep interference" to make communications more pervasive and more reliable. Interestingly, WAND is reportedly set to be demonstrated as early as January of next year, but there's no telling how long it'll take for the project to become fully operational.
Considering just how well the first round of RFID ePassports withstood subversion attempts from hackers, we're amazed that anything needs to be tweaked at all. Sarcasm aside, NXP is all set to make Germany the first country on the planet to utilize second-generation ePassports, as the EU-set deadline to migrate doesn't pass until June of 2009. The new passports will include a SmartMX chip that allows biometric data to be "securely stored on the passport," and the 80kb of onboard storage also holds the individual's photo, name, and date / country of birth. Of note, NXP even goes so far as to gloat about the chip's ability to "guard against attack scenarios," but we'll be interested to see how long it takes the oh-so-motivated hacking community to find a backdoor when these launch later this month.
After Verizon's ambiguousness ended up hitting it right where it hurts (read: the wallet), the carrier cleaned up its act a bit and redefined "unlimited" in a hot-off-the-press version of its Terms & Conditions. While perusing through the legalese, you'll notice that checking out "continuous web camera posts or broadcasts / automatic data feeds (RSS)" are strictly prohibited, right along with P2P sharing or using your BroadbandAccess as a "substitute or backup for private lines or dedicated data connections." Moving on, you'll also see that exceeding 5GB of usage during any single billing period gives Verizon the right to "reduce throughput speeds of any application that would otherwise exceed such speed to a maximum of approximately 200Kbps." It gets worse -- these speeds are (unsurprisingly) "subject to change," so it sounds like your connection can be throttled right on down to a crawl should you pass the 5GB barrier. Have fun!*
The deal seemed all but imminent back in July, but apparently, Sprint and Clearwire never actually signed a definitive agreement to cooperate on a WiMAX build-out. Now, it seems that Sprint is going down the same road it traversed this summer, as it looks for creative ways to handle its $5 billion WiMAX situation which it "remains committed to." Aside from actively seeking a new CEO, higher-ups in the outfit are considering a potential merger with Clearwire, which would enable the resulting entity to be publicly traded. According to The Wall Street Journal, other options include seeking a "strategic investor for its WiMAX unit, acquiring Clearwire outright or formalizing the deal struck in July." As it stands, however, it doesn't look like any major WiMAX restructuring will take place until a new head honcho clocks in, but it was suggested that Sprint was in talks with Google to "carry devices based on Google's new operating system," which opens up a whole new can of worms...
Speaking of Korea, Samsung's P2 made its way into the States today, and you know what that means: it's time to start shopping for stereo Bluetooth headphones. At least that's what Bala's up to, who wrote in to Ask Engadget for advice as follows:
OK, I give up. I have been searching exhaustively for a Bluetooth stereo headset that's both lightweight, preferably the over-the-ear type and easily portable. I'd like to use it to listen music wirelessly from my iPhone (with an A2DP adapter) and my laptop which has Bluetooth. I'd also like to use it for voice calls (both with my iPhone and my PC), and that means it needs to have an integrated microphone. So far I have found only the BlueAnt X5 Stereo Bluetooth Headset to be meeting my requirements. Are there other headsets out there that would meet my requirements for under $125?
What say you guys, any favorites in the A2DP game? And don't say Kleer, that's cheating. Oh, and if you'd like your own question answered, be sure to send it in to ask at engadget dawt com.
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