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Thursday, October 13, 2011

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Microsoft and Quanta ink patent licensing agreement, Android continues to print money for its rival

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 11:16 AM PDT

Microsoft's crossed yet another name off its patent licensing hit list, and this time the big red target lands squarely on Quanta. Under the undisclosed terms of the agreement, Android and Chrome-based devices manufactured by the Taiwanese OEM will be protected by Redmond's vast patent portfolio. Of course, this means MS'll receive royalties for granting access to its treasure trove of related IPs -- of which it has no dearth of at the moment. In other news, Google continues to hope it's all just a case of "opposite day." Offical PR in all its vagueness after the break.
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Microsoft and Quanta Computer Sign Patent Agreement Covering Android and Chrome-Based Devices

REDMOND, Wash. - Oct. 13, 2011 - Microsoft Corp. and Quanta Computer Inc. have signed a patent agreement that provides broad coverage under Microsoft's patent portfolio for Quanta's tablets, smartphones and other consumer devices running the Android or Chrome Platform. Although the contents of the agreement have not been disclosed, the parties indicate that Microsoft will receive royalties from Quanta under the agreement.

"We are pleased to have reached this agreement with Quanta, and proud of the continued success of our Android licensing program in resolving IP issues surrounding Android and Chrome devices in the marketplace," said Horacio Gutierrez, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel, Intellectual Property Group at Microsoft.

Microsoft's Commitment to Licensing Intellectual Property

The patent agreement is another example of the important role IP plays in ensuring a healthy and vibrant IT ecosystem. Since Microsoft launched its IP licensing program in December 2003, the company has entered into more than 700 licensing agreements and continues to develop programs that make it possible for customers, partners and competitors to access its IP portfolio. The program was developed to open access to Microsoft's significant R&D investments and its growing, broad patent and IP portfolio.

More information about Microsoft's licensing programs is available at http://www.microsoft.com/iplicensing.

Kickstarter hits a million backers, impoverished design students rejoice

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 10:53 AM PDT

Despite these shaky economic times, people still have the time -- and money -- for modded Arduino kits, iPhone lens and air guitar mods. Kickstarter users have now pledged over $100 million to projects, with the number of backers leaping from around 250,000 in September last year to over one million. The crowd-funding site is marking the occasion with visualizations of its vital statistics, showing, among other things, that one-time backers make up the bulk of investment. With over 13,000 projects green-lighted so far, projects still vying for our investment dollars include a caterpillar-tracked smartphone robot, a bike light that attaches to your spokes generating an 8-bit light show and an energy recovery unit that picks up on heat from a dryer exhaust. If the idea of heat exchanges gets you all hot under the collar, check out Kickstarter to help give the creators a fiscal foothold.

AT&T's Ralph de la Vega: LTE phones to be leaner, retain charge longer

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 10:31 AM PDT

Could this turn out to be a wireless case of the tortoise and the hare? According to Ralph de la Vega, that answer is a resounding yes. In his keynote address at CTIA, the AT&T Mobility CEO announced plans to bring a line of thinner, less power-intensive smartphones to its recently launched, true 4G network. How's that possible? Utilizing a technology described as "circuit switch fallback," phones running on the operator's network will make use of a single radio to ride along the LTE waves, and default to a "circuit switch-based 3G" signal when out of range. If these claims pan out, it'd give the slow-to-market, second place operator a leg up on industry rivals Verizon and Sprint, which incorporate separately powered 3G / 4G radios in their next-gen handsets. We'll know whether or not to call de la Vega's bluff later this year when the first batch of LTE phones are destined for consumer release. Until then, it's just executive grandstanding at its best. Handsets or it didn't happen, Ralph.

EcoATM offers instant money for your old phone, we go hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video)

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 09:54 AM PDT

Old-fashioned ATM meets modern-day phone recycling program. That's the idea behind EcoATM, a startup aimed to help reduce electronic waste and beef up your wallet at the same time. Of course, it's not a new concept: phone recycling programs have been around for a while now, helping you stay green by giving you some green. Trading in an old phone for the almighty dollar, however, typically involves filling out paperwork, printing labels, shipping the device to the facility and waiting for four weeks for a check. EcoATM's goal is to eliminate all of that in favor of a simple 5-minute process that ends with cash in-hand. The company has machines set up in popular shopping malls in various cities across the country, ready to help you part ways with your old device. Take a gander at a gallery and the full demonstration below.
EcoATM hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011

Zachary Lutz contributed to this report.

Caption Contest: Mavis Beacon teaches biking

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 09:31 AM PDT

Pee-wee's beloved bicycle has nothing on this bad boy. The two-wheeler's got a full-sized keyboard, some big red knobs and a miniature screen on its handlebars, for those who have to do some serious content creation whilst weaving through traffic. Sure it's not the safest solution on the road, but inspiration can strike when you least expect it -- then again, so can oncoming cars.

Michael: "Pen > sword, but car > keyboard. Hope the owner's got life insurance."
Brian: "Fortunately the victims just walked away with whiplash and a bad case of carpal tunnel."
Tim: "Dang! You got shocks, pegs... lucky! You ever send off any sweet TXTs?"
Don: "Here's that bike messenger you asked for, boss."
Terrence: "When Billy told his friends he got a new bike they asked, 'but can it play Crysis?' Little did they know..."
Richard Lawler: "Now potential thieves have to decide between using bolt cutters or rainbow tables."
Zach Honig: "Hey Giant. Yeah you holding the grocery bag. You're not so big anymore, now are you?"
Billy: "What? No one said anything about biking while typing."
Jon: "Q, you've really outdone yourself this time."
Mat: "Data from the Goonies may have grown up, but his choice in bikes hasn't."
Dan: "At least they weren't lying when they called it 'an unprecedented mobile device.'"

Duke Nukem 3D is coming to Android, old rope shares soar

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 09:08 AM PDT

There are a few rarefied moments in the conscious of the world that unify us all. For nerds of a certain age, it's that point in 1996 when we first heard those hideous but oft-quoted one-liners spilling out of Duke Nukem's pixellated mouth. Thanks to MachineWorks NorthWest and Tapjoy, very soon you'll be able to relive those moments over and over again on your Android device (running version 2.1 or above). As it's a port of the iOS edition, we can expect pricing to remain around the same $1 mark -- so, you can decide if you'd rather kick some ass or chew some gum.
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Prepare Yourself for Total Meltdown: Tapjoy and MachineWorks NorthWest Bring Duke Nukem 3D to Android

Legendary first-person shooter game launched as part of the Tapjoy Android Fund

San Francisco, CA – October 12, 2011 – Tapjoy, Inc. (www.tapjoy.com), a leading independent mobile application network, announced today that it has partnered with MachineWorks NorthWest (www.machineworksnorthwest.com) to bring the iconic video game Duke Nukem 3D to the Android Market. MachineWorks NorthWest partnered with Tapjoy as part of the Tapjoy Android Fund, designed to bring top-quality mobile games and applications to the Android platform.

Duke Nukem burst onto the scene in 1991 as the wise-cracking, cigar-chomping, woman-loving tough guy who must save the Earth from invading aliens, and does so with all the irreverence and hyper-masculinity of a Hollywood action hero. The third installment in the highly acclaimed Duke Nukem series, Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter game set in Los Angeles "sometime in the early 21stcentury" in which players use increasingly sophisticated weapons in order to defeat aliens and mutated humans attempting to take over the world. The launch of Duke Nukem 3D in the Android Market marks the first time any of the Duke Nukem titles are available on Android devices.

"Duke Nukem is a legend in his own time, and he'd be the first person to tell you that," said Rob Carroll, Tapjoy's Director of Publishing for Tapjoy. "MachineWorks NorthWest has done a great job of bringing the brash, trash-talking character and all his ass-kicking glory to the mobile environment, and we are thrilled to be working with AAA studios like MachineWorks to help bring games of this caliber to Android."

Tapjoy provided MachineWorks Northwest with development support to help port Duke Nukem 3D from iOS to Android. Duke Nukem 3D is currently being promoted through Tapjoy's performance-based ad network to improve discovery of the game and increase new user acquisition.

"Tapjoy was the ideal partner to help us launch Duke Nukem 3D on Android," said Andreas Vahsen, CEO and Founder at MachineWorks NorthWest. "The resources they provided were invaluable, but even more important was the level of PR expertise and inside knowledge they brought to the partnership. We wouldn't have accomplished this launch nearly as fast or as successfully without their help."

Duke Nukem 3D will be available very soon from any Android smartphone or tablet device running version 2.1 and up through the Android Market, or online at http://www.machineworksnorthwest.com.

About MachineWorks NorthWest LLC

Machineworks Northwest LLC is an academy-nominated (AIAS) mobile game developer . A Mobile Developer since 2001, Machineworks started with the official Doom1 and Doom2 ports to Pocket PC for Id Software. MW designed the critically acclaimed Prey and Duke Nukem Mobile line of mobile games, pioneering the 2D/3D release strategy and created the best-selling Guitar Hero Mobile 3 and 4 for Hands-on Mobile, all running on RIPP3D, Machineworks award-winning mobile 3D Tech. Other titles include Stargate SG-1, Rocky Boxing 3D , Don't Forget the Lyrics, Painkiller Purgatory, 3D Hunting: Alaskan Hunt. Customers include 3D Realms, Bandai, Microsoft, Nokia, Id Software, HP, Glu Mobile, Chillingo/EA and Sega. Machineworks was voted Best Mobile 3D Studio, won numerous Editor's choices and "Best Mobile Game of the Year" Awards, including CNET's "10 best mobile games ever made." Entrepreneur magazine recognized Machineworks as "one of the 100 brilliant companies to watch" in 2009.

About Tapjoy

Tapjoy is the success engine for mobile application distribution, engagement and revenue. The company's turnkey in-app advertising platform helps developers acquire cost-effective, high-value new users, drive engagement within their applications, and create incremental income by providing an ad-funded payment method. The Tapjoy ad marketplace spans over 10,000 applications and 280 million global consumers on iOS, Android and emerging mobile platforms, delivering more than 1 million advertising completions per day to application developers and advertisers. Tapjoy is backed by top-tier investors including J.P.Morgan Asset Management, Rho Ventures, North Bridge Venture Partners, InterWest Partners and D.E. Shaw Ventures. Headquartered in San Francisco, the company also has offices in New York, London and Tokyo. For more information, please visit www.tapjoy.com.

Sonim brings a trio of rugged devices to CTIA E&A 2011, we go hands-on (video)

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 08:29 AM PDT

Sonim
Sonim doesn't crank out smartphones. It's too busy flooding the earth with uber-rugged featurephones that would most likely withstand an actual flood, and it's darn proud of that fact. That's the impression we got, at least, after visiting the company's booth at this week's CTIA Enterprise & Applications. We had the opportunity to play around with Sonim's three new devices: the XP1301 Core NFC, XP3340 Sentinel and XP1330 Core PTT. Announced on Monday, the first two phones are already available in the US while the third is targeted squarely at Latin America over the next two months. Quite frankly, the new GSM / EDGE lineup looks so similar that it'd be incredibly easy to forget which one was which -- aside from having an appearance not unlike a tank, all three devices seem to come from the same mold. As similar as they are, each one has its own specialty: the XP1301 offers a Near-Field Communication tag reader, the XP1330 takes advantage of Push to Talk and the XP3340 Sentinel throws in a customizable man-down sensor that triggers an emergency alarm when something is awry. But we'll tell you what won't require emergency assistance -- viewing the galleries and videos below.
Sonim XP1301 NFC hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011

Sonim XP3340 Sentinel hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011

Sonim XP1330 Core PTT hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011

Zachary Lutz contributed to this report.


iPhone 4S gets teardown treatment, Siri gasps in terror

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 08:02 AM PDT

Sure, plenty of folks are still waiting for their shipments to arrive, but Apple's latest magical handset is already baring its innards, courtesy of the screwdriver-wielding mad scientists at iFixit. The teardown is still carrying the "In Progress" badge at the moment, but among the findings thus far is the discovery of a slightly larger battery. Can the stash of magic dust be too far behind?

Toshiba introduces tiny enterprise hard drives with big speed and big storage

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 07:42 AM PDT

HDDYou're probably laughing to yourself right now saying, "300GB? That's not big storage." But, hear us out. The oh-so memorably titled MK01GRRB and MK01GRRR are not your standard hard drives -- these are enterprise-grade disks that spin at 15k RPM and fit in a 2.5-inch bay. Toshiba claims they're the highest capacity 2.5-inch, 15k drives on the market, and we couldn't dig up any evidence to the contrary. The 6Gb/s SAS connection makes sure businesses get the most they can out of those platters spinning at break neck speeds and the GRRR models include a self-encrypting feature. The two drives will start shipping in both 147 and 300GB sizes in Q1 of 2012, but pricing has yet to be announced. Check out the PR after the break for a few more details.
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Toshiba Introduces Industry's Highest-Capacity Enterprise Small Form Factor 15k RPM HDD

Toshiba Doubles Capacity of High Performance Enterprise Drives and Adds Self Encrypting Model to Meet a Wide Range of Enterprise Application Requirements

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Continuing its leadership of innovation in small form factor hard disk drives (HDD), Toshiba's Storage Products Business Unit, a division of Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc, announced the industry's highest-capacity 2.5-inch high performance enterprise-class drive. The Toshiba MK01GRRB/R series supports the exacting requirements of compute-intensive environments with a 15,000 RPM spin speed, 6Gb/s SAS interface, and top capacity of 300GB1. In addition, the Toshiba MK01GRRR models offer drive-based encryption to help companies manage data security.

"Enterprise customers are increasingly satisfying their performance and capacity needs with power efficient small form factor drives. Enterprise drives with the latest self-encryption features are helping data centers to more cost-effectively achieve compliance with information security mandates," said Joel Hagberg, vice president of marketing at Toshiba's Storage Products Business Unit. "Toshiba small form factor enterprise drives deliver the performance, capacity and security features IT administrators require for today's mission critical server, storage and cloud appliance markets."

Toshiba's third generation 2.5-inch 15,000 RPM enterprise drives leverage an enhanced power condition state that reduces drive spin in idle states, significantly lowering power consumption. Lower power consumption also means lower heat dissipation, which increases system stability, and less energy use. This saves enterprises money and reduces the impact on the environment.

As part of its commitment to improved security, the Toshiba MK01GRRR drive features self-encryption technology designed to the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) "Enterprise SSC" specification. SED technology provides simple and complete data security throughout the drive's usable life cycle – with no performance impact – and enables organizations to crypto-graphically erase protected data securely, enabling the ability to return, service, repurpose, or retire drives without lengthy data overwrite operations or physical destruction of the drive.

"Increasing the capacity of 2.5-inch enterprise class HDDs is expanding the market opportunity for this form factor given its inherent power and data density advantages as compared to 3.5-inch models," said John Rydning, IDC's research vice president for hard disk drives. "Toshiba's new MK01GRRB/R series drives give server and storage system customers the capacity they want with the performance they need, as well as the ability to secure data on the drive with Toshiba's SED technology option." The Toshiba MK01GRRB/R series is scheduled to begin volume shipments in Q1 2012. For more information on Toshiba's line of industry-leading enterprise-class small form factor hard drives, visit www.toshibastorage.com.

About Toshiba Storage

Toshiba is a one-of-a-kind global storage company, offering hard disk drives (HDDs), solid state drives (SSDs) and NAND flash memories – technologies that drive a wide range of consumer electronics, computer and automotive applications, as well as enterprise solutions for the global marketplace. Toshiba leads in the development, design and manufacture of mobile, retail and enterprise hard disk drives. In North America, the Storage Products Business Unit of Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. markets high-quality storage peripherals to original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, value-added resellers, value-added dealers, systems integrators and distributors worldwide. Inherent in the Toshiba storage family are the high-quality engineering and manufacturing capabilities that have established Toshiba products as innovation leaders worldwide. For more information, visit www.toshibastorage.com.

About Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC)

Through proven commitment, lasting relationships and advanced, reliable electronic components, Toshiba enables its customers to create market-leading designs. Toshiba is the heartbeat within product breakthroughs from OEMs, ODMs, CMs, VARs, distributors and fabless chip companies worldwide. A committed electronic components leader, Toshiba designs and manufactures high-quality flash memory-based storage solutions, solid state drives (SSDs), hard disk drives (HDDs), discrete devices, LCD displays, advanced materials, medical tubes, custom SoCs/ASICs, imaging products, microcontrollers and wireless components that make possible today's leading cell phones, MP3 players, cameras, medical devices, automotive electronics, enterprise solutions and more.

Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. is an independent operating company owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation, Japan's largest semiconductor manufacturer and the world's third largest semiconductor manufacturer (Gartner, 2010 WW Semiconductor Revenue, April 2011). Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today has more than 490 subsidiaries and affiliates, with 203,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of $77 billion. Visit Toshiba's web site at www.toshiba.co.jp/index.htm.

© 2011 Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. All rights reserved. All product, service and company names are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. Information in this press release, including product pricing and specifications, content of services and contact information, is current and believed to be accurate on the date of the announcement, but is subject to change without prior notice. Technical and application information contained here is subject to the most recent applicable Toshiba product specifications.

1. One Gigabyte (1GB) means 109 = 1,000,000,000 bytes using powers of 10. A computer operating system, however, reports storage capacity using powers of 2 for the definition of 1GB = 230 = 1,073,741,824 bytes and therefore shows less storage capacity. Available storage capacity (including examples of various media files) will vary based on file size, formatting, settings, software and operating system, such as Microsoft Operating System and/or pre-installed software applications, or media content. Actual formatted capacity may vary.

Mike Lazaridis apologizes for BlackBerry outage: 'We've let many of you down' (video) (Update: full services restored)

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 07:11 AM PDT

Now that BlackBerry services are returning to full functionality, RIM founder Mike Lazaridis has decided to issue a public apology for this week's mysterious global outage. In a video address published today, Lazaridis acknowledged that RIM dropped the ball this week, but assured that his company is working hard to remedy the situation. "I apologize for the service outages this week," Lazaridis said. "We've let many of you down." The executive went on to say that services are approaching normal levels across Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa, but could not give an estimate as to when RIM may see full global recovery. "It's too soon to say that this issue is fully resolved," Lazaridis explained, adding that there may be some instability as the system returns to normalcy. He reiterated, however, that his company is "working tirelessly" to restore services and, perhaps more important, consumer trust. Skip past the break to see the full video for yourself.

Update: RIM is holding a conference call now and Mike just said "we have restored full services." That's said to be the status globally, so go ahead, spend a few minutes and get that BBM backlog out of your system. You deserve it. If you're still not receiving messages, RIM suggests pulling your battery and rebooting the phone. And those RIM folks probably need some sleep... "nobody's gone home since Monday," following "the largest outage we've ever experienced."

HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio review

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 07:00 AM PDT

We had some hands-on time with HTC's new European Android flagship a short while back, but it wasn't nearly enough to answer all our questions about how the 4.3-inch, 1.5GHz dual-core XE compares to the original 1.2GHz Sensation, or whether the implementation of Beats Audio was anything more than a cunning scheme cooked up between the manufacturer's marketeers and Dr. Dre's agent. Now, though, this phone has been our closest companion for long enough to reveal its true colors. They're red, primarily, but there's a whole rainbow of detail right after the break.
HTC Sensation XE

Hardware



In many respects this is not a complete review, because we've avoided covering the same ground we already trod extensively in our review of the Sensation. Instead, we've focused only on those areas where there have been significant changes, or where the passage of time has altered a particular spec's standing with respect to the ever-eager competition.


In particular, we spent a great deal of time looking into Beats Audio -- far too much time, perhaps, if you've already convinced yourself that this Dre hookup is nothing but a gimmick. But we felt that since HTC has invested untold dollars in Beats in order to differentiate itself from the competition, and since it plans to bring the this technology to many more devices in the US and around the world, then we ought to try to come up with something definitive and -- if at all possible -- scientific. By all means, if you're just curious about this phone's musical prowess then skip down to the Software section, but for now we'll start off with the key hardware features.

Just like the original Sensation, the XE is well-built and beautiful to behold. Its tapered edges and smooth wraparound aluminum case conspire to make it feel thinner than the 11.4mm statistic might suggest. Of course, the XE differs in its coloring and when we first heard about the red accents we were worried they might look cheesy, like a Qosimo gaming laptop or something, but our fears were misplaced. The coloring of the navigation button back-lights, the speaker grill and the ring around the camera lens all helped to lift this phone above the plain black and silver hordes. The speaker grill and front-facing camera both have glinting chrome borders which make them look extra special. Add in the bold red headphones with the Beats logo on the back of each bud and it's an all-round good look -- unless you prefer your gadgets to be more discreet.


If you grip the phone hard you'll feel and hear slight creaks from the plastic-aluminum hybrid construction, but it's far less than what you get on purely plastic phones. We should also mention that no matter how we held the device, we failed to encounter any of the so-called "death grip" issues that people complained about with the first Sensation.


Perhaps the only nits we'd pick -- and they're much smaller than your average nits -- are the tendency of the border between glass and aluminum around the panel to collect dirt which cannot easily be cleaned, plus the strange slant of the power button. We should probably disregard this latter flaw, since the device in our hands-on didn't have it and it could simply be a factory error or a result of transit damage. Nevertheless, if wonky power buttons turn out to be an issue with this phone, then remember: you heard it here first.

Processor


We didn't have an original Sensation to compare against the XE side by side, but we did have an EVO 3D to throw into the mix, which has a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8660 processor that's very similar to the Sensation's MSM8260. The comparison isn't perfect, because the EVO 3D has 1GB of RAM instead of 768MB, but it's nevertheless sufficient for an indication of what 1.5GHz delivers in terms of real-world advantage -- which turns out to be not a great deal. The EVO 3D actually booted much quicker than the XE, taking just eight seconds from 'Off' to snapping a picture on the camera. Meanwhile the XE took 11 seconds to do the same thing -- possibly because the extra Beats Audio logo animation takes a few extra seconds at boot up.


Our Quadrant Standard benchmark scores clustered around 2080, which was significantly more than the EVO 3D (1800) but only slightly more than the original Sensation (2000). Linpack gave us 43MFLOPS for the XE, versus 41 for the EVO 3D and 46 for the Sensation -- so nothing worth shouting about there either. Meanwhile, the Sun Spider javascript benchmark for browser speed timed the XE at approximately 3,300ms, which was much healthier than the strangely slow 6320ms time from the EVO 3D, but not a great deal quicker than what you'd get from the single-core iPhone 4. Forgetting benchmarks for a minute, the fact remains that webpage rendering on the XE was impeccable.



Our impression was that anything the XE could do, the EVO 3D could just about as well, so the extra 300MHz doesn't count for much at all in practice. We can't help but notice that the chip in the XE is identical to that in the original Sensation and has merely been overclocked -- something savvy Sensation owners are perfectly capable of doing themselves.

Battery Life


HTC bumped the battery up to 1750mAh in the XE instead of the original 1520mAh, ostensibly to let you listen to more tunes but also perhaps also to compensate for the 300MHz bump to the original Sensation's clock speed. The lower part of the case heats up whenever you put the processor under any serious load and you can just imagine how those two cores must be gulping down energy. After a 14-hour day of heavy use, including tonn of music, a few photos and a bit of video, the battery fell to eight percent by the time we got on a train home. It subsequently fell to three percent after listening to about 30 minutes of music and then finally died after taking four final night-time photographs. In other words, there's no forgiving fuel tank here; when the battery says it's nearly dead, it really is. However, just like with the original Sensation, the phone is frugal with power while it's idle and on a less busy, more normal day we'd still find around 30-40 percent of the battery remaining when plugged the phone in to charge.


In our regular battery test, looping a standard def video with low-to-mid connectivity and push settings, the phone died somewhere between five and six hours, which is slightly below average for a large screen device. For the sake of reference, the 3.7-inch single-core BlackBerry Torch 9850 lasted 20 percent longer in this test -- which merely shows that the Sensation XE pays for its specs in battery life.

Camera


The camera hardware in the XE is identical to that in the original Sensation, so check out that review for a full appraisal. All we really have to add is that the slight increase in clockspeed with the XE might translate into a minor improvement in the time it takes to load up the camera app and start capturing video or stills, but it's nothing particularly noticeable -- after all, the original Sensation was no slouch in this regard to begin with.


On the other hand, one thing has changed significantly since the XE's predecessor, and that's time. As the months have progressed and new handsets have come to market, we've become less forgiving of XE camera's flaws -- particularly with video. The auto-exposure isn't particularly smart, and it adjusts too quickly when filming video, with ugly results compared to the camera in the HTC Titan and Sensation XL -- which have far better camera units. Moreover, as you'll hear in the sample video above, the sound recording is terrible: its default sensitivity of the mic is way too high, resulting in clipped audio whenever the person holding the camera speaks, or when there's a gust of wind or any other sharp noise.
HTC Sensation XE sample stills



Still images suffer from the fact that you can't change the compression settings, which means the output from the eight megapixel sensor is often ruinously over-compressed to as little as 600KB. HTC's panorama mode, which we've enjoyed on the Titan and XL, is absent here, too. Altogether, the camera counts firmly against the XE and feels way more outdated than the display panel.

Software


Beats Audio

HTC's marketing department has gone to town with Beats Audio. For the record, here's some of the language they've used to describe it:
  • "Beats by Dr Dre and HTC will work together to reengineer how sound is delivered so that the consumer feels the music the way that the artist intended.
  • "When it comes to doing music justice, you're way ahead of the crowd with... Beats Audio™"
  • "The tailor-made headset is specially engineered to deliver extraordinary sound. Finally, hear what you've been missing."
In general, this hyperbole condenses down to two separate claims: that the XE makes music sound more like the original artist intended, and that it also involves tailoring the music output to the matched Beats headphones.


Beyond these two claims, there's very little in the way of factual information from HTC about what exactly Beats Audio is. When we've interviewed HTC reps on this point, the conversation has generally ended up being about "sound profiles," which we take to mean EQ settings -- or the way certain frequencies are lifted or depressed in order change the way music sounds. This fits with the impressions we had in our initial hands-on with the XE: that Beats Audio is simply an EQ setting that comes to life when you attach Beats-accredited headphones in order to lift the bass and some of the upper frequencies and hence deliver a more lively experience with certain genres of music.

We know that the Beats Audio EQ can sound great with the right type of music, but we need something more objective than that. So, with EQs as our starting point, we decided to test out HTC's claims about Beats Audio with help from the friendly chaps at AMS Acoustics in North London. Thanks to their input, we now have a ton of objective information about exactly what Beats Audio does. Indulge us with your patience and we'll do our best to explain.



Round One

We started out by testing the XE with the packaged YourBeats in-ears, which are re-branded iBeats with the addition of HTC's in-line controls. As you'll see in the video above, our test involved playing pink noise on the XE, with BA first enabled and then disabled, and recording the sound using a mic specially modified for the analyzing this type of earphone. This yielded two different power spectra, which are presented as simple tables showing the amplitude (in dB) of each frequency (in MHz) of the pink noise. Subtracting the first spectra (BA off) from the second (BA on) revealed the Beats Audio EQ, -- i.e. how, exactly, the XE modifies the sound when you activate Beats Audio. For corroboration, we also ran a different test signal through the XE and YourBeats in order to get a "frequency response curve," which is basically just a higher-res power spectrum depicted as a line graph. (Look in the gallery above for more tables and graphs at a higher res.)

The first thing our tests revealed was that the Sensation XE and packaged headphones form a bass-heavy system, even before you activate Beats Audio. Looking at the raw data with BA disabled, we see that the lowest frequencies still have the highest amplitude, while the higher frequencies get steadily quieter. This EQ is the equivalent of old-school "bass boost" and we've listened to enough music with BA off to know it sounds just about as boring.


Our next step, of course, was to enable Beats Audio, and this changed the picture entirely. Suddenly, there's a massive boost to most of the treble frequencies as well as the bass, which prevents the treble from just trailing off so dismally. Looking at the Beats Mode EQ column above, we can describe the EQ as S-shaped: it has a hump at the lowest frequencies, then a valley in the middle, and a second hump at the top. This is significant because, for many types of music, an S-shaped EQ is greatly preferable to one which simply emphasises the bass. Subjectively, activating Beats Audio when listening to music does exactly what we'd expect from a good S-shaped EQ: it gives the music more presence by emphasising the bass and vocals, while depressing the less interesting mid-tones -- but only when we're listening to an appropriate genre of music such as hip-hop or house. When listening to orchestral music, activating Beats Audio does nothing good.

In addition to the treble boost, most of the other frequencies are also amplified to a greater or lesser extent, delivering an overall jump in loudness that screams "Beats Audio ON!" in the language of pure decibels. This is supported by the frequency response curve below: the BA-enabled curve follows the BA-disabled curve very tightly, but is significantly higher (i.e., louder) all the way along -- with the extra boost at the bass, upper mid-range, and highest trebles that we've already observed.


At this point, we can debunk one of HTC's more ostentatious claims about Beats Audio, which is that it somehow "reengineers" music to make it sound "the way the artist intended." For this to be true, the Beats Audio EQ would need to flatten the system's output, to make music sound more faithful to the source recording -- just as studio monitors do. But Beats Audio does no such thing. We'd suggest that this makes music sound the way Dr. Dre (or his engineers) intended: with a certain S-shaped EQ that suits his kind of music. In fact, when we suggested this to an HTC rep during our hands-on video, he didn't contradict us. Round one therefore goes to the skeptics -- albeit, with the caveat that Dre's EQ can actually sound really good when you try it with the right type of music.

But we have another question to answer before we call it a match: HTC's second claim about Beats Audio being tailored to the packaged Beats headphone. Does the same Beats Audio EQ get activated regardless of which headphone is plugged in? If the answer is "yes," then the consumer is simply being duped into thinking a dumb EQ is more than it is. If the answer is "no," then the marketing spiel has some justification.
Beats Audio test results


Round Two

Our approach in this round was to run the pink noise test with three other sets of headphones: Senn CX300 in-ears, Senn HD598 over-ears and a pair of Beats Studio active over-ears. We threw in the Beats Studios to mix things up a bit -- they're part of the Beats range but they're not officially supported by the XE. Currently, the only supported headphones are YourBeats and Beats Solos, with the latter soon to be sold with the new limited edition Sensation XL.

We should also clarify at this point that our XE allowed us to activate Beats Audio with whatever headphones we liked. However, it only explicitly acknowledged the YourBeats headphones, which triggered a popup message on the XE's screen when we plugged them in. We're not sure this is how HTC intended the software to behave -- in fact, we've been told that Beats Audio should not be available with the third-party headphones. But this is how the review device worked for us -- and a good thing too, because it allowed us to learn a lot more about Beats Audio.

So, starting with Beat Audio disabled, we noticed that the same excessive bass was apparent with the CX300 in-ears. However, when we moved on to the more expensive and more balanced over-ear headphones, the bass boost was matched by a similar boost to the lower trebles. This suggests that XE has been designed with a relatively common S-shaped sound profile already, even without Beats Audio enabled, but this treble amplification is largely lost with the in-ear Senn CX300, just as it was with the packaged YourBeats.

What happened when we activated Beats Audio in these tests? Well, this is where it got interesting. With the Senn CX300, Beats Audio further boosted the bass as well as some mid-range frequencies, but it totally failed to remedy the lack of treble. In other words, the EQ it applied was clearly different to that with the YourBeats, and the end result was nothing like Dr Dre's S-curve we discovered in the last round. The same can be said of both the over-ear headphones we tried: they generally displayed the same pattern, with a bass and mid-range boost, but the end result was nothing like with the YourBeats. This is illustrated in the graph below, which compares the Beats Audio EQ with the YourBeats, versus the average Beats Audio EQ with the other headphones. The shapes are totally different, and the key difference is the treble.


This tallies with what an HTC rep told us about the way Beats Audio works: the XE has multiple sound profiles stored within it. It has separate and specific profiles for the YourBeats and Solos, plus a third 'generic' Beats Audio profile for other headphones, which are inherently less tailored. We can only assume that the YourBeats EQ above represents the tailored sound profile, while the other headphones were all given the generic BA profile, which looks significantly different. It's entirely possible that the Beats engineers were aware that the YourBeats headphones have trouble delivering the treble end of the S-curve and so deliberately adjusted the tailored EQ to compensate. This means we must notch up a point for HTC: Beats Audio does appear to tailor the XE's output to suit compatible headphones and deliver a predictable and good-sounding S-shaped power spectrum.

This leaves us at a 1-1 draw between HTC and the skeptics. The skeptics won a point when the Beats Audio power spectrum proved to be S-shaped and hence have nothing to do with "what the artist intended." HTC drew level when it turned out that Beats Audio only delivers this particular S-shaped spectrum with the compatible headphones. So can we call it quits? Nope, we need a final round.


The decider

If we take a step back from all these charts and consider the fundamental value of what Beats Audio achieves, then we have to come down squarely on the side of the skeptics. No matter how much effort we put into testing this thing, the fact remains that these 'sound profiles' are just EQ settings. You can achieve exactly the same effect using PowerAMP, which costs $5 and allows you create your own EQs. PowerAMP can tailor and save your EQs to suit current headphones and even to the track you're listening to, in order to get the sound just right. The app can also apply the EQ to lossless music, which cannot be played by the XE's stock player and therefore cannot be listened to with Beats Audio enabled. Listening to the Black Eyed Peas in Apple Lossless format, with our own PowerAMP EQ and the YourBeats headphones, provided a great experience -- and it was achieved while Beats Audio was switched off and irrelevant.


Sure, you might think lossless is overkill, and you might not have the patience or the time required to experiment with your own EQs. But we think that anyone who loves listening to music would surely appreciate having full control, and if HTC was true to its marketing they would have made this possible. If, in addition to Dre's EQ and headphones, Beats Audio also meant we had an amazing stock player, with tons of EQ customization and a better user interface than PowerAMP, we'd be happy. If HTC went whole hog and threw in a high-end DAC to improve the overall quality of the XE's output, we'd be over the moon. There's still plenty of time for HTC to make improvements like that, but until then we can only conclude that Beats Audio is mostly a gimmick.


Wrap-up


The Sensation XE is a great phone, but it is no more or less great than the original Sensation. Sure, it has some spec bumps, but these are minor and cancelled out by our concerns about the display and camera, which haven't aged well over the last five months.

The Beats Audio software isn't complete marketing vapor, but it's still inherently gimmicky and adds nothing in the XE's favor: you could achieve a better result on the original Sensation simply by downloading a third-party music player that lets you play with the EQ settings yourself.

The only thing which might sway us to by the Sensation XE over its predecessor is the packaged YourBeats headphones, coupled with the red styling on the phone. But for us to opt for the XE, it'd have to by priced similarly to the original Sensation, such that we're not paying much extra for these headphones. They're only good if they're a bargain -- otherwise we'd prefer to take matters into our own hands and spend $80 to $100 on some Etymotics, which would be even better.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Dennis Ritchie, pioneer of C programming language and Unix, reported dead at age 70

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 06:45 AM PDT

We're getting reports today that Dennis Ritchie, the man who created the C programming language and spearheaded the development of Unix, has died at the age of 70. The sad news was first reported by Rob Pike, a Google engineer and former colleague of Ritchie's, who confirmed via Google+ that the computer scientist passed away over the weekend, after a long battle with an unspecified illness. Ritchie's illustrious career began in 1967, when he joined Bell Labs just one year before receiving a PhD in physics from Harvard University. It didn't take long, however, for the Bronxville, NY native to have a major impact upon computer science. In 1969, he helped develop the Unix operating system alongside Ken Thompson, Brian Kernighan and other Bell colleagues. At around the same time, he began laying the groundwork for what would become the C programming language -- a framework he and co-author Kernighan would later explain in their seminal 1978 book, The C Programming Language. Ritchie went on to earn several awards on the strength of these accomplishments, including the Turing Award in 1983, election to the National Academy of Engineering in 1988, and the National Medal of Technology in 1999. The precise circumstances surrounding his death are unclear at the moment, though news of his passing has already elicited an outpouring of tributes and remembrance for the man known to many as dmr (his e-mail address at Bell Labs). "He was a quiet and mostly private man," Pike wrote his brief post, "but he was also my friend, colleague, and collaborator, and the world has lost a truly great mind."

MobiUS smartphone ultrasound hits the market two years too late for relevancy

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 06:18 AM PDT

Mobisante MobiUS smartphone ultrasound
Mobisante's MobiUS smartphone ultrasound system scored FDA approval back in February, a big step towards getting the product out the door. Now the brainchild of former Microsoft bigwig Dr. Sailesh Chutani is finally available to order, the only problem is that it's based around two-year-old tech. At the heart of the MobiUS system is a Toshiba TG01 (it of Windows Mobile 6.5 stock) a now hopelessly outdated handset. Still, the probe and phone together cost $7,495, just a tiny fraction of what traditional ultrasound systems cost. We're sure there are small clinics, especially in poor and remote parts of the world, that are already eyeing Dr. Chutani's solution and, if his company scores enough orders, he hopes to cut the price in half. Maybe they can put some of that money towards developing a system that works with smartphone platforms people actually use -- like Android and iOS. Check out the demo video after the break.

Giant tablet lets commanders control war with the swipe of a finger

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 05:56 AM PDT

America's armed forces have added some major tech to their arsenal lately, from smartphones for soldiers to giant surveillance blimps. And now, AAI has unveiled a new tool for battlefield commanders in the form of giant touchscreen tablet. Its screen is three feet by two feet and employs surveillance information to give those in charge an overhead view of a war zone that shows the position of both good guys and bad. Icons represent troops, air support, and spy drones, which are then deployed by tapping and dragging them on the touchscreen. Such input doesn't actually control battlefield assets, but it does send orders to the appropriate personnel so they can be executed, and soldiers confirm receipt of the order via instant message. The company's still trying to sell the system to the Army, but we'd imagine that such drag and drop warfare will appeal to Uncle Sam. Who knows, perhaps all those hours spent honing your Starcraft skills can soon be put to good use defending the country.

[Image credit: Spencer Ackerman]

Verizon sending Xoom docks back with delayed, updated slates

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 05:32 AM PDT

Still bummed about the delay in getting your Xoom back from its trip to the shop? Well, it appears Verizon may be looking to smooth things over with those who have been waiting the longest. One of our readers let us know, that because they were "among the first" to send off for the 4G LTE / Honeycomb 3.2.2 upgrade, the carrier sent back a Standard Dock (worth $50) along with the juiced up slate. Is it enough to make up for the extra wait time? That depends on your Xoom addiction -- but we have to admit, it's a pretty nice gesture from ol' Big Red.

[Thanks, Nazir]

Update: We're hearing from many of you that the Dock was part of the original update process while supplies lasted. You can still consider yourself somewhat lucky if you were quick enough got one.

Bose's OE2 and OE2i on-ear headphones pack brand recognition, little else

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 05:10 AM PDT

Bose may be best known for its active noise-cancelling headphones, but that doesn't mean it's a stranger to the plain ol' passive types. Take for instance its latest duo of supra-aurals, the $150 OE2 and the $180 OE2i (which merely adds an iDevice compatible inline remote / mic for those extra Hamiltons). Put simply, these cans are an evolutionary update to the company's TriPort OEs, promising a more comfortable fit from memory foam padding, and improved sound quality. As you'd expect, there's absolutely no mention of specs, but frequent travelers will be joyed to know that the headphones can fold up for storage inside an included carrying case. The OE2s are currently available for purchase from Bose in a choice of black or white colorways -- a perfect match for that en route iPhone of yours. Full PR past the break.
Show full PR text
New Bose® On-Ear Audio Headphones

Improved Audio Performance, New Style

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Bose has introduced its next-generation of on-ear headphones: the OE2 and OE2i audio headphones. The OE2 and OE2i headphones deliver demonstrably better audio performance than their predecessors, and feature an updated look and design. Music is reproduced with improved depth and clarity, and the new contoured styling creates a closer, more comfortable fit.

The OE2i headphones come with an inline remote and microphone that lets owners interact with select Apple products, including the latest iPhone, iPod, iPad, MacBook, and MacBook Pro models. Users can easily control volume, tracks, and voice applications -- and switch between music and calls on an iPhone. The OE2 headphones come with a standard audio cable. In every other way, the OE2i and OE2 headphones are identical, reproducing all genres of music accurately.

Bose's three decades of continuous on-head audio research enables a distinct performance difference in the industry. The OE2 and OE2i headphones feature an enhanced proprietary TriPort® acoustic headphone structure. With redesigned and newly tuned earcup ports, audio reproduction is more balanced and natural. There is no manufactured "boost" across the frequency range; low notes are full and rich, and mid-high frequencies are smooth and clear.

The OE2 and OE2i headphones also feature a new design that's smaller and lighter, with a slimmer profile. The headphone's ear cushions, made from memory foam, conform to the user and combine with a redesigned headband for a better, more comfortable fit. Owners can listen for hours -- commuting, working or playing -- without the irritating pressure points caused by some conventional headphones.

The OE2 and OE2i headphones were built-to-last, and built-to-go. Both were tested to meet Bose® standards for durability and reliability, and both fold flat for easy storage and protection. With a simple swivel of the earcups, they collapse neatly for carrying in their included case.

The Bose OE2 and OE2i audio headphones (which are not noise canceling) can be used with nearly any audio source. They are available from Bose for $149.95 and $179.95, respectively. They replace the current Bose on-ear headphones, and are now available in a choice of black or white. Bose headphones are sold at select authorized Bose dealers, Bose retail stores, www.Bose.com, and toll free at 1-800-444-BOSE (2673).

Panasonic, Tesla rekindle romance, strike supply agreement for Model S batteries

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 04:02 AM PDT

Panasonic and Tesla renewed their corporate wedding vows yesterday, with a new supply agreement on lithium-ion batteries. Under the accord, Panasonic will provide Tesla with cells for some 80,000 cars over the next four years, effectively ensuring that the manufacturer will meet its ramped-up production targets for 2012 -- including more than 6,000 orders for its Model S EV. As for the batteries themselves, they'll be made using Panasonic's nickel-type cathode technology, which, according to the company, will offer the highest energy density known. Of course, we're still awaiting for the Model S to actually enter full production, but you can whet your electric appetite with Panasonic's full press release, available after the break.
Show full PR text
PANASONIC ENTERS INTO SUPPLY AGREEMENT WITH TESLA MOTORS TO SUPPLY AUTOMOTIVE-GRADE BATTERY CELLS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2011

Palo Alto, Calif. – Panasonic corporation and Tesla Motors finalized a supply agreement for automotive-grade lithium-ion battery cells. Panasonic is the world's leading battery cell manufacturer and a diverse supplier to the global automotive industry. Panasonic's automotive grade lithium-ion battery cells will be used in Tesla's premium electric sedan, Model S.

The agreement supplies Tesla with Panasonic's lithium-ion battery cells to build more than 80,000 vehicles over the next four years. It guarantees the availability of enough cells in 2012 to meet Tesla's aggressive production ramp-up and fulfillment of more than 6,000 existing Model S reservations. This supply agreement helps ensure Tesla will meet its cost and margin targets for Model S.

This agreement builds upon a multi-year collaboration between Panasonic and Tesla to develop next-generation automotive-grade battery cells and accelerate the market expansion of electric vehicles. In 2009, Panasonic and Tesla initially entered into a supply agreement. In 2010, Panasonic invested $30 million in Tesla to deepen the partnership and foster the growth of the electric vehicle industry.

Panasonic supplies cells with the highest energy density and industry-leading performance using its nickel-type cathode technology. Panasonic and Tesla together have developed a next-generation battery cell based on this nickel chemistry and optimized specifically for electric vehicle quality and life. These new cells will combine with Tesla's proven EV battery expertise gained from more than 15 million customer miles driven in Tesla Roadsters and thousands of hours of cell and battery testing to create the most capable electric vehicle ever produced, Model S.

"It is a powerful endorsement of our technology that Panasonic, the world's leading battery cell manufacturer, has chosen to partner with Tesla to advance electric vehicle performance and value," said Tesla Co-Founder and CEO Elon Musk. "Incorporating Panasonic's next-generation cells into Model S batteries will ensure unrivaled range and performance. We are very grateful for our great partnership with Panasonic."

"Panasonic will supply lithium ion cells for EVs that can achieve longer range with large energy density. It is our pleasure to start supplying the cells for Tesla's Model S and promote sustainable mobility," said Masato Ito, President, Energy Company of Panasonic Corporation.

Tesla is a supplier of batteries and powertrains to Toyota and Daimler. Tesla is a comprehensive electric vehicle powertrain component supplier to the electric vehicle industry.

Microsoft responds to disgruntled users, unveils changes to Windows 8 UI

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 03:31 AM PDT

You can unpack your suitcase and drop that custody suit, because Microsoft has heard your Windows 8 complaints, and it's willing to change its ways. Yesterday, in a lengthy post on its Building Windows 8 blog, the company acknowledged that it's received plenty of feedback since unleashing a developer preview of the OS last month, and pledged to respond with a number changes. For starters, apps displayed within the Windows 8 App Screen can now be organized into groups, rather than alphabetical arrangements (see image above). Apps will also be displayed at a higher density, thereby cramming more content within the same space. Enterprise users, meanwhile, will be able to customize their companies' Start screens and unify them across networks, though there's still no word on whether administrators will be able to opt out of the software's tiled interface in favor of the more Windows 7-esque Desktop app -- one of the most highly requested features. These are just two of many, relatively granular changes that Microsoft is implementing to help users maximize the efficiency of its new Start screen, and they likely won't be the last. To dig into the nitty gritty, check out the full post, at the source link below.

Apple reportedly trying to add movie streaming to its iCloud

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 02:25 AM PDT

Apple's iCloud may have only just launched but according to rumors reported by the LA Times and Wall Street Journal, it's already negotiating with Hollywood to add movies to the service (funny how things have changed in five years.) The timing is particularly curious because Apple, along with Disney, is one of the notable holdouts from the movie studio-backed Ultraviolet scheme with similar buy once / stream anywhere aspirations that just hit the streets this week. However, according to "people familiar with the matter" it could allow Ultraviolet access on iThings via app, while also bringing its usual media lock-in magic by also throwing in streaming copies of any flicks purchased on iTunes, but only on its own hardware. Recently activated streaming of purchased TV shows to the Apple TV shows the cloud's potential, but we'll have to wait for deals to be signed before that North Carolina datacenter puts Hollywood's best on its to-do list.

CyanogenMod for TouchPad alpha released, is surprisingly functional (video)

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 01:20 AM PDT



Tired of seeing TouchPad Android demos that you can't quite get your hands on? Buck up buttercup, CyanogenMod 7.1.0's unique flavor of Gingerbread has finally made its way to HP's disowned slate; but beware -- they're calling this one the "lower your expectations" edition for a reason. A new video and forum update belabors the point that the alpha is an early, buggy build that is not intended for the general public. However, if you're brave enough to install CyanogenMod anyway, you'll wind up with a neat assortment of usable features, including multiboot support, ten-point multitouch, functional WiFi, camera support for video chat, limited GPU acceleration and a ton of other features that are either working now, or are near completion. The team says there are too many nonfunctional features to properly list at the moment, but advise brave testers to expect app incompatibility and poorly optimized power consumption. Ready to throw caution to the wind? Hit the source link below, as it's chock full of cautionary tales, installation instructions, and download links.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Kyocera DuraMax for Sprint hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video)

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 12:26 AM PDT

Call us what you will, but we couldn't resist taking a quick look at the Kyocera DuraMax, which (along with the DuraCore) represents the first of Sprint's handsets to support Direct Connect for CDMA. It's no smartphone, for sure, but we were intrigued by its certification for the military's 810G standard, which promises resistance to dust, shock, vibration, water, low pressure, extreme temperatures and solar radiation -- among other nasty elements.

Kyocera DuraMax hands-on

From the outset, the phone appears stout and bulky. It measures a full one-inch thick, although it seems like even more. Perhaps this is due to the grooved rubber finish, or maybe it's the clamshell shape, but you'll want a holster for this one, as the protrusion in your pocket would be hard to ignore. So just who is this device for? We'd like to imagine it's targeted at the kids who played with Tonka trucks as kids, who now drive bulldozers and pour hot tar on roofs. Yes, this phone is designed to take some punishment, which is undoubtedly its greatest strength. After carefully inspecting each angle, peeking underneath the battery cover and testing the "walkie talkie" feature -- which seems to work beautifully -- we began dishing out some seriously bad behavior. Check out the video after the break to see just what we mean.

Seagate GoFlex Cinema puts up to 3TB of media files at your TV's disposal

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 11:22 PM PDT

Seagate GoFlex Cinema
Seagate's latest addition to its GoFlex line of hard drives is dubbed the Cinema and, as you've probably guessed, it's designed to hook up to your home entertainment system. Inside is a set of spinning platters up to 3TB in size, and around back are HDMI, composite, and S/PDIF hookups. This isn't just some hard drive with a marketing gimmick though. The hardware itself is capable of pumping out 1080p video in a slew of different formats (including MKV and MP4 amongst others), and even comes packaged with a remote for perusing your media collection from the comfort of your milk crate couch. The GoFlex Cinema is available now in Europe, starting at €99 ($136) for the 1TB version and climbing to €179 ($246) for the 3TB model. No word yet on US pricing or availability.

Microsoft officially launches Windows Phone in India with trio of Mango devices

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 10:29 PM PDT

You may have already been able to get a Windows Phone device in India without too much trouble, but Microsoft has only just now made things fully official -- complete with Windows Phone Marketplace, voice recognition support, and a trio of Mango devices. That includes just the HTC Radar initially, which will be available next week for the local equivalent of $490, while the Samsung Omnia W and Acer Allegro (believed to be the same as the W4) are set to follow sometime in November. Of the three, the Allegro is said to be the cheapest of the lot, and there's also some reports that it will launch in Europe for €299 (or roughly $400) off-contract. Those curious about the Radar can check out our review from a few days ago.

LG Optimus Slider on Virgin Mobile at CTIA E&A 2011, we go hands-on (video)

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 09:16 PM PDT

Curiously enough, the prepaid market had as much of a field day at this week's CTIA Enterprise & Applications as anyone else; we already got our fair share of hands-on time with the Samsung Transfix for Cricket, and shortly afterward beheld our eyes (and mandibles) on the LG Optimus Slider, the latest beauty making a beeline to Virgin Mobile as early as this coming Monday. Aside from the obvious slide-out QWERTY, the Android 2.3.4 device will feature a 3.2-inch HVGA display, a 3.2MP camera and microSD support up to 32GB, and will be available without a contract for $200. Head underneath to take a look at the full image gallery and hands-on video.
LG Optimus Slider hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011

Zachary Lutz contributed to this report.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The Engadget Mobile Podcast, CTIA edition, live at 12 AM ET!

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 08:32 PM PDT

What do you get when you mix together a lack of sleep, a desk full of candy and two of our mobile editors at a trade show? Late night shenanigans in San Diego, that's what -- Myriam and Brad are up to no good while attending CTIA Enterprise & Applications 2011, and they're ready to tell you all about their wild and crazy adventures while in the midst of a convention center (some crazy stuff goes down in those places, believe us). We'll also tell you exactly what didn't happen at this week's show, and offer up a double dosage of ranting. That's right, Myriam and Brad are in the same room, opining from the exact same mic. Should be a great way to spend the wee hours of the morning, eh? Tune in at 12AM ET (9PM PT) for this week's special California Nights edition of the Engadget Mobile Podcast!

Apple granted injunction against Samsung in Australia, no Galaxy Tab 10.1s allowed in the land of Oz

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 07:18 PM PDT

Among the many battlegrounds in the legal spat between Samsung and Apple, the case filed down under has had some of the most action. Just over a week ago, Apple wanted nothing to do with Samsung's attempt to settle the suit. Today, the crowd in Cupertino is glad that they rebuffed Sammy's overtures, because the Federal Court in Australia granted Apple's injunction barring the Galaxy Tab 10.1 from appearing in Aussie stores. That means that Sammy's svelte slate will not be for sale (legally, anyway) in Australia unless it can convince the court that its tablet doesn't infringe Apple's patents at trial. You've won this battle, Apple, time will tell if you win the war.

Garmin demos upcoming MobileNavigator for iOS and Android, latest Windows Phone app (video)

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 06:33 PM PDT

So, get this. We were cruising through the halls of Pepcom's Mobile Focus with a horrible fever and on the brink of delirium. Unsure how much longer we could keep composure, we came upon Navigon's booth. In addition to displaying its brand new Windows Phone application, the company was also showing off its upcoming releases of MobileNavigator for Android and iOS. Fortunately, Navigon's Public Relations Manager, Johan-Till Broer, was kind enough to give us a demo of each app. Among the new features, users will be able to select individual states for local map storage, which goes a long way toward freeing up space. Additionally, there's also a driving mode called Cockpit, which allows leadfoots to check their speed and acceleration over the last 30 minutes. The app updates will be free to all existing users, although if you want to load up new maps, that'll be a one-time fee. We're told to expect these latest gems in a couple of months. As for the Windows Phone version, it sells for $50, although is currently available for $30 -- at special introductory pricing. A demo video and full PR is just after the break. Be sure to check it out.
Navigon MobileNavigator sneak peak for Android, iOS and Windows Phone

Show full PR text
NAVIGON Launches First On-Board Navigation App for Windows Phone 7 Smartphones

Premium GPS App for Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) Provides Turn-by-Turn Directions without a Cell Phone Signal, NAVIGON also Releases Free traffic4all App

Hamburg, Germany, October 11, 2011-NAVIGON AG, a leading provider of mobile phone on- board navigation, today announced the launch of the first on-board navigation app for Windows Phone 7 smartphones. NAVIGON's app is available for Windows Phone 7.5 users and takes advantage of new features made available to developers with this new release such as the ability to save an address to the start screen. In addition, NAVIGON also launches a free traffic app for Windows Phone 7, traffic4all.

Similar to a standalone navigation device, NAVIGON for Windows Phone 7 works in areas without a cell phone signal, so users can get directions and information anytime, anywhere. Other navigation apps for Windows Phone 7 are dependent on a cell phone connection to download map and routing data. Therefore, no cell signal can render navigation useless or interrupted until a connection is reestablished.

"We are pleased to bring our award-winning navigation app to Windows Phone 7," said Gerhard Mayr, NAVIGON vice-president of worldwide mobile phones and new markets. "The app includes many of the same signature features that have made NAVIGON's apps successful on other platforms, such as Android and iPhone. The user interface is fully customized to the Windows Phone 7 experience, so users of this platform will feel right at home."

NAVIGON for Windows Phone 7 includes spoken turn-by-turn directions, visual lane guidance, live traffic information and rerouting, among many other features. NAVIGON's new app runs on Windows Phone 7.5 and also takes advantage of new features made available to developers with this new release. These features include the augmented reality function Reality Scanner, which provides an instant and effortless way of identifying nearby destinations while on foot; an option to select address information directly from the phone's contact list; and the ability to save a favorite or home address as a shortcut on the start screen.

NAVIGON for Windows Phone 7 features include:
- NAVIGON MyRoutes: The app includes routing technology built upon NAVIGON's 20 years of experience in the navigation industry, so users get the most reliable routes available. The MyRoutes feature provides customized route suggestions with up to three different choices based on the user's driving style.
- Reality View Pro and Lane Assistant Pro: Reality View Pro feature clearly displays photo-realistic views of actual highway/interstate signs, exits, and lane guide markers so users can see lane changes and exits in advance. Lane Assistant Pro prepares drivers to make an upcoming exit or turn with a lane map complete with arrows and actual road geometry.
- NAVTEQ® maps: NAVIGON for Windows Phone 7 uses one of the most robust and accurate geographic databases in the world, providing the most accurate map data and points-of-interest information. The superiority of NAVTEQ® maps is defined by its verified accuracy, content richness, and its breadth of coverage data.
- Traffic Live: NAVIGON for Windows Phone 7-using real-time traffic information available from industry leader INRIX-alerts drivers to traffic problems and automatically calculates alternative routes so they can avoid congestion and save time.
- Reality Scanner: Reality Scanner is an augmented reality feature, providing an instant and effortless way of identifying nearby destinations. Users simply point their smartphone in any direction to see points-of-interest icons appear directly onto a live camera view, making it easy to find destinations on foot.
- NAVIGON Shortcut: Save any address as a shortcut to the Windows Phone 7 start screen. This allows users to start navigating, for example to their home address, with only one click.
- Speed Assistant: Drivers can potentially avoid costly tickets by receiving alerts when they're speeding and getting notified of speed and red light cameras before they pass them.

Additional features include Google Local Search, which allows users to find local points-of- interest instantly; one-tap access to help users find critical services such as hospitals and police stations in case of an emergency; and the ability to select address information directly from the phone's contact list.

NAVIGON traffic4all Windows 7 App

In addition to its turn-by-turn navigation app for Windows Phone 7, NAVIGON also announced a free traffic app: traffic4all helps drivers to avoid gridlock and save time by providing a clear overview of traffic conditions. NAVIGON developed an intuitive user interface that displays traffic incidents on a map with a single hit of a button. Colored road overlays indicate traffic flow, ranging from green for normal to red for traffic congestion or black/white for blocked roads. The app also allows users to plan ahead and look up traffic forecasts by entering a specific time and location.

traffic4all uses traffic information from NAVIGON's partner INRIX. The leading traffic expert covers more roads than any other provider, delivering real-time traffic information that extends beyond major highways and interstates covering more than two million miles in North America and Europe.
Pricing and Availability

NAVIGON for Windows Phone 7 includes on-board NAVTEQ maps for the USA and is available for $49.99 in the Windows Marketplace. NAVIGON offers a special introductory price of $29.99 until November 15, 2011.

NAVIGON traffic4all is available at no cost in the Windows Phone Marketplace. An upgrade option for $1.49 turns off the integrated ads.

RIM recovers, BlackBerry services coming back online

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 05:56 PM PDT

Well, that was quick. Mere hours after holding a press conference stating that it didn't know when BlackBerry users would have their BBM, internet, and email working again, services have begun to come back online. Apparently email is up across the globe, as is BBM. Web browsing, however, continues to be "temporarily" unavailable to those on EMEIA networks in Europe, the Middle East, India, Africa and Latin America. There is of course a considerable backlog of messages to get through, but the good news is that all the BlackBerry bits and bytes are flowing freely once again. Hit the source link to get the info straight from the horse's mouth.

Microsoft opens up latest Xbox Live dashboard preview program

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 05:38 PM PDT

Microsoft is prepping another update to the Xbox 360 dashboard and, as usual, that means some folks will be able to get an early peek courtesy of the company's preview program. While there's still no date set for a roll-out, those interested in participating this time around can now put their name in for consideration in the program, which is said to be a more automated process than before. As for the dashboard update itself, it boasts a new design for "integrated Kinect and controller navigation," new "Beacons" for playing online with friends, deeper Facebook integration, and cloud storage for your saved games and Xbox Live profile. According to Microsoft's Major Nelson, "other features and entertainment partner apps" may also become available during the program period. Hit the source link below for the complete details.

Sharp, HTC and ZTE learn the NFC Forum secret handshake

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 04:42 PM PDT

The NFC Forum just scored a few high profile allies in the form of Sharp, ZTE and HTC. The handset manufacturers were among a slew of companies to join up as members, with Sharp and ZTE hitting the Associate level and HTC signing on at the Implementer level. Now let the mobile hazing begin!
Show full PR text
Dentsu and Sequent Become Principal Members, 26 More Join at Lower Levels

WAKEFIELD, Mass., USA - Oct. 12, 2011 - The NFC Forum, a non-profit industry association that advances the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, today announced that Barclaycard, a leading global payment business that is part of Barclays, has become a Sponsor member of the organization. Sponsor membership is the highest level, and its privileges include a seat on the NFC Forum Board of Directors, which governs the organization.

Dentsu Inc., the world's largest advertising agency, and Sequent Software, a leading provider of software for NFC payments for mobile devices, have joined the organization as Principal members, the second-highest level of membership. The NFC Forum, founded in 2004, continues to attract innovative organizations in all regions of the globe to its membership ranks in every category, demonstrating the rising tide of interest in implementing Near Field Communication technology.

Sponsor members may designate individuals to run for positions as officers of the Forum. Each Sponsor and Principal member is entitled to appoint a voting representative to each of the Technical, Marketing, and Compliance Committees and Working Groups. Sponsor and Principal members may designate individuals to run for positions leading Committees or Working Groups, and both Sponsor and Principal member organizations may propose initiatives and contribute to the development of Forum deliverables. Members at these levels may also participate in the NFC Forum testing and certification program using their own in-house test labs.

In addition, the NFC Forum recently welcomed 26 new Associate, Implementer, and Non-Profit members from across the NFC ecosystem. New Associate members include:

AgreeYa Mobility Pte. Ltd.

Avery Dennison RFID

Bureau Veritas ADT

C-SAM

Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc.

Ixxi

Korea Smart Card Co., Ltd.

Raisonance SAS

RECRUIT

Sharp Corporation

XAC Automation Corporation

ZTE Corporation

New Implementer members are:

Datang Telecom Technology Co., Ltd.

HTC Corporation

Isis (JVL Ventures LLC)

Novatec Solutions, Inc.

I/O Interconnect

OBOPAY, Inc.

Posiflex Technology, Inc.

Proxama Ltd

Sunward Telecom

TCL Communication Technology Holdings Limited

TIMWE

UPM RFID

VITEC Co., Ltd.

Technology Research Center Henan Province has also joined as a Non-Profit member.

"Our newest members demonstrate the broad appeal of the work of the NFC Forum, and the variety of sectors that are represented emphasizes the value NFC technology can provide to businesses and consumers," said Koichi Tagawa, chairman of the NFC Forum. "We are pleased to welcome these new organizations' participation in our work, and their contributions to the global NFC ecosystem. We are especially gratified that Barclaycard recognizes the leadership role of the Forum as demonstrated by their joining at the highest membership level."

"I believe that NFC is fundamental to the future of payments and the wider mobile experience," said Val Soranno Keating, CEO, Barclaycard. "We've been the leader of the UK's contactless payments market since launching the first cards and merchant terminals in September 2007. More than four out of five cards and an even higher percentage of terminals are still supplied by Barclays. Having established the infrastructure, we can now offer customers choice in the way they pay and, in partnership with a mobile operator, we introduced the UK's first payment-enabled mobile phone this summer. We're also working in the U.S. and Africa to bring the convenience of contactless payments to consumers and retailers. I'm delighted that we are joining the NFC Forum, and I look forward to Barclaycard playing a central role in the advance of this important technology. "

Samsung Transfix on Cricket at CTIA E&A 2011 (hands-on video)

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 03:55 PM PDT

Staring intently at the image above? It's understandable. After all, it is called the Samsung Transfix, right? Cricket's latest Android addition doesn't necessarily break any new ground in its quiet release at this year's CTIA Enterprise & Applications, but it has a lot of potential for anyone looking to get an inexpensive prepaid phone. The new 3.2-inch QWERTY runs on Gingerbread, is powered by an 800MHz CPU and brings a 3.2MP camera to the tablet. Nothing to write home about these days, but don't forget: your parents might appreciate at least hearing from you, even if it's not regarding a smartphone. Stay transfixed below the break at our full hands-on gallery and vid, and a press release thrown in for good measure.
Samsung Transfix hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011

Myriam Joire contributed to this post.

Show full PR text
Cricket and Samsung Introduce New Android Messaging Smartphone

Running Android™ Gingerbread the Samsung Transfix features full slide out QWERTY keyboard

San Diego and Dallas – October 11, 2011 – Cricket Communications, Inc., a leading provider of innovative and value-driven wireless services and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leap Wireless International, Inc. (NASDAQ: LEAP) and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the United States1 today announced the launch of the Samsung Transfix™ (SCH-R730). The Transfix is the latest in Cricket's line up of Android smartphones and is packed with many great features in a sleek design.

With a full slide out QWERTY keyboard, the Samsung Transfix is an easy-to-navigate messaging device for Cricket customers who are texting and surfing the web on the go. The Transfix is powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread and features an 800MHz processor with a 3.2-inch touchscreen. The smartphone also features a 3.2-megapixel camera with camcorder and microSD slot with up to 32-gigabyte expandable memory. The Transfix includes all of the popular Android apps like Gmail, YouTube and Google Search, plus the Android market that now features more than 200,000 applications and games.

"We are very pleased to bring the Samsung Transfix to Cricket customers," said Matt Stoiber, vice president and general manager, devices for Cricket. "The Transfix features an easy-to-use slide out keyboard that makes messaging a breeze. Combined with its affordable price we believe the Transfix will be attractive to our customers looking for an Android device."

"We are excited to offer another Android Gingerbread smartphone, the Samsung Transfix, to Cricket's network," said Todd Pendleton, chief marketing officer of Samsung Mobile. "We continue to work with Cricket to provide customers devices to fit their needs, and the Transfix is an outstanding messaging device."

The Samsung Transfix is available now for $[179.99] (MSRP) in Cricket branded retail stores, dealers and at www.mycricket.com.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Poll: Have you upgraded to iOS 5?

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 03:09 PM PDT

We've heard plenty of you are receiving various error messages while attempting to install iOS 5, and some of us haven't had much luck either. But have you been able to upgrade? Let us know in the poll below, and jump past the break to sound off in the comments.

Have you upgraded to iOS 5?

Samsung Galaxy S II and HTC Amaze 4G on sale at T-Mobile

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 02:40 PM PDT

Sure, we knew this day was coming, but now the wait is finally over. Now the main question for T-Mobile customers at the end of their contract is whether to pick up the Samsung Galaxy S II or HTC Amaze 4G. Both handsets are now on sale from the carrier, running $229 and $259, respectively (plus plan, post-rebate, naturally). Thankfully, we've got a full review of the 4.52-inch Galaxy S II magenta edition and a hands-on with the 4.3-inch Amaze 4G, which should help make the deciding a bit easier.

Photo Stream, NHL, AirPlay mirroring and more added to Apple TV with software update

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 02:11 PM PDT

It got a bit overshadowed by Apple's other software updates earlier today, but Apple TV users also have a few new features to enjoy whenever they're ready to plop down on the couch. Version 4.4 of the Apple TV software is now available to download, which adds the new Photo Stream feature to view photos stored in iCloud, as well as AirPlay mirroring, plus content from the NHL and Wall Street Journal, and a new movie trailer section. You'll also now be able to view subtitles in Netflix (when available, of course), and you have a few new slideshow themes to choose from.

320GB HDD available this month for Xbox 360, $130 ups your storage game

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 01:44 PM PDT

Since its introduction, Microsoft's second generation Xbox 360 has had nary a stand-alone HDD option aside from the company's proprietary 250GB drive, priced at a spendy $130 -- this despite those occasional limited edition consoles packing a massive 320GBs of space. That's soon to change, however, as Major Nelson's announced a new 320GB HDD for the 360, set to be available this month. Possibly in an attempt to sweeten the deal, this platter maintains the 250GB's $130 cost of adoption, and comes pre-loaded with Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (sadly though, no Lego love for Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Slovakia or Japan, where the game won't be available). Notably, rather than dropping the 250GB drive's price, it's now curiously absent from the Xbox website (and we won't hold our breath waiting for it to pop up again either). Nothing like a good ol' fashioned pricing premium for official Xbox storage, right?

RIM clarifies global service outage, doesn't provide ETA for restore

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 01:15 PM PDT

If you don't own a BlackBerry yourself, chances are you know somebody who does. And if that person lives in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America or South America, they're probably quite unhappy with RIM at the moment. This week's service outage began with a server failure in the UK, and spread like wildfire to Africa and the Middle East, before continuing on to parts of Asia, the US, Canada and a good portion of South America. This is only the latest BlackBerry service outage for RIM, bringing email, BBM and web browsing services to a halt. But with BlackBerry services playing a critical role in real-time business and government communications, any interruption is unacceptable, and costly for all.

RIM CTO David Yach responded to questions during a press conference this afternoon, explaining the original cause of the outage (that UK server failure, along with a series of failed redundancies), and how that grew into the global outage we're experiencing now:

"It's a backlog issue. Clearly we have a backlog in Europe, based on the initial outage and the time it's taken to stabilize that. At this point, we have not throttled the other regions, but as you can imagine, with the global reach of BlackBerry, people using it to contact others around the world, there's a lot of messages coming to Europe from Asia and the Americas, and those would be backed up on the other system. It's looking like over time that backlog built, and started impacting those other systems."

The obvious solution would be to clear the backlog and restore service, but in doing so, RIM would purge any undelivered messages. Yach said that all emails will eventually be delivered, however, so you shouldn't have anything to worry about there (there was no related comment regarding BBM messages). When asked what the company would be doing to "make right" by way of its customers, Yach emphasized that his focus was only on restoring service at this point, and made no promises of restitution.

Is the BlackBerry outage affecting you? Let us know by voting in our poll, or leaving a comment after the break.

Pantech Pocket for AT&T hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video)

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 12:49 PM PDT

It's the glitz and glamour that typically defines shows such as this week's CTIA Enterprise & Applications 2011, but Pantech chose to fly under the radar this time around. Sure, the company didn't have its own multi-million dollar booth at the event, but it still at least had a significant product to show off. We were given the opportunity to spend some brief time playing with the Pantech Pocket, a follow-up to the crossover with better specs and another unique form factor. The pocket features a 4-inch SVGA (800 x 600) display, which means you can expect the device to be wider and shorter than your typical handset; in terms of width, we felt as though we were holding a 4.7-incher. We noticed, however, that its shorter length allowed for additional places to grip, which made it at least easier to hold in our hand as a result. Specwise, the Pocket is a Gingerbread phone running on Android 2.3.4, uses a similar UI to what's found on the Crossover, offers a textured scratch-resistant battery cover, has a 5MP rear cam with 720p video capture (and no LED flash or front-facing camera) and is powered by a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 single-core CPU and 512MB of RAM. No pricing has been set on the Pocket, but it's certain to be gracing the midrange section of your neighborhood AT&T store starting November 6th. Gallery and vid below.
Sonim XP1330 Core PTT hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011


Zachary Lutz contributed to this hands-on.

Motorola and Verizon team up for Z-Wave monitoring service, let you control your home as you roam

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 12:27 PM PDT

Do you have Verizon broadband and an overwhelming desire to dim your lights remotely and spy on the kids while you're out on a date? Verizon's mew Home Monitoring and Control service lets internet subscribers add Motorola's Z-Wave-based 4Home automation system to their existing package, enabling access to networked cameras, light controls, smart thermostats and door locks. With the $10 monthly service, you can monitor a collection of wireless cameras, unlock doors for family members or guests, or adjust the thermostat using a web-connected tablet or smartphone. The basic Home Monitoring Kit will run you $70, and includes a wireless camera and single light control. A $170 Energy Control Kit swaps the wireless cam for a connected thermostat and Energy Reader, while a $220 Home Monitoring and Control Kit includes all of the above. Door locks, window sensors and additional cameras are sold a la carte, making a complete system a rather pricey proposition. Jump past the break for a handful of man on the street customer testimonials (spoiler alert: they love it!).


Show full PR text
Motorola and Verizon Collaborate to Deliver Connected Home Services

HORSHAM, Pa. - Oct. 12, 2011-Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) has teamed up with Verizon (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) to bring you the connected home. Verizon announced its Home Monitoring and Control service- today. The new service leverages Motorola's 4Home technology to make your home smarter and provide useful insight into energy use.

See who's at the front door, on your phone. Turn off all the lights with the push of a button. Automate your thermostat to keep your utility bills down. A smarter house. Informed energy use. Peace of mind. Courtesy of Motorola and Verizon.

"We share Verizon's vision for a digital home that makes practical sense to the consumers," said Leon Hounshell, division general manager, Managed Home Solutions, Motorola Mobility. "With Verizon's service launch we're making this a reality for millions of households."

Motorola's 4Home software platform is powering Verizon's new services. It's the most versatile and practical way for Verizon and other digital home innovators to offer connected home services. No complex systems. No custom hardware. Just expertise from the team that pioneered the home automation industry and the company that has been helping carriers deliver new and innovative services for over 50 years.

The software platform is embedded into the gateway included in each Verizon service kit. The software communicates with Motorola's portal server solution to provide real-time support for the home monitoring, control and energy management services. The result is reliable connected home services for consumers that can be hosted and managed in real-time.

"The bandwidth-rich ecosystems Verizon networks create are enabling more and more connected devices in the home than ever before," said Eric Bruno, Vice President of Product Management, Verizon. "We're collaborating with partners like Motorola to design new services that can help people save time and deliver the borderless, digital lifestyle."

For more information on Verizon's Home Monitoring and Control service, visit:http://shop.verizon.com/monitoringcontrol

To learn more about Motorola's 4Home connected home service, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4pOGQHlkZw

To view a video of how one family is already using the service, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXa92FRptBM.

Overview: The Motorola 4Home Solution

Adding new services like home monitoring, control and energy management is easy with Motorola's 4Home Solution.

The solution is composed of two main elements: client software and a portal server.

The client software sits locally on the home network, embedded into a device. The server software resides in the cloud. These two components maintain real-time communication to allow carriers to remotely manage installations to their user base and to allow consumers to manage their home from anywhere with multiple user interfaces.

For more information on the Motorola 4Home Solution, visit: www.motorola.com/4home

Samsung Stratosphere for Verizon hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video)

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 12:05 PM PDT

The selection of devices to show off in the Samsung booth at this year's CTIA Enterprise & Applications is a bit meager when compared to previous shows, but we hunted down a pearl: the Samsung Stratosphere. The newest addition to Verizon's LTE lineup is also by far the most unique of the bunch, simply due to its physical QWERTY slide-out keyboard. In fact, you're apt to find a hefty number of similarities between the Stratosphere and last year's Epic 4G, as both devices come with 4-inch Super AMOLED displays, 1GHz Hummingbird single-core CPUs and 5MP rear cameras, though the former brandishes a nicer 1.3MP front-facing cam and comes with Android 2.3.4 installed. Verizon's little beauty is priced smugly between the Pantech Breakout and LG Revolution at a cool $150 with a two-year commitment, and will be available on October 13th. Check out our full hands-on gallery and video below.
Samsung Stratosphere for Verizon hands-on

Garmin ANT+ adapter for iPhone hits the FCC

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 11:46 AM PDT

There's already a few options available for folks looking to pair their ANT+ device (i.e. a Garmin sport watch or cycling computer) with their iPhone, but it looks like Garmin is now about to get in on the act itself. While details are fairly light, the device sketched out above has turned up at the FCC for the requisite testing and approval, and it's definitely an ANT+ adapter for the iPhone, which we can only presume will work in conjunction with an app of some sort. Hopefully Garmin will fill in some of those remaining details sooner rather than later.
at 11:42 AM

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