Hasta La Gadget!

It’s sort of outrageous how much publicity AT&T’s very own femtocell has garnered here lately, particularly when you realize that it’s limited to the Charlotte, North Carolina area alone. But look — did you really expect us to pass up what appears to be the very first unboxing of the 3G MicroCell? No, you didn’t. Hit the read link if you’re somehow not quite past the point of saturation, and be sure to have a peek past the break for an unexpected treat.

[Thanks, Aaron]

Continue reading AT&T’s 3G MicroCell gets unboxed, looks sufficiently cute

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

AT&T’s 3G MicroCell gets unboxed, looks sufficiently cute originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As a Time Warner Cable customer, I’ve experienced rather annoying issues with the Scientific Atlanta 8300HDC digital video recorder (DVR). I’ve been forced to replace it on several occasions. Other times, it would simply stop working, requiring me to unplug it from the wall to reboot.

It had become such a problem that I finally decided I’d had enough last week and that I’d ditch Time Warner Cable’s HD DVR for a TiVo HD. For $239.99 at Best Buy (the company was offering it on sale–the TiVo HD usually retails for $299.99), it was a great deal. I also paid $129 to get one full year of TiVo service.

My new toy.

(Credit: TiVo)

With the TiVo HD in hand last Monday, I was ready to enjoy my new toy. I contacted Time Warner Cable to get all the details I needed to get set up.

Training anyone?

When I called Time Warner Cable last Monday, I was extremely displeased by the company’s customer service. No one quite understood what I was talking about when I told them that I wanted to switch from my HD DVR to the TiVo HD. I asked them what the set-up process was. I wanted to know if I lost any channels.

After waiting for about five minutes for the customer-service representative to find information on the TiVo (“Sorry, we don’t get many of these requests,” she told me), she finally read to me, verbatim, what it said on her sheet.

According to the technician, I would need to have a multichannel CableCARD installed to get my programming. Unfortunately, I would lose several channels even with the CableCARD. I was told by the agent that I would need a Switched Digital Video adapter in addition to the CableCARD to retrieve those channels. An SDV adapter is basically a black set-top box that connects to the TiVo HD, allowing you to watch switched digital video channels. It’s a fancy term for saying that Time Warner Cable is trying to save bandwidth.

Somewhat satisfied by the information, I told the agent that I wanted to schedule an appointment for a Time Warner Cable technician to come to my house and install both the CableCARD (you’re not allowed to install it yourself) and the SDV adapter. No luck. The agent told me that I would first need to go to the Time Warner Cable Web site and fill out an online form. Upon doing so, I was put in line to receive an SDV adapter.

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Originally posted at The Digital Home

We’ll be frank — discovering that MSI’s Wind U110 ECO didn’t boast an ATI GPU as we’d originally heard really put a damper on things, but still, a 9-cell battery that promises up to 15 hours of life on a single charge is hard to ignore. Granted, we have all ideas that real-world figures will pull up well short of that, but it should still outlast the vast majority of rivals currently on the market. If you’ve forgotten the specs, here’s a rundown: 1.6GHz Atom Z530 CPU, Windows XP Home, GMA500 graphics, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, WiFi, a 1.3 megapixel camera, gigabit Ethernet, a trio of USB 2.0 ports and a 4-in-1 card reader. If you’ve no interest in waiting ’til October 22nd, this one’s readily available at NewEgg for $399.99.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

MSI’s longevous Wind U110 ECO available now for $400 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Episode 50 of the Digital City, where we discuss Microsoft’s plans to take on Apple in both smart phones and tablet PCs; the rumor of an HD refresh of the Nintendo Wii

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Originally posted at Digital City Podcast

(Credit: GameSpot)

Halo has been the defining franchise series for Microsoft across two generations of consoles. After Halo 3 was released last year, it appeared the first-person epic had finally seen its last installment. Then developer Bungie hinted at a spinoff title, Halo 3: ODST.

While ODST takes place during the events of Halo 2 and 3, the campaign does not feature Master Chief. Instead, you’ll assume the role of a rookie Orbital Drop Shock Trooper who is separated from the rest of his crew. With the help of a citywide artificial intelligence known as The Superintendent, you’ll find out just what has happened to them.

We have had the final retail build of ODST for some time now, and here are our impressions:…