Hasta La Gadget!

It’s the ultimate of ironies that Apple’s externalized antenna array in the iPhone 4 — hoped (and hyped up) to finally give us a phone every bit as good the rest of the device — has become the cause of most rancor in the immediate aftermath of the handset’s release. This morning you’ll be rubbing both sleep and disbelief out of your eyes as you read that Apple’s response to some people’s reception problems with the 4 is to hold it differently. But, before we start ostracizing Apple as the singular offender here, let’s hear from a man in the know.

Spencer Webb runs AntennaSys, a company that designs tailormade RF solutions, and has himself worked on making quad-band transceivers for AT&T. As he tells it, almost all phone makers have now transitioned to locating their antennae at the bottom of the phones. This has been in order to move radio wave emissions away from the head (a shortcoming that a top-mounted aerial would incur), which the FCC has been quite demanding about with its SAR standards —

The iPhone 4, however, moved the antenna action from the back of the phone to the sides. This probably improves the isotropy of the radiation pattern, but only when the phone is suspended magically in air.

Another great point made here is that testing done both by the Federales and mobile carriers might include the head, but never accounts for the presence of the person’s hand. Thus, although a phone’s antenna could test very well, it might suffer from such issues as those experienced with the iPhone 4. Mind you, this still seems like an assembly (rather than design) problem to us, since most of our editors haven’t had any reception worries and we in fact saw improved performance on that front while conducting our review testing. Spencer himself has decided to buy the phone knowing full well about this potential limitation, and concludes on the note that “sometimes an antenna that’s not great, but good enough, is good enough.”

iPhone 4 antenna woes contextualized by dude in the know originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 03:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re only holding it in the way that you showed us.

Hey Apple, you’re holding it wrong originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 01:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Finnish handset giant opts for the Linux-based OS for its flagship N-series phones, reflecting how mobile phones are becoming general-purpose computer. pOriginally posted at a href=”http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20008808-264.html” class=”origPostedBlog”Deep Tech/a/p

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Jon, who just needs something to give him loads of glanceable information moments before he drifts off into the land of fairies, unicorns and deep-friend cotton candy. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I’ve been trying to buy a new alarm clock lately and am completely appalled at the selection available online or elsewhere. Most are basically docks for your iPod / PMP and have a pre-turn of the century LCD digital clock display and some shoddy speakers. They also range in price from $40 to $200. After seeing things like the Sony Dash and the new Insignia Infocast, I could see those as viable alarm clock solutions (with weather, music, maybe an RSS feed). Are there other items out there that have a great display that you can dim and would be able to serve this purpose? Or or either of those the one to get?”

So, sweet-dreamers, what’ll it be? Do you have a Chumby-infused widget display on your own night stand? Go on, don’t be shy — help a brother out in comments below.

Ask Engadget: best media display / internet viewer for bedside? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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“I’m gonna ask rock star Kostas… to come on. And Kostas has brought with him Windows Phone 7, which we launch this October.” So sayeth Microsoft VP for Marketing Mich Mathews in introducing GM of Live Labs’ Kostas Mallios, who was at the Cannes Lions advertising conference to show off the advertising capabilities of the upcoming smartphone platform. Of course, last we heard, the official company line on WP7’s release was “holiday 2010,” so this would definitely narrow the launch window quite a bit, as well as corroborates earlier Telstra roadmap leaks. Not an official statement, but Mathews would definitely be someone in the know here. Don’t expect the folks in Redmond to go ahead and confirm — they work on their own schedule, thank you very much — but should someone ‘fess up, can we also talk about that $150 Kinect price? Video after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Windows Phone 7’s October release casually mentioned in Microsoft ad presentation

Windows Phone 7’s October release casually mentioned in Microsoft ad presentation originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 21:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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