Hasta La Gadget!

We were just wondering what Google was doing with that super-fast gigabit network it promised to set up in one lucky city and here’s finally a fresh development. The winner has been chosen and it’s Kansas City, Kansas. Having the winning community in its own state will be quite the bitter pill for the people of Topeka to swallow, as they actually renamed their town to Google, Kansas, just to try and appease the Mountain View overlords. Hey, we’re sure Google knows best! An agreement has now been signed to roll out the fiber goodness in Kansas City, which should result in gigabit service becoming available to locals in 2012. A press event is scheduled for 1PM ET, which will be livestreamed at the YouTube link below, and you can check out the announcement video after the break while you wait.

Update: That livestream is rolling, folks! Google’s reps just said “this is the beginning and not the end.” Kansas City, Kansas, will be just the first market where this 1Gbps goodness will be installed. Guess there’s hope for the rest of us yet.

Continue reading Google’s gigabit fiber network to be built in Kansas City, Kansas; people of Topeka reportedly crestfallen

Google’s gigabit fiber network to be built in Kansas City, Kansas; people of Topeka reportedly crestfallen originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 12:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  The Official Google Blog, Google (YouTube)  | Email this | Comments

The Fukushima crisis was a brutal wake-up call about the risks of nuclear power, and it’s really got us all down. But that doesn’t mean we should all panic and disregard the amazing possibilities of nuclear technology. More »

Like all good things Sony Ericsson, the Xperia Arc didn’t wait for an official announcement to make itself known. First appearing on a set of teasing posters at CES in January, it confounded us with a ridiculously thin (8.7mm / 0.3in) profile and an unorthodox concave rear, whose sighting was followed up with the revelation of a potent mix of internal components as well. The same 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 processor and Adreno 205 graphics that you’ll find on brandmate Xperia Play are present within the Arc, and are backed by 512MB of RAM (320MB available to apps), 8GB of MicroSD storage, an 8 megapixel Exmor R image sensor, an HDMI output, and a 1500mAh battery. That tightly packed interior is then topped off with a 4.2-inch Reality Display capable of accommodating 854 x 480 pixels. Throw the latest mobile build of Android, Gingerbread, into the mix and you’ve got yourself a compelling list of reasons for riding aboard this Arc. Nonetheless, spec sheets tell only half the story and we’re here for the full disclosure — what’s the Arc like to use on a daily basis, how are its talents harnessed by Sony Ericsson’s tweaked UI, and, most importantly, do people think better of us for carrying such a stylish phone? Keep reading to find out.

Continue reading Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc review

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Time Warner Cable is made up of some insanely shady folks. And frankly, it’s not just TWC to blame here — CenturyLink, Embarq and a smattering of other big telecom companies are banding together in order to push the ironically-named H129 “Level Playing Field” bill straight into law. Unfortunately, said bill sailed through the clearly oblivious (or “persuaded”) North Carolina House this week, with just 37 sane individuals voting against 81 delusional proponents. For those outside of the loop, the bill effectively suggests that commercial entities — municipal ISPs like Wilson’s own Greenlight that provide greater levels of service with lower costs — are unfairly competing against for-profit monoliths. In short, that’s an absolute joke. Rep. Bill Faison nailed it with this quote:

“This bill will make it practically impossible for cities to provide a fundamental service. Where’s the bill to govern Time Warner? Let’s be clear about whose bill this is. This is Time Warner’s bill. You need to know who you’re doing this for.”

Yours truly just so happens to reside in the wonderful state of North Carolina, and knows first-hand what it’s like to live in a major metropolitan area with a single high-speed broadband carrier. TWC has only recently announced impending DOCSIS 3.0 coverage, but early installations in the heart of Raleigh have been fraught with latency issues and router difficulties. Oh, and it’s charging $99 per month for a service with 5Mbps up; for comparison’s sake, Greenlight gives customers 10Mbps internet (in both directions), home phone and expanded basic cable for the exact same fare. So, NC lawmakers — how exactly do your constituents gain access to that “level playing field?”

[Image courtesy of IndyWeek]

Big cable-backed broadband bill soars through NC House, one step closer to stifling ISP competition originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink ArsTechnica  |  WRAL  | Email this | Comments

These days Paul Allen is largely known for his ridiculously oversized yacht, his lawsuits, and his quest for commercial space flight, but of course it was co-founding Microsoft with Bill Gates that gave him the billions necessary to do all that fun stuff in the first place. Now he’s looking back, writing a book called The Idea Man that, according to him, sets the record straight about the past — starting with the title. Between the covers he alternately praises Bill Gates, saying he’s “everything you’d want from a friend, caring and concerned,” and lambasts him for his “mercenary opportunism” and for trying to dilute his share in the company, saying Gates was “out to grab as much of the pie as possible and hold on to it.” Seems like Mr. Allen may have just burned a few bridges, but when you’re worth about $13 billion that’s the sort of thing you can get away with.

In Idea Man, Paul Allen tells his side of co-founding Microsoft without pulling any punches originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink @toddbishop  |  GeekWire, The Wall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments