Hasta La Gadget!

Apple's iPhone 4 landed on the Verizon network in February. Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

iPhone owners responding to a research firm’s survey reported a significantly higher percentage of overall dropped calls on the AT&T network than on Verizon.

ChangeWave polled roughly 1,300 iPhone customers on each of the networks, on how frequently they experienced a dropped call in the past 90 days.

AT&T iPhone customers reported an average of 4.8 percent of calls dropped, and Verizon iPhone customers reported a 1.8 percent average dropped-call rate.

Despite the differences in dropped-call rates, iPhone customers on both networks reported nearly equal satisfaction ratings: 82 percent of Verizon iPhone customers say they’re “Very satisfied,” versus 80 percent of AT&T customers reporting the same.

Wired.com’s tests in San Francisco also found that the iPhone experienced fewer dropped calls on the Verizon network than AT&T, but the differences were minor. Our tests also found that the iPhone on AT&T’s network is significantly faster with 3G transfer rates than Verizon’s.

The equal satisfaction rates are noteworthy, because they suggest that Verizon customers aren’t perturbed about slower bandwidth speeds. On the other hand, it’s not surprising that people would value reliability — having a connection at all — more than speed.

ChangeWave’s substantially higher dropped-call rate on AT&T is questionable, however, and should be taken with a grain of salt. Asking people to recall how many of their calls dropped over the past three months isn’t a very scientific method to measure a network’s reliability. Also worth noting is that the iPhone hasn’t even been on Verizon for 90 days; it’s been on the network for less than two months.

Independent wireless firm Metrico did a more comprehensive study on network performance. The company found that the Verizon iPhone was an average performer in voice quality, whereas the AT&T iPhone ranked low in call performance. Also, the AT&T iPhone was a top performer in download rates, whereas the Verizon iPhone ranked “below average” in data downloads.

On the subject of dropped-call rates, an AT&T spokesman claimed that AT&T’s dropped-call rate is about one tenth of 1 percent. A study performed by a third-party wireless firm corroborates that statistic.

See Also:

• The iPhone Is Now a Phone. Who’da Thunk?
• Verizon iPhone Gets Better Coverage, Slower Data, Wired.com Test …
• Verizon iPhone’s Download Speeds Are Worse Than We Thought …
• Consumer Reports Finds Antenna Issue on Verizon iPhone
• AT&T iPhone Beats Verizon in Nationwide 3G Speed Tests

Nokia’s concept phones range from pretty standard to outright odd. Check them out and vote for your favorite.

Originally posted at Dialed In

So, let’s say our armed forces had to lend a hand in a conflict without deploying troops on the ground (*cough* *cough* Libya *cough*). How would they do that? Simple: GPS. Oh, and Lasers. And mechanized ordnance that is better at navigating than any meatbag with a map. More »

One of the biggest issues with electric vehicles is range: that is, how far the car can go before it needs to be charged again. A tiny new EV prototype from Japanese manufacturer SIM-Drive appears to have made some significant progress in this area, with a reported range of around 200 miles.

According to the company the car, which is being called the SIM LEI prototype EV, can go 206 miles while driving under urban traffic conditions and 190 miles while driving at a stead 62 miles per hour. For comparison, under ideal conditions, Nissan claims the Leaf can go 138 miles on a single charge.

The SIM LEI is four wheel drive, features in-wheel motors, and a body designed with efficiency in mind. It has a top speed of 93 miles per hour and is expected to go into mass production in 2013.

Via CNet

We knew Panasonic was going to unleash a slew of new apps for its Viera Connect televisions, and now it looks like they’re finally ready to hit the ground running — for its 2011 models, anyway. Back in January the company released its Viera SDK to developers, and now it has a smattering of games and sports apps to show for it, including the long-promised NBA Game Time, which includes standings and highlights from recent games. In case you’re curious, there’s no sign yet of Asphalt 5 HD, also announced at CES, though Panasonic says the title should be launching in the near future. Also on tap are MLS and NHL applications, each of which let you watch live games — provided you subscribe to these leagues’ live game packages. Panasonic says the NHL app is slated for the middle of this month, and you can expect MLS in early May. What we’re most excited about, though, is an app that syncs with select NordicTrack treadmills (due out “later this year”), pairing your run with a first-person view in Google Earth. We can’t wait to embark on a simulated run through the streets of Paris (versus, you know, actually going there), but alas, Panasonic wasn’t ready to demo the app quite yet.

As always, Viera’s apps are arranged in a grid of large squares, right down to the standings and recorded matches in MLS, all of which makes these sets easy to navigate using a remote control. (We’ll be curious to see what it’s like playing Asphalt 5 with the remote, which you’ll have to do if you don’t want to spring for an optional wireless gaming controller.) The interface adds the occasional visual flourish, too, including a carousel of NHL standings and fly-in news categories in the AP’s news app. The software is generally responsive, although you might find yourself waiting a few extra seconds for news blurbs and other information-heavy tidbits to load. Want a sneak peak at these apps before they roll out this spring? Hit the link and check out the gallery and hands-on video.

Continue reading Panasonic rolls out new apps for its 2011 Viera Connect TVs, we go hands-on (video)

Panasonic rolls out new apps for its 2011 Viera Connect TVs, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments