Hasta La Gadget!

In two years, we’ll mark the thirtieth anniversary of the first commercially available cellphone — built by Motorola, incidentally. Given this week’s big news from Google, and other big events that we can only presume are yet to come, those two years may also prove to be some of the most interesting yet for the mobile industry.

One of the more telling things about Google’s acquisition announcement on Monday was the response from Motorola’s competitors (and Google’s partners). Immediately following the news, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, HTC and LG all came out to praise Google’s commitment to “defending Android,” which presumably also means that they remain committed to using Android. What’s more, as Google itself has made explicitly clear recently, it’s not just defending Android as any company would defend its own product, but defending it against what it’s described as “hostile” and “organized” threat from Apple and Microsoft (and, to a lesser extent, Oracle).

That increasingly hostile footing and a further-bolstered Google (assuming the acquisition goes through) also now creates some clearer lines and an entirely new dynamic between the major players in the mobile industry. Google and Microsoft are now taking similar approaches by licensing out their operating system to others while also having a hand in hardware development (by proxy with Nokia in the case of Microsoft). Neither are about to go as completely independent as Apple has, of course, but they both seem to have decided that it’s no longer enough to just focus on software and leave manufacturers entirely to their own devices.

That leaves RIM and HP who, like Apple, are each trying to go it alone with their own hardware and mobile operating system — although HP is apparently open to the idea of licensing webOS if it has any takers (an option that seems to be getting less and less likely). The question now is will they succeed by staying out of the fray, or will they be forced to join it and choose sides?

Continue reading Editorial: Google, Microsoft and the incredible shifting mobile landscape

Editorial: Google, Microsoft and the incredible shifting mobile landscape originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Nintendo Wii’s dropping support for the GameCube in a recent redesign. Here’s why it really doesn’t matter.

Do you care about music? Probably. Do you use the internet? Yes. If so, you probably loathe Pitchfork, perhaps the most arrogant collection of HTML ever assembled. And yet it’s our most powerful critical voice—and changed music forever. More »

Continue reading 3G MacBook Pro auction pulled, MagSafe antenna detailed

3G MacBook Pro auction pulled, MagSafe antenna detailed originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T says it will begin selling two new 4G products, the USBConnect Momentum 4G and Mobile Hotspot Elevate 4G, Sunday.

Finally — ATT has some 4G hotspots.

For $50, customers will be allowed up to 5 gigs of data monthly. Every extra gig will cost you 10 bucks. According to the press release, the two devices are the only ones in the United States to default to 4G/HSPA+ if you move outside of an LTE coverage area.

AT&T will begin deploying its 4G LTE network in five markets (Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, & San Antonio) this summer. Its first 4G phone, the HTC Inspire 4G, had a successful launch in early February, but it soon became clear that AT&T’s HSPA+ 4G speeds weren’t up to par. The company has continued to expand its network, going so far as to proposemerging with T-Mobile to bolster its system.

So what did I mean by AT&T “finally” getting some 4G hotspotting action?

Other 4G hotspot options on the market include Clear’s WiMax iSpot, which runs on Sprint’s network for 3Mbps to 6Mbps down, for up to four hours. iSpot costs $100 plus a data plan with Clear that runs as little as 20 bucks a month. Clear also has a USB alternative, the Clear 4G+ Mobile USB, which can be had for $115 plus the price of a data plan.

Novatel also has a 4G WiMax MiFi hotspot that’s supposed to provide 30Mbps down and 10Mbps up, as well as MiFi units for LTE and HSPA networks.

And then there’s the Samsung LTE hotspot that works with Verizon’s speedy 4G network. And T-Mobile’s 4G hotspot will run you $125 to take advantage of their HSPA+ network.

AT&T’s existing hotspot, the USBConnect Adrenaline, will get an upgrade to support LTE on Aug. 26. You’ll be able to get the USBConnect 4G for $49.99 and the Mobile Hotspot Elevate 4G for $69.99 on Sunday, both with a two-year contract.

The USBConnect Momentum 4G modem and Mobile Hotspot Elevate 4G will provide portable 4G access to AT&T subscribers.

Image: AT&T