Hasta La Gadget!

In the summer of 2010, a decision was made to end the unlimited data plan offered to iPad 3G owners, something that spawned a class action lawsuit that has been in play for a while now. As of this week, the dispute has been put to an end, with AT&T and Apple resolving to settle […]

Remember Autonet? The company — which is best known for providing manufacturers like Chrysler with in-car WiFi hotspot solutions — is launching a new product designed to replace the key fob and enable low-latency remote vehicle control and diagnostics from any smartphone. Of course, this is nothing new — car makers have been featuring apps to unlock doors, start the engine and monitor vehicles for some time now. Still, most existing solutions rely on satellite or 2G connectivity and often require the car’s computer to be fully booted before responding to commands, which makes for a slow an unreliable experience. Autonet’s new system combines in-vehicle hardware, mobile software and cloud services to streamline this process for both manufacturers and owners. More after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation, Software, Mobile

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It may seem hard to believe, but Verizon was the first carrier to launch 4G LTE just two and a half years ago. Now, the carrier has launched the faster data service in its 500th market in the US. This means that Verizon’s LTE now covers 99% of the carrier’s 3G footprint, which is approximately

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You can’t toss a stone without hitting a 7-inch tablet nowadays, so Huawei’s just announced the MediaPad 7 Vogue with a not-too-common feature: voice calling. If you don’t mind a large object plastered to your head, the 3G version of the slate (there’s also a WiFi-only model) will let you place network calls just like the ASUS FonePad or Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8.0. Otherwise, it’s packing decidedly middling specs, like a 1,024 x 600 IPS screen, quad-core Huawei 1.2GHz Cortex-A9 CPU, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, 3-megapixel rear camera and a microSD expansion slot. It’ll launch in China this month, though there’s no word yet on pricing or whether fans will be able to score it elsewhere. Check after the break for PR and another image of the tab.

Filed under: Tablets

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Via: TNW

If Google Fiber is the company’s attempt at bringing superb Internet connections to developed areas, Project Loon is Google’s plan to connect areas that may otherwise have no access to the Internet at all. These can be rural areas, urban areas with coverage gaps, areas struck by disaster and areas where nerds are having birthday parties.

Google says it will launch balloons to an altitude of about 20km (appx. 12 mi.). Each balloon can supposedly cover a ground area about 40km (about 25 mi) in diameter and provide “speeds comparable to 3G.” Each balloon is made of plastic that’s about 49 ft. wide and 39 ft. tall when fully inflated.

A solar panel will power the electronics onboard each balloon. The panel will also charge a battery on each balloon so that it can still work at night. On the ground, users will connect to the balloons using antennas with – guess what – balloon-shaped covers. Here’s a slightly more technical explanation of Project Loon:

Astro Teller, Captain of Moonshots? Come on. How can you argue against a guy with a name and title like that? The first Project Loon balloons will be launched in South Island in New Zealand this month. Check out the Project Loon website if you want to learn more. Also, alert the Resistance.

[via Electronista]