Hasta La Gadget!

Snagging international data service usually involves either special agreements or steep roaming costs. Not Uros and its new Goodspeed hotspot. The pocketable, 21Mbps HSPA+ router carries a staggering 10 SIM cards and simply uses a local SIM for whichever destination country you visit. The brute force strategy helps Uros offer a relatively low flat rate for 1GB of data per day, no matter where you are on the coverage map: while the Goodspeed itself costs €273 ($352), Uros asks just €5.90 ($8) a day for occasional visits and €9.90 ($13) a month for frequent fliers. It’s a very sizable bargain for the jetset, even with a current scope limited to Finland, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the UK. A number of “important” countries are due before Christmas, which could make Uros’ hotspot a go-to choice for those who just can’t stay settled in one place.

[Thanks, Antti]

Update: Uros has gotten in touch with us to clarify the pricing beyond what we’ve seen so far. The €9.90 fee covers account details and doesn’t “yet” reflect data — you’ll still need to pay €5.90 per day . There’s also a chance the rate could go up in future countries, although all the existing countries abide by that rate.

Filed under: Wireless, Networking

Uros’ Goodspeed hotspot packs 10 SIM cards, says roaming is for chumps (update: fee differences) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Sep 2012 03:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’ll recall, AT&T was quick to inform users after WWDC that it would not be supporting FaceTime over Cellular on all of its data plans (you’ll need a Mobile Share plan for it to work) when it launches as part of iOS6 on the 19th. Now Verizon has responded, confirming in its iPhone 5 press release that the feature is welcome on any data plan allowance. Of course, your usual data restrictions will still apply so we wouldn’t leave those 720p backside illuminated cameras streaming for too long. If you’re the type to set your watch by iPhone launches, the press release also mentions Friday at 3AM ET is the time when they’ll be available for preorder on the website, check the rest of the details after the break.

Continue reading Verizon Wireless confirms FaceTime over cellular on all data plans

Filed under: Mobile

Verizon Wireless confirms FaceTime over cellular on all data plans originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 23:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Despite having launched elsewhere in the world already, Sony’s 3G PlayStation Vita is heading north to Canada with help from Rogers Communications this October. Beyond the usual features of the Vita, the 3G model offers access to various social networks while on-the-go, as well as a handful of games that support asynchronous multiplayer via 3G. Mostly, though, it just offers a $50 bump to the usual Vita price of $250 (at least in the US). In Canada, however, the 3G version is getting bundled with Gravity Rush and Unit 13, and the whole shebang is launching on October 2 for $299.99. It’s unclear how much the unit will cost as a standalone (or if it’s even being offered that way), but we’ve asked Sony Canada for more info. 3G plans with Rogers run $15 and $30 for 30-day packages bundling 250MB or 5GB data streams, respectively.

Filed under: Gaming, Mobile

3G Vita headed to Canada via Rogers on Oct. 2, Canadian gamers remain non-plussed originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Sep 2012 14:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WiFi in a camera. No matter the practicality or the cost of adding wireless functionality, it’s become a must for high-end point-and-shoots, and if they don’t pack it now, they soon will. But access hasn’t become as prolific as protocol prophets once preached — we’re at the mercy of pay gates, passwords and bandwidth limitations, even today. Our smartphones, on the other hand, are always connected. There’s no need to fuss with hexadecimals or other cryptic keys — assuming we haven’t crossed an international border, getting online is as convenient as taking a breath. As the world’s most prolific smartphone maker, Samsung is very much invested in cellular. Sure, there were gasps from the crowd at last week’s Unpacked, but built-in 4G makes perfect sense, and while WiFi and a Micro SIM may make the Galaxy Camera an instant winner, it’s Android that completes the package, as the glue that cements this latest category’s promise. Samsung may be the pioneer, but should other manufacturers be scrambling to shift roadmaps, ready to embrace this new digital direction? Tap past the break for our take.

Continue reading Editorial: Android cameras — could Samsung’s Galaxy gamble save the point-and-shoot industry?

Filed under: Cameras, Mobile

Editorial: Android cameras — could Samsung’s Galaxy gamble save the point-and-shoot industry? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 08:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When Huawei revealed its new MediaPad 7 Lite slate, it wasn’t generous with the details, but now we’ve got a few more to share with you. The final specifications are out, so we now know for sure that the ICS tab will arrive packing a 7-inch IPS display (1,024 x 600) supporting 1080p, a 1.2GHz Cortex A8 processor, 1GB RAM and 8 gigs of storage, expandable via microSD (up to the usual 32). To keep you connected, you’ve got Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi of the a/b/n varieties, or the option of sticking a SIM in it for HSPDA 3G speeds on the move. The cameras are nothing to shout about, but 3.2 megapixels on the back and 0.3 on the front will probably do for the odd Skype call or emergency picture. We can’t see how much later into August you can get, but the PR states shipping will begin then, to South Africa, China, Russia, the Philippines and Taiwan, and to Indonesia and Malaysia in September. Seven inches just not enough? Then how about its keyboard-endowed bigger brother?

Continue reading Huawei’s MediaPad 7 Lite gets detailed specs, shipping dates

Filed under: Tablets

Huawei’s MediaPad 7 Lite gets detailed specs, shipping dates originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 08:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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