Hasta La Gadget!

Solid as HTC’s Thunderbolt may be from a software perspective, its battery life has proven to be less than striking — unless you’ve been rocking it with that ultra-chunky extended battery. In comparison, its streamlined and Qi-certified battery cover was slated as another option, but there’s been nary a mention of it since that accidental tease on Verizon’s website in April. According to Droid Life, it’s actually now available from Verizon retail locations for about $30 to complement the $70 charging base — great for users who: a. hold disdain for cables, b. don’t mind a few extra charges, or c. wear skinny jeans. There’s no mention of when we’ll see the hopefully convenient accessory pop up on Verizon’s website, but at least it’s out there somewhere for those willing to look.

Verizon stores struck by HTC Thunderbolt Wireless Charging Battery Cover originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Jun 2011 01:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Primed goes in-depth on the technobabble you hear on Engadget every day — we dig deep into each topic’s history and how it benefits our lives. Looking to suggest a piece of technology for us to break down? Drop us a line at primed *at* engadget *dawt* com.

The world of wireless is dragging us into the 21st century kicking and screaming. Our treatise on NFC was a great sneak peek into how our future will play out over the next five years, but we’re also seeing other types of suave new tricks coming out as short-range wireless technology creeps closer to the mainstream. Wireless is the crux of convenience that will keep us calm enough to make our way through this speed-demon culture. It didn’t take long for our quest to obtain simpler and faster everything to become an obsession, and it shows no signs of stopping; on the contrary, it’s only speeding up exponentially at a rate even manufacturers have a hard time keeping up with.

Wireless charging is making some serious headway in public mindshare. Once confined to toothbrushes and other simple household items, it’s now a handy means of powering phones (HP’s Touchstone, for example) and media players, and it’ll soon be ready to charge up our notebooks and cameras at our command. Are we sure this is the future, or will this just be a passing fad? Why should it matter? Read on after the break to get the air-conditioned answers to those burning questions.

Continue reading Engadget Primed: how wireless and inductive charging works

Engadget Primed: how wireless and inductive charging works originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re gonna shoot from the hip here — wireless carriers have gotten a little out-of-hand with their 4G marketing. Even industry standard setter, the ITU, can’t figure out a way to keep the story straight. This consumer disinformation loop is exactly what Rep. Anna Eshoo plans to undo with her “Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act.” Like its title says, the bill would force carriers to be absolutely, unfalteringly crystal clear on minimum data speeds, network reliability, accessible coverage maps, and, of course, the technology being used. Think the T-Mobile girl can handle that in thirty seconds? We didn’t think so, either. Retailers tried a similar consumer hand-holding effort during the DTV transition, although that came without a regulatory shove. Hit the source for legalese in all its undisturbed glory, and while you wait for Uncle Sam to act, you can clear up any lingering confusion by diving into our primer.

[Image courtesy Going WiMax]

Rep. Eshoo intros 4G disclosure act, hopes to turn consumers into techies originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You can’t stop Verizon’s nationwide LTE push — and even hoping to contain it seems like a bit much to ask these days. The company made its last major 4G service rollout just under a week ago, and now it’s looking to do the same next month, adding a slew of new markets to its coverage umbrella and expanding in a few existing locales on July 21st. New markets include Portland, OR, Toledo, OH, Winston-Salem and Raleigh-Durham, NC, Maui, HI, Wichita, KS, and Knoxville, TN, to name a few. Coverage will be expanded in Seattle, Louisville, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Las Vegas. The full list of high-speed recipients can be found in the link below.

Verizon’s next big LTE push coming July 21st originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yesterday’s revelation that Verizon may soon be enforcing usage-based data plans came as a slap in the face to many, but there may be at least one speck of sunlight shining through the dark clouds above. Screenshots appeared today, purportedly from employee communications, that would go a long way toward assuaging our worst nightmares: Verizon is indeed planning to mirror AT&T’s policy of letting current customers hang onto their grandfathered data plans — even when renewing contracts. It’s probably best to keep your fingers crossed, but we understand if your hands are busy clutching those old plans as if your life depended on it.

Verizon’s tiered data plans won’t affect grandfathered customers after all? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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