Hasta La Gadget!

This week AT&T has announced that its 4G LTE network has reached a total of 47 markets across the USA, with 7 new markets having been added in this newest update. The new markets opened officially this week include Greensboro-Winston Salem, N.C.; Corpus Christi, Texas; Gainesville, Ga.; Buffalo, NY; Burlington, Vt.; Wichita, Kan; and Cleveland, Ohio. AT&T’s 4G LTE network is now said by the company to cover almost 80 million people nationwide.

The AT&T 4G LTE network has been expanded in quite a few areas inside Cleveland, including Hinckley, Hudson, Mentor, Solon, Strongsville, Twinsburg, Wadsworth, Brecksville, Brunswick, and Elyria. Inside North Carolina, the switch has been turned on for U.S. 52 from China Grove to Mooresville, south of Salisbury to the Granite Quarry area, U.S. 601 between Concord and Monroe, N.C., Gastonia, Lake Norman, and N.C. Hwy. 3 from Kannapolis to Mooresville.

We’ve had our hands on several devices that can make great use of the AT&T 4G LTE network including the brand new Samsung Galaxy S III and the Nokia Lumia 900 as well as the HTC One X. Have a peek at the timeline below to see other stories about AT&T’s 4G LTE network and be sure to check our our reviews of these 4G LTE devices for the carrier as well:

• Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 Review
• HTC Vivid Review
• LG Nitro HD Review
• HTC One X Review
• Samsung Galaxy S III Review

AT&T 4G LTE hits 47 US markets in newest expansion is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

This week the Verizon 4G LTE version of the Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone is arriving here on our review bench as well as in the homes of thousands across the USA. What we’re going to do for you right here at the start is take a moment to get you some comparison speeds on each of the main three Galaxy S III’s USA carriers: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. Have a peek at one of the only factors that will allow you to tell these devices apart.

First let’s check on the Verizon unit’s 4G LTE. This network has been the most reliable 4G LTE network in the past, but has AT&T catching up quick for coverage. This Galaxy S III unit is the latest to hit the shelves and also the only to carry Verizon’s specific selection of carrier-based apps (with one bonus). First let’s have a peek at some data speeds, starting with Verizon and checking in on AT&T and T-Mobile as well.

Verizon Speeds:

Next we’ve got the AT&T version of the Galaxy S III, here again with 4G LTE. Each of these speed tests are being performed in Arizona in the exact same spot and that tests like these are going to be accurate only to a certain degree. The only perfect test would be hitting every single spot in every single city in the United States and testing each phone from each of those spots, taking an average then of all the speeds. By that time there’d be a Galaxy S IV, so for now we’ll be just testing from one spot.

AT&T Speeds:

Finally have a peek at T-Mobile’s Galaxy S III with their own brand of 4G. This unit is, again, just like the others in almost every single way save for the carrier billing, some carrier-based apps, and the network speed.

T-Mobile USA Speeds [only getting EDGE in our test location]:

Take special care to notice the massive difference between these three carriers. In the Verizon version, we’re seeing speeds in both upload and download that blow the other models out of the water. Of course you’ve got to take into consideration that these tests are, again, not done in the most ideal location for each carrier, but you’re not necessarily going to be in the most ideal location for your carrier when you purchase the device either.

If you live in a fabulous place for T-Mobile’s 4G network and there are no Verizon towers to be found, you might have a different decision to make. That’ll be extremely rare though, of course, so more than likely you’ll want Verizon if you want the fastest data speeds in the greater part of the USA. AT&T isn’t doing so bad themselves lately as well.

Another thing to consider is battery life. At the moment, it appears that heavy usage is not boding well for the Galaxy S III on Verizon, as shown in our first outing here:

Standby battery usage wasn’t much better, as shown in this overnight test:

The Verizon version of the GSIII comes with the Facebook-connected app Color. This is unique to the Galaxy S III lineup.

The full set of apps comes in three screens in the app drawer as seen here:

Essentially all Verizon has done is to add Color and their set of four constant apps:

One strange bug we’ve found thus far is a broken lock-screen feature – with the Galaxy S III you’re able to set a timer on your lockscreen after your screen has shut off. You can set your screen to time out after 5 minutes, then your lockscreen to 5 minutes after that. This feature exists for people who don’t necessarily want their screen on constantly, but do need quick access to the screen quite often if they’ve just used it recently. When used in combination with the basic swipe lock on this version of the Galaxy S III, the lockscreen does not appear as it should. This will likely be fixed in the first software update.

Finally, be sure to check out our AT&T and T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S III review as well as our Galaxy S III international edition review to make sure you’ve got a full round view of each of the ever-so-slightly different models. Also be sure to check out the timeline below to stay up-to-date on all things Galaxy S III as the device in whatever iteration you choose makes its way to the palm of your hand!

Verizon Galaxy S III hands-on with 4G LTE is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you’ve ever wondered where all the world’s tweets come from, wonder no more. This visualization, put together by researchers at the Oxford Internet Institute, shows the origins of the entire globe’s tweets. More »

Want mobile data, but without the pesky monetary cost? Samba, a new virtual network in the UK offers just that, in a model similar to the Blyk virtual operator before it. You’ll need to stump up for a SIM (£2.99,) and an optional dongle, then sit back and soak up a few adverts to earn some internet “credit.” The MVNO uses Three‘s network, but keeps a record of your browsing as part of the deal (which, claims the BBC, you can prevent from being used for marketing purposes). To get online you’ll need to install a browser plug-in, or iPad app which will send you off to the commercials before sending you on your digital way. While technically free, it’ll cost you about two-and-a-half minutes of your time a day to get about 517 megabytes of data in a month. Additional credit can be earned through partner deals, or straight up cash if you just want to get on sans adverts. The “free”-dom doesn’t extend to what you can browse though, with some sites (those deemed offensive, or in breach of copyright) being off-limits. Still, if this sounds like a decent trade-off, or a good backup plan, head down to the source after these messages…

Samba launches ad-supported mobile data in the UK, makes you dance for your internet originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 07:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SSDs are wonderful things that massively speed up your computer and they’re getting cheaper too. But currently they don’t offer the capacity that some users demand. Fortunately, that could all be about to change. More »