Hasta La Gadget!

Samsung’s beefy Rugby Smart is probably the best rugged smartphone it’s easy to lay your hands on. However, its preoccupation with being able to take a beating means there’s not much going on in the specs department — with performance that’s not pedestrian, but infuriating. The question we’re asking you, however, is does its super-cheap price and build quality make up for being straight-up nasty to use? Would you have stumped up an extra fifty bucks to get a better CPU (or just to banish TouchWiz from the device?). Mobile phone companies want to know what’d compel you to buy this device, over all the others in the world so why not tell them in the comments below?

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

How would you change Samsung’s Rugby Smart? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Sep 2012 22:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arduino devices have had the option of a GSM linkup for awhile, but getting that cellular link to truly strut its stuff hasn’t always been easy, even for those of us who’d be inclined to program an Arduino in the first place. Enter Telefonica, which wants to be the backbone of your internet of things. It’s backing a new version of the GSM/GPRS Shield add-on (shown here) by offering both the expected machine-to-machine SIMs for the cellular connection as well as freshly added remote control of the board through the carrier’s BlueVia pages. The Shield itself is getting a quiet upgrade in the process — the software both takes up a smaller footprint and can now talk to the world in the background while the Arduino keeps on keepin’ on. If you happen to be in Berlin, the new Shield is making the rounds at Campus Party workshops until April 25th. Neither side has said how readily available the new part will be available after that; for now, you can familiarize yourself with the current technology at the source link.

Continue reading Arduino GSM/GPRS Shield gets helping hand from Telefonica for data, remote control

Filed under: Peripherals, Wireless

Arduino GSM/GPRS Shield gets helping hand from Telefonica for data, remote control originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 11:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In a recent interview with us, GameStop CEO Paul Raines confirmed that GameStop Mobile — an entity that appeared to be on the brink of selling prepaid GSM SIM cards to GameStop patrons — is nothing more than “a mockup.” If you’ll recall, an entire website launched back in May showcasing what appeared to be GameStop’s portal for hawking SIM cards that relied on AT&T’s network to provide service. At the time, the collective held its breath awaiting a confirmation of truth — after all, it’s not exactly easy to pry a data-only SIM out of AT&T’s hands, particularly one that’s free of a contract. Sadly, the CEO informed us that it was “just a creative thing,” noting that it “wasn’t even an idea being pitched.” Continuing, Raines stated:

“We don’t have an MVNO (laughing). If you are trying to provide your customers with a bundle that comes with a pre-owned phone and will allow them to play games, make calls, and everything else — you don’t have to have a network to do that; you can sell SIM cards and pre-paid plans, those things exist, and we are in the process of testing several to see which ones makes sense.”

Of course, accidentally publishing an entire website dedicated to the idea seems a bit crazy for something that wasn’t even being pitched — what kind of designer has that much free time? — but at least the story has an ending for now. “For now,” we say, because the aforementioned pitch could finally happen now that AT&T’s Mobile Share plans are debuting this month.

Filed under: Cellphones

GameStop Mobile will not be an MVNO; company still testing sales of prepaid SIMs from other carriers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T has only just begun the transition away from 2G services with its spectrum refarming in New York City, but it now has a target end date to mark on the calendar: January 1st, 2017. Courtesy of an SEC filing, we know that the carrier hopes that both its GSM voice and EDGE data networks will have gone to the great cell tower in the sky before we’re popping the champagne corks about four and a half years from now. The Big Blue Ball expects the transition to be a smooth one, as only 12 percent of its regular subscribers are using 2G-only phones today; if it ever gets bumpy, the company promises to “proactively” steer the holdouts towards 3G and 4G. Don’t get too misty-eyed. While the transition will mark the end to what’s arguably one of the most definitive chapters in US cellular history, that far-flung date will likely come well after most of us have moved on — much like the AMPS shutdown, it could be less of a bang and more of a whimper.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

AT&T plans to shut down entire 2G network by 2017 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Aug 2012 15:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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