Hasta La Gadget!

Would you believe us if we told you that that rubber bracelet-looking thing is actually going to have a built-in SIM card and bring voice / text capabilities to Android tablets, e-readers and netbooks via Bluetooth? Yeah, it sounds super crazy, but that’s exactly what it’ll eventually do. Convinced that 2G capabilities like talking and texting should be easier to add to MIDs, tablets and netbooks, Seattle-based startup Iota has come up with the Flex. It’s definitely in the early stages of development, but in essence they see people clipping the bendable device to a bag, pairing it to an Android tablet, e-reader or MID, and then making calls from said devices.

We caught some time with Iota and the prototype at the Netbook Summit this week and were told that they plan to sell the Flex through retailers for under $100 — it would be an extra $40 a month for unlimited calling and texting thanks to a partnership with Simple Mobile. Here’s where we say we wouldn’t hold your breath for this thing to hit the market — though if they can pull it off, it’ll certainty be an interesting solution for adding voice and text to those hoards of incoming Android tablets. After you’re done wrapping your brain around this wearable voice and text accessory, check out the hands-on pics and hit the break for a hacked together demo of the dev kit they’ve been selling.

Continue reading Iota Flex wants to be a MiFi for voice and text

Iota Flex wants to be a MiFi for voice and text originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 20:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Iota Flex  | Email this | Comments

The method ain’t new — it’s the same jictechnology developers offering the same code over at NextGenServer — but it will yield different results when used on the latest and greatest webOS device. Yep, that Palm Pre unlock that enabled international GSM Pre units to work on AT&T, Telus and T-Mobile is now officially certified for use on AT&T’s own Palm Pre Plus. That means your shiny new smartphone can now hop onto T-Mobile and Telus networks with a functioning SIM card from either carrier, but unlike other unlocks, this one will cost you $35.79. Or, you know, you could pick up Verizon’s Pre Plus, nab a free mobile hotspot along the way, and pocket an old Nokia candybar for those overseas jaunts — your call, broseph.

SIM unlock now available for AT&T Palm Pre Plus originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 May 2010 14:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Pre Central  |  NextGenServer  | Email this | Comments

“Dominator I” sounds more like a monster truck than a collection of small boxes that collectively erase 20 years of relatively secure wireless phone service, doesn’t it? Alas, what you’re looking at here is a convenient, plug-and-play solution for exploiting the hard work the world’s hacking community has put into cracking the A5/1 encryption used on GSM networks in Europe and the US over the past few years. The system consists of two nondescript white boxes, two directional antennas that you’ll point in the direction of your victim, and a laptop that you can use to get a glimpse at all of the phones currently connected to your nearest cell site and record up to four active calls simultaneously — and if you’re more of the text messaging type, Dominator I’s got you covered there, too, with full access to SMS. The company claims that the system was “declassified only last week” and is completely undetectable both by the operator and the end user, putting it in this rare nexus of “awesome” and “completely terrifying.” It can’t do the 128-bit A5/3 used in UMTS, but now that it’s been cracked in a somewhat practical way, we’re sure the Dominator II can’t be far behind. Follow the break for Meganet’s video of the system in action.

Continue reading Meganet’s Dominator I snoops on four GSM convos at once, fits in your overnight bag

Meganet’s Dominator I snoops on four GSM convos at once, fits in your overnight bag originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 May 2010 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  YouTube  | Email this | Comments

The Qool SkyQube² was apparently an idea ahead of its time. Four years ago, the small, rounded box promised to bridge the worlds of cheap VoIP telephony and pricy GSM roaming by automatically routing international calls through Skype, but after CES 2007, we never saw the device again. Until now, of course. Skype Journal reports that SkyQube has become the Navoto, and its original creator has built a firm called UGI Telecom to introduce it to market quite soon at an undisclosed price. Near as we can tell, the basic functionality is as complex as ever, requiring a SIM card swap and an always-on PC to do the heavy lifting, while the Navoto itself simply directs landline and 3G calls to SkypeOut. When that glorious day comes that all carriers let you do this on a smartphone, this device will quickly become obsolete, but for now we could see some falling for UGI’s ludicrous infomercials (videos after the break) to avoid receiving a gigantic roaming bill. Hit our more coverage links for the photos and diagrams required to understand how it all works.

Continue reading Navoto urges you to wait, buy a Skype GSM adapter instead of paying roaming fees

Navoto urges you to wait, buy a Skype GSM adapter instead of paying roaming fees originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 06:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Navoto  | Email this | Comments

BodyTrace rolls out GSM-enabled eScale originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  BodyTrace  | Email this | Comments