Hasta La Gadget!

You know that we go hard here on the Engadget Mobile Podcast, digging deep into hardware and software radios, spectrum politics, and futuristic mobile optimizations. This week, we’re going harder with the help of Anandtech’s Brian Klug — a man whose passion for cellular technology takes the ‘cast to Mars and back this week. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it probably is for someone just like you.

Hosts: Myriam Joire (tnkgrl), Brad Molen
Guest: Brian Klug (Anandtech)
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Tycho – Coastal Brake (Ghostly International)

01:15:00 – Samsung Exynos 5 Dual white paper confirms new high marks for mobile graphics, memory performance
01:55:38 – T-Mobile myTouch and myTouch Q review: two budget-friendly phones, one aging OS
01:58:10 – Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE up for pre-order, hitting Sprint August 19th for $200
01:58:52 – Motorola to cut its workforce by 20 percent, shutter a third of its offices worldwide
02:01:20 – CyanogenMod 9 now stable on every supported device, get your fix today
02:01:38 – OTA Update Center encourages PC-free upgrades for custom Android ROMs
02:02:48 – YouTube app removed from iOS 6 but not iOS 5 and older; Google working on a standalone version

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Filed under: Podcasts

Engadget Mobile Podcast 149 – 08.16.2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 11:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You likely know the uncomfortable feeling when family members refuse to talk to each other, and such is the case with FD-LTE and TD-LTE — two similar but incompatible LTE technologies that’ve gained traction across the globe. Now ZTE is looking to play peacekeeper with its MF820S2 USB modem and MF91S mobile hotspot, each which speak fluently in both LTE languages. While Marvell was the first to accomplish this feat with its modem chipset, ZTE’s two globetrotting products are the first we’re aware of that are ready for retail shelves. That said, both units seem best suited for users based in China, as the fallback technologies include only TD-SCDMA and EDGE. ZTE’s USB modem is said to provide up to 68Mbps connectivity over TD-LTE networks and up to 100Mbps over the FD-LTE counterpart, whereas the mobile hotspot wields a 2,300mAh battery. As always, you’ll find the full PR after the break.

Continue reading ZTE touts world’s first FD-LTE and TD-LTE mobile hotspot and USB modem

Filed under: Wireless

ZTE touts world’s first FD-LTE and TD-LTE mobile hotspot and USB modem originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 08:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Even though it’s also on iOS now, Android is still the first love for Google’s Voice Search and the company announced today it’s adding support for an additional 13 languages on the platform, bringing the total to 42 languages and accents understood in 46 countries. The list includes Basque, Bulgarian. Catalan, European Portuguese, Finnish, Galician, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Romanian, Serbian, Slovak and Swedish. Just like it has since at least 2010 when Voice Actions were introduced it will require Android 2.2 or higher, and is easily accessible either from the search box on your home screen or in the Voice Search app. We should note that it still only understands one language at a time and you may need to change some settings, also the new languages weren’t showing up yet on every device we tried — just some of them. Hit the source link for a few more details on how machine learning was used to extrapolate the pronunciation of all Swedish words based on thousands of samples from native speakers, or just grab a nearby phone or tablet and have Pau Gasol speak some Catalan to it — although obviously Salvador Dali would be preferred, were he available.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet

Google’s Voice Search on Android adds support for 13 additional languages originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 03:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The crew in Espoo have just added a new patent to the arsenal that promises to add a refined level of haptic feedback to the user experience. Fundamental to Nokia’s plan is a matrix of independent haptic devices that remain stationary, but combine to simulate the sensation of linear and circular movement. Not only could the enhanced feedback bring a new level of interaction to the software interface, but Nokia also hypothesizes that the system will be useful for providing navigational route guidance — say, without the need for visual or auditory feedback. Given the company’s other research in the field of haptic systems, it seems Nokia’s future may be full of good vibrations, indeed.

Filed under: Cellphones

Nokia patents haptic system to simulate linear motion, assist with navigational route guidance originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 21:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q might have missed the August 15th date mentioned in its leaked press shot, but a rumored name change would still put the future T-Mobile device in the running for the most convoluted phone name ever. Although there’s a distinct lack of tangible evidence — take this with a grain of salt — the usually reliable TmoNews hears Samsung’s TouchWiz-infused QWERTY slider will be called the Galaxy S Relay 4G when it ships. No, we’re not feeling it, either. While there’s no word on an updated release date, we’d at least like the earlier claims of a Snapdragon S4 to be true so that the phone is worthy of the respect the name isn’t providing.

Update: Just in case there was any doubt, TmoNews has snagged a training document that shows the new name and mentions a 1.5GHz processor of an unknown make (likely the S4), a 4-inch display, S Voice and support for mobile hotspots.

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q may be renamed to equally awkward Galaxy S Relay 4G (update: image) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 13:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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