Hasta La Gadget!

AT&T wants every car to be connected, but it needs help; thankfully, Sirius XM is on the same wavelength. The two have reached a deal that will have AT&T supply mobile data for Sirius XM telematics systems in Nissan’s North American vehicle lineup. So far, the partnership includes OnStar-like basics such as emergency assistance and theft tracking, although there are hints of “additional services” that’ll be unveiled later. We don’t yet know when this technology will reach shipping cars, but don’t be surprised if the next Altima or Leaf is a little bit smarter in the not-so-distant future.

Filed under: Transportation, Wireless, AT&T

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Source: AT&T

NEC and Lenovo are already joined at the hip in the PC business, and rumors that the two will soon be smartphone partners as well continue to gather steam. Lenovo confirmed that it’s started “preliminary negotiations with a party in connection with a potential joint venture transaction,” and while it didn’t name names, Japanese media sources and Reuters are claiming that it’s NEC. Lenovo’s the number two three smartphone vendor in China but doesn’t have much of a presence elsewhere, and NEC, while a leader in Japanese handset sales, is still in a “difficult state,” according to the company. Lenovo has the cash it needs and hasn’t been shy about plans to expand its mobile business, so a relationship with NEC would make sense, if true — and could help Lenovo realize those ambitions more quickly.

Filed under: Cellphones, Lenovo

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Source: Reuters

Leap Motion is shaping up to be 2013’s hottest peripheral. Less than a year after the gesture-control technology was first announced, the company’s enlisted tens of thousands of developers in its motion-controlled ranks, partnered with ASUS and taken SXSW Interactive by storm. This morning, the company added another big win to the ever-growing list: a partnership with HP, which will eventually see the technology embedded in some new offerings from the PC veteran. According to a press release issued by the startup, “The relationship will start with the Leap Motion Controller bundled with select HP products and evolve to unique HP devices embedded with Leap Motion’s technology.” Those unnamed devices will also be loaded with Leap’s Airspace, for easy access to custom apps.

Filed under: Peripherals, HP

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As if managers of MLB teams didn’t have enough to look forward to with the upcoming baseball season, many of ’em will be staring at one of these contraptions in the dugout. Today, T-Mobile announced a multi-year partnership with Major League Baseball in which the magenta carrier will provide an on-field communication system that links team managers in the dugout to coaches in the bullpen. Naturally, the setup will operate over T-Mobile’s wireless network. With the deal in place, T-Mobile subscribers will gain access to exclusive MLB content. For what it’s worth, we can also look forward to the carrier’s role as presenting sponsor of ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball. Hey, it’s one way to get the word out about those unlimited plans.

[Image credit: Darren Rovell / Twitter]

Filed under: Wireless, Mobile, T-Mobile

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Source: MLB, ESPN

Isn’t it better when we work together? British carriers think so. EE, O2, Three and Vodafone have officially created a non-exclusive joint venture, Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, that should speed up the deployment of 800MHz LTE by keeping Freeview over-the-air TV signals clear of interference while the partners bring their low-frequency 4G online. Previously, the networks were bound to form an equivalent company called MitCo that wouldn’t have been active until after the 800MHz auction, preventing companies from getting their wireless houses in order until they’d already made a commitment. There’s also a competitive angle involved to go with the cooperative work, as you might imagine: with EE’s 1,800MHz LTE poised to go live on October 30th, choosing infighting over assistance would only help widen the frontrunner’s lead. Whether DMSL represents altruism or pragmatism, we’ll appreciate knowing that the hurdles to a catch-up in UK 4G will be more those of the technical reality than the usual political maneuvering.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

UK carriers form alliance to speed up 800MHz LTE rollout, let us enjoy our Freeview TV originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 15:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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