Hasta La Gadget!

Sony knows that high-speed internet access is vital to the PS4’s success, but that level of service isn’t always guaranteed in Europe. To solve this problem, the company is striking deals for PS4-friendly internet access with a slew of European providers. Ono, Orange, T-Mobile and Virgin Media are some of the first confirmed partners. Details of the partnerships are scarce at present, although the companies involved suggest that Sony’s ISP agreements will at least cover bigger European countries like France, Germany, Spain and the UK.

Update: Virgin Media adds that it’s the only UK partner.

Filed under: Gaming, Internet, Sony, T-Mobile

Comments

Source: Virgin Media

Should you live in the UK’s second most populous metropolitan area, Birmingham, it’s nearly time to congregate en masse in the city’s center for an impromptu test of a brand new free WiFi network supported by Virgin Media. In exchange for access to various public fixtures, Virgin Media’s outfitting Birmingham with free WiFi access; the benefit is two-fold, though, as Birmingham residents will ultimately enjoy better mobile infrastructure. The network’s set to go live “by September,” so set your clocks for just a month or so from now for that congregation.

[Image credit: ‘brianac37’]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Tablets, Internet, Mobile

Comments

Source: Birmingham City Council

Virgin Media doles out many minutes and data to mobile users with its Premiere plan, but it hasn’t had a truly unlimited option for those who don’t want to even think about their calling habits. It’s assuaging those minds today with new VIP tiers that offer unlimited domestic voice, data and text messaging. The exact perks depend on the level of commitment, however. Traditional customers can pay £26 per month (£31 if they’re not already Virgin customers) with promises of unlimited calls to frequently costly 08 numbers. For SIM-only customers, it’s all about the price — while they don’t get the 08 number exception, the £15 they pay per month for otherwise unlimited access is comparatively cheap. The new rates may not always make sense depending on local coverage and a desire for LTE, but we’d at least keep them in mind.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

Comments

Source: Virgin Media (1), (2)

Unless you’re a Virgin Media, EE or Vodafone customer, you’ve either been shelling out for subterranean internet, or bid the London Underground’s WiFi network a solemn farewell when free access ended in January. If you’re with O2, however, your free pass has now been reinstated, as the bubble-loving carrier has become the latest passenger riding on Virgin Media’s tube hotspots — O2 WiFi users will even find themselves automatically registered. Also, the underground network will shortly be meeting its 120-station target, as Virgin will be flipping switches at the final 12 locations throughout this week (the station list is available at the source link). So, should you start seeing more people in more places frantically hammering their smartphones during those 30-second pauses on the platform, you’ll know why.

Filed under: Wireless, Internet, Mobile

Comments

Source: Virgin Media

Some British cable subscribers will soon have a new master: international telecom giant Liberty Global has just acquired Virgin Media for $23.3 billion in cash and stock. The deal gives Liberty an even larger stake in Europe than it had before and, if you believe the new partners, creates one of the bigger broadband companies on the planet at 47 million homes covered across 14 countries. Liberty also sees Virgin as good at tackling the business and mobile spaces that have been its relative weak points. How this will affect the UK isn’t immediately apparent, although Virgin Media will continue to run under its existing name — that moebius logo isn’t going anywhere in the foreseeable future. We’ll at least have some room to ponder the consequences when the buyout isn’t poised to close until sometime in the second quarter.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Comments

Source: Liberty Global (PDF)