Hasta La Gadget!

If you’ve got yourself one of the earliest shipments of the iPhone 5 for Verizon, you may be amongst the crowd of people who saw their data bill go through the roof – the carrier is now responding to this situation. What Verizon and Apple have noted today is that there is indeed an error which makes data costs rise even when wi-fi is being utilized – Verizon has also mentioned that the cost of this “unwarranted cellular data use” will not be showing up on your bill – now we’ve got to find out how that’s going to happen.

With a situation like this, it’s difficult to tell how the carrier – Verizon in this case – is going to figure out which amount of data has been used when it wasn’t supposed to be being used, and what amount of data was “legitimate” – so to speak. Verizon has spoken through a public relations representative to the press noting that “Verizon Wireless customers will not be charged for any unwarranted cellular data usage.”

This note came after an advisory earlier today from Apple which noted that “Under certain circumstances, iPhone 5 may use Verizon cellular data while the phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network.” Apple quickly patched the situation and those of you with a Verizon iPhone 5 should have an update waiting for you in your settings. To grab this update, you’ll have to follow these simple instructions:

1. Tap Settings > General > About.
2. Wait for the following alert to appear:

3. Tap OK to install the update.
4. Hold the Sleep/Wake button down until you see “slide to power off”.
5. Slide to power off.
6. After the device powers off, hold the Sleep/Wake button to turn your phone back on.

Note: To finish the installation of the update, your iPhone 5 must be turned off and then on again. After your iPhone restarts, tap Settings > General > About, then scroll down to Carrier and verify that “Verizon 13.1″ is displayed.

If you believe your data bill does not reflect the amount of data that you’ve used here in your first week using the iPhone 5, be sure to check with Verizon to see that you’re all squared away as far as the error goes. If you’ve got an iPhone 5 working with a different carrier, you’re out of luck – this error only appeared on Verizon devices.

Verizon iPhone 5 gets bill adjustment after data mishap is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

You might say Dave Zatz just had a happy accident. While he was hunting for the as yet unofficial Logitech Harmony Touch in Best Buy, he discovered the Slingbox 350 and 500 — two more living room gadgets that have yet to receive an official introduction. The placeshifting hubs both look to be major improvements over the aging Slingbox Pro HD and Solo, making 1080p streaming available as long as the connection is up to snuff. Those who spring for the 500 should also get long overdue support for WiFi without having to use a wireless bridge, although they may miss the Pro HD’s ATSC tuner. Outside of the networking, Sling Media is making expansion its upsell angle: the 500 supports USB media sharing and HDMI, while the 350 has to make do with whatever can pipe through its component and composite jacks. Zatz was unfortunately foiled in an attempt to buy one of the new Slingboxes and couldn’t get final pricing, but Best Buy’s suggestion to try again around mid-October hints that we won’t have long to wait for a much-needed upgrade to our remote TV viewing.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Slingbox 350 and 500 show up unannounced in Best Buy, flaunt 1080p and built-in WiFi originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Sep 2012 18:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Networking kingpin Cisco announced on Wednesday that it had acquired ThinkSmart Technologies, a company that analyzes location data by using WiFi technology. ThinkSmart’s tech reviews a network’s infrastructure by evaluating the movement of its users, traffic patterns and hours of operation. The firm then uses these analytics to help companies optimize network and staffing configurations for business operations — a long way of saying that it’s smart enough to tell a company how to better manage information flows through a network. The terms of this deal have yet to be released, but Cisco seems to think this was a smart pick up.

Filed under: Wireless, Networking

Cisco acquires WiFi data firm ThinkSmart Technologies originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 17:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Embracing AirPlay has usually involved a wholesale switch in hardware: years of speaker investment go out the window for the sake of skipping a wire. Onkyo doesn’t have a problem if you bring your own equipment to the fray. Its new DS-A5 docking station brings Apple’s WiFi media streaming to many home stereos, including those of rivals, as long as there’s a wired or 802.11g-capable wireless router to feed the connection. Naturally, there’s perks if you do live in an Onkyo universe — any link using its Remote Interactive cable can both wake the stereo through AirPlay as well as control the dock from a traditional remote. About the only oddities are the vintage composite video output and a 30-pin dock for charging iPads, iPhones and iPods, neither of which will be much help if you live on the cutting edge. Onkyo brings the DS-A5 to American shores in October for $199; that’s a lot to pay for playing songs from the couch, but it’s a sight more affordable than replacing home audio equipment costing multiple times that amount.

Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment

Onkyo DS-A5 grafts AirPlay on to existing home stereos, docks older iOS gear originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 04:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When it comes to Apple-focused audio wares, Bowers & Wilkins makes some of the of the ritiziest options available. Expanding on its its existing speaker range, the company has introduced a duo of new AirPlay speakers dubbed as the A5 ($500) and A7 ($800). Both HiFi boxes are nearly identical from the outside (aside from the size difference), and feature the same black and silver aesthetic as the MM-1 media speakers. The A7 nets you a duo of 25-watt 1-inch Nautilus “tube-loaded” tweeters” (just like the MM-1s), two 25-watt 3-inch drivers for the mid-range and a 50-watt 6-inch woofer, while the A5 shrinks things by forgoing a woofer and using a smaller speaker array of two 20-watt tweeters and two 20-watt mid-range drivers. The speakers on both units are independently driven, and both systems feature an “audiophile-grade” DAC that’ll upscale music streams to a maximum 24-bit / 96kHz sample rate. As you’d expect, the units feature WiFi and Ethernet connectivity and 3.5mm inputs for hooking in sans wireless, but it’s worth noting these audio boxes lack 30-pin docks — at least you still get a remote. Check out the video after the break for a detailed look at both, and the source link below for all the juicy details.

Continue reading Bowers & Wilkins intros classy A7 and A5 AirPlay speakers, leaves out the 30-pin dock

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio/Video

Bowers & Wilkins intros classy A7 and A5 AirPlay speakers, leaves out the 30-pin dock originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Sep 2012 08:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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