Hasta La Gadget!

I’ve known for the last couple of years that my home scale is a bit off, so I wonder if an expensive digital scale will do better. The idea of a smartphone-connected scale isn’t something new, but Withings new scale looks pretty spiffy and it’s supported by plenty of apps to help you keep track of your weight.

The Withings WS-30 Wireless Scale is thinner and $30 cheaper than than the original model. It also adds Bluetooth 4.0 in addition to 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, in order to track your weight and Body Mass Index (BMS) via the free Withings app – or you can shuttle data to the other 60+ fitness apps that support it. Each time you use it, it automatically syncs and uploads your data. It also automatically calibrates itself when you’re away, and offers position detection for highly-accurate measurement.

The Withings WS-30 sells for $129.95(USD) and will allow you to keep to a fitness or weight-loss program easily.

[via Uncrate]

Guanine, adenine, thymine, cytosine… Android? The Droid DNA — the latest addition to Verizon’s Droid series — may not contain any actual nucleotides (that we know of), but that doesn’t make this HTC-made superphone any less of a powerhouse. On the contrary, we’ve been eyeballing this handset with eager anticipation ever since it first launched in Japan as the J Butterfly; much like its counterpart from the Land of the Rising Sun, the DNA boasts a jaw-dropping 5-inch, 1080p display. But while that may be the headliner-worthy feature, you certainly can’t go wrong with a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor and 2GB of RAM taking charge behind the scenes, along with an ImageSense camera and other top-notch specs.

In certain respects, the Droid DNA is a sneak preview of what’s to come in 2013: a wave of high-performance “superphones” that take advantage of this improved resolution, and offer a long list of other top-notch features. Indeed, that’s a future we could all definitely live with, but let’s not get too ahead of ourselves; we’ve got a phone to review, after all. Is the display as tantalizing as it sounds? Will its size be a selling point or a major distraction? Should you waltz into a Verizon store on Black Friday and demand they take your hard-earned $200? Follow us after the break as we focus on the here and now.

Continue reading HTC Droid DNA review

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, HTC, Verizon

HTC Droid DNA review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Nov 2012 15:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LTE’s frequent gotcha has been indoor coverage: as it often relies on high frequency ranges outside of the US, the signal can drop off quickly at home or in the mall. There have been LTE femtocells before to fill in the gaps, but NTT DoCoMo claims to have the first mini cell site that would cover our needs much more thoroughly. The Japanese carrier’s new base station run simultaneous 112.Mbps LTE and 14.4Mbps HSDPA (sorry, no HSUPA upload speeds) on the 2GHz band to keep 3G data and voice working side-by-side with 4G, piping both through a wired broadband connection; there’s no need to sacrifice the basics or legacy support just for a better LTE signal. NTT DoCoMo plans to sell the dual-mode femtocell to local homeowners, offices and stores in December. Sadly, there’s no immediate word of plans for femtocells that support networks abroad, although the technology’s existence gives us hope that we’ll see it spread to other providers — and that black holes in cellular coverage will be distant memories.

Continue reading NTT DoCoMo readies first dual-mode HSDPA, LTE femtocell for December

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Networking, Mobile

NTT DoCoMo readies first dual-mode HSDPA, LTE femtocell for December originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Nov 2012 10:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A few months back AT&T made some changes to its international data plans and today old Ma Bell is at it again. The carrier’s new text and call packages will take effect on November 16th and will offer flat rate pricing to globetrotters who often find themselves abroad. AT&T’s Europe Travel plan offers minutes in increments of 30, 80 and 200 respectively priced at $30, $60 and $120 per month, with an overage rate of $1 per minute. For customers traveling elsewhere, the company’s new Rest of World Travel setup features buckets of 15, 40 and 100 minutes of talk time also priced at $30, $60 and $120 a month, with an overage charge of $2 per additional minute. As for those who’d rather text than talk, AT&T’s newest Global Messaging plan serves up 600 text, video and picture messages for $60 per month in over 120 countries. Finally, customers who have 300MB or 800MB international data add-ons will be able to use AT&T’s WiFi International app to access up to 1GB of free WiFi data each month. Now take a breath and let all of that info marinate. Got it? Good. So, if you’re a frequent flyer trying to save some won, euros or rupees, or whatever — then be sure to check out the press release for a complete list of countries covered under these new plans.

Continue reading AT&T announces new flat rate global talk and text plans, offers options for weary travelers

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, AT&T

AT&T announces new flat rate global talk and text plans, offers options for weary travelers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Nov 2012 18:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Product placement is always kind of awkward, but is Sony really in such dire straits that it needs to resort to cacophony of over-branding on its wireless keyboards? This is actually one of three new models that incorporate both Disney and Christmas elements, because of course everyone switches out keyboards for the holidays. More »