Hasta La Gadget!

RIM’s attempts to get a cellular-equipped version of the BlackBerry PlayBook have been troubled, to say the least. The company signalled its intentions around Mobile World Congress last February, only to watch as carriers backed off — partly as RIM focused its attention on LTE, and partly after carriers grew skittish over sales of the WiFi version. A year and a half later, we finally have an LTE version, and with a faster 1.5GHz processor to boot. But do 4G data and a processor bump make all the difference? And does the upgrade stand a realistic shot in a competitive field that has moved on since the original PlayBook? We’ll find out in our hands-on.

Continue reading BlackBerry PlayBook 4G LTE hands-on

Filed under: Tablet PCs, Wireless

BlackBerry PlayBook 4G LTE hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 17:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia’s sale of the century hour continues, selling off a small intellectual property portfolio to Vringo. The little-known app maker has snapped up a bundle of 500 patents and applications from the Finnish phone maker, including 109 issued US Patents. The collection mostly concerns backbone tech, including communication management, signal transmission and cellular infrastructure. Neither company mentioned a figure, but Vringo revealed that Nokia’s getting a chunk of any future profits made. There’s PR after the break if you’re curious enough to wonder if Stephen Elop’s planning the mobile phone equivalent of a yard sale.

Continue reading Vringo buys small Nokia patent portfolio as asset sell-off continues

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Vringo buys small Nokia patent portfolio as asset sell-off continues originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 09:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you thought world internet access speeds were facing a large-scale slowdown, you can stop fretting for now. Data from Akamai suggests that average speeds were just 2.6Mbps, but that was a healthy 14 percent improvement over the fall and a noticeable 25 percent better than early 2011. Average peak internet connection speeds surged just as much in the first quarter of this year: at 13.5Mbps, the average maximum was a 10 percent season-to-season boost and that same 25 percent versus a year before. The leaders remain Asian territories with that ideal mix of dense populations and high technology, culminating in Hong Kong’s blazing 49.3Mbps typical downlink. Akamai attributes much of the growth in peak speeds to an explosion in “high broadband” connections, where 10Mbps is the minimum — countries like Denmark, Finland, South Korea, Switzerland and the US roughly doubled their adoption of extra-fast access in the past year.

Before cheering too loudly, we’d point out that mobile speeds are still trudging along despite HSPA+ and LTE making their presences felt. The most consistent speed came from an unnamed German carrier, which neared 6Mbps; the best regular American rate was 2.5Mbps, which underscores how far even some of the most developed countries have to go. There’s also a clear gap in regular landline broadband quality if we go by the US’ own National Broadband Plan standards. Just 60 percent of US broadband is over the 4Mbps mark, putting the US at 14th in the global ranks. We’re hoping that projects like Google Fiber can raise expectations for everyone, but you can hit the source shortly to get Akamai’s full study.

Filed under: Wireless, Networking, Internet

Akamai: peak internet speeds jumped 25 percent year-to-year in Q1, Germany tops the mobile world originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oh, bureaucracies, the fun in dealing with them is that you’re told exactly what they want you to know — or at least, believe. That’s the name of the game in India, where — as you’re surely aware — the government has been at odds with RIM for years over its insistence that the Waterloo firm provide the means to monitor encrypted emails and BBM messages. In a revelation that may relate to those BlackBerry servers in Mumbai, R. Chandrasekhar of India’s Department of Information Technology has asserted, “The issue is heading towards a resolution.” While it’s difficult to know whether monitoring is already in place, Chandrasekhar added that, “Law enforcement agencies will get what they need.” Another unknown is whether RIM played a role in these developments. For its part, the company claims, “RIM maintains a consistent global standard for lawful access requirements that does not include special deals for specific countries.” So, if everything is now clear as mud for you, just remember: that’s how those in charge like it.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Indian official claims BlackBerry eavesdropping standoff is ‘heading towards a resolution’ originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 21:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In a recent interview with us, GameStop CEO Paul Raines confirmed that GameStop Mobile — an entity that appeared to be on the brink of selling prepaid GSM SIM cards to GameStop patrons — is nothing more than “a mockup.” If you’ll recall, an entire website launched back in May showcasing what appeared to be GameStop’s portal for hawking SIM cards that relied on AT&T’s network to provide service. At the time, the collective held its breath awaiting a confirmation of truth — after all, it’s not exactly easy to pry a data-only SIM out of AT&T’s hands, particularly one that’s free of a contract. Sadly, the CEO informed us that it was “just a creative thing,” noting that it “wasn’t even an idea being pitched.” Continuing, Raines stated:

“We don’t have an MVNO (laughing). If you are trying to provide your customers with a bundle that comes with a pre-owned phone and will allow them to play games, make calls, and everything else — you don’t have to have a network to do that; you can sell SIM cards and pre-paid plans, those things exist, and we are in the process of testing several to see which ones makes sense.”

Of course, accidentally publishing an entire website dedicated to the idea seems a bit crazy for something that wasn’t even being pitched — what kind of designer has that much free time? — but at least the story has an ending for now. “For now,” we say, because the aforementioned pitch could finally happen now that AT&T’s Mobile Share plans are debuting this month.

Filed under: Cellphones

GameStop Mobile will not be an MVNO; company still testing sales of prepaid SIMs from other carriers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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