First came the JAMBOX, Jawbone‘s play on the portable Bluetooth speaker, all the way back in 2010. Then the JAMBOX got supersized, as the BIG JAMBOX, for those times when more music meant more fun. Finally, we have the new baby of the bunch, the Jawbone MINI JAMBOX, a sleeker version of the original intended […]
Didn’t realize that Acer, the PC and tablet maker based out of Taiwan, actually makes smartphones? Chances are you’re in the majority, but the manufacturer is very interested in changing that. We sat down with Acer’s smartphone guru, ST Liew, to discuss the launch of the Liquid S2, the company’s 6-inch Android flagship. This is the company’s second major foray into this particular segment of the industry (the S1 being the first), so it certainly seems to be one of the most competitive arenas for smartphone consumers out there. Liew discusses the market need for such a device, though he admits that there are limits for a phone’s physical size; “six inches is just about the threshold,” he told us, though this may very well change as companies continue to innovate in design, trimming down handset size while the display gets bigger.
We dig into the company’s desire to be the first in recording 4K video footage, Acer’s product strategy for the US, Europe and Asia and the challenges Acer faces in becoming a major player in the mobile sphere, so tune in after the break for video of our full interview!
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Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Acer
JetBlue’s next-generation WiFi service, powered by ViaSat’s super-speedy Ka-band satellite, is officially on track to launch this October. The FAA just issued a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the airline’s Airbus A320, enabling a fleet-wide installation that’s set to begin immediately. In a statement, Chief Commercial Officer Robin Hayes said that several aircraft will be wired by the end of this year, with many A320s scheduled to come online throughout 2014. The rollout will then continue with JetBlue’s smaller Embraer 190, currently used on select regional routes.
(Photo credit: AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Filed under: Transportation, Wireless
Acer is known for its influence in the PC and tablet markets, but it actually have a pretty solid Android smartphone lineup too — and the company is starting to focus more intensely on it. Take the Acer Liquid S2, for instance: it’s a 6-inch Android smartphone with 4K recording capability, a Snapdragon 800 processor and a 13MP camera, and we had the opportunity to check it out here in Berlin ahead of IFA 2013.
The unit, which is hitting Europe in October for 549 euros, will come in both black and red hues. Reps indicated to that the units they had on hand are still pre-production, so both firmware and hardware are subject to change between now and the phone’s launch. With that said, we didn’t notice any bugs or issues with general performance, but let’s face it: even when it’s not fully optimized, a device packing Snapdragon 800 still feels incredibly fast. Head past the break for our first impressions.%Gallery-slideshow77217%
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Acer
After flying into Canada and making noise about acquiring spectrum or buying operators Wind Mobile and Mobilicity, Verizon is taking its ball and going home. You might expect that’s because it just dropped $130 billion buying Vodafone’s 45 percent stake in Verizon Wireless — the largest US corporate acquisition in over a decade. But Verizon said it had more to do with “what kind of value we could get for shareholders,” and that “if we thought it had great value creation we would do it.” That might be a boost to Rogers, Telus and BCE in Canada, but Verizon’s withdrawal doesn’t change one fact: all three are still bidding for a single block of 700MHz spectrum in next year’s wireless auction.
Filed under: Wireless, Verizon
Source: Bloomberg
Kickstarter has proven successful for numerous gadgets — quite a few of them being smartwatches — and it would seem the indie funding site’s users are also favorable towards small HD cameras. Such is the case for the ParaShoot 2.0 miniature HD camera, which has surpassed its goal of $30,000 more than three times with […]
Verizon just shook off the part owners of Verizon Wireless, the UK-based Vodafone, by stumping up a cool $130 billion. That is one serious move—though it’s unclear what the newfound freedom means for the network.
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If you didn’t get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we’ve opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought convincing signs that BlackBerry users are moving away from physical keyboards, along with a new budget Android smartphone for MetroPCS and a stumbling block that’s holding up AT&T’s acquisition of Alltel. These stories and more await. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that’s happening in the mobile world for this week of August 26th, 2013.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
Fresh details on Sony’s so-called Cyber-shot Lens Cameras, which wirelessly add improved photographic abilities to smartphones and tablets, have emerged, including expected pricing for the unusual attachments. The Sony Cyber-shot QX10 will be around $250, Sony Alpha Rumors reports, while the more capable QX100 will supposedly come in at $450. If true, they’re ambitious prices […]
Think 150Mbps LTE-Advanced data is quick? KDDI could offer far more bandwidth next year. Nikkei claims that the Japanese carrier plans to upgrade its cellular network to 220 Mbps data as soon as summer 2014. Service would reportedly launch with an Android smartphone, and rely on new wireless technology; it’s not clear whether this entails a faster LTE-A variant or something new. KDDI hasn’t confirmed the rumor, so we wouldn’t consider moving to Japan just yet. If there’s any truth to the claims, however, even NTT DoCoMo’s upgraded LTE could soon feel downright pokey.
[Image credit: TAKA@P.P.R.S, Flickr]
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
Source: Nikkei (subscription required)
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