While it might seem a little absurd to fly the mobile device-friendly AR.Drone 2.0 with more propellers then it already has – have no fear – the “Power Edition” of the device delivers said extras as replacements for customization only. This reboot of the rather popular AR.Drone 2.0 works with the same base device as […]
Verizon’s insatiable appetite for spectrum is legendary. The company’s most recently been eyeing Canada’s valuable 700MHz airwaves and even shown interest in acquiring troubled carriers Wind Mobile and Mobilicity. (Especially after the CRTC rejected Telus’s attempt to purchase the latter.) The Globe and Mail now reports that VZW’s chosen to delay its potential acquisitions of the two carriers until after next year’s 700MHz auction and that the US company is considering a bid for the spectrum directly. It’s unclear if Verizon is attempting to buy time, trying to push the price of the struggling operators down or simply losing interest in the Canadian market. One thing’s for sure — if the company bids in the auction it won’t be able to negotiate any deals with other applicants until next year.
[Image credit: Andrew Currie, Flickr]
Filed under: Wireless, Mobile, Verizon
Via: Reuters
Source: The Globe and Mail
The problem with power is that, eventually, it runs out. To help cope with this inevitability, scientists at the University of Washington have developed prototype “ambient backscatter” devices that can passively harness the juice in radio and TV waves. Because they don’t generate their own signal, these devices can get by on the juice they siphon from the air — communicating by absorbing or reflecting binary information from existing signals, instead. According to the researchers, these signals can travel as far as 6.5 miles from a TV tower at speeds of 1KB per second.
Although the project is still in its infancy, its creators are already thinking up practical applications. Ambient backscatter tags could be built into buildings or bridges, for instance, and alert monitoring stations to potential structural damage or defects. The team also imagined tagged keys and furniture, warning a user if they accidentally dropped something between the couch cushions — all without an energy source. This type of tech could bring us closer to the internet-of-things future we’ve been promised, allowing smart communications to exist virtually anywhere. The Huskies said this could even enable a dead smartphone to send TV signal-powered text messages — which could be great considering how often we forget to charge our handsets.
Filed under: Wireless, Science
Via: Dvice
Source: University of Washington
We’re one step closer to a true internet of things
     |
We’ve highly regarded Liquipel for its clever “watersafe” nanocoating, which has been known to give phones the same protection from liquids and other materials as an IPX7-certified device. That doesn’t prevent physical damage from occurring, however, so the company’s announcing Skins, its answer to drops, hammers and plenty of other things that cause blunt force trauma. Even better, Liquipel claims that it requires a three-step dry installation process that doesn’t involve squeegees, water bottles or bubbles; once you’re done, you’ll enjoy a “literal shock absorber” for your trouble. Skins for the iPhone 4S and 5 should be available today for under $20 on the company’s site, while the Samsung Galaxy S4 will soon follow (it’s currently listed as “out of stock”) and other models will be ready in the coming months. Check out the video and press release after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
Inside Project Loon, an ambitious plan to bring the Internet to a huge swath of as-yet-unconnected humanity via thousands of solar-powered, high-pressure balloons floating some 60,000 feet above Earth.
| |
While the US military can devote many resources to putting smartphones on the battlefield, it can’t do the same for soldiers’ private lives. A new carrier, Defense Mobile, wants to fill that void: it just announced a deal to use Sprint’s CDMA and LTE networks for cellular service devoted to active-duty forces, reserves and veterans. The provider will offer plans at enlisted rank budgets, ranging from $20 for the basics to $60 for a family plan. It won’t skimp on the handset selection, though — the company already promises the Galaxy S 4, HTC One and iPhone 5. Defense Mobile hopes to go live in 2014, and it should arrive with both apps and branding tailored to each military branch.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Sprint
Via: GigaOM
Source: Defense Mobile
September 10th, folks — that’s when Apple will unveil its next iPhone according to AllThingsD. We’ve received no official word yet, but recent leaks (and past form) suggest a refreshed iPhone 5 (possibly with a larger screen?) and possibly a low-cost model clad in plastic. It’s a safe bet that the release version of iOS 7 will also make an appearance at the event, which is shaping up to be an iPhone- and iOS-focused affair, according to ATD. Feeling a sense of déjà vu? As always, we’ll keep you informed when more concrete info makes its way to us.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless
Source: AllThingsD
Competition can be a beautiful thing. AT&T’s Next upgrade pricing hasn’t looked good when compared against Verizon Edge in the weeks since launch, but today is a different story: the carrier has quietly lowered the monthly payments for some devices. While the company hasn’t said which hardware is cheaper, the Galaxy S 4 and iPhone 5 have dropped from $32.50 per month to $27. Prices are down for BlackBerry and Nokia devices as well, a tipster says. As MacRumors notes, the bargains are rather convenient. While AT&T isn’t offering as good a deal as T-Mobile, a 16GB iPhone 5 now costs $1 less through one year of Next payments than it does with a similar Verizon Edge plan. You’ll want to act soon if you like what you see, too. AT&T tells us that this is a promotion; although there’s no firm end date for the discounts, we wouldn’t count on these rates lasting forever.
[Thanks, Anonymous]
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, AT&T
Source: AT&T
As is becoming increasingly common, employers often use GPS devices on company cars to track their whereabouts during the workday. Which is great for security, sure, but significantly less great if you need a little you time for yourself (slackers). In order to combat this little hurdle, one New Jersey man named Gary Bojczak decided to take matters into his own hands this past August—and jammed Newark’s entire satellite-based tracking system in the process.
| |
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
