Hasta La Gadget!

According to documents obtained by the New York Times, T-Mobile’s set to release a home phone early next year, and a tablet PC after that, both of which are said to be powered by Android. We’re a bit light on details, but we do know the phone itself has a docking station and will come with another device for synchronization. That device’s supposed resemble a small, keyboard-less laptop with a 7-inch touchscreen and could check the mail and manage data for devices across the house. Here’s hoping T-Mo’s been taking notes watching its AT&T HomeManager / Verizon Hub predecessors.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs

NYT: T-Mobile to release Android-powered home phone, tablet PC next year originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Apr 2009 23:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looks like AT&T’s taking some aggressive steps to manage network traffic now that it’s offering subsidized netbooks — the carrier updated its data plan terms of service last night to specifically single out and prohibit “downloading movies using P2P file sharing services, customer initiated redirection of television or other video or audio signals via any technology from a fixed location to a mobile device, web broadcasting, and… any applications that tether the device… to Personal Computers or other equipment.” That’s an impressively strict set of rules that seemingly bans a number of apps AT&T customers are already using without complaint — everything from SlingPlayer to Qik to Skype to Jaikuspot — so we’ll see if the company is really so tone-deaf as to try and retroactively prohibit their use, or if it’ll just ignore what it can’t possibly enforce. We’ve pinged AT&T for comment, we’ll let you know what they say.

P.S.- It’s not just AT&T struggling to keep up with how people actually use its network — Deutsche Telekom today threatened to cut off German T-Mobile customers who dare to use Skype. Nice. Can someone give all these guys some new ideas, please?

[Via GigaOm]

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

AT&T tweaks wireless terms of service to forbid video streaming, filesharing, data tethering originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As far as business relationships go, Amazon and Sprint’s Kindle lovechild has proven to be a fruitful endeavor. So it’s with little surprise that other manufacturers have been seeking out that same feeling of carrier companionship. According to Verizon Wireless VP of open development Tony Lewis, there are five e-book readers in the works from various companies that are looking to be certified for use on the network, possibly in the same way Kindle uses its connectivity to download books on the fly. While he wouldn’t provide any names, he did hint they were looking at segments of the market Kindle isn’t currently catering to, such as college textbooks. We’ve also got word that AT&T’s looking to hop on the bandwagon, with head of emerging devices Glenn Lurie chiming in that they want to be a part of that market. If that Whispernet connectivity is the feature that’s been tempting you to go Kindle, looks like you’ll have a few more options on the horizon, if you’re patient.

Read – Verizon
Read – AT&T

Filed under: Displays

AT&T, Verizon looking to join e-book reader market? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 03:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’d already had some indication that Dell’s Mini 9 and Mini 12 netbooks were headed to AT&T stores, and it now looks like those and a few more are now finally available from the carrier — in Atlanta and Philadelphia, at least. From the looks of it, Atlanta is the real test bed for the trial, with customers there now able to snag netbooks with built-in 3G at prices “starting at $49.99,” assuming they also sign up for AT&T’s “Internet at Home and On the Go” broadband bundle, of course, which itself starts at $60 a month for a 200 MB per month mobile data plan and basic DSL service. AT&T only goes so far as to say that it’s offering “similar mini laptop promotional rates” at eight AT&T stores in the Philadelphia area. In addition to the Dell netbooks, you can also choose from an Acer Aspire One or the little known LG Xenia (apparently an MSI Wind rebadge), or even a full-fledged Lenovo X200 ultraportable, although the latter will set you back between $750 and $850 depending on your choice of plan.

[Via GigaOM]

Update: According to AT&T, that “similar” pricing for Philly actually starts at $99, with the premium apparently resulting from its lack of residential DSL in the area.

Filed under: Laptops

AT&T kicks off $50 netbook-with-a-catch trial originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Our time with it was all too brief, but we had just a few moments to play with a SIM-less E71x last evening — and yes, we’re pretty sure this blacked-out beauty is going to sell like Canadian bananas when it launches on AT&T in the next few weeks, especially at that enticing $99.99 price point. Anyone who’s handled an original E71 will know exactly what’s going on here: slim, sexy, totally usable keypad, and WiFi. Too bad they weren’t able to cram in a 3.5mm jack on the E71x to complement the addition of S60 3.2, but hey, we’re just going to count our sub-hundred-dollar blessings and move on.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Nokia E71x graces us with its presence originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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