Jul 11

Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray swings through FCC donning AT&T bands

Posted in: Android, att, ericsson, sony, Sony Ericsson, SonyEricsson, Today's Chili, xperia

We’ve known it as both the Urushi and the ST18a, but Sony Ericsson‘s latest handset was just “accepted” over at the FCC as the Xperia Ray, getting the fed green-light with a full set of photos to boot. A quick perusal of the docs confirms that the Xperia Ray will bring on quadband HSPA compatible with AT&T and global carriers, but the lack of AWS indicates we won’t see this showing up on T-Mobile shelves. Also included on the list of tested items is the ANT+ wireless tech responsible for the device’s fitness-monitoring functionality. Making it through the FCC is always a significant hurdle for a company to jump over, so we’d suspect the phone’s still on track for its planned Q3 release. In the meantime, however, check out the gallery below for the images so graciously provided to us in the documents.

Gallery: Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray hits FCC

Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray swings through FCC donning AT&T bands originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 08

AT&T launches USBConnect Force 4G USB modem, offers it for zilch on contract

Posted in: 4G, att, hspa, Today's Chili, usb, Wireless, wwan

You’d better be darn sure AT&T’s data service is solid in your neck of the woods before making the leap, but if you’ve managed to survive this long sans a USB WWAN dongle… well, here’s your chance to grow that much more connected to your inbox. Ma Bell has just issued its latest USB modem, the USBConnect Force 4G. Priced at a downright delicious $0.00 with a two-year contract (or $89.99 straight-up), the Huawei-built stick supports the carrier’s “4G” (read: HSPA+) services and offers a microSD slot for good measure. Interestingly, AT&T’s allowing users to buy this with post-paid and prepaid options, and of course, data roaming’s available in over 200 nations for those insane enough to pay for it. If you’re going post-paid, you’ll get 5GB of data for $50 / month, while prepaid buyers can select 100MB for $15 (day package), 300MB for $30 (weekly package) or 1GB for $50 (month package). It’ll operate with both Mac and PC platforms, and should be on store shelves by July 17th.

Continue reading AT&T launches USBConnect Force 4G USB modem, offers it for zilch on contract

AT&T launches USBConnect Force 4G USB modem, offers it for zilch on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 08

ISP’s agree on Copyright Alert System, plan to notify you to death for piracy infringements

Posted in: att, download, Today's Chili, verizon

Too little, too late, we’re afraid. For the past decade or so, the RIAA (amongst others) have spent every waking hour figuring out how to best sue and frighten every internet-connected human that even dares think about an illegal download. Now that said practice has failed miserably, it’s finally resorting to something sensible. The entity announced today that AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cablevision have teamed up with the RIAA and MPAA in order to agree upon a six-stage notification system that’ll electronically alert internet users whenever their account is used for wrongful downloading. It’s actually not all that much different than the systems that have been in place at Suddenlink for what feels like eons, but at least this creates a standard protocol that the whole lot can adhere to. Oh, and before you ask — under no circumstances will any of these notices result in termination of your broadband connection. There’s no way an ISP would agree to such a thing, and indeed, they haven’t here. The full run-down can be delved into below, but it’s worth noting that no extra “watching” procedures are being put into place; your ISP will only drop you a line if a content overlord asks ’em to. Good times, no?

Continue reading ISP’s agree on Copyright Alert System, plan to notify you to death for piracy infringements

ISP’s agree on Copyright Alert System, plan to notify you to death for piracy infringements originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 09:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 05

Verizon Halts Unlimited Smartphone Data Plans July 7

Posted in: att, Sprint, t-mobile, Today's Chili, verizon, Wireless

A Verizon spokesperson confirmed the company will soon shift to tiered pricing data plans. Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Verizon confirmed Tuesday it will end its unlimited data pricing plan options for smartphone customers on July 7, continuing a broad shift to tiered-use plans amongst cellular carriers.

Instead of the existing $30 monthly fee Verizon currently charges for an unlimited data package, the company’s new structure mimics that of others in the industry. Verizon will charge $30 for 2 GB of monthly data, $50 for 5 GB, and $80 for 10 GB, according to mobile industry publication Fierce Wireless.

The elimination of unlimited data plan offerings confirms an earlier leaked report that the company would shift to a different pricing model before the end of the summer.

In doing away with unlimited data, Verizon follows the lead of the other major carriers. AT&T killed its unlimited data buffet last year. And just this May, T-Mobile rolled out a high-speed data access plan which throttles your connection speed to a lower rate after you hit your data limit. Verizon tried a similar data-throttling maneuver, although the company tried to sweep it under the rug by burying the change in an unpublicized memo.

As smartphones tied to data plans grow more commonplace, wireless carriers change data policies quickly to adjust to demand. Over half of all U.S. mobile phone purchases within the last three months were smartphones, according to Nielsen research findings, while data use has nearly doubled over the past year. Yet the cost per MB of data has dropped by nearly 46 percent. That’s a figure the carriers don’t want to see.

Sprint remains the sole holdout of the four big U.S. carriers, offering its unlimited 3G/4G unlimited data and minutes plan for $100/month, unlimited data and 450 minutes for $70 a month, and unlimited data and 900 minutes for $90 a month. In January, Sprint also tacked on a $10 “premium data fee” for any new smartphone subscribers requiring a data plan.

There’s some good news to Verizon’s announcement: If you’re an existing Verizon customer not on contract, you can upgrade your smartphone and still keep your unlimited data plan even after the July 7 deadline. The flip side to that, however, is you’ve got to sign a two-year contract.

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Jul 05

Act Now to Keep Gorging Yourself With Unlimited Data Forever (Well, Close Enough)

Posted in: Android, att, cellphones, iPhone, Smartphones, Sprint, t-mobile, Today's Chili, top, verizon

In two days, the unlimited data tap at Verizon is officially going to run dry, essentially ending the all-too-brief era of all-you-can-eat data at the nation’s two largest carriers. More »

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Jul 04

Leaked HP presentation hints at faster 64GB TouchPad in August, Pre 3 in fall?

Posted in: att, cdma, HP, leak, leaked, leaks, palm, pre, rumor, rumors, smartphone, tablet, Today's Chili, touchpad, verizon, webos, Wireless

Go grab the Morton — you’re gonna need a grain or two. According to a “confidential HP product brief” sent anonymously to PreCentral, HP is on track to launch a new 64GB TouchPad next month, complete with a white glossy cabinet and a “processor bump,” along with support for AT&T’s HSPA+ network. The company just started shipping its 16GB and 32GB TouchPads, but even August wouldn’t be too soon for a speed boost, considering the tablet’s disappointing performance during our review. The presentation also lists the Pre 3 for a “fall” launch, along with that mysterious Opal tablet. Despite the so-called leaked confidential presentation, this rumor should be approached like any other — but on the other hand, with the Pre 3 making recent appearances at the FCC in both AT&T and Verizon flavors, HP’s latest webOS smartphone could easily be on-track to hit stores by autumn.

Leaked HP presentation hints at faster 64GB TouchPad in August, Pre 3 in fall? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jul 2011 16:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 04

AT&T to offer standard insurance for iPhone owners starting July 17th

Posted in: Apple, att, iPhone, iphone 3g, Iphone3g, smartphone, Today's Chili

If you have an AT&T iPhone in your possession, there’s a good chance you’ve quickly glanced at available insurance options and noticed they’re… well, a tad on the spendy side. Big Blue’s only solution requires a $12 monthly asking price — considering that’s before the deductible gets factored in, we just can’t imagine it selling like hotcakes. The tides appear to be turning, however; according to AT&T’s official site, iPhones will be eligible for Asurion Mobile Insurance plans on July 17th. With these new plans, the monthly cost will plummet to a much more reasonable $5, placing it lower than Verizon’s version. We’re still awaiting word on the deductible, though other smartphones on the same protection plan require a $125 replacement charge. Here’s the drawback: it’s only available for the first 30 days after the device is purchased, which means anyone who procured an iPhone before mid-June will want to keep those cases and screen protectors glued on tight. There’s also no intimate details on what kind of damage is covered — good thing these things are so difficult to destroy, eh?

AT&T to offer standard insurance for iPhone owners starting July 17th originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jul 2011 15:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 01

AT&T to enable BlackBerry Bridge support before sundown

Posted in: app, apps, att, BlackBerry, blackberry playbook, BlackberryPlaybook, bluetooth, Email, playbook, research in motion, ResearchInMotion, RIM, Software, tablet, Today's Chili

Most tablets function just fine on their own, but RIM’s BlackBerry Playbook introduced a unique, yet restrictive interface that limits Bluetooth tethering to a similarly-branded handset. This feature, called BlackBerry Bridge, lets your tablet piggyback on a handset’s 3G data connection, also enabling access to productivity apps like email and calendar, which are still otherwise unavailable on the PlayBook. Unfortunately, this option hasn’t been made available for AT&T users, but that’s about to change, as the feature will be added to App World today. While the Bridge suite is totally gratis, enabling the AT&T 3G data connection requires a monthly tethering plan of $45, which means anyone grandfathered into the unlimited data feature will need to decide if it’s worth the jump. Bridge not sounding like your cup of tea? Don’t worry — at least you can take comfort in knowing that the days of pining for native email are numbered.

AT&T to enable BlackBerry Bridge support before sundown originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 12:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 01

Robert Morris, man who helped develop Unix, dies at 78

Posted in: att, operating system, OperatingSystem, os, research, security, Today's Chili
We have some somber news to bring you this morning: Robert Morris, the cryptographer who helped create Unix, has died at the age of 78. Morris began his work on the groundbreaking OS back in 1970 at AT&T’s Bell Laboratories, where he played a major role in developing Unix’s math library, password structure and encryption functions. His cryptographic exploration continued into the late 1970s, when he began writing a paper on an early encryption tool from Germany. But the paper would never see the light of day, thanks to a request from the NSA, which was concerned about potential security ramifications. Instead, the agency brought Morris on board as a computer security expert in 1986. Much of what he did for Uncle Sam remains classified, though he was involved in internet surveillance projects and cyber warfare — including what might have been America’s first cyberattack in 1991, when the US crippled Saddam Hussein’s control capabilities during the first Gulf War. Morris stayed with the NSA until 1994, when he retired to New Hampshire. He’s survived by his wife, three children and one, massive digital fingerprint.

[Image courtesy of the New York Times]

Robert Morris, man who helped develop Unix, dies at 78 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 08:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 30

Sharp sends another Galapagos tablet through the FCC, keeps all the pertinent details to itself

Posted in: android tablet, AndroidTablet, att, Sharp, Today's Chili
Over the past six months, we’ve gotten scant few details about when, exactly, Sharp’s Galapagos tablets will at last make the long trip stateside. When they do, though, it might be an even bigger family than we were expecting. We took note when the 10.8-inch EB-WX1GJ slipped through the FCC, making reference to another slate — the 5.5-inch EB-W51GJ — in its user manual. Now, yet another slate has passed the FCC’s battery of tests. It’s called the EB-W71LJ-H, and based on Sharp’s naming convention thus far, we suspect it could have a 7-inch display, which would be a nice, just-right complement to the 10- and 5-inch models we already knew about. Based on the test results, we also know it has a 802.11b/g/n WiFi radio, but other than that, the report is devoid of specs, as Sharp asked the FCC to refrain from playing show-and-tell with its trade secrets. For now, though, you at least don’t have to wonder where the company plans to slap that requisite label.

Sharp sends another Galapagos tablet through the FCC, keeps all the pertinent details to itself originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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