Hasta La Gadget!

This one’s been talked about since the middle of last year (at least), but it looks as if the time for contemplating is over and done with. It’s bruited that the Israel Defense Forces will be moving forward on a plan to light up a new cellular system that will blast out SMS-CB alerts to citizens if and when a missile is fired in the direction of Israel. Just over $7 million will be invested, with the application itself being jointly designed by eVigilo and Ericsson. If all goes well, it’ll be operational in June of 2011, and it’s just one aspect of the country’s effort to consolidate all emergency alerts into one centralized system. We’re told that the blasts would be sent in a variety of languages, and there’s even potential to send ’em to TVs, radios, websites and “billboards.” And unlike various other SMS emergency alert systems that have been implemented, these would actually differ based on how the threat was forecasted to affect different geographic regions. Something tells us eVigilo’s going to become a multinational company in no time.

Update: eVigilo pinged us with a few extra details surrounding the service. For starters, it’ll be using SMS-CB (read: not standard SMS) in order to circumvent core networks that tend to collapse during emergencies. This will enable the messages to bypass any congestion and hit all users at around the same time. The alerts would be delivered geographically, not to a specific number of users, with tests proving that “millions” could be reached within 20 seconds over 3G. Besides broadcast over mobile networks, the company will also connect to the national TV network using DVB and offer also DAB reaching digital radio subscribers. Additional capabilities will be given through multicast over IP (Billboards, Variable Message Signs and social networks).

Israel to activate SMS-CB missile alert system next year originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Nov 2010 10:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doesn’t get much more “late October” than this, does it? Sony Ericsson has announced that it’ll begin delivering Android 2.1 upgrades to its X10 line of phones at long last this coming Sunday, October 31st — but odds are pretty good you won’t be in the first batch. In fact, only unbranded X10s, X10 Minis, and X10 Mini Pros in Nordic countries will be getting boosted at first, followed by “more kits” on Monday and throughout November. As a refresher, these updates will bring 720p video capture on the X10 proper (complete with continuous autofocus), a new backup / restore app, and a bunch of other tweaks that should make your little pal feel a bit less 2009 and bit more 2010. Froyo would be nice, of course… but we’ll take what we can get.

Android 2.1 starts rolling out to Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 line this weekend originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 13:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve got a little more detail on those four new pre-orderable phones up in Best Buy Mobile’s business this week now that the news has gone from leak status to official, and needless to say, the truth is even stranger than fiction. The Dell Streak will be available for the first time in retail stores for $299.99 on contract come October 24, joined by a white version of Verizon’s Samsung Fascinate for $149.99 on contract; those two will be followed on November 8 by the HTC Surround for $199. Here’s where it gets interesting, though: the white Sony Ericsson X10 for AT&T — also rumored in our original leak — will come pre-loaded with “The Essential Taylor Swift Experience,” which frankly doesn’t paint a picture of the target demographic we’d really expected. But hey, we like surprises! What does her essential experience entail, exactly? Two albums, a new single, ringtone and video content, and access to her new album when it launches on October 25. This bad boy also comes in on October 24 for $99 on contract. Best Buy claims that all four of these are in-store exclusives… which, particularly with the Surround, is pretty insane. Follow the break for the press release.

Continue reading Dell Streak, HTC Surround, white Samsung Fascinate, and Taylor Swift-ified white SE X10 coming to Best Buy exclusively

Dell Streak, HTC Surround, white Samsung Fascinate, and Taylor Swift-ified white SE X10 coming to Best Buy exclusively originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rogers is breaking LTE out of the confines of its labs for the first time with the announcement today that it’s flipping the switch on a trial network in Ottawa — a place where infrastructure partner Ericsson conveniently just happens to have some facilities. The 4G network won’t be open to customers yet, but it seems like that’ll be a relatively small step — in the Ottawa area, anyway — once all the technical issues have been ironed out. Step one will be a deployment in Rogers’ AWS spectrum portfolio, but they’ve already filed a request with the gub’mint to roll out on 700MHz as well — a critical step if these guys want any semblance of interoperability with the first LTE deployments in the US. So, Canadians, tell us: excited? Follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Rogers, Ericsson turn Ottawa into an LTE trial playground

Rogers, Ericsson turn Ottawa into an LTE trial playground originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 22:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Ericsson’s booth at IFA this year includes an Xperia-themed chopper that you can sit on and have your picture taken — with a Sony Ericsson cameraphone, of course. As of press time, no word on when it’ll be updated to use unleaded gasoline.

Chris: “It’ll be available at local dealers mere moments after you finally stop wanting it.”
Nilay: “Unfortunately, it runs Android 1.6”
Darren: “A fine substitute for the PSP Phone you’ve been dreaming of.”
Laura: “Fail hog.”
Ross: “Still no pinch-to-zoom, but at least here, that kind of makes sense.”
Don: “Mr. Stringer, your chariot awaits.”
Vlad: “Sony just couldn’t help throwing in a bit of product placement in its Terminator 2 remake.”
Tim: “It’s bigger, heavier, slower, and way more expensive than other models — but hey, look at all that chrome! Oh, yeah, the bike isn’t bad either.”
Sean: “Active shutter glasses sold separately.”
Thomas: “**Model shown is coming soon. Actual product is a horse.”

Caption contest: nothing easy about this rider originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 12:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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