Hasta La Gadget!

There’s still no real indication of when you’ll be able to send text messages, photos and videos to 911, but the FCC has now set a date for another promised enhancement to the service. The agency is aiming to increase the service’s location accuracy requirements, and to that end it wants all cellphones and VoIP devices to be GPS-capable by 2018 (A-GPS, specifically). As the FCC notes, it expects 85 percent of all cellphones to have built-in GPS by that point anyway, which it says should “contribute to minimizing subsequent costs” required to meet the cut-off — it’s not, however, adopting a specific sunset date just yet. As you might expect, however, there’s not exactly unanimous support for the move in the industry, and the FCC itself notes in its recently-published document that AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Motorola and the CTIA all insist that “a unitary standard is not technically or economically feasible at this time.”

FCC wants all cellphones to be GPS-capable by 2018 for improved 911 service originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Do we really need another wireless charging system that’s incompatible with industry standards? Murata seems to think that we do. The company’s prototype uses neither conductive nor inductive transmission, instead bringing its new capacitive coupling technology to the cordless charging mix. Capacitive coupling uses square transmitter and receiver electrodes, instead of the coils used with Qi devices. It also doesn’t require a physical connection like near-obsolete conductive tech, which dictates that both the charging pad and receiving device use metal connectors that must be joined to transfer current. The Murata system is far from being production-ready, with only 70 percent efficiency (30 percent of electricity is lost during transmission). The sample the company had on hand can support 16 watts of output with a maximum of 2.1 amps, making each pad capable of charging several small gadgets, or one larger device, like a laptop.

Murata seemed more interested in demonstrating the concept behind capacitive coupling than actually proving that it works — the laptop we saw “charging” was a plastic mockup, though the base did glow red when the laptop’s charging pad came into contact (though it also glowed blue at times, as you can see in the image above). We did take a close look at an iPhone case, however, which appeared to be remarkably thin — much thinner than models from Powermat, for example, though the case does extend below the dock connector. Another advantage of the square electrodes is that you don’t need to place devices in a certain position on the mat in order for them to charge — they simply need to be positioned within the general charging area. We take a closer look in the video after the break.

Continue reading Murata Wireless Power Transmission System supports laptops, we go hands-on (video)

Murata Wireless Power Transmission System supports laptops, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 07:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Samsung teases next week’s ‘Unpacked,’ offers a momentary glance at a mysterious device

Samsung teases next week’s ‘Unpacked,’ offers a momentary glance at a mysterious device originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 01:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, well, what have we here? Hot on the heels of being unveiled to the world, the latest and greatest iPhone appears to have landed with the feds to get the FCC’s stamp of approval. That’s right, an Apple phone bearing model number A1387 has just made it through the commission’s myriad tests unscathed. We can’t say for certain it’s the 4S, but given the timing of its appearance, it sure seems like Uncle Sam’s officially on board with the new iPhone. If the rest of our coverage of Apple’s new handset wasn’t enough for you, hit the source below for the full FCC nitty gritty.

Apple iPhone 4S makes its way through the FCC? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 19:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AppleCare+ debuts for $99, offers to cover accidental damage in addition to the standard fare originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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