Hasta La Gadget!

Anyone who’s been in a packed stadium or concert venue knows better than to expect to be able to browse the web or even check email, unless of course your device happens to be compatible with a certain underutilized data-only network. A new initiative from Cisco, however, aims to bring connectivity to the over-saturated masses. The company’s Connected Stadium WiFi bundles the Aironet 3500p access point, designed specifically for “high-density stadium and arena deployments,” with strategically placed antennas that target fewer seats with the same amount of throughput — likely similar to the 884-device network AT&T deployed at Cowboys Stadium for Super Bowl XLV. We hope the lighter load placed on carriers — and already sky high ticket prices — would help make Connected Stadium a free service, but key words like “purchasing” and “monetizeable” in the networking company’s announcement make us think that some greenbacks are likely to change hands once the service launches in the real, connectivity-challenged world of overcrowded venues.

Continue reading Cisco boosts stadium WiFi, makes MLB slightly more tolerable for the internet-obsessed (video)

Cisco boosts stadium WiFi, makes MLB slightly more tolerable for the internet-obsessed (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A number of Sprint customers report difficulties receiving SMS text messages from cellular customers outside the Sprint network.

Beginning in late June, Sprint cellular customers started complaining of long delays in receiving SMS text messages — sometimes hours, sometimes days — while others said some of their texts did not arrive at all.

“We are aware of a text-messaging issue that is impacting a small percentage of incoming text messages,” wrote a Sprint representative in a statement provided to Wired.com. “We are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”

The issues come at a bad time for Sprint, as the company is embroiled in a war with AT&T over the latter’s possible acquisition of T-Mobile. To remain competitive in a market dominated by telecommunications giants Verizon and AT&T, Sprint’s service has to be more reliable than ever.

And this isn’t the first time Sprint has faced customer ire due to network disruption. As recently as May, Sprint acknowledged downtime for both its SMS and voice services across multiple states.

The current problems seem to be isolated to inbound texts coming from people not on the Sprint network, as user reports claim messages from other Sprint users are being received intact and on time. Customers are also able to send outbound texts with no difficulty.

Still others ran into problems with 0001/0002 messages, or those that are split in half because of a 160-character limit. Users either received the first part of the message without the corresponding second part, or multiple segmented messages were truncated far below the 160-character limit, arriving out of order.

As one user described it on a Sprint message board July 1: “Sometime texts show up perfect, and sometimes I have to try to reassemble the puzzle pieces or just call the person, which defeats the point of having texting in the first place.”

The problem does not seem to be isolated to a specific type of device, as both feature-phone and smartphone users complained about disrupted service on the Sprint forums.

Two Sprint technical-support representatives confirmed the company is working to resolve the SMS issues, but as of July 6, no time frame for fixing the service has been announced.

“As already stated multiple times, unfortunately, we have not been given an ETA for the fix,” wrote Sprint.com administrator ‘ClaudiPo’ in a July 6 forum post. “All we know is that they’re working on the issue.”

Whereas Android users were able to get their hands on a Google+ app as soon as the social network launched, iOS users have thus far been left out in the cold, with nary a soul to “hang out” with. Fortunately for them, though, their arduous, week-long wait may be coming to an end, now that Google+ has applied for App Store citizenship. The confirmation came yesterday from Erica Joy, a Mountain View employee who shared the news on her Google+ profile. According to Joy, the app has already been submitted for approval, leaving it up to Apple’s council of elders to give the yea or nay. Joy didn’t specify the exact date on which Google applied for iOS entry (saying only that it happened prior to yesterday’s post), nor did she speculate as to when the app may be ratified. But unless it’s laced with political rhetoric or packing a dictionary, Google+ should sail through the approval process… maybe.

Google+ iOS app already submitted for Apple’s approval, employee says originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 09:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ever wondered how just one message in an average Chatroulette session finds its way to whatever destination fate may deem suitable? Sure you have. As it stands, every single pulse from your Ethernet socket starts its initial journey by hunting for an optimal connection path; in some cases, that involves routing through massive ring networks crossing over untold miles of fiber optic cabling. Using traditional techniques, nailing down an optimal solution for a ring can take eons (or days, whichever you prefer), but there’s a new methodology coming out of NC State‘s den that could enable the same type of scenario to reach its natural conclusion 10,000 times faster. Dr. George Rouskas, a computer science professor and proud Wolfpacker, has just published a new paper describing the scheme, with the focal point being a “mathematical model that identifies the exact optimal routes and wavelengths for ring network designers.” More technobabble surrounding the discovery can be found in the source link below, but unfortunately, there’s no telling how long it’ll take your impending click to be addressed using conventional means. Here’s to the future, eh?

NC State discovery finds optimal connections 10,000 times more quickly, ResNet admins do a double take originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jun 2011 08:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple just released a new Time Capsule, which means we just had to give you a rundown of alternatives to Apple’s prized NAS device. Here are a few non-Apple devices that’ll save your butt should your network decide to suddenly have a meltdown. More »