Hasta La Gadget!

Oh Orange UK customers, you lucky dogs, your carrier is giving you a bit of a break as we enter globe-trotting season. No longer are you chained to absurd per-MB roaming charges or unnecessary monthly plans. Instead, you can shell out £3-a-day (about $5) for 30MB of data — which is plenty for checking e-mail and doing some light browsing. If you don’t use any data then you don’t get charged (sweet!), but go over that limit and you’re back to the normal £3.07-per-MB rate (not so sweet). It’s a perfect option for the traveler who only spends a week or two abroad at a time, and it closes the gap with fellow UK provider Vodafone, which offers a £2-per-day, 25MB option. Now, if only others (especially our friends here in the US) would offer sensible roaming plans of their own.

Orange UK offers daily 30MB for £3 roaming option for fee weary travelers originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Jul 2011 14:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Let’s face it: roaming internationally, particularly when it comes to mobile data, is a terrible decision. And we’ve got the breakdown to prove it. Thankfully for you, said decision just became marginally less terrible thanks to a handful of plan revisions from AT&T. The new international data package tiers are slightly less galling than the ones they’re replacing, but they’re hardly what we’d consider a bargain. Folks looking to roam overseas in around 100 qualified nations will see $24.99 / month net them 50MB of global data (up from 20MB), while $49.99 / month gets ’em 125MB (up from 50MB). The $99.99 monthly package provides 275MB (up from 100MB), while the $199.99 / month tier offers 800MB of data (up from 200MB). Even still, the avid jetsetter can blow through 800MB in a single workday abroad, and none of these new options hold a candle to an unlimited rental from a firm like Xcom Global. Still, it’s a huge relief to see a major US carrier moving international data rates in the right direction, and hopefully we’ll see sensible figures published in our lifetime. The world ain’t gettin’ any smaller, you know?

P.S. – We’re still waiting to hear back on whether your existing global data plan will include a higher amount of data per-dollar.

Continue reading AT&T revamps global data packages, gives international travelers (slightly) more for their money

AT&T revamps global data packages, gives international travelers (slightly) more for their money originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Ideapad Tablet K1 is about as well known an unannounced product as there is right now, having been pictured and listed by a couple of online retailers and passed the requisite tests over at the FCC. What we weren’t quite so sure about was its price, which a tipster now informs us is $499.99, and its launch date, which looks to be fast approaching. The OfficeMax placard we’ve been forwarded promises 32GB of storage, Android 3.0 (with a “custom-built” interface on top), 1280 x 800 resolution on a 10.1-inch multitouch screen, a pair of cameras, up to 10 hours of battery life, a weight of 1.6lb (725g), and a thickness of just over half an inch (13.2mm). Not exactly an unorthodox list of specs, but more choice is rarely a bad thing.

[Thanks, GorillazKing]

Lenovo Ideapad Tablet K1 priced at $500 by OfficeMax, inches closer to release originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 04:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We already knew that RIM’s PlayBook was on its way to the UK on June 16th, but antsy BlackBerry fans can now get their hands on the tab one day early. Phones 4u has just announced that it’s stocking the 7-inch slate in two brick-and-mortar stores today — one day ahead of the official release. If you just can’t wait another second, and happen to be in the vicinity of either the retailer’s Tottenham Court Road or Oxford Street locations in London, you could have a PlayBook in-hand in moments. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading BlackBerry PlayBook hits UK one day ahead of schedule

BlackBerry PlayBook hits UK one day ahead of schedule originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now that HP’s TouchPad has a confirmed July 1st release date, the company’s going to do its darnedest to make sure you’re excited for the slate, and the company’s starting off rather well if you ask us — instead of attempting to find a new anthem, it’s simply showing off what the dual-core tablet actually does. The nine YouTube videos after the break may not be the most exciting things you’ll watch all day, but they certainly do show off the multitasking magic of HP’s card-based operating system. If that’s not nearly enough TouchPad information, though, Geekazine also taped a 37-minute conversation with HP product manager Tim Pettitt, where he reveals that the final TouchPad won’t have a traditional gesture area, but it will recognize the traditional swipe up for opening and closing apps. By the by, all the TouchPad’s accessories have now been priced: you’ll drop $30 for a charger, $50 for the official folding case, $70 for the Bluetooth keyboard, and $80 for the new Touchstone dock. Pricey.

Continue reading HP rolls out the YouTube carpet for TouchPad slate, prices accessories (video)

HP rolls out the YouTube carpet for TouchPad slate, prices accessories (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 02:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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