Hasta La Gadget!

It doesn’t seem like everyone’s jumped on the cord cutting bandwagon just yet, as the 2010 “Media Engagement Barometer” conducted by Vanson Bourne for Motorola surveyed 7,500 consumers in 13 countries (1,000 in the US) before issuing its findings that 86 percent of Americans subscribe to pay TV providers and 6% are using video/TV on the internet, even while free OTA TV is available. And those 3D TVs that are everywhere? Worldwide, they figured 75 percent of viewers either own or plan to own an HDTV in the next 18 months, while 4% currently own 3D sets, 25 percent indicated they plan to upgrade to one in the same time period. US stats pegged 59 percent of respondents with HDTVs, 20 percent with an internet enabled set and 25 percent with a smartphone. Other results indicate we haven’t seen the last of the Twitter widget on our TVs and set-top boxes either, with 58 percent of responses showing people have used social media during a TV broadcast and would switch providers to have it integrated in their TV service. Check out the press release after the break and PDF fact sheet for more statistical breakdowns while we figure out exactly what this means for any a la carte TV dreams.

Motorola video survey says Americans are still into paying for TV service, buying new TVs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’re stuck in an area that’s not served by an existing broadband source, your options for hopping on the world wide web at a rate hastier than 56Kbps are limited. Severely limited. The go-to alternative for the past few years has been HughesNet, a satellite-based “broadband” service that offers users 2Mbps down / 300Kbps up for a staggering $120 per month. It’s definitely a last resort, and many satellite gamers have kvetched that triple-digit ping times have all but destroyed their yearning to catch a round of Counter-Strike before hitting the sack. If all goes well, however, this entire situation could be up-ended by 2012. Hughes just landed the financing it needs to launch a $400 million Jupiter satellite into orbit, theoretically giving it over 100 gigabits per second of capacity and enabling it to seriously expand its customer base. Once launched, consumers could be offered download rates as high as 20Mbps, and while that’s far from impressive, it’s definitely a step-up for those positioned in bandwidth-starved locales. Until then, it looks like you’ll still need to Photoshop your speed tests to convince yourself you’re really on a high-speed connection.

Continue reading Hughes launching Jupiter satellite in 2012, may actually provide broadband internet

Hughes launching Jupiter satellite in 2012, may actually provide broadband internet originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 08:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve got to give Toshiba a bit of credit here — it’s certainly not trying to sell its new Satellite C660 (and accompanying Satellite Pro model) as something it’s not. Tossing around words like “adequate” and “no-frills,” the company says that the revised Satellite is a “smart and affordable” solution, and it does indeed look like it’ll satisfy those looking for only the basics. That includes a 15.6-inch display, your choice of Intel or AMD processors up to a Core i3 or Athlon II, integrated graphics only, up to 8GB of RAM, up to a 640GB hard drive, and a multitouch trackpad, among other standard fare. The only difference with the Pro model, it seems, is Windows 7 Professional for the OS, a black textured casing, and a “non-reflective” screen. No word on exact pricing just yet, but you can look for this one to at least be available in Europe, the Middle East and Africa sometime in the fourth quarter of this year. Full press release is after the break.

Continue reading Toshiba announces ‘no-frills’ Satellite C660 laptop

Toshiba announces ‘no-frills’ Satellite C660 laptop originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 04:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s been just shy of a year since TerreStar’s Windows Mobile-based Genus was announced for AT&T, offering a unique combination of GSM / HSPA backed up with satellite capability for those times when you find yourself in the middle of nowhere; in fact, you may have assumed that it had already been released by now. After all, this isn’t the phone for 97 percent of the population — it runs Windows Mobile and still works in places where us soft city folk would never dream of going — so odds are good you never bothered to follow up on it. Fact is, though, it’s just now available for the first time today, so as long as you’ve got a line of sight to TerreStar’s bird and a willingness to tolerate WinMo 6.5.3, you’ll be able to make and receive calls throughout the US, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and in the surrounding waters — and it’s all on one telephone number. Of course, having a single number eliminates the cool factor of being able to say “if you can’t reach me, try my sat phone,” but let’s be honest: convenience wins here. Right now, the phone’s only available to business and government users… and with $799 upfront for the phone and satellite service running $25 a month plus per-minute, per-message, and per-megabyte charges of 65 cents, 40 cents, and 5 dollars, respectively, that’s probably for the best. Follow the break for AT&T’s full press release.

Continue reading TerreStar Genus hybrid satellite phone hits AT&T at long last for $799

TerreStar Genus hybrid satellite phone hits AT&T at long last for $799 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dish Network subscribers, get ready to join the 21st century. Your content provider of choice is said to be peeling the “beta” stickers from its DishOnline.com service this week, opening up online and on-demand streaming of content to its subscribers. At least 15 channels will be streaming live over the internets, including all the major networks and extras like Syfy and Comedy Central, though selection appears to be somewhat limited at this time. The site will also provide remote DVR scheduling and let SlingLoaded users stream recorded content straight from their device — which, of course, they could already do. The service goes live sometime within the next few days, and of course will only be available to Dish subscribers, you lucky people you.

Dish Network launching DishOnline.com this week, streaming ‘several cable networks’ to subscribers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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