Hasta La Gadget!

Seems like Verizon, Motorola and Google are on a bit of a security bent — the latest update for the Motorola Xoom lets you take a far more leisurely tour of the internet’s walled gardens. There’s a WPA-PSK security fix to allow choice users into your mobile hotspot, SSL for secure web browsing, Google’s Widevine DRM for viewing locked online video content and HDCP for piping it to your TV. Of course, there’s no mention of the Xoom feature we’re truly waiting for, but we’ll happily take our Bluetooth mouse support and POP3 email in the meanwhile. Droid-Life reports that this HMJ07B update will start hitting Xooms later today, but Verizon’s still got a month to make good on those LTE promises.

Update: We’re not quite sure what happened, but Droid-Life discovered that Verizon’s update-detailing PDF has been pulled, so it’s probably better to not expect an OTA upgrade later this afternoon.

[Thanks, K]

Motorola Xoom software update brings SSL and Widevine DRM, no LTE quite yet (update: pulled) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Droid-Life  |  Verizon (PDF)  | Email this | Comments

Novatel 2372 MiFi owners could always stream tunes from the web, but now they can do it from microSD — after downloading Maintenance Release 1.0, that is, which finally brings DLNA server functionality. DLNA support means your mobile hotspot can share music, video and other content to devices over the network from an inserted flash card, even when the router can’t serve up 3G — especially useful on AT&T devices, which, you know, tend to suffer from occasional network congestion and data caps. The update also includes a new Customer Care Widget and a more intuitive MiFi OS web interface, so even average consumers might be able to configure one of these without consulting tech support. Sounds like a win for everybody.

AT&T’s MiFi 2372 gets DLNA update, streams media even without 3G connectivity originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 02:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  AT&T  | Email this | Comments

For months we’ve been wondering aloud how Sonos would respond to Apple’s September AirPlay announcement. After all, Apple’s promise to “stream music throughout your entire house” steps all over Sonos’ reason to exist. Would Sonos start building its systems with BridgeCo chips? As it turns out: no. Instead, Sonos is opting for a rather ingenious solution, at a cost of $99. Rather than licensing BridgeCo technology at additional expense atop Sonos’ already costly components, the company has instead devised an approach that links Apple’s own AirPlay-compliant AirPort Express into Sonos’ proprietary wireless mesh network. The solution (illustrated after the break) works by first shutting off the WiFi on the AirPort Express base station and then stringing a cable between its audio-out and the line-in jack on any Sonos ZonePlayer, including the S5 all-in-one speaker. You then run an ethernet patch cable between the two and you’ve just enabled your iOS devices to play AirPlay audio to any (or all) Sonos device in the home from any compatible AirPlay app. Naturally, the Sonos solution does not integrate with AirPlay speakers like those from iHome, JBL, B&W, Klipsch, or Philips and the AirPlay audio won’t be synced with video; but it’s a start. The new functionality requires a software update to your system in the form of Sonos System Software version 3.4 — available now — which also adds iOS multitasking amongst a few other goodies.

Today also marks the official release of the free Sonos Controller for Android app in the Android Market making it a pretty good day to be a Sonos owner.

Continue reading Sonos adds AirPlay support as Android Controller app hits the Market

Sonos adds AirPlay support as Android Controller app hits the Market originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Looking forward to April 19th? If you just so happen to hold a Windows Phone 7 device on AT&T, you are now. According to a leaked memo posted up over at Winrumors, Ma Bell has just wrapped up its testing of the famed NoDo update, and if all goes well, it’ll be pushed to end users on Tuesday. Owners of the LG Quantum and Samsung Focus will see it first, while HTC Surround owners will need to watch this video on loop until “mid-May.” Just think — next week, you’ll be copying and pasting this very article as often as you please. Huzzah!

Update: Microsoft’s Eric Hautala confirms that the LG Quantum and Samsung Focus are getting updates ahead of the Surround — both are “scheduling” now — as the HTC handset requires “additional testing by both Microsoft and AT&T” before it gets pushed out. Also, these AT&T phones will get somethign called “WISPr,” which is a protocol that will automatically connect to AT&T WiFi hotspots in range. Sounds pretty cool.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

AT&T’s Windows Phone 7 NoDo update coming April 19th? (update: ‘scheduling’) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Winrumors  | Email this | Comments

Lately, anything goes when a RIM CEO gets in front of the media. Fortunately, it was the other CEO, Jim Balsillie, talking to Bloomberg this time delivering a calm, cool rebuttal to all the lukewarm PlayBook reviews. His consumer defense is largely based upon the PlayBook’s ability to receive software updates (we received three in the brief time we had our review unit) throughout its lifetime. Jim, as you can imagine, preferred keeping the conversation focused on how the PlayBook is fully functional today when used in combination with a BlackBerry handset in business environments. Balsillie did seem to hint that the consumer experience could improve relatively quickly, saying, “We’ll have an over the air email client to announce very very soon. We have BlackBerry World — our user conference — in a couple weeks. Stay tuned for all capabilities we have coming out on this stuff.” See the man dance on the hotseat right after the break.

Continue reading RIM: PlayBook email client ‘very very soon,’ 3G model this summer

RIM: PlayBook email client ‘very very soon,’ 3G model this summer originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 01:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Bloomberg  | Email this | Comments