Sep 16

FCC Fridays: September 16, 2011

Posted in: 4G, HTC, LG, live, lte, mobilepostmini, motorola, samsung, Sony Ericsson, SonyEricsson, Today's Chili
We here at Engadget tend to spend a lot of way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol’ Federal Communications Commission’s site. Since we couldn’t possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there, we’ve gathered up all the raw info you may want (but probably don’t need). Enjoy!

Phones

Read – HTC PH98100
Read – HTC PI06100
Read – Huawei C2931
Read – Huawei G1000 Plus
Read – Huawei G2800S
Read – LG E906
Read – Motorola MB865
Read – Motorola EX139
Read – Samsung GT-C3520
Read – Samsung SCH-R680
Read – Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman
Read – Sony Ericsson Xperia active
Read – ZTE N285
Read – ZTE UX720

Peripherals and tablets
Read – Novatel MC679 (AT&T LTE)
Read – Huawei BM1012
Read – Samsung SGH-T859

FCC Fridays: September 16, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 11:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
Sep 11

Refresh Roundup: week of September 5, 2011

Posted in: 4G, droid, firmware, firmware update, FirmwareUpdate, gingerbread, honeycomb, HTC, htc sense, HtcSense, lte, mobile hotspot, MobileHotspot, mobilepostmini, motorola, refresh, rom, roundup, samsung, Screenshots, sense, Software, software update, SoftwareUpdate, Sony Ericsson, SonyEricsson, Today's Chili, update, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless, vzw, windows phone, WindowsPhone, Wp7, xperia

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it’s easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don’t escape without notice, we’ve gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Official Android updates

  • Verizon was spitting out new refreshes left and right this week, as we saw Gingerbread begin to roll out as OTA downloads on the Motorola Droid 3, HTC Droid Incredible, and — get this — even the Motorola Droid 2 R2-D2 edition. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
  • Interestingly enough, Android 2.3 for the Droid 2 Global was already getting pushed out, but was pulled just a couple days later after a Microsoft Exchange encryption issue was discovered. We’ve been told the updates will resume “soon.” [via Droid-Life]
  • Finally, Verizon also pushed out one other software upgrade — this time on its 4510L LTE MiFi. (Thanks, Matt)
  • HTC continues to expand its bootloader unlock tool to more phones, region by region. This week the company enabled support for the EVO 3D in Canada and Europe. [via Phandroid]

Unofficial Android updates / custom ROMs / misc hackery

  • The Motorola Droid 3 and Droid X both now have access to an SBF — System Boot File — to act as a safeguard for anyone who manages to brick their phones. [via Droid-Life (1) and (2)]
  • Recently we heard about the Honeycomb ROM for the HTC Flyer getting leaked by MoDaCo, but no screenshots were available at the time. This week, however, someone successfully grabbed a few images to share with the world (shown in the above image). The ROM appears to run on Android 3.2 with HTC Sense 1.1 for tablets as the featured UI. [via AndroidBugle — thanks, Dennis]
  • Let’s talk a little more about leaked Sense ROMs. We’ve already seen Sense 3.5 working on the Desire HD, and now we have another device to add to the list: the EVO 4G. [via XDA]
  • The first kernel for unlocked bootloaders on the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is now waiting for your download, so head over to the link for instructions. [via XDA]
  • If you’ve been waiting and hoping for CyanogenMod 7 on your HTC Sensation or EVO 3D so you can shed the Sense UI, that time may be very close at hand. According to a member of the CyanogenMod team, an early alpha build for both devices may be available by the end of this weekend, so keep an eye out. [via Phandroid]

Other platforms

  • Two new unofficial ROMs — one for Windows Phone Mango and another for NoDo –are now available for the Samsung Omnia 7. The Mango ROM improves the device’s radio, camera drivers and motion sensors, in addition to a few other enhancements. [via WPCentral]

Refreshes already covered this week

Refresh Roundup: week of September 5, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , , , , ,
Sep 11

Artists hack Sony Ericsson’s Xperia phones to see the unseen universe, use fire as a flash

Posted in: app, apps, gps, hack, hacking, mod, mods, Music, remote control, RemoteControl, smartphone, Smartphones, sony, Sony Ericsson, SonyEricsson, sound, Today's Chili, xperia

For most of us, cellphones are for texting, calling and maybe the occasional tweet, but what happens when you hand them over to some of the world’s most creative minds? Giving hackers, artists and intellectuals free reign to mess with the various Xperia phones, Sony found out just how capable its handsets really are. Using a few tweaks and hacks, artists were able to create an installation that breathes fire when you snap a photo, a remote-controlled boat with GPS and a bike that uses colored lights to spell out secret words only visible when captured on camera. When Sony asked astrophysicist Joshua Peek to give it a go, he took full sky maps and telescope image data to build an app with an up-close view of electromagnetic patterns in the sky. To round out the project, musician Annabel Lindquist composed a song based on the sounds of Paris she recorded with an Arc. Now, if they could just mod one to avoid dropped calls, we’d be all set. Videos of their ingenuity in action after the break.

Continue reading Artists hack Sony Ericsson’s Xperia phones to see the unseen universe, use fire as a flash

Artists hack Sony Ericsson’s Xperia phones to see the unseen universe, use fire as a flash originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Sep 2011 04:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceXperia Studio  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , ,
Sep 09

Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman Android phone gets busted open by the FCC

Posted in: 720p, Android, audio, camera, ericsson, mobilepostcross, smartphone, sony, Sony Ericsson, SonyEricsson, teardown, Today's Chili

Somebody’s not wasting anytime. Just last month we reported on the musically minded Android handset, and now what looks to be a decidedly darker version of Sony Ericsson’s Live with Walkman has made its way through the FCC and come out the other end in pieces — literally. Since the outfit didn’t hold back much in its initial announcement, we won’t be making any big discoveries here, but if you’re into dismembered smartphones we’ve got a gallery of the shredded handset awaiting you below.

Gallery: Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman FCC

Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman Android phone gets busted open by the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 20:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceFCC  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , , , ,
Sep 08

Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play 4G hitting AT&T on September 18th for $50 on contract

Posted in: 4G, Android, att, breaking news, hspa, mobilepostcross, official, on sale, OnSale, playstation, ship, smartphone, sony, Sony Ericsson, SonyEricsson, Today's Chili, xperia

We knew good and well it was coming, and come it has. Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play has made the natural GSM shift in the States in order to grace Ma Bell’s airwaves, and despite the “4G” naming convention, this fellow will be topping out at HSPA+. In other words, LTE lovers will need to look elsewhere. This marks the first launch of a PlayStation-certified smartphone for AT&T, and given that it’s been around the block a time or two, the carrier is (smartly) pricing it at just $49.99 on a two-year contract — a buck-fifty less than what it launched for on Verizon Wireless. As we’d heard, it’ll ship with Android 2.3.3, a 1GHz CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, a 4-inch display (854 x 480) and will arrive in an exclusive ‘stealth blue’ hue. AT&T customers will also be blessed with a gratis Multimedia Dock (DK300) and MC100 music cable, not to mention seven pre-loaded games at no charge. Full details on that are hosted up after the break, and interested consumers can line up to grab their own on September 18th.

Gallery: Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play 4G for AT&T press photos

Continue reading Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play 4G hitting AT&T on September 18th for $50 on contract

Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play 4G hitting AT&T on September 18th for $50 on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 10:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAT&T  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , ,
Sep 07

Sony launches party pack of noise-cancelling headphones, your personal discotheque awaits

Posted in: Android, audio, BlackBerry, earbuds, headphones, iPhone, Music, nokia, sony, Sony Ericsson, SonyEricsson, Today's Chili


To the joy and delight of babysitters everywhere, Sony announced a boatload of new noise-cancelling headphones and earbuds to keep you sane in loud situations. Leading the pack are the $200, on-ear active / passive MDR-NC200D headphones, which have a 40mm drivers in each ear, 22-hour battery and folding design. For $150, users wanting portability can cop the smaller in-ear MDR-NC100Ds, which have a lower price tag and 13.5mm drivers. Both headphones feature Sony’s “Artificial Intelligence Noise-Cancelling” technology, which claims to automatically reduce ambient noise by around 98.2 percent — because you know, precision matters.

Also launching today are two new smartphone headsets — the $40 in-ear DR-EX14VP and the $60 DR-XB23VP earbuds — with connectivity to Android, iPhone and BlackBerry phones, as well as Sony Ericsson, Nokia and other phones thanks to an included compatibility cord. Pulling up the rear are the new iPhone control headsets — the $60 DR-XB22iP in-ear silicone hybrids, the $40 DR-EX61iP earbuds and the $150 “over-the-head” DR-ZX701iP. Currently accepting pre-orders, the headphones will be available for purchase sometime in October — just in time to tune out the doorbell this Halloween. Check out the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Sony launches party pack of noise-cancelling headphones, your personal discotheque awaits

Sony launches party pack of noise-cancelling headphones, your personal discotheque awaits originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 20:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSony  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , ,
Sep 03

Mobile Miscellany: week of August 29, 2011

Posted in: 4G, 720p, att, BestBuy, BlackBerry, droid, hspa, HTC, lte, mango, Miscellaneous, mobilepostmini, motorola, research in motion, ResearchInMotion, RIM, Sony Ericsson, SonyEricsson, Today's Chili, windows phone, WindowsPhone

This week, as always, was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here’s some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of August 15, 2011:

  • More rumors are circulating about the upcoming Sony Ericsson Nozumi, originally leaked two weeks ago. The new specs getting floated around are even better than we previously thought, which include a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB of RAM, 4.3-inch display with 1280 x 720 resolution for a PPI of 342, and NFC. (Thanks, David) [via XperiaBlog]
  • The Motorola Milestone 3 — the GSM twin of the Droid 3, essentially — was released in Brazil this week and will be available in select Latin American countries later this month. [via AndroidCentral]
  • Just as we’re getting used to the idea of a white HTC EVO 3D at Radio Shack, it’s now reported that a purple version will soon be available exclusively at Best Buy. [via PocketNow]
  • The BlackBerry Torch 9860 has two new Canadian homes, as it launched this week on Telus for $100 and SaskTel for $130. Both carriers involve setting up a three-year commitment. [via MobileSyrup(1) and (2)]
  • Did someone mention SaskTel? Yes, the carrier is jumping on the 4G bandwagon by announcing its intent to deploy LTE by the fall of 2012. [via MobileSyrup]
  • AT&T’s LG Thrill 4G is finally getting released tomorrow after several weeks of delays. While the phone will be offered for $100 by the carrier itself, you’ll be able to get it at Costco for $30. [via PhoneArena]
  • Alongside the Kyocera Milano, Sprint will also launch a new feature phone called the Kyocera Brio. The Brio will offer a QWERTY keyboard, a 192MHz CPU and will run Java. [via Electronista and AndroidCentral]
  • At HTC’s Windows Phone launch this week, reps confirmed that all of its new Windows Phones will indeed have the mobile hotspot feature included, though it won’t be a part of the software update to the company’s existing lineup. It’s likely to be added with a future refresh, but apparently the feature was added too late in the process to get thrown into the initial rollout. (Thanks, Gilles) [via Pocket-Lint]

Mobile Miscellany: week of August 29, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , , , , , ,
Aug 31

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S hands-on (video)

Posted in: Ifa2011, mobilepostcross, sony, Sony Ericsson, SonyEricsson, Today's Chili, video, xperia
The only way you missed Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Arc S at today’s IFA press conference, is if the slim handset happened to be turned sideways at the time. The 4.2-inch phone was the one of the bigger announcements at the event, sporting a 1.4GHz processor, an 8.1 megapixel camera, a Reality Display and the ability to convert 2D images into 3D. Like the new Walkman, however, Sony seemed largely interested in showing off the handset’s ability to transfer content onto its line of Bravia displays. Check out a brief hands-on video with the new Arc after the break.

Gallery: Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S hands-on

Continue reading Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S hands-on (video)

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Aug 31

Sony Ericsson announces Xperia arc S at IFA, coming in October

Posted in: Ifa2011, mobilepostcross, sony, Sony Ericsson, SonyEricsson, Today's Chili, xperia

Sony took to the stage at IFA 2011 to unveil its latest handset, the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc S. It appears to be a refresh of the original that was launched earlier this year. The super-slim device just got a few bumps in features, including a 1.4GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 processor and an 8.1 megapixel camera with an Exmor R sensor that includes a “3D sweep panorama” mode, which offers the ability to take 2D (read: not stereoscopic) images and convert them into 3D. The new device will offer a similar 4.2-inch Reality Display that we’ve seen in the original Arc, and will be available in five colors globally this October. Click on past the break for the company’s official presser.

Gallery: Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S

Joseph Volpe contributed to this report.

Continue reading Sony Ericsson announces Xperia arc S at IFA, coming in October

Sony Ericsson announces Xperia arc S at IFA, coming in October originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Aug 31

Live from Sony IFA 2011 press event

Posted in: Ifa2011, LiveBlog, sony, Sony Ericsson, SonyEricsson, tablets, Today's Chili, vaio

What better way to kick this year’s IFA conference in beautiful Berlin, Germany than a good old fashioned Sony press conference? We’re getting ready to get things started here, so sit down, grab a beverage and reach for those 3D glasses to read along at home [note: this liveblog is not in 3D].

Continue reading Live from Sony IFA 2011 press event

Live from Sony IFA 2011 press event originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 09:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,