May 02

Carriers crack down on Android tethering apps, rain on our mobile hotspot parade

Posted in: Android, android market, AndroidMarket, app, apps, att, Google, Sprint, t-mobile, Today's Chili, verizon, vzw
Android Tethering Apps

Well everybody, it looks like the free ride is over: carriers in the US have started to seriously crack down on Android tethering apps. Head on over to the Android Market site and try to install an app that turns your smartphone into a WiFi hotspot — there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be told, “this item is not available on your carrier.” We checked out a number of different tethering options and they were all blocked by T-Mobile and AT&T, which isn’t entirely new. Verizon has also joined the party and, while it missed at least one that we spotted, we’re sure they’ll all be gone in short order. Only Sprint has decided against banning such apps… for now. It looks like you might have to finally cough up for that tethering plan you’ve been desperately trying to avoid.

Carriers crack down on Android tethering apps, rain on our mobile hotspot parade originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 May 2011 15:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 02

Droid Charge review

Posted in: Android, droid, feature, Features, froyo, review, samsung, Today's Chili, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless, video, vzw

We’re still shaking our heads and sighing longingly at the performance of Samsung’s Galaxy S II, a phone that wowed us in Europe but likely won’t be coming to American shores for some time — and who knows what it’ll look like when it does. But don’t get too down, dear reader, because here comes another slice of Samsung and this slab has that same 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display tucked in there. It’s a little less slim, a little less classy, and a little less quick than Sammy’s latest world-conquering wunderphone, but the LTE-equipped Charge is a proper contender in its own right. Read on to see why.

Gallery: Samsung Droid Charge

Continue reading Droid Charge review

Droid Charge review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 May 2011 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 01

Verizon doc suggests BlackBerry PlayBook, HTC Trophy and Xperia Play ‘coming soon’, prices LTE tablet data and intros 4G netbooks

Posted in: 4G, BlackBerry, blackberry playbook, BlackberryPlaybook, HTC, lte, price, pricing, RIM, Sony Ericsson, SonyEricsson, Today's Chili, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless, vzw

What happened to the HTC Trophy, long overdue on Verizon 3G? How about the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, mysteriously missing a Verizon release date long before Japan’s catastrophe? Will Verizon commit to carrying the BlackBerry PlayBook this year? Just how much will LTE data cost for the Xoom and its tablet friends?

We may finally have some of the answers, thanks to Verizon’s fancy new online catalog. RIM’s tablet, the PlayStation Phone and the HTC Trophy are all listed as “coming soon,” and that’s not all — both the BlackBerry Bold 9650, Curve 3G 9330 and the Droid 2 Global are all “while supplies last,” suggesting successors may be inbound. Meanwhile, tablet LTE data plans look like they’re going to cost the same as 3G ones — $20 for 1GB, $35 for 3GB, $50 for 5GB and $80 for $10GB as usual. LTE netbooks will only be able to take advantage of the two highest-priced plans, but there are a pair of them on the way, including the 11.6-inch HP Pavilion dm1 (with a 1.6GHz AMD Fusion chip) and the 10.1-inch Compaq Mini CQ10 with an Intel Atom N455 processor.

Mind you, the catalog’s URL explicitly mentions “2011 Winter,” so it’s quite possible that “soon” won’t be as soon as you’d like, but to get a peek at all the goodies, check out the gallery below or shoot on over to our source link.

Gallery: Verizon Winter 2011 online catalog

[Thanks, Thump3rX17]

Verizon doc suggests BlackBerry PlayBook, HTC Trophy and Xperia Play ‘coming soon’, prices LTE tablet data and intros 4G netbooks originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 May 2011 14:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 30

HTC Thunderbolt getting new radio firmware, according to Verizon doc

Posted in: 4G, firmware update, FirmwareUpdate, lte, ota, software update, SoftwareUpdate, thunderbolt, Today's Chili, update, upgrade, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless, vzw

Looks like AT&T isn’t the only carrier patching cellular connectivity issues this month — a Verizon document suggests that we’ll be getting some brand new radio firmware for the beleaguered HTC Thunderbolt. The handset not only fell victim to Verizon’s LTE outage but has had 3G data and CDMA / LTE cycling issues since day one, so we’re hoping this latest baseband will bring at least a modicum of relief for affected speed demons across the country. What we don’t know is when this patch might show up — we thought the Xoom’s security update would be imminent, but those documents were unceremoniously pulled.

HTC Thunderbolt getting new radio firmware, according to Verizon doc originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Apr 2011 17:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 29

Verizon document suggests LG Revolution will have Netflix pre-installed

Posted in: LG, netflix, streaming video, StreamingVideo, Today's Chili, verizon, vzw

We didn’t exactly need any more evidence that the LG Revolution would be the first Android phone to support Netflix, but a new, seemingly authentic Verizon document posted by an Android Central forum member has now all but confirmed that fact. What’s more, considering that Verizon touts Netflix as one of the phone’s main features, it seems safe to assume that the app will also come pre-installed for your convenience. As you can see, Verizon also says that the phone is “coming soon,” which is unfortunately about as specific a release date as we’ve seen so far. Wondering what’s in store? Then you might want to check out the hands-on we did with the app back at Mobile World Congress in February.

Verizon document suggests LG Revolution will have Netflix pre-installed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 29

Xoom Camera Connection Kit makes us lust for Photoshop on Honeycomb

Posted in: accessories, Android, cable, camera, Google, honeycomb, motorola, motorola xoom, MotorolaXoom, tablet, Today's Chili, usb, verizon, vzw, xoom
Xoom Camera Connection Kit

Soon enough you’ll be able to transfer photos from your digital camera straight to your Xoom, provided you’re willing to shell out $20 for the Xoom Camera Connection Kit. We already knew that the tablet was capable of reading USB drives with a little trickery, but Motorola’s upcoming update will officially unlock that functionality (albeit in a limited form). The glorified micro-USB cable isn’t available online yet, but we’ve heard if you call Verizon and ask nicely for item number MOTMZ600ADPKIT they’re more than happy to send one your way. If asking for a random series of letters and numbers seems a little strange, just pretend you’re a secret agent and it’s some kind of cipher — preferably one that doesn’t remind you to drink your Ovaltine.

Xoom Camera Connection Kit makes us lust for Photoshop on Honeycomb originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 29

Verizon says it will put location warning labels on all phones sold

Posted in: att, Sprint, t-mobile, Today's Chili, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless, vzw
See that rather ominous warning label above? That’s a new sticker that will soon be placed directly on the screen of every new device Verizon Wireless sells. Contrary to what you might suspect, however, that’s not being done in response to the most recent iPhone 4 tracking fiasco. The label was revealed in a letter to Representatives Ed Markey and Joe Barton, who themselves sent a letter to Verizon (and the three other major carriers) on March 29th inquiring about a New York Times story that raised concerns about how carriers collect and store personal location data. As for the other carriers’ responses, they apparently aren’t going as far as Verizon has with its warning label, but they do mostly echo Verizon’s response in other respects. They all say, for instance, that personal data is secured by a variety of means and stored only as long as needed (which can apparently vary by carrier, though), that they don’t rent or sell personal information, and that they request customer consent before accessing location data. Despite those assurances, however, Rep. Markey says he’s still left with a “feeling of uneasiness and uncertainty,” and he’s pointing a finger at third-party developers in particular, who he says must be held “accountable.”

Verizon says it will put location warning labels on all phones sold originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 29

NPD credits Verizon iPhone with stemming the Android tide in Q1 smartphone sales

Posted in: Android, Apple, Google, ios, iPhone, market, market share, marketshare, sales, smartphone, Smartphones, stats, Today's Chili, us, usa, verizon, vzw

As much as we were hoping to get some definitive statements from AT&T and Verizon’s Q1 2011 financials about the Verizon iPhone’s impact on the smartphone market, none were really forthcoming. It’s left to analyst outfits like the NPD, therefore, to try and parse the data for us and read between the official lines. The latest numbers from the NPD Group’s Mobile Phone Tracker indicate that Apple’s share of US smartphones sales jumped from 19 percent in Q4 2010 to 28 percent in the first quarter of this year, which helped stymie Android’s prodigious expansion. The Google OS went from being on 53 percent of all smartphones sold to a flat 50 percent in the quarter. Also intriguing about the period is that, for the first time, smartphones accounted for more than half of all mobile phones sold in the US, at 54 percent. The top five best-selling cellphones also happened to be smartphones, with Apple and HTC providing two each; the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, Droid X, EVO 4G, and the Droid Incredible took home the NPD commendations.

[Thanks, Matt]

Disclaimer: NPD’s Ross Rubin is a contributor to Engadget.

NPD credits Verizon iPhone with stemming the Android tide in Q1 smartphone sales originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 08:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 27

Verizon has ‘determined the cause’ of LTE outage, working to restore service

Posted in: 4G, lte, Today's Chili, verizon, vzw

Verizon has 'determined the cause' of LTE outage, working to restore serviceYeah, we know, 3G data is so last year. If you’ve already made the jump to LTE and are totally bummed about today’s outage, know that there’s a fix coming. We have an official statement from Jeffrey Nelson from VZW Corporate Communications, who indicates that the company has “determined the cause of our issue” and is “working with our major vendors to restore connections.” We’re guessing that doesn’t actually mean plugging something back in, but maybe it does. The full statement is after the break, but what you won’t find is an ETA on when things will be live again.

Continue reading Verizon has ‘determined the cause’ of LTE outage, working to restore service

Verizon has ‘determined the cause’ of LTE outage, working to restore service originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 26

Rugged Casio G’zOne Commando official, coming to Verizon on April 28th for $200

Posted in: Android, froyo, Google, military, rugged, Today's Chili, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless, vzw

We knew it was coming, and now it’s official: Casio’s macho G’zOne Commando is coming to Verizon on April 28th for a price of $200 on-contract. The Commando strays from a long line of durable dumbphones, and is the first ruggedized Android handset on Verizon’s network. In addition to meeting 810G military specifications for water, dust, shock, vibration, salt fog, solar radiation, and temperature extremes, it runs Android 2.2 (Froyo) and has a 3.6-inch (480 x 800) display, 5 megapixel autofocus camera, microSD slot, WiFi, stereo Bluetooth, and a hotspot feature allowing it to share its 3G connection with up to five devices. And, being built like a tank, it also bundles a handful of apps for outdoorsy types, including a compass, pedometer, star gazer, and thermometer. If you’ve never handled a rugged smartphone, you’ll get your chance Thursday when it hits Verizon retail stores. Until then, check out the PR after the break for more details.

Continue reading Rugged Casio G’zOne Commando official, coming to Verizon on April 28th for $200

Rugged Casio G’zOne Commando official, coming to Verizon on April 28th for $200 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 12:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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