Hasta La Gadget!

Though the final nail in the Microsoft Kin coffin has yet to be tapped into place, the software that made the pair of ill-fated handsets strangely compelling will soon get the axe. Come January 31st, Kin Studio will be no more, effectively neutering existing Kin phones by removing them from the cloud. They’ll still be able to make calls, send SMS, email, browse the web and even stream music via Zune Pass, but their formerly live homescreens will become lifeless, stripped of social networking functionality — and will actually remain stuck on their very last status update, much like a broken clock. Their online repository of pictures, videos and contacts will cease to exist, though you can back them up to a personal computer if you act now. Thankfully, Verizon seems to understands that not all Kin customers will be happy with a zombiephone, and has taken a drastic measure to help them out — through March 31st, 2011, Kin owners can trade it in for a free 3G phone of their choice. How kind. Find full Verizon FAQs on the transition at our more coverage links.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Kin Studio closing January 31st, Verizon offers free phones to affected customers

Kin Studio closing January 31st, Verizon offers free phones to affected customers originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Dec 2010 13:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Notice something missing from that Continuum there on Big Red’s home page? That’s right: if this were a real phone, there’d be an arbitrary black bar across the screen somewhere around the young lady’s midsection, followed by a “ticker” at the bottom… but instead, just as with the iOS-powered Droid X, they’ve once again exceeded the bounds of reality with a little help from Adobe products. Don’t get us wrong, the phone Verizon’s got up on its home page is the Continuum Verizon probably should’ve launched… but then they would’ve had to answer the burning question of why they released a slightly sexier, slimmer version of the Fascinate. It’s alright, though, guys — we’ve got your back — just follow the break for the corrected version. You’re welcome to use it!

Continue reading Verizon sucks at Photoshop: the Continuum definitely can’t do this, we checked

Verizon sucks at Photoshop: the Continuum definitely can’t do this, we checked originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 17:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve heard rumors that Novatel is working on an LTE-enabled version of its MiFi for Verizon, likely for launch early next year — but you’ve got to figure that a few other manufacturers would like a slice of that sweet, juicy 4G pie, right? We just noticed this so-called SCH-LC11 from Samsung has garnered FCC approval, offering CDMA / EV-DO compatibility alongside 700MHz LTE stuffed into some sort of WiFi-enabled mobile router, which would be perfect for Big Red’s new network… but then again, it’d also be perfect for MetroPCS’ LTE airwaves. MetroPCS has yet to launch any data-centric LTE products, but it’s got a good relationship with Samsung — its only LTE device right now is the Samsung Craft, in fact — so we could definitely imagine the little guys trying to beat Verizon to the punch with a sexy, pocketable 4G hotspot to do battle with Sprint’s Overdrive. One way or another, this is hitting an American carrier… and the sooner, the better.

Update: Okay, we can rule out MetroPCS — the device is approved for CDMA on 850 / 1900MHz, not AWS, which is what MetroPCS uses. Verizon, here we come.

Samsung’s SCH-LC11 CDMA / LTE mobile hotspot gets FCC approval, probably Verizon bound originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 16:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sometimes, you have to wonder if these CEO types are being paid the big bucks just because they can believe their own outlandish claims. Latest to try and push the boundaries of credulity is Verizon’s Ivan Seidenberg, who told an investor conference that he sees the company’s newly unveiled 4G offering as becoming a “modest substitute” for premium home entertainment services as offered by cable and online streaming companies. He concedes that for now VZW’s new LTE network will be viewed as an addition, rather than a replacement, to our connected world, but, over time, Seidenberg expects that its presence will be enough to convince more people to cut the cord. Perhaps those who’ll find the $50 per 5GB levy easiest to swallow will be people with no cord at all — the folks in rural areas for whom wired broadband isn’t yet an option. As to the rest of us, we’ll just wait until the economics start to look a tiny bit more appealing.

Update: Speaking of economics, Fierce Wireless has another disclosure from the same conference. On the topic of LTE smartphone plans, Ivan said Verizon is still undecided on pricing, but he sees 10GB a month as the “floor of what people will do,” going on to say that Verizon must “hold firm as best we can until the entire environment is mature enough.” Listen to the webcast of his speech at the link below.

Verizon CEO: 4G can be a ‘substitute’ for home internet and cable, will accelerate cord cutting originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now that Verizon’s gone official with its LTE pricing for an initial launch in some 38 markets this Sunday, we wanted to take a quick look at how it compares to the other players in the laptop data market — after all, how much you’re paying month to month can be just as big of a determining factor (if not a bigger one) in choosing a carrier than the speeds you’re seeing. So how do Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, Clear, and Rover stack up? Let’s break it down.

Continue reading Laptop data plans: comparing LTE, WiMAX, and HSPA+ by speed, price, and value

Laptop data plans: comparing LTE, WiMAX, and HSPA+ by speed, price, and value originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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