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FordPass dongle adds LTE, WiFi and app control to older cars
Last January, Ford introduced a new gadget it would test in a pilot program that added connected functionality to old cars. The SmartLink plugged into the On-Board Diagnostic-II (OBD-II) port to function as a 4G WiFi hotspot with other features. Today, they're releasing it to the public, and 2010-17 model year Ford vehicles that don't come with modems will be able to buy and use them.
Comcast’s xFi Advanced Gateway modem is now available nationwide
It's no secret that modems provided by your ISP can leave a lot to be desired. While we generally recommend you use your own hardware when it comes to your internet connection, plenty of people just go with the standard default modem and router. Comcast is making that process just a little bit easier thanks to the xFi Advanced Gateway modem and router. The modem, which the company is billing as the most advanced device it's ever made, made its debut back in May, but starting today it's available in every market that Comcast offers gigabit internet.
Ask Engadget: Where should I put my router?
The support shared between readers in the comments section is one of the things we love most about the Engadget community. Over the years, we've known you to offer sage advice on everything from Chromecasts and cameras to drones and smartphones. In fact, our community's knowledge and insights are a reason why many of you participate in the comments. We truly value the time and detail you all spend in responding to questions from your fellow tech-obsessed commenters, which is why we've decided to bring back the much-missed "Ask Engadget" column. This week's question comes to us from a reader who needs help setting up a home office. Weigh in with your advice in the comments -- and feel free to send your own questions along to ask@engadget.com! I am considering moving my office from the basement and converting a room on the second floor. I have lots to move, but single strength is a make or break. I did some quick shot tests and found that I am dropping about 45 percent signal in the new office. I plan on stringing new coaxial and Ethernet up to the room so that I can maintain the best signal for my work. Would it be better to leave the cable modem (Thomson) where it is (in basement) and use Ethernet to string the router (D-Link AC3200) to the second floor, or does it not matter? My preference would be to keep the modem and router together just for troubleshooting. You know, when the network goes out and you call your ISP and the first thing that they want you to do is power down the modem and router. I will be stringing 50-foot lengths for both. I am not sure what type of coaxial I should get. Which one should I select, RG-6/U or The RG-59U? The Ethernet will be Cat7; I'll use that to hook up a range selector and/or my Apple TV in the basement.
The iPhone 8 has a gigabit LTE modem (updated)
At first blush, iFixit's tech autopsy on the iPhone 8 didn't reveal anything particularly notable, besides some different screws and a way to remove the glass backing. So far, so meh. But then when it came to the laundry list of chips and modems all crammed inside Apple's latest smartphones, we noticed something. It looks like the company has made its first gigabit LTE phone, capable of substantially faster download speeds. Or at least, the iPhone 8 could have, if it had everything else.
Apple and Qualcomm's license dispute is getting nasty
Qualcomm's ongoing legal dispute with Apple today took a new turn after the chipmaker accused its device-making partner of further withholding patent royalties. According to a statement, Apple recently stopped paying licensing revenue to manufacturers of the iPhone because it believes it's been overpaying for important 3G and 4G patents.
Qualcomm countersues Apple over iPhone and iPad royalties
For years, Apple and Qualcomm have worked together on technology that' goes inside your iPhone and iPad. Qualcomm specifically handles a lot of the modem chips that connect devices to cellular or WiFi networks, and are crucial to any mobile hardware. Since Apple needed a lot of chips, Qualcomm supplied them, and everything seemed good -- until January when Apple filed a $1 billion lawsuit claiming Qualcomm charged royalties on tech it had nothing to do with, and then followed up with two antitrust lawsuits in China. Tonight, Qualcomm has responded with a lawsuit of its own (you can grab the 139 page PDF here), claiming that Apple is in the wrong, and has breached its contract with the company.
Ford SmartLink brings WiFi, LTE-connected features to older cars
If you want new car features like the ability to remote start via an app or have a WiFi hotspot onboard without buying a new car, then Ford's new SmartLink is one way to add them. Chrysler has offered WiFi and other features as a part of Uconnect since 2008, while GM followed on most vehicles in 2014 but Ford's Sync platform leaned more on customer's own devices. Now, owners of 2010 - 2016 model year Ford and Lincoln vehicles without a built-in modem can add a 4G LTE connection that plugs into the car's OBD-II diagnostic port underneath the steering wheel.
Google WiFi review: A hassle-free router comes at a price
Google's not new to the hardware game, but with its "Made by" range, the company is making a concerted effort to marry its smart software with the gear we run it on. We've already tried the Pixel phones, Daydream View VR headset, Chromecast Ultra and Google Home, but until now, there was one Made by Google gadget we'd yet to test, and it's the one that arguably ties all the rest together: Google's aptly named WiFi router.
Qualcomm-powered 5G devices may arrive in first half of 2018
As we saw back at MWC, 5G trials are already well under way around the world, and such efforts are recently boosted with support from the FCC plus the EU. Verizon has stated that it's aiming to implement 5G at some point in 2017, but today, a mobile chip giant has given us a more specific time frame. At the Qualcomm 4G/5G Summit in Hong Kong, the company announced its very first 5G modem, the Snapdragon X50, which will support download speeds at up to 5 Gbps -- a super impressive number considering that we've only just started tapping into the Gigabit space with 4G LTE, let alone the more common 450 Mbps, 300 Mbps or even just 150 Mbps download speeds on our phones these days.
iPhone 7 teardown reveals the Intel modem inside
Back in June, Intel mobile exec Navin Shenoy told Engadget that despite cancelling its mobile-focused SoFIA chip, the company is "not done experimenting and looking for opportunities to do something different" and some evidence of that is now available. The iPhone 7 just launched, so naturally the teardown artists at Chipworks pulled a US-bound A1778 model apart only to find an Intel-built modem, RF transceiver and power management chips inside. This confirms an earlier Bloomberg rumor that Intel would replace Qualcomm in some versions of the phone (iFixit found a Qualcomm modem in the iPhone 7 Plus it took apart).
Bloomberg: Intel will supply modem chips for the next iPhone
Bloomberg is reporting that Intel will replace Qualcomm as the supplier of modem hardware for some models in the next generation of iPhones. The news service believes that the move is down to Apple's desire to "diversify its supplier" base for the best-selling devices. Intel will provide the wireless hardware for the GSM version of the device, compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile in the US as well as most worldwide carriers. Qualcomm, meanwhile, will still provide the gear that goes into the Verizon/Sprint model, as well as for other mobile networks that use the CDMA protocol.
The best cable modem
By David Murphy This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. After researching 88 cable modems this year, the Arris SURFboard SB6141 DOCSIS 3.0 remains the cable modem we recommend for most people. It's compatible with seven of the nine biggest ISPs—including Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, and Charter—and it supports the Internet speeds available to the vast majority of Americans. Our pick is popular and reliable, and it gives you the most flexibility for switching providers if you move somewhere else (or if you're lucky enough to have multiple ISPs to choose from).
Qualcomm's X16 modem could help gigabit LTE work in more places
While our wireless carriers bicker over who offers the fastest service, Qualcomm went and pulled back the curtain on the Snapdragon X16 modem, a dry sounding bit of networking tech with huge implications. With it comes the promise of insanely fast gigabit LTE download speeds... but shouldn't hold your breath waiting see your Ookla Speedtest results shoot through the roof.
NASA is making a data modem driven by light
Now that photonic (that is, light-based) chips are a practical reality, they're going to get their ultimate test: space. NASA is developing an integrated photonics modem that will be used to test high-speed laser communications between Earth and spacecraft that are in low and geosynchronous orbits. And unlike the LADEE laser data test from 2013, this is very much intended for practical use -- the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) should be fully operational two years after its initial deployment.
Comcast doesn't like you using third-party cable modems
Not long after facing consumer backlash for its newly implemented bandwidth caps, Comcast is at it again. Now, as Consumerist reports, the company's being put on display for interrupting a customer's web browsing experience to upsell one of its new modems. According to Comcast subscriber "BB," who contacted said website, the cable and internet giant recently reworked the network in his area, which has since led to a series of emails and calls reminding him to upgrade his modem. BB, however, owns his equipment, as opposed to renting it from Comcast for a monthly fee -- and he says it works perfectly.
Comcast switches on the first public gigabit cable modem
Comcast's gigabit internet access doesn't officially go live until sometime in 2016, but that isn't stopping the company from flicking the switch a little early. The cable giant recently activated what it says is the first public-facing DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem in the world -- a fortunate customer in Philadelphia now has the kinds of speeds that previously required either a partial fiber optic link or jumping through lots of hoops. There are additional tests running in parts of Atlanta, northern California and Pennsylvania, too.
Huawei's next chipset may give competitors a run for their money
Huawei is now Europe's second largest Android brand, according to Kantar, but there's just no time for celebration. Not too long after launching the Huawei Mate S and the Nexus 6P, the Chinese telecom giant is already teasing the launch of the Mate 8 on November 26. Little is known about this new smartphone so far, but it'll likely be using Huawei's upcoming Kirin 950 chipset announced today, which joins the Apple A9 chip to be one of the first to use TSMC's 16nm FinFET Plus process for improved efficiency. Like its predecessor, the Kirin 950 has an octa-core processor but with much improved performance: 4 x Cortex-A72 and 4 x Cortex-A53 instead of the old mid-range offering of just eight Cortex-A53 cores. It also uses ARM's flagship Mali-T880 GPU so gaming should be blast on the phone.
NVIDIA is getting rid of its cellular chip business
Alas, NVIDIA's one-time dream of hitting it big in the cellular chip world is not to be. The company is planning to "wind down" its Icera modem business in the second fiscal quarter of the year (that is, no later than July), which could include selling it off. Simply put, NVIDIA's priorities have changed -- it's focused on those areas where its signature graphics and mobile processors tend to thrive, including cars, gaming and the cloud. It's an understandable move given the lack of traction for Icera's parts (Qualcomm virtually dominates the modem landscape), but it's unfortunate for the roughly 500 staffers who may find themselves out of work in a few months. [Image credit: AP Photo/Mark Lennihan]
Virgin Media claims its new wireless hub is the fastest in the land
Even if your home is in the best area for fibre broadband, and you're paying for the fastest speeds, a cheap router can let you down. Slow and patchy wireless connectivity is commonplace in the UK, in part because internet service providers (ISPs) give their subscribers ropey hardware to plug into the wall. Virgin Media claims its new Super Hub 2ac will make a difference though. The combined modem and router offers both 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless channels, with the latter supporting speeds of up to 1300Mbps. It leverages the 802.11ac wireless standard, though should you prefer some good old-fashioned cables there are also four Gigabit Ethernet ports waiting in reserve.
Intel's tiny 3G modem will put always-on data in your smartwatch
There are already smartwatches and other wearables with cellular data built-in, but the bulky hardware they need for that wireless access makes them less than elegant. Intel clearly isn't happy with this state of affairs, as it just unveiled an extra-tiny modem that should put truly sleek, always-connected devices on your body -- and seemingly everywhere else. The new XMM 6255 isn't much larger than a penny (0.47 square inches), but delivers a full-fledged 3G data link. It's built to take abuses like power spikes, and it doesn't need a big antenna to get a good connection; it can even get solid performance in a low-signal area like your basement.
