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Inside Wembley: why it wants to become the world's most connected stadium
With 90,000 seats, Wembley Stadium is the largest stadium in the UK and second biggest in Europe. Demolished in 2003, rebuilt and then re-opened in 2007, the £798 million arena has played home to domestic and European cup finals in various sports, England football qualifiers and numerous open air concerts. Its owners, the Football Association (FA), have strived to "deliver the best experience possible," and for a time, that mainly involved providing hospitality to various types of visitors at the stadium. However, as smartphone use has boomed, visitor needs have changed, and the stadium has been forced to evolve to match their requirements. That isn't to say its owners have resisted change, as we found out when we visited the sporting amphitheatre earlier this week.
Vodafone's HD Voice launch leaves O2 customers as the odd ones out
HD Voice technology isn't particularly new -- in fact, some UK operators have supported it since as far back as 2010. Very few devices were HD-capable back then, though, but lots of modern smartphones are now suitably equipped, leading other carriers to get their acts together. Today, Vodafone announced it's joining the party, letting anyone with a supported handset make HD calls to others on the same network. HD Voice, if you weren't aware, widens the frequency range of your call, ensuring conversations almost sound like you're talking to someone face-to-face. Today's launch means O2 is now the only major UK carrier not offering the feature, and it says it has no official plans to either. Given most smartphone usage is dedicated to messaging and photo apps these days, today's launch might not excite Vodafone customers all that much. The difference in quality is noticeable though, so prepare to feel like someone's living inside your head the first time a call connects in HD.
Samsung's Gear S smartwatch doesn't need a phone to get online or make calls
Samsung is taking the wraps off of yet another new smartwatch, but the Gear S (not Solo) has a twist: there's a 3G modem inside. While it may not be especially fast, that means that even when outside the range of a Bluetooth-connected phone or WiFi, it can still send and receive messages or make calls. It has a 2-inch AMOLED screen plus a dual-core 1GHz CPU inside along with GPS, heart rate and motion sensors, all powered by a 300mAh battery Samsung says can last up to two days. It runs Tizen instead of Android Wear, with pedestrian navigation available from from Nokia's HERE and support for Facebook. In the run up to IFA next week Samsung is also bringing the Gear Circle headset (yes, we also figured they'd save that name for a round watch) that pairs with a phone over Bluetooth, letting users hear notifications, use voice commands or listen to music through the earbuds.
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.
You can carry a privacy-minded wireless hotspot in your pocket
Devices like the Safeplug can deter companies and governments from snooping on your devices at home, but they're not much good when you're on the road. That's where the PORTAL (Personal Onion Router To Assure Liberty) project comes into play. Load the customized firmware on to certain travel hotspots (some TP-Link models and their clones) and you can maintain strong privacy anywhere you have internet access, without using special software; think of it as an anti-surveillance tool in your pocket. It not only puts you on the Tor anonymity network that spies hate so much, but supports connection masking add-ons that prevent your Tor data from being blocked. You can visit China without worrying that you'll have to use an insecure, heavily censored connection just to get online.
$20 FreedomPop 'Unlimited Everything' plan includes 1GB of Sprint LTE, limits
FreedomPop's been signing up customers with the promise of free mobile phone service since last year, but once you're hooked, you'll need to shell out a bit of dough to keep things going. The basic plan, which does in fact come with a $0.00 monthly fee, gets you 200 minutes, 500 text messages and 500 megs of data. Once you reach those caps, you'll pay one cent per minute or 2.5 cents per MB, or you can step up to the new "Unlimited Everything" plan, which will run you $20 monthly for all-you-can-eat voice, text messages and data, with a catch: You'll only get 1GB of LTE, after which you'll drop down to Sprint's 3G network. Assuming you'll consume that gig of data in far less than 30 days, FreedomPop's four LTE smartphones, including three from Samsung and Apple's iPhone 5, may not be the best fit. Still, $20 is a relative steal for unlimited smartphone service, and if you can live with 3G speeds after that first gig is up, FreedomPop's ready to start saving you cash.
Switched On: Return of the digital hub
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. In the heyday of Palm organizers, when even the speeds of 3G data seemed like a distant fantasy, a debate raged as to whether the future of pocket devices could belong to one or two devices. Those who favored two devices argued that you didn't really want all the bulk and battery consumption of a pocket computer in a small device that you wanted to use primarily to make calls. They failed to anticipate that technology's relentless integration would enable these "pocket computers" to become the minimal-millimeter smartphones of today and that data networks would support access to apps ranging from social networking to mobile video that would trump voice for many users.
Talking to Siri: Energizing
Stand still! Do you intend to travel using... WiFi or 3G? Steven Sande and Erica Sadun have been working on the third edition of Talking to Siri, the book that covers all the ins and outs of everyone's favorite digital assistant.
NetZero's mobile broadband now works wherever Sprint has 3G
Like the person who thinks socks with sandals is a bold fashion statement, WiMAX is a mobile technology that rarely gets invited to the cool parties anymore. NetZero, realizing that its WiMAX-powered mobile broadband needs to move with the times, signed a deal to use Sprint's 3G, and latterly 4G, to bolster -- and eventually replace -- the service. Stage one of that agreement has now gone live, enabling NetZero users to hop onto Big Yellow's EV-DO, which is more robust than Clearwire's equivalent. The only disappointment, it seems, is that you'll now have to wait until the fall before 4G services come online.
Vodafone UK fails to reach imposed minimum 3G coverage, will fix by 2014
If UK folks on Vodafone find themselves without 3G in some places, it's because the telcom has failed to reach the minimum geographical coverage imposed by Ofcom. In 2010, the government-directed mobile regulator required the expansion of 3G networks until they cover the area where 90 percent of the population lives come 2013. While O2, Three and EE all passed muster after the June 30th deadline, Ofcom has discovered that the British-owned telcom missed the goal by 1.4 percent. The watchdog's report didn't detail why the carrier failed to meet the target, but it was implied that the company made a faulty estimate on how many 3G-capable mobile masts it needed. Worry not, o ye Vodafone faithful -- the provider plans to convert roughly 100 more 2G sites to 3G in order to comply to Ofcom's standards (and avoid paying penalty) by January 2014. [Image credit: Iain Patterson, Flickr]
Original 3G iPad owners get eligibility claim forms for proposed settlement
Yesterday, those who had ordered an original 3G-enabled iPad on or before June 7, 2010, received an email outlining the details of a proposed settlement in a class action lawsuit. As you may recall, AT&T offered unlimited iPad data plans when the tablet first appeared in 2010, but quickly pulled those plans. Some customers may have purchased iPads based on the "come-on" of unlimited data at a set rate, warranting the damages that have been set by the courts. According to the email, those who are members of the class are eligible for a one-time US$40 payment from Apple as well as "other benefits from AT&T," which amounts to a discounted data plan. The claim can be submitted online by using an embedded link and a special claim number assigned to each member of the class, and the claim must be made by February 3, 2014. If you purchased a 3G iPad in those early days and didn't receive a claim form, you can request one by calling a toll-free phone number listed on the form. Many thanks to TUAW reader Dan M. for forwarding his copy of the settlement email to us (click the press release button below to read). Show full PR text $40 payment from Apple and discounted data benefit plan from AT&T under class action settlements Click here or go to www.3Gdataplansettlement.com/claim to file your claim using your Personal Claim Number Your Personal Claim Number is If you purchased more than one eligible iPad 3G, you will receive a separate e-mail with a separate Personal Claim Number for each iPad. You must submit a separate claim form for each iPad using the separate Personal Claim Number. If you purchased or ordered an iPad with WiFi + 3G on or before June 7, 2010, you could be entitled to $40 from Apple, and other benefits from AT&T, under class action settlements The Court authorized this notice. This is not a solicitation from a lawyer. You are not being sued. This notice may affect your legal rights. Please read it carefully. You may be entitled to a $40 payment from Apple, and other benefits from AT&T, under two settlements that have been reached in class action lawsuits titled In re Apple and AT&T iPad Unlimited Data Plan Litigation. The United States District Court for the Northern District of California authorized this notice. The Court will have a hearing to consider whether to approve the settlements so that the benefits may be provided. WHO'S AFFECTED? You're an "Apple Class Member" if you are a United States resident who purchased or ordered an iPad 3G in the United States on or before June 7, 2010. You're an "AT&T Subclass Member" if you also did not sign up for any AT&T data plan for that iPad at any time. WHAT'S THIS CASE ABOUT? The lawsuits claimed that iPad 3G purchasers were not provided with access to an "unlimited" data plan in the manner originally advertised by Apple and AT&T. Apple and AT&T deny all allegations and are entering into these settlements to avoid burdensome and costly litigation. The settlements are not an admission of wrongdoing. WHAT CAN YOU GET FROM THE SETTLEMENTS? Apple will provide a $40 payment to all Apple Class Members who submit a valid Claim Form. AT&T will provide a "Data Plan Benefit" to AT&T Subclass Members who did not sign up for an AT&T 3G data plan for their iPad at any time and who submit a valid Claim Form. The Data Plan Benefit provides an AT&T 5GB iPad data plan for $30/month for up to one year, which is a $20/month discount from the current monthly rate; if the monthly rate of the 5GB iPad data plan changes, a discount of $20/month will still be provided. HOW DO YOU RECEIVE BENEFITS? You must submit a valid Claim Form by February 3, 2014. The Claim Form will require you to affirm that the ability to switch in and out of the "unlimited" data plan was a factor in your decision to purchase an iPad 3G. You can submit a Claim Form online by following this link and using the Personal Claim Number above. You may also request a Claim Form by calling 1-800-248-1504. You may submit claims for the Cash Benefit, the Data Plan Benefit, or both. Only eligible persons will receive benefits. IMPORTANT DEADLINES: You must submit your Claim Form on or before February 3, 2014, or you will lose your right to obtain these benefits. If you wish to receive a reminder notice before the deadline, click here or go to www.3Gdataplansettlement.com/Subscribe. WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER OPTIONS? If you don't want to make a claim and you don't want to be legally bound by the settlement with Apple, the settlement with AT&T, or both settlements, you must send a written request postmarked no later than December 20, 2013. If you don't timely exclude yourself, you will not be able to sue, or continue to sue, the defendant in that settlement about the legal claims in this case and will be bound by any judgment. If you exclude yourself, you will not be eligible to receive benefits under that settlement. If you do not exclude yourself, you may object to one or both of the settlements or Class Counsel's fee application. Objections must be received by December 20, 2013. The detailed notice (available by calling 1800-248-1504 or going to www.3Gdataplansettlement.com describes how to exclude yourself or object. The Court will hold a hearing in this case (In re Apple and AT&T iPad Unlimited Data Plan Litigation, Case No. 5:10-02553-RMW) on February 7, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. to consider whether to approve (1) the settlements; (2) attorneys' fees and expenses for Class Counsel of up to $1,750,000; and (3) service awards of up to $1,000 for each of the five class representatives who represented the class in this case. You may appear at the hearing, but you don't have to. To obtain a detailed notice and Claim Form, or to review Class Counsel's fee application once it is filed, go to www.3Gdataplansettlement.com or call toll free 1-800-248-1504. WHO REPRESENTS YOU? The Court has appointed Class Counsel to represent the Class. The law firms appointed as Class Counsel are listed in the detailed notice, available by calling 1-800-248-1504 or at www.3Gdataplansettlement.com. You may hire your own attorney, but you will have to pay that attorney. For more information, visit www.3Gdataplansettlement.com or call 1-800-248-1504.
Three to carry iPad Air and new iPad mini in the UK
With the iPad Air but a day away from launching in the UK, it's high time that the nation's cellular networks began crowing about which ones will carry the device. Three is the first to pipe up, saying that you'll be able to snag both the Air from tomorrow and the iPad Mini with Retina when it arrives later in November. The cheapest package will set you back £7.50 a month with 1GB of data on a monthly contract, plus £499 up-front for the 16GB model -- while you can grab 15GB a month if you pony up £25 every four weeks. Don't forget that while you'll initially be stuck with just 3G signals, the network will begin its LTE rollout in December, so factor that in when you make your decision.
Huawei's UltraStick is a 3G SD card with no storage, has slot for a nano-SIM
To start, it's not another Eye-Fi card competitor. Nope, this wireless-capable SD card spotted at CEATEC has no memory of its own. Instead, Huawei's scooped out the gigabytes and replaced them with a 3G radio, capable of up to 21Mbps (HSPA+) download speeds. It's easier to think of it as a super-petite MiFi dongle, but one that could be ideal for any slender laptop owners who are looking to free up a USB port. Huawei's apparently still hunting down carrier partners to work with, but if we hear anything about a price or where we might eventually find it, we'll let you know.
Three months of PS Plus free with 3G Vita activation on AT&T
Activating a 3G-enabled PlayStation Vita under a new DataConnect plan with AT&T will get you two free games and three months of PlayStation Plus membership. The promotion is similar to one Sony ran in February 2012, especially because one of the games in question is the same: Super Stardust Delta. The other freebie in the deal is Smart As, a brain-training game developed by XDEV. The Vita received a permanent price drop to $199 last week, alongside cost reductions for the system's tiny but pricey memory cards.
DataWind Ubislate 3G7 mystery tablet visits FCC with HSPA in tow
DataWind's no stranger to making inexpensive tablets (India's Aakash immediately comes to mind) but to date its products (including the iconic PocketSurfer) have only featured 2G connectivity -- in addition to WiFi, of course. This appears to be changing with the Ubislate 3G7, an unannounced 7-inch, 3G-enabled tablet that recently sauntered through the FCC. According to the test reports, it supports quadband GPRS and tri-band HSPA (2100 / 1900 / 850MHz), making it compatible with AT&T "4G" in the US. Little else is known about this mystery device beyond what's outlined in the FCC documents. From what we've been able to gather, it features WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0, a microSD card slot plus front and rear (2 MP) cameras. Follow the source link below to check it out for yourself.
Autonet Mobile puts a new twist on the car key (video)
Remember Autonet? The company -- which is best known for providing manufacturers like Chrysler with in-car WiFi hotspot solutions -- is launching a new product designed to replace the key fob and enable low-latency remote vehicle control and diagnostics from any smartphone. Of course, this is nothing new -- car makers have been featuring apps to unlock doors, start the engine and monitor vehicles for some time now. Still, most existing solutions rely on satellite or 2G connectivity and often require the car's computer to be fully booted before responding to commands, which makes for a slow and unreliable experience. Autonet's new system combines in-vehicle hardware, mobile software and cloud services to streamline this process for both manufacturers and owners. More after the break. %Gallery-195223%
Tim Cook meets with China Mobile chairman
Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly met with China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua on Tuesday to "discuss matters of cooperation," according to Reuters. The meeting is thought to be a step towards the Chinese wireless carrier offering the iPhone to its customers, though no official statement was released regarding an agreement. With over 700 million customers and the title of the largest wireless operator in the world (by subscribers), a deal to offer the iPhone would be a huge win for both the state-owned China Mobile as well as Apple. China Mobile users have notoriously shied away from 3G and higher speeds in greater numbers than its competitor's subscribers. Whether or not the iPhone can help change that trend remains to be seen.
Huawei unveils mid-range MediaPad 7 Vogue tablet that can place calls
You can't toss a stone without hitting a 7-inch tablet nowadays, so Huawei's just announced the MediaPad 7 Vogue with a not-too-common feature: voice calling. If you don't mind a large object plastered to your head, the 3G version of the slate (there's also a WiFi-only model) will let you place network calls just like the ASUS FonePad or Samsung's Galaxy Note 8.0. Otherwise, it's packing decidedly middling specs, like a 1,024 x 600 IPS screen, quad-core Huawei 1.2GHz Cortex-A9 CPU, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, 3-megapixel rear camera and a microSD expansion slot. It'll launch in China this month, though there's no word yet on pricing or whether fans will be able to score it elsewhere. Check after the break for PR and another image of the tab.
BlackBerry Q5 stops by the FCC with AT&T-friendly 3G
When we were introduced to BlackBerry's Q5, a lower-end QWERTY handset running BB10 OS, we were told it was aimed at emerging markets and heard of no plans to bring it to the US. While that still could be the case, a device with the identifier RFS121LW and an appearance matching that of the Q5 has been given the all-clear by the FCC. Now, this might be just a roaming application (when devices not sold in the US get approved for use there), but it's important to note that the 3G radio inside this phone is compatible with AT&T's network (850 / 1900MHz). We can't guarantee the image above isn't a generic outline BlackBerry's used to show the position of the label, nor can we totally be certain you'll ever be able to purchase a Q5 from the US carrier. Well, at least not until the Q10 launch buzz dies down, anyway.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 returns to the FCC with 3G inside
When Samsung's Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 first passed through the FCC for approval, it was still shrouded in mystery. It just came back to the US agency with a familiar face... and a 3G twist. The GT-P5200 variant we have here supports built-in HSPA data that works with AT&T and bigger Canadian carriers. Unfortunately, it doesn't have LTE -- which all but rules out deals with American providers for this edition of the Android slate. We'll look out in the off chance that a more appropriate model comes along, but the FCC approval should at least please some globetrotting tablet fans.
