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Spot Global Phone review: a satellite phone for the masses
Finally, a phone made in the year 2013 that Zack Morris can approve of. All kidding aside, Spot's aptly titled Global Phone isn't the most -- shall we say, svelte -- of handsets, but it's capable of communicating in places that your iPhone could only dream of. Spot is actually a subsidiary of satellite communications giant Globalstar, who is no stranger to providing satellite-based service to argonauts the world over. The Global Phone is one of the company's first consumer-facing phones, taking the intrigue and mystery out of procuring one of those fancy sat phones -- you know, the ones that can seemingly only be acquired by James Bond's nemeses. The target market for this handset is obvious: if you're an avid hiker, explorer, boater or adventurer, there's a high likelihood that you'll end up in a locale where traditional cell networks provide no coverage. In fact, it's shockingly easy to find dead zones these days -- just head to your nearest national park and stroll up a marked trail for a bit. At $499 for the device itself and month-to-month plans starting at $25, it's actually a reasonably priced addition to one's off-the-grid arsenal. (Have you seen the prices on subzero sleeping bags these days?) But, is it a worthwhile addition? I recently traversed 1,600 miles of mostly desolate territory in the US Southwest in order to find out, and the answer lies just after the break.%Gallery-190761%
Thuraya's SatSleeve docks your iPhone onto its satellite network, charges it too (video)
Despite the Gorilla glass, we're not sure if it's a great idea to bring that iPhone to K2. Still, if you can fire it up, you can now make satellite calls from Apple's iPhone 4 and 4s handsets thanks to Thuraya's SatSleeve. Always-on globetrotter types can slip one of those models into a cradle, dial their pals from virtually anywhere via the company's own satellite network and even place emergency calls without the handset. The device also includes a built-in battery pack to stretch call times by charging your phone -- though given satellite rates, you may get charged more than you think. Thuraya said that an iPhone 5 version's also in the works, but if you're okay with Cupertino's prior models, hit the break for more.
Softbank will offer satellite phones for use during natural disasters
Japanese mobile service provider Softbank announced today that it will sell satellite phones that can be used during tsunamis, earthquakes, or other events during which traditional mobile phone service may be unavailable. The carrier has partnered with Dubai-based Thuraya, a satellite phone and service provider, to sell satellite-based phones to its home market. Softbank, which is in the midst of a $20.1 billion acquisition of US carrier Sprint, has been slower than other Japanese carriers to restore critical mobile services after natural disaster-caused outages. Satellite phone sales will primarily target essential services such as government officials, energy providers, and local media, though private citizens will be able to buy the phones through retail outlets in order to stay connected during critical events. No word yet on price, though Japanese consumers can expect these phones on the market by February.
Inmarsat brings prepaid model to satellite phone calls
If you need a satellite phone, then you need a satellite phone. There's no getting around it. Researchers, government contractors and workers in remote locations around the globe rely on their near universal (and extremely expensive) coverage to keep in touch while out in the field. That has normally meant pricey, long-term contracts that lock users into service much like our nation's cellular providers. Satellite operator Inmarsat is finally providing an alternative for those that need truly global coverage (specifically, here in the US) by offering prepaid voice plans to owners of its IsatPhone Pro, BGAN, FleetBroadband and FleetPhone devices. The new plans, while no less expensive we're sure, should prove to be quite attractive to those that need satellite service for only short periods of time -- say, just a few months. The new plans will be available starting September 1st for those who want sat-phone service without the commitment. Check out the PR after the break. [Photo courtesy of Tarquin Binary]
Iridium releases AxcessPoint Mail & Web app for globetrotting iDevices
A towel and an even keel go a long way when you're galavanting around the globe, but whether we're going to grandma's or New Guinea, many of us won't leave home without access to email. Iridium created its AxcessPoint Mail & Web software for such connection-dependent people, but the service was unavailable to those using iOS... until today. The company has finally brought AxcessPoint to Cupertino's mobile platform, and iPhone users can download the free app now. Of course, before you start checking messages in the middle of the Sahara, you'll need to spring for one of Iridium's pricey sat phones and its WiFi hotspot, then pay a $1 per minute charge once you've connected your iDevice. And, with speeds on the network checking in around 12kbps for web browsing and 40kbps for email, you'll pay dearly for the privilege of opening the Vogon poetry attachment your buddy sent to entertain you while you sail solo across the Atlantic.
Iridium AxcessPoint turns your satellite phone into a mobile hotspot
Hello there traveler. Have you discovered that you sorely miss being connected to the internet while wandering the desert or adrift at sea? Sure, you could buy a satellite modem, but after dropping a cool grand on a satellite phone you're probably not looking to break the bank just to check your e-mail. Iridium's new AxcessPoint may be just what you're looking for. Sure, the $200 asking price for this deck-of-cards-sized device isn't exactly chump change, but it's far cheaper than other solutions. Simply plug it into a compatible Iridium phone and you've got an instant mobile hotspot. Yes, the speeds are going to be of the sub-dialup variety and you'll have to fork over $1 for every minute of data used, but it's a small price to pay for being able to check your latest Groupon offers while floating in the middle of the Sargasso Sea. Check out the PR after the break.
TerreStar Genus now available to anyone who wants one for just $1,150
Just how much is the promise of anywhere, anytime cellphone reception worth to you? If you answered "one thousand, one hundred and fifty dollars," well... your time has finally come. After initially launching through business channels alone for $800, TerreStar's unique GSM / HSPA Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone for AT&T with satellite connectivity is now available to consumers from all walks of life, as long as you've got $1,149.99 lying around. The Genus features Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, a 2 megapixel camera, and pretty much every other amenity you'd expect form a WinMo 6.5 smartphone with circa-2008 hardware specs, with the obvious exception that it can be used anywhere you can see TerreStar's satellite pretty much anywhere in North America. Of course, we'd be a little hesitant about buying a four-figure phone that operates on a bankrupt service, but if you need coverage in the boondocks, your options are pretty limited. Follow the break for TerreStar's demo video and full press release.
TerreStar makes it official, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Teetering no longer. According to Reuters, satellite phone maker TerreStar has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to protect itself from liabilities in the range of $1.6 billion. As expected, a restructuring is in order, with Blackstone Group LP providing financial advice for such a move. One of TerreStars' creditors, EchoStar, is offering $75 million in financing to help keep the company operate while it goes through the bankruptcy. Shame that it's the icing on the cake for its Genus, having just launched on AT&T not one month ago. Them's the breaks. [Thanks, Brian]
TerreStar teetering on bankruptcy?
Okay, look, guys -- we know putting a satellite into space is a pricey endeavor -- just ask Sirius XM -- but you literally just launched your first commercial device, the Genus, and we don't think that "launch a device then immediately declare bankruptcy" is a particularly sound business model. They're not there yet, but sure enough, the WSJ is claiming that newly-minted satphone operator TerreStar could be just days away from filing for Chapter 11 as it bears the brunt of around $1 billion in debt, possibly in the form of a well-structured and prearranged bankruptcy on the heels of discussions with the company's creditors. Seeing how restructuring does seem like the most likely scenario here, we wouldn't necessarily let this scare anyone off from buying a Genus -- but at $799, we doubt many of you were planning on running out this week and picking it up anyway. Echoes of Iridium, anyone?
TerreStar Genus hybrid satellite phone hits AT&T at long last for $799
It's been just shy of a year since TerreStar's Windows Mobile-based Genus was announced for AT&T, offering a unique combination of GSM / HSPA backed up with satellite capability for those times when you find yourself in the middle of nowhere; in fact, you may have assumed that it had already been released by now. After all, this isn't the phone for 97 percent of the population -- it runs Windows Mobile and still works in places where us soft city folk would never dream of going -- so odds are good you never bothered to follow up on it. Fact is, though, it's just now available for the first time today, so as long as you've got a line of sight to TerreStar's bird and a willingness to tolerate WinMo 6.5.3, you'll be able to make and receive calls throughout the US, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and in the surrounding waters -- and it's all on one telephone number. Of course, having a single number eliminates the cool factor of being able to say "if you can't reach me, try my sat phone," but let's be honest: convenience wins here. Right now, the phone's only available to business and government users... and with $799 upfront for the phone and satellite service running $25 a month plus per-minute, per-message, and per-megabyte charges of 65 cents, 40 cents, and 5 dollars, respectively, that's probably for the best. Follow the break for AT&T's full press release.
TerreStar Genus gets FCC approval at long last
The Genus has been floating around since the days when Windows Mobile was still relevant, but even with an antiquated operating system, it's still got a trump card others will be hard-pressed to match: it's got satellite service in a package that doesn't make you look like you're holding a DynaTAC to your head. Sourced from Finnish company Elektrobit, the portrait QWERTY set has finally gotten around to getting FCC approval (with AT&T-friendly 850 / 1900 GSM), which should hopefully be one of the last things TerreStar was waiting on before loosing it on the public. So, who's out in the sticks enough to justify punishing themselves with WinMo? Update: Interestingly, a Genus also received FCC approval late last year, but these documents were definitely filed this week, so we're not sure what's changed. It looks the same as it has all along -- on the surface, anyhow.
Camera phone inventor makes a FaceTime call from racing yacht
In a fitting tribute to a technology that he had a hand in creating, entrepreneur and sailing yacht racer Philippe Kahn recently used a satellite hookup and his iPhone 4 to make a FaceTime call to his office from dead-center between Santa Cruz, California and Honolulu, Hawaii. While the video isn't as smooth as what we're used to via land-based Wi-Fi and broadband networks, it's pretty incredible to see Philippe talking to a co-worker from the deck of the racing sailboat Pegasus in the Pacific Ocean. Kahn is a pretty bright guy. He was one of the founders and former CEO of Borland, an early programming tool development company, is credited with the invention of the mobile camera phone in 1997, and is now the CEO of FullPower Technologies, the company behind the MotionX GPS apps for iPhone and iPad. Kahn's invention of the mobile camera phone was triggered by the birth of his daughter Sophie in 1997; he mentions during the video that he called his "camera phone baby" at home using the same setup. Thanks to Richard for the tip!
Inmarsat's new phone trialed en route to June launch, definitely won't be mistaken for a RAZR
If you live your life one oil rig, one Siberian gas field, or one Antarctic base at a time, odds are you're precisely the target demographic for Inmarsat's new handset being rolled out later this year. Oddly, despite the company's decades-long history of providing satellite phone service, the IsatPhone Pro is apparently the first model "purpose-built for its network" with awesome features like Bluetooth, text messaging, email support, and GPS capability that can be injected into outgoing text messages (you know, for when you finally strike oil somewhere in the Mariana Trench). Anyhow, the company has announced that the first calls have now been successfully made using the handset on the way to retail availability this June -- but if you have to ask for a price (either for the phone or a per-minute rate), odds are it's not for you.
Delorme's Earthmate PN-60w gets Spot compatibility, can beam your tweets into space
Okay, so we don't get out all that much, especially this time of year, but when we do we have this lingering dread about being disconnected. What if we miss a text from our BFF? What if we get a Facebook request from Super Fun Annoying Wall? What if we skip a tweet from @FakeAPStylebook? Delorme's latest takes care of that, relying on satellites to beam all your social networking signals from outer space. The Earthmate PN-60w is the GPS end of things, with a 32-channel receiver, three-axis compass, and all the tracking, waypoint, and breadcrumb functionality you'd expect from this sort of device. The PN-60w can then pair with a Spot Messenger for sending text messages, Facebook updates, and tweets from the most desolate of backwoods. The PN-60w is said to be avail sometime this spring, and you can pre-order yours at Amazon now for $549.
TerreStar Genus: AT&T's first dual-mode cellular / satellite smartphone
Welp, that didn't take long. Just a few months after TerreStar announced that it had completed its first call on the new bird, the revived sat phone provider has now announced the first dual-mode smartphone for AT&T. Granted, we knew these two would be holding hands in the near future, but it's still refreshing to see the Genus hit the landscape. The WinMo-based phone will ship with a 2.6-inch touchscreen, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and GSM / GPRS / EDGE / UMTS / HSDPA radios. Oh, and it can tap into satellite waves too. This one's actually aimed at government, energy, utility, transportation and maritime users, and while it's slated to ship in Q1 2010 for an undisclosed amount, AT&T assures us that a consumer-oriented version is in the pipeline. Too bad this only enhances coverage in the US, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and territorial waters -- we always dreamed of phoning home from Komsomolets Island.[Via phonescoop]
Iridium to merge with GHL, get back into sat phone game
Aside from pushing out around one phone per year (at best), Iridium Satellite really hasn't had a major impact on the market over the past ten years. 'Course, that's probably because it's hard to have much impact after seeking bankruptcy protection in 1999, but we digress. Starting tomorrow, new life will be breathed into Iridium thanks to a merger with publicly traded GHL Acquisition. If all goes to plan, the merger will add over $200 million to the company's bank account, enabling it to pay down debt and develop a next-generation network of satellites to be launched in 2014. Furthermore, $160 million will be raised by issuing another 16 million shares at $10 a pop, and a new label (Iridium Communications) will be thrown on for good measure. Only time will tell if the world really is ready to adopt satellite phones en masse, but if TerraStar's latest deal is any indication, we'd say chances are good halfway decent.
TerreStar successfully completes first call on new satellite
Remember that giant satellite TerreStar launched a few weeks ago, TerreStar-1? It's now up and running, which means we're that much closer to tiny smartphones that blur the boundary between "satellite phone" and "sexy" -- something that we can't really say has ever even come close to happening before. In addition to completing its first call on the all-IP network provided by TerreStar-1, the company has notified the FCC and Industry Canada that it's now in compliance with the final milestones required for certification, so there's a fighting chance these guys could meet their goal of launching commercially this year. James Bond, your cellphone awaits.
TerreStar launches ginormous satellite in preparation for service
If you want data service on your phone positively, absolutely anywhere you happen to be in the US or Canada, this one's for you: TerreStar just successfully launched its aptly-named TerreStar-1 satellite, which just happens to be the largest commercial satellite ever deployed. This dovetails perfectly with news that the upstart satphone provider is partnering with AT&T to offer service later this year, presumably with a variant of that sweet little Elektrobit WinMo piece we had a chance to check out a few months back. Cost could be a concern, but it should be cheaper than the problem-plagued Iridium back when it launched -- and hybrid HSPA capability is a major win, too.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
AT&T to go live with TerreStar sat phone services this year
We've known that TerreStar Networks and AT&T Mobility were in bed together for quite some time, but evidently the honeymoon phase is finally reaching its logical end. Reportedly, the carrier is gearing up to go live with an extension of service that'll involve satellites and a pinch of luck, giving select customers the ability to roam between its GSM network and TerreStar's satellite network. If all goes to plan (we're not holding our breath, for the record), AT&T will begin to resell satellite service and phones soon after the bird is launched some 22,000 miles above North America on July 1st. Once perched, it'll provide coverage across Canada and the US, including the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. There's no definitive word on pricing, but we're hearing that sat phone service will run around $1 per minute while hybrid handsets will go for around $700 (unsubsidized). Pricey, sure, but how else do you plan to phone home on your next visit to the Pitcairn Islands?
Iridium introduces smallish 9555 satellite phone, shows people holding it
It's just as tough to believe that Iridium is still around and kicking today as it was last February, but regardless of our assumptions, it's not stopping the aforesaid company from doling out an all new satellite phone that's somewhat smaller than most of its competitors. Aside from enabling argonauts to make and receive calls from some of the most remote locales in world (Attu, Alaska, anyone?), the 9555 includes a retractable antenna, illuminated, weather-resistant keypad, SMS support, programmable international codes for automatic dialing, a speakerphone, mini-USB port, up to 4-hours of talk time (30-hours in standby) and a currently undisclosed price tag. Look for this one from Iridium service partners beginning next month, and if you so choose, you can have a look at these very intense professionals enjoying one below.[Via MobileTechNews]%Gallery-35019%
