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Analog cellular networks, R.I.P.: 1983 - 2008
Marking the end of a remarkable era in cellular technology, the FCC is officially letting American carriers decommission their legacy analog networks as of today, February 18, 2008. Few of us still own a phone based on AMPS -- Advanced Mobile Phone System, ironically, despite the fact that there's been nothing "advanced" about it for many years -- but we owe the very existence of the world's modern wireless infrastructure to the introduction and overwhelming success of the Bell Labs-developed technology. So successful was AMPS, in fact, that it eventually covered virtually 100 percent of the continental United States, a statistic CDMA and GSM have only recently begun to approach.
Legal issues, chipset problems holding up AT&T's MediaFLO launch?
"As early as possible" in 2008 is getting less "early" by the minute, and details are starting to emerge on all the juicy drama going on behind the scenes at AT&T where the powers that be have been unable so far to get their long-overdue MediaFLO-based mobile TV network launched. Apparently, both LG and Samsung were rearing to show their launch devices (Samsung's Access is pictured here) at CES last month, and both were asked to pull 'em at the very last minute as it became apparent that AT&T wasn't ready to rock and roll, leaving LG with a rather awkward situation on its hands as some folks caught the Vu doing... well, absolutely nothing in the company's booth. Rumor has it that unspecified legal troubles and flaky mobile TV chipsets are both to blame, with delays hovering somewhere in the two to eight week range. Here's our simple question: if the network already exists (and it does, because Verizon's been using it for a year now), what the heck is so hard here?
HTC pushes out new AT&T Tilt ROM
For smartphone owners, firmware updates are like little Festivus presents: they're usually free to you, they're given to you by someone you love, and make your life just a little warmer and fuzzier. Alright, all three of those points are stretches, but come on, it's still just a little exciting, isn't it? AT&T's mighty Tilt has just been gifted with a new ROM that provides -- and we quote -- enhanced Bluetooth performance, DTMF tones on the QWERTY keyboard, improvements in overall performance and stability, and a newer Windows Mobile 6 AKU, this one versioned 0.4.4. Let us know how it goes, people![Via Mobility Site]
AT&T's Centro unboxed to reveal green keypad -- wait, what?
Boy Genius just grabbed himself one o' them newfangled white Centros for AT&T for a good, old fashioned unboxing, and guess what? The keypad's green. Yep, we can't believe it either. Body's white, keypad's green. Seriously, we couldn't make this up. Before you run down to the store to pick up this $99 fashion statement, though, don't bother -- they're not on sale quite yet -- it's still looking like the 19th is the date you want to circle on your calendar (or program into your 680, as the case may be).
AT&T Centro confirmed for next week
AT&T Palm users: the Centro is definitely on starting next week. We've gotten solid confirmation that next Tuesday (that'd be the 19th, as we heard) will, in fact, be the day Palm's budget handset launches on AT&T. We expect the price should be set at $99, no final word on colors (expect white); we'll check back in next week at launch time.
AT&T offers **free Option GT Ultra and GT Ultra Express HSUPA cards (**must sell soul)
Check it data fans, AT&T just announced a pair of new HSUPA LaptopConnect cards from Option. The GT Ultra goes type II PCMCIA while the GT Ultra Express is, you guessed it, destined for ExpressCard34 slots. Both cards are tri-band UMTS/HSPA 850/1900/2100MHz and quad-band GPRS/EDGE capable for BroadbandConnect speeds of about 600Kbps to 1.4Mbps on the way down or 500Kbps to 800Kbps back up the tubes. Those bands should get your suit connected in some 140 countries spanning the US, Europe, Japan and Korea. The cards are Mac and PC compatible and will set you back $50 0$ (for a limited time starting tomorrow) plus a two year contract of at least $60 per month. After you mail-in the appropriate rebate forms of course... which you'll probably forget to do.
Nope, no AT&T iPhone tethering plan (yet)
So there's a rumor floating around the internets concerning AT&T, iPhones, and tethering. The story goes something like this: the word tether is mentioned in an AT&T notice about users upgrading to a new iPhone and being forced into another two-year agreement. Apparently, some folks who've only quickly browsed the document made the mistake of assuming that AT&T used the word "tether" the way we all know it best: computer-to-phone, modem-style tethering. Unfortunately, this is a semantic problem -- what AT&T's talking about is using the dock connector to activate the phone, and sync with your computer... not the other way around. So next time you hear someone talk about AT&T's "tethering" plan feel free to set 'em straight.
AT&T's Palm Centro en route for launch next week?
Can't you just feel the excitement in the air? AT&T stores are apparently starting to spout off about white, $99 Centros being available starting next Tuesday, February 19, and it seems like a pretty plausible date. We've separately been told that the cute lil' Garnet handsets are expected to be shipping to stores some time this week -- just in time to make the 19th a reality for customers eager to get their paws on the latest tech Palm has to offer -- while previous intel had indicated that it'd definitely be available some time before early April. In other words: yeah, we believe it.[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
T-Mobile HotSpot users will get five years of Starbucks WiFi access after AT&T switchover
Yesterday's surprising-but-not-shocking announcement that Starbucks would be switching to AT&T for WiFi services left a lot of T-Mobile customers in the lurch -- although Starbucks said that T-Mo and AT&T had an "agreement" that would let HotSpot users stay connected, there weren't a ton of details given. Well, it looks like you've got a few more years of caffeinated surfing ahead of you, guys -- T-Mobile issued a press release today saying it was committed to ensuring "minimum customer impact" during the transition, and that it's signed a five year "roaming agreement" with AT&T that will kick in when the Starbucks WiFi transition begins later this year. Of course, the ideal roaming agreement would let you use either company's networks wherever you are, not just AT&T bandwidth in Starbucks -- we'll totally spring for the coffee if these two companies want to meet and sort something like that out.
Starbucks brews up WiFi pact with AT&T, disconnects T-Mobile
Announced today, Starbucks is gearing up to transition its WiFi relationship from T-Mobile to AT&T in over 7,000 of its locations in the US. For T-Mobile HotSpot customers feelin' a bit like day old espresso right about now, fret not, as the coffee giant has assured us all that you folks "will be able to continue to access WiFi services at no additional cost through an agreement between AT&T and T-Mobile." Starting "sometime this Spring," Starbucks card holders will be treated to two hours of free WiFi access per day, while more than 12 million "qualifying AT&T broadband and U-verse internet customers will have unlimited free access." For whatever it's worth, the press release also notes that the carrier will "soon extend the benefits of WiFi at Starbucks to its wireless customers," but it (sadly) fails to elaborate. For those of you out there without any ties to AT&T, expect to pony up $3.99 for a two hour session or $19.99 for monthly access. [Via mocoNews] Read - Starbucks to expand technology relationship with AT&T Read - More than 12 million AT&T, Starbucks customers to get free WiFi access
Nokia 6085 turns pink for AT&T
With specs like these, the most exciting thing about the Nokia 6085 is, in fact, the color -- but for an on-contract price of "goose egg," who the heck are we to complain? The lowly clamshell is now available in pink for AT&T, offering a VGA cam (hey, at least it has one), A2DP, EDGE, and an internal 160 x 128 display paired with a monochrome external. Get it now online or in store, if light red's your thing.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Engadget HD definitively answers: does cable, satellite, or fiber provide more HD?
You want to know -- nay, you deserve to know -- which service provides the most HD content. Engadget HD's got the answer, see how your HD provider stacks up.
AT&T's releases through early April: yes to Centro, no to Vu?
We've just been slipped some bittersweet information that we deliver with a heavy heart: AT&T's latest pricing information, which runs through April 7, apparently makes no mention of the hotly anticipated LG Vu. There's no mention of the Samsung Access, either, leading us to believe that the carrier's mobile TV launch may have been pushed out one more time for good measure. Of course, we suppose it's possible that there's no delay and they just haven't slipped pricing details to stores yet, but we're jaded enough at this point to say that another slip is entirely within the realm of reason. Now, onto some happier tidbits: the black version of the Shine should launch, along with the Sony Ericsson Z750 in pink, gray, and purple, the long-overdue 5700 low end smartphone, the white Centro sporting push-to-talk support, and the Motorola Z9 slider -- which AT&T curiously identifies as "ruggedized." We don't remember anything remotely rugged about the one we saw, but whatevs.[Thanks, Kal]
Ask Engadget HD: Does cable, satellite, or fiber provide more HD?
Particularly of late, cable television providers have been bullying each other on the air and proudly proclaiming superiority in the high-definition department. One would immediately assume that there's some black and white somewhere in this equation, but honestly, things are pretty gray. Hard though it may be to believe, there actually isn't a clear cut answer to this week's Ask Engadget HD question, which comes to us from the bewildered mind of Brian: "I want an unbiased opinion, and more importantly, the facts. DISH Network is looking more and more like the leading HD provider with its weekly HD additions this past fall. However, now my local cable provider, Comcast, is running ads stating that it has More, More, More HD. My question is simple: who has more HD channels including and not including HD VOD?"The inability to find a clear cut answer hasn't stopped us from forging ahead in the past, and it won't be slowing us down today, either. Ready to plunge deep into the increasingly murky waters of HD offerings? Join us after the jump as we take a critical look at high-def options from DirecTV, DISH Network, Verizon, AT&T and a slew of traditional cable operators in order to best address the above inquiry.
AT&T's 2008 plans include 80 new cities with 3G, HSUPA network
Kind of makes those New Years resolutions of yours seem a bit silly now, but AT&T has some high hopes for 2008. While it mulls its own 700MHz options and leaves the C block to the likes of Verizon, the company plans to build out its 3G network into 80 more cities, which boosts the number to 350 "leading" markets in the US, a rollout AT&T has been sluggish to compete with Verizon and Sprint on. AT&T also pledges to complete its HSUPA network by the middle of the year for speedier uploads. AT&T's not giving many specifics on its future network plans, just that existing infrastructure improvements pave the way for HSPA+ and LTE in the "years to come." Let's hope those years come fast, these HD downloads we keep hearing about are liable to set a few cell towers on fire by year's end.
FCC blesses sale of Aloha's 700MHz spectrum to AT&T
No, it's not that 700MHz spectrum, but the $2.5 billion sale of the airwaves to AT&T from private firm Aloha Partners could have implications as large as Auction 73's massive, open-access Block C itself. Given that Aloha's Hiwire trials for DVB-H-based mobile TV have been playing in the 700MHz arena, we suspect this could spell doom for the whole project -- and on the heels of Modeo's collapse, very likely spells doom for DVB-H on the whole in the US. Though that's great news for Qualcomm and DVB-H competitor MediaFLO, it's awful news for the prospect of a global mobile TV standard, closely (if not eerily) following what happened years back with the European Union's selection of GSM and the rise of CDMA in North America. For its part, AT&T says it's going to use its newfound airwaves -- which cover 72 of the top 100 US markets -- for "broadcast video or for two-way communications such as voice, data or multicast content." Admittedly, the "broadcast video" part of that leads us to believe that Hiwire could somehow survive the change in ownership, but with AT&T's selection of MediaFLO last year as its standard of choice, it sure ain't likely.
AT&T to get Pantech Duo in red?
Pantech's double-sliding Duo seems set to roll out with AT&T in a refreshed red housing color. Seriously, what's not to like here if you're hunting for some inexpensive Windows Mobile, QWERTY keyboard and keypad, HSDPA / EDGE, fun? Not much, and for $99 bucks on contract, AT&T has even seen fit to match the color with next week's Valentine day launch window. Who thought Blue could be so romantic?[Via IntoMobile]
AT&T brings U-verse to even more Kansas City, Missouri residents
Not even a year has passed since AT&T's own fiber-based television service wheeled into Kansas City, Missouri, but now it's delivering the U-verse goods to even more residents in the area. By expanding the service out to a new chunk of consumers, some 130,000 living units are now blanketed. As expected, users in the area can also look forward to the firm's U-bar, YellowPages.com TV and Yahoo! Games features. Ready to jump ship on your current provider? Phone up AT&T and see if your abode is covered this go 'round.
16GB iPhone just around the corner? (updated)
There's been plenty of conjecture (pictured) about a 16GB iPhone -- and its mysterious absence from the initial lineup -- ever since the 16GB iPod touch graced us all with its minuscule presence, but things are starting to look up. We just got a pair of tips purporting inside AT&T info that both point to the 16GB iPhone showing up shortly. One person spotted the phone in AT&T Wireless inventory, listed as not in stock, while the other tipster was fairly certain about a release this Tuesday or the next one. Obviously this is all hearsay at the moment, so don't go hawking that 8 gigger just yet, but we'll see if Apple's going to serve us up a Papa Bear-sized portion of gigabytes soon enough.Update: We just received word from multiple sources that the O2 staff has been notified of the 16GB iPhone launch at 1:30pm UK time. Price: £329. That will likely translate to $599 in the US like the original 8GB iPhone, $499 if we're lucky.Update 2: Pocket-Lint trucked on down to the O2 emporium on Oxford Street in London and have confirmed the 16GB iPhone with shop staff.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
16GB iPhone just around the corner?
There's been plenty of conjecture (pictured) about a 16GB iPhone -- and its mysterious absence from the initial lineup -- ever since the 16GB iPod touch graced us all with its minuscule presence, but things are starting to look up. We just got a pair of tips purporting inside AT&T info that both point to the 16GB iPhone showing up shortly. One person spotted the phone in AT&T Wireless inventory, listed as not in stock, while the other tipster was fairly certain about a release this Tuesday or the next one. Obviously this is all hearsay at the moment, so don't go hawking that 8 gigger just yet, but we'll see if Apple's going to serve us up a Papa Bear-sized portion of gigabytes soon enough.Update: We just received word from multiple sources that the O2 staff has been notified of the 16GB iPhone launch at 1:30pm UK time. Price: £329. That will likely translate to $599 in the US like the original 8GB iPhone.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
