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T-Mobile's 'Nudge, nudge' bonuses revealed
Walk into any T-Mobile store and dither a bit and you'll find a cavalcade of freebies thrown in. The operator's outlined an "under the counter" bonus to coax fence-dwelling customers to open their wallets. Upgrade to "Unlimited-Premium 5GB" or "Unlimited-Ultra 10GB," wink at the cashier and tap your nose three times (we made the last two up, we admit) and a $15 "Mobile Hotspot" and $5 "MobileLife Album Plus" could appear in your package. In the corporate missive TmoNews scooped above, the company wants to keep these as a secret sweetener, but will add both if you request them directly. We'd suggest you pull your finger out, because when everyone starts asking for them, we can't imagine it sticking around for long.
Arieso study: iPhone 4S data use is nearly double that of the of iPhone 4
So, first things first. Arieso, the ouftit that conducted this here study, is a company that makes ends meet by "optimizing mobile networks." In other words, there's just a bit of motivation to find results such as these in studies like this. Now that we've got that cleared up, you may be interested in knowing that Apple's iPhone 4S users are consuming around "twice as much data as the previous iPhone model, and even more than iPad tablets due to increasing use of online services like the virtual personal assistant Siri."Of course, this relates only to those sampled, but there's no question that the inclusion of Siri gives users one more reason to tap into their data plan. According to prior studies, the iPhone 4 used only 1.6x more data than the iPhone 3G, while the iPad 2 consumed 2.5x more data than the iPhone 3G. As time marches on, more and more websites are tailoring themselves for mobile use, and there's obviously no stopping the proliferation of data-sucking apps. Whatever the case, we'd just encourage you to mind that data tier (if you're in one) -- wouldn't want to have to ask Siri how to raise money to cover overages, no would you?
Xcom Global revolutionizes global data: one MiFi to serve 195 countries
Chances are you'll see a metric ton of new gizmos surfacing at CES next week, and if we're lucky, two or three of them will be bona fide game changers. Lucky for you, Xcom Global is serving one up ahead of the mayhem, with a single WWAN device that enables you to suck down 3G data in nearly every country on the planet. If you'll recall, the outfit's Euro SIM took a giant step in the right direction by providing universal 3G data coverage to jetsetters who passed through some 40 nations in Europe, but true globetrotters need something even more advanced. And frankly, even those who are only hitting three or four nations in a swing will surely appreciate the ability to carry just a single USB stick or MiFi hotspot versus a handful of 'em. Xcom's deeming it the Global Travel Plan, and thanks to its partnership with iPhoneTrip, the outfit is adding support for some 130 nations, bringing the grand total to 195. Better still, users will be able to enjoy unlimited surfing in any of those places, all for just $12.95 per day. For those unaware, Xcom's service -- which we reviewed back in 2010 -- works a bit like this. If you're in the US, you hit its website and select your travel dates as well as the nations you're planning to travel through. If you select the Global Travel Plan, you'll get a single device shipped to you before you depart. It'll serve up data from local 3G networks in the countries you travel through, and once you're home, you pop the device back into a prepaid envelope and carry on. Yeah, you could argue that scrounging up a local SIM in every place you go is more affordable, but the ease of use here can't be overlooked. We'll be giving the new plan a go in some of the world's most far-out locales in the coming weeks, so be sure to keep an eye out for our results. Till then, hit the source link for a PDF of every supported nation as of January 2012.
Republic Wireless changes stance: unlimited will be truly unlimited, 'no thresholds' or asterisks
Credit where it's due: Republic Wireless has just made an about-face on the only major downfall we saw in its new wireless proposition. While most of the big boys have had an asterisk by "unlimited" for years on end, these guys were called out as being "deceptive" due to its convoluted "fair use policy." Instead of revising it, the upstart carrier is just throwing it out. Completely. "From today, Republic Wireless is all-in." That's according to a refreshing blog post tossed up on its site hours ago, where we're told that it's eager to accept feedback and adapt as necessary. Looking for more proof? How's about this: "Rather than revising our fair use policy, we've decided not to have one at all. There will simply be no thresholds, and no risk of losing service. We're doing away with all of that to keep all of the focus instead on where it really belongs: Creating a new wireless future together. A future that is simple to understand, unfettered to use, and an amazing value for all. That's what we started down this path to do. That's where the power of this vibrant community, dynamic WiFi ecosystem and revolutionary technology should be invested." In a world filled with GoDaddys, PayPals, SOPAs and CarrierIQs, it's downright incredible to see a 180 in this direction. And yes, as part of that legal amendment, everyone who has purchased or purchases a phone during beta will be guaranteed the opportunity to enjoy unlimited service, without fear of cancellation, until the end of beta. The only snippet you should know about is the "unacceptable use" clauses, which state that you can't resell Republic's service or leave the phone "always on" as a conduit for other uses obviously beyond what would be normal for a personal smartphone; wildly enough, the outfit has promised to "reevaluate those provisions, too." Three cheers for listening skills, eh?
Leaked draft shows LightSquared's network interferes with 'great majority' of GPS receivers, company pushes back
According to leaked reports from government test drafts, LightSquared's technology causes "harmful interference" to the majority of GPS receivers. Addressing the allegations, LightSquared called the conclusions "patently false." It added, "We are outraged by the illegal leak of incomplete government data to news organizations. This breach attempts to draw an inaccurate conclusion to negatively influence the future of LightSquared and narrowly serve the business interests of the GPS industry." The company believes tests are inconclusive because they were completed at power levels up to 15 times higher than those that would be used in practice. By ignoring its commitment to work at a lower level to minimize interference, the company believes the conclusions are erroneous. It's important to note, however, that the NTIA will make the final determination about how many devices passed or failed, rather than the documents makers. And that assessment has not yet been made. Despite the ongoing dispute, the company has already managed to secure 30 partners ranging from Sprint to Best Buy, all hoping to cash in on a promised $7 per gigabyte price point. The FCC has given LightSquared the go-ahead to build the network, but will not allow for activation until approving the final round of government testing. Amar Toor contributed to this report.
Wherever I wander, wherever I roam, LTE probably won't work
Hopes of a cross-network LTE standard were dashed months ago, when Verizon confirmed its 4G band won't overlap with AT&T's. What we didn't realize, though, was just how globally fragmented this technology is likely to become. A report by Wireless Intelligence predicts there'll be 200 LTE networks around the world by 2015, running on as many as 38 different frequency combinations. Moreover, the most common 700-900MHz spectrum range could account for just 16 percent of these networks. This stands to make carrier locking and band incompatibility on handsets even bigger hassles than they are today. And that's what's botherin' me.
Nokia Siemens promises better TD-LTE and CDMA coverage, no alarms or surprises
So, Nokia Siemens Networks wasn't fibbing when it said it would re-focus its efforts on mobile broadband. It's just announced a 'six pipe' radio head upgrade for time division LTE (TD-LTE) base stations that can boost capacity by 80 percent and coverage by 40 percent compared to a traditional three-sector site. Alternatively, the same replacement can be used to reduce a station's running costs, by allowing it to cover three sectors using a single radio head. As far as we're concerned, anything that recalls OK Computer is a good thing, but if it speeds up carriers' shift to LTE then it's even better. Meanwhile, for those who still want to invest in CDMA, Nokia Siemens is pushing it's 1X Advanced technology, which also promises big improvements in voice and data capacity as well as energy efficiency. Read on for more technical details in a PR double-shot.
Researchers put smartphones on a power diet, drastically improve battery life
Nokia's Asha handsets already use browser compression to reduce data costs and power consumption for customers in the developing world, but the company's Finnish neighbours over at Aalto University have taken a totally different approach. By using a network proxy to squash traffic into bursts rather than a constant bit rate, and by forcing a smartphone's modem into idle mode between each burst, the researchers claim they can cut 3G power consumption by 74 percent. Now, we're fortunate enough to be surrounded by power outlets over here, but even we could use some of that.
Verizon to offer APIs to give your data rate an on-demand boost, for a price
There's a ton of data-dependent apps these days, and with services like iCloud and Spotify gaining steam, your precious bytes of data can get bogged down with all the additional traffic. Help is on the way for Verizon customers, however, as the company plans to release an API that will allow users to speed up their connection at will from within apps. This network optimization API will be joined by a microtransaction API (developed in conjunction with Vodafone) to make sure Big Red gets paid for every bit of bandwidth nitro you ask for. Work on the APIs is ongoing at VZW's Innovation Center in San Francisco, but neither API will be ready for prime time until next year. That's a long time to wait, but the idea of improving our data connection at the press of a button has us positively giddy. What about you?
3G coverage survey gives British smartphone users little to smile about
The UK has plenty of endearing olde worlde attributes, but its lack of fast mobile data access isn't one of them. The country has yet to enter the LTE era and, according to a crowdsourced survey by the BBC, it's still plagued by "not spots" where you can't get 3G reception either. More than 40,000 Brits downloaded a tailor-made Android app that recorded their local street level access and their results proved that many city centers and rural areas are effectively no-go swamplands for smartphone users -- although coverage was good over 70- to 80-percent of Her Majesty's territory. It's about time we did a similar survey in the US. Oh, and check out the source link to watch a Galaxy II-owning village vicar vent his frustrations in the politest possible way.
Xcom Global's Euro SIM solves your European data conundrum: $13 per day, works in 40 countries
Say it with us: Hallelujah! It's a problem that BMW European Delivery owners (not to mention gap-year backpackers and generic business travelers) have had for eons, and while the EU seems to have the whole "one currency" thing under control, the lack of a "one data plan" has continued to break the backs of connected travelers. No more. Xcom Global -- the company that revolutionized the art of staying connected abroad -- has just done the same thing for those planning their next Eurotrip. The newly-launched Euro SIM enables US-based jetsetters to rent a single device that'll provide unlimited data access in a staggering 40 nations across the pond. Everywhere from Iceland to San Marino is covered, including 20 extra countries that weren't covered even last week. Folks can pick up a MiFi for $14.95 per day (and yeah, that covers all 40 countries!) or a USB WWAN model for $12.95 a day, and if you happen to scoot over to a locale in Europe that isn't covered, you'll still be able to get online at a cost of one cent per KB. Hit the source link to find out more, and ping your best friend's travel agent to set those long-backburnered plans in motion.
iPass wants a world of interconnected WiFi, a roaming 'renaissance'
Some ideas are undeniably sensible, and zero-click WiFi roaming across carriers and countries is one of them. That's why iPass has set itself the unenviable but likely profitable task of convincing global telecoms giants to overlook their differences and form an "Open Mobile Exchange" based on its cloud-based authentication technology. It won't be the first to embark on such a voyage of persuasion: Skype is already on the case and Boingo is too (at least, sort of), but there are still plenty of fragmented hotspot services out there waiting to be crushed and blended by an effortless roaming technology. We just hope iPass has perfected its pleading email template: "Dearest Carrier, have you considered...?" Full PR after the break.
Verizon prolongs its free hotspot party on 4G LTE phones, but then what?
If you've been maxing out on Verizon's mobile hotspot offer that came with your new Samsung Droid Charge, HTC Thunderbolt or LG Revolution, then do carry on. The offer has been extended again, letting you use your 4G LTE handset as a WiFi hotspot for free until July 6th. On that miserable day, a software update will pull the plug and then who knows how much you'll have to pay? Verizon says its $20/GB tethering charge won't apply to 4G LTE phones, but it doesn't state exactly how much it will cost. Oh well, who needs 12Mbps anyway?
Holland's net neutrality act threatens to disrupt mobile carriers' pricing schemes
Net neutrality advocates are gaining momentum in The Hague as Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, Maxime Verhagen, agreed to begin drafting legislation prohibiting teleco providers from blocking or charging extra for specific data traffic. Verhagen's action comes at the request of majority leaders in Netherland's Lower House, which adopted a motion to modify the Telecommunications Act in support of bit equality. The change should cause waves throughout the nation's mobile industry as Holland's largest provider, KPN, recently announced it would use deep packet inspection to monitor and selectively charge customers based on their usage. Currently, Vodafone blocks VoIP unless customers pay extra and T-Mobile has previously suggested it might follow suit. The Economic Minister is now working with officials in Brussels to ensure the legislation is compatible with the EU framework, and the proposal is expected to go before the Dutch parliament within a few weeks. Skype and WhatsApp have received particular attention, as mobile providers argue they must offset the losses caused by these apps with surcharges -- or to block them altogether. Perhaps it's not the best week to be a telco exec in the Netherlands, but users of these "controversial" apps surely have reason to smile. [Image courtesy Flickr]
Dutch telco KPN using deep packet inspection to monitor mobile customers, throttle services
KPN set off some alarms in Holland last month when it announced a plan to start charging customers separate fees for using VoIP, streaming video, and sending instant messages. But, the question remained: how exactly would it keep mobile data users honest? The answer turns out to be deep packet inspection, which examines network traffic to identify what you're sending and where it's going. It's been suspected that the secret ingredient in KNP's service-throttling sauce was DPI, but it was finally confirmed in a presentation to investors recently. In fact, Mark Fisher, the director of KPN Mobile, bragged that it was the "very first" provider to be "able to identify by deep packet inspection what is actually the destination as data packages go along." Predictably, privacy and net neutrality advocates are up in arms, with some claiming it is a violation of the Dutch Data Protection Act. We just hope someone nips this in the bud soon -- we don't need American carriers knowing about our Scottish Fold obsession. Check out the source link for an audio clip of Fisher's confession. [Thanks, Daan]
Researchers use GPS, accelerometers to boost smartphone data rates
Well, this might be a good reason for The Powers That Be to know your exact whereabouts. According to a team of MIT researchers, speeding up data rates on mobile devices could be as easy as tapping the various motion sensors found in run-of-the-mill smartphones. The scientists believe our wireless infrastructure is at the root of bottlenecks, with a handful of weak transmitters clumsily "handing off" data to one another as you move out of range. The solution: use GPS radios, accelerometers, and even gyroscopes to infer where you're headed, and then choose an access point near where you're likely to end up. The difference, they report, is dramatic: a 50 percent boost in throughput, along with improved success in choosing the best bit rate. To boot, if a base station is armed with location-based info, it can better predict when the devices connected to it are on the verge of losing contact. That's all good news, but sadly we doubt any amount of promising science is enough to make the pink lady go away.
T-Mobile UK cuts 'fair use' allowance to 500MB, sends you home to watch online video
In one of the most insensitive announcements in recent PR history, T-Mobile UK is telling its customers who want to download or stream online video to their mobile devices to "save that stuff for [their] home broadband." The carrier, one half of the UK's biggest operator Everything Everywhere, had up until now offered one of the better monthly allowance deals with a 3GB data consumption limit on Android phones. It still is, in fact, since its new changes aren't coming into effect until February 1st, but come that fateful Tuesday, T-Mo's understanding of "fair use" will shrink down to 500MB each month -- after which point you'll still get to browse the web and email for free, but any video content will presumably be subject to an extra charge. It's not clear how "that stuff" will be handled by T-Mobile once you cross the frugal new threshold, nor is it clear whether customers who signed up for big bodacious 3GB of data will be set free once this new lockdown on mobile video is in effect. Godspeed to you all. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Update: T-Mobile has responded with a clarifying statement we've added after the break. There will be no surcharges for use over 500MB per month, but once you cross that line, any downloading activity will be "restricted." By which the company seems to mean "restricted to whatever WiFi connection you can scrounge up," because its 3G airwaves will be off-limits.
AT&T: 80 percent of network now upgraded to HSPA+
AT&T promised that it would be expanding its HSPA+ rollout this year, and it's now finally touting some actual results. Speaking at the Sencha Conference in San Francisco this week, AT&T CTO John Donovan confirmed that the carrier has upgraded a full 80 percent of its network to HSPA+, which promises to offer two and half times the performance of regular HSPA. Donovan also talked a bit out mobile data use in general, and revealed that data traffic growth has actually slowed over the past few months from a rate of 50 times to 30 times what it was three years ago. Donvon was quick to point out, however, that "If you look in absolute numbers, it's still a tremendous growth rate," and actually represents a three thousand percent uptick in data traffic over the past three years.
Validas study finds Verizon smartphones consuming more data than iPhones
You know how we've good reason to believe that Verizon Wireless is at least mulling the switch to capped / tiered data plans? Yeah. An independent Validas research report has found that, between January and May of this year (pre-AT&T caps), Verizon's stable of smartphones collectively averaged more data consumption per month that Apple's iPhone. Of course, this quite literally compares an Apple to every smartphone on Verizon save for BlackBerries, but given how much squalling we've heard from Ma Bell about this rampant iPhone data usage, we're pleased to see a few facts that spin things the other way. The company's full report is due out in September, but investigation of over 20,000 wireless bills found that VZW smartphones "are consuming more wireless data than AT&T iPhones by a ratio of roughly 1.25:1," with the average Verizon user eating up 421MB per month and the average iPhone user consuming 338MB per month. It also points out that "nearly twice as many Verizon Wireless smartphone users are consuming 500MB to 1GB per month compared to AT&T iPhone users." You learn something new everyday, right?
How-to: resize your SIM, change your APN, and drink the sweet nectar of mobile freedom
Myriam Joire (tnkgrl) was born wearing combat boots and holding a keyboard; moments later she picked up a soldering iron. She's been stomping, typing and hacking ever since. In her regular series, she'll share her tips, tricks, and mods on everything from phones to netbooks -- and be sure to catch her weekly on the Engadget Mobile podcast. Things used to be simple: you either had a CDMA device with no SIM, or a GSM device with a SIM. If your GSM device was unlocked you could swap SIMs between carriers, and if was locked, you could swap SIMs between accounts on the same carrier. Basically, an unlocked phone meant mobile freedom. At first, the only complication was the different frequencies used for GSM in different parts of the world, which was remedied with quadband radios. Then 3G was introduced, with different frequencies used by different carriers in the same geographic area, like North America. Today, this proliferation of bands makes it difficult to build universal radios, and makes it less appealing to switch carriers. In fact, the only phone that currently supports all 3G frequencies used in North America is the upcoming pentaband Nokia N8. The second obstacle was the introduction of special data plans, either requiring additional service layers (such as BlackBerry or Sidekick plans) or restricting the types of devices permitted as the iPhone and iPad plans do. What used to be as simple as changing APNs is now a Kafkaesque nightmare, complete with nasty "you are using the wrong data plan and we are going to send you a bill" text messages from carriers. Strike three was the micro SIM (also known as the 3FF SIM), popularized by Apple's iPad and the iPhone 4. This smaller form-factor SIM is electrically compatible with the standard SIM we all know and love -- and as such, it's easy to convert a standard SIM into a micro SIM and vice-versa (but still, it's one more hurdle standing in the way of happiness). Let's dive in and take a look at how it's done.
