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Head down to Birmingham and soak up free Virgin Media WiFi this September
Should you live in the UK's second most populous metropolitan area, Birmingham, it's nearly time to congregate en masse in the city's center for an impromptu test of a brand new free WiFi network supported by Virgin Media. In exchange for access to various public fixtures, Virgin Media's outfitting Birmingham with free WiFi access; the benefit is two-fold, though, as Birmingham residents will ultimately enjoy better mobile infrastructure. The network's set to go live "by September," so set your clocks for just a month or so from now for that congregation. [Image credit: 'brianac37']
Editor's Letter: Welcome to May
In each issue of Distro, editor-in-chief Tim Stevens publishes a wrap-up of the week in news. A bit of a lull this week ahead of what is shaping up to be an insane May -- and perhaps an even crazier June. We have events stacked three-deep at times, with industry ones like Google I/O, BlackBerry World, CTIA and SID Display Week looming along with private ones like Microsoft's next-generation Xbox unveiling. Next month? WWDC and the Electronic Entertainment Expo, just to name a few. Giddyup. This week, we got what should be the final dredges of first-quarter earnings, with Facebook reporting $1.46 billion in revenue. That's a 38 percent increase over this quarter last year and a healthy $312 million in profit. Daily active users are also up, from 526 million to 665 million and, perhaps most importantly, Facebook managed to increase the performance of its mobile ads. That will be the key to its long-term success.
Virgin Mobile offers $100 rebate to T-Mobile turncoats, now through May 31st
In the wake of T-Mobile's recently unveiled Simple Choice plans, Virgin Mobile is capitalizing on the shakeup by playing a value card of its own. Now through May 31st, the Sprint-owned MVNO is offering $100 credit to all T-Mobile subscribers willing to port their number to Virgin Mobile. Study the numbers for yourself and the deal seems a no-brainer, as Virgin matches T-Mobile's unlimited scheme with a monthly bill of only $55, which rings in $5 less than the UnCarrier's $60 (2.5GB) alternative. Naturally, that's where Virgin Mobile hopes the conversation ends, but we don't need to tell you that there's quite a difference in speed between Virgin's EV-DO / WiMAX service and the speedier HSPA+ / LTE alternative from T-Mobile. That said, if your inner cheapskate is tingling, you'll now find an extra $100 incentive to make the switch.
O2 customers get free pass on Virgin Media's tube WiFi, last 12 stations go online this week
Unless you're a Virgin Media, EE or Vodafone customer, you've either been shelling out for subterranean internet, or bid the London Underground's WiFi network a solemn farewell when free access ended in January. If you're with O2, however, your free pass has now been reinstated, as the bubble-loving carrier has become the latest passenger riding on Virgin Media's tube hotspots -- O2 WiFi users will even find themselves automatically registered. Also, the underground network will shortly be meeting its 120-station target, as Virgin will be flipping switches at the final 12 locations throughout this week (the station list is available at the source link). So, should you start seeing more people in more places frantically hammering their smartphones during those 30-second pauses on the platform, you'll know why.
April Fools' Day roundup: hamster beats, pirate's booty and Play-Doh printing
April Fools' Day is tough. Believe us. We know. It's 24 hours of fake news, bad jokes and Gangnam Style references. But not all of it is the internet equivalent to lining a toilet with plastic wrap. Sometimes, good stuff manages to slip through the proverbial cracks in the web. After the break, check out some of the holiday's highlights. If you dare.
Mobile Miscellany: week of February 18th, 2013
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought confirmation of Pantech's next phone for Verizon, legal battles over the airwaves in India and a new smartphone to Virgin Mobile. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of February 18th, 2013.
PSA: Virgin Media begins charging for tube WiFi today
Today's the day that your cost-free tweeting about red signals comes to end, as Virgin Media begins charging for its WiFi service on the London Underground. If you're a Virgin, Vodafone or EE customer, then you just need to sign up to continue getting access as part of your mobile plan. For everyone else, avoiding getting your fingers sticky on that day's issue of Metro will cost you £2 a day, £5 per seven-day week or £15 a month. If you take up the latter option at any point in February, you'll be given an additional sweetener: three months for the price of one. The company has also announced that Hampstead, Tooting Broadway and Great Portland Street are among 11 more stations that are due to come online this week.
PSA: Virgin Media extends London Underground WiFi again, aims for 120 stations by early 2013
In case you didn't notice, Virgin Media is still expanding its WiFi coverage on the tube. But what if you don't live around Finsbury Park, Camden, or the other 18 stations added today? Well, Virgin is promising that an extra 28 stations will join the soon-to-be-subscription service early into 2013, so it still might be worth checking if access comes free with that new phone contract. (Image credit: Yuri Suzuki)
YouTube takes to the skies with Virgin America content deal
Admittedly, we're more likely to hit up YouTube for its hilarious and bizarre amateur content than to pop in on one of those well-funded Original Channels, but that won't necessarily be the case going forward. Several of the site's original programming venues will soon be available through Virgin America's in-flight entertainment system -- "H+ The Digital Series," "Blue," "Written by a Kid," "Crash Course" and "The Key of Awesome" are expected to hit aircraft beginning December 15th, according to Variety. Sure, you could navigate to YouTube on your own through the carrier's in-flight WiFi, but you'll soon be able to enjoy at least a few titles in (presumably) higher quality through the 9-inch panel mounted to the seat in front of you, while freeing up bandwidth for those hardworking business travelers (and a few occasional Engadget editors) in the process. These latest YouTube selections join a variety of other content unique to Virgin, and considering that legacy carriers stock their IFE with "classic" flicks and a dismal selection of dated TV shows (assuming they offer the service at all), the nation's "fun" alternative airline is starting to look even more appealing.
Halo 4 Spartan Ops goes on hiatus next week, 'Infinity Challenge' begins
Halo 4's episodic co-op campaign Spartan Ops will go on hiatus next week, concluding in January with the final five episodes of season one. Microsoft is also teaming up with Virgin gaming on the "Halo 4 Infinity Challenge," which has a V8-powered 2013 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor (pictured), along with an appearance in a future Halo game, as its grand prize.Those interested in participating in the Mountain Dew and Doritos presents, in association with Seven Eleven and Harvey's RV World, Halo 4 Infinity Challenge can register at www.halo4infinitychallenge.com. The tournament begins December 17 and will track War Games and Spartan Ops leaderboards, with over 2,800 prizes available. The qualifier phase will run until January 10.After the qualifier section, players will be tiered into three groups, with the final phase taking place the week of January 12. Leaderboards will be reset at this time to award the top performers in each tier. No word yet if the new Ford F-150 handles like a Warthog.
EE strikes deal with Virgin Media to give its customers free tube WiFi in 2013 (update: Vodafone, too)
Londoners enjoyed not only "the greatest show on earth" this summer, but also free tube WiFi courtesy of Virgin Media. It's due to remain complimentary for what's left of the year, but if you're with EE, you'll be able to continue updating your status from subterranean platforms in 2013. The UK's first 4G provider has struck a deal to hook its customers up to Virgin's underground WiFi infrastructure, although the announcement seems to have gone out a little earlier than planned. EE tweeted the news then swiftly retracted it, but has since replied to Mr. Miles at Pocket-lint confirming the partnership, at least for however long that message stays... yep, it's gone. If you're not on EE, don't get your sad face on just yet, as there are rumors circulating that other carriers will be piggybacking on Virgin's hotspots, too -- they just haven't accidentally announced it yet. Update: It's now officially official, and Vodafone's on board as well. Next year, tube WiFi will stay free for those signed with either EE or Voda, and Virgin will be offering pay-as-you-go options for those that aren't: daily, weekly or monthly access from £2 per day (roughly $3.20). Virgin is also hooking up another 48 stations, with 20 due to be switched on this December and 28 in early 2013. If you're wondering whether your local station is one of the score being hooked up this month, they're all listed in the PR below.
Mobile Miscellany: week of November 12th, 2012
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This past week, we found new smartphones at Virgin Mobile, Fido and Wind, along with a hefty new round of LTE expansion from AT&T. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of November 12th, 2012.
Mobile Miscellany: week of November 5th, 2012
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This past week, Virgin introduced a WiFi calling service in the UK, a new smartphone leaked for Cricket and RIM announced a free app giveaway for Canadian residents. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of November 5th, 2012.
Engadget's smartphone buyer's guide: fall 2012 edition
Shopping for a smartphone can be an exciting and arduous experience. Along with the promise of something new and fantastic, it brings the fear of commitment, and even worse, the prospect of saddling yourself to a lousy device for two years. Fortunately for you, Engadget spends tons of time playing with the latest gear and we're constantly on the lookout for what's coming next. If you're wanting to take the pain out of shopping for a smartphone, you've come to the right place. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Engadget's smartphone buyer's guide: your one-stop resource to finding the best and most exciting handsets on the market today. Before you dive in, however, we've introduced a few changes to the buyer's guide, so take a minute to prepare yourself for what's in store. First and foremost, you'll now find alternate selections to supplement our top picks. This should already be familiar to many of you, which is the same format we use for our seasonal gift guides. The next one is a biggie: we've dropped the QWERTY selection. By and large, manufacturers and carriers alike have shifted their focus away from keyboard-equipped smartphones, and you'll rarely find more than one option on any given carrier. That said, if you still insist on the tactile experience, you'll always find everything you need to know in our reviews. Finally, whenever possible, you'll now find prices from Amazon Wireless, which allows us to provide you with more compelling budget selections and highlight the substantial savings that you can score by circumventing the carriers. It's not like they need your charity, anyway. If you're curious to see how it all unfolded -- and we know you are -- join us after the break, where we round up the very best smartphones of the season.
Mobile Miscellany: week of October 8th, 2012
If you didn't get enough in mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This past week, Samsung confirmed its Canadian release date for the Galaxy Note II, Alcatel took the wraps off of its first Windows Phone and it was revealed that T-Mobile will no longer openly market the iPhone in conjunction with its BYOD value plans. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of October 8th, 2012.
Refresh Roundup: week of September 10th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Mobile Miscellany: week of September 3rd, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, AT&T revealed grand plans for LTE expansion that'll continue through the end of the year and the Galaxy Reverb for Virgin Mobile officially went up for preorder. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of September 3rd, 2012.
Nokia brings wireless charging to Virgin Atlantic lounges, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf
Nokia thinks you'll like the wireless phone charging on your Lumia 920 or 820 enough to want to take it on the road, and to that end it's striking a deal to bring the cable-free experience beyond the home. Both Virgin Atlantic's lounge at Heathrow Airport and countertops at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in the US will let you top up your Windows Phone without having to hunt for a power outlet. We're still waiting on details like the timing, but we're glad to know that we won't have to lug around our FatBoy Recharge Pillows just to keep living in Nokia's vision of the future.
Netflix coming to future Freesat satellite TV boxes
Netflix making good on those investment promises for its UK viewers, with the streaming service set to be included in a new set-top box coming tomorrow. According to The Telegraph, the new device will link straight into Netflix services. Freesat's satellite TV offering launched back in 2008, with both BBC and ITV behind the project, while the new set-top box is rumored to add on-demand downloads and the ability to view programs up to eight days since they first air -- catching up to similar services from BT, Virgin and Sky. We're likely to hear more tomorrow, but Freesat's hoping it will be enough to make Brits reconsider those wallet-thumping Sky subscriptions.
Kyocera Rise arrives on Virgin Mobile with ICS, 3.5-inch display and slide-out QWERTY keys
Just as we'd heard, today's the day that budget-minded (and not-so-shy) Kyocera Rise hits the Virgin Mobile USA shelves. Available now for a mere $100 -- without any contracts, of course -- this 3.5-inch, Ice Cream Sandwich device boasts some pretty run-of-the-mill features, including an HVGA, 480 x 320 LCD, a single-core, 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, 2GB of built-in storage which can be expanded to 32GB via microSD and, as you can see above, a full-on, slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Naturally, Virgin Mobile's betting on folks to bundle the cheap handset with one of its unlimited data plans -- not to mention Kyocera's handset is yet another addition to the prepaid carrier's rising smartphone lineup. Those interested can give the Rise a better look down below, where a nice gallery filled with charming press shots awaits. %Gallery-164061%
