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Dell's 15.4-inch Vostro 1520 gets AT&T 3G option
The Round Rock powerhouse has definitely worked with the lads and ladies at AT&T before, but never before has the company's bargain-priced Vostro 1520 been available with WWAN. Until today, of course. Starting right now, users interested in picking up the 15.4-inch rig can add an AT&T 3G module for $125, though you should know that Dell forces you to purchase the $109 NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GPU (256MB) upgrade alongside of it. If you're down with a two-year DataConnect 5GB plan, the Vostro 1520 with AT&T 3G can be ordered up for as low as $633, and we're also told that a slew of other Inspiron, Latitude, Precision and XPS devices should be receiving similar treatment in short order.
3G / WiFi-equipped BeBook 2 launching tomorrow?
Man, are people into reading, or what? Hot on the heels of the BeBook Mini launch in the US and news that Barnes & Noble could be introducing an e-reader of its own as early as next week, Endless Ideas is now rumored to have its BeBook 2 on deck for an October 14th release. And considering that it has a booth at the Frankfurt Book Fair this week, we'd say there's at least a decent chance that the rumors are true. If you'll recall, we snagged the first look at the company's first-ever 3G / WiFi-equipped e-book reader back at CeBIT in March (pictured above), and considering that there can really never be enough competition in the space, we'll take the promised touchscreen and free RSS support any way we can get it. We'll be cautiously watching the action tomorrow for a full reveal, and we'd recommend you do as well -- besides, it's not like that International Kindle is shipping before next week anyway.
Motion brings durable Gorilla Glass to C5 and F5 tablets, tries to break it
It's been a minute since we've heard from the gang at Motion Computing, but as always they've used the time wisely, quietly working to improve their beloved C5 and F5 slate PCs. If recent upgrades to Verizon EV-DO, WiFi n, 64GB SSDs and the like weren't enough to get you psyched for your next trip to the ER, the company is proud to announce that you can now order your tablet with some of that hardcore Gorilla Glass you've read so much about. Just how durable is the display, you ask? How would you like a video to demonstrate it? What if we told you that some vaguely U2-esque stock music provided the soundtrack? Go ahead, you know you want to -- it's after the break.
Novatel announces new phase of MiFi Developer Program, Eye-Fi gets a mention
We already know that you love your MiFi -- after all, who wouldn't be into a mobile hotspot that can easily slide into your rear pocket? But are you ready to adore it even more? Novatel Wireless has just announced the second phase of its MiFi Developer Program, which seeks to bring all sorts of apps and added functionality to an already heralded device. As the story goes, the dev program provides a set of APIs and tech support to those interested in expanding the abilities of the MiFi, and while the possibilities are obviously limitless (or close to it), we're already hearing of a Nomadesk inclusion that will provide a web UI to access cloud storage when online via the MiFi. Then there's also the Eye-Fi mention, which seems to let you upload photos from your SD card to your hotspot even when a 3G tower is nowhere to be found; once the MiFi gets back in range, it handles the uploading from there. Strangely, we're seeing reports that all this fanciness won't work with Sprint or Verizon's MiFi, though Novatel's own release says nothing of the sort. Whatever the case, guard your heart here just in case the allegations are true.[Via jkOnTheRun]
Netgear 3G Mobile Broadband Wireless Router unboxing and impressions
Originally announced at CES this year, Netgear's 3G Mobile Broadband Wireless Router just recently started making its way into stores. Essentially, the MBR624GU enables your USB WWAN stick to become an internet source for multiple computers, handhelds or any other device that understands WiFi. You simply plug your USB WWAN modem into the rear of the unit (or into the bundled USB dongle), fire it up, and connect via WiFi or Ethernet. Sounds good in theory, right? Follow us past the break for a few impressions on how this admittedly promising device performed in the real world.%Gallery-74138%
Comcast could serve TV over WiMAX, inflate your bill even higher
Think you're good at turning down the upsell? Try saying no to adding WiMAX to your home internet service for the low, low price of whatever Comcast wants to charge. Thanks to a multi-billion dollar tie-up with Clearwire, Comcast has been offering WiMAX-based internet services in a few markets, but now that On Demand Online is a go, it makes sense to think that the operator would use that as leverage to get people hooked. For those unaware, ODO enables Comcast pay-TV subscribers to watch a vast array of programming from any internet connection, which of course means that any ole 3G / 4G data connection would work just as well as Comcast's own. Oh, and while mobile TV is pretty good -- and we're going to let Comcast finish -- watching HDTV at home with a DVR is definitely the best scenario of all time.Update: Just to be clear, this service won't deliver TV straight to phones.
AT&T slinging HSPA 7.2 to six cities this year, adding backhaul capacity too
If there's one thing AT&T's network could use, it's more network. Particularly in major cities (we're looking at you and your dastardly street parking situation, San Francisco), AT&T's 3G network is perpetually overwhelmed, oftentimes forcing users to switch to EDGE just to tweet about how awful the coverage is. Thankfully, the operator is making good on its earlier promise to roll out HSPA 7.2Mbps to select cities, with Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and Miami now destined to get lit this year. Potentially more interesting, however, is the deployment of "additional backhaul capacity to cell sites," which will also support LTE when the time comes. All told, around 2,000 new cell sites should be added before the year's end, and at least a half dozen 7.2Mbps-capable smartphones should be in AT&T's portfolio by the same deadline. Feel free to express your joy in comments below -- that is, if you can get comments to load on your existing 3G connection.
Clearwire goes live with WiMAX service in ten new markets
Just as we expected, Clearwire has lit up its CLEAR WiMAX services in ten new markets. Beginning today, those with a thirst for ultra-speedy mobile broadband can sink their teeth into those delicious 4G airwaves so long as you call one of the following locales home: Abilene, Amarillo, Corpus Christi, Killeen/Temple, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, Waco and Wichita Falls, Texas; Bellingham, Wash; or Boise, Idaho. We fully expect a smattering of other markets to see similar launches as the Fall progresses, but if you just can't wait, well -- there's always vacation.
HP to sell contract-free, WWAN-equipped PCs in Japan
In a presumed effort to shake up the Japanese wireless industry and provide consumers with 3G-equipped PCs that aren't tied to multi-year contracts, Hewlett-Packard has quietly announced a deal with Japan Communications that will allow its machines to be sold with SIM cards that can be used on a pay-as-you-go basis. For those unaware, JCI leases network space from NTT DoCoMo, and as part of the agreement, HP will not only get to choose which devices can connect, but it'll get to keep a nice slice of the mobile data revenue as well. Here's the crazy part: the initial wave of netbooks will be sold for between $50 and $100 sans contract. That's about what users pay in America now for subsidized WWAN-ready netbooks, but there's a two-year contract tagging along. If all goes well, we could even see full-sized laptops, smartphones and digital cameras hop on the same bandwagon, but for now, we'll be keenly watching how brisk sales are when things kick off next month.
Lenovo intros well-connected 0.83-inch thick ThinkPad T400s
Thinner than some netbooks and more potent than four or five of them combined, Lenovo's ThinkPad T400s aims to hit some sort of sweet spot in between weak ultraportables and battery-draining 15-inchers. The 14.1-inch lappie measures in at a remarkable 0.83-inches thin and boasts a starting weight of under four pounds. Within, you'll find Lenovo's heralded roll cage technology, a 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo processor, your choice of a 128GB SSD or 250GB HDD, a 9.5mm slim DVD burner or Blu-ray player, a multitouch trackpad, Ethernet, WiFi, optional WiMAX / WWAN / Bluetooth / ultra-wideband, a 34mm ExpressCard slot (or 5-in-1 card reader), a battery good for six hours and VGA / DisplayPort outputs. There's also support for the company's ConstantConnect and Protect technology as well as a built-in USB / eSATA port. In a surprising move, Lenovo decided to actually tweak the keyboard that has become a staple of the ThinkPad line; it increased the size of the Delete and Escape keys and tightened up the spaces between the keys to "help avoid crumbs that would otherwise fall below the keyboard." You can check the full release just past the break, and you can call one your own starting today for $1,599 and up.
Video: Novatel Wireless' GSM MiFi 2352 launches on Telefonica Espana
Remember that Novatel MiFi 2352 we got our hands on a few months back? Well, it looks like it got a little makeover just in time for yesterday's launch on Telefonica Espana. While we're digging the look of the thing, it's what's going on under the hood that really piqued our interest: Adding to the usual WiFi connectivity and encryption, this guy sports two processors, a separate Linux OS and additional flash RAM for hosting and running third party apps accessible to its WiFi clients. If anything, this suggests that Novatel has "big plans for the platform," as SlashGear notes. While available apps are currently limited to Alcatel-Lucent's Nonstop Laptop Guardian (a user admin package for enterprise users) we're looking forward to seeing what the company and its partners cook up in the future. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's commence with the unboxing. Shall we? Video's after the break.
HP Mini 100 available for online ordering, Vivienne Tam safe and sound
All you crazy kids keepin' an eye on the HP Mini 110 are in for a real treat. The company is now listing the machine as available for ordering on its website, superseding the Mini 1000 (don't worry, fashionistas -- the Vivienne Tam model is still available, at least for the time being). As reported previously, these guys are priced at $279.99 (Mi Edition) or $329.99 (XP Edition), with the 6-cell battery option adding $40 to the price, and an Intel Atom N280 CPU costing an additional $25. And the Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator? Look for it next month. [Via Portable Monkey]
IAC Prodigy e-reader does EV-DO, HSPA, WiMAX and WiFi
While you might say Amazon's Kindle is lucky to have a single CDMA / EV-DO radio built-in, IAC would likely venture to disagree. Over at Computex, said firm was showcasing its Prodigy e-reader, which just so happens to pack every major wireless radio we can think of. EV-DO Rev. A? Check. WCDMA / HSPA? Check. WiMAX? Oh, definitely. 802.11b/g WiFi? For sure, dudes. And the fun doesn't stop there -- it's packing a 6-inch 800 x 600 e-paper touchscreen, 256MB of NAND Flash memory, 128MB of DDR memory, 2GB of NAND storage and a Marvell PXA310 processor. If all goes well, this little bugger will ship in Q4 over in Taiwan, but it'll be a cold day in Hades before it arrives on US soil. Video's after the break.
Microsoft showing off Windows 7-powered Viliv S5 MID at Computex
Being that Release Candidate 1 just hit the tubes, we weren't really expecting a big Windows 7 presence at Computex this year. Much to our surprise, Viliv has announced that it will be showcasing the first official Win7-powered MID at the Taiwan-based show later this week. The heralded S5 will be the lucky device, with a duo of WiMAX-equipped cousins (X70 EX and S7) hanging around to demonstrate live video streaming. Needless to say, we'll be doing everything we can to drop by and see how things are going.[Via CNET]
AT&T announces 7.2Mbps HSPA rollout plans
We knew AT&T had an HSPA upgrade in the works, and now the company has announced its plans, with initial rollout beginning later this year and reaching completion in 2011. That will overlap only slightly with LTE, which AT&T plans to put into trials in 2010 and start melting our faces in 2011. The HSPA upgrade takes the network from 3.6Mbps to 7.2Mbps in theoretical speed, and AT&T also plans to nearly double the amount of wireless spectrum it dedicates to 3G in metropolitan areas -- which should come as a relief to city dwellers who haven't managed more than a couple minutes of sustained conversation since mid-2008. To support the increased bandwidth of HSPA, AT&T also plans on adding thousands of new cell site backhaul connections, while also rolling out 3G service to 20 new metro areas and deploying 2,100 new cell sites in total. HSPA-sporting mobile data cards and smartphones will be available "later this year."
HP unveils Mini 1101, Mini 110 XP / Mi editions with optional HD video accelerator
HP's got more additions to its Mini netbook lineup coming your way with the 1101 and 110 XP / Mi. All three models sport a 10.1-inch widescreen LED, autosync software for easier connectivity to your primary PC, and the standard 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 / 1.66GHz N280 processor options with GMA 950 graphics, VGA output, 3 or 6 cell batteries, and 802.11b/g. The Mini 110 XP edition takes the trend even further with -- and we're sure you're surprised here -- 1GB RAM and 160GB HDD or 32GB SSD, as well as optional WWAN and a Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Video Accelerator, which HP claims will let you watch 1080p video smoothly -- yeah, we'll believe it when we see it. Those who go with the company's Linux-based pet Mi can bump up to 250GB HDD and 2GB memory. As for the Mini 1101, it looks like it's basically the business-centric 110 with XP and Vista as your OS choices and no apparent video enhancer. As for pricing and availability, the Mini 1101 is coming at ya on June 1st with a base price of $329, while Mini 110 will follow shortly after in black swirl on June 10th, and white swirl / pink chic on July 8th. Those will start at $279 with Mi and $329 if you want Windows XP instead.
Engadget Labs: The best mobile data carrier in America
When T-Mobile finally decided to join the 3G data card bandwagon earlier this year, we figured it prudent to grab a few sticks from the likes of T-Mob, Sprint, Verizon Wireless and AT&T in order to see which carrier provides the most bang for the buck in the mobile data arena. And trust us, it's about more than just uplink and downlink rates in 2G / 3G regions these days -- it's about figuring out which operator provides the coverage you need at the price you can afford, all while dodging those precarious overage charges and finding yourself out of luck when traveling overseas. Join us after the break as we delve into the deep, murky realm that is mobile broadband, and prepare to have your every preconceived notion about this stuff utterly destroyed.
Ericsson and TeliaSonera reveals world's first commercial LTE site in Stockholm
Mmm, the sweet smell of mobile data burning up the pipes in the morning. Gets us every time. Evidently, the same aroma does something to the brains of Ericsson and TeliaSonera, who have taken their January agreement to the next level by introducing the planet's first commercial Long-Term Evolution (LTE) site in Stockholm, Sweden. Mind you, we've seen lots of trial runs over the past year and change, but this one's no test. Rather, this site will become part of a commercial network scheduled to go live in 2010, bringing wicked fast mobile transfers to Stockholmers everywhere. Now, let's hope these American carriers get jealous, and fast.
Novatel's MiFi 2200 portable EV-DO router comes to Sprint
What one CDMA carrier can do, another can do better, right? Eh, not quite, but they can stare each other down holding the exact same weapon, just daring each other to make the next move. Just a week after Verizon Wireless launched the MiFi 2200 portable EV-DO router, Sprint has decided to offer up the exact same product for use on its network. The battery-powered box, engineered by Novatel Wireless, enables users to connect up to five WiFi-enabled devices to Sprint's EV-DO Rev. A network, and it'll be marketed in stores as the Sprint Mobile Hotspot. According to the carrier, its unit will be the first in the US to support MiFi's GPS capabilities, allowing users to take advantage of select location and mapping applications. It should be noted, however, that Sprint's service plans differ quite significantly from those offered up by VZW. The up front cost is the same at $99 after a $50 mail-in rebate (on a two-year agreement), though the only two options for getting it connected are as follows: $59.99 per month mobile broadband only plan (excluding taxes and surcharges) $149.99 per month Simply Everything Plan + Mobile Broadband (phone plus device connectivity -- excluding taxes and surcharges) Both plans include up to 5 GB per month and 5 cents per megabyte overage for the MiFi 2200. [Ugh, disgusting.] Available in early June. [Via phoneArena]
Proxicast's Cell-PAK: it's a portable 3G / WiFi hotspot, but rugged
If you've been toying with the idea of buying a bulletproof shell for your CradlePoint portable hotspot, we're guessing that Proxicast's Cell-PAK is an entirely better option. Said box, which is described as a rugged, self-powered 3G + WiFi wireless hotspot in a box, was designed to provide "mission-critical wireless communications" in the jungle, on the battlefield or in your backyard. Aside from having its very own battery pack for completely untethered access, the device comes encased in an impact and water-resistant MIL-spec rated chassis, and we're told that it can accept "any 3G modem from any cellular carrier worldwide." We're talking over a dozen hours of wireless access from anywhere that you can retrieve signal, and there's even an external high-gain antenna to help with that. Now, if only that $1,295 price weren't so gigantic...[Via Coolest-Gadgets]