Good news, college hoops fans: The NCAA March Madness iPhone app will support live streaming over both 3G and wi-fi this year.
The app will cost $9.99, and there will be a free "lite" version, which includes on-demand highlights but no live streaming. Last year, it was wi-fi only, but cost $4.99, or 50% less.
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For me, Spring cleaning means ripping out that rat's nest of cords behind my desk and getting a fresh start with minimal cable interference. Thankfully, there's a new wireless charger on the block that will help me keep things neat and tidy. Like the Powermat before it, the Case-Mate Hug ($100) charges your iPhone without all those nasty wires and cords. Sure, it won't charge your BlackBerry or your PSP, but it will do the job for your iPhone 3G or 3GS. The sleek aluminum Case-Mate Hug comes with two elements - the slim, form-fitting, and shock-absorbing iPhone case, and the pad, which transfers power to the case via magnetic fields to juice up your smartphone. The coolest part about this pair? The pad uses "smart charge" technology to only charge your phone till it's 100 percent full, then stops pulling power to save you some cash.
3G Americas has announced recently that the number of mobile connections in Latin America managed to pass over the 500 million mark during the fourth quarter of the last year. Moreover, it seems that around 91 percent of the connections were based on GSM-HSPA technology, with a number of more than 464 million such connections reported in Lati... (read more)
Verizon plays the obvious card: its 4G trials are faster than 3G originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Verizon plays the obvious card: its 4G trials are faster than 3G originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsBy Joe Wilcox, Betanews
"Who will buy?" is the question to ask now that Apple has turned on the advertising spigot. I saw the first iPad commercial three times during yesterday's Academy Awards program. No one should underestimate the power of Apple marketing for generating millions of initial iPad sales. Advertising will differentiate iPad from ebook reader or tablet competitors.
For years, Apple advertised iPod unchecked. Competitors simply didn't aggressively advertise their MP3 players. So from about 2002 through end of 2004, iPod owned media player advertising -- at least in the United States. For a short time, Creative had a campaign, then nothing after 2005. No wonder so many people bought an iPod -- it seemingly was the only choice.
What other competitor will offer another choice to iPad through such aggressive marketing? You tell me. The first commercial is very benefits oriented, putting common PC-like functions in the lap instead of on the tabletop. Apple should be wary of consumer confusion. Some potential buyers might not easily understand the difference from iPhone or iPod touch. Whom that might be will become more apparent in a few paragraphs.
I predict that within a few months of release, unless there is a shortage of storage cards, Apple will reconsider the 16GB model -- as it did the original 4GB iPhone; 16GB is the new 4GB, but for different reasons. From the start, summer 2007, 8GB iPhone quickly outsold the lower-cost 4GB model. Buyers wanted more storage. At $499, I expect the 16GB iPad to easily outsell the $629 16GB 3G or 32GB WiFi model. But in short order, many iPad buyers will find that 16GB storage is inadequate. They'll want more storage, which they didn't get at first because of price -- how affordable is $499 compared to $629. There are reasons why retailers use prices like $19.99 or $599. The six in $629 seems so much more than $499. I expect Apple to make price adjustments by summer. Latest. But only after an iPod touch price reduction or introduction of 128GB model at $399.
All this meandering finally leads to the question posed by this post's title: Who should buy iPad? With no backing data -- but a good sense about marketing -- I'll predict early iPad sales will skew across four consumer demographic groups (ignoring institutional segments like education or training) that also likely wouldn't fit nicely into analysts' survey spreadsheets:
People Steve Jobs's age or older. The iPad is first and foremost a device for the old. Apple's CEO may run a company producing hip products, but Jobs is middle aged. Jobs turned 55 on February 24. He's a Baby Boomer, and iPad is for his generation and that of his parents. It's computing made easy, with all the basics covered in a device simply and comfortably handled.
Yesterday, a friend asked if his 85 year-old dad should buy an iPad. "Absolutely," I said. He was surprised because of my post "12 reasons why I won't buy an iPad." The iPad will get the dad on the Web with email and other connected features, serve up ebooks and provide applications that are easily chosen, purchased, installed and used.
Apple's tablet isn't right for me, or many other people comfortable with technology and used to multitasking. In its first iteration, iPad is more a single-task device, which is right pace for many older folks (Hey, this isn't agism just the reality of aging). Among the Boomer-plus set, I expect iPad will appeal most to digital immigrants, meaning those people who didn't grow up with computers and aren't all that comfortable with them (Gen Xers tend to be digital resident aliens and the Millennials digital natives).
The iPad as a device for the old (55 and older) could be quite good for Apple. According to a recent AdMob report, 65 percent of iPod touch users are 17 or younger. By comparison, 72 percent of iPhone users are between 18 and 54. Neither device has much pull with those 55 or older, 14 percent and 5 percent, respectively. The 55 and over crowd is a desirable market segment. Marketers assume this group has more discretionary spending because of savings and less pull by outside factors -- children, for example. Then there is the large number of Bably Boomers (in the United States about 77 million still living out of 309 million total population, according to Census data). The oldest Boomers reached retirement age in the Noughties.
The Mac faithful. It's often called the cult of Mac for a reason. Anecdotally, this group can be relied on to buy pretty much anything new with an Apple logo.
Mac wannabes on a budget. From a marketing perspective -- looking at Apple computing products as a range of features and prices -- iPad fills a gaping hole in the Mac product line between the $399 iPod touch and $999 MacBook. More importantly, iPad lets people pining for a portable Mac get one for less than $500. Suddenly, the cheapest, functional Mac portable is $499. The average consumer doesn't care about the operating system, whether iPhone OS 3.2 or Snow Leopard. Mac wannabes will care more about what the device can do for them. Apple has packed most of the basic, most appealing functions of the Mac portable -- including iWork -- into iPad. Then there's the App Store offering loads of fun applications that are cheap and easy to install.
Niche buyers. Singly, niche buyers won't amount to much. Combined, they could be a sizable buying segment. Among them I see people interested in ebooks, gadget collectors (especially those obsessed with geek envy) and artists.
To many artists, iPad should be a desirable canvas. Anthropologically, used together, the mouse and keyboard are an unnatural user interface. Human beings are tool users. We experience and interact with the world through five senses. The best tools are really extensions of the hands; the mouse and keyboard UI is neither. Hands, fingers and touch are especially important for experiencing and manipulating objects or surroundings -- and for artistry. Apple's tablet is the canvas for which many artists' hands will create. What will the hand and finger create on the touchscreen? Who knows, the answer might be a future iPad commercial.
Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010
The iPhone is known for having a temperamental battery life span, often ranging from multiple days of power to less than a transcontinental flight. The reason for much of this inconsistency is that the iPhone essentially goes to sleep when it is not being used. When it is being used you can go from basic functions to those that eat up battery life like a terminal cancer. If you are trying to maintain battery life there are several standard suggestions that people tend to follow. Reduce screen brightness, turn off EQ, 3G, and Wi-Fi, turn off Push features, and shorten the speed of the Auto-Lock feature. Beyond the obvious there are a few things to think about and tips to follow if you want to really extend the life of your iPhone battery.
The first tip to follow is to simply reduce the use of your iPhone. This may seem obvious, but people often forget that the iPhone is a phone first and iPod second. Listening to music on your iPhone will eat up the battery, but watching videos either online or in the iPod section will kill it faster than anything else. If you absolutely need your battery life to remain consistent you are going to have to go to the basic functions of your phone and only use it for calls.
You can easily go in and select different settings in your iPhone to reduce the drain on the battery. Location services, all push functions, data fetching, internet functions, and the rest can all be shut off manually. Each of these communication services will continually drain your battery as they constantly communicate through your network. The ultimate way to really shut this down is to enter Airplane Mode. Airplane Mode, as the name indicates, is what you turn on when you are prohibited from having any signal coming in and out of your iPhone. You can do this for periods of time when you know you are not going to use your phone, but will need to later on. This will essentially shut down the power drain as long as you are not using the iPhone functions. To set Airplane Mode on your iPhone start by going to Settings. You will find the Airplane Mode Off / On button right at the very top above the Wi-Fi selection section.
Sounds in general are often going to cut short your iPhone battery life. These are used by the iPhone to notify you about almost everything, from new emails to the basic clicks of the keyboard when texting. This is an easy way to get a little extra juice out of your iPhone on long bouts away from an outlet. Again, go to the Settings option and then go down to the second block and select Sounds, which is directly above Brightness. Once you are in Sounds you will have the option to turn off a whole host of things, with Vibrate right at the top. Below that you can turn off sounds for New Voicemail, New Mail, Sent Mail, Calendar Alerts, Lock Sounds, and Keyboard Clicks. All of these can go easily without impeding iPhone functionality, but you may have to consider whether or not it will be worth it to turn off vibrate altogether.
The sleep cycle for the iPhone is one of the most important ways that it saves battery, so this should be respected. Constantly waking it up and then allowing it to go back to sleep drains the battery in the same way that turning your car on and off uses an unreasonable amount of gas. When you do not need to actually use the iPhone just simply put it away and let it rest.
If you want to ensure long term battery life efficiency you are going to have to go through the Charge Cycle regularly. This Charge Cycle on your iPhone means that you will have to go from a full charge to a full die. This will make sure that the lithium battery in the iPhone stays working well. Try to do the full Charge Cycle every four weeks or so, and every month and a half at the very least. For most people this is no problem as dying iPhone batteries are a part of everyday mobile life.
To really solve your issues with iPhone battery life you should be keeping chargers with you at all times. iPhone car chargers are still standard and it is easy to plug into almost any computer and charge up for a little while. Currently there are dozens of back up options that allow you to keep a back up power source that you can charge from when you are not near a stationary power outlet or computer. These are not that expensive and should be a priority for iPhone users that travel regularly.
For more standard tips for extending your iPhone's battery life check out:
LG’s X300 notebook will be available in Asia, the Middle East and South America starting this month. The laptop, which first showed up at CES in January, has an 11.6 inch 1366 x 768 pixel HD display and runs Windows 7 Home Premium. It ships with a 2 cell battery, plus a spare battery which should provide up to 7 hours of run time, combined.
The notebook uses a low power 2GHz Intel Atom Menlow chip and a 128GB solid state disk. It has a fanless design, which should make operation pretty darn quiet.It also has an integrated 3G module
The most impressive thing about the LG X300, though, is its size and weight. It’s less than 0.7″ thick and weighs just 2.1 pounds. Not bad for an 11.6 inch notebook.
On the down side, this thing ain’t going to come cheap. While no US pricing has been announced yet, Engadget reports that it will sell for the equivalent of $1424 in Korea.
It’s possible that the US version will be called the LG X30 instead of the X300. The FCC has already published some documents for an LG X30 laptop which looks strikingly similar to the X300.
Post from: Liliputing
LG X300 thin and light notebook launches this month
Continue reading A lava lamp and a Nexus One tested under 3Gs of force (video)
A lava lamp and a Nexus One tested under 3Gs of force (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Verizon Wireless, whose plan is to have its 4G/LTE network in 50 to 60 markets by the end of 2012, ran trial LTE tests in Boston and Seattle with great success. It’s not a shocker that LTE will be much faster than 3G, but Verizon seems pleased to announce that average speeds were in the neighborhood of 5 to 12 Mbps for downloads and approximately 2 to 5 Mbps uploads. That’s faster than the 4G claims of Clearwire and Sprint, and maybe fast enough to cause some subscribers to drop their home broadband connections altogether.
So what about peak speeds? Hold onto your hats.
Verizon says it saw max speeds of 40 to 50 Mbps on the downlink and upload speeds of 20 to 25 Mbps. Having blazing fast speeds should allow video, VoIP calls, downloads and web browsing to be done without any kind of hiccups.
If accurate, Verizon’s numbers compare very favorably to 4G speeds we’ve seen recently when testing the WiMax network offered by Clear and Sprint in Philadelphia. In our early tests, we saw download speeds of about 3.5 Mbps at best.
When can we expect to see Verizon’s LTE network light up across the U.S.? Verizon CTO Tony Melone says:
Our LTE rollout plan positions Verizon Wireless to be a global leader in 4G LTE deployment. We are on track to deliver an outstanding wireless data experience to customers in 25 to 30 markets covering roughly 100 million people by year’s end
If Verizon stays on schedule, it would be great news for consumers. Let’s just hope that the usual snags and delays of network deployment stay at a minimum.
AT&T has announced two 3G LaptopConnect devices, which are the USBConnect Turbo and the USBConnect Velocity. The USBConnect Turbo is made by LG, which basically works as a USB 3G modem that keeps the user connected to the Internet via 3G/HSPA 7.2 while they’re on the run.
The AT&T USB Velocity is an aGPS device with 3G connectivity for your laptop, made by Option, which keeps you connected with location GPS-based services.
It works with Option’s free software, the Option GPS control panel, which is able to make use of location-enabled web services such as Yahoo and Bing for directions and local points of interest.
Both devices have microSD memory card slots, allow you to carry your data on the go. The USBConnect Turbo retails for $99 with a 2-year DataConnect that runs you at least $35 a month. While the USBConnect Velocity is priced at $29.99 after $100 mail-in rebate and also with 2-year DataConnect of at least $35 a month. Both devices will be available on line in AT&T stores starting March 7.
via techfresh
Written By TechChee.com, AT&T 3G LaptopConnect devices
We all know AT&T has connectivity issues. Even with the recent upgrades they have been doing there are still significant issues. And yes, some (many?) of them are due to AT&T being the only carrier supporting the data-sucking iPhone. And with the release of the iPad 3G in two months it is about to get worse.
The problem is real and it is getting worse. US smartphone use has grown almost 700% in the past 4 years and mobile-data use is more than doubling each year. The current systems just weren’t designed to carry that sort of load. And the result? We all see it every day. 
Well, according to BusinessWeek there is some potential relief on the way and it comes in a surprising form… CABLE.
The Case-Mate Hug is a wireless inductive charger, a lot like the Powermat or Palm's Touchstone. Inductive chargers let you plop your gadget down onto a special surface for charging, rather than fiddling around with wires--and the Hug is one of the best out there.
Inductive chargers aren't magic, however. They work via a magnetic field, but gadgets (aside from the Palm Pre Plus) don't have the required magnetic parts, so you need to use a case. It's a little lame, but if you were planning on using a case anyway, Case-Mate's solution essentially adds wireless charging (which is undeniably cool) for just a bit more money.
The Hug is compatible with the iPhone 3G and 3GS only, for now--other models, including BlackBerry, will be coming out in a few months. The Hug's got a lot of great features, like smart charging, which switches the power off once your iPhone is fully charged to conserve battery life. It's also significantly better-looking than the Powermat, and is actually cheaper once the Powermat's required case is factored in (about $30 cheaper at Amazon). I played with the Hug at CES this year and was very impressed with the build quality of both the case and the dock; they've got a nice solid heft and feel to them, and the case feels like it actually would provide some protection.
The Case-Mate Hug is available starting today online and at most retailers. The kit sells for $100, and includes the dock, case, and a screen protection kit.
LG's ultraslim X300 launching in Asia, Middle East and South America this month originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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FCC has blessed the recently announced Nokia C5 with the seal of approval. Don’t get too excited, though, it’s the European version of the device, which 3G sings along 900 and 2100MHz 3G bands. You know the math, right – AT&T (NYSE: T) works on 1900 and T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) on 1700 MHz, so this move by Nokia (NYSE: NOK) — to push the not-for-the-USA device through FCC — is obsolete, to say the least.
As a reminder, the C5 is a low-cost smartphone with specs that include HSPA connectivity, GPS, 3.2-megapixel camera and Symbian S60. Its MSRP is just $185, hence we expect to see the Finnish company moving tons of these in due course.
And if you wonder, we’ve no idea when the U.S. version of the device will be released, if at all. If I were at AT&T or T-Mobile, I would love the idea of offering a low-cost smartphone, so at the end we may see one of these two going for the C5 in an effort to increase ARPUs.
Finally, we also don’t know when the Nokia C6, which was also approved by the Commission recently, will be officially announced. That model looks even more interesting, not least thanks to the WiFi connectivity support…
[Via: Engadget]
Related News from IntoMobile:
Apple unveiled the very first iPad commercial "Meet The iPad" during the broadcast of the Academy Awards show on Sunday night. The raucous soundtrack used in the ad is a 2008 release by Peter Parker entitled "There Goes Love". Apple targeted their first iPad ad for the right audience at the right time.
Apple's magical iPad will go on sale Saturday, April 3rd in the U.S. starting at $499 for Wi-Fi enabled models. Pre-ordering for the device will begin on March 12th for US customers who choose to pre-order both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi plus 3G models directly from Apple’s online store or reserve a Wi-Fi model for pick at an Apple retail location on April 3rd. And the Oscar goes to...
[iTunes Link for Peter Parker Song]
Filed under: iPad
Our English-speaking friends across the pond have been anxiously awaiting pricing and availability dates for the iPad. Macworld UK's Nick Spence notes that both the Wi-Fi and 3G models will be available in late April, meaning that developers in the UK who want to get their hands on an iPad earlier may have to consider flying to the US on April 3rd.TUAWMacworld UK estimates iPad pricing, late April availability in the Blighty originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: iPad
Our English-speaking friends across the pond have been anxiously awaiting pricing and availability dates for the iPad. Macworld UK's Nick Spence notes that both the Wi-Fi and 3G models will be available in late April, meaning that developers in the UK who want to get their hands on an iPad earlier may have to consider flying to the US on April 3rd.TUAWMacworld UK estimates iPad pricing, late April availability in the Blighty originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Starting today, AT&T customers with a penchant for Android can point their browser to AT&T’s website or hoof it to their local AT&T store to snag the Motorola BACKFLIP. Now available for a mere $99 after rebate and a two year agreement, the BACKFLIP features quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), tri-band 7.2Mbps HSPA 3G (850/1900/2100 MHz), a 3.1″ HVGA touch-screen display, Android OS 1.5 (upgradeable to 2.1), 5 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth 2.0, aGPS, 3.5 mm headphone jack, microSD slot (up to 32GB), fully QWERTY “back flipping” keyboard, and Motorola’s MOTOBLUR UI. So AT&T Android fans, will you grab the BACKFLIP or will you exercise some patience and wait for one of the other four Android handsets to make their debut?
Skype users that own a Symbian-powered Nokia handset will have to go the extra mile to install Skype on their handset. As noticed following Wednesday’s debut of Skype in the Ovi store, Skype is reportedly not available for Nokia owners in the US. In response to an email from Venture Beat, Sravanthi Agrawal, a member of Skpye’s corporate communications team, said the following:
“Skype has made a decision in the United States to not promote the Skype for Symbian app through the Ovi Store. We did this so that we could drive more attention to the recently announced Skype and Verizon Wireless agreement. This was a marketing decision — plain and simple.
“Skype users in the U.S can still download Symbian by going directly to Skype.com.”
The supposed reason behind this removal is not surprising considering the controversy over the removal of the Windows Mobile version of Skype from Skype’s website, the removal of Skype from the Android Market, and the rumored delay of the 3G-enabled version of Skype for the iPhone. Unless this policy changes or is revealed to be incorrect, anyone unduly affected will have to search a little harder to find a version of Skype to install on their handset or sign up with Verizon Wireless.
Is the recently announced Skype/Verizon deal delaying the release of Skype over 3G for the iPhone? Previously AT&T announced they would change their policy and allow VoIP over 3G, Apple announced they would change their SDK agreement to allow it, and Skype announced they would provide it to their iPhone users. AT&T has come through, Apple has come through, other VoIP clients have begun offering 3G. And Skype…? They said they were waiting to make sure Apple was okay with it. They made sure. They said they were waiting to improve 3G call quality. And…? Still nothing.
They did, however, announce a deal for Skype over 3G with Verizon at Mobile World Congress a couple weeks ago. Since then, WMExperts tell us the Windows Mobile Skype app is no longer available for download. According to Venture Beat (via BGR) their Symbian Skype App has now been pulled from the Ovi Store. When asked why Skype was removed from the Ovi Store, Venture Beat was told:
Skype has made a decision in the United States to not promote the Skype for Symbian app through the Ovi Store. We did this so that we could drive more attention to the recently announced Skype and Verizon Wireless agreement. This was a marketing decision — plain and simple
The iPhone Skype app [Free - iTunes link] is still in the App Store (after a short hiccup) but it’s still Wi-Fi only. When asked for comment after the Verizon agreement, a Skype rep would only tell TiPb that there was no further updates since last time.
So, is it just taking longer than we expected to get that really great 3G voice quality out for Skype? Or has the Verizon deal sucked all the attention out of the room?
Are you still waiting for Skype over 3G for iPhone, or have you started using alternatives? Let us know!
Is Skype/Verizon Deal Delaying Skype Over 3G for iPhone? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
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Nokia C5 wastes no time getting FCC blessing originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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