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Ubiquisys attocell will be a personal femtocell for the iPhone
Posted by Reza Malayeri Categories: Accessories, USB, Smartphones, Wireless / WiFi,
Today Ubiquisys announced a new smartphone accessory called attocell; a personal femtocell for the iPhone and other 3G mobile phones. "This remarkable device is a personal mobile phone signal, with a range so tiny it can be used anywhere that your laptop has an internet connection. It provides a great mobile service anywhere in the world, and calls are made and received as though on the home country network."
Depending on the local signal regulations, the device can operate in either the 5mm mode, or it can broadcast a signal within a room. This allows the attocell to intelligently scan the surrounding cellular networks and make sure that it does not have any negative impact on the local operators cell signal.
Travellers across the globe will soon be able to carry the attocell along on their trips, and avoid paying those hefty international roaming rates.
Read More 
| Ubiquisys Attocell
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PSP2 to sport OLED display, 3G connectivity
Posted by John Kilhefner Categories: Hardware, Portable/Mobile, PSP, Rumors, Sony,
Japanese newspaper Nikkei revealed some major details concerning the PSP2, reporting that the portable system will include 3G connectivity to the NTT DoCoMo network. While this particular network is exclusive to the Far East, the included 3G connectivity means we can expect the same thing for the American launch of the PSP2. With 3G connection speeds, the PSP2 would be capable of downloading data over a phone network, instead of being limited to wi-fi connections.
Also, Nikkei broke news that the PSP2 sports an OLED touch-screen, and an all-new processor for delivering cutting edge handheld performance. All will be confirmed January 27th, when Sony officially unveils the PSP2 to the world.
Barnes & Noble phasing out Nook 3G
Posted by Patrick Lambert Categories: Handhelds, Rumors,
According to an inside source, the Nook 3G is being discontinued by Barnes & Noble. The company cites lack of bulk demand for the device, and is now filling orders until the stock is depleted. The Nook is one of the strongest Kindle alternatives out there, but we think it's fairly obvious that there isn't really that much of a need to have your ebook reader perpetually connected to the Internet through 3G. Anyhow, if you've been thinking about getting a Nook with 3G built-in, now's the time.
Read More | Engadget
Sprint to hike rates on smartphone data plans by $10
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Corporate News,
If you're planning to get a new smartphone on Sprint, you should probably do so in the next couple of weeks. After Jan. 30, data plans for smartphones activated on the carrier will go up in price by $10 a month, the company announced today.
Called "Premium Data," the mandatory charge is added to the Sprint's existing unlimited $70 Everything Data plan, pumping it up to $80 a month. Sprint says the increase is to address its users' "growing appetite for a richer mobile experience." The charge affects only smartphones activated Jan. 30 or later—existing customers will not experience the increase until they upgrade.
Click to continue reading Sprint to hike rates on smartphone data plans by $10
Skype mobile video calls may be coming soon
Posted by Patrick Lambert Categories: Smartphones, Rumors, Wireless / WiFi,
The big rumor this weekend making the rounds is that Skype may be planning to bring video calls to mobile platforms soon. A document was discovered by Engadget showing some help topics like "How do I make video calls with Skype for iPhone?" Also, Skype has been saying it will make some new video related announcements at CES next month. Could this mean Skype users will be able to use their iPhone 4 with something other than FaceTime? So far it's always been a sticky issue to use video on phones because of the high bandwidth requirements. The real question here is, if true, will Skype video calls be Wi-Fi only, or will you be able to make these calls over 3G?
Read More | Engadget
ITU redefines what 4G means
Posted by Patrick Lambert Categories: Smartphones, Wireless / WiFi,
In the past couple of years, as 3G has become pervasive, cellphone providers haven't been able to rely on the term anymore in marketing ads. So it's no surprise that as soon as newer technologies get introduced, they start touting that they are now offering the next step above that, 4G. The problem is that whether it's Sprint offering WiMax, or Verizon offering LTE, these new technologies simply aren't 4G. The actual definition of 4G is something that none of the wireless companies can define, as that job belongs to the International Communications Union (ITU)--and according to them, none of the carriers met the requirements to really be called 4G. In fact, the ITU hadn't even provided a clear, final decision as to what could and could not be called 4G. This left customers confused as to who had the actual faster networks.
Now, it seems that the ITU has decided to back down, and cave to the various network providers. Over the weekend, the organization released a statement saying "As the most advanced technologies currently defined for global wireless mobile broadband communications, IMT-Advanced is considered as '4G,' although it is recognized that this term, while undefined, may also be applied to the forerunners of these technologies, LTE and WiMax, and to other evolved 3G technologies providing a substantial level of improvement in performance and capabilities with respect to the initial third generation systems now deployed." Once again, it seems they do their best to remain unclear and confusing, but what did change is that now when a Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon ad claims their 4G speed, they will actually be accurate. So a few days ago, no one had 4G in North America--now almost everyone does.
Read More | ITU
Orange gives big discounts on iPad with 3G data plan in UK
Posted by John Kilhefner Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi,
It’s no secret that Apple’s iPad is a hot-ticket item this holiday season. Though with its price of $499-$699, you better hope your secret Santa has the hots for you this year. No such luck? Well, if you’re in the UK then consider looking to Orange for a contract-tied iPad deal of the decade. That’s right, with a two-year contract of £27 ($42) per month (£25 for existing customers) you can get an iPad Wi-Fi + 3G at prices of £199 ($312) for the 16GB version, £249 ($391) for the 32GB, or £349 ($626) for the 64GB.
This two year monthly plan allows you 1GB of anytime data, 1GB off-peak data (basically between midnight and 4pm), and 3GB of BT Openzone Wi-Fi.
Read More | Orange
3G service now available on Mount Everest
Posted by Patrick Lambert Categories: Smartphones, Wireless / WiFi,
This morning, Ncell, a subsidiary of cellular giant TeliaSonera, announced that 3G service is now available at the top of Mount Everest. While spotty, basic, 2G service was available before, thanks to an earlier network from China Mobile. Now people can make video calls, surf the web and post to Twitter from one of the most remote locations on Earth. This morning, the highest ever video call was placed from the Everest base camp. According to the spokesperson, "This is a great milestone for mobile communications as the 3G high speed internet will bring faster, more affordable telecommunication services from the world's tallest mountain."
Of course, this is more for publicity than anything else. There are still plenty of places with a significant population that still don't have coverage that would benefit from that kind of effort. Still, TeliaSonera did promise up to $100 Million to help reach the rest of the Himalayan nation's population, so hopefully this is a first step in a bigger effort.
Read More | Yahoo! News
$149 Wi-Fi-only B&N nook now available, nook 3G now $199
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Handhelds, Hot Deals,
If the $259 Barnes & Noble nook was too rich for your blood, but you’ve been wanting a quality e-reader, you are gonna wanna take a second look at what B&N has to offer. Today they’ve announced that they have cut the price of the 3G nook by $60—that means you can get the same nook that launched at $260 for $199 starting today. However, we think it’s safe to say that most people don’t really have a need for the 3G that’s built into the nook. It’s easy enough to log on to Wi-Fi and load up on books before you leave the house, or even at a hotspot. That said, B&N has also just announced a Wi-Fi-only nook, and that costs just $149. That is a fantastic deal, and we suggest that you jump on it if you were on the fence previously. In fact, to us, it looks like the best deal in the e-reader world to date.
You can buy the B&N nook at the new prices now.
Read More | B&N nook
ATT wants to charge you for letting them use your broadband connection that you already pay for
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Editorial, Wireless / WiFi,
You know, back when AT&T announced that calls made through their 3G MicroCell device would count against your minutes, we were kind of appalled that they’d charge for a device that helps them appropriately cover their service area, and then charge you for using said device to make calls, when the device routes its data through your home broadband connection that you already pay for. We were appalled, but not surprised.
However, today we are absolutely shocked at the latest tidbit of 3G MicroCell related news, as it has now come out that AT&T is also going to charge data used through the device (again, data that is going through your home broadband connection that you already pay for,) against your AT&T wireless data plan. Think about that for a moment, and let it sink in. AT&T, because they seemingly can’t get their act together and provide proper coverage, needs to sell the 3G MicroCell as a means to make up for the difference. You pay $150 to buy the MicroCell, which improves the signal in your home because it uses your much faster broadband connection. That should be the end of the story—but it’s just the beginning.
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