Latest Gear Live Videos
Bleeding Edge TV 422: FitBit Aria Wi-Fi scale and FitBit Ultra fitness tracker
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, CES, CES 2012, Features, Household, Podcasts, Videocasts, Videos
We give you a look at FitBit in this episode, focusing on two of their fitness gadgets, the FitBit Ultra and the FitBit Aria Wi-Fi scale. The FitBit Ultra is a small device that you wear on your belt or in your pocket that tracks how many steps you've walked, stairs you've climbed, calories you've burned, etc. It syncs with the FitBit Web site, giving you a graph of your activity history.
You FitBit Aria scale is Wi-Fi enabled, and monitors your weight, BMI, and body fat percentage. The scale uses Wi-Fi to sync your data to the FitBit Web site, where you can view your history. This was recorded at CES 2012. You can find FitBit products on Amazon.
Big thank you to GoToMeeting and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! GoToMeeting provides rich, super-simple collaborative cirtual meetings. As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like on the site.
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Bleeding Edge TV 414: Nest Learning Thermostat
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, CES, CES 2012, Features, Household, Podcasts, Videocasts, Videos
We chat with Matt Rogers of Nest at CES 2012 in this episode. Nest is a learning thermostat that is created by the guys who created 13 generations of iPod and a few generations of the iPhone, and is an ingenious way to re-imagine saving energy in your home. The thermostat is a round metal dial with a circular color LCD screen that works a lot like an iPod classic click wheel. You can turn the temperature up or down by twisting the dial, or you can go through its menus by pressing it in like a button. It can be set to automatically change the temperature based on the time and whether you're present. We also demo the Nest thermostat to show you exactly how it all works.
Big thank you to MozyPro and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! MozyPro provides simple, automatic, and secure data backup. As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like on the site.
Wi-Fi calling comes to T-Mobile HTC Amaze 4G, Galaxy S II
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Cell Phones, Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi
On Monday, T-Mobile quietly rolled out a software update for its HTC Amaze 4G that, most notably, introduced the ability to make Wi-Fi calls. An official update today also added that feature and more to the carrier's Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone.
Wi-Fi calling sets T-Mobile apart from other carriers, but until now, it was only available on select phones. In fact, it was one of the five best features we discussed when an AT&T/T-Mobile merger seemed imminent. Given T-Mobile’s admittedly limited cellular network, the Wi-Fi calling option makes for a great fall back when signal is hard to come by. T-Mobile customers using phones like the myTouch 4G have already been enjoying this feature, and T-Mobile seems determined to bring it to as many phones as it can.
The added capability comes in the form of a device upgrade to Android 2.3.5, which T-Mobile claims will also improve the performance of the Samsung Galaxy S II. The update addresses a number of issues, including a "Force close" problem that dropped calls when split in a conference call. Also rolled into the update are improvements to Caller ID and battery notifications. T-Mobile notes that customers must have a GBA SIM card to access the added Wi-Fi calling capability, but most phones should already be equipped with the right card.
Click to continue reading Wi-Fi calling comes to T-Mobile HTC Amaze 4G, Galaxy S II
Nest: The amazing iPhone-controlled learning thermostat
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Design, Household, Wireless / WiFi
If your house is less than 20 years old, you probably have a programmable thermostat. It's probably a plain rectangle with a handful of buttons and a monochrome LCD screen, and it's probably a slight nuisance to program. It also probably isn't connected to your home Wi-Fi network. Nest is trying to change that with its new Nest Learning Thermostat.
The thermostat is a round metal dial with a circular color LCD screen that works a lot like an iPod classic click wheel. That could be because Nest was co-founded by former Apple employee Tony Fadell, one of the creators of the iPod. You can turn the temperature up or down by twisting the dial, or you can go through its menus by pressing it in like a button. It can be set to automatically change the temperature based on the time and whether you're present.
Click to continue reading Nest: The amazing iPhone-controlled learning thermostat
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Mac OS X 10.7.1 Lion update now available
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop, Software
Apple has just released Mac OS X 10.7.1, the first major update for Lion, the latest incarnation of the Mac operating system. The update fixes a few bugs, improves reliability of Wi-Fi, and resolves an issue with transferring settings to a new Mac. If you are running Lion, go ahead and fire up Software Update to get this...it's only 17 MB in size.
Apple finally addresses iPhone location tracking, promises to encrypt data
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Corporate News, GPS
Today Apple released a Q&A about the location data that's stored on the iPhone. In the statement, the company says broadly that it does not track the iPhone's location, and that the data, which is currently stored in an unprotected file, will be encrypted in the next major update of iOS.
In the statement, Apple admits that iPhones send location data to Apple to maintain a crowd-sourced database of Wi-Fi hotspots and cell phone towers, as many have suspected. However, the company says the locations recorded can be up to 100 miles away from the where the phone actually is, and that the data is sent anonymously.
Apple further explains that it's creating the database to provide better location services on the phone. By using the crowd-sourced locations of cell towers and hotspots, the phone can more quickly locate the user than if it were using GPS satellite data alone. Putting the entire database on every user's phone would be untenable, though, so an iPhone requesting location services accesses a subset, or cache, of the database. It's this data, not necessarily data specifically generated by the user, that's stored in the unencrypted file, "consolidated.db."
At the same time, though, the company effectively admits that retaining such a lengthy and comprehensive location record on the phone—ever since the user upgraded to iOS 4, or about a year for most users—is unnecessary to maintain such a database. Also, backing the file up to a user's computer is clearly not needed either. Apple says it plans to do four things in the next major update of iOS:
Click to continue reading Apple finally addresses iPhone location tracking, promises to encrypt data
Sprint Overdrive Pro 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot launches March 20
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Broadband, Wireless / WiFi
Sprint today announced that the Overdrive Pro 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot by Sierra Wireless will be available on March 20. It is the next generation of Sprint's previous Overdrive 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot, increases the number of shared users from five to eight, and has a 45 percent larger LCD screen.
Sprint claims the Overdrive Pro offers a number of enhancements over its predecessor, focused mostly on performance and usability. There is a 35 percent improvement in power-up and power-down times. The integrated LCD screen is now 45 percent larger to provide a greater viewing area, while the device itself is actually smaller for easier portability. And the LCD can now display detailed connection and device information through additional screens that can be accessed by double-pressing the power button.
The Overdrive Pro allows users to connect up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices simultaneously–including laptops, tablets, eReaders, gaming devices, cameras and even smartphones from other carriers–through a single connection (via Wi-Fi) to Sprint's 3G or 4G networks.
Click to continue reading Sprint Overdrive Pro 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot launches March 20
Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi model launches March 27
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi
The Wi-Fi version of the Motorola Xoom will be available at various retailers starting March 27, the company announced Wednesday.
The 10.1-inch tablet will be at Amazon.com, Best Buy, Costco, RadioShack, select Sam's Club locations, Staples, and Walmart - both in-store and on their Web sites.
The Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi with 32GB of memory will cost $599.
Motorola said the Xoom Wi-Fi will also be available to commercial IT channels and regional retailers through a distribution agreement with Synnex Corporation, and regional carriers through Brightpoint.
Click to continue reading Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi model launches March 27
Wi-Fi reduces broadband speeds by 30 percent
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Broadband, Wireless / WiFi
Wired broadband is nearly 30 percent faster than wireless broadband within the same household, an Internet research company has found.
UK-based research firm Epitiro surveyed 2,761 U.S. broadband consumers between November 2010 and February 2011. Forty-five percent used a wired connection to their broadband routers and 55 percent connected via Wi-Fi. The respondents were asked to embed a speed test application on their computers in order to measure download times.
Wired download speeds were 29.7 percent faster than Wi-Fi connections. The average actual speed was 7.4 Mbps for wired connections, compared to 5.2 Mbps for wireless ones. Furthermore, latency was 10-20 percent higher over Wi-Fi. Packet loss and jitter were also detected.
Why is Wi-Fi so much slower than older wired technology? According to Epitiro, wireless speeds are degraded because most wireless routers, by default, are set to the same channel, which causes "radio congestion." Signal strength is also hindered by physical objects like walls, doors, floors, furniture, even people. Other common radio-based devices, like microwave ovens and baby monitors, also hog your home's wireless spectrum.
With more consumers now using wireless connections than the technically superior wired connections, Epitiro concluded that consumers prioritized "quality of experience" over the "quality of service." Put another way, consumers still prefer the convenience of mobility over the extra minutes of download time saved. Furthermore, Web browsing times were roughly the same between types of connections.
Click to continue reading Wi-Fi reduces broadband speeds by 30 percent
Verizon iPhone can act at a Wi-Fi mobile hotspot for up to 5 devices
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi
We mentioned this in the announcement post about the Verizon iPhone 4, but it's worth repeating. The Verizon iPhone, which was running iOS 4.2.5 at today's demo, includes a mobile hotspot feature. What this means is that you can enable a feature that would allow the iPhone to act a a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, similar to a MiFi or other Android devices. When acting as a hotspot, you can connect up to five devices to the iPhone, taking advantage of its connection to the Verizon network. There were no details on what the feature would cost, or how much bandwidth would be allowed, but it's definitely nice to know that the feature is coming.
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