Communications Technology

Russian carrier gives $5,000 vacation to its most data hungry customer

Use more data, win more prizes. It may sound counterintuitive, but that’s exactly what Russian operator MegaFon is offering to its subscribers, as part of a curious 3G promotion. It all began back in November, when the provider announced a rather straightforward contest: customers who downloaded the most data with their 3G modems would be awarded prizes worth up to one million rubles (about $33,000), including a $5,000 vacation. According to Russian news site C News, MegaFon launched the campaign in order to showcase the expanse of its data network, which apparently covers more than 80 percent of northwestern Russia and offers speeds of up to 21Mbps. The promotion came to an official close on January 31st, with the coronation of a lucky winner who, over the course of a single week, managed to scarf down 419GB of data on the company’s 3G network. MegaFon didn’t offer usage statistics on the second and third place winners, nor did it say what they won for their efforts, if you wanna call them that.

Russian carrier gives $5,000 vacation to its most data hungry customer originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adafruit’s Circuit Playground app deciphers resistor codes, helps you remembe…

If the names Phillip Torrone, Limor Fried and Collin Cunningham don’t ring a bell then you probably need to hand over your geek badge. If, on the other hand, those names immediately make you sit up and pay attention, you maybe excited to hear the trio have just released the first Adafruit-branded app for iOS. Circuit Playground is a reference app for makers, hackers and tinkerers that helps you decipher resistor and capacitor values; calculate resistance, current or voltage; convert decimal, hexadecimal and binary values; and store PDF data sheets for ICs. The app is $2.99, but it comes with a $3 credit at the Adafruit shop, so it’s kinda-sorta free. It’s available for iPad and iPhone only, but an Android version is in the works. If you’re an impatient Google fan, they suggest you check out ElectroDroid which performs many of the same functions and we can confirm is awesome. Check out the video after the break and hit up the source link to get Circuit Playground now.

Gallery: Circuit Playground

Continue reading Adafruit’s Circuit Playground app deciphers resistor codes, helps you remember Ohm’s Law

Adafruit’s Circuit Playground app deciphers resistor codes, helps you remember Ohm’s Law originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint shows you where and when it’s disabling Nextel’s iDEN legacy network

Clue’s in the title, really. If you head on over to Sprint’s website, you’ll find a page explaining the forthcoming changes to the service for legacy iDEN customers. Nextel users can enter in their zip code to find out which cellphone towers will be decommissioned and the due dates for each one. The program’s beginning in New Orleans this month as the towers are thinned out to a reasonable number. Whilst it isn’t (yet) the death-knell for the standard, given the network’s push-to-talk service now works over CDMA and, you know, LTE, we’d start looking at replacement phones pretty soon.

Sprint shows you where and when it’s disabling Nextel’s iDEN legacy network originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola wants 2.25 percent of Apple sales, in exchange for patent license

New details have emerged about the ongoing Apple-Motorola drama in Germany, courtesy of a court document uncovered by FOSS Patents. The two companies have been engaged in a patent battle of swelling proportion these past few months, with the most recent wrinkle unfolding on Friday, when Apple promptly removed (and returned) its 3G / UMTS-enabled iPads and iPhone 4s from its online German store, in response to a court ruling. At issue in this particular case is a Motorola patent that Apple wants to use under FRAND obligations, but Moto apparently isn’t willing to license its technology for free. According to a court filing, the handset maker is asking for 2.25 percent of Apple sales in return for the license, though it remains unclear whether this pertains to sales of all products or, more likely, the 3G-enabled devices under consideration in court. Either way, though, Motorola would stand to see quite a bit of extra revenue, especially considering that Apple’s iPhone sales have totaled about $93 billion since 2007. Under Motorola’s request, the company would have made about $2.1 billion from these sales alone — not to mention the payments it’d see from iPad sales, as well. Apple, meanwhile, has filed motions to access Motorola’s licensing agreements with Nokia, HTC and other manufacturers, in the hopes of exposing a double standard.

Motorola wants 2.25 percent of Apple sales, in exchange for patent license originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NPD: iPhones recover market share in Q4 2011, but Android draws the first-tim…

According to the latest research from the NPD group, Apple has got its second wind in smartphone sales. In the same quarter that saw the iPhone 4S reinvent the wheel obey our every vocal whim, the trio of available models soaked up a total of 43 percent of the US smartphone market in Q4 2012, apparently knawing away at Android’s market share of 53 percent held during the rest of 2011. However, Google’s mobile OS appears to be the debutante smartphone of choice, cornering 57 percent of new purchases, with 34 percent going for Apple. The remaining 9 percent is distributed between the smartphone also-rans, with the likes of Windows Phone and BlackBerry languishing in that anonymous grey bar at the top. The top five handsets from NPD’s Mobile Phone Track service is an Apple and Samsung love-in, with iOS devices claiming the three top spots, followed by the Samsung Galaxy S II (we assume collectively) and the Galaxy S 4G. NPD’s blow-by-blow commentary on this increasingly two-horse race awaits below.

Continue reading NPD: iPhones recover market share in Q4 2011, but Android draws the first-timer crowds

NPD: iPhones recover market share in Q4 2011, but Android draws the first-timer crowds originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lilyhammer (or: ‘Silvio in Norway’) now streaming on Netflix

Lilyhammer, Netflix’s first original series (shortly to be followed by the probably awful remake of House of Cards and Arrested Development season four) commenced streaming today. Little Steven (Van Zandt, of E-Street Band and Sopranos fame) plays wholly against type as a mafioso despatched by the witness protection program to Lillehammer. Unlike the HBOs and AMCs of this world, you’ll be able to binge-watch the whole show as soon as you get in from work, just make sure the under-18s are in bed before you begin as freed from the network censors, it’s a little coarse. Oh, and if you’re wondering, those of us in the know have decided to nickname the show “Paulie Silvio in Norway,” in the hopes that it’ll catch on before the already confirmed season two begins filming.

Lilyhammer (or: ‘Silvio in Norway’) now streaming on Netflix originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Super Bowl 2012 Ad Roundup: Galaxy Note, Hulu Plus, Best Buy and more

By now, we’ve become accustomed to the circus of elite advertising that takes place during America’s biggest game, and this year was no exception. Last night’s Super Bowl made room for over 50 commercials during its air time, some of which included the likes of Samsung’s whopping Galaxy Note, the usual Go Daddy domain teasers, a bit of Best Buy “innovation” and the Hulu Plus Mushy Mush campaign, just to mention a few. Needless to say, we put together a small collection of some we believe you might enjoy, so take a virtual jump past the break to catch the big-ticket advertising in action. You can also find the rest of the ad pack at the source link below.

Continue reading Super Bowl 2012 Ad Roundup: Galaxy Note, Hulu Plus, Best Buy and more

Super Bowl 2012 Ad Roundup: Galaxy Note, Hulu Plus, Best Buy and more originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony patent sketches reveal Wii U-esque controller system, keeps it vague

While Nintendo is darn proud of its attempts to differentiate itself from other console manufacturers with its unusual hardware choices, it looks like Sony also had plenty of touchscreen-toting, TV-connected ideas way back in 2010. These patent sketches explain a handheld device that bares a foggy resemblance to Nintendo’s incoming Wii U. The “position-dependent gaming, 3-D controller, and handheld as a remote,” would act as the “input to a video game” — or controller, as we technical types like to call it — adding in some augmented reality functionality as an overlay to camera input on the device. The PS Vita is already capable of doing most of what’s posited above, including the ability to hook up to its older (bigger) brother, the PS3 — possibly that anonymous box you can see above. If such a mystery device device does appear, at least it looks like Sony’s got its bases covered, again.

Sony patent sketches reveal Wii U-esque controller system, keeps it vague originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor Mill: 7mm-thick Galaxy SIII coming in May?

Korea’s ETNews is betting its reputation upon this raft of rumored details concerning Samsung’s Galaxy SIII. Since the only thing we know for certain is that it’ll be announced “After MWC,” lets take all of these tidbits with a strong pot of “We’ll believe it when we see it,” okay? According to the report, the handset’s going to be 7mm thick, helped by the company shrinking down its PCB, connector and chip sizes by between 10 and 20 percent. The only thing that hasn’t lost any weight is the camera, which may sit on a “protrusion” (like the Droid RAZR’s hump). It’ll be running a custom quad-core processor with HDMI and LTE baked-in, and rather obviously it’ll be running Ice Cream Sandwich. Here’s where things get a little confusing, either this is the first of a raft of models that will highlight different features (so we’ll see subsequent GSIIIs with an S-Pen, 3D display or souped-up camera) or the above perks will come with the flagship as standard. Parts are reportedly gearing up to be shipped, but the only time we’ll get confirmation is when that special event kicks off closer to the summer.

[Thanks, Erich]

Rumor Mill: 7mm-thick Galaxy SIII coming in May? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget Giveaway: win a Samsung Galaxy Nexus, courtesy of MHL!

We’re well aware that you may be suffering from contest withdrawls, with our Holiday Blues-Buster far in our rear-view mirror. Fortunately we’re bringing the opportunity to you in a big way, as the Engadget Giveaway is now becoming a regular series! Each and every Monday we’ll be offering something new, and all you have to do is enter by leaving a comment. To get us started, the MHL Consortium (that’s Mobile High-definition Link, not the Mississauga Hockey League) is happy to throw the honorary first pitch by offering a Samsung Galaxy Nexus, along with an MHL adapter and cable (all valued at $700). If you haven’t heard of it before, MHL technology is an audio and video interface standard that allows you to connect your mobile device to an HDTV or other type of home entertainment while doubling as a charger at the same time.

Take a moment to review the rules under the break, and leave a comment to enter!

Continue reading Engadget Giveaway: win a Samsung Galaxy Nexus, courtesy of MHL!

Engadget Giveaway: win a Samsung Galaxy Nexus, courtesy of MHL! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC admits its bulky, quick-dying LTE phones kinda suck

After a long streak of skyrocketing earnings, HTC’s climb towards the stars seems to have stalled. Q4 was not kind to the company and CFO Winston Yung thinks he knows the reason why. During the today’s earnings call Yung admitted that HTC “dropped the ball” with its selection of LTE devices. He conceded that the bulky handsets simply failed on a design and spec level — especially when it came to battery life — and were not selling nearly as well as expected. Unsurprisingly, the company promises to turn its fortunes around with the next product cycle, which is rumored to kick off at MWC with the Ville.

HTC admits its bulky, quick-dying LTE phones kinda suck originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mad Catz Cyborg M.M.O. 7 gaming mouse hands-on

Mad Catz’ Cyborg RAT series of adjustable computer mice has seen its fair share of minor revisions, and while wireless upgrades and whitewashed DPI tweaks have given consumers a hair of choice in transforming desktop pests, the differences between these devices has been modest, at best. Until now, at least. Enter the Cyborg M.M.O. 7, the outfit’s latest addition to its aggressively styled line of gaming mice, minus the RAT moniker. Despite shedding the name of its predecessors, Mad Catz’ latest point-and-clicker is as much of a RAT as the mice that came before it, but distinguishes itself with more buttons, more features and more color. Read on to see what’s new, what’s different and what should have stayed the same.

Gallery: Mad Catz Cyborg M.M.O. 7 gaming mouse hands-on

Continue reading Mad Catz Cyborg M.M.O. 7 gaming mouse hands-on

Mad Catz Cyborg M.M.O. 7 gaming mouse hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia Lumia 800 White hands-on

Today’s been all about the white phones, and Nokia’s new Lumia matches that glossy finish we saw on its near-identical twin, the white N9. Here, opposing the matte goodness of the rest of Lumia 800 family, the unibody shell has an almost-enamel feel on what we’ve heard is still polycarbonate material. From our brief play with the device, it’s looking to be a pretty pervasive color choice to go alongside that pitch-black AMOLED screen. We know the phone is set to arrive later this month, blessing fans of blanc in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and another handful of European countries. See how its good looks stack up against the rest of the Lumia rainbow in our hands-on gallery below.

Gallery: Nokia Lumia 800 White hands-on

Nokia Lumia 800 White hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google’s mysterious ‘Solve for X’ launching today? (video)

Google’s X Lab is the search giant’s top-secret facility even its own employees didn’t know about. It’s believed to be working on driverless cars, internet connected appliances and Majel: a Star Trek-inspired rebuttal to Siri. It’s also apparently behind the Solve for X website, which hints at a TED-style public-presentation site featuring the great and the good talking about “redefining problems into challenges.” The video (embedded below) and the site’s background seem to agree, given one of the big box-outs reads “What is a Solve for X talk.” Richard DeVaul (a member of the “[X] Rapid Evaluation team”) mentioned on his Google+ page that the videos would be launching at some point today. Presumably we can expect to see innovative new solutions on dealing with Climate Change, new Cancer Treatments and awkward silence if anyone mentions a Canadian super-soldier program.

Continue reading Google’s mysterious ‘Solve for X’ launching today? (video)

Google’s mysterious ‘Solve for X’ launching today? (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon and Redbox team up to launch streaming and physical media service lat…

It once was a rumor but now it’s real: Verizon and Redbox are joining forces on what is said to be the “best of both worlds” — a service that will offer both physical media and streaming content for subscribers. Details are slim at this point but the supposed “Project Zoetrope” will offer DVD and Blu-ray media in addition to on-demand streaming plus downloadable content. The Netflix-like service will be launching in the second half of this year and, while “multi-platform” support for “devices” is mentioned, it’s not stated whether any of those will be non-Verizon. Though, Big Reds’ claims that it will “erase all technological boundaries” does make us slightly optimistic. Still, we’ll have to wait a few more months to know for sure.

[Thanks, Kevin]

Continue reading Verizon and Redbox team up to launch streaming and physical media service later this year

Verizon and Redbox team up to launch streaming and physical media service later this year originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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