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Delta expands WiFi access to select regional jets
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted Nov 30th 2010 at 9:53PM
posted Nov 30th 2010 at 9:53PM 
Good news, frequent (and not so frequent) fliers. In addition to offering free Goggle-sponsored WiFi on its long-range flights this holiday season, Delta has announced plans to expand Gogo internet access to many of its regional jets, beginning in January. The company says that it should have this next wave of upgrades done by the end of 2011. This will definitely come as a relief to those of us who will be enjoying hours-long "regional" flights in the new year, either on Delta planes or those of its regional partners (including Shuttle America, Comair, and Atlantic Southeast). The expansion will apply only to aircraft with a first class cabin -- you know, the spacious compartment you pass through before being herded into the back with the rest of us schlubs.
Google TV receiving an updated Netflix app?
By Richard Lawler posted Nov 30th 2010 at 9:12PM
posted Nov 30th 2010 at 9:12PM 
iOS 4.2 supports new tech to reduce network congestion, Nokia Siemens says
By Chris Ziegler posted Nov 30th 2010 at 8:48PM
posted Nov 30th 2010 at 8:48PM 
One of the world's top suppliers of cellular infrastructure, Nokia Siemens, has dropped some juicy knowledge today that Apple's new iOS 4.2 update supports a technology called network-controlled fast dormancy that better optimizes how the phone connects to the network. The company touts that it's a win-win -- better battery life, less unnecessary network utilization -- and also points out that Nokia implemented the technique in all of its smartphones starting earlier this year. Since network-controlled fast dormancy is a feature that benefits the network itself as much as it benefits the individual user, knocking out two power players like Nokia and Apple (over half of new smartphone sales, NSN points out) should make a big dent.Interestingly, NSN seems to have arrived at this discovery through "tests" it conducted, not by working with Apple on implementing it. Sure, we don't pretend to know all the interactions that occur between manufacturers, carriers, and suppliers during a phone's development, but it certainly seems to us that Apple would benefit by engaging infrastructure companies early and often as these baseband updates come together -- particularly as it seeks to keep a tight lid on the very congestion issues that network-controlled fast dormancy is designed to help eliminate. Either way, it's interesting to see how quick Nokia Siemens was to probe for the change this time around.
Verizon launching LTE on December 5th, two transforming 4G USB modems hitch a wild ride
By Sean Hollister posted Nov 30th 2010 at 8:32PM
posted Nov 30th 2010 at 8:32PM 
Update: The populace has spoken, and "sexy" is no more. Shall we call them "transforming" modems, then? They most certainly are.
[Thanks, Anonymous and JT]
AirSync for doubleTwist brings wireless syncing to Android phones
By Joshua Topolsky posted Nov 30th 2010 at 8:15PM
posted Nov 30th 2010 at 8:15PM 
Setup is relatively painless, requiring just a passcode from your phone which is input on the PC side. From then on, whenever you've got the app open and your device in range, the content stored on the phone will appear in your DoubleTwist list just as if you'd plugged the phone in (similar to the Windows Phone 7 / Zune wireless sync). We took AirSync for a ride with our Mac and Droid Incredible, and everything seemed to work fine, though we did notice a few bugs (one that was pretty major) that need worked out. Firstly, you'll probably want to just start fresh with syncing your collection -- we made the mistake of trying to pick up where we'd left off and accidentally wiped the content stored on the phone. We also noticed issues with the application trying to sync or update your database while listening to music; more than once our playback abruptly stopped when the app was attempting to talk to the phone. Syncing can also be pretty slow depending on your connection -- really slow if you've got a big collection.
Despite those complaints, AirSync (and both the doubleTwist Android app and desktop client) are incredibly slick solutions to a problem plaguing lots of smartphone users. The company obviously has just begun its work with the app -- and it's clear that there are kinks to work out -- but the dream of a wireless future for Android users just got a lot closer to reality.
LG Star struts its stuff on film, toys with an iPhone 4 (video)
By Sean Hollister posted Nov 30th 2010 at 7:36PM
posted Nov 30th 2010 at 7:36PM 
HP Slate beginning to ship?
By Paul Miller posted Nov 30th 2010 at 7:07PM
posted Nov 30th 2010 at 7:07PM 
[Thanks, Dave P.]
The Engadget Interview: Sir Richard Branson on Project and the iPad
By Nilay Patel posted Nov 30th 2010 at 6:35PM
posted Nov 30th 2010 at 6:35PM 
Microsoft reiterates copy and paste is Windows Phone 7's first update, 'additional updates delivered in the future'
By Chris Ziegler posted Nov 30th 2010 at 6:21PM
posted Nov 30th 2010 at 6:21PM 
Chris Walsh -- one of the forces behind the ChevronWP7 app sideload hack for Windows Phone 7 -- went on record earlier this week saying that the first platform update coming early next year would be "massive" with so many improvements and new features that "they could have called it Windows Phone 8." That's a pretty bold statement, and it's been making the rounds so fiercely today that Microsoft felt the need to lay down the law with an official statement -- albeit not a very strongly-worded one:So it sounds to us like priority one in Redmond is to get copy and paste up and running (which is basically the message they've been delivering for a while), though we should expect plenty more through future updates. When you figure in the size of the team Microsoft has built for engineering this platform -- and the fact that they've now got the initial retail release out of the way -- we're hoping they've got nothing better to do than to churn on some of these pain points users have identified over the next few months. Should be a heck of a year coming up, eh?"Microsoft is committed to delivering regular updates to the Windows Phone experience. Our first update will make copy & paste available in early 2011. In addition to this first update, all Windows Phone 7 users should expect to see additional updates delivered in the future as part of Microsoft's ongoing update process."
Venue Pro makes brief appearance on Dell's website: $150 on-contract, December 14th launch?
By Donald Melanson posted Nov 30th 2010 at 5:39PM
posted Nov 30th 2010 at 5:39PM 
Motorola split wraps up on January 4th
By Chris Ziegler posted Nov 30th 2010 at 5:19PM
posted Nov 30th 2010 at 5:19PM 
Just in time for CES, eh? We knew it was happening at some point in January, and Motorola has just announced that it'll formally be split into two companies as of January 4th, 2011. Actually, that's not technically accurate: Motorola Mobility -- the phone and set-top box guys -- will be spun off into their own entity, while the parent company will change its name from Motorola to Motorola Solutions, responsible for the company's infrastructure businesses. Shareholders of the current company as of December 21st will receive one share of Mobility for every eight shares they've got in their possession right now, while the remainder of the company will enact a 1-for-7 reverse split; as of the 4th, you'll be looking at two stock symbols: MMI for Mobility and MSI for Solutions. So... who's buying? Follow the break for the official press release. Bell Mobility launches Netgear Turbo Hub, sends juicy HSPA+ to your WiFi and Ethernet gear
By Chris Ziegler posted Nov 30th 2010 at 4:58PM
posted Nov 30th 2010 at 4:58PM 
Canada's Bell appears to be taking advantage of Netgear's partnership with Ericsson on this one, putting its 21Mbps HSPA+ network to good use. Not to say that phones aren't a great use for high-speed data, of course, but that's enough bandwidth to realistically replace a home internet connection or two -- and that's exactly what the so-called MBR 1210 Turbo Hub sets out to do, spreading an incoming Bell data signal over up to 15 devices connected via WiFi and Ethernet. Interestingly, it also allows users to use the HSPA+ hookup as an automatic fallback in case your primary connection (say, DSL or cable) fails -- perfect for us "blog or die" types. You'll pay CAD $149.95 (about $147) on a two-year deal to put a Turbo Hub on your shelf, or CAD $299.95 ($294) sans contract; plans, meanwhile, range from CAD $35 to $60 ($34 to $59) for between 3GB and 10GB of data (no metric / English conversion necessary there) with a $10 surcharge to gain access to the 21Mbps signal -- you get 7.2Mbps otherwise. It's a pretty creative plan structure, and we're sure folks would appreciate an unlimited option... preferably without any extra speed fees. Follow the break for the full press release. Samsung releases 'GPS Restore' app for Captivate and other Galaxy S models
By Chris Ziegler posted Nov 30th 2010 at 4:19PM
posted Nov 30th 2010 at 4:19PM 
Right, then. It's only compatible with the Captivate and Vibrant at the moment -- no word on others like the Epic 4G, Mesmerize, or Fascinate, but folks on AT&T and T-Mobile should be able to nab it from the Market."During online surveillance, there is an abundance of GPS tweaks that impair GPS performance. Often times, no backup is performed to restore values prior to modifications. Samsung has released an application that restores GPS settings to recommended factory defaults for optinum [sic] performance."
FCC looking into Comcast / Netflix blocking threat, Level 3 responds as analysts chime in
By Richard Lawler posted Nov 30th 2010 at 3:56PM
posted Nov 30th 2010 at 3:56PM 
Beyond analyst opinions and posturing the question of whether or not Comcast has the power to set pricing for access to its network, creating the toll road Level 3 is accusing it of being, is still at issue. That will certainly come into play at the FCC, where chairman Julius Genachowski mentioned at today's meeting that the agency is looking into Level 3's claims at the same time it continues to review the joining of Comcast and NBC. As far as your Netflix streams? Safe for now, though the company isn't commenting, Level 3 isn't the only provider it relies on for access and how any deal it might reach with Comcast could affect the service is still unclear."For example, Cogent was sending far more traffic to the Level 3 network than Level 3 was sending to Cogent's network. It is important to keep in mind that traffic received by Level 3 in a peering relationship must be moved across Level 3's network at considerable expense. Simply put, this means that, without paying, Cogent was using far more of Level 3's network, far more of the time, than the reverse. Following our review, we decided that it was unfair for us to be subsidizing Cogent's business."
Update: Comcast has issued its own salvo of PR, including a video meant to breakdown exactly what internet peering is and what it wants to charge Level 3 for, 10 of its own facts about what it is, and is not doing, and a copy of the letter it's sent to the FCC about the issue. You can them all out in full after the break.
Acer confirms plans for Windows Phone 7
By Paul Miller posted Nov 30th 2010 at 3:40PM
posted Nov 30th 2010 at 3:40PM 
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