Skype finally bringing video calling to mobile

So let us set this up for you: Skype has been telling everyone that it'll be making a "series of video-related announcements" at CES next month... and it's participating in a panel called "Video Calling Gets Ready for Primetime," so yeah, needless to say, we'd have to guess that Skype's finally getting ready to enter the mobile video calling game in a big way. Anyhow, the final piece in the puzzle filtered into our inbox this morning: a help document on Skype's site detailing making video calls using Skype for iPhone. We don't know whether there's a corresponding document out there for Android, Symbian, or other operating systems, but we're certainly hoping so -- because if these guys come to the table at once with versions for all the major phone platforms, we've got a feeling they'll be dominating the mobile-to-mobile and mobile-to-PC video calling market in no time.

Oh, and here's a little trivia fact for you: the Nokia N900 was actually the first device to get official video calling support from Skype, so this isn't a first for these guys -- but it'll certainly be the first time they've taken it to a mass market. Seems like they'll probably have the MeeGo build ready to go, at least.

[Thanks, Nelson]

Skype finally bringing video calling to mobile originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rogers, Fido offering iPhone unlocks for $50

Bringing this up with your local AT&T rep is liable to get you laughed out of the store, but things are a little different up in Canada where one of the major carriers is now offering an unlock service -- for a fee. If you're on Rogers (or its budget subsidiary, Fido) and you're a customer in good standing with an iPhone that you've previously purchased from them and you're not currently in a contract, you can pay $50 Canadian -- that's $50 US, for those of you not up to speed on current conversion rates -- to have Rogers' customer service reps flip a switch that'll cause the phone to magically unlock the next time you restore it while connected to iTunes. Considering the restrictions, they should probably be offering the service for free, but it's a start.

Rogers, Fido offering iPhone unlocks for $50 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

iOS 4.2 supports new tech to reduce network congestion, Nokia Siemens says

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.

iOS 4.2 supports new tech to reduce network congestion, Nokia Siemens says originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 20:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Verizon execs propose speed-based pricing for LTE data plans, say LTE has ‘drawn the interest of Apple’

Paying for data overage is the new hotness in the wireless biz, and Verizon was the latest to dive head-first into the nasty world of usage-based pricing for its wireless data plans just a few weeks ago. But how about paying for speed instead? Seems both outgoing Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg and CFO Fran Shammo commented today that the company's shiny new LTE network could support charging different rates depending on the speed subscribers select -- just like in the landline internet business -- though they wouldn't commit to implementing such a system just yet. Speaking of LTE, Seidenberg also mentioned that he "expects" Verizon's first LTE phone to launch in February (likely the LG we saw or HTC's Mecha, if we had to guess), coming in on the early side of its 1H 2011 plan -- and what's more, he's saying more LTE-equipped devices will launch than originally anticipated. We certainly won't complain about that.

On the undying topic of the iPhone, Seidenberg's basically holding the same line he's maintained for some time, which is that the companies' "interests are coming together" and that the phone will come when "Apple thinks it's time." The gem, though, is that Seidenberg specifically says that Verizon's adoption of LTE has attracted Apple's attention and helped it score the iPad -- and seeing how Verizon's cobbled-together iPad / MiFi bundle doesn't support LTE, we can only assume it was a peace offering to help the two companies come together and prepare to work together more closely down the road. Question is, just how soon would Apple like to play the LTE card?

Verizon execs propose speed-based pricing for LTE data plans, say LTE has 'drawn the interest of Apple' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 20:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Official Google Voice app for iPhone hits the App Store

A few weeks after third-party apps started filtering in, Google's launched its own Google Voice app for the iPhone, and it looks to have all the most important features: call and text support, push notifications, and voicemail access (including transcriptions). It's available right now -- US only at the moment -- on iPhones with iOS 3.1 or higher as long as you've got a valid Google Voice account set up... so get to it.

Official Google Voice app for iPhone hits the App Store originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

T-Mobile customers being mistakenly shipped Micro SIMs, just begging to get shoved into iPhones

You've got to admit, this is a little weird: we've received a number of tips today about T-Mobile USA customers being shipped Micro SIMs rather than the typical Mini SIMs. We've gotten a picture of just such a module (see above), and you can plainly see it's not a hybrid -- it can't be snapped out as a Mini SIM, meaning that unless you've got an adapter lying around, you need to head into the store to get it swapped out for the right kind. The only consumer devices out there in any measurable quantity right now that make use of Micro SIMs are, of course, the iPad and iPhone 4 -- and when you pair this up with the fact that T-Mobile stores are starting to sell iPhone cables right now, the situation is starting to get wacky. Now, we still want to stop short of suggesting this means T-Mobile is getting either the iPad or iPhone any time soon; after all, Apple would have to provide a new hardware variant that supports AWS 3G, and it's totally reasonable to think the carrier could be offering other phones in the near future that'll use Micro SIMs. We do love us a good conspiracy theory, though.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

T-Mobile customers being mistakenly shipped Micro SIMs, just begging to get shoved into iPhones originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Why is T-Mobile selling an iPhone cable?

T-Mobile USA has been an oft-rumored darkhorse to help kill off AT&T's iPhone exclusivity in the country -- and for the life of us, we can't think of a good reason that the carrier's corporate stores would be carrying iPhone charge / sync cables now other than in preparation for a launch. It's interesting to note that Deutsche Telekom boss Rene Obermann in part blamed the lack of the iPhone in the States as a driving factor in its third quarter churn rate... a meaningless musing, perhaps, but it could've been a little bit of foreshadowing, too. It's important to note that T-Mobile has carried Nexus One accessories this year, too, so it's not out of the realm of possibility to think that they're just trying to cater to the unlockers who are already using iPhones on T-Mobile -- but then again, we'd argue that the people savvy enough to do that probably aren't shopping for overpriced cables in carrier stores. It's also important to note that T-Mobile literally just took a dig at FaceTime (while blasting AT&T's network in the same breath), so it's hard to say what this means, if anything.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Why is T-Mobile selling an iPhone cable? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 11:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

iOS 4.2 goes gold, available now to developers

The iPad's ticket to multitasking freedom -- better known as iOS 4.2 -- has moves past the beta phase and onto GM, which means retail units should be seeing it soon. Besides the iPad, Apple is also providing builds for the second, third, and fourth generations of the iPod touch, along with the iPhone 3G, 3GS, and 4... so if you've got a friend with an iPhone Developer Program subscription, now would be a great time to get cozy.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

iOS 4.2 goes gold, available now to developers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Target offering iPhone 4, 3GS starting November 7th

See, you were hoping this would end with something like "...and they'll be the exclusive retailers of the white iPhone 4." Yeah, no -- just the standard-issue iPhone 3GS and black iPhone 4 here, coming to Target Mobile locations nestled within some 846 Targets across the country starting on November 7 with the same pricing as everywhere else. Guess we can officially declare shortages totally, completely dead, huh? Well, except for that white model, of course. Follow the break for the press release.

Continue reading Target offering iPhone 4, 3GS starting November 7th

Target offering iPhone 4, 3GS starting November 7th originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

iPhone locked for early 2011 on Verizon, says Fortune

Though Verizon famously turned down the original iPhone before Apple ultimately signed a deal with AT&T, the company's outspoken CEO -- Ivan Seidenberg -- has been very careful over the past couple years to note that he'd love to eventually have an iPhone in his lineup. With Verizon Wireless boss Lowell McAdam tapped to take over the top job next year, what'd be a better swan song for Seidenberg than to finally pull it off? Fortune's new profile of the longstanding chief exec and elder statesman is reporting in very matter-of-fact terms that a CDMA version of the iPhone 4 will be a reality on Verizon in "early 2011," lining up with most of the rumors the interwebs has been generating over the past few months.

The piece details the phone as the culmination of literally years of careful discussions between Seidenberg, McAdams, and Steve Jobs; Verizon's guys claim that Jobs acknowledged in late 2007 that the two companies had "missed something" by failing to partner up. The first visible fruit of those talks is the MiFi-bundled iPad that just launched, but that's clearly a minor stepping stone on the way to an actual handset. Fortune reports that Jobs has voiced his concerns over CDMA in the past and the fact that it doesn't work in nearly as many countries as GSM does, but the story goes on to say that the first model on Verizon's shelves "probably" won't be dual-mode and presumably won't have compatibility with the company's shiny new LTE network, either. If true, that'll make for an interesting battle for the spotlight in the first few months of 2011 as an EV-DO iPhone wages war with a number of LTE phones -- some of which look downright gorgeous -- and might put Verizon in the awkward position of having to heavily push two almost diametrically opposed handset and platform initiatives. Furthermore, it's hard to deny that a Verizon iPhone would stress the carrier's network in ways it's never been stressed before; they may be prepared for it, but there's no way of knowing until it all goes down and they get a sense for uptake and conquests from AT&T. Translation: McAdam looks to have a busy 2011 ahead of him as he transitions into the new office.

iPhone locked for early 2011 on Verizon, says Fortune originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple, Gemalto working on integrated SIM for next iPhone?

Moving from regular SIMs to micro SIMs for the iPad and iPhone 4 was a fairly user-hostile move on Apple's part, seeing how it made moving between an iPhone and virtually any other GSM device quite a bit more difficult; the official explanation (for the iPhone 4, anyway) was that there simply wasn't room for a regular SIM, but that seems unlikely considering that you're only saving 10mm of length, 3mm of width, and 0mm of thickness. A more plausible scenario is that Apple viewed micro SIMs as a way to get ahead of the industry curve a bit and make it unpleasant for users to try to share an iPhone line with other devices, a concept that gets at the core of Apple's mantra of owning the entire ecosystem from end to end.

But could they be trying to take that concept another step further? GigaOM is reporting a rumor today that Apple is working tightly with security firm Gemalto -- you know, the SIM guys -- to integrate software-reconfigurable SIMs right into European iPhones that would be activated on the carrier of your choice using an App Store download. Why European models? Multiple carriers offer the iPhone in a number of European countries, so distribution is a bit more complicated there than it is in the US, though it's a reasonable leap to suggest that the same integrated SIMs would be use on new North American iPhones as well. From Apple's perspective, it's a win-win: trying to use your iPhone line with another device would be akin to pulling teeth, and more importantly, Apple wouldn't need to worry about bundling carrier-specific SIMs with devices. In fact, the move would make Apple's (and the consumer's) interactions with the carrier entirely virtual, all the way from manufacture to activation. Seems like the plan would require an extraordinary amount of buy-in from carriers who've become increasingly suspicious of Apple's goals lately -- but then again, they managed to get carriers to suddenly and rapidly deploy micro SIMs en masse, and if anyone could pull this off, it'd be Steve's boys and girls.

Apple, Gemalto working on integrated SIM for next iPhone? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple delays white iPhone 4 into spring 2011

Let's just be honest, Apple: white stuff is impossible to manufacture. In fact, scientists have yet to prove that white even exists, so we're not sure why you're bothering to try to make a phone out of it! That's right: after a missed availability date in July and another delay after that, Cupertino has once again pushed back the manufacture of the palest iPhone 4 -- this time clear into spring of 2011. It won't say why, but in all likelihood, they're still dealing with the same manufacturing woes they've had from the start. By the time mid-2011 rolls around, it seems probable that the release will be butting up against news of the iPhone 4's successor -- or at the very least, a CDMA version of the phone -- so it'll be fascinating to see how this timeline unfolds. In the meantime, yeah... might want to give up the wait and go for black.

Apple delays white iPhone 4 into spring 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 19:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reckless Racing review (iPhone)

Developed by Swedish firm Pixelbite and released just a few days ago by EA and Polarbit, Reckless Racing is a game we've been following since it was known as "Deliverace" early this year -- and honestly, there was a spell where we'd gone so long without having heard anything about it that we'd kind of assumed the awesome-looking project had been canceled. Fortunately, that wasn't the case -- it's now available on iPhone, iPad, and Android -- so we decided to take it for a quick spin. After all, top-down racers haven't really made much noise since the heady days of R.C. Pro-Am and perennial arcade favorite Ivan "Ironman" Stewart's Super Off Road... and after playing Reckless Racing for just a few minutes, we're not sure why that is.

Continue reading Reckless Racing review (iPhone)

Reckless Racing review (iPhone) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 17:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

iPhone-controllable LED strip lets you take the rave with you for $300

The iPhone can do many things, but "hypnotize passers-by with a dazzling array of colors" is not typically listed among its strong suits. That's where the iGlo LED Set comes into play, bundling a WiFi-enabled strip of 120 multi-color LEDs -- measuring some five meters in length -- with iPhone and iPad apps that can control them. $299 is a small price to pay for this kind of portable party-making power, considering you just spent that much on a bottle of Blue Label for Steve's birthday party last week... and that didn't turn you into the most popular guy in the room. Follow the break for a full demo.

Continue reading iPhone-controllable LED strip lets you take the rave with you for $300

iPhone-controllable LED strip lets you take the rave with you for $300 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

iOS 4.1: any problems for you?

Okay, so we've given you about a day to download, install, and tear iOS 4.1 into microscopic shreds. What's the end result? We've been tipped on a handful of troublesome nuances in the update, ranging from unsolved proximity sensor woes to a sudden onslaught of voicemails -- and we're trying to get a feel for how widespread they all are. Care to chime in? Follow the break!

Continue reading iOS 4.1: any problems for you?

iOS 4.1: any problems for you? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

XWave lets you control your iPhone with your noodle, levitate if you’re lucky

In the early, chaotic, primordial years of the mobile phone era, you had to press real, actual "buttons" to get things done. Almost barbaric to think about now, isn't it? As society advanced and we gradually became a more civilized species, buttons gave way to touchscreens and voice control, mercifully giving the atrophied sausages we call "arms" and "fingers" a bit of respite every time we needed to surf through cyberspace, place a phone call, or send a text message. Now, it seems the evolution of Homo sapiens is reaching its inevitable final stage with the release of the PLX XWave, headgear that plugs into your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad and -- after a bit of training -- lets you control the device with your mind alone. As you might expect, the headset makes use of the NeuroSky technology that we've seen several times through the years and will be made available with a number of apps upon its release next month including a game, dedicated training app, a music controller (which will let you compare brainwaves with other XWave users, interestingly), and an "Om Meditation Timer." If none of those titles have captured your imagination, you'll be able to write your own apps with the device's SDK; needless to say, we'll be patiently waiting for the levitation app depicted here. Orders are online now for $100 with delivery in October.

Continue reading XWave lets you control your iPhone with your noodle, levitate if you're lucky

XWave lets you control your iPhone with your noodle, levitate if you're lucky originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Zelfy Peel might be the iPhone remote you’ve been looking for

Our eyes were drawn to an FCC filing this morning from a California start-up by the name of Zelfy; a quick glance at Zelfy's site reveals that they're in "stealth mode," but the picture of a woman using an iPhone to control her TV should give you an idea of what these guys are up to. Indeed, digging through the filing shows a product called "Peel" whose central component, the "Peel Fruit," is a small, battery-powered sphere of an IR blaster that connects to your home network router. Next, you download the Peel app onto the iPhone (or iPod touch) of your choice and control the Fruit over WiFi. The filing reveals little in the way of UI or functionality, but the product's tagline is "every remote and TV guide now on your phone," so we would assume that you'll have access to your cable provider's lineup and schedule from the app. More on this one just as soon as Zelfy decides to emerge from stealth mode, we suppose.

Zelfy Peel might be the iPhone remote you've been looking for originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Meijer deploys indoor positioning trial, helps you find the Morton Salt faster

Indoor positioning systems have long been a holy grail for malls and big-box retailers where labyrinthine aisles and massive floorplans that rival small towns often leave customers begging for mercy, but the obstacles to deploying them are many: you've got to create detailed maps for every facility where you want it to work, and you need some sort of system for locating users with a reasonable level of precision since GPS is out of the picture. Start-up Point Inside has been hard at work on IPS for some time now, figuring that modern stores and malls teeming with WiFi access points and reliable AGPS are good enough to make it work, and now they've hooked up with Midwestern superstore chain Meijer to trial a system in four Michigan locations that will let users locate "more than" 100,000 items in store along with facilities like bathrooms and customer service. Conveniently, these stores have some 26 WiFi nodes deployed, which helps triangulate users down to a reasonable level of precision -- though it's probably not going to be able to tell if you're standing in front of the Frosted Flakes or the Raisin Bran. It's a free download for iPhone and Android users, and if you're close to one of the trial stores, be sure to let us know how well it works. Follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Meijer deploys indoor positioning trial, helps you find the Morton Salt faster

Meijer deploys indoor positioning trial, helps you find the Morton Salt faster originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Engadget’s back to school guide: Mobile phones

Welcome to Engadget's Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we're here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Today, we have mobile phones in our sights -- and you can head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month.

Continue reading Engadget's back to school guide: Mobile phones

Engadget's back to school guide: Mobile phones originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

New iPhone, iPad model codes set up for iTunes activation bypass — CDMA versions, maybe?

So BGR's got a tipster lined up with alleged details from within iOS 4 beta firmware that shows a section dedicated to bypassing the usual iTunes activation scheme for three new product codes: iPhone3,2, iPhone 3,3, and iProd 2,1. Actually, these product codes aren't "new," per se; we saw all three of them in the iPad's firmware back in April, but they've yet to make the giant leap to officialdom. What's different here, then? Well, apparently, this activation-bypass scheme has historically had a tendency to show up in Apple's beta firmware right around the time a new iPhone goes into testing -- ostensibly so that field engineers don't need to worry about that rigmarole to do their jobs -- which suggests that these new models are getting ready for action. BGR's source says these will be the CDMA iPhone and the next-gen iPad, though you can't tell that from the product codes alone, and that doesn't explain why we've actually got two new iPhones listed. For what it's worth, the current iPad -- iPad1,1 -- used to go by the moniker iProd1,1 in firmware, so it stands to reason that we really are looking at a new tablet here. Now if you'll excuse us, we've got some Verizon Wireless field tech van recon to do.

New iPhone, iPad model codes set up for iTunes activation bypass -- CDMA versions, maybe? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments