Thursday, February 10, 2011

Verizon successfully completes first VoLTE call on commercial network in the world, plans 2012 availability

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/09/verizon-successfully-completes-first-volte-call-in-the-world-pl/

Verizon has just announced that it has completed the first voice over LTE (VoLTE) call on a commercial network anywhere in the world today, a 33-second dialogue between employees on LG Revolutions in the company's headquarters in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, following it up with a number of other calls where staffers were able to talk and use data services simultaneously -- thanks in no small part to the fact that LTE treats voice just as it treats any other type of data. We'd initially gotten the impression yesterday that Verizon would be starting to roll out voice over LTE (VoLTE) with the Revolution in mid-2011, but the company's press release today is saying that they'll be working to "enhance" the VoLTE experience in 2011 with commercially availability now expected next year. High-fidelity calls are expected to be part of that experience, so it'll be harder than ever to hold a call when you've got a bad cold. Remember the throat lozenges, alright? Follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Verizon successfully completes first VoLTE call on commercial network in the world, plans 2012 availability

Verizon successfully completes first VoLTE call on commercial network in the world, plans 2012 availability originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 8:31 AM

INQ launches Facebook-focused Cloud Touch and Cloud Q phones

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/09/inq-launches-facebook-focused-cloud-touch-and-cloud-q-phones/

We've been hearing a fair bit of buzz about INQ and Facebook getting all cozy-like and creating a Facebook phone. Well, that's only half right: INQ has made its first Android 2.2 device, really focused on Facebook integration, and seem to have really nailed it. The two devices are the INQ Cloud Touch (pictured above) and a QWERTY device with exactly the same specs -- but, with a QWERTY keypad, of course -- named the Cloud Q. Features include triband HSPA for the European folks, 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display, 5 megapixel autofocus camera, all manner of mail support including Exchange, what appears to be legendary Facebook support, and Spotify onboard as the de facto music app with a dedicated key.

INQ's two Cloud devices are apparently the first mobiles to use the Facebook Social Graph API, which will see all your most important Facebook content appear on your set's homescreen. Another bonus in here is the keyboard tech -- based on SwiftKey -- which will not only predict what word you're typing, but what words you may type based on some AI wizardry, science, and your writing tendencies. The Cloud Touch is set to launch in April at Carphone Warehouse and BestBuy in the UK with the Cloud Q landing sometime in Q3. We're just about wheels-up for Barcelona to check out the haps at MWC next week, and you can be sure we'll be all over these sets as soon as we land.

INQ launches Facebook-focused Cloud Touch and Cloud Q phones originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 8:31 AM

Apple TV gaming hinted strongly in iOS 4.3 beta code

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/09/apple-tv-gaming-hinted-strongly-in-ios-4-3-beta-code/

Let's not jump to any conclusions, but a trusted tipster has uncovered evidence that's suggests some folks in Cupertino have learned a thing or two from Xbox Live. New code in the iOS 4.3 beta 3 firmware hints that Apple TV may soon support online gaming. Several references have been found pertaining to "ATVGames" and "ATVThunder" that point to a controller of some sort, leaderboards (think Game Center), a way to schedule games (multiplayer?), and a store front (think App Store, iTunes). We're particularly intrigued by two strings -- "com.apple.appletv.play.live.thunder" and ".play.archive.thunder" -- but what those actually mean in the grand scheme of things is ultimately ambiguous. Apple TV's minimum storage capacity (about 8GB) suggests the company might look to streaming not entirely unlike how OnLive works; as our tipster speculates, the OpenGL is mature and thoroughly implemented enough that streaming low bandwidth data and computing locally could happen, but that's just theoretical with nothing in the code to back it up.

Additionally, there are two more codenames and a handful of other strings that popped up relating to Apple TV: Sedona and Flagstaff. Based on references to director, episode, season, and the like, we reckon Sedona is all about video merchandising and streaming, something tightly integrated into the traditional iTunes experience. As for Flagstaff, aside from a nod to Account Types and Merchants (i.e. iTunes merchandising), there's really nothing else to say. Think of it as a mystery wrapped in an enigma hung on a, erm, flag staff. Our tipster found numerous other little goodies, but the only other one really worth bringing up is feature_remote_screensavers, which suggests that you can use screensavers from other devices -- like, say, your Mac.

Finally, elsewhere in the world, Alex Hisrbrunner used a Harmony remote to find hidden Apple TV commands that resemble iOS functions not normally possible with the standard ATV remote -- namely, wiggling icons that can me resorted using the directional pad. Video of that is after the break.

Continue reading Apple TV gaming hinted strongly in iOS 4.3 beta code

Apple TV gaming hinted strongly in iOS 4.3 beta code originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 23:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 8:30 AM

Rovi Connected Platform brings another flavor of Android-to-anything streaming

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/10/rovi-connected-platform-brings-another-flavor-of-android-to-anyt/

And then, there were two. Just days after Qualcomm pushed out its DLNA Certified Skifta Android app for streaming content from your smartphone / tablet to just about anything else, along comes Rovi with an awfully similar alternative. The company -- which swallowed up Sonic Solutions just months ago -- obviously has a thing for slinging contained media all over the place, and its new Connected Platform will soon be available pre-ported to Android 2.1 or higher. In short, that'll enable Android devices to beam multimedia stored on their microSD cards to an array of PCs, set-top boxes or NAS devices, which in turn would be connected to a monitor or HDTV of some sort. The dirty details on what kinds of devices it'll support remain murky, but we're hoping to hear more once the app makes its debut in the Android Marketplace sometime this quarter. Something tells us you'll need a phone with a bit more oomph than the Acclaim to actually have decent streaming performance, though.

Continue reading Rovi Connected Platform brings another flavor of Android-to-anything streaming

Rovi Connected Platform brings another flavor of Android-to-anything streaming originally appe! ared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 01:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 8:29 AM

Mophie sneaks out new Juice Pack Air with Verizon and AT&T iPhone 4 compatibility

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/10/mophie-sneaks-out-new-juice-pack-air-with-verizon-and-atandt-iphon/

There's been no shortage of cases for Verizon's flavor of the iPhone 4 -- Ballistic, iLuv, iKit, AGF and Scosche have already announced ones of their own -- but if you're looking for a mainstay in the industry, you can now turn to Mophie. The company's life-doubling Juice Pack Air has been ever-so-slightly reengineered to work with both AT&T and Verizon iPhone 4 units, with initial shipments expected by the end of the month. At first it'll ship in black with silver accents, while soft-touch red and glossy white versions are scheduled for release shortly thereafter. Still $79.95, and still awfully hard to resist for 3G power users.

Continue reading Mophie sneaks out new Juice Pack Air with Verizon and AT&T iPhone 4 compatibility

Mophie sneaks out new Juice Pack Air with Verizon and AT&T iPhone 4 compatibility originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 02:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 8:29 AM

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