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Google's recent announcement of a 1 Gbps fiber to the home trial is the public relations gift that keeps on giving. Without laying a strand of fiber or delivering a single bit, Google has the nation's towns and cities tripping over themselves to get the carrier's attention -- and perhaps some of Google's planned broadband deployment money. In the process, they've filled the newswires with the Google brand, for free, for more than a month. What began with Topeka's decision to change their name to "Google" this month has now evolved into something substantially stranger notes the New York Times:Duluth videotaped a mock press conference in which it said that every male born in the town would be named Google Fiber. The city enlisted Minnesota s junior senator, the longtime comedian Al Franken, to make a humorous video supporting the bid. Not to be outdone, a dairy in Madison, Wis., aided that city s efforts by creating a "Google Fiber" ice cream flavor vanilla ice cream with granola and M&Ms to match Google s multicolored logo. In Palo Alto, Calif., city employees danced outside the city hall to the tune of the disco-era hit "Y.M.C.A.," unfurling a banner reading, "Palo Alto for Google Fiber."You can imagine how thrilled this all must make incumbent ISP executives. They were already fighting with Google before the search giant lit up the nation's newspapers with talk about how incumbent broadband networks were lacking. Scott Cleland is a telecom PR representative paid by the nation's biggest carriers to cheerlead for the carriers, but also spends a lot of his time smearing Google with pseudo science at their behest. Cleland warns the Times that people are going to wind up disappointed when Google doesn't come through:"Google will rue the day that it can t meet the unrealistic expectations that it has set," said Scott Cleland, the chairman of NetCompetition.org, an organization that represents many telecommunications companies and their industry associations. "The interesting thing will be to see how cities react when they are jilted at the altar."Many cities are going to be disappointed, though several cities we've spoken to know this and don't see the harm in trying; Google has made it clear the trial is limited and the company has no interest in being a national provider&#46 It's ironic that Cleland is suddenly concerned with unfulfilled expectations, given these towns and cities wouldn't be acting this way if they were satisfied by the broadband service being offered by their local incumbent operators. read comment(s) <br clear=all>

We recently noted how AT&T has decided to scrap their two metered billing trials in Reno, Nevada and Beaumont, Texas starting in April -- an insider telling Broadband Reports that the projects may not have been cost efficient. It does however appear that AT&T is getting ready to offers users some kind of consumption meter. A user over at Stop The Cap noted over the weekend that AT&T's U-Verse account overview website now includes a section called "Usage & Recent Activity," which in turn has a placeholder for what appears to be a monthly usage meter. Such meters (which aren't always accompanied by caps) are becoming common, with carriers claiming they hope to "educate" users on their monthly consumption habits. We've dropped a line to AT&T to confirm whether a usage meter is indeed coming. read comment(s) <br clear=all>

Independent California ISP Sonic.net (see our user reviews) started offering ADSL2+ service over their own network a few years ago, offering tiers in 6Mbps, 8Mbps and 18Mbps flavors. In recent tests in their labs, the ISP tells us the carrier was able to obtain ADSL2+ speeds of 46 Mbps downstream and 4.8Mbps upstream. Sonic CEO Dane Jasper recently stopped by our forums to note that the carrier is now considering making the migration to fiber to the home. Over the weekend, Sonic's plans caught the eye of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. According to Jasper, pushing deeper from the central offices requires one of two things. "We can either deploy equipment in the same location the RT is, at what's called the "serving area interconnect", or SAI," says Jasper, who notes that this gets Sonic about 6,000 feet from the home. "At that distance, with ADSL2+ we can offer single pair speeds of roughly 12Mbps downstream and up to 2Mbps upstream, so it is, give or take - about twice as good as ADSL1 equipment," he says. But this approach is expensive, with each cabinet deployment costing $50,000, plus the cost of running fiber from the cabinet to the CO and the last-mile truck roll. "Our financial analysis leads us to the conclusion that if you're going to go that distance -- in more ways than one-- it's probably better to simply carry the fiber all the way to the customer premise and offer much more compelling services," says Jasper. "ADSL2+ is too little gain for the investment, in other words." Jasper says that fifteen-year-old Sonic has been planning this project for about a year, and the first deployment will be a string of about 600 homes in the Sebastpol, California market (as long as local Wi-Fi opponents there don't complain that fiber is a conduit for the devil). No prices or speeds have been announced yet, though the company plans on bundling both voice and TV service. "Our lack of access to these new facilities is the reason that we are building our own," Jasper says -- referring to his company's inability to access next-generation FiOS or U-Verse deployments. "It will take time, but we are committed to it," says Jasper. read comment(s) <br clear=all>

Birds fly, grass grows, and the FCC auctions off wireless spectrum. It's just one of those inevitable facts of life. In 2008, the Commission sure sold plenty of the stuff, with both AT&T and Verizon trading billions of dollars for enough building-penetrating 700MHz bandwidth to start LTE networks (that's 4G, vaquero!) as early as next year. One huge chunk of spectrum didn't sell, however: the infamous Block 'D,' subject to a unique FCC mandate that required it to be shared with first responders and government agencies for public safety. Last we heard, 'D' was in limbo awaiting a new auction, but Reuters reports that said wait may be nearly over. According to Jamie Barnett, the FCC's Chief of Public Safety, the entity could test the waters as early as this summer, and start Auction 76 in earnest by Q1 or Q2 of 2011. Who might bid at that late date is still uncertain -- would-be 4G competitors will be way behind Verizon and AT&T by that time -- but it seems a mighty fine idea for paramedic phones to work while buried under rubble, regardless.FCC expects 700MHz 'D Block' to see auction in 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 07:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink | Reuters | Email this | Comments

HTC's new flagship device is now almost certain to officially land on British shores ahead of its Sense-less elder brother, the Nexus One. T-Mobile's official online store is ready to take your order for the Desire right this minute, though it does come with the proviso that delivery may take up to seven days. That meshes almost perfectly with Amazon's April 1 delivery date, though the most exciting news might relate to pricing. At the high end, you can have the phone for free on &pound;35 ($53) per month over two years -- nothing new there -- but at the &pound;15 ($22) a month price point, you can have 300 minutes, 300 texts, unlimited (with an asterisk) internet and the Desire for &pound;129 ($194). With Orange and Vodafone also confirmed as carriers, it's looking like a good time for Android lovers in the UK. In the meantime, a black prototype Desire has been spotted online, following swiftly in the footsteps of the silver Desire we saw setting Dutch hearts aflutter last week. It's not yet clear if or when it'll be making its way into retail, but the video awaits after the break in any case. [Thanks, Steve E. and iacopo73]Continue reading HTC Desire hits T-Mobile UK, black prototype spotted online HTC Desire hits T-Mobile UK, black prototype spotted online originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 06:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink HD Blog.it | T-Mobile, Android Suomi | Email this | Comments

You'll be aware by now that Google's cooking up an experimental high speed broadband network, which is currently in the process of collecting applications and nominations from interested communities. Given the limited coverage planned -- anywhere between 50,000 and 500,000 people -- there's understandably a lot of competition to get your small town on Google's radar, and city officials all around the USA have been doing their utmost to grab some publicity for their locale. Duluth mayor Don Ness can be seen above taking a dip in Minnesota's icy Lake Superior (with his unfortunate underling Richard Brown taking a fish to the face), while others have held parades, danced, invented a "Google Fiber" flavor of ice cream, and even swam with sharks for the sake of that precious fiber. Duluth, however, is the only place officially endorsed by a senator, and you can see Al Franken promote the city's virtues on video after the break. [Thanks, b3ast] Update: We've now also got video of the actual dip in the water, slide past the break to see it [Thanks, TheLostSwede].Continue reading Google's 1Gbps broadband offer brings out the crazy in municipal officers around the States (video) Google's 1Gbps broadband offer brings out the crazy in municipal officers around the States (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 06:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink | New York Times | Email this | Comments

Grossed out easily? If so, we suggest you hand this article off to someone more calloused while you read all about our recent Windows Phone 7 Series discoveries. For those of you still here, the Virtobot is one of the more ominous robots we've seen; used currently at the University of Bern's Institute of Forensic Medicine, the creature is capable of performing "virtual autopsies." In other words, corpses can be slid within the 3D scanner for investigation, all without ever cracking open the skull or slicing the cold, pearly skin. The goal here is to provide investigators with information on deaths even years after they happen, possibly after new evidence is dug up. It's hard to say what this means for you here on this Earth, but you can rest assured that 187 you were pondering might be a wee bit harder to get away with now. Video after the break, if you're dark enough to handle it.Continue reading Virtobot scanner performs 'virtual autopsies,' no body-slicing necessary (video) Virtobot scanner performs 'virtual autopsies,' no body-slicing necessary (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 05:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink MedGadget | SNF | Email this | Comments

In a classic case of "why didn't we think of this first," Chinese design student Gonglue Jiang has shown us a new way for overcoming the limitations imposed by the scarcity of USB ports on some computers. Instead of forcing you to constantly hot swap devices into that one port, Gonglue's Infinite USB plugs keep all your cables connected, thereby facilitating those smartphone syncs, spy camera recharges, and -- for the ultimate irony -- maybe even a USB hub. If you're thinking this would be brought down by a bout of bandwidth starvation once you start some USB multitasking, you're probably right, but power shortages shouldn't be an issue as the author has also come up with an external power connector that joins into his Infinite queue of connectivity. If only this wasn't just a concept.Infinite USB plug is a big idea for small conveniences originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 04:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink Yanko Design | Gonglue Jiang | Email this | Comments

While the majority of the world is busy forgetting all about ABC's FlashForward, that conniving Simon Campos has been busying forgetting which end is up on a modern day hard drive. Utilizing one of those all-too-useful SATA HDD docks on the latest episode, he proceeds to jam his hard drive into the dock upside-down, though a later shot of the device shows that some producer went in and made things right while the cast was off munching on hors d'&oelig;uvres. Imagine that -- the guys and gals behind the camera making the ones in front look good. Ah, Hollywood. [Thanks, Yoav]Screen Grabs: Simon Campos forgets how to install an HDD in his FlashForward originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 03:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink | | Email this | Comments

It must be getting close to April 3rd because the iPad news is hotting up. Today we get our first glimpse at Amazon's free Kindle app for the iPad. We've also got a Barnes & Noble app on the way courtesy of a report in in the New York Times. The Kindle app has been completely redesigned by a team of 14 developers working since January to redefine the core screen and reading experience to allow for custom fonts in multiple colors, slow page turns, and new ways to view your eBook library. One view, pictured above, presents your books as large icons against a silhouetted figure under a tree -- the sun changes position in accordance to the time of day. Of course, the app also gives you access to the Kindle bookstore (assuming Apple approves) and saves your reading position so that you can pick up any Kindle app (or device) and continue reading right where you left off. Fortunately, Amazon's Kindle App will be targeting tablets beyond the iPad. We're also hearing that Skiff is almost certainly headed to Apple's tablet, and we suspect as many competitors as possible given the plethora of devices demonstrated to us at CES. So seriously, we ask you, in an age where content is king, are you really going to buy an eReader dedicated to a single store?Gallery: Kindle for iPad and tablets makes the scene [Thanks, Jason D.]Kindle for iPad and tablets makes the scene originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink New York Times | Amazon, Twitter (Skiff) | Email this | Comments

MSI may still be struggling for respect here in America, but one thing's for sure: it's got you covered on all bases. From netbooks to entertainment rigs to this here business machine, MSI's got a lappie for just about every possible type of user. The understated 15.6-incher sports a fancy new Core i5 processor, the company's own ECO Engine (for saving power when you're not taxing the system), a battery good for eight hours, biometric fingerprint reader for keeping those top secret company documents under wraps and a multitouch trackpad to boot. Since it's meant for business, you'll only get an integrated graphics set, but you will find up to 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 1,366 x 768 resolution panel, a 250/320/500GB hard drive, SD / SDHC / MMC card reader, HDMI / VGA outputs, a pair of USB 2.0 sockets, eSATA, audio in / out, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 and a 1.3 megapixel webcam. Per usual, MSI's not dishing details on pricing and availability, but we're sure it'll be ready for the taking here soon.MSI's 15.6-inch P600 gives a Core i5 to those 'business folks' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 01:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink Hot Hardware | MSI | Email this | Comments

When the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic was released a little more than a year ago, we thoroughly panned it in our review -- put simply, it felt undercooked and uncompetitive in a world where webOS, iPhone OS, and Android were all realities, regardless of Nokia's existing smartphone dominance through much of the world. More than a year later, we're now presented with the Nokia Nuron, a pretty close relative of that first S60 5th Edition device from back in the day; it's simply a carrier-branded version of the 5230, which itself is a lower-end variant of the 5800. Despite its flaws, the 5800 has gone on to become a global success for Nokia -- but can the Nuron do the same in a market traditionally unfazed by Nokia's advances? More directly, has Nokia's first volley in the modern touchphone battle evolved enough to become a prime-time player in the States? Let's find out.Gallery: Nokia Nuron for T-Mobile review Continue reading Nokia Nuron for T-Mobile review Nokia Nuron for T-Mobile review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink | | Email this | Comments

What's a global gaming company to do once they've soundly dominated the portable market? Why, covertly get the DS into schools and restaurants, of course! Shigeru Miyamoto, who created undercover gems like Donkey Kong and The Legend of Zelda, recently informed the AP that his company would be rolling the DS out "in junior high and elementary schools in Japan starting in the new school year," though few details beyond that were available. We do know, however, that this invasion into the education sector is more than just a fluke, with Miyamoto noting that this very area is where he is "devoting [himself] the most." Of course, the Big N already has a nice stable of mind-bending titles, but getting actual teachers to embrace the device in the classroom would be another thing entirely. In related news, select McDonald's eateries in Japan will be using the DS to train part-time workers, though mum's the word on whether the Cooking Mama franchise will be cashing in here.Nintendo slipping DS handhelds into schools, McDonald's training sessions originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 23:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink Joystiq, technabob | NPR / AP, Nikkei | Email this | Comments

No, we can't give you a clear reason why this particular chap did this particular thing, but good gravy, look at the pretty pictures! We've come across an iPhone-inspired font that looks to have been created by collating and color coding a vast collection of apps in order to properly represent the English alphabet. There's not much info given beyond the app count and the fact it required an architect with "too much free time" on his hands, but we're not going to begrudge a visual attraction when we can get one. You might be able to get the typography for yourself by contacting the author at the source link, or you can skip past the break to see it on video -- if you're careful enough you should be able to spot the world's greatest mobile app making a guest appearance.Continue reading iPhone font created out of 540 apps and a love for the arcane (video) iPhone font created out of 540 apps and a love for the arcane (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 21:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink | Urikane | Email this | Comments

Last we heard from Isabella Products, the company's always-on Vizit photo frame was a 10.4-inch touchscreen LCD with a built-in cell modem to receive emailed pics and MMS, a built-in price of $280 (plus subscription fees), and an "early 2010" release date. Well, early 2010 is here, and so is the Vizit -- sales commence on March 23rd. In honor of the occasion, the company has even spilled a few final details; according to Bostinnovation, Vizit's service plan will use AT&T's 3G network, share photos from both Flickr and Photobucket, and cost $6 per month or $72 for a full year. Sorry, Grandma, but at that price, you'll have to make due with WiFi.Vizit cellular photo frame arrives March 23rd, your mom can't afford one originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink | Vizitme | Email this | Comments

We heard earlier this month that half a hundred ARM-based tablets would be launching this year, and it's pretty safe to say that these will be two of 'em. Shown off recently in Mumbai, India's own EAFT spurred interest with its Magic Tile, a presumably Billy Mays-endorsed Tegra 2-based tablet that runs on Android. We're told that it's equipped with a 7-inch touch panel (1,024 x 600 resolution), a front-mounted 1.3 megapixel webcam for video chats, 1080p video encoding / decoding abilities, optional 3G, a battery good for 8 hours of usage, inbuilt accelerometer, Bluetooth, HDMI output and a USB socket to round things out. All told, it's a pretty well-specced machine, though we're certainly hoping that the design gets a little TLC before it's launched in Q3 for an undisclosed rate. In related news, a Compal tablet was also on display, boasting a similar 7-inch layout, a Tegra 2 chip within, 512MB of DDR2 RAM, a 3 megapixel camera and a complete lack of WiFi (gasp!). Head on past the break for a hands-on vid. [Thanks, Sriram]Continue reading EAFT Magic Tile and Compal tablets shown in India, Tegra 2 and Android in tow EAFT Magic Tile and Compal tablets shown in India, Tegra 2 and Android in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink | Technoholik, ThinkDigit | Email this | Comments

The iPhone's iteration of Google Maps has been shown up time and time again by Google Maps Navigation on Android, but a quirk this big just has to be linked to some Skyhook database issue. According to a new report coming from NorCal, select iPhone users in southern San Francisco are seeing their GPS software linked to Boulder, Colorado, and the issue has been going on for around a week now. What's curious is that the erroneous positioning affects other third-party iPhone GPS apps as well, and an ABC report notes that a "spokesperson at AT&T said the problem is with Apple." Pass the blame much, AT&T? So, have any of you SF-based iPhoners found yourself navigating to Folsom Stadium when trying to find your way to SoMa? [Thanks, Charles]Select SF-area iPhones insist they're in Boulder, Colorado originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink | The Daily Breeze | Email this | Comments

Creative professional. Hear that much? If that's how this all-too-structured world views you, you just might be due a new rig -- particularly if you're thinking of stepping into 4K territory. Digital Storm is offering up a rather unique solution in its Davinci, which opts for a 3.33GHz Core i7-980X Extreme Edition (yeah, that new Intel chip) instead of a more traditional Xeon. You'll still get an NVIDIA Quadro FX 1800 (768MB) GPU, 12GB of DDR3 memory, Windows 7 Processional and one of the nicer liquid cooling systems that we've seen, which may or may not be enough to sneak a little Crysis in between edits. Too bad the base price base rings up at $4,995, but look, that next indie film you're producing is totally hitting it big.Digital Storm's Davinci workstation gets down with Core i7-980X, Quadro graphics originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink | Hot Hardware | Email this | Comments

T-Mobile's not officially selling its world-beating HD2 until Wednesday, but if you've a Walmart nearby and hankering to get HTC's latest and greatest a few days early, it might be worth a trip out. JDMiPhoner managed to score one from his local Wally World a full four days early, and he's been kind enough to unbox it, boot it up and give us a few first impressions on video. Is it really worth a couple of Benjamins with Windows Phone 7 Series just a few months away? Head on past the break if you'd care to be reminded of just how painful it is to know that this WinMo 6.5-packin' gem won't ever be upgradable (natively, anyway) to WP7S. [Thanks, Andrew]Continue reading T-Mobile's HTC HD2 gets purchased and unboxed early (video) T-Mobile's HTC HD2 gets purchased and unboxed early (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Ah, springtime. Ain't it beautiful? So beautiful, in fact, that you're apt to want to capture the flowers blooming and the kids playing around you, which is probably why JVC finally decided to ship the Everio GZ-HM550 that it announced back at CES. As far as handheld camcorders go, it's one of the better specced models on the market, touting a 10.6 megapixel CMOS sensor, 32GB of inbuilt storage, an SD / SDHC expansion slot, an integrated Bluetooth module (for controlling the camera's play, zoom and record functions via cellphone) and geotagging support when used with a compatible BT phone. Oh, and users can even sync up a Bluetooth headset in order to monitor the recorded sound or input voice recordings. You'll also get 1080p recording, a 16x zoom and the ability to snag 9 megapixel stills, all for the low, low price of $799.95. Go ahead -- step your YouTube game way up.Continue reading JVC ships Bluetooth-packin', geotagging Everio GZ-HM550 camcorder JVC ships Bluetooth-packin', geotagging Everio GZ-HM550 camcorder originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 10:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink | JVC | Email this | Comments

It's no amplifier substitute, but Line 6 has come up with something potentially even better for the budding songwriter buried deep within your rhythmic veins. The MIDI Mobilizer for iPhone and iPod touch is an app-based peripheral that lets you record, playback, store, and transfer MIDI sequences and parameters using the MIDI Memo Recorder software. While it does sound convenient in theory, we'll have to wait until we can try the dongle out for ourselves. At this point in time, price of the Mobilizer is TBD and the release date is the ever-vague Spring 2010. As for the recorder app, it's currently available on iTunes free of charge, although it's more or less useless without the complementary hardware. For now, you'll just have to settle with living vicariously through the promo video, after the break. [Thanks, Fred]<br type=_moz" />Continue reading Line 6 peripheral brings MIDI and iPhone closer than you ever expected Line 6 peripheral brings MIDI and iPhone closer than you ever expected originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 08:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink Synthtopia, Vetaville | Line 6, iTunes | Email this | Comments

Three continents, three more milestone announcements for 3D. First up is Sky TV, which, with or without 15,000 or so flat screens from LG, is officially launching its Sky 3D channel around the Man. U/Chelsea game on April 3. Already have a 3DTV and Sky's "top channels and HD pack?" Call the company with details for activation, while everyone else checks to see if their local pub is among the thousand plus already signed up to receive the six live 3D matches slated for this season (plus the entire playoffs) and demo reel for all non-footy hours of the day. Bringing the focus back home, ESPN 3D has scheduled the first event it will produce and air itself, the MLB Home Run Derby on July 12, a day after launching with the SA/Mexico World Cup game. Other events officially on deck (the plan for the first year is still about 85) include several college basketball tournaments and the ACC Championship football game in December. Last but not least is Japan, already home to at least one 3D network, which will soon have access to even more over the cross-manufacturer AcTVila video on-demand service. Clearly, the only logical thing to do is to keep that "3D will never take off" comment macro keyed up, it will be getting a lot of use over the next few months.Three for 3D: ESPN3D adds Home Run Derby, Sky 3D launches 4/3, AcTVila makes the jump this summer originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 06:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink | Sky, ESPN, acTVila | Email this | Comments

Your existing iPhone (yeah, even the original) can surf the information superhighway at 4G speeds. Today. Who knew, right? Sprint's Overdrive -- which creates a WiFi hotspot that enables nearby devices to cruise on Clear's 4G (or 3G, if you're not in a 4G locale) network -- can theoretically enable any WiFi-capable phone to surf on WiMAX, but Sprint's taking a pretty bold approach by actually touting the feature in a new spot. Befuddled? Hop on past the break and mash play. Too bad this is about as close the iPhone will ever get to Sprint's shelves...Continue reading New Sprint ad shows iPhone using WiMAX... via Overdrive New Sprint ad shows iPhone using WiMAX... via Overdrive originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 03:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink TUAW | YouTube | Email this | Comments

Nokia may still not have brought turn-by-turn navigation to Maemo with its own Ovi Maps, but N900 users can now get their fix courtesy of Sygic, which has just released a version of its Mobile Maps app for the device. Available only in Europe to start with, the app costs &euro;60, and includes maps of both eastern and western Europe, along with the usual "millions" of points-of-interest, speed camera locations and speed limit warnings, and plenty of customization options (including support for multiple languages). No firm word on availability outside of Europe just yet, but Sygic does say that additional regions will be announced "gradually." Head on past the break for a quick demo video. [Thanks, Brad C]Continue reading Sygic Mobile Maps for Nokia N900 brings turn-by-turn to Maemo Sygic Mobile Maps for Nokia N900 brings turn-by-turn to Maemo originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink | Sygic | Email this | Comments

Another day, another Android tablet render. This one, the imaginatively titled WePad, is as ambitious as its name might suggest. (You know, because "we" is plural of "I"? Yeah, it's a stretch.) Dwarfing the iPad with its 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) display, a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, GMA 3150 graphics, webcam, two USB ports, flash card reader, UMTS modem, and a mooted six hours of battery life, we could see ourselves picking one up -- provided the price point is decent. But that's just the beginning! The manufacturer, Neofonie, also has designs on a WePad app store and, if all goes according to plan, this thing'll sport genuine Google Android and the Android Market. The company also mentions something called the "WeMagazine publishing ecosystem," the basis of a turn-key operation for getting your own branded device out on the e-reader market, so if you're looking to get into the biz just hit the source link to begin your adventure. As for us, we'll wait to see a final product before we jump to any conclusions.Neofonie announces WePad 11.6-inch Android slate originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 21:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6>Permalink Liliputing | WePad | Email this | Comments