X10 AirPad promises to be the best $199 tablet around, sports full USB port

We usually scoff when we hear about Android tablets going for $199. But when we hear about stalwart retailer X10 selling one for $199, we'll at least give things a listen. The X10 AirPad promises to be the "best tablet on the market for under $200."

Let's talk specs: You've got a 7-inch display with a measly 800x480 resolution. (By comparison, the Acer Iconia a100 and HTC Flyer each has a 7-inch touchscreen at 1024x600 resolution.) So it's fewer pixels, but that means less work for the 1.2 GHz Rockchip 2918 processor. That's all pushing Android 2.3 Gingerbread, so it's got that going for it, which is nice. There's 512MB of RAM on board, and 4GB on internal storage. There's a 2MP camera, which we're probably safe in ignoring on spec.

The 4000 mAh batter is rated as 6 hours of movie or music playback (we have a hard time believing music playback takes as much juice, but whatever), or 4 hours of Wifi Internet accvess. And speaking of Wifi, it's got 802.11 b/g. There's also HDMI out for 1080p playback, a full-size USB port, mini (not micro) USB port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot.

Source: X10

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Verizon won't have a Galaxy S II variant, WSJ says, citing anonymous sources

The Wall Street Journal -- citing the ever-popular "people familiar with the plans" -- is reporting that Verizon won't be introducing a variant of the Samsung Galaxy S II at next week's event in New York City. That might or might not be an interesting shift from what everybody's suspected -- that just like the original Galaxy S roll-out last year, we'll see variants on all four major U.S. carriers.
Verizon spokewoman Brendra Raney apparently confirmed all this, writes Greg Bensinger, saying only "We have an extensive portfolio that offers customers a great variety of devices, including the Samsung Droid Charge."
Now we've got no idea why the Droid Charge was specifically picked for this quote, but we do know this: Brenda's right. There's no shortage of top-shelf devices in Verizon's lineup. The HTC ThunderBolt. Samsung Droid Charge. LG Revolution. And, eventually, the Motorola Droid Bionic. Not to mention the Motorola Droid 3, and the rumored Samsung Stratosphere and Motorola Droid HD. Given that we don't really know what the Stratosphere is just yet, we'll hold out hope and have faith that while it might not be a direct descendent of the Galaxy S II, it'll have lofty -- stratospheric, even -- specs when it is released.
The point is this: Even if Verizon is a no-show on Monday -- and remember that this is a Samsung event, not a carrier-branded event -- it's not like there aren't any Verizon phones to be had, and we're sure there are more to come this year. Somebody just seems to be managing expectations ahead of next week.
One way or another, we'll be there to find out. Stay tuned.
Source: WSJ
Update: And we've confirmed this with our own anonymous sources. So while it's not quite official, it's certainly anonymous. Or officially anonymous. Or anonymously official.
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Motorola Titanium now available on SouthernLINC

Regional carrier SouthernLINC (those of us south of the Mason-Dixon might have heard of 'em) today launched the iDEN-capable Motorola Titanium. As you'll recall from our mini-review, it's rugged, meeting MilSpec 810G for dust, shock, vibration, low pressure, solar radiation, high temperature and low temperature. You could probably ward off a pack of wolves with it, if need be. It's running Android 2.1 and has that chirpy push-to-talk radio function.
SouthernLINC's offering up the Titanium for $149 with a two-year contract. A one-year deal will raise the price by $100. Full presser's after the break.
More: SouthernLINC
SouthernLINC Wireless Rolls Out Motorola TITANIUM, the newest Android-powered Push To Talk Smartphone for iDEN
ATLANTA – Aug. 25, 2011 – Motorola TITANIUM™, the newest Android™-powered smartphone with Push To Talk for the Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN), is now available from SouthernLINC Wireless, a Southern Company (NYSE: SO).
Using Motorola’s iDEN technology that offers immediate, private communications, SouthernLINC Wireless combines Push To Talk two-way radio, cellular service, mobile Web access, and text and picture messaging into one, hand-held device.
The new Motorola TITANIUM is a slim, tablet-style smartphone that unites the interactivity of a 3.1-inch HVGA touch screen with the functionality of a full QWERTY keyboard. Plus, it gives users immediate private or GroupTALK™ Push To Talk two-way radio communications capabilities, so they can connect with one or many people at the push of a button. With a simple and intuitive interface, Android 2.1 Eclair operating system, integrated GPS capabilities, corporate connectivity and built-in Wi-Fi®, Motorola TITANIUM provides the tools to stay connected and productive.
“You can use the touch-screen QWERTY or the physical QWERTY keyboard to make text messaging and email communications fast and easy,” said Rodney Johnson, vice president of sales and distribution for SouthernLINC Wireless. “Whether you use your smartphone for work, play or both, Motorola TITANIUM’s dual keyboards offer users the best of both worlds.”
This smartphone is also packed with features, including voice commands, a music player, stereo Bluetooth® technology, a 3.5-millimeter stereo headset jack and a 5-megapixel camera with auto-focus, flash, video, four times digital zoom and geotagging capabilities. Store images, videos and music on the included 2-gigabyte microSD HC memory card, or replace it with up to a 32 GB card, sold separately, to hold even more data.
More than 250,000 applications are available to browse and download from Android Market™, and with five display screens providing quick access to frequently used items, there is plenty of room to personalize Motorola TITANIUM with widgets, shortcuts and interactive wallpapers.
Moreover, Motorola TITANIUM synchs email, calendars and contacts from Gmail™ and Google Calendar™, Microsoft® Exchange, POP3 or IMAP, keeping active users connected to both personal and business accounts.
“And, when a text or email just won’t do, don’t let a noisy location keep you from making that phone call,” continued Johnson. “Motorola TITANIUM’s dual microphones cancel noise and optimize audio on voice calls, so you can be heard.”
In addition, the rugged Motorola TITANIUM is designed to meet Military Specification 810G for dust, shock, vibration, temperature extremes, low pressure and solar radiation, giving users reliability and durability in some of the harshest environments.
Motorola TITANIUM is now available for $149.99 after mail-in debit card rebate with either a two-year service agreement on a qualifying voice plan with data or an eligible contract renewal with a data plan. It can be purchased from SouthernLINC Wireless sales and service locations, through participating authorized SouthernLINC Wireless dealers, from SouthernLINC Wireless direct sales associates and online. Visit www.southernlinc.com/promodetails for offer terms and conditions. In-stock availability may vary by location.
###
About SouthernLINC Wireless
SouthernLINC Wireless, a Southern Company (NYSE: SO), is an Atlanta-based regional wireless carrier with network coverage in the major metro and rural areas of Alabama, Georgia, southeast Mississippi and northwest Florida. SouthernLINC Wireless combines multiple communication options, including Push To Talk two-way radio (PTT), cellular service, wireless Internet access, wireless data, and text and picture messaging, into one hand-held device. In addition to regional network coverage, the company offers nationwide access through roaming agreements for cellular, PTT, data, and text and picture messaging services in more than 540 cities throughout the U.S. For more information, please call 1-800-818-LINC (5462) or visit www.southernlinc.com.
About Southern Company
With 4.4 million customers and more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast. A leading U.S. producer of electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are below the national average. Southern Company was named the World’s Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility by Fortune magazine in 2011, and is consistently listed among the top U.S. electric service providers in customer satisfaction by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.
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Motorola Droid 3 gets rooted, and the exploit gets explained beautifully

The Motorola Droid 3 has been rooted, and while we expect root to happen for most Android phones, there are a couple things here that we want to talk about.  To start at the beginning, the goal of any project to exploit or root an Android phone is to get the permissions you want, where you want them.  Once you have administrative permissions on a folder you can also write to, you're pretty much set.  Security researcher Dan Rosenberg found a fairly easy method to do just that, and we now have a shell root via ADB with no third-party files being used.  This means no worries about sketchy files that have been through numerous hands, doing lord knows what when you run them.
To make things even better, Dan has outlined exactly what he did, why he did it, and how you can do it as well.  When you read it, it seems so simple, but it's apparent that a lot of research went into this and it's refreshing to see the method presented in such an open way.  Yes, this means that the carriers can patch it quickly, but for the vast majority of users that won't be rooting their phone this is a good thing.  Dan, we tip our hat to you and there's a standing offer of a frosty beverage or three should you even run across any of us here at AC.
Now, for the method -- you'll need to have ADB running, and be confident in your ability to run a few commands from the command line or terminal.  And be aware that this is the first step only, and you'll only have root via the shell.  Next, someone will need to build a few files to inject so that you have root on the device itself, and I'm sure at least a few are hard at it.  You can (and should) check out the source link for the full directions, as well as the rhyme and reason behind the method.
Update: Gerald wrote in to let us know he has posted up the files and method to get root on the device itself working, you can find that here.  And we've received numerous reports about a one click method posted by the fellows at rootzwiki.  Go get your root on!
Source and method: VulnFactory blog
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Intel rolls out 10-core, 20-threaded Xeon E7s, shows everyone who's boss

Intel® Xeon® Processor E7 Family Delivers Record-Breaking Performance, New Security, Reliability and Energy Efficiency Features

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Intel® Xeon® processor E7 family sets a new standard in reliability, availability, security and performance to help IT managers address data-intensive workloads.
Two new security features help ensure the highest levels of data integrity and system uptime.
Supports up to 10 cores, delivers up to 40 percent greater performance1 than the previous- generation processor, and improved energy efficiency with a new feature that dynamically adjusts power consumption based on workload.
Builds on Intel's commitment to democratize mission-critical computing by accelerating the migration away from proprietary computing environments.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 5, 2011 – Enabling IT departments to better manage data-intensive environments through new security and reliability features and record-breaking performance, a new family of server processors that accelerate mission-critical computing have been announced by Intel Corporation.

The record-setting Intel® Xeon® processor E7-8800/4800/2800 product families build on Intel's previous generation of server processors to set a new standard for high-end computing applications, including business intelligence, real-time data analytics and virtualization. Strengthening the line of defense for data centers, the new processors also provide advanced security features that ensure greater data integrity.

Based on Intel's leading 32-nanometer (nm) process technology, the new Intel Xeon processors have up to 10 cores with Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology, and deliver up to 40 percent greater performance than the Intel® Xeon® 7500 series processor. Concurrently, a new energy-saving feature reduces the power draw of idle portions of the chip. Beginning today, more than 35 systems based on the Intel Xeon processor E7 family are expected to ship from manufacturers around the world.

"Intel has been changing the economics for mission-critical computing server deployments for more than a decade, and today we are raising the bar yet again," said Kirk Skaugen, vice president and general manager of Intel's Data Center Group. "The new Intel Xeon processor E7 family delivers record breaking performance with powerful new security, reliability and energy efficiency enhancements. The industry momentum we're seeing for this new server processor architecture is unparalleled in Intel's history. The days of IT organizations being forced to deploy expensive, closed RISC architectures for mission-critical applications are nearing an end."

Record-Breaking, Energy-Efficient Performance
The new processor family contains 18 new processors for two-, four- and eight-socket servers, and is expandable to servers with 256 sockets. It also sets more than a dozen world records in performance. A 40 percent improvement in generational compute-intensive performance can enhance the pace and accuracy of applications in such fields as scientific research and financial services where speed is essential. With up to 25 percent better performance with virtual machine3 applications than the current generation, the new chips also hold the industry's highest virtualization performance.

IT managers seeking to achieve greater economic efficiencies can replace 18 dual-core servers2 with a single Xeon processor E7-based server. To help address rising energy costs, the new Xeon chips include Intel® Intelligent Power technology that dynamically reduces idle power consumption of the chip based on the workload while also delivering advanced processor power-management capabilities.

Recognizing the range of compute-intensive applications from climate modeling to real-time business analytics, and the need for uncompromised performance to run them, Intel is offering 10 advanced 10-core versions of the chip, led by the E7-8870, E7-4870 and E7-2870, all of which reach 2.4 GHz with a TDP (Thermal Design Point) of 130 watts.

The company also announced a version of the chip that combines the benefits of high performance with low voltage, as well as a frequency-optimized version. The 10-core low-voltage E7-8867L reaches 2.13 GHz with a TDP of 105 watts, while the eight-core frequency-optimized E7-8837 tops out at 2.67 GHz with a TDP of 130 watts.

Intel Xeon processor E7 family based-platforms add a massive 2 Terabyte of memory in a four-socket system supported by the new processors. Most of these chips also contain Intel® Turbo Boost Technology, Intel Hyper-Threading Technology and Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT), which can increase performance as required, ease multitasking and enhance reliability and manageability, respectively.

New Security, Reliability Features
Intel is bringing its leading security technologies available today in its mainstream Intel® Xeon® processor 5600 series, to the mission-critical server segment with the introduction of platforms based on the Xeon processor E7 family. Intel® Advanced Encryption Standard New Instruction (AES-NI) allows systems to quickly encrypt and decrypt data running over a range of applications and transactions, while Intel® Trusted Execution Technology (Intel TXT) creates a secure platform at boot-up by protecting applications from malicious threats.

Together, these security features can ensure that virtualized environments are more reliably secure when they are launched, migrated or at rest, as well as experience better performance and functionality.

Extensive Industry Support
Starting today, system manufacturers from around the world are expected to announce more than 35 Xeon processor E7 family-based platforms. These manufacturers include Bull*, Cisco*, Cray*, Dawning*, Dell*, Fujitsu*, Hitachi*, HP*, Huawei*, IBM*, Inspur*, Lenovo*, NEC*, Oracle*, PowerLeader*, Quanta*, SGI*, Supermicro* and Unisys*.

Numerous enterprise software vendors also support Xeon processor E7 family-based platforms, including IBM*, Microsoft*, Oracle*, Red Hat*, SAP AG* and VMware*.

Ideal Servers for Small Business
Intel also announced today the Intel® Xeon® processor E3-1200 family, an entry-level server processor built to meet the unique demands of small business applications, ranging from collaboration tools to storage and back-up applications. With up to 30 percent greater performance over the previous generation, the Xeon processor E3-1200 product family is faster and provides higher reliability than a desktop computer running similar applications. Support for Error Correcting Code (ECC) memory ensures system reliability by preventing glitches that cause data breaches and downtime, and with small businesses facing a harsher climate of security threats the Xeon processor E3-1200 product family helps ensure the integrity of valuable data with Intel AES-NI and Intel TXT.

Today's news follows the recent disclosures about the low-power, single-socket Intel Xeon processors E3-1260L and E3-1220L targeted for micro servers, and the announcement of the Intel® Xeon® processor E3-1200 product family for workstations.

Product, Pricing Details
The Xeon processor E7-8800/4800/2800 families range in price from $774 to $4,616 in quantities of 1,000. The Xeon processor E3-1200 family ranges in price from $189 to $612 in quantities of 1,000. Complete pricing details can be found in the multimedia press kit.

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Dish Network wins Blockbuster auction for $228 million in cash

DISH Network Agrees to Acquire Blockbuster Assets

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., April 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) announced that it was selected as the winning bidder in the bankruptcy court auction for substantially all of the assets of Blockbuster, Inc. DISH Network's winning bid was valued at approximately $320 million. After certain adjustments are made at closing of the transaction, including adjustments for available cash and inventory, DISH Network expects to pay approximately $228 million in cash to acquire Blockbuster at the closing which is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2011.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100611/LA19624LOGO )

"With its more than 1,700 store locations, a highly recognizable brand and multiple methods of delivery, Blockbuster will complement our existing video offerings while presenting cross-marketing and service extension opportunities for DISH Network," said Tom Cullen, executive vice president of Sales, Marketing and Programming for DISH Network. "While Blockbuster's business faces significant challenges, we look forward to working with its employees to re-establish Blockbuster's brand as a leader in video entertainment."

Completion of the transaction is contingent upon satisfaction of certain conditions, including bankruptcy court approval.

Safe Harbor Statement under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements set forth above involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any such statement, including the risks and uncertainties discussed in DISH Network Corporation's Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements included in its recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 10-K. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and DISH Network Corporation expressly disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

About DISH Network

DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH), through its subsidiary DISH Network L.L.C., provides more than 14.1 million satellite TV customers, as of Dec. 31, 2010, with the highest quality programming and technology with the most choices at the best value, including HD Free for Life. Subscribers enjoy industry-leading customer satisfaction, the largest high definition line-up with more than 200 national HD channels, the most international channels, and award-winning HD and DVR technology. DISH Network Corporation is a Fortune 200 company. Visit www.dish.com.

SOURCE DISH Network Corporation

News Provided by Acquire Media

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Microsoft and Toyota to partner on smarter charging systems for EVs?

By Tim Stevens posted Apr 6th 2011 7:22AM Today at 3:00pm EST Microsoft and Toyota are holding a little webcast and, while they're staying mum on just what the topic of discussion will be, we're hearing they've been having some heart-to-hearts about making dumb power grids a little smarter. The details naturally are yet to be unveiled, but we're presuming it'll be similar to what Microsoft and Ford have worked on for the Focus Electric, technology that enables the car to know when rates are cheapest and only charge up then, also providing detailed data on the car's power consumption. The Tesla-powered RAV4 EV will be Toyota's first pure electric vehicle, and while it surely won't be as invigorating to drive as the similarly Tesla-powered Roadster, thanks to Microsoft maybe it'll be a little smarter. It'll certainly be cheaper.

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App review: SPB Shell 3D for Android

By Richard Lai posted Apr 5th 2011 1:54PM As we all know, the beauty of Android stems from the fact that you get a wide variety of choices when it comes to devices and interface, though the latter can sometimes be a double-edged sword. Luckily, users who are fed up with their bloated Android UI but don't want to (or can't) mess around with ROMs now have another easy solution. Joining the handful of Android launchers is SPB's Shell 3D app, which installs as a replacement (but removable) home screen that comes with some nifty widgets (radio switches, backlight dimmer, weather forecast with a 3D chart, clock with over 60 skins, world time with a 3D globe, etc.) and resizeable folders.

As you can see above, the highlight of the show here is a cool-looking 3D carousel for switching between up to 16 panels, and you can trigger it by either tapping or horizontally dragging the bottom-center button. Whilst in carousel mode, you can also rearrange the panels, change their colors, or flick away excess panels. All of this required no manual reading on our end, so it's safe to say that this is a pretty intuitive app. Read on to see what the performance is like.

We've been playing with Shell 3D on our Xperia Play, Nexus S, and Dell Venue for a few days, and we're still surprised by its butter-like smoothness -- SPB claims that the app is rendered consistently at 60fps on most modern Android devices. The only time we see this app hiccup is when we throw in the Pictures panel (for displaying Flickr's pictures of the day), so while this feature is a nice touch, we tend to keep it tucked away for minimal irritation. Other than that, we enjoy casually spinning the carousel or flicking between the panels for the subtle 3D transition effect, without significantly affecting battery life as well.

As for the app list, it's simply a vertical scrolling list with springy effects when you hit the top or bottom, but there's also a nice addition here: apps that already have a shortcut added to a panel are marked with a little home icon. That said, there's another side to this: for some reason, SPB decided that we shouldn't be allowed to add the same shortcut to multiple panels, which can be annoying for those who want maximum accessibility to the most frequently used shortcuts. For an app costing $14.95, this shouldn't be too much to ask for, right? But otherwise, Shell 3D is a pretty neat add-on for those looking to breathe new life into their Android phones.

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Liquid-cooled Wii takes console mods to a ridiculous extreme

 There are console mods and there are console mods... and then there's this -- a completely custom Nintendo Wii built from steel and cooled by two liquid-filled containers that would look more at home in a mad scientist's laboratory. Not surprisingly, this mod took a long time to complete. Bit-tech forum member Angel OD began the so-called "UNLimited Edition" project way back in December, 2009 and, after a few diversions, finally finished it this past weekend. Be sure to hit up the links below for a look at the complete build process, and a few more shots of the finished product.
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Hands-on with the Sprint HTC EVO 3D; Update: Video! | Android Central

Hands-on with the Sprint HTC EVO 3D; Update: Video!

How do you follow up one of the most popular, most successful, biggest and fastest phones of 2010? In the case of the recently announced Sprint HTC EVO 3D, you give it a higher resolution screen, 3D recording and playback capability, and you open up a whole new world of user generated content. Oh, and you make it even faster and more powerful.

That's the EVO 3D in a nutshell. It's based off the wildly popular EVO 4G. But it's gained a qHD (960x540) touchscreen in the same 4.3-inch space. And it's sporting the first dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, at 1.2GHz. Worried about battery life? It's got a 1730mAh power source -- the largest stock battery we've seen.

In the hand, it very much feels like an EVO 4G. It's lost the kickstand, but we can live with that. The battery cover has a nice texture to it, and you don't feel like the phone's going to go flying out of your hand, an important safety measure as it's still pretty sizable (it's actually a tad longer than the EVO 4G) and weighs six ounces. It's gained a physical camera button. We've been fans of them for a while now, and the EVO 3D's is about the best we've seen. It's round and textured, and you're not going to be hunting for it. Next to the camera button you have a toggle switch for the 2D/3D camera. In 2D mode, video shoots at 1080p. In 3D, it's at 720p resolution.

The 3D content plays back as smooth as you'd expect. And while 3D's still kind of gimmicky, it's also not the worst thing in the world. And if you never watch 3D content, you'll likely have a perfectly fine experience with the EVO 4G. Check out the video below.

Sprint critiques proposed AT&T / T-Mobile deal, says buyout would 'dramatically alter' telecom industry

This afternoon, AT&T and T-Mobile dedicated a twenty-eight page PDF to convincing regulators that their $39 billion aquisition wouldn't violate antitrust law, using images like the one above. Well, as you can imagine, Sprint had something to say about that, and you can read it immediately below.

The combination of AT&T and T-Mobile USA, if approved by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC), would alter dramatically the structure of the communications industry. AT&T and Verizon are already by far the largest wireless providers. A combined AT&T and T-Mobile would be almost three times the size of Sprint, the third largest wireless competitor. If approved, the merger would result in a wireless industry dominated overwhelmingly by two vertically-integrated companies that control almost 80% of the US wireless post-paid market, as well as the availability and price of key inputs such as backhaul and access needed by other wireless companies to compete. The DOJ and the FCC must decide if this transaction is in the best interest of consumers and the US economy overall, and determine if innovation and robust competition would be impacted adversely and by this dramatic change in the structure of the industry.

Last week, rumors flew that Sprint, not AT&T, would be the one to join T-Mobile and create a vast wireless network, and while we haven't heard any proof of that so far, it probably wouldn't be terribly happy to settle for "number 1 spectrum position" if the tables were indeed turned.
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Mr. Blurrycam bags a silvery striped smartphone -- is this the HTC Pyramid?

By Sean Hollister posted Mar 20th 2011 6:52PM  Looks like our favorite anonymous globetrotting photographer's spotted something sweet -- it's that alleged HTC Pyramid, comfortably chilling with the 4.3-inch HTC Desire HD. Unfortunately, Mr. Blurrycam only had time to snap this single shot before vanishing to parts unknown, so all we can tell is that that it's sporting a flush, off-center camera with a twin-LED flash, a headset jack up top, and that it's a fairly large, curvy phone. Don't be disappointed, though -- we imagine we'll see a good bit more of the handset this week at a little Florida show.
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Sneak peek at Archos Gen 9 tablets: 1.6 GHz dual-core A9 processor, 250GB HDD for €400 in June

By Michael Gorman posted Mar 20th 2011 9:13AM Word on the street was Archos planned to give us a couple of new tablets at IFA this year, but it turns out the upscale Gen 9 hardware is coming a couple months prior to the September trade show. The new Honeycomb slates are set for a June 2011 release and pack a 1.6GHz ARM A9 dual-core chip (the prospect of which should get you spec-heads drooling), up to a 250GB HDD / 32GB SSD, and a patent-pending "disruptive 3G modem" -- all for €400 (about $566). Archos' fiendish plan is to steal some of the iPad 2's thunder with its speedy processor and competitive price, but history tells us it'll need more than "competitive" to truly yank any marketshare. Too bad the post-PC world can't be bothered to care, right Steve?

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T-Mobile answers its customers' most Frequently Asked Question: no iPhone

By Vlad Savov posted Mar 20th 2011 7:16PM Never mind the practicalities of T-Mobile and AT&T using different 3G bands, Apple not having approved any deal for extended distribution of its phone, or the fact AT&T's acquisition of T-Mobile isn't set to complete for another year. The immediate reaction to AT&T agreeing to buy T-Mobile USA was to ask, "so that means the iPhone's coming to T-Mo, right?" Well, wrong. T-Mobile has delivered an FAQ on its site informing customers about the forthcoming transition, including the unequivocal notice regarding the iPhone:

"T-Mobile USA remains an independent company. The acquisition is expected to be completed in approximately 12 months. We do not offer the iPhone. We offer cutting edge devices like the Samsung Galaxy S 4G and coming soon our new Sidekick 4G."

So that settles that (for a year, anyway). In other news, service and billing won't be changing, and there's a promise that T-Mobile devices will continue to operate as they do now even after the acquisition is complete. Ominously, however, the company fails to answer its own question about pricing changes, stating only that it'll honor "all contracted plans that are entered into before the change of ownership."

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TI-Nspire graphing calcs get full color displays, 3D, WiFi, and new OS

TI-Nspire CX Handheld by Texas Instruments Brings Color and Images to Math and Science Learning

New suite of Nspired Learning tools creates the foundation for interactive classrooms

DALLAS, Feb. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In its quest to support math and science educators in achieving learning goals for their students, Texas Instruments rolls out its Nspired Learning solution with the introduction of the new color-display TI-Nspire™ CX handheld. With the Nspired Learning solution, teachers are able to build their own interactive and engaging math and science classrooms.

The TI-Nspire CX handheld is the cornerstone of the Nspired Learning solution. The TI-Nspire CX handheld offers a set of fully integrated tools that allow dynamic links among multiple representations of a problem. The color display enables students to better observe patterns and make connections between math and science concepts and real-world learning. With the TI-Nspire CX and TI-Nspire CAS handhelds' new 3D graphing capabilities, students can explore concepts from multiple points of view to develop deeper conceptual understanding.

"The TI-Nspire CX handheld exponentially changes how we can teach mathematics," said Carlo Trafficante, the first educator to pilot the TI-Nspire CX handheld in a classroom. Trafficante teaches Calculus, Integrated Algebra and Geometry, and Advanced Math at Austintown Fitch High School in Youngstown, Ohio. "With the addition of color as a key learning cue and with 3D graphing, students can better visualize and interact with class exercises. I can emphasize different parts of an equation with color, so the charts, tables, graphics and even photographs that I import into my lessons have more impact and relevance, and enable students to make the important connections among all of these representations."

Research(1) shows that when students are engaged and actively participate in their own learning, they progress faster and further in understanding mathematics and science. Graphing handhelds such as the TI-Nspire handhelds have been shown to foster student engagement and encourage participation in their own learning.

"At Texas Instruments we work with educators to develop new math and science learning technology to help them better engage students in mastering key concepts," said Melendy Lovett, president of Texas Instruments Education Technology. "The TI-Nspire CX handheld and software update is not only a graphing calculator; it is special-purpose technology created to give teachers new ways to reach students and achieve learning breakthroughs."

The TI-Nspire CX and TI-Nspire CX CAS handhelds deliver a 16-bit, 320 x 240 pixel high-resolution color display for clear, crisp viewing. With this display, teachers and students can see sharp, full-color images and animations. The new TI-Nspire CX handhelds offer a slim profile, sleek design, and a rechargeable battery.

The TI-Nspire CX handheld is permitted for use on the SAT*, AP*, PSAT/NSMQT*, IB®, and ACT® college entrance exams, as well as many state standardized tests.

TI-Nspire Software Version 3.0

TI-Nspire Software Version 3.0 includes the new PublishView™ feature, a digital content authoring and publishing tool. With the PublishView feature, educators can create interactive lessons that can be published to the Web or easily printed as worksheets. Students can use the PublishView tool to create reports and class presentations. The software allows users to load their own images, animations and even video into their TI-Nspire documents to create vibrant activities. The software can be loaded on a PC or MAC® computer.

Nspired Learning

Along with the handheld, the Nspired Learning offering includes student monitoring and assessment technology, ready-to-use digital lessons, and professional development services. With its Nspired Learning solution, Texas Instruments empowers teachers to create interactivity in their math and science classrooms in ways that complement the way they teach and the way their students learn.

When a TI-Nspire handheld is linked to a teacher's classroom computer via the wireless TI-Nspire™ Navigator™ system – including the new TI-Nspire™ CX Navigator™ system – teachers can better understand the progress of individual students, personalize their teaching style to fit class needs, and promote discussions that allow students to share ideas and learn from each other.

TI also offers the Math Nspired resource center, a collection of free, online lessons and tools that enable teachers to leverage TI-Nspire technology with ready-to-use lessons that cover tough-to-teach, tough-to-learn topics. TI will launch the Science Nspired resource center for Physics and Chemistry in time for back to school 2011.

TI rounds out its Nspired Learning offering with T3™ - Teachers Teaching with Technology ™ - professional development services. The T3 organization provides customizable professional development in a variety of formats, ranging from conferences and workshops to live and on-demand webinars to help educators sharpen their pedagogy skills using the latest TI technology.

For more information on the TI-Nspire CX handhelds or the full line of TI-Nspire technology and resources, visit http://education.ti.com/calculators/products/US/Nspire-Family/CX-Handhelds.

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How To Manually Enable Sideloading On Your Atrix

March 1, 2011   By: mic_888

If you are the lucky owner of a Motorola Atrix 4G, you may be wondering how to sideload apps onto your Android device.

Perhaps you don’t have access to the Market, maybe you’re testing some apps….well XDA forum member gdanko has posted how you can enable sideloading the old-fashioned way.

You’ll need sqlite3 which the XDA member has noted that Linux and OSX come with, installed by default, so if you are running Windows you’ll need to download the exe file for this. Once you’re set with sqlite3, gdanko has provided the code required.

If you’re interested, check out the forum thread.

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Apple MacBook Pro Winter 2011 (2.2GHz Core i7, 15 in)

Review:

After a now-customary period of rumors, leaks, and anecdotal evidence, Apple's new generation of MacBook Pro laptops has arrived. And though these new models may look the same as the ones they replace, the changes under the hood are some of the most far-reaching in the history of the MacBook Pro brand.

The 15-inch MacBook Pro moves from Intel's original Core i-series CPUs to the latest second-generation chips, formerly code-named Sandy Bridge. Not only that, you can forget about seeing an Intel Core i5 CPU in your 15-inch (or 17-inch) MacBook Pro--these use high-end quad-core Core i7 chips ... Expand full review

After a now-customary period of rumors, leaks, and anecdotal evidence, Apple's new generation of MacBook Pro laptops has arrived. And though these new models may look the same as the ones they replace, the changes under the hood are some of the most far-reaching in the history of the MacBook Pro brand.

The 15-inch MacBook Pro moves from Intel's original Core i-series CPUs to the latest second-generation chips, formerly code-named Sandy Bridge. Not only that, you can forget about seeing an Intel Core i5 CPU in your 15-inch (or 17-inch) MacBook Pro--these use high-end quad-core Core i7 chips now. Our step-up $2,199 review unit had a 2.2GHz quad-core i7, with 4GB of RAM and a huge 750GB hard drive (at only 5,400rpm, however).

The biggest surprise is the 15-inch MacBook Pro's graphics processor. Instead of the Nvidia GeForce 330M graphics card previously found in these systems, the GPUs now come from Nvidia's longtime rival AMD. The base 15-inch model has an AMD Radeon HD 6490M, and our review unit had an even faster 6750M. With Intel's improved integrated graphics in the 13-inch models, that means that Nvidia has been completely ousted from the MacBook Pro line.

The iconic unibody aluminum construction remains, as does the large glass multitouch trackpad. Most of the ports and connections also remain the same, with one very notable new addition. Where the Mini DisplayPort connection used to be, now an identically sized port is marked with a lightning-bolt icon. That's for Thunderbolt, Intel's new high-speed powered-port technology for data transfer and displays. The Thunderbolt tech is envisioned as a sort of future unified successor to USB, FireWire, and DisplayPort, allowing peripherals to carry data and video at 10Gbps (in the video above, we may have had a slip of the tongue and said Mbps, but we meant Gbps).

For now, at least, that promise is hypothetical. We have very little idea of exactly when Thunderbolt-compatible peripherals will be available (although Apple says the first ones should show up in the spring of 2011), how much they'll cost, or if Apple will be adding the technology to future displays or iOS devices. For now, it's a wait-and-see gamble on a future technology.

The lowest-cost 15-inch MacBook Pro is still $1,799, following the usual Apple trajectory of keeping the price steady but adding faster, more powerful components. While we're still waiting for oft-requested extras such as HDMI, Blu-ray, and 3G, the speed and power of these new quad-core Core i7 CPUs is extremely impressive, and leaves even other recent MacBook Pros in the dust.

2.2GHz Intel Core i7 quad-coreAMD Radeon HD 6750M / Intel HD 3000System weight / Weight with AC adapter

By now, the shape and size of the MacBook Pro should be very familiar. Even more recent Apple designs, such as the second-generation MacBook Air, are basically just variations on it. The core building block remains the same: a solid block of aluminum, which is carved down into a shell with support struts. This unibody chassis has the benefit of being thin (for a 15-inch laptop), but strong and flex-free at the same time.

The touch philosophy that informs the iPad/iPhone line of devices can be said to have its roots in the large multitouch clickpad-style trackpad that's been a staple of the MacBook Pro for years. Of the multitouch gestures, our favorite is sweeping up or down with four fingers to show or hide all your active windows. Once you get used to that, going back to a regular touch pad is difficult. A few new gestures are apparently coming to the next version of OS X, but you won't see those until this summer.

Several Windows laptops have added larger clickpads over the past year or so, with similar multitouch gestures, but we can easily say that none can yet compete with the MacBook Pro's implementation.

The 1,440x900-pixel display is still a higher resolution than many 15-inch laptops (many of which are 1,366x768 pixels), and two screen upgrades are available: a 1,680x1,050-pixel-resolution version for an extra $100, or a 1,680x1,050-pixel-resolution "antiglare" version for $150. That's a lot more flexibility than the 13-inch MacBook Pro, which still doesn't have a glare-free or higher-resolution screen option (even though the current 13-inch MacBook Air has a stock 1,440x900-pixel resolution).

Mini DisplayPort/Thunderbolt I/OStereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacksStereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks2 USB 2.0, FireWire 800, SD card reader4 USB 2.0, SD card reader, eSATAEthernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, BluetoothEthernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional mobile broadband

The big story in the ports and connections category is the new port based on Intel's Thunderbolt high-speed I/O technology. If it looks a lot like the Mini DisplayPort connection on previous MacBook Pros, that's because it is the same, except for the tiny lightning bolt logo next to it. It still functions as a DisplayPort output, and, in fact, you'll be able to daisy-chain up to six Thunderbolt devices or displays to that single port.

While there aren't any Thunderbolt peripherals available yet, we did get to see a demo of a prototype RAID product when we met with Apple, and the performance passing multiple uncompressed HD video streams was impressive. Thunderbolt is technically capable of 10Gbps bidirectional transfer, and if Intel and Apple have their way, it may replace many other kinds of ports and connections in the future.

Also notable on the new MacBook Pro is a 720p Webcam, which works with the new Mac version of FaceTime, the same video-conferencing application found on the iPhone 4 and iPod Touch. With a solid Wi-Fi signal, jumping into full-screen mode was clear and mostly stutter-free. There's also an onscreen button for changing the video window from portrait mode to horizontal, and video calls can be made between MacBooks and iPhones as well. You can read more about FaceTime for Mac in this hands-on. It's also worth noting that the SD card slot is now SDXC-compatible, meaning it will work with higher-capacity SD cards.

But while Thunderbolt and FaceTime are interesting extras, the real muscle behind the new MacBook Pro is the quad-core Intel Core i7 CPU and AMD Radeon HD 6750M GPU. In our CNET Labs benchmark tests, it absolutely clobbers the competition, including last year's 15-inch MacBook Pro, which had a first-gen Intel Core i7, and other high-end midsize laptops, such as a Core i7 Alienware M15x.

To be sure, once more systems with these new Intel processors hit the streets, the competitive gap will close up significantly, but for now, this is the fastest laptop we've tested.

Hide Review Next page

The switch from Nvidia to AMD in the graphics department came as a surprise. The AMD Radeon HD 6750M in our review unit is one of the better GPUs you can cram into a laptop right now. The less-expensive base-model 15-inch version of the MacBook Pro includes a still-good Radeon 6490M. As with the last generation of MacBook Pros, the discrete graphics automatically share the workload with the integrated Intel graphics as needed, saving battery life as you go.

Mac gaming, no matter what anyone says, is still a pretty fallow field, with many big games still available only for Windows systems. Fortunately, one of our most anticipated upcoming releases, Dragon Age II, will be Mac-compatible. Civilization V is another recent high-end game that will run on OS X. In our older Modern Warfare Mac gaming benchmark, we got 51.8 frames per second at a 1,440x900-pixel resolution with high quality settings, which was significantly better than the 34.5fps we got with the Nvidia GeForce 330M in last year's 15-inch MacBook Pro (but when we turned the graphics settings down to medium, the two GPUs were much more similar).

Apple MacBook Pro - Core i7 Sandy Bridge 15.4-inch - 2.2GHz

For once, our battery life score actually exceeded a manufacturer's estimate. Apple says the system should run for 7 hours on average, and in our video playback battery drain test, it ran for 7 hours and 5 minutes. That's about an hour longer than last year's model, even with all the new, powerful hardware inside.

Service and support from Apple has always been a bit of a mixed bag. Apple includes a one-year parts-and-labor warranty, but only 90 days of telephone support. Upgrading to a full three-year plan under AppleCare will cost an extra $349 ($100 more than for the 13-inch MacBook Pro) and is pretty much a must-buy, considering the proprietary nature of Apple products and their sealed bodies. Support is also accessible through a well-stocked online knowledge base, video tutorials, and e-mail with customer service, or through in-person visits to Apple's retail store Genius Bars, which, in our personal experience, have always been fairly efficient, frustration-free encounters.

Multimedia multitasking test (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
Apple MacBook Pro - Core i7 Sandy Bridge 15.4-inch - 2.2GHz
Adobe Photoshop CS3 image-processing test (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
Apple MacBook Pro - Core i7 Sandy Bridge 15.4-inch - 2.2GHz
Apple iTunes encoding test (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
Apple MacBook Pro - Core i7 Sandy Bridge 15.4-inch - 2.2GHz
Video playback battery drain test (in minutes)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
Apple MacBook Pro - Core i7 Sandy Bridge 15.4-inch - 2.2GHz

Find out more about how we test laptops.

System configurations:

Apple MacBook Pro (2011) 2.2GHz Core i7 quad-core, 15.4 inch
OS X 10.6.6 Snow Leopard; Intel Core i7 2.2GHz; 4,096MB DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz; 1GB AMD Radeon HD 6750M / 384MB (Shared) Intel HD 3000; 750GB Toshiba 5,400rpm

Dell XPS 15
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit); 2.53GHz Intel Core i5 M460; 4,096MB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 1GB NVIDIA GeForce 420M + 64MB(Dedicated) Intel GMA HD; 500GB Seagate 7,200rpm

Acer Aspire 5742G-7200
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit); 2.53GHz Intel Core i5 M460; 4,096MB DDR3 SDRAM 1,066MHz; 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 420M; 500GB Western Digital 5,400rpm

Apple MacBook Pro (2010) Core i7 M620 15.4 inch - 2.66GHz
OS X 10.6.2 Snow Leopard; Intel Core i7 M620 2.66GHz; 4,096MB DDR3 SDRAM 1,066MHz; 512MB Nvidia GeForce GT 330M + 256MB Intel GMA HD; 500GB Seagate 5,400rpm

Alienware M15x
Windows 7 Ultimate (64-bit); 2.0GHz Intel Core i7-920XM; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,066MHz; 1GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 260M; 500GB Seagate 7,200rpm

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What to Expect From iPad 2

Apple is almost certainly taking the wrapper off its next-generation iPad on Wednesday, so now is a great time to take stock of all the rumors, analyst predictions, and other info we’ve been hearing about the upcoming device. We might not have long to wait to get our hands on Apple’s newest tablet, since AppleInsider is reporting that it will be on store shelves soon after it’s unveiled. But let’s see if we can’t come up with a more realistic overall picture of what to expect.

The new iPad will have FaceTime support via a front-facing camera. If it doesn’t, I will eat my hat. Apple is all about FaceTime, and I’m fairly sure the only reason the first iPad didn’t have it is because Apple wanted that to be an iPhone 4 launch feature, and the company knew full well that in a year’s time, it would become an upgrade incentive for original iPad owners. Whether the iPad will have a rear camera as well is less certain. It would help keep the device on par with Android hardware, and Mark thinks it could come in handy for business users. On the other hand, I think most users probably wouldn’t take advantage of it much, and Apple isn’t known for doing things just because everyone else is doing it.

The biggest question mark surrounding Apple’s new iPad is probably the display. Will it be double the resolution (2048×1536), as some early rumors speculated? Or will it remain exactly the same, as more recent murmurs indicate? I think the iPad 2 will have a similar screen to the original, but with quality improvements that don’t change the resolution but nevertheless affect the look of the screen. Whether it’s better contrast, brightness, viewing angle or screen depth, we’ll see something that makes the iPad 2 visually pop, but Apple won’t go Retina Display with this revision. The iPhone’s screen remained relatively the same until the iPhone 4, after all. It can afford to keep the same quality of display in place for one more year, especially if it continues to beat all others when it comes to price.

The iPad 2 will be thinner than its predecessor. Apple loves to do this with its portable devices; the iPod touch is a perfect example. Apple will have refined the design of components to allow for a thinner case. We might also see a thinner bezel around the screen, allowing for a smaller overall surface area, but the screen will almost certainly remain 9.7 inches. Apple won’t reduce the size of the bezel by too much, though, because the iPad still can’t be held comfortably with one hand without putting a finger on the front of the device. Some suggest a carbon-fiber body might be on the way, but I’d wager that Apple will stick with an aluminum back for this model. BGR this morning posted what it claims might be a picture of the next iPad’s back casing. The casing pictured appears to replicate the design rumors that have been floating around, with a flat back and more prominent speaker, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this is, in fact, what we get.

Apple will make sure the next iPad gets improvements under the hood, even if it doesn’t go overboard and throw in dual-core processing or tremendous amounts of RAM. Recent rumors suggest that it’ll get an upgrade to a more powerful processor, an A5 to succeed Apple’s in-house designed A4, which currently powers the iPhone 4 and the iPad. At least 512MB of RAM is also pretty much a guarantee. Don’t be surprised if Apple keeps these changes relatively modest on paper, though. The key to iPad’s success is, after all, how well it performs in the hands of users, something more muscle-bound machines haven’t yet been able to match.

All of the above items are what we can pretty safely expect to see, but none of them will really bowl over customers the way Apple likes to with new iterations of its devices. FaceTime is a big addition from Apple’s perspective, but consumers at this point will be shocked only if it isn’t there. Instead, there are a number of possibilities for something new that really shakes things up.

There are three likely possible wow factors for the iPad 2 in my opinion. The first is the inclusion of a Thunderbolt port. Many early case prototypes for the new iPad feature a space for a port that’s too small to be USB, and was originally suspected to be for Mini DisplayPort. Apple showed it was serious about Thunderbolt by including it in the new MacBook Pros it introduced last Thursday. It makes sense for iPad, because it could make for ultra-fast syncing and data transfer between the iPad and new Macs, rewarding customers who embrace both of Apple’s computing platforms. And even for those who don’t, Thunderbolt on the iPad could be used for simple, single-cord A/V out to connected displays. I think this is possible for this generation, but it’s more likely Apple will wait until Thunderbolt has more presence in its Mac line before we see it go portable.

Second, Apple could introduce iOS 5 alongside the iPad, with additional, device-specific features that are only available to customers who pay for the hardware upgrade. Maybe these could be the oft-rumored NFC features many think are on their way to iOS devices, or AirDrop capabilities like those in the new OS X Lion developer preview that allow for easy, fast device-to-device direct file transfer. This seems like the most realistic wow factor candidate for this generation of hardware.

Finally, the new iPad could come with a price reduction. Apple is already leading the tablet pack when it comes to the cost to consumers, but even a $25 drop would do a lot to solidify that position and overshadow a relatively modest, evolutionary hardware update. Apple has been making the iPad for a year now, so presumably it’s been able to reduce production costs along the way.

Those are my expectations going into Wednesday’s event. What are yours?

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T-Mobile continues campaign against iPhone 4 with new 'State of the Smartphone' infographic

By Vlad Savov posted Feb 28th 2011 2:45AM T-Mobile cares about you. It cares so much that it's spending all its advertising dollars lately making sure you know full well that the iPhone 4 can't do "4G" the way its own phones can. The latest salvo in this crusade of enlightenment includes the above graphs showing just how much faster and further your money can go if you ride along on the Magenta network. It conveniently ignores the fact that AT&T and Verizon offer other phones besides Apple's iPhone, some of which can handle speeds above the 3G threshold, but such is the price you pay when you want to have a really pretty and eye-catching chart. Hit the source link to soak up more of T-Mobile's priceless wisdom.

[Thanks, Ramon]

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Apple Introduces New MacBook Pros

Apple MacBook Pro

As rumored, Apple today unveiled updates to its MacBook Pro line of computers. Early leaks revealed the specs of all the new models at least a day ahead of launch, and those leaks proved quite accurate. Here are the details of Apple’s new lineup of Pro notebooks.
Perhaps the highlight of the new MacBook Pro line (especially for professional users) is the introduction of the new Thunderbolt I/O standard. In the press release announcing the new machines, Apple SVP of Marketing Phil Schiller had this to say about the new tech:

Thunderbolt is a revolutionary new I/O technology that delivers an amazing 10 gigabits per second and can support every important I/O standard which is ideal for the new MacBook Pro.

Unlike what some early rumors predicted, the new MacBook Pros sport the same basic design as their predecessors, meaning aluminum and glass enclosures with a black bezel around the screen. All the new MacBooks also sport an Intel HD Graphics 3000 integrated GPU, although the 15- and 17-inch models also offer discrete graphics, too. And all the revised Pro models also boast a new FaceTime HD Camera, which replaces the built-in iSight camera and offers full 720p quality video for FaceTime calls between the new Macs. SSD upgrades are also available for all options, in sizes ranging from 128 GB to 512 GB. Here are the specs for each individual model:
Configuration #1 ($1199)
2.3GHz Dual-Core i5 Intel ProcessorIntel HD Graphics 30004GB DDR3 1333MHz SDRAM320GB 5400 RPM HDGlossy 1280×800 resolution displaySuperDrive 8xThunderbolt/Mini DisplayPortSDXC Card slot, 1x FireWire 800, 2x USB 2.0, Ethernet and Digital Audio/Mini Stereo Jack
Configuration #2 ($1499)
2.7GHz Dual-Core i7 Intel ProcessorIntel HD Graphics 30004GB DDR3 1333MHz SDRAM500GB 5400 RPM HDGlossy 1280×800 resolution displaySuperDrive 8xThunderbolt/Mini DisplayPortSDXC Card slot, 1x FireWire 800, 2x USB 2.0, Ethernet and Digital Audio/Mini Stereo Jack
Configuration #1 ($1799)
2.0GHz Quad-Core i7 Intel ProcessorIntel HD Graphics 3000AMD Radeon HD 6490M with 256 MB of GDDR5 RAM4GB DDR3 1333MHz SDRAM500GB 5400 RPM HDGlossy or antiglare 1440×900 resolution displaySuperDrive 8xThunderbolt/Mini DisplayPortSDXC Card slot, 1x FireWire 800, 2x USB 2.0, Ethernet and Digital Audio/Mini Stereo in/out
Configuration #2 ($2199)
2.2GHz Quad-Core i7 Intel ProcessorIntel HD Graphics 3000AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 1 GB of GDDR5 RAM4GB DDR3 1333MHz SDRAM750GB 5400 RPM HDGlossy or antiglare 1440×900 resolution displaySuperDrive 8xThunderbolt/Mini DisplayPortSDXC Card slot, 1x FireWire 800, 2x USB 2.0, Ethernet and Digital Audio/Mini Stereo in/out
Configuration #1 ($2499)
2.2GHz Quad-Core i7 Intel ProcessorIntel HD Graphics 3000AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 1 GB of GDDR5 RAM4GB DDR3 1333MHz SDRAM750GB 5400 RPM HDGlossy or antiglare 1900×1200 resolution displaySuperDrive 8xThunderbolt/Mini DisplayPortSDXC Card slot, 1x FireWire 800, 2x USB 2.0, Ethernet and Digital Audio/Mini Stereo in/out
All the above configurations can be customized with up to 8 GB of RAM, and all include a built-in battery rated for 7-hours of wireless web use according to Apple’s battery testing standards, which it revised to be more representative of real-world use when it introduced the MacBook Air.
So, who’s buying one of these?


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Report: 1M Verizon iPhones Sold at Launch

Just because there weren’t long lines at Verizon and Apple stores when the iPhone 4 launched on Verizon’s network Feb. 10 doesn’t mean the device didn’t sell well. According to estimates made based on recent comments by Verizon CEO Dan Mead, sales of the iPhone 4 may have exceeded 1 million during its introductory weekend.

Here’s how the math works out: according to The Street, recent analyst estimates put Verizon pre-orders at around the 600,000 mark. Mead said this weekend talking to press that pre-orders accounted for 60 percent of total iPhone 4 sales at launch. That means 1 million total devices potentially flew off the shelves during the debut, with even more sold during the following weeks. Verizon plans to announce actual sales figures when it reveals its first quarter earnings in April.

In comparison, AT&T sold 1.7 million during the first three days of the original iPhone 4 launch in June of last year. Verizon’s totals may not match AT&T’s success, but remember that the iPhone 4 has already been on market for more than half a year now, and that many customers may be unwilling to buy when a new model is expected for a June release.

Mead also revealed that Apple has plans in mind for LTE, Verizon’s next-generation mobile broadband technology, but he declined to give any more specific information. Analyst predictions have LTE on track for a sixth-generation iPhone device, but not for the one we’ll see released this summer. That timeline makes sense, given Apple’s propensity to wait until a technology is more or less widely adopted and stable before introducing it to its products.

Even without LTE, the iPhone 5 will be the device launch to watch in terms of truly gauging the relative success of Apple’s smartphone on both Verizon and AT&T, since it’ll likely be available simultaneously on both networks. AT&T, meanwhile, looks to be hedging its bets with alternative connected devices.

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Actor Idris Elba Joins 4G Competitive Edge Filmmakers Challenge Sponsored by Sprint

Actor Idris Elba

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), February 14, 2011 - Sprint (NYSE: S), along with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) and Wells Fargo, announces Golden Globe nominee Idris Elba as the official ambassador for the 4G Competitive Edge Filmmakers Challenge, a competition that calls on college students to shoot a short film with a smartphone. The short film is designed to illustrate how the ease and services of Sprint 4G gives students a competitive edge.
“We are thrilled to have an acclaimed actor such as Idris to inspire young filmmakers with this competition,” said Matt Carter, president of Sprint 4G and Wholesale. “Idris’ work is a prime example of how technology can fuel the creative process and result in a vibrant on-screen experience. Together, we’re challenging students to push the boundaries of traditional filmmaking by harnessing the power of Sprint 4G’s vast portfolio of devices and applications to redefine the medium and develop their artistry.”
According to a recent independent survey of cell phone users, African-Americans make up 33 percent of all smartphone consumers in the United States, although they constitute only 13 percent of the population.* The 4G Competitive Edge Filmmakers Challenge offers diverse students a chance to demonstrate their creativity using the cutting-edge technology of smartphone devices.
Elba, the official ambassador for the competition, was first introduced to the public by his role as Russell “Stringer” Bell on the acclaimed HBO series “The Wire.” Elba was most recently nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in the BBC America’s drama “Luther.” His other works include films such as “Takers,” “Obsessed” and “Tyler Perry’s Daddy’s Little Girls.” He is currently the executive producer and star of the art house thriller “Legacy.”
As part of the competition, Sprint, along with Wells Fargo, will launch a college tour to visit several historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) around the country throughout the month of February. The tour will head to TMCF member institutions including Morehouse College, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, Virginia Union University and Shaw University. The tour will conclude at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C., just in time for the CIAA Tournament. Elba will join Sprint, TMCF and Wells Fargo to announce the winners at Howard University in April. A list of tour dates and schools can be found at www.4GCompetitiveEdge.com.
“Our 47 public HBCU campuses are home to 235,000 students and present a truly unique pool of talent for Sprint, Wells Fargo and Idris Elba to find the most talented young minds,” said Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., president and chief executive officer of Thurgood Marshall College Fund. “The 4G Competitive Edge Filmmakers Challenge is a pairing of the arts and technology that distinctly aligns with the type of innovation and ingenuity we are cultivating in the next generation of leaders.”
At each tour stop, students will have the opportunity to attend the Wells Fargo Empowerment Panel to receive insider tips about financial fitness and entrepreneurship. Panelists will give fresh insights on the elements necessary for a successful career whether behind or in front of the camera via the newest technology. Following the panel discussion, students will have the opportunity to screen Elba’s feature film, “Legacy.” Students will also be able to experience various Sprint 4G devices, including the new HTC EVO Shift™ 4G as well as the popular HTC EVO™ 4G and Samsung Epic™ 4G.
The 4G Competitive Edge Short Film Competition launched in December 2010 and is open until 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on March 4, 2011. Two selected winners of the competition will get a trip to Los Angeles to spend a day on a movie set with Elba, dine with a Sprint executive and receive $2,500 to jump-start their careers.
For complete information about the contest, including college tour dates, contest rules and eligibility, visit www.4GCompetitiveEdge.com. On the site, participants can also find resources such as expert chats, podcasts and how-to guides. The public can also visit the site to view and vote for the best short films.
Follow along on Facebook at: Sprint, Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Idris Elba, or on Twitter at: @sprint, @tmcf_hbcu and @idriselba.
Sprint has been a leader in 4G wireless technology since launching its first 4G market in Baltimore in October 2008. Sprint 4G is in 71 markets across the nation and offers a growing 4G device portfolio. Sprint 4G service plans are available at Sprint retail stores, through Sprint telesales at 1-800-Sprint-1 or online at www.sprint.com/4G.
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 49.9 million customers at the end of 2010 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 6 in its 2010 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.
About The Thurgood Marshall College Fund
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Inc. (TMCF), named after the late U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice, was established in 1987 and represents 47 public Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) located in 22 states, the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands with a population of 235,000 students. By the end of 2009 the Thurgood Marshall College Fund had awarded more than $100 million in leadership development, programmatic and capacity building support, and scholarships to students attending member schools. Scholarships have enabled over 12,000 students to attend public Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Thurgood Marshall College Fund is a 501(c) 3, tax-exempt organization and has a “Four Star” rating by Charity Navigator (“Your Guide to Intelligent Giving”).
* According to the 2010 U.S. Census estimates

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Smartphone Lost? Locate It, Lock It, Clear It and Restore It with New Protection App from Sprint

EVO 4G

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), February 28, 2011 - The cost to replace a lost mobile device is usually the least of a wireless customer’s worries, especially if he or she is protected by Sprint’s Total Equipment Protection, which provides coverage against loss, theft and damage. The bigger nightmare is the thought that a customer’s personal contacts, photos and other private information could fall into the wrong hands. To help alleviate those fears, Sprint (NYSE: S) customers needing to track down a lost device and protect their personal information can do so now with the launch of a new application called Total Equipment Protection App.*
Sprint customers with Total Equipment Protection will be able to access the new application, beginning today, at www.sprint.com/protection, where they will benefit from the following features:
Locate lost device by sounding an alarm on the smartphone even if in silent mode, doing a real time locate via GPS technology, or viewing the smartphone’s location history on a map via a Web Interface Remotely lock their smartphone Erase contacts in the address book on a lost smartphone Backup, manage and restore contacts
“Anyone who has lost a phone knows that their personal information is possibly just as vulnerable as if their computer was hacked,” said John Carney, senior vice president of consumer marketing for Sprint. “Now, Sprint customers have peace of mind knowing that their personal and private information is safe. TEP and this accompanying application is a safeguard for customers who want protection from not only loss, but misuse and unauthorized access.”
The Protection App is included at no additional charge as a benefit of Total Equipment Protection plan, which is $7 per month, per line of service. It is available to customers with phones using BlackBerry and Android mobile platforms. TEP customers download and install the user-friendly application at www.sprint.com/protection. Privacy protection is included with the Protection App. Each time the smartphone’s location is requested by the Web interface, an SMS text message is sent to the smartphone notifying it has been located.
In addition to purchasing TEP coverage, customers have several other steps to help customers protect their information:
Pass codes – Sprint customers should always use pass codes to lock their phones and make it harder for the phone to be accessible if lost. Protect voice mail – Use the “pass code feature” to retrieve voicemails rather than opting to skip it in order to maintain the highest level of security. Without it, anyone with access to the device can connect to the voicemail. Contact Sprint – Call Sprint’s Customer Care department immediately to deactivate the phone if it is believed to be lost, stolen or accessed without authorization.
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 49.9 million customers at the end of 2010 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 6 in its 2010 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.
*Total Equipment Protections device replacement is underwritten by Continental Casualty Company, a CNA Company, and administered by Asurion.

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