Fujitsu's Lifebook TH700 Brings Core i3 To Convertible Tablet PC
Convertible Tablet PCs have been around for what feels like forever. We remember these machines being available at least 4-5 years ago, but nearly no one took them seriously. There just wasn't a good operating system available for this form factor, and the battery life was generally too poor for people to use these as dedicated tablets. But that hasn't stopped Fujitsu from continuing to pursue the sector, and now that slates are all the rage, people are probably looking for the best of two worlds more often
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Optimus Popularis Keyboard Offers Customizable Keys
Art Lebedev. Ever heard of him, or his studio? No? That's a shame. Art's studio is one of the most impressive around, cranking out some of the most unique pieces of art/consumer electronics that the world has ever seen. Generally, the company comes up with more concepts than they could ever make into a reality, but some of their keyboards actually do hit the production line. A few years ago, the Optimus Maximus set the bar for what a sophisticated keyboard could be, offering up OLED keys with customizable graphics/macros
Read More ...
Seagate Breaks Records With 3TB Go Flex External Hard Drive
Can it ever be big enough? If we're talking about hard drives, the answer is definitely "no!" As multi-media continues to grow larger and larger, and digital photographs do the same as the megapixels swell, having enough storage is becoming more and more difficult. Hard drive makers are cranking out bigger drives as fast as they can, and while we really need to move to another format altogether in order to see quantum leaps in sizes, hardly anyone will complain with 3TB in a single external drive today. Seagate
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Samsung's Rugged Xcover Cellphone Lasts Two Months On A Charge
How long can your phone stay alive before you see that dreaded "low battery" sign? A day? Maybe two? Three? If you said three or more, you're in an increasingly small group of individuals, particularly if you're a smartphone owner. But despite what you may think, some people actually see no need for owning one of those complex devices, and are quite alright with a conventional mobile. Samsung knows this better than anyone, and they also know that some folks don't want to charge their handset each and every evening.
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It's Official: 18-Button WarMouse Is Now On Sale
Every now and then, a tech company produces a product so odd that we journalists are left eyeballing the design and wondering if we've been punked. The OpenOffice Mouse (covered here) was definitely such a beast. With 18 buttons, an analog joystick, scrollwheel, and up to 52 programmable commands, the OOMouse promised to redefine mouse use. After nearly a year of silence, the OOMouse is back, rebranded, and better than ever. The confusing OpenOffice moniker and ugly white-blue color scheme have been dropped
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Obama Administration Wants 500MHz of Spectrum For Future Broadband
If you've ever tried to set up a wireless router in an apartment building or college campus, you've probably encountered problems when it came to establishing a clear signal. All too often, multiple routers in close proximity will tangle with each other, lowering the quality and range of everyone's signal. With wireless broadband usage projected to explode over the next 5-10 years (estimates range from 20x-45x) and a few cities talking about creating an umbrella of service under metro areas, it's easy to see
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Chrome Surpasses Safari In Global Browser Rankings
According to figures from StatCounter, Google's Chrome Internet browser has unseated Apple Safari for the first time and has become the third most used Internet browser in the United States. Considering the Chrome browser is less than two years old, this is quite the feat. As StatCounter CEO Aodhan Cullen said, "This is quite a coup for Google as they have gone from zero to almost 10 percent of the US market in under two years." In the U.S., Chrome now holds 8.97 percent market share compared to Safari's 8.88
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How to Hold a Phone: Nokia
Since we have been told we are holding the iPhone 4 wrong, Nokia has taken the time to show us the correct way to hold a Nokia smartphone. You mileage may, of course, vary, particularly if you are left-handed and using an iPhone instead of a Nokia phone. The tutorial shows end users four "elegant" ways to hold a nokia. There's the Thumb and Finger (upper left (UL), above), the Cup (UR), the Balance (LL), and the Four Edge Grip (LR). Of course, as Nokia states in their tutorial (emphasis ours): We’ve found
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Virgin Mobile To Offer Prepaid MiFi Mobile Hotspot
With the addition of the MiFi 2200 to its Broadband2Go portfolio, Virgin Mobile is offering customers a prepaid Intelligent Mobile Hotspot that allows users with Wi-Fi enabled devices to connect to 3G Internet. This new Broadband2Go MiFi product doesn't require a contract, monthly subscription or activation fee. The Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot costs $149.99 and operates on the Sprint 3G network. With the MiFi 2200, users can create a mobile hotspot that can be shared among up to five
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Verizon Cuts the Price of Microsoft's Kin Phones
Good news for text messaging teens enamored with Microsoft's Kin phones. Verizon has gone and slashed the prices on both the Kin One and Kin Two, making it easier for social networking addicts to save some of their allowance for the real important things, like Justin Bieber concert tickets. As it turns out, Verizon has had trouble moving the Kin phones off of store shelves, perhaps because everyone has been paying attention to that other smartphone that was recently launched (a little thing called the iPhone
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MSI Gives Latest Wind Netbook a Touch of Class
It's getting difficult to discern one netbook release from another, which is our way of saying if you've seen one, you've seen them all. Until now. While the internal hardware is standard fare for a modern day netbook, MSI's latest entrant -- the Wind U135DX -- adds a bit of style to the genre by coating its latest netbook with its own "Color Film Print with elegant patterns." The special coating comes applied to both the cover and wrist rest areas, but it's not all about looks. MSI says the touchpad is now
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Google Not So Willing To Leave China After All
When Google announced it had been the victim of government-sponsored hacking attempts last January, it also declared it would no longer censor search results on Google.cn. Now, the company is at least modifying that position, as it doesn't wish to lose its Internet Content Provider (ICP) license. Back in January, Dave Drummond wrote: We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis
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Official Froyo Finally Reaching Nexus Ones
This time it's official. The Android 2.2 (Froyo) release is finally here, at least for Nexus One users, after several false alarms. This time, we know it's official, via a Google blog post on Monday afternoon. Starting today, Nexus One users will begin to receive the Android 2.2 (codenamed Froyo) over-the-air software update on their phones. This update provides some great new features including support for making your handset a portable hotspot and support for Adobe Flash within the browser. For a complete
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Chrome Surpasses Safari In Global Browser Rankings
According to figures from StatCounter, Google's Chrome Internet browser has unseated Apple Safari for the first time and has become the third most used Internet browser in the United States. Considering the Chrome browser is less than two years old, this is quite the feat. As StatCounter CEO Aodhan Cullen said, "This is quite a coup for Google as they have gone from zero to almost 10 percent of the US market in under two years." In the U.S., Chrome now holds 8.97 percent market share compared to Safari's 8.88 percent. Microsoft's ever-popular Internet Explorer still dominates the Internet browser market in the U.S. with 52%. Firefox follows with 28.5% market share.
Worldwide, Chrome passed Safari some time ago. The latest statistics show Chrome has 9.4 percent of the global market compared with 4 percent for Safari. This difference may be partially attributed to the two applications' support for various languages. Safari supports 16 languages while Chrome supports more than three times as many. Globally, Microsoft's Internet Explorer has 53% of the market followed by Firefox with 31%.
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Google Not So Willing To Leave China After All
When Google announced it had been the victim of government-sponsored hacking attempts last January, it also declared it would no longer censor search results on Google.cn. Now, the company is at least modifying that position, as it doesn't wish to lose its Internet Content Provider (ICP) license. Back in January, Dave Drummond wrote: We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China. The decision to review our business operations in China has been incredibly hard, and we know that it will have potentially far-reaching consequences.
In the interim between January and July, however, Google has apparently discovered that it would prefer to remain in China after all. In his most recent blog post, Drummond writes:
It’s clear from conversations we have had with Chinese government officials that they find the redirect unacceptable—and that if we continue redirecting users our Internet Content Provider license will not be renewed...We have therefore been looking at possible alternatives and...have started taking a small percentage of them [users] to a landing page on Google.cn that links to Google.com.hk—where users can conduct web search or continue to use Google.cn services like music and text translate, which we can provide locally without filtering.The proposed Google.cn homepage is shown below:
Google China's Unofficial Motto:Â Please Be Stupid
It's hard to grasp what, if anything, Google is putting on the table. The search giant isn't offering to operate a censored service with a link to an uncensored service; Google.cn would be a stripped down, deprecated engine with links to some content capabilities. All of the actual searching would be handled entirely by Google.hk. Given China's serious investment in denying people freedom of speech, it's hard to see why various officials would deny Google the right to operate an uncensored Google.cn or an automatic redirect to Google.hk, but would approve a manual link to the same site. It might be a different matter if Google.cn's own search engine was still functional, but all indications from Google are that it won't be.
There are only two reasons for China to approve Google's solution. As far as the Great Firewall itself is concerned, the Communist Party will want to ensure that a majority of users that might otherwise learn the truth will instead remain safely ensconced behind Google.cn or Baidu, China's main search engine. The other possibility is that Chinese officials aren't necessarily against Google running an unfiltered engine, but can't allow the loss of face they'd suffer if Google was allowed to continue its activities. Seen from this perspective, forcing Google to modify its arrangement conveys the impression of a strong, authoritative governing body, rather than one that kowtowed to a rebellious foreign business.Â
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How to Hold a Phone: Nokia
Since we have been told we are holding the iPhone 4 wrong, Nokia has taken the time to show us the correct way to hold a Nokia smartphone. You mileage may, of course, vary, particularly if you are left-handed and using an iPhone instead of a Nokia phone.The tutorial shows end users four "elegant" ways to hold a nokia.
There's the Thumb and Finger (upper left (UL), above), the Cup (UR), the Balance (LL), and the Four Edge Grip (LR). Of course, as Nokia states in their tutorial (emphasis ours):
We’ve found any of the four grips mentioned above to be both comfortable and as you can see, offer no signal degradation whatsoever. This isn’t a feature you’ll only find on high-end Nokia devices either. It’s something that’s been a part of pretty much every Nokia device ever made (perhaps with the exception of that teardrop 3G one, which was a bit ridiculous).Clearly a dig at you-know-what, it is true that even in his review of the iPhone 4, the WSJ's Walt Mossberg said those with lower signal strength in their areas might want to opt for a second phone to carry around with their iPhone. That was before the issue with the antenna was known, simply based on the AT&T network.
The key function on any Nokia device is its ability to make phone calls. After all, that’s why we know them universally as mobile phones (or smart phones, feature phones or mobile computers – though the same grip styles work for those, too). One of the main things we’ve found about the 1 billion plus Nokia devices that are in use today is that when making a phone call, people generally tend to hold their phone like a ... well, like a phone. Providing a wide range of methods and grips for people to hold their phones, without interfering with the antennae, has been an essential feature of every device Nokia has built.
Of course, feel free to ignore all of the above because realistically, you’re free to hold your Nokia device any way you like. And you won’t suffer any signal loss. Cool, huh?
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Verizon Cuts the Price of Microsoft's Kin Phones
Good news for text messaging teens enamored with Microsoft's Kin phones. Verizon has gone and slashed the prices on both the Kin One and Kin Two, making it easier for social networking addicts to save some of their allowance for the real important things, like Justin Bieber concert tickets.As it turns out, Verizon has had trouble moving the Kin phones off of store shelves, perhaps because everyone has been paying attention to that other smartphone that was recently launched (a little thing called the iPhone 4). Or maybe tweens and social networking hipsters aren't the best demographics for a smartphone. Whatever the reason, the Kin phones aren't as popular as Microsoft (and Verizon) probably hoped they would be.
The Kin One now sells for just $29, down from $49, while the Kin Two dropped from $99 to $49 over the weekend. Both of these require a two-year service agreement, but the biggest roadblock might be the mandatory $29 (or higher) monthly data plan. That's a tough sell for a target audience that largely consists of teenagers.
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8800 GTX back in business
Hey guys,
I was disappointed when my 8800 gtx started displaying artifacts and it was so bad I was almost unable to get into windows. So I put my old 7800 back in and used that for the past several months.
However I was browsing the web and came across a fix that involved baking the card, (stripped of its heatsink) in an oven at 385- 400 F for 10 mins. I just got the heatsink back on and fired up the 8800 and.....no artifacts so far. Got to test it out for a while longer, but that baking fix seems to work. i hope to upgrade to a gtx 470 at some point, but I'm really excited to have my 8800 back, even if only for a a little while. :)
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This 22" monitor support full HD 1080p
I purchased the Asus VH226H for $145.95 from centralcomputer.
It is the best choice for someone spend lower money to see the full HDTV .
Max/Native Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Interface: Analog/ Digital/ HDMI
Link
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ASUS Maximus II Gene Motherboard Review
Although the Core i7 and X58 combo is a proven performance leader, there are still plenty of Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad CPUs out there in the wild. The Core 2 is still a very capable processor with many models costing less than half the price the cheapest Core i7 processor, the Core i7 920. Thus, systems based around the P45 chipset are still a viable option for getting good, if not great, performance at a vastly more affordable price. Up until now, when users thought of a micro-ATX board, they typically expect find a slimmed down version of a full sized product, minus some of the bells and whistles and perhaps sacrificing some of the enthusiast-friendly features of their larger brethren. Recognizing a need for high performance, yet smaller form-factor motherboard, ASUS stepped in with two offerings: the Rampage II Gene for Core i7/DDR3 owners, and the Maximus II Gene we are reviewing today, with support for Core 2 Duo/Quad processors and DDR2 memory. Both of these boards fly under the 'Republic of Gamers' flag, and we intend on seeing if the Maximus II Gene can live up to its namesake...
ASUS Maximus II Gene Motherboard
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Fujitsu's Lifebook TH700 Brings Core i3 To Convertible Tablet PC
Convertible Tablet PCs have been around for what feels like forever. We remember these machines being available at least 4-5 years ago, but nearly no one took them seriously. There just wasn't a good operating system available for this form factor, and the battery life was generally too poor for people to use these as dedicated tablets. But that hasn't stopped Fujitsu from continuing to pursue the sector, and now that slates are all the rage, people are probably looking for the best of two worlds more often as well.
It's half tablet and half notebook, but it's unique in that it has rather impressive specifications. Most of these are underpowered, but not the Lifebook TH700. There's a 2.26GHz Core i3-350M processor, a 12.1" WXGA touch panel (which is a dual screen that accepts finger and stylus inputs), a removable dust filter, a 320GB hard drive, 802.11n Wi-Fi, a DVD burner (rare for a tablet, of course), an HDMI port and even Bluetooth.
Fujitsu's new unit isn't the sleekest of all, but it's more than portable. And at $1099, it may just be cheaper than buying both a tablet and a notebook and trying to keep the content on them somewhat in sync.
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Optimus Popularis Keyboard Offers Customizable Keys
Art Lebedev. Ever heard of him, or his studio? No? That's a shame. Art's studio is one of the most impressive around, cranking out some of the most unique pieces of art/consumer electronics that the world has ever seen. Generally, the company comes up with more concepts than they could ever make into a reality, but some of their keyboards actually do hit the production line. A few years ago, the Optimus Maximus set the bar for what a sophisticated keyboard could be, offering up OLED keys with customizable graphics/macros and an insane $1000+ price tag. Needless to say, not too many were sold, but a new version is finally creeping onto the scene for those into buying the highest-end keyboards known to man.The new Optimus Popularis keyboard is obviously just the next generation, but it's totally revised and loads better than the original. It uses a "chicklet" style layout that has become so popular in netbooks these days, and while there's no number pad, just pressing the FN key will enable the keys there to turn into a number pad. Yes, you heard that right. Each key has a customizable display underneath, so you really can make each one into anything you want. Need a key just to launch your own custom app? Done. And you can even put an icon there to remind you.
There's really no greater geek toy than a keyboard with keys that you can customize in any way possible, but it remains to be seen if it'll be comfortable to type on and really cost $1000 or less as promised.
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It's Official: 18-Button WarMouse Is Now On Sale
Every now and then, a tech company produces a product so odd that we journalists are left eyeballing the design and wondering if we've been punked. The OpenOffice Mouse (covered here) was definitely such a beast. With 18 buttons, an analog joystick, scrollwheel, and up to 52 programmable commands, the OOMouse promised to redefine mouse use. After nearly a year of silence, the OOMouse is back, rebranded, and better than ever. The confusing OpenOffice moniker and ugly white-blue color scheme have been dropped in favor of an all-black finish and a new name. Ladies and gentlemen, please direct your attention to the WarMouse:
Behold the WarMouse.
According to WarMouse (the company), this 18-button wonder offers:
- 18 programmable mouse buttons with double-click functionality
- High-resolution laser sensor with resolution adjustable from 100 to 5,600 DPI/CPI
- Five assignable button modes: Key, Keypress, Macro, Mouse, and Mouse-Key Combo
- Analog Xbox 360-style joystick with six analog and digital settings
- Clickable scroll wheel
- 512k of flash memory
- 64 on-mouse application modes with hardware, software, and autoswitching capability
- 1024-character macro support
- Meta Modeware for creating, managing, and customizing game and application modes
- Import and export of custom modes in XML format
- Taskbar display of active application mode
- PDF export of application mode button assignments
- Graphical pop-up map of application mode button assignments
- 64 default modes for popular games and applications, including Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird, Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook, OpenOffice.org Writer, Calc, and Impress, 3D Studio Max, Autodesk AutoCAD, 3DS Max, Adobe Photoshop CS4, Adobe Reader, the Gnu Image Manipulation Program, Aion Online, World of Warcraft, Counter Strike, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator
We see one unique and immediate use for this ground-breaking Handheld Compensation Device. People who are handicapped or have lost a limb might actually find it easier to type on a device like the WarMouse once the appropriate modes were programmed. While such users are the very definition of a niche market, developing peripherals to assist the physically disabled is important and practically useful as it generates fabulous PR.
Note, however, that this 18-button mousetrosity isn't being marketed as the GimpMouse or even the AssistMouse. Instead, we have the WarMouse, and we can't help questioning just how useful it would be in a frantic real-world gaming session. One of the best things about a 3-5 button mouse, after all, is the fact that there's a limited number of things you can screw up.
With an 18-button programmable mouse with 64 separate application modes, however, the chance of hitting the wrong button at the wrong time is exponentially increased. Raid leaders can be understanding, but only to a point—most of them get irritated when a healer wipes the raid 3x in a row after accidentally shifting over to his DPS macros.
If you think the WarMouse looks like the best thing around you can currently order one for $60. If you take one for a test drive, let us know how it works out for you. Smash hit or crazy blunder, this thing definitely pushes the bar.
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Seagate Breaks Records With 3TB Go Flex External Hard Drive
Can it ever be big enough? If we're talking about hard drives, the answer is definitely "no!" As multi-media continues to grow larger and larger, and digital photographs do the same as the megapixels swell, having enough storage is becoming more and more difficult. Hard drive makers are cranking out bigger drives as fast as they can, and while we really need to move to another format altogether in order to see quantum leaps in sizes, hardly anyone will complain with 3TB in a single external drive today.Seagate has broken yet another record in the storage arena with their new FreeAgent Go Flex Desk External Drive, which includes 3TB of space and is said to be the first in the world of its kind. It's available starting today for use with Macs and PCs, offering 3TB of space for storing up to 120 HD movies, 1500 video games, thousands of images or countless hours of music.
Being that it's in the Go Flex family, users can utilize USB 2.0, USB 3.0 or FireWire 800 to connect it, and users can easily create, store and access content from either a Windows or Mac OS X computer on the GoFlex Desk external drive, thanks to an included NTFS driver for Mac. How much will 3TB of external storage cost you? $249.99 with a USB 2.0 adapter.
 Seagate Breaks Capacity Ceiling With World’s First 3 Terabyte External Desktop Drive
New FreeAgent® GoFlex™ Desk External Drive Packs Unprecedented Amount of Storage for both Mac and PC
SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Putting more terabytes in the hands of consumers worldwide, Seagate (NASDAQ:STX), the leader in hard drives and storage solutions, today announced the world’s first 3 Terabyte (TB) external desktop drive. Available immediately, the 3TB FreeAgent® GoFlex™ Desk external hard drive helps to meet the explosive worldwide demand for digital content storage in both the home and the office. With 3TB of capacity people can store up to 120 HD movies, 1,500 video games, thousands of photos or countless hours of digital music.
   “Consumer capacity demands are quickly out-pacing the needs of business as people continue to collect high-definition videos, photos and musicâ€
A key addition to the company’s recently introduced GoFlex™ family of hard drives, the 3TB GoFlex Desk external drive couples immense capacity with the flexibility to adapt the drive’s USB 2.0 interface to a USB 3.0 or FireWire® 800 connection to meet varying performance and transfer speed needs. Consumers can easily create, store and access content from either a Windows® or Mac OS X computer on the GoFlex Desk external drive, thanks to an included NTFS driver for Mac.
“Consumer capacity demands are quickly out-pacing the needs of business as people continue to collect high-definition videos, photos and music,†said Dave Mosley, Seagate executive vice president of Sales, Marketing and Product Line Management. “Seagate has a tradition of designing products that break into new storage frontiers to meet customer requirements and the 3TB GoFlexâ„¢ Desk external drive is no exception–delivering the highest-capacity storage solution available today.â€
A recent report by Parks Associates indicates the average consumer household will see its digital media storage needs grow to nearly 900GB by year-end 2014, driven in large part by video downloads, managed copies of Blu-ray Disc, and increasing use of DVR recording capabilities1. The GoFlex Desk external drive delivers unconstrained2, high-capacity storage and automatic, continuous backup with software file encryption to help keep all data safe and secure3. The standard USB 2.0 interface can be upgraded to USB 3.0 or FireWire® 800 by coupling the drive with the appropriate GoFlex™ desktop adapter to increase file transfer performance by up to 10x for easier copying or sharing of files4.
“As the definition quality of digital cameras increases, playback devices such as digital photo frames and MP3 players proliferate and the use of the Internet for downloading music and video continues to grow, more files accumulate in the home,†said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principle analyst of Parks Associates. “Consumers who are active in digital media creation and consumption will witness their digital media storage needs grow nine-fold by 2014, driving the demand for higher capacity, easy-to-use storage solutions.â€
The GoFlex Desk external drive is compatible with both the Windows® operating system and Mac® computers. Each drive includes an NTFS driver for Mac, which allows the drive to store and access files from both Windows and Mac OS X computers without reformatting. The NTFS driver is simply installed once on a Mac computer, allowing it to read and write files on a Windows formatted5 drive. Its sleek black, 3.5-inch design sits either vertically or horizontally to accommodate any desktop environment.
The 3TB GoFlex Desk external drive with USB 2.0 adapter can be purchased on Seagate.com and through select retailers for $249.99.Â
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Samsung's Rugged Xcover Cellphone Lasts Two Months On A Charge
How long can your phone stay alive before you see that dreaded "low battery" sign? A day? Maybe two? Three? If you said three or more, you're in an increasingly small group of individuals, particularly if you're a smartphone owner. But despite what you may think, some people actually see no need for owning one of those complex devices, and are quite alright with a conventional mobile.Samsung knows this better than anyone, and they also know that some folks don't want to charge their handset each and every evening. The company's latest mobile phone, the ultra-rugged Xcover, is one of the more unique options available today. It's designed to take a real beating, and while it's thicker than most candybar mobiles, it's still pretty small for being so tough.
But the tough enclosure if just half of the story. It also houses a battery that can last for 67 days in standby. Yes, 67 days! We can't imagine why you'd even need a phone that doesn't have to be charged for around two whole months, but if you're using an IP54-certified phone in the wild, you may actually not see a power outlet for that long. If you start talking on a full charge, you'll get 22 full hours of talking on a single charge. It should be available next month in Europe for around $100, so it may be worth grabbing just as a secondary device.
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Operation Thermaltake Level 10
Well after buying Thermaltake Level 10 for my birthday ..I choose to change the color for something different so this is what i want for black & white with some red in it also made a 3d design so then you get a idea what it will look like.
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Obama Administration Wants 500MHz of Spectrum For Future Broadband
If you've ever tried to set up a wireless router in an apartment building or college campus, you've probably encountered problems when it came to establishing a clear signal. All too often, multiple routers in close proximity will tangle with each other, lowering the quality and range of everyone's signal. With wireless broadband usage projected to explode over the next 5-10 years (estimates range from 20x-45x) and a few cities talking about creating an umbrella of service under metro areas, it's easy to see how these sorts of well-intentioned plans could create digital traffic jams. The Obama administration has its eye on a solution to this problem—expand the existing block of the spectrum reserved for wireless devices. In this, the White House is aligned with the FCC, which has made similar proposals as part of its overall national broadband strategy. The government's plan mirrors the FCC's as well; the first steps are to locate and map what parts of the spectrum are currently in use, then move on to developing incentive packages.
At the moment, none of the groups that currently own spectrum are overjoyed at the prospect of selling it. Television broadcast networks own 120MHz alone, but cite concerns over the availability of free programming as one reason not to sell. Note that we're talking about sales, not seizure; the government has no plans to compel any corporation or entity to turn over their licenses and instead plans to develop "incentive packages" that give various organizations and groups something else of value.
Current spectrum frequencies can only take us so far, even using dual-band routers.
According to White House economic advisor Larry Summers, broadcasters may also be able to enter into a voluntary program in which they'd be paid for their airwaves. "Ultimately, government will not make these decisions," Summers said during a speech at the New America Foundation. "Our role is simply to set up a mechanism to help shift spectrum to its highest value uses -- as current licensees and prospective users see fit. This initiative will catalyze private sector investment, contribute to economic growth, make revenue available to the federal government, and help to create hundreds of thousands of jobs."
Broadcasters welcomed assurances that any turnover would be voluntary, but didn't commit to any sort of plan past that point. "We appreciate FCC assurances that further reclamation of broadcast television spectrum will be completely voluntary," said Dennis Wharton, a spokesman for the National Association of Broadcasters. "We're convinced that America can have both the finest broadband and broadcasting system in the world without jeopardizing the future of free and local TV service to tens of millions of viewers," Wharton said.
Multiple groups with varied interests have warned that the government needs to be on guard against any company or entity that might start warehousing spectrum with no intent to use it. If such transactions aren't monitored, shell companies could theoretically auction various wavelengths they never intended to use once prices hit record highs.Â
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Is Coolerguys.com reputable?
I hastily orderd something from them and now I'm having trouble contacting them.
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Virgin Mobile To Offer Prepaid MiFi Mobile Hotspot
With the addition of the MiFi 2200 to its Broadband2Go portfolio, Virgin Mobile is offering customers a prepaid Intelligent Mobile Hotspot that allows users with Wi-Fi enabled devices to connect to 3G Internet. This new Broadband2Go MiFi product doesn't require a contract, monthly subscription or activation fee. The Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot costs $149.99 and operates on the Sprint 3G network. With the MiFi 2200, users can create a mobile hotspot that can be shared among up to five users with a variety of Wi-Fi enabled devices. The MiFi 2200 supports many popular security standards, including WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, WEP and SPI Firewall.
Virgin Mobile USA First to Launch Nationwide Prepaid MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot
New Broadband2Go MiFi product is industry’s first Intelligent Mobile Hotspot without a contract allowing customers of any Wi-Fi enabled device to stay connected at home or on-the-go
WARREN, N.J. -- Providing an innovative new offer for the ever-evolving mobile broadband market, Virgin Mobile USA today announced the addition of MiFi® 2200 to its Broadband2Go portfolio, offering customers the industry’s first prepaid Intelligent Mobile Hotspot. This new device allows those using any Wi-Fi enabled device to connect to 3G, prepaid wireless Internet service without an annual contract, monthly subscription or activation fee. Virgin Mobile is launching the Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot for $149.99 (excluding taxes). Operating on the nationwide Sprint 3G network, the Virgin Mobile MiFi 2200 will be available beginning today at Best Buy and RadioShack and online at BestBuy.com, Walmart.com and VirginMobileUSA.com.
In conjunction with the launch of MiFi, Virgin Mobile USA recently lowered the price of its initial broadband product, the Ovation™ MC760 USB device, from $99.99 to $79.99 (excluding taxes). Also developed by Novatel Wireless [NASDAQ: NVTL], the Ovation MC760 carries the distinction of being the world’s smallest EV-DO Rev. A USB device.
“We have seen the popularity of MiFi, heard the requests from our customers, and are excited to give them the freedom to pay for what they use when they use it, and the flexibility to change plans as they need,†said Neil Lindsay, chief marketing officer, Virgin Mobile USA.
Rob Hadley, chief marketing officer from Novatel Wireless, said, “We’re thrilled to support Virgin Mobile USA as the first operator to launch the MiFi 2200 nationwide with prepaid plans and continue to support their visionary market approach and bring true mobility to the masses.â€
According to recent research from IDC, the U.S. mobile broadband market is expected to grow from 6.5 million subscribers in 2009 to 30.2 million in 2014, which accounts for a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 36.1% during the forecast period.
“Mobile broadband is no longer just for the early adopters and heavy mobile broadband business users,†Lindsay said. “Many of today’s mobile broadband options in the market have prohibited mass adoption. Combining the MiFi 2200 with a prepaid Broadband2Go plan will encourage a wide variety of consumers to connect at home or on-the-go. With Virgin Mobile USA, it’s simple. A MiFi 2200 with a Virgin Mobile or Broadband2Go Top-Up card will support all your mobile broadband connectivity needs for your laptop, iPad, iPod, gaming devices and more – whenever you need it – whether at home or on the go.â€
MiFi creates a mobile hotspot that can be easily shared among up to five users at a time using a variety of WiFi-enabled devices. Key features of the Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot include:
- Easily fits in the palm of your hand – Dimensions: 3.50 x 2.32 x 0.35 inches; Weight: 2.05 oz.
- Brushed aluminum finish
- Provides mobile broadband Rev. A Internet access
- Supports up to five WiFi-enabled devices
- No software installation required
- Universal Wi-Fi compatibility
- Advanced security through WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, WEP and SPI Firewall
- VPN capability
- Battery provides four hours of user time, 40 hours standby on single charge
- Easy top-up landing page with ability to top up from any device with an Internet browser
- Automatic connectivity for Wi-Fi enabled devices
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