Gadgets Future

Good news for T-Mobile subscribers. According to a leaked internal document obtained by TMO News, it appears the other GSM carrier here in the States is finally getting ready to launch its own honest to goodness 3-G network on Thursday — kind of. The document names NYC as ground zero with more than 20 other major cities and markets that will also get 3-G’d by the end of the year.

The catch (and it’s a big one) is that T-Mobile subscribers will be getting a decidedly feeble 3-G at first. Part of the memo points out that initial offerings will be voice only. So while 3-G in name, for all your data needs, you’ll still be relying on sluggardly EDGE.

In this early phase of our network evolution, 3G is a new technology for carrying wireless voice calls and supporting existing data capabilities on our network. In future phases, this next generation network will power ‘high-speed’ (3G) products and services that connect customers in new and exciting ways. … Inform customers who are interested in high-speed data that the first phase of our 3G roll out supports voice only.

While some industry insiders have pointed out that this is in line with how other carriers launched their own 3-G networks, the simple fact may be that T-Mobile doesn’t have enough 3-G phones to justify the data play just yet. Still, it seems rather odd to make a big announcement like this and then qualify it by admitting the only alluring part of offering 3-G service won’t be available to customers until later in the year. Why not just hold off?

According to a T-Mobile spokesperson, the carrier’s UMTS (3-G) network will utilize the 1700/2100 MHz bands, as opposed to AT&T’s 850/1900 MHz 3-G bands.

Previously, the carrier said it would spend an estimated $10.3 billion between 2007 and 2009 for 2G and 3G network deployments.

T-Mobile was the big winner of the 2006 Advance Wireless Services (AWS) auction — bringing home over $4.2 billion worth of spectrum. Unfortunely, waiting for the government to vacate that spectrum seems to have also been the major reason for the 3-G delay.

Photo courtesy of TMO News

If you have been trying to avoid MySpace but couldn’t just do it because you have accumulated too many contacts in your profile that you don’t want to lose, well soon, you just might ban MySpace from your online life for good. MySpace is set to launch a new feature, albeit an annoying one; MySpace Karaoke.

This could probably be the worst application ever to hit MySpace, not because it is technologically flawed, but because it is definitely a feature that many would find annoying, including yours truly. To be launched on Tuesday, MySpace Karaoke will, heaven forbid, allow users to belt out their favorite songs, record their renditions and stick them up on their MySpace profile, so that their MySpace contacts can rate their performance, no matter how awfully good or bad those performances are.

With a microphone, MySpace users who have the guts can choose from around 2,000 to 3,000 songs that are currently available in MySpace Karaoke and start annoying the wits out of their MySpace contacts. According to MySpace, these song selections are all copyrighted materials, so users would not have to worry about infringing on copyrights when recording their versions of Beyonce’s Irresistable, or Incubus’ Love Hurts.

The application can be accessed at ksolo.myspace.com, but thank goodness when I was trying to access the site a message prompted me that the feature is not applicable in my region. I must be having a lucky day!

Read [Yahoo! News]

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If you think a $20 disposable cellphone is still way beyond your budget, you might want to take a look at UK supermarket chain Asda’s latest offering. Beating Hop-On Inc. to the punch, Asda has started selling easy to buy “disposable” phones last week. These will set you back a miserly £5 (or about $10) a piece. Only a couple of low-end handsets are available for now, and these are the Nokia 1112 and the Sagem my220x. These certainly beat the circuits out of any new specifically-made-to-be-disposed-of cellphone that Hop-On Inc. and similar ambitious companies are planning to produce with their own version of this gimmick. So that’s bargain bins and landfills: 1, high-technology: 0.

Read [Daily Mail] Via [Wired]

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by Nilay Patel, posted Apr 30th 2008 at 12:37AM
Tsinghua Tongfang has managed to produce at least one mildly interesting MP4 PMP in the past, so we’re not too surprised at the company’s new PMC-M880, which features semi-high-def nice-looking PAL video out at 720 X 576 resolution in addition to the usual array of MP4 features. On the go, you’ll be looking at a 400 X 240 3-inch screen, which is decent, and we’re sort of digging on that funky red / black industrial design. Too bad we’ll never see this one leave China, eh? A shot of the video output after the break.

[Via MP4 Nation, thanks Yuipsj]

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

by Nilay Patel, posted Apr 30th 2008 at 4:52AM
Now that most smartphones worth having sport WiFi, the need for wireless finders has dwindled somewhat, but we’ll still give credit to the designers of this WiFi-detecting watch for cleverness. That’s not to say we’d ever recommend wearing this fashion disaster — check out that “WiFi” button on the bezel — but if you’re on a mission to consolidate your gear and you don’t mind the mocking laughter of others, £20 ($39) is all it takes.

[Via digital-lifestyles]

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Filed under: Wireless

The LG VX9100 enV2 is a communicator style handset offering a 2 megapixel camera with video capture as well as the following features:

* QWERTY keyboard
* large internal display
* oversized external buttons
* microSD card slot
* supports Verizon’s VZ Navigator service and Verizon’s Get It Now service
* Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP
* text-to-speech technology

Via MobileBurn.

The Samsung Haptic SCH-W420 offers a 2 megapixel camera as well as the following features:

* 3.2in widescreen display
* 3G connectivity
* DMB for mobile TV reception
* Bluetooth 2.0
* customizable UI
* Samsung’s Haptic touch technology (vibration feedback) with 22 kinds of feedback

Via Trusted Reviews.

Chief Geek Joel Evans had another radio appearance on Rover’s Morning Glory this week. He had his brain picked by callers on the syndicated show and had a lot of fun in the process. So if you are looking for almost thirty minutes of audio bliss then here is your chance.

This week they went over GTA IV, saving video from Youtube, displays, PC silencing, and a whole lot more. Last week Joel appeared on the show also and helped everyone with their tech questions. It sounds like he’s quickly becoming a regular on the show.

Here is a direct link to the MP3 audio file.