0 Digital Storm Announces Nvidia GeForce GTX 590 Equipped Line Of PCs.

Following Nvidia’s release of their new, top of the ling single-card GPU, the GeForce GTX 590, Digital Storm is announcing their own high-end hardware. The popular custom PC manufacturer has announced GTX 590 options for the company’s Black OPS and Special OPS lines of gaming PCs. Further bolstering this brute strength approach, Digital Storm is pushing their high-end setup which includes an Intel Core i7 970 hex-core CPU, 12GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM, 160GB SSD, and 2x SLI Quad Nvidia GeForce GTX 590 3GB cards. Said configuration can be yours for an unsettling $4,883. If a single GTX 590 is enough, the lower end $2,500 setup with Intel Core i7 2600K, 8GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM, and 1TB 7200 RPM hard drive may be more to your liking. Either way, a lot of power can be had.

For more information, check out Digital Storm’s Black OPS and Special OPS pages.

Tags: digital storm Gaming gpu graphics gtx 590 nvidia video

0 Original Scans Of Grand Theft Auto Circa 1995 Hit The Web.

How about some gaming nostalgia to start off your hump day morning? Slashdot has posted a link to original scans consisting of Grand Theft Auto circa 1995 when the game was in the very beginning development stages. At that time, it GTA as we know it today was called “Race ‘n Chase”. The documents are in reverse chronological order so you’ll have to cycle to the left instead of right. With that aside, take a few minutes and give them a look. 1995, here we come…

Tags: Gaming grand theft auto gta

Author: Mike visit my website

Gadget lover, smartphone collector, and beer connoisseur. I've been writing about gadgets for three years now and loving every minute of it. Outside of the digital landscape, I enjoy being active outdoors. I'm always up for a good conversation, so feel free to drop me a line!

0 Microsoft Begins Rolling Out “NoDo” Windows Phone 7 Update In Select European Markets.

European Windows Phone 7 users will begin enjoying a rare first over the coming days â€" updates before their U.S. counterparts. Microsoft announced today that they have begun rolling out the “NoDo” Windows Phone 7 update to select European markets. Said update will bring Copy/Paste functionality, CDMA support, “Tombstoning”, improved marketplace searches, and the usual bug squashing. As of writing, Microsoft hasn’t released any specifics regarding a U.S. rollout for the much sought after update. Though as always, we’ll update you as soon as the information becomes available.

Tags: Microsoft nodo Smartphones windows phone 7 wp7

Author: Mike visit my website

Gadget lover, smartphone collector, and beer connoisseur. I've been writing about gadgets for three years now and loving every minute of it. Outside of the digital landscape, I enjoy being active outdoors. I'm always up for a good conversation, so feel free to drop me a line!

0 Blindsided: AT&T Agrees To Purchase T-Mobile USA For $39 Billion.

Wow! Talk about a surprise (and depending on where you live, a not so happy one). Today via press release, AT&T announced that they have reached a deal with Deutsche Telekom to purchase T-Mobile USA for $39 billion â€" $25 billion in cash and $14 billion in stock giving Deutsche Telekom an 8% stake in AT&T. According to AT&T’s press release, they look to expand their LTE footprint with T-Mobile’s AWS 1700MHz band along with their own 700MHz band.

Now don’t go crying just yet T-Mobile fans. Just because AT&T gobbled up Centennial and regurgitated their own sub-par offerings doesn’t mean come Monday morning your own network and customer service is going to go from A+ to bouncing off Hell’s gates. The buyout that AT&T is pursuing will effectively create a GSM monopoly in the U.S. (far from the “competition” AT&T boasts in their lengthy press release). As such, expect heavy government scrutiny over the next 12 months (the estimated time it will take to cut through all of the red tape) along with plenty of questions from concerned consumers and politicians alike.

It’s kind of ironic. Several years back, AT&T was forcefully broken up by the government because they were too big and stifling competition. Over the last few years, AT&T has been picking up a ton of small companies here and there, slowly but surely growing back into the giant they once were. Could we be approaching another instance in which government intervention is needed?

T-Mobile fans: What do you think? Is a mass exodus now on the calendar?

Gadgetsteria’s opinion: If the government approves the merger, consumer choice will be severely affected, leaving AT&T to continue their recurring practice of charging more for less while also ensuring the U.S. cellular industry falls further behind international markets.

Press release after the jump…”

Press Release

AT&T to Acquire T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom

Provides Fast, Efficient and Certain Solution to Impending Spectrum Exhaust Challenges Facing AT&T and T-Mobile USA in Key Markets Due to Explosive Demand for Mobile Broadband

Enhances Network Capacity, Output and Quality in Near Term for Both Companies’ Customers

AT&T Commits to Expand 4G LTE Deployment to an Additional 46.5 Million Americans, Including in Rural, Smaller Communities, for a Total of 294 Million or 95% of the U.S. Population

Provides 4G LTE Service for T-Mobile USA’s 34 Million Subscribers

More Than $8 Billion in Incremental Infrastructure Spend by a U.S. Company over Seven Years, Enabling Nation’s High-Tech Industry, Innovation and Economic Growth

Creates Substantial Value for AT&T Shareholders Through Large, Straightforward Synergies

DALLAS & BONN, Germanyâ€"(BUSINESS WIRE)â€"AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) and Deutsche Telekom AG (FWB: DTE) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which AT&T will acquire T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom in a cash-and-stock transaction currently valued at approximately $39 billion. The agreement has been approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies.

“This transaction represents a major commitment to strengthen and expand critical infrastructure for our nation’s future.”

AT&T’s acquisition of T-Mobile USA provides an optimal combination of network assets to add capacity sooner than any alternative, and it provides an opportunity to improve network quality in the near term for both companies’ customers. In addition, it provides a fast, efficient and certain solution to the impending exhaustion of wireless spectrum in some markets, which limits both companies’ ability to meet the ongoing explosive demand for mobile broadband.

With this transaction, AT&T commits to a significant expansion of robust 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) deployment to 95 percent of the U.S. population to reach an additional 46.5 million Americans beyond current plans â€" including rural communities and small towns. This helps achieve the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and President Obama’s goals to connect “every part of America to the digital age.” T-Mobile USA does not have a clear path to delivering LTE.

“This transaction represents a major commitment to strengthen and expand critical infrastructure for our nation’s future,” said Randall Stephenson, AT&T Chairman and CEO. “It will improve network quality, and it will bring advanced LTE capabilities to more than 294 million people. Mobile broadband networks drive economic opportunity everywhere, and they enable the expanding high-tech ecosystem that includes device makers, cloud and content providers, app developers, customers, and more. During the past few years, America’s high-tech industry has delivered innovation at unprecedented speed, and this combination will accelerate its continued growth.”

Stephenson continued, “This transaction delivers significant customer, shareowner and public benefits that are available at this level only from the combination of these two companies with complementary network technologies, spectrum positions and operations. We are confident in our ability to execute a seamless integration, and with additional spectrum and network capabilities, we can better meet our customers’ current demands, build for the future and help achieve the President’s goals for a high-speed, wirelessly connected America.”

Deutsche Telekom Chairman and CEO René Obermann said, “After evaluating strategic options for T-Mobile USA, I am confident that AT&T is the best partner for our customers, shareholders and the mobile broadband ecosystem. Our common network technology makes this a logical combination and provides an efficient path to gaining the spectrum and network assets needed to provide T-Mobile customers with 4G LTE and the best devices. Also, the transaction returns significant value to Deutsche Telekom shareholders and allows us to retain exposure to the U.S. market.”

As part of the transaction, Deutsche Telekom will receive an equity stake in AT&T that, based on the terms of the agreement, would give Deutsche Telekom an ownership interest in AT&T of approximately 8 percent. A Deutsche Telekom representative will join the AT&T Board of Directors.

Competition and Pricing

The U.S. wireless industry is one of the most fiercely competitive markets in the world and will remain so after this deal. The U.S. is one of the few countries in the world where a large majority of consumers can choose from five or more wireless providers in their local market. For example, in 18 of the top 20 U.S. local markets, there are five or more providers. Local market competition is escalating among larger carriers, low-cost carriers and several regional wireless players with nationwide service plans. This intense competition is only increasing with the build-out of new 4G networks and the emergence of new market entrants.

The competitiveness of the market has directly benefited consumers. A 2010 report from the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) states the overall average price (adjusted for inflation) for wireless services declined 50 percent from 1999 to 2009, during a period which saw five major wireless mergers.

Addresses wireless spectrum challenges facing AT&T, T-Mobile USA, their customers, and U.S. policymakers

This transaction quickly provides the spectrum and network efficiencies necessary for AT&T to address impending spectrum exhaust in key markets driven by the exponential growth in mobile broadband traffic on its network. AT&T’s mobile data traffic grew 8,000 percent over the past four years and by 2015 it is expected to be eight to 10 times what it was in 2010. Put another way, all of the mobile traffic volume AT&T carried during 2010 is estimated to be carried in just the first six to seven weeks of 2015. Because AT&T has led the U.S. in smartphones, tablets and e-readers â€" and as a result, mobile broadband â€" it requires additional spectrum before new spectrum will become available. In the long term, the entire industry will need additional spectrum to address the explosive growth in demand for mobile broadband.

Improves service quality for U.S. wireless customers

AT&T and T-Mobile USA customers will see service improvements â€" including improved voice quality â€" as a result of additional spectrum, increased cell tower density and broader network infrastructure. At closing, AT&T will immediately gain cell sites equivalent to what would have taken on average five years to build without the transaction, and double that in some markets. The combination will increase AT&T’s network density by approximately 30 percent in some of its most populated areas, while avoiding the need to construct additional cell towers. This transaction will increase spectrum efficiency to increase capacity and output, which not only improves service, but is also the best way to ensure competitive prices and services in a market where demand is extremely high and spectrum is in short supply.

Expands 4G LTE deployment to 95 percent of U.S. population â€" urban and rural areas

This transaction will directly benefit an additional 46.5 million Americans â€" equivalent to the combined populations of the states of New York and Texas â€" who will, as a result of this combination, have access to AT&T’s latest 4G LTE technology. In terms of area covered, the transaction enables 4G LTE deployment to an additional 1.2 million square miles, equivalent to 4.5 times the size of the state of Texas. Rural and smaller communities will substantially benefit from the expansion of 4G LTE deployment, increasing the competitiveness of the businesses and entrepreneurs in these areas.

Increases AT&T’s investment in the U.S.

The acquisition will increase AT&T’s infrastructure investment in the U.S. by more than $8 billion over seven years. Expansion of AT&T’s 4G LTE network is an important foundation for the next wave of innovation and growth in mobile broadband, ensuring the U.S. continues to lead the world in wireless technology and availability. It makes T-Mobile USA, currently a German-owned U.S. telecom network, part of a U.S.-based company.

An impressive, combined workforce

Bringing AT&T and T-Mobile USA together will create an impressive workforce that is best positioned to compete in today’s global economy. Post-closing, AT&T intends to tap into the significant knowledge and expertise held by employees of both AT&T and T-Mobile USA to succeed. AT&T is the only major U.S. wireless company with a union workforce, offering leading wages, benefits, training and development for employees. The combined company will continue to have a strong employee and operations base in the Seattle area.

Consistent with AT&T’s track record of value-enhancing acquisitions

AT&T has a strong track record of executing value-enhancing acquisitions and expects to create substantial value for shareholders through large, straightforward synergies with a run rate of more than $3 billion, three years after closing onward (excluding integration costs). The value of the synergies is expected to exceed the purchase price of $39 billion. Revenue synergies come from opportunities to increase smartphone penetration and data average revenue per user, with cost savings coming from network efficiencies, subscriber and support savings, reduced churn and avoided capital and spectrum expenditures.

The transaction will enhance margin potential and improve the company’s long-term revenue growth potential as it benefits from a more robust mobile broadband platform for new services.

Additional financial information

The $39 billion purchase price will include a cash payment of $25 billion with the balance to be paid using AT&T common stock, subject to adjustment. AT&T has the right to increase the cash portion of the purchase price by up to $4.2 billion with a corresponding reduction in the stock component, so long as Deutsche Telekom receives at least a 5 percent equity ownership interest in AT&T.

The number of AT&T shares issued will be based on the AT&T share price during the 30-day period prior to closing, subject to a 7.5 percent collar; there is a one-year lock-up period during which Deutsche Telekom cannot sell shares.

The cash portion of the purchase price will be financed with new debt and cash on AT&T’s balance sheet. AT&T has an 18-month commitment for a one-year unsecured bridge term facility underwritten by J.P. Morgan for $20 billion. AT&T assumes no debt from T-Mobile USA or Deutsche Telekom and continues to have a strong balance sheet.

The transaction is expected to be earnings (excluding non-cash amortization and integration costs) accretive in the third year after closing. Pro-forma for 2010, this transaction increases AT&T’s total wireless revenues from $58.5 billion to nearly $80 billion, and increases the percentage of AT&T’s total revenues from wireless, wireline data and managed services to approximately 80 percent.

This transaction will allow for sufficient cash flow to support AT&T’s dividend. AT&T has increased its dividend for 27 consecutive years, a matter decided by AT&T’s Board of Directors.

Conditions

The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals, a reverse breakup fee in certain circumstances, and other customary regulatory and other closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close in approximately 12 months.

Advisors

Greenhill & Co., J.P. Morgan and Evercore Partners acted as financial advisors and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, Arnold & Porter, and Crowell & Moring provided legal advice to AT&T.

Conference Call/Webcast

On Monday, March 21, 2011, at 8 a.m. ET, AT&T Inc. will host a live video and audio webcast presentation regarding its announcement to acquire T-Mobile USA. Links to the webcast and accompanying documents will be available on AT&T’s Investor Relations website. Please log in 15 minutes ahead of time to test your browser and register for the call.

For dial-in access, please dial +1 (888) 517-2464 within the U.S. or +1 (630) 827-6816 outside the U.S. after 7:30 a.m. ET. Enter passcode 8442095# to join or ask the conference call operator for the AT&T Investor Relations event.

The webcast will be available for replay on AT&T’s Investor Relations website on March 21, 2011, starting at 12:30 p.m. ET through April 21, 2011. An archive of the conference call will also be available during this time period. To access the recording, please dial +1 (877) 870-5176 within the U.S. or +1 (858) 384-5517 outside the U.S. and enter reservation code 29362481#.

Transaction Website

For more information on the transaction, including background information and factsheets, visit www.MobilizeEverything.com.

Via: TmoNews

Tags: 3g 4g AT&T Deutsche Telekom GSM lte tmobile

0 HTC Thunderbolt Now Available For Sale!

The one, the only, the much hyped HTC Thunderbolt is now available for sale on Verizon Wireless for $249 on contract and $599 off. If you ask us, that’s a sweet deal on a smartphone that has been hitting 5-18Mbps down and ~5Mbps up out in public. Of course, the second-gen 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 768MB of RAM, and 4.3″ display with 800 x 400 resolution will keep your whistle nice and wet for some months to come. If you’re heading out to your local VZW store today to pick up a fine piece of LTE history, be sure to drop a comment inside and let us know how it goes…

Tags: Android Google HTC smartphone thunderbolt

Author: Mike visit my website

Gadget lover, smartphone collector, and beer connoisseur. I've been writing about gadgets for three years now and loving every minute of it. Outside of the digital landscape, I enjoy being active outdoors. I'm always up for a good conversation, so feel free to drop me a line!

0 Angry Birds Rio For Android Being Sold Exclusively Through Amazon.

Android users who want to get their Angry Birds fix with the latest up and coming Angry Birds title, “Angry Birds Rio”, will have one place and one place alone to find said title. Rovio Mobile announced this morning via press release that Amazon’s AppStore will be the exclusive provider of their new game for Android users. On top of that, the ad-free version of Angry Birds Rio as well as previous versions of Angry Birds will also be made available exclusively through the Amazon AppStore. For other third party Android app stores and even Google themselves, this splintering of store fronts is something worth worrying about. At least for Google, this means they’re not doing their job in keeping up with developers’ demands for the Android Market. As such, they’re finding love in other places.

Look for the 60-level strong Angry Birds Rio to hit the Amazon AppStore (http://www.amazon.com/angrybirds) soon.

Tags: angry birds game iPhone mobile rio rovio smartphone

Author: Mike visit my website

Gadget lover, smartphone collector, and beer connoisseur. I've been writing about gadgets for three years now and loving every minute of it. Outside of the digital landscape, I enjoy being active outdoors. I'm always up for a good conversation, so feel free to drop me a line!

0 NFC Not Debuting On iPhone 5.

Despite persistant rumors saying otherwise, new evidence is pointing to an iPhone 5 without NFC capabilities. Such claims were apparently made by Apple during meetings with European cellular carriers. According to reports from the Independent, Apple is waiting on clearer standards as well as waiting for their own NFC technology to mature before they make their move. Apple’s NFC technology would unsurprisingly revolve around iTunes for the exchange of cash.

Similar rumors pegged the iPad 2 as debuting with NFC technologies as well. Though as we’ve all seen, such rumors never quite came to fruition, as the iPad 2 is NFC-less. With projected sales of NFC payments slated to hit €110bn by 2015, it’s definitely in every mobile manufacturer and cellular providers’ best interests to get a grip on this technology sooner rather than later. Hopefully 2012 brings clearer standards and/or Apple’s own NFC technology ready to battle with the likes of Google’s own NFC-capable Android devices and any other contenders that enter the market space.

Via: 9to5Mac

Tags: Android Apple cellular Google ios near field communication nfc wireless

Author: Mike visit my website

Gadget lover, smartphone collector, and beer connoisseur. I've been writing about gadgets for three years now and loving every minute of it. Outside of the digital landscape, I enjoy being active outdoors. I'm always up for a good conversation, so feel free to drop me a line!

0 HTC Thunderbolt Coming March 21st?

Our friends over at Erictric may have stumbled onto something quite interesting â€" a release date for the much hyped and sought after HTC Thunderbolt, LTE equipped Android phone. The tipster pre-ordered an HTC Thunderbolt through his local Palm Beach Gardens, Florida Best Buy store. Said tipster claims to have had just received a phone call from the Best Buy manager regarding his pre-order, stating that he could pick it up Monday, March 21st in store. Furthermore, the Best Buy manager also re-iterated that Verizon’s LTE plans will cost the same as their current 3G plans.

We’ve heard both ways concerning Verizon’s LTE data plans being more expensive/the same as their current plans. So this could very well be true. As for the actual release date â€" we’ll have to wait and see. For now, we’ll have to take the Best Buy manager’s word with a grain of salt, regardless of how confident he is. Either way, we want one sooner rather than later.

Tags: Android HTC smartphone thunderbolt Verizon vzw

0 Live To Die Another Day: Revamped Symbian UI Revealed.

Even though Nokia is dead set on putting Symbian out to pasture and move on with their new WP7 beauty, scores of Symbian users not yet sold on WP7 or unable/unwilling to upgrade means Nokia will still have to support them too. And Nokia’s Benelux product manager, Marc Driessen, has some new and exciting news for that very crowd pertaining to Symbian S^3/4 â€" a revamped UI.

S^4 was shelved several months back, but the refreshed UI has been ported down to S^3. As far as looks go, it’s still very 2004ish, but honestly it is much better than the current paint Symbian users make do with. Overall, new icons, widgets, pull down notification shades, and plenty of other small tweaks are baked into this new update.

As of now, Nokia hasn’t and won’t provide specifics as to when we’ll see this revamped S^x released or what devices will receive said update. Nokia users, it is what you’ve hoped and dreamed for, or are you focused on the future with WP7?Via: All About Phones

Tags: mobile Nokia os Symbian s^3

0 RIM Designs The PlayBook To Fail. Employs DRM-Saturated, 7Digital As PlayBook’s Music Store.

The BlackBerry PlayBook is one of the most hyped up tablets of 2011 due in part to the brand new QNX operating system. But that and all the power in the world can’t save it from the worst crutch â€" DRM. RIM has employed 7Digital as the PlayBook’s sole online music store. Mind you, 7Digital is chock full of DRM-laden music limited to a certain number (5) of devices with further restrictions such as the inability to use said “purchased” content as ringtones and/or notification alerts. Adding insult to injury, you are only allowed to download your “purchased” content a set number of times and 7 Digital can even change the terms of the contract (and further limit the number devices/downloads you can make use of) as they see fit.

With two of the market leaders â€" Amazon and Apple â€" already years ahead of RIM when it comes to catalog size as well as pro-consumer policies in regards to music content, it’s highly disappointing to see RIM start the PlayBook off on such a bad footing out of the gate and not make use of their competitors previous follies. Hopefully RIM can work their magic and re-write the offending licenses and deals neutering their PlayBook music store or flat out find a new partner to deliver the goods. As it stands now, 7Digital is a shackle to an otherwise seemingly great tablet.

Via: Inquirer

Tags: 7digital digital rights management drm playbook RIM

Author: Mike visit my website

Gadget lover, smartphone collector, and beer connoisseur. I've been writing about gadgets for three years now and loving every minute of it. Outside of the digital landscape, I enjoy being active outdoors. I'm always up for a good conversation, so feel free to drop me a line!

0 First Images Of Windows 8 Leak.

What you’re looking at are the claimed “first” images of Windows 8. While the UI looks just like the current Windows 7, Win7China reported that there is in fact a much more noticeable design refresh that hasn’t made its way out yet. Besides UI changes, the user icon is said to be tied to a Windows Live account and allow signing into your account across multiple devices and platforms including multiple Windows PCs, Windows Phone 7 devices, Xbox consoles, and more. The image inside also shows new video-based icons. Anyone looking forward to a new UI for Win8?

Source: Win7ChinaVia: BlogTechnical, Hardwareheaven

Tags: Microsoft windows 8

Author: Mike visit my website

Gadget lover, smartphone collector, and beer connoisseur. I've been writing about gadgets for three years now and loving every minute of it. Outside of the digital landscape, I enjoy being active outdoors. I'm always up for a good conversation, so feel free to drop me a line!

0 Revamped webConnect Plans Coming To T-Mobile Customers March 12th?

Thinking of picking up one of T-Mobile’s fantastic webConnect broadband USB sticks for web action on the go? You may just want to cool your jets for a week or two. Documentation received by TmoNews shows verbiage pointing to a March 12th revamp of said plans. Specifically, the webConnect broadband plans will be completely revamped and pricing structure changed. On top of that, there is also information detailing a new 20% discount on webConnect plans when attached to an account with a qualifying voice plan.

Of course, the phrase “current webConnect plans will be grandfathered…” leads us to believe we could see a price increase and or data allotment decrease â€" far from an ideal scenario. In that light, we’d say hurry up and pay your way in to lock out any immediate price changes. Stay tuned…Via: TmoNews

Tags: broadband tmo tmobile USB web connect

Author: Mike visit my website

Gadget lover, smartphone collector, and beer connoisseur. I've been writing about gadgets for three years now and loving every minute of it. Outside of the digital landscape, I enjoy being active outdoors. I'm always up for a good conversation, so feel free to drop me a line!

0 Review: Motorola XOOM

A quick look around any tech blog will highlight one thing: 2011 is indeed the year of the tablet. CES was full of dozens upon dozens of tablets from various manufacturers across the globe. While most were nothing special, certain devices caught our attention. One such device is the Motorola XOOM tablet. Boasting a dual-core 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, 1GB of RAM, 1200 x 800 10.1″ display, 1080p video playback and output, and Android 3.0. Clearly, this tablet means business. It certainly looks nice with its sleek edges and weighted, yet pleasant feel. But is it really $800 good? For that, we need more space, more words, and a little more of your time. Hop on past for the full review…

Physical Design

There’s no denying that the Motorola XOOM is a sleek device. The cold, dark metals bring a sense of strength and power. At first, the added weight (730g vs. iPad’s 601g) was a slight turn off. But over the course of 24 hours we actually came to enjoy it.

When we say that XOOM is sleek, we mean it. There aren’t many openings in the sides of the device. Starting at the top and moving clockwise we have a sole SIM card slot and headphone jack. Moving to the right side reveals a sparse, barren wasteland of black that seems to go on for miles, eventually leading to the next corner. Down below is where the action happens â€" it is here you’ll find the XOOM’s microUSB and miniHDMI ports as well as contacts for a dock accessory. Swing ’round to the left and final side, a pair of volume up/down buttons signal that the end of the journey is near. If you consider the back in your voyage, you’ll find the XOOM’s 5-megapixel rear-camera w/ flash and two speaker cutouts. The speaker, for those who care, is loud â€" as in really loud. And finally, a power/sleep/lock button.Getting more specific, the display on the XOOM measures in at 10.1″ and pack in 1200 x 800 worth of pixels. It’s one of the higher resolution screens on the market (higher than iPad 2), features decent viewing angles, and most importantly, is a joy to gaze at.

Overall, the hardware itself is nice. It’s sleek, one of the most powerful tablets on the market, and has a nice, weighty feel to it.

Performance

If you had any doubts about single-core 1GHz tablets of 2010, you can be sure that the tablets of 2011 and beyond are completely different machines. Dual-core (now) and quad-core (later) are quickly relegating the typical desktop PC into much smaller parts of our lives. The Motorola XOOM is a perfect example of how a tablet should be hardware wise â€" 1GHz dual-core processor.

And yet, with all of that power system slow downs, lag, and other stutter problems were seen throughout the OS numerous times. Even something as simple as scrolling to the bottom of an email list (with no other apps running) served up rather copious amounts of lag and choppy scrolling. From a bleeding edge tablet with bleeding edge hardware, this is worrisome and disappointing. A first generation iPad with half the memory and cores manages to operate more smoothly through a variety of similar instances without any noticeable lag.

The only thing we can lay blame on is Android 3.0 not being perfectly optimized for this tablet. Hopefully future iterations of 3.x can improve upon this apparent speed issue.

With that opening story, you’d think that everything about the XOOM was slow. But it’s not. More times than not, transitions from screen to screen and app to app were smooth and lightening quick, adding a bit of disbelief and confusion regarding the lag we had been seeing. How could something so powerful perform so well in one instance, and then something as simple as a scrolling list of text get so out of hand? Moving on, the camera and video capture/playback was notable for it’s 720p nature, though not immediately apparent. Video/photo buffs: you won’t be giving up your dedicated gear anytime soon.

Android 3.0 & Apps

It certainly goes to say that a hardware device is only as good as the software that it runs (or vice versa). With that said, I love Android 3.0. It finally looks polished. The designers really put in a lot of wrench time getting everything to look nicer, mesh more seamlessly, and just work better overall.

However, the new shiny paint and eye candy don’t come without one serious drawback â€" lack of apps. This is more of a problem with tablets and their higher resolutions in general than it is with Android 3.0 not working with an older app. Nevertheless, there’s something very frustrating and disappointing in the fact that there are only a laughable 16 total tablet apps in the Android market. Today. In 2011. If this were the first Android tablet, I could understand that. At the very least though, the Samsung Galaxy Tab should have gotten developers and Googles’ collective efforts on track. As it stands now, the hardware and software of Android are top notch. The lack of 3rd party software at launch is not.

Building on that last paragraph of disdain, we must stress how at this stage in the game, the XOOM excels at web browsing and a few select apps. That’s it.

Music Player and Gallery

Perhaps not deserving of its own section to some, many Android and non-Android consumers alike will agree that the stodgy gallery and media player was in dire need of a re-design. Android 3.0 delivers with a new media player that is simply gorgeous. Scrolling through your library can now be done via a Cover Flow-esque method that in our eyes, blends in a bit of Windows 7′s design flare to boot. Listening to music and watching video is now more bearable that the respective apps have caught up.

Verizon 3G (and 4G)

Verizon’s network has been tested with every phone review, so there’s no need to beat the skeletal remains of the poor horse. With that said, we must admit we are excited for LTE capabilities in the XOOM. We are not fans of Motorola’s half-baked attempt to rush the XOOM to market with only 3G radios inside, and requiring users to ship said tablet back to them to swap in an LTE radio. Even worse, the process takes an entire week from start to finish. Motorola does regain some points though as the LTE upgrade is completely free of charge.

Battery life

On a more positive note, battery life is one aspect of the XOOM that really left me surprised. All too often a great piece of hardware is marred by abysmal runtime whilst away from a power outlet. The first gen iPad uses a single core A4 processor running at ~1GHz. The XOOM uses a dual-core Tegra 2 processor by Nvidia also running at 1GHz. Twice the cores twice the power consumption, right? Wrong. In fact it’s very wrong. The last time we had the XOOM plugged in was yesterday at 4pm and with 95% battery remaining. Today (the next day to us) roughly 19 hours later (and after a multi-hour gaming/web browsing session the night before) our XOOM is still showing 33%. WiFi and 3G are on and the last 6 hours have been spent in a virtual wireless pit meaning both radios are crying out for some wireless lovin’.

Impressed and excited: That’s the Motorola XOOM’s battery life.

Conclusion: Should you buy it?

This is a hard decision for a number of reasons. For starters, the XOOM costs $800 off contract, which to us is absurd. $500 on contract is a bit more manageable, but then you’re left to deal with a cellular contract for the next two years â€" also not ideal. Compare this to the iPad’s starting price of $499 for the 16GB iPad and you can see where this is going. The iPad has over 12,000 iPad apps â€" exponentially more than Android. Though at the same time, it’s understood that the same app explosion that happened for smartphone Android apps will happen for tablets too. Time is the only question at this point.

Another thing to consider is your preferences for either OS: Android or iOS. Both are visually dynamic (Android 3.0 at least) and rich. Android is more customizable and “in the users’ hands” whereas the iPad is more of a hands off approach in the same category. The iPad has more apps to entertain you for when the internet, movies, and music get boring.

Accessories play a big roll in deciding larger electronic purchases such as this, and even more so if you’re opting for the VZW-subsidized XOOM. Tablets look like they’ll stick around a bit longer than your typical smartphone (which is ~18 months), and as such accessories will play a deciding factor. There will soon be two different physical models of iPad by the end of 2011. Android tablets: dozens.

Another thing to consider is the whole 4G/LTE mail-in thing. It would have been much better for Motorola to hold off on shipping the XOOM until all the hardware was in place, as these buy it â€" ship it back for upgrades â€" return are far from ideal. Motorola does do right however, and is making the LTE upgrade free.

In the end, we come away from our time with the XOOM on the fence. It is hands down the best looking and performing Android tablet to date. It showcases everything that is awesome within Android 3.0 and some things that are not. The hardware itself is powerful, and yet lag and slow downs still crop up here and there more than they should, signaling to us a misstep somewhere in the hardware or software.

So where does that leave us now? On the fence, really. If you want the honest truth: Wait. There will be many more Android 3.0 tablets to launch this year, and all are pinning for your money. In actuality, it all keeps coming back to apps. The lack of 3rd party “things to do” really shortens the amount of time you can hold the XOOM before getting bored. In 6 months, that story could be very different. Of course, in 6 months we’ll already be on to the next “big thing”. Such is the way the consumer electronics world works.

Like

• Higher resolution display than competitors

Don’t Like

• Lag and system slow downs despite uber fast processor

• high price (for 3G/4G version)

• Having to mail in XOOM to gain LTE support

*If you have any specific questions, feel free to drop a line in the comments below and we’ll do our best to accommodate you…

**Yes, We left the shipping screen protector on. This XOOM is not mine and I am but one of many who will have the opportunity to wrap their gadget-loving hands around it. As such, I want to keep it as nice as possible for everyone invovled.

Gallery

Tags: Hardware moto Motorola tablet Verizon xoom

0 T-Mobile Offering New Phones, Waived ETFs For Disgruntled Sidekick Owners.

The news that came on March 1st foretelling the end of the Sidekick brand no doubt made many a fanboys angry, sad, and distraught. On that same day, T-Mobile promised that they would “make the transition as smooth as possible”, though declined to elaborate any further as to what exactly the company was going to do.

TmoNews has received a letter from T-Mobile to Sidekick owners detailing the exact Sidekick “upgrade” process: 50% off all Samsung phones or a waived ETF. It’s certainly a nice gesture on T-Mobile’s part. But is it enough to retain Sidekick users from the temptations of other carriers and their offerings? Sidekick owners: Sound off!

Via: TmoNews

Tags: danger Microsoft Samsung sidekick smartphone tmobile

Author: Mike visit my website

Gadget lover, smartphone collector, and beer connoisseur. I've been writing about gadgets for three years now and loving every minute of it. Outside of the digital landscape, I enjoy being active outdoors. I'm always up for a good conversation, so feel free to drop me a line!

0 Apple Event – Postmortem

It looks like Steve Jobs was at the Apple event today and in good health it seemed as the crowd was going wild to see him at the event.  With an introduction of sales over the last year looking relatively strong and bragging about the number of iPad apps versus Honeycomb apps it seems Steve Jobs is in a great mood this morning.  

An interesting note that autistic children even use the  iPad and “We’re not curing Autism, but it’s helping.”  With the introduction of the iPad2 and its new Dual Core CPU â€" A5 which will improve the following:

• 2x faster CPU
• 9x faster graphics
• Same low power as A4

The size of the iPad will also be deminishing, making it 33% thinner and lighter while adding a front facing video camera it will be the first dual core tablet to ship in volume.  A Gyroscope that is in the iPhone and iPod touch will also be included in the mix. Boasting both colors and availability on AT&T and Verizon what more could you ask for.  Possibly 10 hours of battery life and over a month of standby time?  Well that is included too. The iPad2 will also be able to hold a candle to the previous price standing at $499 (WiFi only @ 16GB) â€" $829 (WiFi + 3G @ 64GB). The shipping date of March 11th will make a lot of Apple fans excited and looking to empty their piggy banks to grab this exciting new device.  An additional feature will be to output HDMI with one of Apple special new cables retailing at $39.  Apple is also releasing a more magical “cover” for the iPad2 â€" A flap that will cover the front of the screen with the ability to turn it off when covered and turn the device on when lifted off and is held in place using magnets.  The cases will retail from $39 â€" $69 based on if you choose poly or leather.

Updates On iOS 4.3

Scott Forstall came out and boasted the next release of iOS 4.3 touting increased Safari performance using the Nitro JavaScript engine.  Accompanying this is iTunes home sharing â€" delivering all of your media over the air using your Apple TV as the output device.  4.3 will also allow for a personal hot spot unfortunately only for the iPhone 4.  It will also support Photo Booth on the iPad2.  FaceTime will also be added to iOS update giving the ability to FaceTime with an iPod, iPhone, Mac  or iPad.  Its looking like the release of iOS 4.3 will also be March 11th so mark your calendars.

iMovie will also be included in the bundle for iPad owners and will include all of the warm and fuzzies like Precision editor, multi-track audio and new themes.  The price for this app which is available March 11th will be $4.99. Garageband will be the second piece of bundled software to hit the iPad.  Boasting Touch instruments, guitar amps and effects, 8 track recording and mixing, 250+ loops and the ability to email an AAC copy of your song its possible to keep everyone up to date on what your working on.  With the exact price as iMove as well as the same release date people will be clamoring to start up their own garage bands.

With a lot of focus on the iPad2 and the next iOS release it seems that Apple has closed the mouths of most nay sayers when comparing the next generation of the iPad to the coming soon products from the major labels.  It looks as though the next wave of iPads will be in the consumers hands way before competitors like the Xoom will be able to hit a million sold.  Whether or not it will surpass what is to come later this year will be for you to let us know.  Leave a comment below on what you think the later half of 2011 will have to offer in comparison to the iPad2.

Tags: Apple ipad Release Event tablet

0 Verizon Killing Off Unlimited Data This Summer.

If you thought Verizon was really your friend when it came to all things mobile data, punch your mother in the mouth and kick the cute little kitten in front of you â€" because they’re not. As VZW CFO Fran Shammo has been stating for many months now, Verizon will be moving away from unlimited data and to tiered pricing. The biggest question â€" when this change was coming â€" has so far gone unanswered. However, most technologically competent people assumed the funeral would proceed with the rollout of Verizon’s LTE network and subsequent launch of LTE smartphones.

Whatever we did think, Verizon is ready to tell us how it’s going to go this summer â€" say buh-bye to all those data buffets. It’s tiered from Summer ’11 and out. With that said, the new “big question” now focuses on how Verizon will categorize and tier data. Will it be based on bits consumed or tiered by speed? Unfortunately, we’re thinking it is going to be both.

Who’s looking forward to less for more!?

Via: FierceWireless

Tags: 4g data lte smartphone tier Verizon vzw

0 AMD Dual-GPU 6990 Full Specs Revealed!

PC gamers hanging off the edge of their seats for legitimate specs for AMD’s recently announced 6990 dual-GPU graphics card can now be at rest. Turkish tech site, Donanimhaber has the goods. Where they got them is a guess at this point seeing as how I don’t understand an ounce of Turkish.

As for the 6990 â€" AMD’s new card of all cards features 3,072 ALU stream processors, 192 texture units, 64 ROPs/256 Z-Stencil, 4GB GDDR5 memory, 256bit/5.0Gbps bus, an 830MHz core clock, and up to 5.1 Teraflops of computational power. While you wrap your head around that, make note of the 4x miniDisplayPort and 1x DVI port located on the back of the card as well as a unique switch to flip between the 6990′s dual-BIOS configuration â€" default and overclock specific settings for the true enthusiast. AMD claims up to 67% greater performance than a single Nvidia GTX 580.

Naturally, a card of this size and requiring a grand total of 450w when under stress needs some beefy design. A full-length, dual-chamber cooling configuration is employed to keep the 6990 from melting. Furthermore, power is provided via two (8-pin + 8-pin) large 8-pin connectors.

While the urge to pick up a 6990 or two (official price still unknown) for ~$800-$900 in some dark corners online is hefty, Nvidia has their own dual-gpu GTX 590 coming later this month. Our opinion â€" wait!

But while you wait, feel free to check out the uber gallery full of official slides detailing every once of the AMD 6990 after the jump…

**Images belong to Donanimhaber

Source: DonanimhaberVia: Overclock.net