Gadget and Techno Updates
Posts tagged First
First white space wireless goes live in Houston
Apr 21st
Rice University had the distinction of being the first to implement the recently cleared white space wireless in real-world conditions. Houston restaurant worker Leticia Aguirre has been given a prototype connection that for the first time has given her a reliable Internet link in her area. The addition was part of a larger rollout that would give about 3,000 East Houston locals the long-range wireless access.
She had been part of an earlier experiment for mesh-based, “multihop” Wi-Fi but, on the fringe of the network, didn’t have a stable link. The new method can still be reached through Wi-Fi but More >
First carbon fiber headset, Bluetrek Carbon, shows at FCC
Apr 6th
A new, ultralight Bluetooth 3.0 headset has just appeared undergoing FCC testing. The device is the first of its kind to be constructed entirely of carbon fiber. The natural strength of the material also allowed the designers to make the microphone boom very thin.
The built-in battery is recharged over the micro USB port. A power button is also integrated, as are an answer call button and volume adjustment. An included clip can be attached to hold the device in users’ shirt pockets, as are an ear hook and a number of earbuds for finding the right fit.
When it arrives More >
Apple posts first iPad 2 TV ad: ‘We Believe’
Apr 3rd
Apple on Saturday night posted the first-ever TV ad for the iPad 2 (below). The 30-second spot deliberately avoids the push on specs by its rivals and argues that “technology is not enough.” It’s through the natural interfaces of iBooks, GarageBand, and photos that technology “gets out of the way” and creates something special, Apple said.
It recalls a common theme Apple has used at the end of its keynotes. CEO Steve Jobs has usually cast the company as an “intersection of liberal arts and technology,” where creatives and those not locked into the engineer method can make good technology More >
Motorola Xoom confirmed for UK first week of April
Mar 29th
Motorola has confirmed to Engadget that its Xoom tablet will begin shipping in the UK next week. Despite this, however, prices or an exact date haven’t been revealed. The Android 3.0 tablet will arrive at electronics retailers Carphone Warehouse, Currys, Dixons, and PC World.
It’s not known whether the Wi-Fi only version will ship, just the 3G model or both at the same time. The Wi-Fi model is expected to cost £500 (the equivalent of $ 800), with the 3G version coming in at £600 ($ 960), though either is yet to be confirmed.
Lenovo plans 2nd-gen, slimmer LePad just months after first
Mar 29th
Lenovo’s chief Yang Yuanqing in a presentation at the Chinese IT Leadership Summit revealed that the company already has a sequel to the LePad in development. He claimed that the new Android tablet had been developed almost side-by-side with the original in a distinct group and was due to ship in September or October, as little as three months after the original’s world debut. While CCIDnet and others at the summit didn’t get most hardware details, the CEO promised a thinner tablet to compete with the iPad, not unlike Samsung’s reactionary approach with the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
It wasn’t explained how More >