Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you’re like us and really want to know what’s going on, then you’ve come to the right place. This week, we bring you announcements of LTE expansion from ATT, US Cellular and Verizon, along with news of three Samsung smartphones that received WiFi certification — each are thought to be high-end devices and bound for US carriers. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride. Let’s explore the “best of the rest” for this week of February 13th, 2012.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of February 13th, 2012

Mobile Miscellany: week of February 13th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/18/mobile-miscellany-week-of-february-13th-2012/

HBO has been quietly working on its PunchForce tech since about 2010, when it tried to convince British star Amir Khan and Argentine boxer Marcos Maidana to wear the sensors for their light welterweight title bout. Neither seemed particularly eager. Now though, over a year later, the latest in fist-tracking technology seems to be nearing its big debut. Tiny wireless monitors, worn under the wrist of the gloves feed velocity and impact data back to a laptop with a special receiver — all of which now have Uncle Sam’s approval. The real fun though, is what happens next. The information gathered isn’t meant to be locked away in lab, it’ll be broadcast to viewers throughout the fight and, eventually, fed to accompanying apps, presumably alongside its PunchZone stats. Check out the gallery below for a behind the scenes glimpse of PunchForce and hit up the source link to peruse the full user manual.

Gallery: HBO PunchForce at the FCC

HBO’s PunchForce hits the FCC, turns fists into data… violent, violent data originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Feb 2012 16:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/18/hbos-punchforce-hits-the-fcc-turns-fists-into-data-violent/

Despise those daily injections of essential medication? Well folks, relief could be on the way. Over a decade ago, two MIT professors, Robert Langer and Michael Cima, first considered developing a drug-delivery microchip that could be wirelessly controlled. This past week, researchers in Cambridge — alongside scientists from MicroCHIPS, Inc. — announced that they have successfully used the aforementioned chip to give osteoporosis patients their daily allotment of teriparatide. “You can do remote control delivery, you can do pulsatile drug delivery, and you can deliver multiple drugs,” Langer noted. Chips used in this particular study housed 20 doses each and results indicated that the delivery showed less variation than administered injections. In theory, microchips like these could be used alongside sensors that monitor glucose levels — creating tech that could adapt to changes in a patient’s condition. More info on the trial awaits in the source link below.
[Thanks, Lydia]

MIT duo successfully tests wireless drug-delivery microchips, more consistent than injections originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Feb 2012 14:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/18/mit-wireless-drug-delivery-microchips/

As recovering amateur musicians, some of us still fancy well-made mobile recording gear from time to time. The ability to simultaneously record guitar and vocals using an iPhone 4S is what made the GuitarJack Model 2, in particular, catch our eye. We’ve taken iPad recording accessories for a spin in the past, but the compact stature of this kit, along with its ability to transform a smartphone into a 4-track recorder seemed quite compelling indeed. At $149, this generation of the GuitarJack costs a full Grant more than Apogee Jam — excluding the added expense of well-suited apps, of course. So is that hefty investment worth it? Read on to find out.

Gallery: Guitar Jack Model 2 review

Continue reading GuitarJack Model 2 review

GuitarJack Model 2 review originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/18/guitarjack-model-2-review/

Apple already asked the European Telecommunications Standards Institute for more transparency on FRAND licensing, and now it’s seeking a full-blown intervention. Motorola Mobility claims it received a letter on Friday from the European Commission advising there has been a complaint against it from Apple. The letter also stated that Cupertino wants the Commission to enforce the firm’s standards-essential patents that breach agreed FRAND commitments. This latest development comes just one day after a German court awarded Apple an injunction against Motorola’s implementation of slide-to-unlock on smartphones, as well as an ongoing saga of similar disputes with the firm. It’s also just days after the European Commission approved Google’s acquisition of the handset maker, based on beliefs that it “does not itself raise competition issues.”

Apple asks EU regulators to step in on Motorola patent dispute originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Feb 2012 10:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/18/apple-asks-eu-regulators-to-step-in-on-motorola-patent-dispute/

So, have you been following the iPad dispute in China? Wondering exactly who or what this Proview company is and what they’re doing with a trademark on the iPad name? Well, wonder no more friends. The company actually stylized the name as iPAD, and it stood for Internet Personal Access Device. They hit the market way back in 1998 and weren’t tablets, but all-in-one PCs that looked an awful lot like another machine that debuted that year — the iMac. Over the course of a decade Proview produced between 10,000 and 20,000 of he 15-inch CRT desktops, before collapsing in 2010 and abandoning its Shenzhen plant, thanks in part to the economic crisis engulfing the globe. Most of its assets, including the iPAD trademark are now the property of eight different banks and it’s debts exceed $1 billion, which probably explains why the company is demanding so much money from Apple. For more details about the original iPAD and a photo tour of the deserted factory hit up the source links.

Introducing the original iPAD, Proview’s late ’90s iMac-like desktop originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/18/introducing-the-original-ipad/

Last month Adam owners got a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich after Notion Ink released an Alpha build, but if the limited functionality didn’t do it for you, how about an improved Beta version? The developers hope that HDMI video, functional GPS, better WiFi and a working compass will keep you happy while they iron out the remaining niggles, like non-functioning camera and microphone. If this sounds a bit more like it, you should be able to get your hands on it over the weekend. Hit the source link below for the deets.

Notion Ink’s ICS build for Adam goes beta, adds 3G, GPS originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Feb 2012 06:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/18/notion-inks-ics-build-for-adam-goes-beta-adds-3g-gps/

Not a Spotify fan? Then perhaps a Google Music client will suit your tastes a little better. Gooroovster has just shed its beta cocoon to reveal its new Windows Phone wings. Available on trial, the full app will set you back $3.99 and offers streaming access to your whole library, the usual collection of music player controls and the ability to refresh the 500 most recent additions to your library. Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be any caching options — so it’s largely a Windows Phone-skinned copy of the web-based player, although it doesn’t look all that official and you’ll also need a Windows Phone device running the Mango upgrade. The typical Google Music provisos apply: check your data allowances and if you’re out of US, you’re (still) out of luck. That is, unless you know how to beat the system.

Windows Phone gets Gooroovster: streams Google Music whether it’s official or not originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Feb 2012 04:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/18/windows-phone-gets-gooroovster-streams-google-music-whether-it/

It’s six months since Ford partnered with Bug Labs to build OpenXC and now the system is ready for third-party developers to get involved. Rather than following Renault and others down the Android route, OpenXC is a dedicated platform designed to bring together third-party apps and hardware. It comes with an Arduino-based interface module that hooks up to the car’s own systems, allowing the software to work with sensors, audio interfaces, safety devices and whatever other add-ons an owner might want to rig up. One app, developed by India’s HCL Technologies, is already complete: it sends location updates to selected contacts to warn them if a driver is running late for a meeting. (Finally, Arduino gets to do something useful.)

Ford sends out OpenXC beta, vehicle-aware apps should be just around the corner originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Feb 2012 02:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/18/ford-sends-out-openxc-beta/

We’re sure some Linux fans broke into a cold sweat over the open source Spark tab. Fortunately it’s taken the next step towards their eager paws: the seven inch slab is now up for pre-order. Sign up for one and you’ll net a priority order code to ensure you get one of the first units off the production line, alongside 500 points to use at the manufacturer’s add-on store. The site still expects to launch the Spark for around 200 ($262), which is a fair chunk of change less than those top-drawer tablets — and what price can you put on freedom?

[Thanks Jose]

Spark tablet available for pre-order, still aiming for 200 euro price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/18/spark-tablet-available-for-pre-order-still-aiming-for-200-euro/