Tag: 3G

Part of being a smart consumer is understanding how technology works, why we use it the way we do, and what that barrage of acronyms and PR jargon means. We're here to help you make sense of it all, and to give you a better appreciation of how those transistors, pixels, and antennae come together to deliver the conveniences of the modern world to you. If you thought our guide to 3G tech was ...

A reader asks: I'm intrigued by the idea of getting rid of my DSL Internet service, and switching to one of these 4G wireless services I've seen advertised. My question is whether it's actually viable at this point. I have a desktop and a couple laptops, and two phones we use on our home Wi-Fi network, and wonder if these services can handle all that. I have no idea how to research this, so ...

Rumors of an impending Verizon iPhone deal have been swirling for weeks (if not years) now, and, on Friday, they were finally substantiated. In a recent profile of veteran Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg, Fortune's Sarah Ellison confirmed that the telecom company will indeed launch a CDMA version of the iPhone 4 in "early 2011." Friday's confirmation comes after years of negotiations between ...

Verizon's data plan pricing structure underwent a major overhaul today, as the provider -- true to its CEO's word -- has officially rolled out a new, tiered system for mobile customers. Smartphone users with unlimited 3G data plans will still be able to blindly burn through megabytes for $29.99, but customers buying new Droids will now be able to opt for a limited, 150-megabyte monthly plan for ...

There may not be a whole lot of people willing to climb Mount Everest, but the brave few who do will now be able to surf the Web from their phones, thanks to a brand new 3G network at Everest base camp. Installed by the Nepali telecom company Ncell (which we wrote about back in 2009), Nepal's first 3G network will allow intrepid mountain climbers to use their own cell phones to stay in touch ...

In December, a German security researcher cracked the code used to encrypt older 2G GSM cellular communications. Now, Chris Paget, another researcher, has discovered a way to bypass that encryption and intercept cell phone calls -- with a mere $1,500 worth of off-the-shelf equipment. Paget created a DIY version of an IMSI catcher, a piece of equipment that is used by intelligence and law ...

A cat fight akin to something seen on '90210' or 'The Hills' has erupted at the App Store, between two companies that offer VoIP Web chatting services. It seems to have started last week, when Israel-based Fring announced a new service that would allow users to video-chat over an iPhone 4's 3G connection instead of Wi-Fi. Fring also decided to temporarily pull Skype from its new iPhone app, citing ...

We've all heard about the sleek re-design, the video call capabilities, and the wonders of iOS 4, but how does the newly arrived iPhone 4 measure up to our lofty expectations? According to early reviews, pretty gosh darn well. For starters, most reviewers agree that the iPhone 4 just feels better. As the New York Times puts it, the stainless steel trim and complete lack of plastic makes the ...

The iPad has only been in circulation for a couple of months, but the device has already fallen prey to a major cyber attack, thanks to a gap in AT&T's security system. According to Gawker, a group of hackers recently succeeded in exploiting a security hole in AT&T's website, and walked away with the e-mails and ID numbers of over 114,000 iPad users. The list of those targeted by the ...

Part of being a good user and consumer is understanding how technology works, why we use it the way we do, and what that barrage of acronyms and PR jargon means. We're here to help you make sense of it all, and to give you a better appreciation of how those transistors, pixels, and antennae work together to deliver the conveniences of the modern world to your living room or office. What is ...

Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines.... Glenn Beck's increasingly inflammatory methods of inspiring viewer hysteria are taking a serious toll on the show's advertising possibilities. According to the Washington Post, more than 200 prominent companies are boycotting Beck's rhetoric, and Apple is actually avoiding FOX News as a whole. But, maybe that's what happens when ...

We pick on AT&T a lot. And, if you live in either New York or San Francisco, you probably understand why. While we beat up on AT&T for its poor coverage in metropolitan areas (or at least in those two), we can't deny that, when you do manage to get service, it's blazingly fast. Now, PC World has put a feather in AT&T's cap by declaring it the cellular data speed king. PCWorld ...

Yesterday the mighty, mighty T-Mob stood up and called AT&T a chump. The exclusive iPhone holder, not wanting to look like a punk in front of all its cellular friends, responded in kind. It shook free the shackles of 3.6Mbps and, in one fell swoop, threw the switch on the 7.2Mbps network upgrade it said wouldn't come till 2012. Such an upgrade should offer a huge speed improvement for users. ...

T-Mobile is throwing down the gauntlet and making it clear that other carriers are going to have to start bringing their A-game. We already knew that the Nexus One, Google's new flagship Android device, would be available on T-Mobile for $179.99 with a two-year contract. And to accompany the launch of the new fancy phone on the block, the mighty T-Mob has upgraded its entire 3G network from ...

Suddenly, the Kindle and the Nook look positively Lilliputian. Debuting at CES this week is the new e-reader from Sprint, a ginormous device called the Skiff. We now have a few more details on this massive gadget, as our partners in crime over at Engadget reported yesterday. The Skiff's 11.5-inch touchscreen features a whopping 1200 x 1600 pixel resolution, designed for newspaper and magazine ...