There are LTE modems and there are LTE modems. Marvell’s latest is of the latter sort — the kind you don’t see (or lose in your bag) but are glad to have inside your device. It’s also a first, packing connectivity for FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, HSPA+, TD-SCDMA, and EDGE networks into a single-chip design that promises to lower the cost of manufacturing said devices. If Marvell has its way, you’ll also be seeing this particular modem in more than just phones and tablets — the company also sees it being used in everything from cars to TVs and set-top boxes. Full press release is after the break.

Continue reading Marvell debuts first single-chip LTE world modem for smartphones, tablets and more

Marvell debuts first single-chip LTE world modem for smartphones, tablets and more originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 03:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We were expecting some news out Archos this month and sure enough, here it is. The company has just announced that it will unveil its new Generation 9 Honeycomb tablets at a Paris event, on June 23rd. The company’s third Android slate, as you may recall, was originally expected to launch at September’s IFA trade show, but that date was later pushed up — meaning we’ll be able to catch a glimpse of its shiny 1.6GHz ARM A9 dual-core chip and so-called “revolutionary” 3G modem in just a few weeks. Archos certainly seems to have high expectations for the device, as well, having scheduled its debut at no less a prestigious venue than the Ritz Hotel. We’ll be there (in our finest threads) to cover the event as it unfolds.

[Thanks, Marien]

Archos puttin’ on the Ritz for its Generation 9 Honeycomb tablets, coming June 23 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Jun 2011 11:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you need to be live and on the scene but can’t be followed around with a remote truck and its retractable 100-foot antenna, you need a TelePorter. The camel-case ‘P’ should tell you that this is not the final realization of Gene Roddenberry’s dream, rather a device created by Mushroom Networks, long known for products with goofy names like the PortaBella, which aggregates the bandwidth from multiple wireless modems to make one super mobile hotspot. The TelePorter basically takes that tech and adds some video wizardry to it, plus packaging that enables it to be mounted to the back of a camera. The result is live, full-HD streaming of footage straight from the camera and into the ether. Mushroom wouldn’t tell us a price, saying that it varies based on configuration, but unless your camera’s as big as the one pictured after the break we’re thinking this might just put a real hurting on your budget.

Continue reading Mushroom TelePorter does HD streaming over cellular, won’t beam your on-air talent anywhere

Mushroom TelePorter does HD streaming over cellular, won’t beam your on-air talent anywhere originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Two rumors do not make a USB dongle, but things certainly seem to add up — one leaked document told us T-Mobile would get its first 21Mbps HSPA+ WWAN modem in March, and now a second one (once again courtesy of TmoNews) pegs the T-Mobile Jet’s “value-conscious” successor for the 23rd of this month. Of course, if that first document was correct, there are faster 42Mbps modems just around the corner. Your call.

T-Mobile Jet 2.0 HSPA+ modem lifts off March 23rd? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 04:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Though we found Verizon’s new LTE network pleasantly speedy in early testing, there are a few rough edges to the tech — Verizon’s USB modem have difficulty handing off connected users from an EVDO network to an LTE one, and of course, they don’t yet work on Mac. However, Verizon’s since admitted to both these issues and pledged to remedy the twain. “Hand-offs can take up to a couple minutes, but that was expected and a fix is in the works,” it told Computerworld earlier today. “Mac is not yet supported, and we’ve been working on drivers for Mac OS for weeks, and expect to update relatively soon,” a representative added. Now let’s see the company bring some sense to the wild, wild west we call the 4G market.

Verizon: LTE modem handoff has two-minute delay, fix (and Mac compatability) on the way originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Dec 2010 23:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hey, don’t knock the naming engineers — “Clear Modem with WiFi” just works. Indeed, that’s the official title of Clear’s new at-home WiMAX modem (the same one that flew through the FCC back in September), designed to bring the 4G superhighway into one’s home for as little as $35 per month. According to the operator, it’s an all-in-one solution that’s “around the size of a book,” offering 4G reception as well as an internal 802.11b/g/n router to distribute those waves across your home without the need for a separate WLAN router. It’s available today from your local Clear store, with a $120 outright price or a $7 per month lease rate. Furthermore, Clear home service customers can add home voice service, with unlimited local and long distance calling in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico, for an extra 15 clams per month. Oh, and if your math skills are a tad fuzzy, we’d recommend buying it if you’re planning to keep the service for greater than 17 months. You’re welcome.

Continue reading Clear launches new at-home WiMAX router with integrated WiFi

Clear launches new at-home WiMAX router with integrated WiFi originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Dec 2010 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now that Verizon’s gone official with its LTE pricing for an initial launch in some 38 markets this Sunday, we wanted to take a quick look at how it compares to the other players in the laptop data market — after all, how much you’re paying month to month can be just as big of a determining factor (if not a bigger one) in choosing a carrier than the speeds you’re seeing. So how do Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, Clear, and Rover stack up? Let’s break it down.

Continue reading Laptop data plans: comparing LTE, WiMAX, and HSPA+ by speed, price, and value

Laptop data plans: comparing LTE, WiMAX, and HSPA+ by speed, price, and value originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sure, Verizon’s holding a press conference tomorrow, but unless they’ve got a secret LTE smartphone or tablet (we can only hope) we’ve got a fairly good idea what the company will say. We’re hearing Verizon will flip the switch on its LTE network on December 5th, unveil a pair of hot new USB modems to take advantage of those supposedly stellar speeds, and launch the SIM cards required to make LTE function in the first place. The gadgets include the LG VL600 thumbstick we’ve seen before, but also this marvelous-looking Pantech UML290 key, which has not only a slick swiveling case but another dual-jointed USB port beneath. We doubt we’re going to have any trouble getting this one plugged into even the slimmest of port-abhorring slimline computing machines. See where one of the SIM cards goes in the gallery below.

[Thanks, Anonymous and JT]

Verizon launching LTE on December 5th, two sexy 4G USB modems hitch a wild ride originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 20:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon’s promised a 38-city LTE launch by the end of the year, and it looks like things are ramping up — we were just sent this ad for the LG VL600 and Pantech UML290 4G USB modems. We’ve seen the VL600 at the FCC and in the wild before — it’s a dual-mode CMDA / LTE modem that’ll work pretty much anywhere Verizon has coverage, while the UML290 has a note about global capability “coming soon,” so we’d assume there’s a GSM radio tucked in there as well. Both sticks look like they’re pretty huge, which isn’t uncommon for first-gen hardware like this, but we’re hoping that rumored third Novatel stick is LTE-only and a bit slimmer. We’ll see, we’ll see.

Verizon’s Pantech and LG LTE modems leak out in ad form originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Nov 2010 14:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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