Day: August 16, 2011

Google, needing patents, buys Motorola wireless for $12.5 billion

Google announced plans to acquire Motorola Mobility this morning for $12.5 billion in cash. One of Google’s biggest motivations for the purchase is to bolster its patent profile, which has been under relentless attack by companies including Microsoft and Apple. With the purchase, Google will gain control of more than 17,000 mobile-related patents worldwide, with 7,000 more Motorola patent applications in the pipeline.

Google first announced the acquisition on its blog early this morning. On a call for investors, Larry Page, CEO of Google, stated that “Motorola has a strong patent portfolio, which will help protect Android.” Earlier this month, the company accused Apple, Microsoft, and Oracle of bullying Google over patents in what David Drummond, Google’s senior vice president and chief legal officer, called “a hostile, organized campaign against Android.”

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Google, needing patents, buys Motorola wireless for $12.5 billion

AT&T USBConnect Momentum 4G and Mobile Hotspot Elevate 4G scheduled for August 21st launch

With it having been in the works for so long, it's easy to forget that AT&T is ready to flip the switch on its sparkling-new LTE network virtually any second now. But Ma Bell is happy to remind us of its impending true 4G launch by announcing that its first two dedicated LTE devices, the USBConnect Momentum 4G and Mobile Hotspot Elevate 4G, are set to be sold in stores this upcoming Sunday. In addition, users of the USBConnect Adrenaline will be able to download a firmware update on August 26th that turns on its dormant LTE radio. The carrier also officially announced that its DataConnect plans will be offered for $50 per month for 5GB, with usage charges of $10 for each additional GB. Hold your horses, though — the units will be available for purchase and can be used on HSPA+ for now, but it doesn't guarantee AT&T will activate the higher-speed 4G network next week. Nay, we may have to wait just a little longer before Ralph de la Vega pushes the big red button on his desk, but that day is not too distant.

Continue reading AT&T USBConnect Momentum 4G and Mobile Hotspot Elevate 4G scheduled for August 21st launch

AT&T USBConnect Momentum 4G and Mobile Hotspot Elevate 4G scheduled for August 21st launch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lightning Motorcycles electric bike blazes past 2010 record, joins 200 MPH Club

Bonneville, home to the world’s fastest lawnmower record, has just added another notch to its land speed belt — this time for electric motorcycles. When last we left Utah’s salt flats, Mission One had claimed top honors for its all-electric bike, but that title has once again been usurped by rival Lightning. Averaging a speed of 206.079 mph, the team’s Flying Banana Mk. II blazed past its 2010 record of 176.044 mph to claim the speed hog glory. The chopper’s rider, Paul Thede, now gets to join the likes of 65 other inductees in Bonneville’s exclusive 200 MPH Club. His award for such a hallowed distinction? Why, he got to wear the club’s red hat for a whole 24 hours.

Lightning Motorcycles electric bike blazes past 2010 record, joins 200 MPH Club originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft closes the book on MS Reader app

We’re wishing a heartfelt farewell to Microsoft Reader today, because the folks at Redmond have decided to pull the plug on their e-book application, more than a decade after it first launched. Pre-dating the rise of the e-ink medium, the forward-looking MS Reader was originally designed to display digitzed books on an LCD screen, using the company’s ClearType font display. Over the past few years, however, the app has slowly faded into obscurity, with the latest desktop version dated from 2007 and its last update rendering it compatible with Windows Mobile 6.1. The concept was clearly ahead of its time, but it ultimately fell behind what would become a swelling trend, ushered in by the Kindle, Nook and other e-reading hardware. No word yet on whether Microsoft plans to introduce a similar tool for Windows 8, though the timing of Reader’s demise certainly leaves ample room for speculation.

Microsoft closes the book on MS Reader app originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 08:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ViewSonic ViewPad 10pro: a Windows 7 tablet that also runs Android — sort of

Life would be so much easier if you could just switch operating systems depending on what you need, wouldn’t it? That’s the thinking behind ViewSonic’s ViewPad 10pro, a “dual OS” tablet that runs Windows 7 and Android 2.3. The Wi-Fi enabled device comes with Intel’s new 1.5 GHz Atom Z670 CPU, a 1024 x 600 display, 2GB of memory, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, HDMI capabilities and a microSD slot. We had a hands-on in May and found out that the 10.1-inch device runs Android with Bluestacks’ virtualization layer for Windows, though we noticed that performance left a little to be desired. The base model comes with Windows 7 Home Premium and a 16GB SSD for $599, while an extra Benjamin gets you Windows 7 Professional and a 32GB SSD. If you want one soon, best get a move on, as “limited numbers” are currently available. For more information you can sonically view ViewSonic’s press release, after the break.

Continue reading ViewSonic ViewPad 10pro: a Windows 7 tablet that also runs Android — sort of

ViewSonic ViewPad 10pro: a Windows 7 tablet that also runs Android — sort of originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 08:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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