Author: Brad Molen

Sony Ericsson txt pro examined by FCC, 3G lovers shunned

Making it through the gauntlet of the FCC is often a very secretive process, since most manufacturers choose to keep the majority of details about a phone confidential. When that device in question’s already been the subject of a large Facebook campaign, however, there’s no point in staying quiet. This is the case of the Sony Ericsson txt pro (SK15a), a messaging device that came through the FCC’s labs with the photos unobscured. The handset appears to be designed primarily for texters and — given the lack of 3G or 4G support — nobody else. While the txt pro has GSM 850 / 1900 bands to make it compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile, it’s likely geared for developing markets and won’t see much (if any) facetime on store shelves in the US. We can’t imagine your thumbs will be terribly disappointed by this, but at least there’s countless other messaging phones out there to help your phalanges feel right at home.

Gallery: Sony Ericsson txt pro FCC photos

Sony Ericsson txt pro examined by FCC, 3G lovers shunned originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Making it through the gauntlet of the FCC is often a very secretive process, since most manufacturers choose to keep the majority of details about a phone confidential. When that device in question’s already been the subject of a large Facebook campaign, however, there’s no point in staying quiet. This is the case of the Sony Ericsson txt pro (SK15a), a messaging device that came through the FCC’s labs with the photos unobscured. The handset appears to be designed primarily for texters and — given the lack of 3G or 4G support — nobody else. While the txt pro has GSM 850 / 1900 bands to make it compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile, it’s likely geared for developing markets and won’t see much (if any) facetime on store shelves in the US. We can’t imagine your thumbs will be terribly disappointed by this, but at least there’s countless other messaging phones out there to help your phalanges feel right at home.

Gallery: Sony Ericsson txt pro FCC photos

Sony Ericsson txt pro examined by FCC, 3G lovers shunned originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    RIM scraps 10-inch PlayBook to focus on QNX-powered superphone?

    BlackBerry PlayBook enthusiasts will want to cuddle up with their favorite blanket and a carton of ice cream, as the 10-inch version of RIM’s tablet may have been given the axe. N4BB reports that its development was recently cancelled to focus on an upcoming QNX-based “superphone,” said to feature a 1.2GHz single-core processor (same as on the Bold Touch 9900) and a 4.3-inch HD-quality display. It’s no secret that phones powered by this platform are on the roadmap, but scrapping a PlayBook project in its behalf could indicate the company’s elevated desire to get it to market even sooner than originally planned. Anything less than two cores, however, will be an unpleasant surprise; company reps have stated that a QNX-powered handset won’t hit the market without a dual-core CPU inside. The motive behind this change of heart appears to be battery life concerns with the existing PlayBook’s chip. The report doesn’t completely rule out the possibility of an extra core getting thrown in, but we’re not holding our breath. While tragic, the scrapped product will make room for other projects — the already-announced 7-inch LTE variant is reportedly targeted for an October launch — but since this is all hearsay, let’s hold off on the eulogy for now.

    RIM scraps 10-inch PlayBook to focus on QNX-powered superphone? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    BlackBerry PlayBook enthusiasts will want to cuddle up with their favorite blanket and a carton of ice cream, as the 10-inch version of RIM’s tablet may have been given the axe. N4BB reports that its development was recently cancelled to focus on an upcoming QNX-based “superphone,” said to feature a 1.2GHz single-core processor (same as on the Bold Touch 9900) and a 4.3-inch HD-quality display. It’s no secret that phones powered by this platform are on the roadmap, but scrapping a PlayBook project in its behalf could indicate the company’s elevated desire to get it to market even sooner than originally planned. Anything less than two cores, however, will be an unpleasant surprise; company reps have stated that a QNX-powered handset won’t hit the market without a dual-core CPU inside. The motive behind this change of heart appears to be battery life concerns with the existing PlayBook’s chip. The report doesn’t completely rule out the possibility of an extra core getting thrown in, but we’re not holding our breath. While tragic, the scrapped product will make room for other projects — the already-announced 7-inch LTE variant is reportedly targeted for an October launch — but since this is all hearsay, let’s hold off on the eulogy for now.

    RIM scraps 10-inch PlayBook to focus on QNX-powered superphone? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Curtain lifts, Audience exposed as iPhone 4’s noise cancelling wizard

      It’s hard not to respect good detective work, so we have to give kudos to the good folks at Chipworks for putting a long-lived iPhone mystery to rest. The iPhone 4 has been applauded for its dual-mic noise cancellation, but nobody knew who actually built the voice processor responsible for this “magic and revolutionary” feature. Jobs and Co. white-labelled a certain chipset inside the iPhone 4 — it asked the manufacturer to scrub all branding off — so nobody could properly identify it. Was it made by Apple or a third party? Fast-forward nearly eleven months and it turns out the company responsible is none other than Audience, the same lovely folks behind the Nexus One’s renowned noise reduction. We’re unsure why this was kept under wraps for so long, but we can understand why Apple would want to remain quiet and keep this superb technology all to itself. A little sleuthing can go a long way, however, so follow the links below to learn how this mystery was unraveled.

      Continue reading Curtain lifts, Audience exposed as iPhone 4’s noise cancelling wizard

      Curtain lifts, Audience exposed as iPhone 4’s noise cancelling wizard originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Wed, 18 May 2011 20:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      It’s hard not to respect good detective work, so we have to give kudos to the good folks at Chipworks for putting a long-lived iPhone mystery to rest. The iPhone 4 has been applauded for its dual-mic noise cancellation, but nobody knew who actually built the voice processor responsible for this “magic and revolutionary” feature. Jobs and Co. white-labelled a certain chipset inside the iPhone 4 — it asked the manufacturer to scrub all branding off — so nobody could properly identify it. Was it made by Apple or a third party? Fast-forward nearly eleven months and it turns out the company responsible is none other than Audience, the same lovely folks behind the Nexus One’s renowned noise reduction. We’re unsure why this was kept under wraps for so long, but we can understand why Apple would want to remain quiet and keep this superb technology all to itself. A little sleuthing can go a long way, however, so follow the links below to learn how this mystery was unraveled.

      Continue reading Curtain lifts, Audience exposed as iPhone 4’s noise cancelling wizard

      Curtain lifts, Audience exposed as iPhone 4’s noise cancelling wizard originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Wed, 18 May 2011 20:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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