4G LTE Phones will not work Abroad

Marguerite Reardon of CNET explains in her most recent article in "Ask Maggie" that LTE phones from the United States, as of right now or the near future, will not work in other countries.


http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-57355741-266/world-travelers-beware-4g-lte-phones-wont-work-abroad/?tag=mncol;topStories

Vint Cerf: SOPA means 'unprecedented censorship' of the Web

Vint Cerf, the legendary computer scientist who's known as one of the fathers of the Internet for his work on TCP/IP, is the latest technologist to oppose the Stop Online Piracy Act.

FAQ: CNET's "Trojan" installer

CNET is under fire for downloading more than just open source software with the open source software that it makes available on its Web site.

Motorola Launching Two New 4G Droid Tablets, Droid 4 QWERTY Slider on Verizon

It’s about time the Xoom got an update, and it looks like the company got the memo. Motorola will reportedly release two new Droid tablets on Verizon by the end of the month. The cherry on top? Both slates will ship with 4G LTE connectivity.

Online Piracy Bill

Logitech confesses to 'gigantic' mistake with Google TV

Logitech is halting production of its Google TV Revue set-top boxes, acknowledging that the whole affair was a financial disaster for the company.

Kindle Fire vs. Nook

The Kindle Fire isn't out yet, but it's already got some serious competition.

Which HTC phones Will Get Android 4.0

HTC, which rose to smartphone prominence with Google's Android operating system, will begin offering the new Ice Cream Sandwich version in "early 2012," the company said today.

Nokia puts Windows Phone future on display

On Wednesday, the Finnish cell phone maker will kick off its Nokia World Event in London where CEO Stephen Elop is expected to provide an update on the company's progress in its close strategic relationship with Microsoft, as well as take the wraps off the first smartphones that will use Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 OS.

U.S. has more mobile subscribers than people, study finds

The U.S. has more subscribers to wireless services than people, a new study released yesterday by CTIA has found.

Apple releases iOS 5

After a four month wait, Apple released iOS 5 to consumers this morning.

What to Expect from Apple Today

After a lengthier than usual wait, tomorrow we get the next iPhone.

Watch iPhone 5 Debut live at 1pm EDT

Apple is holding its "Let's talk iPhone" event Tuesday, and we'll be there live to bring you the news.

AT&T launching LTE on Sept. 18, at long last

At long last, AT&T is preparing to launch its first five markets to inaugurate its 4G LTE data network.
The second-largest carrier will flip on LTE on Sunday September 18 for Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, according to Fierce Wireless. The nationwide carrier plans to expand to 15 markets by the end of 2011.

Already, AT&T's LTE plans are slightly delayed. The carrier stated a year ago that it would premiere its LTE network in mid-2011, rather than a few months before the year's end.


It's true that AT&T is new to LTE, but it hasn't been idle in marketing its '4G' network prior to the rollout. AT&T's HSPA+ network offers faster speeds than typical 3G, but until the International Telecommunication Union settled the semantic dispute over what does and does not constitute 4G, many regarded AT&T's as HSPA+ claim as a long, technically undeserved leap onto the 4G bandwagon (CNET included).

The long road ahead

Although AT&T has a keen eye on converting its HSPA+ network to true 4G LTE, there are hurdles ahead.

AT&T lags far behind its rival Verizon, which launched its own LTE network in December last year. Since then, Big Red's 4G network has grown by leaps and bounds. It now serves up LTE to over half of the U.S.

Verizon's significant advantage isn't lost on AT&T. The carrier knows its planned takeover of T-Mobile must succeed if it's to gain the spectrum it needs to more rapidly roll out LTE. In fact, the glittering promise of T-Mobile's spectrum was the shiny coin that caught AT&T's interested eye in the first place.

Whether the FCC will allow the merger to continue is yet to be determined. Already, AT&T is fighting against the U.S. Department of Justice's suit to block the merger on the grounds of stifled carrier competition, and Sprint, the carrier with the most to lose, has taken its own legal action in hopes of forestalling the deal.

Without T-Mobile's assets, AT&T is reliant on the FCC's auctions to buy the spectrum it needs to support its urban, data-hungry subscribers, a move that could yet be years in the future. Even with T-Mobile's spectrum safely tucked into its belt, AT&T will need time and money to convert T-Mobile's spectrum to LTE, no small task.

While AT&T's spectrum fate is still up in the air, what is certain is its need to push ahead with LTE or risk losing customers, and access to the data-gulping devices they adore.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20106793-94/at-t-launching-lte-on-sept-18-at-long-last/#ixzz1Y2znpuiE

CNET Review: Sony Ericsson Xperion Play

The good: The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play ships with Android 2.3 Gingerbread without a complicated overlay. It has a slide-out game pad that makes game play more immersive, and it comes preloaded with popular game titles like Crash Bandicoot and Asphalt 6. Features include a 5-megapixel camera plus a front-facing camera, Wi-Fi, and GPS.

T-Mobile unleashes new unlimited plans

T-Mobile announced several new plans today to help give its customers more choices based on their needs.

Apple patent adds clues to streaming music service

A patent application released this morning has provided clues to features Apple might add to iTunes and iOS to make entire music libraries take up less space on mobile devices with limited storage.

LG G2x for T-Mobile Roundup of Reviews: Pros & Cons

We’ve been bringing you news on the LG G2x since we first heard of it and because this latest handset has both a dual-core processor and 4G capabilities it could very well be a good alternative for those who wanted the Motorola Droid Bionic on Verizon.

Google's Ice Cream Sundae

In this week's Ask Maggie, I explain some of the new features and benefits of the upcoming Google Android OS, Ice Cream Sandwich.

Honeycomb Now, Ice Cream Sandwich Set for Q4 2011

Google today is releasing Android 3.1, an upgrade to its Honeycomb tablet OS, and will bring its features to mobile phones with the Ice Cream Sandwich version of the OS set for the fourth quarter.