| LG Viper 4G LTE review Apr 20th 2012, 20:00  They said it wouldn't last. And they -- pundits, analysts, bloggers, GSM fanatics -- were right. WiMAX, that flavor of 4G found in the 2500MHz band, has proven to be more of a hindrance then help during Sprint's transition from underdog to reinvigorated titan. Then there are the kerfuffles it's endured standing on the sidelines -- namely, watching one-time LTE partner LightSquared squander its regulatory good graces. Beleaguered would be putting it mildly; Sprint faces a treacherous climb uphill to the mobile Olympus where Verizon, AT&T and now-spectrum-rich T-Mobile sit -- after all, it's hard to change the tide of public perception, overcome the limitations of a dreadful 3G CDMA network and move away from weak third-party 4G signals. Yet, with all of those negatives working against it, a planned rollover to LTE technology might just be the panacea Sprint has so badly needed. Right now, at least, a wish and a hope are all Sprint can dole out to existing subscribers toying with the idea of switching carriers. Its nascent LTE network, currently in testing across six US cities, hasn't been cleared for launch, which makes its first 4G handset, the Viper 4G LTE, a dress rehearsal of sorts. And what a low-key affair it is: no cutting-edge aesthetics or kickstand here, just mid-range specs and a humble design made from recycled materials. But for anyone itching to surf those faster waves, LG's dual-core, NFC-enabled workhorse could be a tempting buy when it goes on sale Sunday for $100 (with a two-year contract). So will the dangling carrot of faster 4G persuade consumers to choose this over all those other mid-tier Android phones? Let's find out. Continue reading LG Viper 4G LTE review LG Viper 4G LTE review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Time Warner Cable brings ESPN, Fox and Turner sports live streaming to apps, website Apr 20th 2012, 19:43  The newly-available-on-Android live streaming feature of Time Warner Cable's TWC TV app (and TWCTV.com website) has just gotten a major content upgrade, adding many national and regional sports feeds. It looks like ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, MLB Network, NBA TV and NHL Network are available in most regions, along with the applicable Fox RSNs. The full lineup of areas and channels is in the press release after the break. Of course, if you'd like to keep telling your significant other sports channels haven't been added yet and they will need to watch their reality show on the tablet while you use the big HDTV, then we can all just pretend this never happened. Continue reading Time Warner Cable brings ESPN, Fox and Turner sports live streaming to apps, website Time Warner Cable brings ESPN, Fox and Turner sports live streaming to apps, website originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  TW Cable Untangled | Email this | Comments | | IRL: Logitech UE Air Speaker, the Canon Rebel XT and an Arduino non-starter Apr 20th 2012, 19:00 Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. Welcome back to IRL, and if we do say so ourselves, this week's edition is a doozy. On one end of the gadget-loving spectrum, Jason is still happily using his Canon Rebel XT, while Darren remains thoroughly unsatisfied with his $400 AirPlay speaker (it was easy to set up, at least -- he'll give it that). And, just for good measure, we threw in an Arduino fail. So, which piece of audio gear is on our "do not buy" list? Who needs to take a course in wiring-based coding? And does Jason have anything negative to say about his DSLR? Head past the break to find out. Continue reading IRL: Logitech UE Air Speaker, the Canon Rebel XT and an Arduino non-starter IRL: Logitech UE Air Speaker, the Canon Rebel XT and an Arduino non-starter originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | |
