AT&T stockholders took to the ballot box today at their annual meeting and voted not only to reelect the entire board of directors, but also on a number of measures concerning how the company should conduct business. Chief amongst them was a provision that would have required the carrier to operate its network according to the tenets of net neutrality. Unfortunately for you (unless you're an AT&T exec), the proposal was voted down by a pretty stunning margin. 94.1 percent of shareholders opposed, with only 5.9 casting their voice in favor of true network neutrality. For more info check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading AT&T stockholders vote down net neutrality proposal

AT&T stockholders vote down net neutrality proposal originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Let's be honest -- we all want a a 3D printer to call our own, right? Price has always been a significant barrier to the dream of printing pretty much everything your imagination can conjure (barring some hardware limitations, of course). For its part, MakerBot has made some significant strides toward tearing some of those barriers, and now Solidoodle, led by that company's former COO Samuel Cervantes, is looking to take the trend even further. The company's current self-tilted model starts at just under $500. The printer, which is now up for pre-order, can print plastic pieces up to 6" x 6" x 6", and "all you need to supply is a computer and power." Also, interestingly, "a 200-pound man can literally stand on top of the machine while it's printing. " So, that's a bonus. Check out a video of the printer in action after the break.

Continue reading Former MakerBot exec launches Solidoodle sub-$500 3D printer

Former MakerBot exec launches Solidoodle sub-$500 3D printer originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You know what we've always wondered? Why doesn't Boeing just hurry up and release a phone? Joking aside, this is really happening. The news comes via National Defense Magazine which reports that the airplane manufacturer is developing an Android handset which will have strong security credentials. Currently dubbed "the Boeing phone" we hope the firm puts more thought into its aircraft than its project code names. Before you start folding out your green, however, be warned that despite running Google's popular OS, and being a cellular device, the price-point is still likely to be more jumbo jet than paper plane, with a Boeing exec pointing out that competitor offerings typically float around the $15-20,000 mark. He goes on to point out that it won't cost as much as this, but will still likely be out of our reach back here in coach. No word on any sort of specification at the minute, but if you fancy yourself as a high-flyer (or more likely, you work in defense) keep an eye out for this landing later on this year. Now, what if Samsung made a plane..?

Boeing to launch super secure Android phone, hopes it takes off originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wondering what it might be like to sport Google's Project Glass augmented reality HUD in your daily life? It would appear company co-founder Sergey Brin already knows, as he was spotted by tech pundits Robert Scoble and Thomas Hawk rocking a prototype at a Dining in the Dark charity event for the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Scoble has already posted a couple of pictures with Brin on Google+, mentioning more photos would be forthcoming from Hawk after the event concluded and that he'd heard other people, including Google exec Vic Gundotra, have the devices already. For now he mentions the glasses appeared to be "self contained" and that he could see a blueish light flashing on Brin's eyes. Hit the source link for more pics and details, we'll let you know if we find out more later -- details on where to snag a set may remain confidential until we've had a chance to try them on first, of course.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin spotted wearing Project Glass prototype IRL originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 01:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While speaking at the Competitive Carriers Global Expo, Sprint’s senior vice president of networks Bob Azzi said that while the company has experienced success with its WiMAX handsets, it will not launch any additional WiMAX devices. The announcement comes after Sprint previously confirmed that it would continue to offer 4G WiMAX devices through 2012 and support the service through 2015. Instead, the company plans to focus on its Network Vision project and upcoming 4G LTE netowrk, Fierce Wireless reported on Thursday. “We are wrapping up final field integration tests,” Azzi said. “The technology works and delivers more benefits than we expected.” The executive noted that the company’s Network Vision project will result in a 50% reduction in cost-per-gigabyte to deliver data and cost-per-minute to deliver voice. “This is a huge benefit to us,” he said, adding that there are between 5,000 to 6,000 people devoted to the project, which is slated to be completed by the end of 2013.

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Despite an earlier leak that made a May announcement seem increasingly likely, Samsung is apparently still considering an April launch for its highly anticipated Galaxy S III smartphone, South Korean news site MK reports. Samsung president for the China region Kim Young-ha is quoted as having said that the company is still pushing for an April launch. ”In order to increase sales of the Galaxy S3 as well as the Galaxy Note which is already very popular in China, the company is considering rescheduling the rollout of the Galaxy S3 from May to April,” Kim reportedly said Wednesday while speaking at the Samsung Forum 2012. An earlier report suggested that the flagship smartphone is currently slated for a May 22nd announcement, as tipped on the home screen of a leaked product render. With HTC’s One-series smartphones set to launch next month, the South Korea-based vendor is undoubtedly under pressure to push up its Galaxy S III release, though carriers could stand in the way here in the United States. BGR exclusively reported that the Galaxy S III will feature a 4.8-inch display with 1080p HD resolution, a quad-core Exynos processor, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and a remarkably slim case made of ceramic.

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A search engine should be about more than just keywords. MC Hammer believes that passionately and Google must do too, because over the next few months and years it'll gradually adjust its own algorithms to put greater emphasis on "semantic search". Under this system, search queries are run through a vast knowledge database that discovers relationships with other words and facts. A Mountain View exec explained it thus: If you search for "Lake Tahoe", you won't just get ranked websites containing those two words but also key attributes about the lake, such as its location, altitude, average temperature and Bigfoot population. If a piece of knowledge isn't the in the ever-expanding database, the search engine will still use semantic search to help it recognize and evaluate information held on websites. In doing this, Big G hopes to compete with social networks that are amassing their own valuable (and sometimes intrusive) databases full of personal information, while also encouraging people to stay longer on its site and see more targeted ads. Google, who is Viviane Reding?

Google to switch on 'semantic search' within months, emphasize things as well as words originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 04:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry 10 coming to the PlayBook, RIM confirms originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 03:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung was the No.1 flat panel TV vendor in 2011 and despite a seemingly imminent threat from Apple, the company is not concerned much about the “iTV.” While speaking with Pocket-lint, Samsung’s AV product manager Chris Moseley explained that TV sales are driven for the most part by picture quality and in that respect, Samsung can’t be touched. ”We’ve not seen what they’ve done but what we can say is that they don’t have 10,000 people in R&D in the vision category,” Moseley said. “They don’t have the best scaling engine in the world and they don’t have world renowned picture quality that has been awarded more than anyone else.” Read on for more.

“TVs are ultimately about picture quality. Ultimately. How smart they are…great, but let’s face it that’s a secondary consideration. The ultimate is about picture quality and there is no way that anyone, new or old, can come along this year or next year and beat us on picture quality,” Moseley told Pocket-lint. “So, from that perspective, it’s not a great concern but it remains to be seen what they’re going to come out with, if anything.”

We spent some time with the new HDTVs Samsung was showing off at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show and we have to say, Moseley is right to brag. Picture quality is and should be the main draw when it comes to TVs, and Samsung is clearly a leader in that regard. To compound matters, recent rumors suggest that OLED panel supply constraints forced Apple to instead opt for IGZO panels in its upcoming HDTV rather than the gorgeous OLED panels vendors like Samsung and LG will use in multiple models this year.

Apple’s success in the TV business is anything but guaranteed — Apple TV remains a “hobby” of sorts that has not seen wide adoption — but to not prepare for the impact of the world’s most successful technology company on one of your core businesses is a terrible, terrible idea. Just ask Nokia, RIM or Palm.

We’re hoping Moseley’s comments were intended mainly as a bit of showmanship, and Samsung’s CES showing suggests that is indeed the case. Despite the fact that the feature set surrounding Apple’s iTV is nothing more than hearsay, Samsung was among a number of companies at this year’s show to display TVs with voice and gesture controls. Apple’s popular Siri solution has long been rumored to replace many of the functions currently performed by a remote control on its upcoming HDTV, and vendors like Samsung and LG are said to have displayed similar technology in an attempt to cut Apple off at the pass.

The simple truth is that Apple’s TV will impact Samsung’s HDTV business, though the extent to which it will be impacted remains to be seen. Apple’s brand power and design prowess alone will move units, and innovative features like Siri integration and iOS app support will only help matters. Add the possibility of a unique new content distribution model, and the industry could easily be in trouble.

Samsung has thus far been the only company to grow and keep pace with Apple in the smartphone business, though — in terms of shipment volume, not profits — so if there is one company that can withstand the inevitable impact of Apple’s entry into the TV space, it may indeed be Samsung.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 shattered sales records when it launched last November. The wildly popular first-person shooter sold an estimated 6.5 million copies and pulled in more than $400 million during its first 24 hours of availability, and more than 12 million copies were purchased over the game’s launch week, racking up about $740 million in revenue. But Activision isn’t done, of course, and the next major launch in the Call of Duty franchise is shaping up to be a big one. ”The next Call of Duty will bring meaningful innovation to the series,” Activision Publishing chief Eric Hirshberg told The Guardian. The executive wouldn’t elaborate on exactly how the next major CoD release — presumably Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 — might revolutionize the popular game, but he undoubtedly piqued the interest of millions of gamers around the world. Despite being released in mid-November last year, Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was still the best-selling video game in the U.S. last month according to recent data from market research firm The NPD Group.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 shattered sales records when it launched last November. The wildly popular first-person shooter sold an estimated 6.5 million copies and pulled in more than $400 million during its first 24 hours of availability, and more than 12 million copies were purchased over the game’s launch week, racking up about $740 million in revenue. But Activision isn’t done, of course, and the next major launch in the Call of Duty franchise is shaping up to be a big one. ”The next Call of Duty will bring meaningful innovation to the series,” Activision Publishing chief Eric Hirshberg told The Guardian. The executive wouldn’t elaborate on exactly how the next major CoD release — presumably Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 — might revolutionize the popular game, but he undoubtedly piqued the interest of millions of gamers around the world. Despite being released in mid-November last year, Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was still the best-selling video game in the U.S. last month according to recent data from market research firm The NPD Group.

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Barnes & Noble bans aren't just for superheroes anymore. The bookseller let it be known this week that it will be pulling Amazon Publishing titles from the shelves of its 700-odd retail locations, in protest of exclusivity deals struck by the mega-online retailer. As one B&N exec told The New York Times, "Our decision is based on Amazon's continued push for exclusivity with publishers, agents and the authors they represent," adding, "Their actions have undermined the industry as a whole and have prevented millions of customers from having access to content." Barnes & Noble will apparently continue to sell some Amazon titles through its own site, but good luck using its WiFi.

Barnes & Noble to pull Amazon Publishing titles from shelves over exclusivity concerns originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As 2012 approaches, we thought it would be fun to look back on 2011 one last time and share our biggest stories of the year with you. Here they are in order, from our post popular post of the year to our tenth most popular post:

1. Open letter to BlackBerry bosses: Senior RIM exec tells all as company crumbles around him
2. BlackBerry Messenger will launch on Android and iOS
3. Samsung Galaxy Nexus full specs revealed; Verizon Wireless exclusive
4. BlackBerry Dakota gets pictured; the touch and type BlackBerry you’ve been waiting for
5. Google’s first Ice Cream Sandwich phone to be manufactured by Samsung, possibly dubbed ‘Nexus Prime’
6. Live from Apple’s WWDC 2011 keynote with Steve Jobs
7. Apple testing iPhone for T-Mobile USA
8. Google Nexus 4G detailed – 720p display, 4G LTE, Android 4.0
9. BlackBerry Bold 9900 review
10. Inside RIM: An exclusive look at the rise and fall of the company that made smartphones smart

Nokia has certainly had a reputation of keeping its premier phones at a high price, but it's not too often that we hear a head honcho in the industry say anything about it. Telefonica European General Manager Simon Lee-Smith went on the record to voice his displeasure over the exorbitant cost of the Lumia 800 as well as the N8 and N9. Speaking with Telecoms.com, he mentioned that the only way Espoo's going to push a significant volume of Windows Phones is to offer them at a reasonable price point. Vendors, according to Lee-Smith, have unrealistic expectations of what consumers -- and carriers -- will pay for smartphones. Sayeth Lee-Smith: "All device manufacturers seem to think that a €400-plus device is the norm. Well, it isn't. Customers and operators won't pay that cost for a device which doesn't differentiate sufficiently." In other words, the Lumia 800 (priced at €420, or about $585) needs to offer something more unique to customers in order to justify its cost. It does make us curious to see if Nokia can satisfy the needs of US carriers if it doesn't bring down its asking price. Head over to the source to read more of Lee-Smith's quotable quotes.

Telefonica exec echoes what we already know: Nokia's new handsets are too spendy originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember when T-Mobile CMO Cole Brodman splashed a bucket of cold water on our hot iPhone 4S dreams? Yeah, well the carrier's back to clarify its glaring lack of the handset in its lineup, and it appears the choice wasn't the company's to make. In a statement released today, SVP of Marketing Andrew Sherrard expressed the operator's desire to play host to Apple's latest device, but claims Cupertino's omission of an AWS-friendly radio is the true culprit. In order for that phone to run competently on T-Mo's 4G network, those 1700MHz bands would need to be serviced. In its stead, the exec points to other more capable phones currently on offer -- namely, those bearing Android -- while referring to the 4S' apparent network issues. Fighting words or just a case of the sads? Follow past the break for the full quote straight from Magenta's mouth.

Continue reading T-Mobile's Andrew Sherrard: 'the iPhone is not the only option'

T-Mobile's Andrew Sherrard: 'the iPhone is not the only option' originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 22 Oct 2011 11:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Microsoft finalizes acquisition of Skype, Tony Bates shares his thoughts (video)

Microsoft finalizes acquisition of Skype, Tony Bates shares his thoughts (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 02:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Frankly, we'd advise against crossing anyone given to costumed superheroics, but a policy is a policy. Book selling giant Barnes & Noble has begun pulling select DC Comics from store shelves this week, in response to a deal struck between the publisher and Amazon, which will make digital copies of a number of comics exclusively available through the online retailer for use with the forthcoming Kindle Fire. The move is part of Barnes & Noble's policy to remove physical books from its shelves if the available digital version of the text is not offered up to the company. According to an exec, "To sell and promote the physical book in our store showrooms and not have the e-book available for sale would undermine our promise to Barnes & Noble customers to make available any book, anywhere, anytime." J'onn J'onzz has yet to weigh in on the matter.

Barnes & Noble pulls DC Comics from shelves over Kindle kerfuffle, risks Martian Manhunter's wrath originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Oct 2011 19:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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