Today in Berlin, Huawei announced the official launch of its affordable, accessible Android 2.2 handset, the Ideos. The Ideos handset comes complete with a 2.8-inch capacitive touchscreen display (320 x 240), 528 MHz processor, 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera (no flash), HSDPA 3G, Wi-Fi, 3G hotspot capabilities, and a micro-SD card slot. The device carries the “with Google” moniker (which means no Android skinning of any kind) and Huawei touted that Google was heavily involved in the designing of the Ideos. The company elaborated that Google’s direct involvement with the Ideos would ensure its owners OS updates with minimal delay, Nexus One style. The device will be available in mid-October for right around $175 off-contract; no word yet on whether or not this little guy will be coming Stateside. The phone is obviously meant to make an Android 2.2, touchscreen handset available to the masses… time will tell if the masses choose to oblige Huawei’s efforts. 

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Today, prepaid cellular provider MetroPCS launched a new add-on to its cellular plans titled Mas Mexico. Mas Mexico provides “unlimited voice and text messaging plan to connect MetroPCS customers with friends and family in Mexico for $5 per month—taxes and regulatory fees included.” The new feature applies to landlines only, but it still is a pretty good deal. Hit the bounce for the full press release.

[Via PhoneScoop]

MetroPCS Unveils ‘Mas Mexico’ Service

Mas Mexico is an unlimited voice and text messaging add-on offering connecting MetroPCS customers with friends and family in Mexico for $5 per month–taxes and fees included.

Dallas — MetroPCS Communications, Inc. today announced the launch of Mas Mexico, an unlimited voice and text messaging plan to connect MetroPCS customers with friends and family in Mexico for $5 per month—taxes and regulatory fees included. This new calling feature enables MetroPCS customers to call the landlines of their loved ones in Mexico for a low monthly fee without the constraints of annual contracts. Along with unlimited calling, Mas Mexico also provides unlimited text messages to mobile phones in Mexico at no extra cost.

The Mas Mexico calling feature is an add-on to MetroPCS’ Wireless for All(SM) service plans introduced earlier this year. With the unlimited, no annual contract service, MetroPCS provides predictable, affordable and flexible service plans for consumers with no hidden costs or charges. Mas Mexico joins the Unlimited International Calling family of affordable features which connects people to more than 100 countries worldwide.

“MetroPCS is committed to finding innovative ways to deliver unparalleled value to our customers, and Mas Mexico meets the growing needs of consumers who are looking for an affordable way to stay connected,” said Roger Linquist, president, CEO and chairman of the board of MetroPCS. “The mobile phone is an integral part of our customers’ lives and a vital way for them to maintain the important relationships with family and friends they don’t see often. Mas Mexico helps bridge those long distances by providing a valuable feature at a low price.”

Mas Mexico details:

* Available to new and existing customers with tax and regulatory fee-inclusive (tax inclusive) rate plans of $50 and above. * Available on Family Plans with tax-inclusive rate plans of $50 and above (prior to discount). * Existing subscribers with tax-exclusive plans must convert to a tax-inclusive plan before purchasing the feature. * Available at all MetroPCS retail stores and participating authorized dealers. * Limited-time offer ends December 31, 2010.

For more information on the Mas Mexico calling feature, please visit MetroPCS’ Website at www.metropcs.com. For the latest updates on services and promotions, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MetroPCS.

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Bloomberg is reporting that Apple will launch a new version of Apple TV at tomorrow's press event, packing built-in support for Netflix movie streaming. A Netflix subscription will still be required, according to Bloomberg's anonymous insiders. We'll find out soon. [Bloomberg Businessweek] More »

An anonymous tipster has sent us images of their newly acquired Samsung Fascinate. We’re not sure how much longer Verizon can keep the lid on this device as recent developments seem to indicate a launch is immanent. We’re going to try and squeeze our connect a bit more and ask how much RAM the unit actually has on it (there is a debate over 384 MB or 512 MB). We have several higher resolution images after the break.

UPDATE: Phandroid has just leaked the 180 page user guide for those interested.

UPDATE 2: More images added.

These days, trying to score an HTC EVO 4G is like trying to photograph a giant squid; you know that both exist, and it should technically be possible, but they are nearly impossible to find. Well, Wirefly has just dropped us a note to say that they have taken shipment of some EVOs and will be selling them tomorrow via Facebook. Here is the exact email we were just dealt:

Wirefly Reserving HTC EVOs for Facebook Fans!

Wirefly has received a cache of EVOs today! As you know, HTC Evos have been hard to come by online or in stores. Because of the huge demand for the amazingly hot superphone and the limited supply constraints, we are reserving this offer to our loyal Facebook fans.  Sometime tomorrow, we will announce the HTC EVO 4G sale on Facebook– at a very special Wirefly price.  To take advantage of this offer, customers must be a ‘fan’ of Wirefly.     Here is how it works:

• Sometime tomorrow, Wirefly will announce the launch of the HTC EVO 4G sale on Facebook.
• Wirefly will publish a link to purchase the Evo on the “Friends Onlyâ€� tab of its Facebook page.
• Non-fans will not will be able view or access the link.
• Those not familiar with Facebook: To become a ‘fan’ of Wirefly, go to www.Facebook.com/Wirefly and click on the ‘LIKE’ button at the top of the page.

Reminder:  The EVO will not be available on Wirefly.com.  To access this limited-time offer, you must “Like� Wirefly’s Facebook page

So, if you don’t mind giving Wirefly a “Like” on the “Facebooks” you can afford yourself the opportunity to score an EVO 4G. Good luck and happy hunting.

Looks like Roku's going aggressive on price with its lineup of streamers in response to Sony's new $130 Netbox streamer, the upcoming Google TV launch, and rumors that we'll see that rumored $99 iOS-based Apple TV arrive on Wednesday. The SD box is down to $59 from $79, the standard HD is now $69 from $99, and the HD-XR with dual-band 802.11n and soon-to-be-enabled USB playback support is now $99 from $129. The HD-XR is also due to get 1080p streaming support later this year; it'll be focused on USB playback at first since most of the streaming channels are 720p right now.

Those prices are definitely getting close to impulse-buy territory, especially since a Roku is now one of the cheapest ways to get Netflix and Amazon VOD on a TV, along with other channels like MLB and UFC. In fact, Roku says its goal is to put three streamers in every house -- one next to every TV in the average American home. We applaud the ambition, but we've got a feeling this entire market is about get turned upside down once Apple and Google launch their initiatives.

Roku lowers prices across the board: HD box now $69, $99 HD-XR to get 1080p support originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We've seen these kinds of Verizon launch decks before, so we tend to believe the September 8 date we're seeing for the Fascinate here is legit -- granted, Wednesday is an odd day to launch a phone, but not a lot weirder than the Thursday, September 9 date we'd had before. Either way, it's looking like a sure thing that we're going to see this on shelves come next week, completing Sammy's impressive four-way coup to get its high-end Galaxy S line launched on all of the US nationals. Like the Droid 2 and Droid X, the Fascinate will feature Blockbuster Mobile to let you download full-length movies on the go -- in other words, that's a feature that won't be a Droid brand exclusive -- and Bing search will be installed out of the box, giving Microsoft a fun little foothold in Google's kingdom. So, who's buying? And while we're on the subject, why isn't this thing called the "Droid Fascinate?"

[Thanks, Bryan]

Samsung Fascinate launching on September 8? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For all the stupid pet tricks, first-person confessionals, and clips from Conan O'Brien's formative years that form YouTube's content, the one territory it doesn't really venture is pay-per-view à la Apple, Amazon, and others. Well, it'll be a Brave New World for the service -- and parent company Google -- if this Financial Times report is worth its weight in 3mm. According to the publication, the G-Men have been in talks with "Hollywood's leading movie studios" for several months, touting its reach as one of the main draws for the players involved, for the launch of an international pay-per-view service by the end of this year. Some prices are also thrown around here, to the tune of about $5 for new titles (streaming, not download) available the same time as the DVD releases. The video site has been doing rentals on a trial basis since early this year, with just a smattering of indie titles. The thought of paying to watch Blockbuster titles in the same window we watched three dozen (if not more) remixes of Keyboard Cat is still a bit of a new concept, but hey, that's the future for you.

YouTube courting Hollywood for pay-per-view movie service by end of 2010, says Financial Times originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Aug 2010 18:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Back in February of 2009, the launch of Sony's LocationPorter RVT-SD100 suggest that the days of needing a tricked out news van to transmit real-time on the scene video could be a thing of the past -- that is, if you had a spare $18k lying around and a solid 3G data connection. The newly-announced RVT-SD200 and its companion RVT-MR200 expands upon that dream by enabling up to 12 LocationPorters to transmit images to one single receiver. Besides paving the way for armies of techno box-toting reporters -- like the one pictured above -- to relay news as it happens, Sony also sees the potential for emergency services like police forces and fire departments to make use of the equipment to relay critical information. We could see that too, but if this new system is priced at anything like the old, we're betting tight public budgets won't make it happen. Then again we can't speak for the Sultan of Brunei's security force.

Sony's LocationPorter real-time video transmission system goes multichannel originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Aug 2010 01:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A recent SEC filing seems to indicate that WiMax provider Clearwire is planning a new, pay-as-you-go cellular data service. The filing reads, Clearwire “plans to serve a new pay-as-you-go customer segment.” It’s unclear exactly what Clearwire has planned — if anything — but analysts speculate the move was prompted by MetroPCS’ impending entry into the pre-paid 4G market place. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse has said that his company has considered offering pre-paid 4G data services, but has yet to make a move; Sprint is the majority owner of Clearwire. Clearwire’s network is resold by Best Buy, Comcast, Sprint, and Time Warner; it is unclear how this move will affect the services offered by those companies.

Wow, for a Friday afternoon things sure are sultry on the Verizon Wireless front. We’ve just been sent in a Verizon training document that seems to indicate that the Samsung Fascinate will launch on September 9th. The document is part of a pre-paid training series being offered to VZW retail employees. You’ll notice that to the right of the Fascinate the date 9/9/2010 is listed. So there are two stories here… the first is that all the evidence we’ve seen points to a September 9th launch for the Fascinate, the second is that Verizon Wireless will be offering the DROID 2, DROID X, DROID Incredible, and Fascinate as pre-pay devices. We’ve got the full memo after the break.

Thanks, double0kevin!

Given how fast the new Kindle's been selling, we doubt many of you were keenly holding out for Acer's alternative -- but if you were, the wait is apparently nearing an end. An Acer spokesperson has confirmed that the barcode scanning-LumiRead will be shipping out to retail channels (in Germany, at least) this October, and early speculation on its price places it at around €250 ($316). That's an unconfirmed number, so don't freak out just yet, and Acer points to the fact it'll pack one of the widest German-language e-libraries on any e-reading device. Maybe prices will be somewhat more competitive in other territories, where the major attractions will be WiFi and 3G wireless capabilities, a 6-inch, 800 x 600 E Ink display, and a Barnes and Noble content partnership. And hey, maybe when we hit IFA in a couple of days they might finally let us take it out of the box as well, eh? We can only dream.

Continue reading Acer LumiRead set for an IFA showing, October launch in Germany

Acer LumiRead set for an IFA showing, October launch in Germany originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 03:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bloomberg has updated their report, filed yesterday, on Apple’s plans to launch a 99-cent, a la carte style, TV-show rental service for their AppleTV product. The updated report states that, “Apple plans to hold a San Francisco event Sept. 7, two weeks ahead of the start of the new prime-time TV season, to unveil the service and an updated line of entertainment products.” Bloomberg also predicts that new AppleTV hardware that runs the company’s iOS, as well as a new high-resolution iPod Touch with front facing camera, will be unveiled at the event. Typically, Apple gives the media 7 to 10 days of notice for such events. We’ll report back if the September 7th date becomes official.

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The LG C900 has been outed by a Bluetooth SIG filing as having a September 28th launch date here in the U.S. The C900, which will be released by carrier AT&T, is a Windows Phone 7 full-QWERTY slider device that will be LG’s first swing at a WP7 handset. The handset will also be released internationally as the C900B, C900K, and C900N. The device certainly has been making the rounds in the last few days. We were dropped a tip of the devices existence, shortly after Engadget was sent an image (seen above), and now this Bluetooth SIG filing has been released. What do you think? Does the September 28th date hold water?

[Via PhoneScoop]

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Burritophones, Paul McCartney riots, and miraculous new extensions of the English language take center stage on the Engadget Podcast this week. Don't sleep.

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Guest: Myriam Joire (tnkgrl)
Music: Rock Lobster

00:04:07 - Epic 4G review
00:21:38 - Motorola Charm hitting T-Mobile on August 25 for $75 (update: Telus version caught on video!)
00:33:45 - Nokia's QWERTY-slidin' N9 shows up in the wilds of China (update: running MeeGo!)
00:35:20 - Nokia N9: the MacBook Pro Phone
00:51:27 - Xbox Live launch titles for Windows Phone 7 finally revealed, we've got the full preview
01:06:15 - Next gen PSP to have touch controls -- on the wrong side?
01:07:00 - Synaptics Fuse concept hands-on (second video)
01:09:10 - Canon PowerShot S95, the SD4500 IS, and SX130 IS play the low-light, HD video cards
01:11:38 - Nikon D3100 DSLR hands-on
01:13:00 - Nikon D3100 gets real, adds 1080p movie mode with continuous autofocus
01:14:54 - Nikon Coolpix S1100pj projector cam arrives with USB projection and touchscreen telestrator capabilities; S5100 arrives in tow
01:16:22 - Nikon Coolpix S1100pj and S5100 hands-on
01:18:53 - We finally, really did it: Engadget gets a new commenting system
01:29:24 - The Engadget Show returns next Friday, August 27th with Samsung CSO Omar Khan, Rock Band 3, and much more!

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Filed under: Podcasts

Engadget Podcast 209 - 08.20.2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last night, Business Insider sent foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley an email shortly after social networking giant Facebook announced the launch of their geo-location service, Places. The short email reads: “So is Facebook the location platform now? And is Foursquare an app on that platform?” Crowley responded with a few details about how his company will interact with Places, and their plans for the future:

No, we’re still a platform for location, specifically around sharing locations though check-ins, surfacing interesting things around you and using game mechanics to encourage and reward for certain actions and/or behaviors.

Facebook also launched a location platform, which appears to be mostly based on checkins (and common FB elements like comments/likes/photos).

We already allow users to publish their 4SQ checkins into the Facebook News Feed and we’ll eventually going to allow users to push them into the Facebook Checkin Feed.   I’d imagine we’ll prob pull FB checkins into 4SQ too.   We’re in the middle of a redesign and some new feature launches, so we’re going to get thru those before getting started on FB integration.

It will certainly be interesting to see how the two companies push each other and differentiate themselves while adding value to and growing their user-bases. What are your thoughts on geo-location social networks like foursquare and Facebook’s Places?

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Bloomberg is reporting that the rumored BlackBerry tablet, dubbed the BlackPad, will run an operating system designed by QNX Software; QNX is the software company RIM acquired back in April. Bloomberg quotes anonymous sources with knowledge of the matter, and speculates a November launch for the deivce. “QNX, with headquarters in Ottawa, has customers in the automotive, industrial, medical, and communications industries. Its software helps control the music, media and navigation systems in cars such as those from Bayerische Motoren Werke AG and Porsche SE,” writes the company’s website. The BlackPad is rumored to be a Wi-Fi tablet that will closely integrate with BlackBerry handsets, although it is not clear if a BlackBerry will be necessary for the device to function. What do you think? Is QNX software a relief, or would you prefer to see a customized version of BlackBerry 6 on the fabled device?