May 20, 2012

About The Techie

The Techie knows all about gadgets and devices. His helpful reviews inform readers of the latest advances in electronics and other tech products. Look to The Techie for all things technology.

Xcom Global opens international MiFi rental / service center in New York City

Serving jetsetters at LAX just wasn't enough for Xcom Global. Engadget's personal favorite when it comes to snagging international data before leaving the States is now opening up shop in the Big Apple -- a wise move for increasing its presence in a market where loads of humans are doing business in nations other than the United States. Xcom's … [Read more...]

Microsoft officially offering Xbox 360 4GB console for $99, two-year Live Gold subscription required

Whoa, Nelly! As rumored, Microsoft is indeed shattering the home console pricing paradigm by trying something that US wireless carriers have been doing for years. As of now, the official Microsoft Store is hosting up a coupon that'll enable prospective Xbox buyers to snag a 4GB console bundle for just $ 99 (a $ 200 savings versus the outright … [Read more...]

Qualcomm gets on the Band 41 bandwagon, pledges support for Clearwire’s upcoming LTE TDD network

Not exactly groundbreaking news here -- Clearwire's impending LTE TDD network is happening, regardless -- but it's always good to have the weight of a mainstay like Qualcomm behind you. Particularly when you're pushing uphill, into the wind, against far more established 4G networks from AT&T and Verizon Wireless. Qually has announced that it'll … [Read more...]

Facebook IPO is official: $38 per share, on sale tomorrow under ticker symbol ‘FB’

We largely steer clear of companies going public here at Engadget, but Facebook and its zillions of users warrants an atypical tip of the hat. The outfit has announced that starting tomorrow, 421,233,615 shares of its common stock will be up for grabs at a price to the public of $ 38 per share. It'll trade on the NASDAQ under the symbol "FB," with … [Read more...]

Editorial: Thin laptops are the new mainstream, but what about battery life?

Bandwagons, trains and Tranes. Can't say that these three have a heck of a lot in common in most regards, but one thing's for sure: trying to stop this trio would be a Herculean task. And so it goes with laptops -- once upon a time, it was good enough to have something that resembled a portable tower, but these days, the ability to even see the … [Read more...]

Google reportedly planning stable of Nexus devices with Android 5.0, will sell ‘em direct

Hand firmly grasping hat? Good. The Wall Street Journal is reporting on quite the bombshell today, noting that Google is about to cause its carrier partners in the States all sorts of grief -- indirectly, of course. Just weeks after placing its heralded Galaxy Nexus on sale for $ 399 unlocked, the report states that said move is only the beginning … [Read more...]

WSJ: LightSquared ‘preparing’ for bankruptcy protection filing, final decision coming tomorrow

Can't say it's striking us as any sort of surprise, but the seemingly destined-to-fail LightSquared just might be out of options. After getting a high-five from Sprint and plenty of attention for its initiatives in bringing yet another wireless option to America, those blasted GPS interference issues (or "supposed" issues, depending on who you ask) … [Read more...]

LightSquared officially files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

As expected, May 14th is indeed a dark day for LightSquared. The company has just filed paperwork in order to initiate Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in Manhattan's US Bankruptcy Court, effectively killing its dream of providing a high-speed mobile wireless network to upwards of 260 million people. Not quite a year after Sprint and LightSquared … [Read more...]