News broke earlier this week that Apple has acquired Israel-based fabless flash memory firm Anobit for as much as $400 million according to TheMarker, adding another leading chip maker to the company’s portfolio. Anobit’s NAND flash memory is already used in Apple products including the iPhone and iPad, and the firm’s technology is said to offer several advantages over that of its rivals. As DigiTimes pointed out in a recent report, the move also means Anobit’s other clients are now forced to look elsewhere as Apple becomes the exclusive owner of Anobit’s chip technology. Major players including Hynix and Micron were Anobit partners in the past, taking advantage of the company’s proprietary technology that improves the performance and lifespan of its flash memory products. Hynix, Micron and others are now reportedly looking to Taiwan-based companies including Phison Electronics and Silicon Motion Technology following the acquisition. Direct gains from Apple’s Anobit buy include the company’s technology and talent, but another advantage over rivals now emerges as a clear secondary benefit — smartphone vendors that used NAND flash memory chips made by soon-to-be former Anobit clients will no longer be able to utilize Anobit’s class-leading technology.

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NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and SoftBank have created the “Japan Mobile NFC Consortium,” which will help the three carriers coordinate and adopt an international NFC standard. Currently, all three operators offer an NFC service dubbed Osaifu-Keitai (wallet phone) which uses a contactless-IC smartcard that’s called FeliCa. Unfortunately, the technology doesn’t work overseas where other carriers use Type A or Type B NFC standards, which means Osaifu-Ketai won’t function properly for NTT DoCoMo, KDDI or SoftBank customers hoping to use their phones for mobile payments overseas. The three carriers hope they can work with handset makers and vendors to encourage the adoption of Type A and Type B NFC standards. The consortium also aims to “create an environment in Japan where service providers can offer efficient, low-cost NFC services based on common standards and rules adopted by the three mobile operators.” The full press release follows after the break.

DOCOMO, KDDI and SOFTBANK Establish Consortium to Promote NFC Services Compatible with Multiple International Standards Partnerships

TOKYO, JAPAN, December 21, 2011 — NTT DOCOMO, INC., KDDI CORPORATION and SOFTBANK MOBILE Corp. announced today their establishment of Japan Mobile NFC Consortium to coordinate the adoption of multiple international standards for near field communication (NFC) technologies incorporated in their mobile devices and services.

Japan’s three mobile operators already offer Osaifu- Keitai™ (wallet phone) mobile services based on the contactless-IC smartcard called FeliCa®. Overseas, however, mobile operators and service providers are increasingly adopting Type A and Type B standards to develop growing markets for NFC services. In view of this worldwide trend, the consortium intends to work with mobile industry groups in Japan, including service suppliers and handset manufacturers, to incorporate compatibility with the Type A and B standards in the Japanese mobile ecosystem.

By ensuring compatibility with multiple NFC standards, the consortium aims to:

- Free mobile users in Japan, both residents and international travelers, from having to concern themselves about different NFC service standards.

- Create an environment in Japan where service providers can offer efficient, low-cost NFC services based on common standards and rules adopted by the three mobile operators.

Samsung on Thursday unveiled two new dual-SIM smartphones, the Galaxy Y Duos and the Galaxy Y Pro Duos. A phone with two SIM card slots offers a number of benefits; it’s perfect for two people hoping to share a single phone in emerging markets, but it’s also great for business travelers that want to use one account for personal matters and a second as a business line. The Galaxy Y Duos runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and has a processor clocked at 832MHz and a 3-megapixel camera. The Galaxy Y Pro Duos offers similar specs but has a smaller 2.6-inch display and a full QWERTY keyboard. Both phones will initially launch in Russia. The Galaxy Y Duos will then roll out into Europe, CIS, Latin America, Southeast and Southwest Asia, the Middle East, Africa and China. The Galaxy Y Pro Duos will launch in Europe, CIS, Latin America, Southwest Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Samsung’s full press release follows after the break.

Balance work and play with GALAXY Y DUOS and GALAXY Y Pro DUOS

2011.12.22

Samsung adds Dual SIM smartphones into its GALAXY smartphone line-up

SEOUL, Korea – December 22, 2011 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced the latest additions to the GALAXY smartphone series, Samsung GALAXY Y DUOS and Samsung GALAXY Y Pro DUOS. Beginning in January 2012, these new devices will be available in Russia, and GALAXY Y DUOS will be gradually rolled out to Europe, CIS, Latin America, Southeast and Southwest Asia, Middle East, Africa and China. GALAXY Y Pro DUOS will be coming to Europe, CIS, Latin America, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Africa.

GALAXY Y DUOS and GALAXY Y Pro DUOS feature a unique Dual SIM system that maximizes communication flexibility by allowing two separate phone numbers and a simultaneous use of data on the same device. Users who need to balance busy professional and social lives can access and seamlessly switch from one line to the other with GALAXY Y DUOS or GALAXY Y Pro DUOS.

“With the tremendous success of the Dual SIM feature phones, we are now very pleased to be introducing the first Dual SIM smartphones powered by Android™. “We have been actively exploring this market and are well aware of the need for Dual SIM smartphones,” said JK Shin, President of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. “With the GALAXY Y DUOS and the GALAXY Y Pro DUOS, Samsung will be offering more choices for all consumers.”

Samsung’s First Full Touch Smartphone with Dual SIM, GALAXY Y DUOS
GALAXY Y DUOS is for young and practical consumers who want to manage their professional career and busy social life with affordable price. Beyond the flexibility of its dual SIM card system, GALAXY Y DUOS is a beautifully designed smartphone contained in a 11.98mm polished metallic casing. Its ergonomic design is complemented by a 3.14” full touch display that provides optimal legibility for a smartphone of its size.

Powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread and running on a powerful 832MHz processor, GALAXY Y DUOS offers advanced performance and versatility needed to successfully manage busy professional and social lifestyles.

GALAXY Y DUOS also provides users with multiple options to enrich their social lives. It features ChatON, Samsung’s unique cross-platform communication service that connects all mobile users into a single community. Users can also stay connected through Social Hub, which supports email, social network integration and instant messaging, displaying all of your communication in a single inbox.

Samsung’s First QWERTY Smartphone with Dual SIM, GALAXY Y Pro DUOS
Samsung is also introducing GALAXY Y Pro DUOS, which offers additional benefits for young professionals with the combination of a full QWERTY keyboard with a 2.6” display, giving them more business-friendly experience with better flexibility and usability.

GALAXY Y Pro DUOS offers enhanced productivity with the inclusion of Polaris and Find My Mobile professional tools. Polaris offers easy viewing and editing of a wide range of Office documents, enabling you to work with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and even PDF files while on-the-move. Samsung’s Find My Mobile Service ensures peace-of-mind by letting users remotely lock the phone at anytime, as well as trace the phone or remotely wipe its contents in case of loss or theft.

The users can also enjoy Social Hub Premium, offering support for push email and messaging, and seamless calendar and contact synchronization between the phone and users’ Google, Yahoo and MSN accounts.

Apple is not likely to succeed in its efforts to ban Samsung’s revised flagship tablet in Germany, the judge presiding over the case said on Thursday. The Dusseldorf court in September banned a local Samsung subsidiary from selling the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany after determining that the design of Samsung’s tablet copied the iPad too closely. “Other designs are possible,” Judge Johanna Brueckner-Hofmann said at the time, and Samsung came back with a tweaked Galaxy Tab 10.1N in November that included changes intended to help Samsung skirt the ban. Apple filed a new complaint later that month in an effort to block sales of the revised slate, but the judge said on Thursday that Apple is unlikely to win this time around. Judge Brueckner-Hofmann said Samsung’s changes appear to have addressed the problem areas she saw in its original 10-inch tablet, Bloomberg Businesweek reported, though an official determination has not yet been made.

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The United States International Trade Commission ruled late Tuesday that Motorola Mobility is guilty of infringing on one of Microsoft’s patents. The patent is related to calendar sync and how one might use a device to schedule a meeting, BBC News explained. Microsoft originally filed a suit against Motorola Mobility in August in an attempt to block sales of several Motorola Android smartphones, such as DROID 2, DROID X and several others, and accused Motorola Mobility of infringing on seven total patents. The ITC judge ruled that Motorola Mobility devices do not infringe on six of Microsoft’s patents, however. Microsoft recently filed a similar lawsuit against Barnes & Noble, and the company has already reached licensing agreements with HTC, Samsung, ViewSonic and several other firms. “The ones who can actually sit back and relax as they watch this are those who have concluded license deals with Microsoft (or other patent holders) and don’t have to worry about possible or actual import bans, possible or impossible workarounds, or further escalation,” patent expert Florian Mueller of FOSS Patents explained recently.

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Ready for some quality time with Motorola’s new Xoom tablet? The folks from the big glowing red M sat down with us this afternoon and provided a bit of a sneak peak into the world of the Xoom tablet. While the Android 3.0-based device wasn’t running a fully functional version of the new OS, we did have a chance to get a sneak peak at some of the upcoming device’s capabilities. Much of what this thing can do is tied directly to what Android 3.0 can do, which is to say… it can do a whole lot. Video conferencing, integrating Skype, tabbed browsing, and that’s just the beginning. Moto re-iterated Verizon’s claim that all devices initially sold with the 3G chip will be hardware-upgradeable to the new 4G LTE chips as soon as they become available. All it will take is a quick trip to your local Verizon Store to have the device serviced. Ahh, if only all devices were that future-proof. Hang tight for our video to upload — it’s coming!

Following Thursday’s fast-paced Verizon 4G LTE announcement, we were eager to get a bit of hands-on time with one of the keynote’s stars, the Samsung LTE Smartphone. The as-yet-named handset is spec’ed to impress — with a 4.3″ Super OLED screen, 1 GHz processor, 8 megapixel rear-facing and 1.3 megapixel front-facing shooters, and more, all running atop Android 2.2. In use, the handset proved to be speedy and responsive, which is becoming quite the common theme (something you won’t hear us complaining about, especially considering the choppy beginnings of Androids initial UI interaction just a year or two ago). We’re expecting a more fitting, superlative-drenched name to be announced as soon as Samsung and VZW get around to blessing us with a release date and pricing info, but in the mean time, enjoy the hands-on video after the break!

Fresh off this morning’s Verizon/Sling partnership announcement, Sling took some time to show us its best and brightest. We got a chance to see the Windows Phone 7 version of its Sling Player app in action, and were definitely impressed with the quality of the streaming video. Sling mentioned that the WP7 version of its software delivers the highest-quality content out of all of its mobile apps, and based on what we saw today we’re certainly not going to argue with that contention.

We also had a chance to spend some time with Sling’s iPad App which, suitably, offers a much richer and more immersive Sling experience than is available on any of its smaller-format apps. Video quality was amazing, and choosing content from the on-board channel guide was easier than using a full size TV and remote.

The company was more or less mum about their upcoming Verizon partnership, but did confirm that they will be offering a subscription based service which will come complete with a totally unique-to-Verizon Sling box unit that will be either subsidized or free depending on the specifics of the Sling subscription that the user opts in to. More details on that will certainly be emerging in the coming weeks and months, but expect to see it hit the streets sometime in late Winter/early Spring.

Read on to see a video of the player in action and our image gallery!

Following our press briefing with the PlayBook early today, we wanted to get a bit more up-close and personal with the BlackBerry Bridge software. Bridge, for those that don’t know, is the bit of technology that connects the BlackBerry handset to the PlayBook and allows for the use of BlackBerry Messenger, BlackBerry Email, and BlackBerry Calendar on the PlayBook itself. For the time being, Bridge will provide the PlayBook with all of its email, calendar, and BBM functionality — there are no stand-alone applications on the device. You read that correctly: without a BlackBerry on hand, you won’t be able to access any of your BlackBerry-specific messaging software. Don’t get us started. Regardless of this fact, RIM was kind enough to give us a demo of the Bridge connection and, for what it is, it works just as advertised. Any edits on the PlayBook are mirrored on your Berry, and vice versa. Drafts saved are accessible on both, and because all of the data is routed through the BlackBerry’s data connection, all Enterprise policies will remain secure and intact, which is definitely a concern for security minded companies looking to integrate tablets into their corporate environment. All told, Bridge does exactly what Bridge is supposed to do… the only question is whether you can live with having to tether your tablet every time you want to send a message.

You have to feel just a little sympathy for the Samsung SCH-i520. Showcased next to handsets with names like Thunderbolt and BIONC, this poor little guy is only identifiable by his model name — it’s simply referred to as the “Samsung 4G LTE Smartphone” in Verizon’s official press release. Aside from the name, the device does boast a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, 1GHz processor, 8 megapixel rear-facing camera, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, and Android 2.2… so you can’t feel too, too bad for the device. We were given a few minutes with the i520 — which is all we need to form an opinion — and are ready to give you the skinny. Hit the bounce below and let’s do this thing.

The real star of this handset is — obviously — the display. The 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display has the standard 480 x 854 pixel resolution, but has 50% more sub-pixels reducing the visual noise perceived by the eye — this screen looks extremely crisp. The bottom of the device comes to a slight point (it isn’t completely rounded) and draws your eye towards the center of the phone. Despite the device’s dimensions it looks smaller than it is. We’re not sure if this is due to the slight point we just mentioned or the device’s thin waist, but it looks great. The back of the device is glossy, finger-print-magnetic black and is made of plastic (consistent with most Samsung offerings). The device has an HDMI-out port (which we love) and a set of physical Android keys on the front (another bonus). As you may have guessed by the device’s generic name — Samsung 4G LTE Smartphone — the i520 also includes an LTE chipset to take advantage of Verizon’s soon-to-be-expanding 4G network.

This set is still, however, nameless, and we would guess that it will be launching in the later-half of the first-half of 2011. Hopefully by release time, the device will be rocking Android 2.3.

]]> http://www.bgr.com/2011/01/06/hands-on-with-samsungs-unnamed-sch-i520/feed/ 13 http://www-bgr-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Watermarked0120-80x80.jpg http://www.bgr.com/2011/01/06/dell-streak-7-hands-on/ http://www.bgr.com/2011/01/06/dell-streak-7-hands-on/#comments Thu, 06 Jan 2011 20:54:20 +0000 Joshua Karp http://www.bgr.com/?p=71922

We have to be up-front about our hands-on time with the newly announced Dell Streak 7… it was brief. We found ourselves with just a few minutes of time to spare between the T-Mobile event and Verizon’s upcoming event though, so we managed to check out Dell’s latest tablet offering. In a nutshell, it was a whole lot like, well, the Dell Streak. Hit the jump for our preliminary thoughts.

The look and feel of the Streak 7 is very similar to the Streak, of course, though we must mention that the Streak 7 felt much more responsive and fluid compared to its predecessor. This is thanks in no small part to the 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor lurking within, of course. Despite having been manhandled quite a bit before we managed to get our hands on it, there was no bogging or stuttering to speak of and multitasking was smooth as can be. Of course Android 2.2 has a decidedly stodgy look to it now that Honeycomb is beginning to swarm the show floor, but compatibility with T-Mobile’s speedy HSPA+ 4G network helps bring some shine back to Froyo.

Amidst the Studio 54-like lighting in the T-Mobile booth, we really couldn’t get a good feel for the display, but the Gorilla Glass-covered WVGA screen on the Streak 7 seems like it’ll get the job done well. We also sampled the browser a bit, but connectivity was too clogged to get anywhere.

We’re definitely looking forward to spending some more time with the Streak 7 once things calm down a bit. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out our gallery, skimpy though it may be, and stay tuned for more action from the show!

Big Red officially kicked off CES with its keynote address earlier this morning, and now, Big Red it taking the stage for a solo press conference to pimp its new network, hardware, and solutions. You know your friends at BGR are in the house and ready to relay all the pertinent information to you by way of the live blog. Grab some popcorn, an orange soda, and hit the jump. Kickoff is just minutes away!

3:36 PM: We’re here!

3:38 PM: Lots of creepy faces and the color red. Feels like Amsterdam’s Red-light District in here.

3:45 PM: 15 minutes until show time. Commence playing Angry Birds in 3…2…1…

3:55 PM: 5 minutes… if another one of those green pigs wearing one of those stupid helmets winks at me one more time I just might lose it right here and now.

4:04 PM: People are still taking their seats. Verizon might be waiting until the place fills up a bit more…

4:09 PM: “Ladies and gentlemen, the event is about to begin.”

4:11 PM: “Verizon 4G will transform the world we live in.”

4:11 PM: “Mobile is in real time. Think it. Do it.”

4:11 PM: “Growth far beyond just phones.”

4:12 PM: Tony Mallone and Marni Walden entering stage left.

4:13 PM: It’s been just 32 days since the launch of LTE for Verizon. Today we launch 4G LTE for consumers.

4:13 PM: Partners on the screen include Moto, LG, Skype, and many more.

4:13 PM: Today they’ll be talking about network, applications, software, and mostly devices. DEVICES!

4:13 PM: Verizon will be opening an application center in San Francisco to support device app development (queue video from Verizon’s development partners).

4:16 PM: Peter Chou and others are on this video giving Verizon and LTE kuods. We’re not sure if this means they are not here.

4:18 PM: Video is Talking up Verizon’s 700MHz network, which is ubiquitous and allows for LTE to cover many more Americans. Rural initiative will allow Verizon to partner with smaller rural carriers to bring high speed data to smaller areas.

4:19 PM: Bluegrass Cellular was the first of many Rural Initiative partners. Tony Mallone is now speaking.

4:19 PM: “We believe it’s the right thing to do for our country.”

4:19 PM: “We are going to continue to make sure we deliver and provide the best network anywhere in the world.”

4:19 PM: “Our commitment to excellence is going to continue with our focus and our employees committed to delivering the best network.”

4:20 PM: Tony is going to make some “deeper LTE comments.”

4:21 PM: “We expected early speed bumps, but actual performance is exceeding their own expectations, and customer feedback is excellent.”

4:23 PM: We said 25-30 markets in 2010, but they hit 38 markets. We also hit download speed and latency benchmarks for 2010.

4:24 PM: Seeing LTE testimonials from users.

4:25 PM: Verizon says they will do the same thing with LTE that they did with 2G and 3G. In 36 months, the nation will be covered in LTE. In 18 months, double footprint from today. In 2011 alone, they will add over 140 LTE markets to the current 38, making 175+ markets of LTE.

4:26 PM: “Now we want to share the stars of the show.” DEVICES!

4:27 PM: We just had the wildest rolling-display intros ever. Smoke machines and flying tables!!

4:27 PM: Verizon is introing the first 10 LTE devices: 4 Smartphones, 2 tablets, 2 mobile hotspots, and 2 notebooks. All will be available by midyear.

4:28 PM: “It’s not just about doing things faster, it’s about doing things you couldn’t do before.”

4:28 PM: Key partners here to demonstrate the devices and apps include, LG, coming to the stage now. LG CEO Jong Seok Park is taking the stage

4:31 PM: “The future is here, and LG is very peoud to be part of this industry revolution.”

4:31 PM: Now Skype is on stage touting how well it works on Verizon’s LTE network: “low latency, and quality is all beneficial to Skype mobile users.”

4:32 PM: Video and voice calls will continue to improve over Verizon’s LTE network. Cross platform calling, from phones, to connected TVs, to tablets, and more.

4:32 PM: The new version of Skype mobile will be deeply integrated into all of the new Verizon handsets.

4:32 PM: Status and contacts will be available directly from the on-board address books.

4:32 PM: Rapid and smooth one-touch video chatting.

4:33 PM: The application will always be on.

4:33 PM: Skypes time is up. Peter Chou of HTC is up next. (start the Thunderbolt chant!)

4:34 PM: Peter Chou is talking in front of a shot of the Thunderbolt.

4:35 PM: “Now we are teaming up to launch Verizon’s first 4G LTE smartphone, the HTC Thunderbolt”

4:35 PM: “I’ve been testing and using Thunderbolt as my personal device, and let me tell you. It’s blazing fast!”

4:36 PM: Skype video chat is integrated into the HTC Sense interface. Video streaming over 4G is incredible. 4.3″ SLCD screen.

4:36 PM: Includes mobile hotspot to share 4G connection.

4:37 PM: Chou: “After working on smartphones for more than a decade, I’m super excited to see this mobile broadband experience from Verizon!”

4:38 PM: HTC’s time is up. Travis Boatman from EA is now taking the stage.

4:39 PM: We’re seeing a demo of a networked version of Rock Band.

4:40 PM: The concept is cool. The demo is uninspiring.

4:40 PM: Okay, EA has been ushered off the stage.

4:41 PM: Here comes JK Shin from Samsung Mobile.

4:42 PM: Shin: “I’m very proud to join in this historic moment. I am very excited that verizon has selected samsung to launch a wide range of products together.”

4:42 PM: “Today we’re getting a smartphone, a 4G LTE Galaxy Tab, and a 4G LTE mobile hotspot.”

4:43 PM: The Samsung 4G LTE smartphone is designed with a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen.

4:43 PM: Rear facing 8MP cam, HD video, 1.3 mp front facing cam. Video conferencing is really the star here.

4:43 PM: The 4G Galaxy tab, which Shin just pulled out of his pocket, provides the true mobile tablet experience.

4:44 PM: 1.2 Ghz processor from Samsung, provides fully immersive netowkred ideo experience.

4:44 PM: Shin just went into his other pocket to pull out a mobile hotspot.

4:44 PM: It’s small enough for pocket or purse, and allows for up to 5 LTE connections at once.

4:45 PM: Shin: LTE provides “Speed, connectivity, and rich multimedia content!”

4:45 PM: Okay, Samsung is done. Marni is back on stage.

4:45 PM: Talking about HP Pavilion laptop with LTE embedded and a Novatel MiFi with 4G.

4:46 PM: Should have 10 LTE device in the first half of the year.

4:48 PM: Okay, time for Q&A. The press releases are starting to fly and we’re writing them up as we speak. Keep it locked on our home page. ETA 5 minutes.

4:50 PM:
Question about network loads slowing down user speeds.
Verizon seems confident that the network will be able to handle the increased load.

Question about battery life optimization for 4G stuff, and also whether global roaming will be enabled.
Once again, confident that battery life will not be a problem. Everything is optimized for long battery life and speed. As for roaming the devices will be able to take advantage of overseas networks.

4:51 PM: Verizon says they aren’t announcing any pricing today — for devices or for data rate plans. “The only thing is that today in the market place, there are two price plans for 5GB and 10GB, but they won’t comment on specifics for LTE.”

Okay, that’s it for us. You can check out Verizon’s official press release covering all that was mentioned today right here! Thanks for tuning in!

With Verizon’s CES keynote in the books it’s time to move on to the next one… T-Mobile. The nation’s forth largest carrier is expected to focus on its 4G network, technology, and hardare. Hit the jump to follow along!

2:10 PM: T-mobile CEO and President Philipp Humm is talking about 4G lineup expansion.

2:12 PM: Announcing 23 4G devices by the end of 2010, including tablets and phones.

2:17 PM: T-Mobile has the largest 4G footprint in America. Fastest data in top 100 markets.

2:18 PM: 300 % increase in video usage in the past year.

2:19 PM: CTO Neville Ray has taken the stage.

2:19 PM: Clarifying “4G” language: 4G means great radio and great backbone.

2:19 PM: 100 major 4G markets, which is 160% bigger than Verizon’s LTE footprint.

2:20 PM: 40% more coverage than Sprint/Clear LTE.

2:20 PM: T-Mobile has very large and comprehensive 4G mobile footprint.

2:21 PM: “The competition will play catch up as we continue to move forward and raise the bar.”

2:22 PM: “HSPA+ growth over the next 5 years is expected to hit 2.5 billion subscribers vs. 500 million for LTE.”

2:23 PM: T-Mobile will do LTE when the “technology is mature.”

2:24 PM: HSPA+ is better than LTE because of its increased spectral efficiency and improved throughput.

2:24 PM: 21mbps today, expecting to hit 672 mbps by the end of the next decade; 42mbps confirmed by 2011

2:25 PM: T-Mobile is officially announcing 42 mbps HSPA+ today (we’re seeing a HSPA+ 21Mbps demo).

2:28 PM: T-Mobile is noting that they’ve tested their 4G technology on a loaded network, unlike Verizon.

2:28 PM: Verizon is at exactly 10Mbps and Wimax is at 4mbps average throughput; on T-Moible’s HSPA+ is getting just under 10Mbps, again… on a full network.

2:30 PM: Seeing demo with 42Mbps HSPA+ laptop data stick. Getting speeds of around 30Mbps. Fire.

2:31 PM: T-Mo seems to be having a little trouble with its demo. Speeds start around 30Mbps but fluctuate up and down… on a full network?

2:33 PM: We’re seeing a game demo.

2:33 PM: The gaming demo is designed to show improved network latency and is actually going smoothly.

2:34 PM: Demo over *crowd lightly applauds*

2:37 PM: 3 Main points: HSPA+ benefits both new devices and legacy devices

2:37 PM: “42 improves legacy experience”; There will be no premium 4G pricing; 2011 42 MBps footprint: launching for 140 million subscribers… 2/3rds of total existing HSPA footprint

2:38 PM: CMO Cole Brodman is taking the stage.

2:39 PM: Launching 25 4G devices this year and we expect tablets to explode in 2011.

2:40 PM: T-Mobile will be the place where consumers come for tablets because of “the need for speed.”

2:41 PM: John Thode, VP of Dell Mobility is up now. Dell Streak 7 anyone?

2:42 PM: Dell thinks about the Streak 7 as the ultimate experience in social neworking and entertainment.

2:42 PM: “Value priced and perfect for students” (no mention of price yet).

2:43 PM: Motto for the streak is “collect, consume, and share.”

2:43 PM: Will weigh under 1lb. NVIDIA dual-core processor, HSPA+

2:45 PM: widget based interface to facilitate intuitive use, based on Dell Stage UI

2:45 PM: “Wi-Fi sharing for up to 5 devices.”

2:46 PM: Available in the “coming weeks”.

2:47 PM: Wow, that’s it… well… I guess we’re out of here. Make sure to keep it locked here on BGR for all the latest CES goodness.

Following the crazy storm of tech news that rained down from Vegas yesterday, it’s hard to believe that today is actually the official start of the 2011 Consumer Electronics show. But today is the day, and things are set to pick up right where they left off last night. Verizon Wireless CEO Ivan Seidenberg has been called on to deliver the first big keynote today, and the focus will be LTE 4G. AT&T set the ber pretty high yesterday, but Big Red still has the jump with LTE already having been deployed in several markets. So what’s in store for today? 4G modems? 4G smartphones? 4G tablets? 4G iPhones? Ok, we probably won’t see any iPhones, but hit the jump to follow the action in our live-blog.

8:30AM: We’re in our seats and ready to rock. Data connectivity is a little iffy right now so please bear with us. We’re also working on getting images up soon.

8:37AM: An announcement just came on saying the show is set to start in 10 minutes.

8:45AM: The monitors all have Verizon logos on them now – should be kicking off any minute.

8:48AM: CEA Chief Executive Gary Shapiro is on stage making an introductory speech.

8:55AM: They’re showing us a little video on wireless innovation now. Seidenberg should be up soon.

8:59AM: Shapiro is pitching his book, The Comeback, now. Mmm hmm.

9:05AM: Now we’re hearing about how great CES is this year, and that almost every major player in consumer electronics is represented here.

9:07AM: Shapiro says Seidenberg is going to make history with his keynote this morning.

9:09AM: And now the Verizon CEO is getting a verbal massage from Shapiro. Looks like he’ll be out any minute!

9:10AM: Now we have an intro video playing and Seidenberg is making his way on stage.

9:11AM: Seidenberg is praising CES CEO Shapiro – and now he’s joking that keynote attendees should turn their wireless devices back on (Seidenberg has said to turn everything off).

9:13AM: There are 2 billion Internet users and 5 billion wireless users around the globe.

9:14AM: Smartphones are growing at 90% per year and the mobile app market is blowing up.

9:15AM: video now accounts for 50% of home Internet traffic. Average home broadband speeds are 7Mbps.

9:17AM: What will customers want over the next 10 years? 3D, holograms, smart homes. Verizon’s 4G network will help take us there.

9:18AM: Lowell McAdam is now on stage.

9:19AM: Verizon set out to build the fastest and most advanced wireless network in the country according to McAdam, and that vision is becoming a reality in 2011.

9:19AM: Verzion will double LTE coverage in the next 12 months, and blanket the country by the end of 2013.

9:20AM: LTE ecosystem is developing very rapidly. Motorola DROID Bionic and Motorola XOOM are examples of that.

9:20AM: “LTE is a game changer because it speeds up the development cycle.”

9:21AM: Verizon is more than capable of handling the huge growth of video and other traffic moving forward — gigabit home service isn’t far off.

9:23AM: It takes 4.5 hours to download a full length film at today’s average home broadband speeds. On Verizon’s top FiOS service, it takes 4.5 minutes to download that same movie.

9:25AM: The real magic happens when you bring all of this together.” LTE, home broadband, next-gen smartphones, etc.

9:26AM: Now we’re going to see how Verizon’s partners are going to help push Verizon’s vision forward. Seidenberg is back do make some intros.

9:28AM: Jeff Bewkes, CEO of Time Warner is up first – he says the first golden era of TV was when it was invented and the second is now.

9:29AM: Bewkes said we’re in the midst of the best programming era in the history of television. Not just variety – quality, picture quality, 3D, etc.

9:30AM: Seidenberg: Verizon is now tasking with delivering all of this great content to homes, computers, smartphones, and so on.

9:31AM: They’re playing a video of Conan O’Brian, who is concerned with how and where he’s going to watch his own show.

9:33AM: Time Warner also enlisted the help of TNT’s NBA team, Wolf Blitzer, Ellen DeGeneres, Mary Mark – I mean, dramatic actor Mark Wahlberg – and others in this video.

9:36AM: So the basic idea is… Time Warner programming is awesome.

9:38AM: The video demo is over now. They’re discussing TV Everywhere now – getting programming on all devices over all types of connections. “If you have subscribed to a television service [...] you ought to have it on demand, on every device you want.” And, according to Seidenberg, you shouldn’t have to pay extra for it.

9:40AM: Verizon’s FlexView is a huge challenge to to all of the different providers and devices out there.

9:42AM: Seidenberg is saying thanks and goodbye to Bewkes now, and here comes Motorola Mobility boss Sanjay Jha.

9:44AM: The DROID franchise is a huge success, and it was the result of a collaboration between Motorola, Google and Verizon.

9:45AM: The DROID Bionic is the next step. Jha calls it the era of “no more waiting.” No more waiting for downloads, videos, etc.

9:46AM: Now he’s showing off the Motorola XOOM tablet that was introduced yesterday. Demo video time.

9:48AM: The Motorola XOOM will launch in February and it will be upgraded to 4G in the second quarter. The DROID Bionic will launch in the second quarter.

9:49AM: Now Google engineer Mike Clarin is on stage to demo Honeycomb!

9:50AM: With Honeycomb, Google focused on catering the OS for tablets and improving the tablet experience across the board.

9:52AM: Now we’re getting a demo of Android widgets on Honeycomb. Unlike the iPad, Honeycomb tablets will offer full widget support. Widgets can be customized, moved around, etc. Now we’re looking at the browser.

9:54AM: The Honeycomb browser offers a “desktop browsing” experience. We’ve heard that plenty of times before but truth be told, this looks pretty darn slick.

9:55AM: Great integration with Google Maps 5.0, of course. When you zoom in far enough, it automatically enables 3D view.

9:56AM: Non-intrusive notification system that carrier a lot more information than Android’s smartphone notifications. They can even include photos.

9:56AM: Task switching looks great in Honeycomb.

9:57AM: Google eBooks has also been redesigned for Honeycomb. It has automatic cloud sync for your book library and to hold your place across devices.

9:59AM: Now we’re seeing video chat via Google Talk. The demo went really well after a hiccup, and the quality is ok (all things considered).

10:00AM: Final predictions from Sanjay Jha: This year will create the biggest technology opportunities for consumer electronics companies.

10:01AM: Sanjay made sure to snag that XOOM as he hurried off stage.

10:02AM: McAdam is back and he’s talking about Verizon’s great programs for developer and entrepreneurs. Verizon is currently working with over 6,000 developers on LTE-friendly solutions.

10:05AM: Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg is back to wrap things up.

10:07AM: Verizon is working with a variety of partners to utilize its networks in the best ways possible. Verizon is testing “connected home solutions” that will roll out in the first half of this year, for example.

10:09AM: “Our business has been driven by the belief that anything is possible. It still is.”

10:09AM: That’s it ladies and gents. Time to hit the show floor.

Last night, LG threw a laser-packed bash to welcome the addition of the Optimus Black and Optimus 2X to their stable of Android-powered handsets. While both devices were on display, the Optimus 2X was clearly the star of the show. Featuring an nVidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor running at 1GHz per core, the Optimus 2X is an incredibly powerful handset that, along with this year’s other Tegra-powered phones, will help to set a new standard for smartphone performance. The graphics on this thing were stunning, the screen is gorgeous, and the phone absolutely flies along. The handsets on display were running Froyo, but all of the display material noted that Gingerbread is all but a foregone conclusion as soon as it hits the streets. LG had 3 of these things hooked up to what looked like 42″ displays via the included HDMI output, and the gaming and graphics performance on the big screen was pretty incredible. No frame-rate issues, full HD display, and more. Really cool stuff.

The Optimus Black, on the other hand, is all about aesthetics. It was super responsive to be sure, but its 1GHz OMAP3630 processor paled in comparison to the Tegra. That said, it’s not as if the Optimus Black didn’t have its virtues. The device is super thin, is really well manufactured and designed, it definitely feels like more of a luxury/up-market device in hand. The Optimus Blacks were also running Froyo, but featured a new Wi-Fi direct feature that allows for long range peer-to-peer connections. The Optimus Black also has what is being touted as the “world’s first front-facing 2 megapixel camera” allowing for relatively passable shots from the forward camera, and definitely paving the way for a bit of a higher quality video chatting experience than we’ve come to expect from the mobile arena. Oh, and did we mention that LG brought lasers? Click on over to the respective galleries for more shots and some video from the event!
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