According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Dell is ready to readdress the luxury notebook market with a new ultra-thin offering to take on Apple’s MacBook Air. Dell launched its sleek Adamo line in March 2009 and its first model was an underpowered, over-designed offering that started at $2,000. Dell would later introduce less expensive Adamo laptops but consumers still wouldn’t bite, and the Adamo line was killed off in early 2011. On Tuesday, Dell will unveil its latest attempt to capture the hearts, minds and credit card numbers of prospective MacBook Air buyers with the slender XPS 15z. The new laptop will sport a price tag that starts at $999, and while Apple’s MacBook Air starts at $999 as well, that sum will only get you an 11-inch Air while Dell’s new notebook will apparently be the thinnest 15-inch laptop on the planet. Hit the break for a teaser video Dell ran earlier this month.

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On Monday, AT&T took the wraps off of its new Remote Mobility Zone products that it hopes will help business, government, and public safety agencies stay connected during natural or man-made disasters. There are three different Remote Mobility Zone solutions, including a mounted fixed site deployment option, a “Park and Use,” cell site that can be integrated into vehicles with roof-mounted satellite antennas, and a super portable “fly-away” suitcase cell site that’s capable of providing communications up to one half of a mile away in all directions. AT&T said customers can use their current phones with each of the solutions, and cell sites support up to 28 concurrent users. “In the pivotal first minutes of a natural or man-made disaster, AT&T Remote Mobility Zone provides a solution to help maintain critical mobile communications,” said Chris Hill, vice president, Advanced Mobility Solutions, AT&T Business Solutions.  “With AT&T Remote Mobility Zone, users can set up a cell site in less than 30 minutes.” Hit the jump for the full press release.

AT&T Remote Mobility Zone Aids Critical Communications in Emergency and Disaster Situations

Business and Government Organizations of All Sizes Can Now Activate Emergency Cell Sites

Dallas, Texas, April 25, 2011

Business, government and public safety agencies can be better prepared for natural or man-made disasters with the help of AT&T Remote Mobility Zone, a new offering that provides mobile voice and data services in the absence of wireless coverage.  Designed to support essential communications, AT&T Remote Mobility Zone allows organizations to set up their own cell sites during a disaster scenario.  AT&T* is the first carrier to supply a customer-deployable model for mobility recovery to help with disaster recovery and business continuity efforts.

“In the pivotal first minutes of a natural or man-made disaster, AT&T Remote Mobility Zone provides a solution to help maintain critical mobile communications,” said Chris Hill, vice president, Advanced Mobility Solutions, AT&T Business Solutions.  “With AT&T Remote Mobility Zone, users can set up a cell site in less than 30 minutes.”

AT&T Remote Mobility Zone is also well suited for organizations that operate in remote locations where AT&T holds licensed spectrum, but in which wireless coverage may not be available.  AT&T Mobility Vanguard Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T, can install permanent cell sites for customers that work in these areas, providing mobile voice and data service.

AT&T offers several options of Remote Mobility Zone solutions:

• Fixed site deployment establishes a mounted cell site for use as a backup communications system or as a primary network in zones without wireless network coverage.  This can help enhance business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities by enabling sensitive operations to proceed even in loss-of-service situations.

• The “Fly-away” solution packs a small cell site into a suitcase, offering first responders an easy-to-use, transportable system that can bring voice and data coverage to an area where disaster has knocked out communication channels.  These small cell sites can extend connectivity up to one half of a mile in any direction from the suitcase site.  Created for use by police officers, firefighters and other emergency responders, the Fly-away AT&T Remote Mobility Zone option is currently available to government agencies and personnel.

• “Park and Use,” designed specifically for government use, integrates small cell sites into vehicles, allowing users to drive to locations without wireless coverage and activate service then and there.  Roof-mounted satellite antennas further enhance communications on the move.

Customers that choose to protect their communications with AT&T Remote Mobility Zone can use their existing AT&T handsets with all three of the solutions listed above.  Additionally, in disaster or emergency conditions, AT&T Remote Mobility Zone clients with AT&T Wireless Priority Service can choose to prioritize certain cellular traffic to ensure that key personnel can access the network.

Today’s announcement is the latest addition to AT&T’s portfolio of solutions that help mobilize government and business.  AT&T offers a wide array of business continuity services, encompassing disaster planning, risk management, recovery preparedness and communications readiness.  AT&T Business Continuity Services are comprehensive, providing customers  with business-impact analysis, risk assessments, enterprise hosting, cloud computing and application services, a full continuum of storage solutions, high-availability network solutions and network and IT security solutions.

AT&T also conducts several Network Disaster Recovery (NDR) exercises each year, the most recent of which took place in Dallas in March.  These events are designed to test, refine and strengthen AT&T’s business continuity and disaster recovery services.  By simulating large-scale disasters and network service disruptions, AT&T can apply and hone best practices for rapidly restoring communications.

AT&T has invested more than $600 million in its NDR program, which includes specially trained managers, engineers and technicians from across the United States, as well as a fleet of more than 320 self-contained equipment trailers and support vehicles that house the same equipment and components as an AT&T data-routing or voice-switching center.

For more information on AT&T Remote Mobility Zone and other enterprise mobility solutions, please visit: www.att.com/armz.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

Analytics company Flurry has published an interesting study involving Android, iOS, and the U.S. video game market. Following up on a report from 2009, the company notes that the two mobile operating systems accounted for 8% of all U.S. video game sales in 2010 when calculated by revenue. What’s even more interesting is where both Android and iOS are taking their share from: portable gaming players. Console software revenues grew by 5% from 2009 to 2010 — 71% to 75% respectively — with portable gaming systems (e.g. Sony PSP, Nintendo DS) revenue falling nearly 8% in during the same period. Combined, Android and iOS accounted for 34% of all U.S. portable gaming software revenues — behind the Nintendo DS with 57% and ahead of Sony’s PSP with just 9%. Portable game software was a $2.4 billion business in 2010, with overall U.S. video game software revenues hovering around $10.7 billion. “Over 2011, we expect to see continued and significant smart-device game growth fueled by the recent launch of iPad 2, iPhone coming into distribution on Verizon, the expected release of iPhone 5, a relentless expansion of Android devices by leading OEMs across all major U.S. carriers, and Google’s enablement of in-app purchase billing, a proven key driver in iOS game revenue,” reads Flurry’s report. Smartphones and tablets may not be immersive enough for the most hardcore mobile gamers, but they seem to be more than adequate for most.

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The 3DS, Nintendo’s latest portable gaming platform and the first with a 3D display, made its U.S. debut on March 27th. Nintendo moved 400,000 units on launch day in Japan, and Amazon U.K. said the device broke console pre-order records as well. So, being the subway riding gamer that I am, I knew I had to find out what all this hype was about. I took it for a spin over the last week, staying up late trying to beat games and carrying it in my backpack to rock on the subway. And now, after a week of 3D gaming, it’s time to drop the hammer and see if the 3DS really is worthy of all that hype.

In the box

The Nintendo 3DS comes packed with everything you need to get started right out of the box. In the box you’ll find the console itself, a charging cradle that you can easily drop the 3DS into on your desk, a 2GB SD card, an AC adapter, a stylus, and some augmented-reality playing cards that you can use to start gaming right away. It’s actually pretty neat — when the camera on the 3DS sees one of the cards, it launches one of a few mini games that are stored internally on the unit.

It might have been nice if Nintendo finally dumped its proprietary charger and instead opted for a standard microUSB port so I could carry one less adapter in my bag, but that’s definitely not a deal-breaker.

Hardware

Is the Nintendo 3DS portable? Yes, if you’re 10 and wear baggy sweatpants. But mobile gaming isn’t just for kids and a $199 iPod touch offers both cheaper games and a far more portable form factor. Measuring in at 2.9 inches x 5.3 inches x 0.8 inches, the 3DS is a pocket hog. Seriously, good luck getting anything else in your pocket if you’re planning to carry the 3DS around everywhere with you. I chose to carry the 3DS in a backpack all week because of its size, and if you plan to do the same, you’ll be fine. Even still, however, I see no reason for a gaming system to measure any fatter than a deck of cards — and even that seems too thick at times.

Given its size though, it feels relatively light at about 8 ounces. While the hinge feels sturdy and like it will last a few years, the device itself felt cheap and like a toy, not a $250 gadget. Nintendo: please use better build materials and make your devices more portable. This isn’t 1989 and nobody wants a Game Boy.

The top of the 3DS is home to two cameras capable of snapping 3D photos at a 640 x 480 resolution. That resolution is pretty pathetic and the photos weren’t anything to write home about, but as a novelty or a way to keep your kids from nagging you during the NBA finals, the 3DS’ camera functions are perfect. Most phones pack a 3 to 5-megapixel camera these days, though, so I see no excuse for Nintendo to include such low-quality sensors in an expensive flagship gaming product.

You can’t email images from the device unfortunately, nor can you share them with any social networks. That’s pretty mind boggling in 2011 when any device with a Wi-Fi connection should include those features. The volume toggle button and SD card slot are on the left side of the 3DS, and the SD card is protected by a plastic hatch that was easy to remove. A wireless toggle button is on the right side of the system, and there are two power indicator lights and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom front. As usual, game cartridges are inserted in the top back of the 3DS and that slot is flanked by left/right shoulder buttons, a charging port, and the stylus.

3D Display

The 3DS is equipped with two displays: The top 3D display measures 3.53 inches and has an 800 x 240 pixel resolution. Nintendo says that 400 pixels are allocated to each eye, which allows for the 3D effect. The secondary, lower display is a bit smaller — it measures 3.02 inches — and has a lower 320 x 240 pixel resolution.

I found the 3D display to be a bar trick at best; I was usually able to play games better with 3D turned off (there’s a toggle switch directly to the right of the display), and the viewing angles were so bad I felt like I was looking at a hologram from a Crackerjack box. Again, for a younger demographic the novelty will definitely be enjoyed, but teens and above into casual gaming will likely turn 3D off most of the time. Also, I would recommend using the 3D feature in short bursts rather than for hours at a time since it really seemed to strain the eyes after a while. Beyond that, however, the screen gets bright enough for gaming in most conditions, though I did find myself squinting while playing under direct sunlight on a park bench.

Gaming Controls

The 3DS also sports a new circle pad that allows for 360-degree analog input, which I loved. It slides around well and it made navigating with my characters in Pilot Wings much easier. I generally preferred it to the cross pad, which is still an option as well. To the right of the lower display, there are the standard A/B/X/Y buttons, and there are Select, Start, and Home buttons directly below the screen.

It’s strange that none of the buttons were backlit, though, and I think the Select, Home, and Start buttons could use a bit more travel. They also feel cheap.

Software and User Interface

Nintendo spiced up the original and boring user interface on the DS. It’s definitely more exciting now with 3D effects and animated icons, and it’s dead easy to use — but that’s all it has going for it. The UI is slow to execute almost any command; it takes 5 seconds just for the 3DS to back out of the camera application, for example.

There are 11 default icons to choose from on the main menu, including your current game cartridge, Health & Safety Info, Nintendo 3DS Sounds, the camera, Mii Maker, StreetPass Mii Plaza, AR (augmented reality) games, Face Raiders, Download Play, Activity Log, and System Settings. At the top of the screen there’s also a notepad for taking notes on games, a message alert icon, a Web browser icon (the Web browser will be activated in a future update), and a friend list manager. As you select each option, the top screen displays more information in 3D. I found myself turning off the 3D regularly, but especially while navigating around the home screen.

The Health & Safety application warns that the 3D feature should only be used by children aged 7 and older, as it could cause eye damage in children 6 and under. If you’re worried, the 3DS reminds you from time to time to take a break. The Nintendo 3DS Sounds application is cool in theory, but it’s pretty useless unless you’re a little kid. If I wanted to record myself making weird noises, and then loop them back as some sort of music, I could, but I think this feature will generally be used to drive parents mad. You can also use this application — and I’m using the term “application” loosely — to play MP3s loaded on an SD card, but it doesn’t display album art and you have to dig through folders to find songs, which definitely isn’t user friendly for young children.

The settings menu was easy to navigate for applying a system update, as well as for finding and connecting to a protected wireless network. Face Raiders and AR Games are two augmented reality style applications that allow you to game with the 3DS right out of the box. I booted up Face Raiders, which prompted me to take a photo of myself, and then proceeded to move around my room shooting little flying balls with my face plastered on them.

AR Games takes advantage of a small pack of playing cards that come with the system. Simply place a card on a wall-lit desk and point the camera at it, and it suddenly comes to life. On one, my desk spawned a large monster that I needed to defeat by firing dozens of arrows. It’s a pretty fascinating feature, and it was fun seeing inanimate objects pop to life.

Also, if you’ve ever used a Wii than you’ll be right at home with the Mii Maker, which is basically just used to create a custom avatar of yourself. You can automatically create a Mii by taking a photo of yourself, but I thought mine was pretty inaccurate.

Lastly, there’s an Activity application that monitors how many steps you take while traveling with your Nintendo 3DS. As you walk, you can earn up to 30 “Play Coins” per day, which can be spent inside the StreetPass Mii Plaza on mini games. At the time this review was published, I had walked 18,684 steps with the Nintendo 3DS and earned 38 Play Coins. Don’t pretend you’re not impressed.

Nintendo included a Web browser on the 3DS but it doesn’t currently function. While it is coming in a future update, I have a hard time believing it’s going to offer a top-notch browsing experience. Flash support? That will never happen. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, though. Why hasn’t Nintendo jumped on board with app providers like Netflix to add support for streaming video? Why isn’t there an App Store? And why include a forward facing camera if I can’t use it for video chats? The 3DS feels so bare boned that it’s angering. Casual adult gamers could get much more use out of the device if Nintendo focused on these areas, but instead it’s rendered more of a child’s toy.

StreetPass

Nintendo’s StreetPass feature allows you to leave the 3DS idle as you walk around. If you pass within 150 feet of someone else with the StreetPass feature active, you can opt to have it automatically add that person to your Mii Plaza Community. I picked up six different people walking around New York City during two days, but I don’t really understand the purpose of this feature. I have no desire to see what other people’s 3DS Mii characters look like, and as far as I can tell, the only thing you can do with it is exchange puzzle pieces to complete a 3D puzzle. Does Nintendo really think people want to go walking around cities to meet people in an effort to complete an imaginary puzzle picture?

Games

The biggest problem Nintendo is going to face with the 3DS is the price of the games. At launch there were 18 games available, and the BGR team bought three games for my 3DS review: Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, Pilotwings Resort, and Ridge Racer 3D — each costing roughly $40. That’s $120 for three games on top of the $250 you’ll have to drop on the 3DS itself. How can Nintendo possibly think that this system will compete with the iPod touch (or Android personal media players, even), where games cost just a few bucks and still offer hours of game play? Street Fighter IV for iOS costs just $4.99, for example.

Worse yet, I found the 3D display actually inhibited my ability to play games well. In Pilotwings I was required to fly through loops and land accurately on floating targets. My scores were better every single time when I completed a course with the 3D off. Similarly, I crashed in Ridge Racer 3D so much due to the poor viewing angles that I put the game back in its package and never want to see it again. Admittedly, I enjoyed the 3D effects in Super Street Fighter, but it’s still not worth the premium to me.

Battery

The battery life of the Nintendo 3DS is pretty awful. With 3D on I was lucky to get about 3 hours of battery life on a single charge. I need a personal gaming system that can get me through a long flight, and that’s not even getting my halfway there. To be fair, Nintendo does admit that battery life should fall between 3-5 hours for 3D games and 5-8 hours with Nintendo DS titles.

Wrap Up

Sure, you’ll have a fun time gaming on the Nintendo 3DS because there are a number of attractive titles out there, but I’d think long and hard about buying a game when they cost upwards of $40. I can’t think of any reason I’d buy the 3DS over an iPod touch, for example, which costs $50 less. Had I done that in the first place, I’d have spent $200 and had another $170 left over for buying iOS games, many of which are cheap or even free.

The 3DS falls short in so many ways. It doesn’t (yet) have a Web browser, the battery life is terrible, there’s not an app store for installing more apps, the camera isn’t great, it’s not comfortable in the pocket, it’s bulky, and the 3D display’s viewing angles are so bad that it’s hard to game properly. While the device does offer some features that very young gamers will potentially have a lot of fun with, older casual gamers and even teens are going to be put off by the missing features and the sub par quality of some key elements.

Nintendo needs to realize that the old portable gaming console market is dead. It needs to adapt to an app store formula, and it needs to create well rounded devices with decent cameras, email clients, and more. As it stands, the 3DS seems like a half baked product that should have hit the market 5 years ago.

Now that you know what I think about the 3DS, check out the video below to see how a few other New Yorkers felt after handing the 3DS for the first time.

In the week or so that I have been testing the AT&T MiFi 2372 by Novatel Wireless, it has already saved no less than three lives.

First, it saved my cable guy’s life. You see, Time Warner Cable provides the worst home Internet service I have ever experienced. I can’t even think of a close second. If providing terrible home Internet service was a sport, Time Warner Cable would be on its tenth consecutive undefeated season. Forget the fact that my upload speed is capped at 60Kbps and I’m lucky if I can get half that — it has been months since I’ve gone through a full day without at least one service interruption. Months. Unfortunately, Time Warner Cable has an exclusive contract with my building so I have no choice but to endure its abysmal service. Last week, as a Time Warner Cable technician entered my home for the sixth time in two months, I realized that this certainly would have spelled serious trouble had it not been for my trusty new back up device.

Before the MiFi 2372 arrived on my doorstep from Novatel, Sprint’s Overdrive had been my savior — thus bringing me to the second life AT&T’s MiFi saved. After applying the most recent firmware update on my Overdrive, battery life dropped from roughly 2.5 hours to roughly 2.5 minutes. That might seem like an exaggeration, but I assure you it’s not. From a full charge, my Overdrive now displays a low battery warning in under three minutes. It then powers down and becomes unusable until I pull the battery and replace it again, which then affords me another 2.5 minutes of WiMAX connectivity before the device powers itself down. Since applying the aforementioned firmware update, the only purpose my Overdrive can adequately serve is that of a blunt object — one I surely would have used to bludgeon a poor unsuspecting Sprint store employee had the arrival of the MiFi 2372 not reduced my boiling blood to a simmer.

Finally, of course, the third life this mobile hotspot saved is my own. I’m certainly not bright enough to evade capture and I assure you… I wouldn’t last more than a few minutes in prison.

All joking aside, the combination of Novatel Wireless’ MiFi 2372 and AT&T’s terrific mobile broadband service in my area have made for a great experience. I routinely get around 5Mbps down and over 1Mbps up, which are identical to the speeds I saw over WiMAX back when my Overdrive was more than a shiny black paperweight.

For those unaware, the function of a “MiFi” device is simple: it connects to a cellular data network and then allows other devices to share this data connection over Wi-Fi. The MiFi 2372 supports up to five simultaneous connections, and anything with a Wi-Fi radio is compatible. It also features a microSD card slot with support for up to 16GB of storage, which makes sharing files between connected devices a breeze.

Novatel’s MiFi 2372 is capable of download speeds up to 7.2Mbps and upload speeds up to 5.76Mbps. While I haven’t gotten close to reaching the cap on the upload side, download speeds have approached 6Mbps in and around New York City. Assuming AT&T will continue to expand its HSPA+ service in the coming months, it would have been nice if Novatel prepared for 14.4Mbps in the MiFi 2372. Current speeds are more than adequate when only one device is connected, but I did experience some hiccups with multiple simultaneous connections — especially if any of the connected devices were streaming video.

Battery life on the MiFi 2372 is outstanding. Surprisingly so, in fact. Novatel’s website claims that the device will last up to 4 hours on a single charge when one Wi-Fi device is connected. Believe it or not, that figure aligns with my experiences quite well. It should be noted that AT&T’s service is exceptional in my area, and battery life will certainly be less impressive in fringe coverage areas.

The MiFi 2372 is the first device to feature Novatel’s new widget support. Because the device doesn’t have an on-device display like Sprint’s Overdrive, the widget panel is quite useful. It is accessible on the MiFi dashboard (just point your browser to http://att.mifi) and provides a good deal of information. Examples include remaining battery charge, signal strength and number of connected devices. You can also log into your AT&T account and see widgets that will display account information and messages. Finally, there are location-specific widgets that become active when you enable the MiFi 2372′s internal GPS. Accessible information includes weather forecasts and Google Maps integration for fast and easy local searches.

As AT&T’s first mobile hotspot, the Novatel MiFi 2372 sets the bar at a good height. Not too high, mind you, but just high enough. The battery life is impressive, the widgets are interesting and useful, and data speeds are adequate. AT&T’s network has taken a lot of heat recently, but I find AT&T to be just like every other cellular carrier in the world — it’s good if you’re well-covered and bad if you’re not. I happen to live and work in an area that is thoroughly blanketed with AT&T’s speedy 3G service, and as long as I’m not using an iPhone I rarely have any issues. If you can make the same claim about the majority of areas in which you plan to use a mobile hotspot, the MiFi 2372 is ideal.

The Novatel MiFi 2372 mobile hotspot is available immediately from AT&T for $299.99 off-contract or $49.99 with a new 2-year agreement. I recommend paying the extra cash up front so you can temporarily stop paying for the service if you don’t plan to use the device for a while. Monthly service costs $35 for 200MB of data or $60 for 5GB of data, and overages cost $0.10 per MB so definitely monitor your usage closely — which, by the way, can be done quite easily using one of the widgets on the MiFi 2372 dashboard.

Cradlepoint, long-time manufacturer of cellular routers, is set to unveil two new 3G/4G combo routers at CES 2010 next week including a pocket-sized portable router and a larger home and office router. The portable router allows you to share a single 4G WiMAX connection with multiple devices via Wi-Fi and will even feature Wi-Fi 802.11n with VPN, WPA, and WEP for security. Better yet? It will support 16 simultaneous Wi-Fi-connected devices, a USB port for “legacy” 3G modems, and a run time of 4 hours. The home and office router is similarly spec’d and will include a single WAN port, four LAN ports, a USB port for 3G modems, Wi-Fi with VPN, WPA, and WEP for security, support for 16 simultaneous users/devices, and a backup wired connection if a wireless connection is no longer available. Cradlepoint also announced the immediate availability of  the CBA750, an enterprise wireless broadband adapter that will bring a 3G/4G connection into any enterprise environment. The broadband adapter will support 3G/4G USB and ExpressCard modems and will utilize existing CAT5 cabling to deliver wireless broadband internet connectivity to an entire company. The CBA750 is available now from Cradlepoint with a MSRP of $249. Both press releases are after the jump, too.

CradlePoint Technology Previews New 4G Products for Home, Office and On The Go
4G Routers Showcased to Media and Partners at CES, Public Release in 1st Quarter

Boise, Idaho – CradlePoint Technology, a global leader in 3G and 4G networking solutions, will preview two new 4G
embedded routers at the upcoming International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas January 7-10. The
routers – a portable unit for people on the go, and one for home and office – are still in pre-release and will be demon-
strated for media at the event.

Designed for the mobile worker, this portable router is a pocket-sized gateway to the speed of 4G. The portable 4G em-
bedded, personal hotspot comes with a USB port to support 3G modems, 802.11n Wi-Fi radio for exceptional range,
simultaneous access for as many as 16 people or devices, includes VPN, WPA and WEP for security, remote manage-
ment through CradlePoint’s WiPipe Central and an internal battery with up to four hours of continuous use. An optional
docking cradle for enhanced in-building 4G coverage, charging and an 10/100 WAN/LAN Ethernet port, will also be
available at launch.

For the small office environment, is a stationary version of the 4G embedded router designed to increase in-building 4G
coverage bringing the advantages of 4G and WiMAX into homes and offices for true wireless broadband Internet access.
It includes, 1 WAN port, four LAN ports, USB port for 3G modem support, access for up to 16 people or devices, with
VPN, WPA and WEP for security and failover from wired to wireless redundancy.

“By the end of 2010, over 120 million U.S. residents are expected to have access to high-speed 4G wireless networks.”
said Ken Hosac, Director of Product Management for CradlePoint. “This new family of CradlePoint products is strate-
gically positioned to lead the market for fixed and mobile routers, similar to our leadership in creating a market for 3G
networking solutions.”

CradlePoint will be showing these new routers and other new products during the CES at a hosted event in their
private suite in the Wynn on Thursday, January 7 from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m.

CradlePoint Technology Releases Enterprise Wireless Broadband Adapter
Device Enables Quick Wireless Broadband to Any Ethernet Connection for Best 3G/4G Signal

BOISE, Idaho–(BUSINESS WIRE)–CradlePoint Technology, a global leader in 3G/4G networking solutions, has announced another product in its “All-Connected” business series of routers. The CBA750 Mobile Broadband Adapter gives businesses and branch offices the ability to add a secure wireless 3G/4G broadband connection virtually anywhere for redundant or primary Internet access.

The CradlePoint CBA750 is an easy solution to bring the strongest 3G/4G wireless broadband signal back to the server room for true wireless broadband connection or redundancy. Place the CBA750 anywhere in the building for best signal and with the CBA750 Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) feature take advantage of existing CAT5 cabling to bring the connection back to the equipment room.

“Trying to get a good wireless broadband signal in the server room is always difficult. This solution opens a whole new way to provide wireless broadband to companies,” said Ken Hosac, Director of Product Marketing for CradlePoint.

Providing IP pass-through capability, the CBA750 is a solid option for LAN devices requiring wireless broadband access. For most applications, the CBA750 is truly a “drop-in” solution. Simply connect the CBA750, turn the unit on, and it’s ready to go – handling the connection without configuration and providing enhanced network connectivity with support for USB and ExpressCard modems running on 3G/4G networks.

Available immediately, the CradlePoint CBA750 has an MSRP of $249.99.

About CradlePoint Technology
CradlePoint engineers and manufactures cellular routers and software platforms that facilitate secure mobile computing via the 3G and 4G mobile broadband networks. CradlePoint’s unique WiPipe™ technology provides access and traffic management to improve the security and quality of the online mobile experience. CradlePoint is a privately held company with headquarters in Boise, Idaho. Learn more about CradlePoint products at www.cradlepoint.com.

[via Slashgear]

LG Korea unveiled two new mobile DTV devices that are headed for the U.S. in 2010. The first is an upgraded version of the LG Lotus equipped with a long antenna and an integrated digital TV tuner. For those that have forgotten this rather forgettable phone, the original LG Lotus is a boxy QWERTY clamshell that launched on Sprint in late 2008. And, if a boxy cell phone with an ungainly antenna doesn’t suit your fancy, then perhaps a shiny, black portable DVD player with a built-in 800 channel DTV tuner may. No word on pricing or availability but both devices are expected to get the official nod from LG’s US division at CES 2010 next week in Las Vegas.

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A triple dose of good news today for those who resent Apple’s stranglehold on the PMP market. Not only is the Zune HD now on sale starting at $219.99, but Microsoft has finally come clean and admitted that in the upcoming months it plans to bombard the Zune faithful and converts alike with apps such as Twitter for Zune and Facebook for Zune, and games like Project Gotham Racing: Ferrari Edition, Vans Sk8: Pool Service and Audiosurf Tilt. Not only that, but Zune HD owners can also look forward to streaming HD video to the Xbox 360 as well as the ability to purchase and rent TV shows, movies and more. Microsoft, this is yours to mess up… Please don’t. Anyone have a shiny new Zune HD squarely in his or her sights today?

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As if anyone had doubts surrounding the legitimacy of yesterday’s Zune HD leak, today Microsoft confirmed availability for September 15th and let it be known that pre-orders for the black 16GB and platinum 32GB models are now being filled through Zune.net, Microsoft, Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart. In case you’re waiting on the other five colors that the Tegra-powered portable will be available in at launch, you’ll just have to sit tight for now. Don’t cry though — maybe we can cheer you up by letting you know that pricing is now 100 percent confirmed: $219.99 for the 16GB model and $289.99 for the 32GB model. We’ll take six of each, thank you.

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Mark your calendars and get your credit cards ready as the Zune HD will be dropping in just over a month. Thanks to a leaked Best Buy pre-order flyer, we now have a tentative launch date to accompany the rumored pricing for the Zune HD. Zero hour for Microsoft’s slick new portable media player is September 15th, a week later than previously reported. With all the pre-launch leaks out of the way, now all we have to do is wait for Microsoft to make these details official and see if the folks in Redmond can do so before those rumored iPods try to steal the HD’s limelight. Hit the jump for some more Best Buy Zune HD signage and a quick peek at the Zune HD packaging.

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We wouldn’t go as far as to call Microsoft’s upcoming Zune refresh a PMP hail mary, but it’s pretty clear that a lot is riding on Redmond’s upcoming players. So far we really like what we’ve seen of the Zune HD — and that statement is now expanded to include pricing. Last night some Best Buy inventory screen caps revealed the Zune HD’s price points and as of this morning we can consider them confirmed thanks to Amazon. App Store aside, we’re looking at a device far more capable and exciting compared to Apple’s iPod touch, and according to Amazon’s pre-order page, the 16GB will launch at $219.99 (compared to $299 for the 16GB iPod touch) and the 32GB model will hit the streets at $289.99 (compared to $399 for the 32GB iPod touch). Yeah, that’s no typo — you’ll be able to get a 32GB Zune HD for $9.01 less than a 16GB iPod touch. The Best Buy screenshots also add weight to the previously rumored September 8th launch date so it looks like we’ve got less than a month until lift off. The only question is whether or not Apple’s impending iPod touch refresh will tout enough bells and whistles at launch to overshadow Microsoft’s new gem. Hit the jump for the Best Buy images.

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Just a few days before Sony’s upcoming E3 press conference, the company’s next generation handheld gaming device, the PSP Go, has been given some unofficial specifications, starred in a hands-on preview video courtesy of Qore and previewed in some leaked press photos. The upcoming PSP Go will be a UMD-less slider that features the following specs:

• 3.8-inch display of unknown resolution
• 43 percent lighter than the current PSP-3000
• 16GB of flash memory
• Integrated Bluetooth with mobile phone tethering and BT headset support
• Memory Stick Micro slot
• New Gran Turismo, Little Big Planet and Metal Gear Solid games
• Full PlayStation Network support (TV and movie rentals/purchases) and integration with the PlayStation 3

The PSP Go is expected to be available this fall and will be sold alongside the current PSP-3000. Hit the jump for some more close-ups of this Mylo 2 look alike along with the Qore video.

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It looks like Verizon Wireless wasn’t the only company that took a liking to the sleek design of Novatell’s MiFi 2200 mobile hotspot. Beginning the first week of June, Sprint customers will also be able to pick up the snazzy little device online and in stores. If this is the first time you’re seeing the MiFi 2200, it’s essentially a personal Wi-Fi access point that uses Sprint’s data network for connectivity. Any Wi-Fi enabled device can connect to it just as with any other Wi-Fi access point, giving users the freedom to roam and retain connectivity across several devices. Security is covered as well, as the unit makes use of WPA2-PSK, WEP and an SPI Firewall. The MiFi 2200 from Sprint will run $99 with a 2-year contract after a $50 mail-in rebate and will require a data plan of $59.99 per month or a Simply Everything plan of $149.99 per month (both plans carry a 5GB data cap and will cost 5¢ per megabyte for overages). Hmm.

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We’ve heard some rumors about an upcoming PSP refresh in the past — ok, a whole lot of rumors — but new information is casting doubt upon the details of previous information. 1UP is reporting that the new PSP will be christened the PSP Go! and will finally do away with that awful UMD system while taking on a slider form. In place of UMDs, it is said the PSP Go! will come in 8GB and 16GB models meaning a green light for game downloads. As for games, Sony is reportedly planning to have around 100 old and new games ready for launch time. Sadly those of you who were looking for a bit of dual-joystick action will be disappointed to note that according to this new rumor, a second analog stick will not be added to the right-hand side. Such is life, we suppose. Word is Sony will make the PSP Go! official at E3 next month and have it hit the streets in Japan in September with a US launch in either late October or early November — ensuring its inclusion in plenty of letters to Santa. And yes, the image above is a mock up.

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The first quarter of 2008 was rough on the typically hardy gaming industry but following a 17 percent decline in overall sales, there is a bright spot for one of the big three console companies as Q2 kicks off. Obviously, that company is Nintendo. Sure the Wii is still leading the pack when it comes to stationary consoles but the big news earlier this month was the arrival of the company’s latest portable gaming console, the Nintendo DSi. A substantial update from its little cousin the DS Lite, Nintendo’s DSi has been available in Japan for quite some time and finally made it to US shores last week. In its first full week of sales, Nintendo reports the handheld sold a remarkable 435,000 units. To put that in perspective, Nintendo moved just over 226,000 DS Lites in its first week of US availability. Bigger screens, dual cameras and a handful of photo manipulation tools highlighted in Nintendo’s supporting ad run apparently add up to big success. The NPD Group reports that Nintendo accounted for nearly 59 percent of all video game hardware sold in March — thanks to the DSi, expect that number to climb in April.

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