A recent report from The Verge has confirmed that Apple’s new iPad does not support FaceTime video calling over LTE networks. When trying to initiate a FaceTime call over 4G, the user is prompted to first connect to a Wi-Fi network. The news comes as little surprise since FaceTime on Apple’s iPhone is also limited to Wi-Fi. Verizon and AT&T’s 4G LTE networks are faster than some Wi-Fi connections however, and it is disappointing to say the least that the service isn’t supported. Oddly enough, the iPad does support a mobile hotspot feature, at least on Verizon, and users can successfully make a FaceTime call from an iPhone while tethered to the iPad. At this time it is unclear whether FaceTime’s Wi-Fi limitation is Apple’s decision or a move requested by wireless carriers. Verizon and AT&T did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Internet-enabled televisions have become the next big thing. LG, Sony, Panasonic, Samsung and Sharp, among others, offer TV sets with apps and Wi-Fi connectivity. Just because someone has an Internet TV, however, doesn’t mean he or she it using it. “People are buying connected TVs, but they are not all using them,” said Norm Bogen, vice president for digital entertainment at research firm NPD In-Stat. According to a survey conducted by In-Stat, only 47% of all people who own an Internet-enabled TV have it connected to the Web, reports TechNewsDaily. Among those that are connected to home networks, a majority of the TV’s features go unused. “I think that people like some aspects of smart TVs,” said Paul Gagnon, the director of DisplaySearch. “Social networking and games — those are pretty lightly used. People type on laptops and mobile devices.” Gagnon explains that televisions’ ugly and cluttered user interfaces could be the reason for the lack of enthusiasm. “They’re very, very complex and unintuitive user interfaces,” he said.

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We’re big fans of Verizon Wireless’ Novatel Mi-Fi 4510L 4G LTE hotspot, and now you can pick one up for just $49.99 with a new two-year contract — a $50 savings over the original launch price. If a hotspot isn’t quite your style, Verizon is also offering Novatel’s USB551L 4G LTE USB modem for just $19.99 with a new two-year contract. We’ve been blown away by Verizon’s 4G speeds, and we’re told the sale will only last until July 18th, so be sure to check these out if you’re in the market for a new mobile broadband product.

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Samsung on Thursday announced the nationwide availability of its latest Android tablet starting Friday, June 17th. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 features the latest version of Google’s tablet OS — Android 3.1 Honeycomb — as well as a 10.1-inch WXGA display, Samsung’s TouchWiz UX and a 7,000 mAh battery for up to 9 hours of continuous usage per charge. We reviewed the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 last month and found the hardware to be outstanding. Google’s Honeycomb OS left much to be desired, but the Android 3.1 update has been added since our review and several key issues have been addressed. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is priced at $499 for the 16GB model and $599 for the 32GB model, perfectly in line with Apple’s iPad 2. Samsung’s full press release can be found below.

Samsung Galaxy Tab™ 10.1, World’s Thinnest Mobile Tablet, Makes Official Landing in U.S. Premium Android Honeycomb Tablet with Ultra-slim, Lightweight Design and Brilliant 10-inch Touchscreen Available Exclusively at Best Buy Union Square Store in New York City Starting June 8; Available Nationwide Starting June 17

Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S.[1], and Samsung Electronics America, a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today announced the upcoming retail availability of the Galaxy Tab™ 10.1, starting June 8. The WiFi-enabled tablet measures at just 8.6 millimeters slim, making it the thinnest mobile tablet currently available in the world. The 32GB version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 WiFi edition will be available for $599, while the 16GB version of the device will be available for $499.

A limited quantity of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 WiFi edition will be available for purchase exclusively at the Best Buy Union Square store in New York City on June 8. Best Buy customers may also pre-order the Galaxy Tab 10.1 online or in-store beginning that day.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is powered by Android™ 3.1, Honeycomb offering faster and smoother transitions between different applications, more intuitive navigation to and from home screens and broader support of USB accessories, external keyboards, joysticks and gamepads.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the thinnest mobile tablet currently available in the world, measuring in at an ultra-slim 8.6 millimeters. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 also boasts an incredibly light weight of just 1.25 pounds (565 grams) for outstanding mobility and comfort in the user’s hands.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is designed with a brilliant 10.1-inch HD touchscreen display with WXGA 1280 x 800 resolution delivering vibrant colors and crisp clarity. This expansive screen is centered inside a narrow bezel to enhance the wide viewing angle.

“Ensuring that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 launched with Android 3.1 Honeycomb was part of our constant commitment to meeting the needs of our customers,” said Dale Sohn, President and CEO of Samsung Mobile. “The Galaxy Tab 10.1’s ultra-thin design and 10-inch touchscreen are impressive differentiators in the tablet market place. We’re going to make the Galaxy Tab 10.1 even more powerful, entertaining and secure through a series of upgrades coming to this device.”

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 will receive these new upgrades through a software update that customers can access over the air in the near future. Those upgrades are currently scheduled to include:

FEATURES/SERVICES AVAILABLE THROUGH FUTURE SOFTWARE UPGRADE

Customized User Experience “Samsung TouchWiz UX”

Samsung’s TouchWiz user experience is designed with a Live Panel menu for customizing the home screen of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 with digital pictures, favorite Web sites and social network feeds.

In addition, the TouchWiz UX includes a “Mini Apps” tray of commonly used features such as task manager, calendar and music player which can be launched while other major applications are already in use.

Samsung Media Hub

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 software upgrade will introduce the evolution of Samsung’s popular movie and TV content service, known as Media Hub. Media Hub has been redesigned with a new user interface for even easier downloads of rented or purchased content. The new version of Media Hub also includes an HD Extender which allows the user to playback Media Hub content on TV through an HDMI cable from the Galaxy Tab 10.1 dock or adaptor.

Readers Hub & Social Hub

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 will also gain access to Samsung’s Readers Hub service, which is a robust library filled with more than 2.2 million books, 2,000 newspapers and 2,300 magazines. Also, the software upgrade will install Samsung’s Social Hub service, which aggregates email, instant messaging, contacts, calendar and social network connections into a single interface.

Versatile Content Sharing

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 will also receive Samsung’s Allshare service, for seamless content transfer between the tablet and other DLNA-enabled devices such as HDTV’s, monitors and digital cameras. The software upgrade will also transform the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 into a device capable of accepting streaming content from a TV to the tablet itself.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES AVAILABLE AT PRODUCT LAUNCH

Impressive Speed, Power & Battery Life

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity to deliver rapid mobile download speeds and reduce data transfer times. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 also includes a Nvidia Tegra 1GHz dual core application processor for powerful gaming and multimedia performance. The Tab’s ultra-thin design does not sacrifice battery life, thanks to a 7000 mAh battery providing up to 9 hours of continuous use on a single charge^[2].

Full Adobe Flash Player Compatibility

The device offers extensive Web browsing access through Adobe® Flash® Player compatibility. Flash Player delivers beautiful HD video, faster graphics rendering, and high performance on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and is designed to take advantage of native device capabilities — enabling richer, more immersive user experiences.

Optimal Enterprise Solutions

In addition, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 integrates several enterprise solutions to provide support for exchange device management policies, improve the security of data and services maintained on the tablet and meet IT guidelines for remote device access. The enterprise solutions include:

• On-device encryption of user data
• Enhanced Exchange ActiveSync Support
• Cisco AnyConnect SSL VPN
• F5 SSL VPN

Quality Cameras and Sound

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 features a 3 megapixel rear camera and a 2 megapixel front camera providing smooth video chat capabilities and seamless 1080p HD video playback^[3]. High quality speakers are positioned on the right and left sides of the device for a rich, deep audio experience.

Google™ Mobile Services

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is preloaded with the full suite of Google Mobile Services including access to more than 60,000 Android Market™ applications for Galaxy Tab 10.1^[4], Gmail™, Google Search™, Google Maps™ 5.0 with 3D maps, and Google Talk™ with video and voice chat.

Availability & Pricing

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 WiFi edition will be available exclusively starting June 8 at the Best Buy Union Square location in New York City. Starting June 17, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be available at Best Buy online and in-store along with Fry’s Electronics, Amazon.com, Micro Center, Tiger Direct and Newegg. These retail outlets will have the 32GB version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 WiFi edition available for $599, and the 16GB version of the device will be available for $499. In addition, the WiFi version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be available through Sprint starting mid-summer 2011. Visit www.samsung.com for additional details.

Motorola Mobility announced the Televation on Monday, a new device that plugs into a Wi-Fi router and uses your home network to stream live television to connected IP devices. Once it’s plugged into a router, it will automatically translate programming from MPEG-2 to MPEG 4 and match a device’s resolution to display content properly. Motorola is also providing Android and iOS SDKs so that its customers will be able to develop custom applications for finding shows and other content offered by cable providers. “Consumers love entertainment, and want easy access to TV no matter where they are in the home,” said John Burke, senior vice president and general manager, Converged Experiences, Motorola Mobility. “Coupled with the explosive popularity of tablet devices, this represents a terrific opportunity for MSOs [multiple system operators, or cable companies] to increase customer satisfaction while generating new revenue.” Unfortunately, it sounds like Televation will not be a direct-to-consumer product, and will instead be offered to Motorola’s cable partners, so pricing has not yet been announced. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Motorola Mobility Introduces Live Streaming Device For All the Other Screens in the Home

The new Motorola Televation™ product securely streams subscription TV to IP devices connected to the home Wi-Fi network

CHICAGO, Ill – June 13, 2011 – Motorola Mobility Inc. (NYSE: MMI) today announced the availability of Motorola Televation™, a broadband device that works with a Wi-Fi router to allow consumers to watch live TV on a connected IP device anywhere around the home, whether they are preparing food in the kitchen or relaxing in the backyard.

According to Motorola’s 2010 Media Engagement Barometer research, Americans watch an average of 21 hours of video content a week and about 86 percent pay for TV service. Furthermore, in May 2011, Motorola conducted focus groups with consumers in the New York and Los Angeles metro markets. In many cases, consumers liked the idea of watching live TV somewhere other than a traditional family room and felt it would allow them to spend more time with loved ones if they had the ability to watch different programs in the same room.

“Consumers love entertainment, and want easy access to TV no matter where they are in the home. Coupled with the explosive popularity of tablet devices, this represents a terrific opportunity for MSOs to increase customer satisfaction while generating new revenue,” said John Burke, senior vice president and general manager, Converged Experiences, Motorola Mobility. “Televation gives our customers the ability to launch a new service that puts innovation back into TV, enabling their subscribers to enjoy TV beyond the TV.”

Televation employs a 1GHz digital tuner and CableCard to access broadcast TV channels directly from a coax outlet. The device has a high-performance transcoder that translates programming in real-time from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4, as well as changing resolution and bit rate to match the capabilities of the consumer’s viewing device while maintaining excellent picture quality. The device has an Ethernet jack to plug directly into the home Wi-Fi router so the TV show can be wirelessly streamed over IP to any device connected to the home network. To keep the programming secure while it is being streamed, and to preserve the digital rights associated with the program, Televation utilizes Motorola’s SecureMedia IPRM-HN technology. IPRM-HN has been approved by both CableLabs and the DTLA (Digital Transmission Licensing Administrator), giving content owners peace of mind that their valuable asset remains safe.

Motorola provides Software Development Kits (SDKs) for both Android and iOS development environments, so customers can easily develop client applications that enable the subscriber to navigate, discover and select the show they want to watch. Motorola also provides a reference client application for tablet devices that can be easily branded, giving customers an alternative to developing their own application. Motorola worked closely with engineers at Comcast Innovation Labs to develop Televation.

“Motorola shares our focus on developing innovative consumer entertainment experiences, and we’re pleased to have been able to work with them on Televation,” said Tony Werner, executive vice president and chief technology officer for Comcast. “As the digital home continues to evolve, Televation is one of many tools that MSOs can use to give consumers a more portable TV experience in the home so they can watch anytime and anywhere.”

As the developer of the Motorola XOOM™, the award winning tablet powered by Android, and Televation, Motorola is uniquely positioned to provide converged experiences that empower people to enjoy their favorite content where and when they want. Televation will be showcased at the 2011 Cable Show in Motorola’s booth #609 and in the Comcast booth #1201, June 14-16, in Chicago, IL.

New York City’s mayor Michael Bloomberg announced on Thursday that the city will soon offer free Wi-Fi in 20 of its parks. AT&T will power the service, which will be available in popular spots such as Prospect Park, Battery Park, and Central Park, later this summer, but New Yorkers can already surf for free in Battery Bosque Park, the Joyce Kilmer Park in the Bronx, and Thomas Jefferson Park, among others. The public will have ad-free access to the free networks for at least the next five years. No word on whether you’ll actually be able to use an AT&T phone for voice calling in the parks, however.

[Via The New York Times]

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Best Buy announced on Thursday that it will be the exclusive retailer of the Wi-Fi HTC Flyer when it lands in stores and online on May 22nd. The Flyer is a 7-inch Android tablet with a 1.5GHz single core processor, a 4,000 mAh battery, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, HDMI-out, Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, a 5-megapixel camera, and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video chats. It was originally announced during Mobile World Congress in February, where we had a chance to get up close for a hands-on. Best Buy has not yet revealed how much the tablet will cost but with the 22nd three short days away, we won’t have long to wait to find out. Hit the jump for the full announcement.

Wi-Fi HTC Flyer Tablet Launches May 22 Exclusively at Best Buy

Best Buy today announced that the Wi-Fi only version of the HTC Flyer™ tablet launches on May 22. All Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile standalone stores, as well as BestBuy.com, will have the tablet exclusively at launch. The HTC Flyer is a fast, portable, light-weight tablet that integrates the immersive and highly intuitive HTC Sense™ experience and enables content including videos, music, games and more to be easily accessed and enjoyed. The addition of the HTC Flyer to our tablet lineup gives Best Buy further opportunity to help connect customers with the mobile technology that best meets their needs.

Last week a screenshot leaked suggested T-Mobile would reintroduce free unlimited Wi-Fi calls beginning on May 11th. That day passed without an announcement, but on Monday GigaOm obtained a confirmation from a T-Mobile representative that confirms customers can now place unlimited Wi-Fi calls without consuming their monthly minute allotment. Here’s what the T-Mobile rep had to say:

T-Mobile is excited to expand our Wi-Fi Calling feature, a unique and valuable service T-Mobile has been offering customers for over three years. Starting today, T-Mobile customers can add Free Wi-Fi Calling to their rate plan – at no additional charge – to place calls over Wi-Fi without deducting from their allotment of minutes. This new feature is available at T-Mobile retail stores to all customers on Even More and Even More Plus Postpaid rate plans who have Wi-Fi Calling capable handsets.

GigaOm says the feature is available on Android devices that have the pre-installed Smart Wi-Fi application, which suggests that this feature isn’t available for T-Mobile users looking for unlimited calling on UMA-equipped BlackBerry smartphones — at least for the time being.

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While Sprint has yet to announce a release date for RIM’s Wi-Fi-only BlackBerry PlayBook or the WiMAX-enabled BlackBerry 4G PlayBook, the former was recently rumored to be set for a May 8th launch. According to a purported communication sent from Sprint to dealers, however, the launch may have been pushed back. “The launch of the BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet has been delayed for all Dealers,” the supposed note from Sprint states. “The new launch date will be communicated as soon as it is available.” The cause of the delay is not specified, though initial sales are believed by some analysts to be exceeding expectations, which may have caused supply constraints. Others believe the large quantities of Apple iPad 2 units being produced by Chinese manufacturers are causing manufacturing delays for various Apple competitors. Then again, Sprint may be waiting for an imminent software update from RIM that will add various much needed functionality currently missing from the PlayBook, such as an email client and BlackBerry Messenger support.

Thanks, Korey

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LG officially announced the long rumored LG Optimus Big on Friday, making it the Korean firm’s largest Android smartphone to date. The Optimus Big runs Android 2.2, sports a 4.3-inch Nova Display, and is equipped with an HDMI-out port, a 1GHz processor, a 5-megapixel camera, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, and a 1,500 mAh battery. The NOVA Display is the star of that spec sheet though, and we loved the rich colors and deep blacks when we first saw it on the Optimus Black. The Optimus Big will make its debut on Korea’s LG U+ on April 28th and there’s no word if this beast will swim itself to the United States — but we’d welcome it with open arms if it did.

[Via Pocketnow.com]

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When EA launched NBA Jam for the iPhone and iPod touch in February, there was one glaring omission: the ability to dunk on your friends. On Thursday EA fixed that by updating the game with local multiplayer, which means you’ll be able to take to the court and play against your buddies using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. If you use an iPad, there’s more good news – EA also launched NBA Jam HD for $9.99. NBA Jam has been a staple on our devices since its debut, and it’s been updated with the current NBA roster, too. Lace up those Nike’s and install the update.

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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.

Sprint’s new dual-screen Kyocera Echo is now available for pre-order from RadioShack. The Echo sports two different displays for a total 4.7-inches of touchscreen real estate. The Echo’s second screen can be used to run two applications at once, as a full QWERTY keyboard, or to enhance gameplay. The Android 2.2 (Froyo) powered smartphone is also capable of creating a Wi-Fi hotspot, which allows you to share the Echo’s 3G connection with other Wi-Fi enabled devices. The Echo — which costs $199 with a new two-year Sprint contract – will ship from RadioShack on April 17th. For more info on the Echo be sure to check out our hands-on.

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While Verizon Wireless just announced two new 4G LTE devices that are going to serve up insanely fast mobile broadband speeds, Samsung’s 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot is the first one in our hands. We’ve been rockin’ and rollin’ over Verizon’s 4G LTE network for a little while thanks to the new mobile hotspot, and we’re happy to report extremely fast speeds around 12Mbps down and 5.5Mbps up on average — the fastest speeds that the device is rated for. In terms of size, it’s just a tad thicker than the original Novatel MiFi unit we rely on for our mobile connectivity. We haven’t had enough time to test battery life for ourselves, but we’ll report back. The Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot is available online from Verizon Wireless starting today, and will be in stores beginning tomorrow for $99.99 with a two-year service agreement. Check out our hands-on gallery with some comparison photos!

According to several, leaked internal screen shots obtained by TmoNews, the highly-anticipated NoDo Windows Phone 7 update could begin rolling out to owners of the T-Mobile HTC HD7 smartphone as soon as Today. Users should start seeing a pop-up notification alerting them of the update, at which point they’ll need to connect their phones to a computer and install the update through Microsoft’s Zune Player software. NoDo will bring copy/paste functionality, improvements to Wi-Fi and the camera, along with several speed and performance enhancements. For now this is just a rumor, but it’s entirely possible given that Microsoft began pushing out the NoDo update in Europe last week. We’ll be sure to keep you updated if we hear more on NoDo being deployed to the HD7 today.

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