Tag Archives: ctia

CellMaps by Mosaik brings accurate, detailed coverage maps to Android

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CellMaps by Mosaik Solutions brings accurate, detailed coverage maps to Android

Sometimes in the mobile world, selecting a carrier isn't determined so much by devices or plans, but rather which provider best suits your coverage needs. Sadly, the map tools on carrier websites are needlessly painful, and most coverage apps that you'll find rely on crowd-sourced data -- great if others contribute, but that's not always the case. Now, you'll find a better solution from Mosaik Solutions, which has released an Android app that provides data from the carriers themselves. Known as CellMaps Mobile Coverage, it brings a quick and easy visual overview into the likes of AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon, which can be parsed by 2G, 3G, 4G and LTE signal.

The basic version of the app is free, but the real power comes with a premium subscription that runs $1.99 annually. Here, you'll find the ability to view map overlays from multiple carriers, along with the ability to zoom into a street-level view. Additionally with the premium version, you can drop a pin onto any given spot and get a complete breakdown of carrier service in the area. We've already taken the app for a spin, and were quite pleased with the utility. Now, you can hit up the Play Store link and discover the joys (and pains) of being a coverage nerd.

Gallery: CellMaps Mobile Coverage

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Source: CellMaps Mobile Coverage (Google Play)

Mobile Miscellany: week of April 29th, 2013

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Mobile Miscellany week of April 29th, 2013

If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought a leak of the BlackBerry R-Series smartphone in red, a clever new notification system from the Paranoid Android team and quarterly earnings from Leap Wireless, the parent company of Cricket. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of April 29th, 2013.

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CTIA and MobileCon merging in 2014, forming ‘super mobile show’

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CTIA and MobileCon merging in 2014, forming 'super mobile show'

There are some things in life you can count on year after year -- like having to file taxes. For mobile journalists this includes an annual pilgrimage to CES, MWC, plus the spring and fall editions of CTIA. This year is no exception, with CTIA spring taking place May 21-23rd in Las Vegas and the fall show (re-baptized MobileCon in 2012) happening October 9-11th in San Jose. But things are going to be different next year -- the Wireless Association announced today that it will be merging the spring and fall editions in 2014 and forming a single CTIA "super mobile show." Considering how quiet CTIA and MobileCon were last year, this sounds like a great opportunity for both consumer and enterprise-centric vendors to mingle and bring some excitement back to the show. CTIA 2014 is scheduled for September 9-11th in Las Vegas and we'll be there, of course. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading CTIA and MobileCon merging in 2014, forming 'super mobile show'

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Wireless AMBER Alerts shifting to Wireless Emergency Alerts at end of year

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The CTIA noted this morning that the end of the year will also see an end to Wireless AMBER Alerts. The program will be put to bed on December 31st, in favor of the the similarly named Wireless Emergency Alert system, which offers up free notifications about local abducted children to millions of handset owners. Launched this summer, the WEA is a joint venture of the CTIA, FCC and FEMA. The WEA AMBER Alert system delivers local alert to users, even when they're visiting a a different area, "For example, if a Chicago resident was visiting Boston and a WEA AMBER Alert was issued in Boston, the subscriber would receive the alert." More information on the program can be found in a press release after the break.

Continue reading Wireless AMBER Alerts shifting to Wireless Emergency Alerts at end of year

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Stolen phone database alive, carriers can now block pilfered handsets

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US carriers agree to build stolen phone database, blacklist hot handsets

Earlier this year, all the major US carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint) huddled up with the FCC to create a stolen phone database so that they could block any renegade devices. That effort has now gone live, according to the CTIA, as the majors -- along with Cellcom and Nex-Tech Wireless -- have just deployed their bad-lists. These will allow the operators to identify poached devices through IMEI codes and stymie their activation on networks. AT&T and T-Mobile will also be adding cellphones reported stolen in the GSMA Global IMEI database to their new lists, which should bring US efforts up to snuff with a similar, successful UK program, albeit five long years later.

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Stolen phone database alive, carriers can now block pilfered handsets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Nov 2012 09:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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International Telecommunication Union: worldwide mobile subscriptions hit six billion in 2011

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International Telecommunication Union: worldwide mobile subscriptions hit six billion in 2011

Last year, the UN's International Telecommunication Union (ITU) told us there were five billion mobile subscriptions worldwide at the close of 2010, and now it's reporting that at the end of 2011, that figure hit a staggering six billion. China and India account for one billion a piece, and it brings us ever closer to having the equivalent of one subscription for every person on the planet. (According to the CTIA, there are already more cellular plans in the US -- around 322 million -- than there are inhabitants.) In a stat-heavy release from the ITU, it also ranked the most advanced telecoms countries, with South Korea placing first, Japan eighth and countries in Europe filling the remaining spots.

Interestingly, the number of global mobile broadband subscriptions now outnumbers fixed ones by two to one, and mobile internet services showed the biggest growth rates in 2011: 40% worldwide and 78% in developing markets. The ITU attributes the latter figure to the relatively high price of fixed access in these countries, and the increasing availability of mobile alternatives. The CTIA also commented on mobile broadband use, reporting that from July 2011 to June this year, Americans consumed 104 percent more data -- no doubt due, in part, to people taking advantage of expanding 4G coverage. As usual, we've given you the cheat sheet, so if you'd like the full reports and have got a thing for statistics, there's plenty more in the source links below.

[Image credit: Chris Jordan]

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International Telecommunication Union: worldwide mobile subscriptions hit six billion in 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 12:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZTE Engage for Cricket hands-on

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ZTE Engage for Cricket handson

MobileCon 2012 hasn't exactly been the mecca for new products, but that scenario is ideal for giving prepaid carriers like Cricket some time in the trade show spotlight. The company showed off its latest creation from ZTE, the Engage. Despite its stellar name, don't expect the device to pull a Picard and launch you into the mobile equivalent of warp factor nine, but it's nothing that will come as a surprise to Cricket users: already available for the non-contractual price of $250, you're getting a handset that runs a stock version of Ice Cream Sandwich and offers a 1.4GHz single-core Snapdragon S2 processor, Muve Music, a 4-inch WVGA (800x480) display, 1,900mAh battery, 8MP rear camera and VGA front-facing cam, Bluetooth 2.1 and microSD slot (with a 4GB Muve Music-branded card included). Its 13mm thickness may seem to be a little too much for most, and at 5.4 ounces (153g), its weight comes in on the heavier end of the spectrum for its particular form factor and overall size. Not a spec-buster by any stretch of the imagination, but prepaid users may find it to be worthy of the price tag. Head below to see a few more shots of the Engage.

Gallery: ZTE Engage for Cricket hands-on

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ZTE Engage for Cricket hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 18:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zipcar CEO talks mobile app improvements, predicts connected vehicle future

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We wondered why Zipcar CEO Scott Griffith was slated as a keynote presenter at CTIA's MobileCon -- after all, what does renting cars have to do with mobile? Apparently, quite a lot. Griffith stated in his keynote that Zipcar's app and mobile services have taken a much more central role in the organization. The company is developing its own in-car device holder so that customers can hook up their phones for hands-free functions, and more importantly, the Zipcar smartphone app is due for a major update. The current version can be used to schedule rentals and remote unlock vehicles, but future iterations will transform it into more of an "in-car assistant." It'll let you know more information about the car, help you around town with a personal recommendation service, stream your iTunes playlist, and detailed trip feedback like fuel-levels and car conditions will be far easier to report. Zipcar hopes to add new members through the app as well -- just take a photo of your driver's license and get an approval "in minutes." According to Griffith, the connected car will change our urban landscape, especially with the combination of services like Lyft, Uber, bike sharing, and public transit. It's not quite the flying car, but the nerd in us is sufficiently pleased.

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Zipcar CEO talks mobile app improvements, predicts connected vehicle future originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 03:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Optimus G for Sprint hands-on (update: video)

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LG Optimus G for Sprint handson

Stop us if you've heard this one before, but we had the opportunity to get our hands on the LG Optimus G... again. This would make the excursion lucky number four for Engadget, but this one is a touch on the unique side since it's heading directly to Sprint at some point in the not-too-distant future. Here's what we knew up until today: like the Korean versions, this particular flavor of the G -- also known as the LS970 -- will feature a 13MP rear camera (AT&T's will only sport an 8MP module), and otherwise carries the same set of features such as a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB RAM, 1.3MP front-facing camera, 32GB internal storage, 2,100mAh battery and 4.7-inch 1280x768 True HD IPS PLUS display. Much like it did on the Motorola Photon Q, Sprint has elected to keep its carrier-specific branding off of the device (it's doing this so the handset can make its way to the network's prepaid brands with relative ease), but we were disappointed to see that the SIM card is once again embedded and not accessible without taking the entire phone apart. Aside from these cosmetic differences there's not much that sets it apart from the international models -- something that is a pleasure to see, instead of the standard carrier practice of tweaking OEM designs to their own whimsy.

The performance expectations set by the Korean Optimus G seem to be met here, with the 1.5GHz quad-core Krait processor running the show. Despite the G using a custom build of Ice Cream Sandwich (which will be upgraded to Jelly Bean soon, according to Sprint), we were highly satisfied with how quick everything was during our time with the device -- it truly acts and feels the same as its overseas counterpart. The downside that you'll find with Sprint -- as you might imagine -- is Sprint's infant LTE network; customers getting this phone in a city not blanketed by the next-gen network will find themselves frustrated with lackluster EVDO speeds. To get a closer look at the Now Network's flavor of the Optimus G, go below to see a full gallery of images and then head past the break for a video tour.

Gallery: LG Optimus G for Sprint hands-on

Myriam Joire contributed to this report.

Continue reading LG Optimus G for Sprint hands-on (update: video)

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LG Optimus G for Sprint hands-on (update: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 14:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re live from MobileCon 2012!

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We're live from MobileCon 2012!

MobileCon, the show formerly known as CTIA Enterprise & Applications, is ready to get under way in sunny San Diego. Despite its more streamlined name, we expect to see the same kind of stuff as years past; in other words, the show will be much more Enterprise-centric than any other mobile-related event we cover throughout the year. Don't let that scare you off too much -- with the plethora of new device announcements over the past month, we still hope to get our hands on some new and glorious pieces of hardware. Keep your eyes peeled right here as we bring you all of the best (and worst) from Southern California.

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We're live from MobileCon 2012! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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