Hints that LG would bring the Optimus LTE II to Verizon have persisted since the spring, which almost led us to wonder if the smartphone was still coming: not to fear, as it's finally here under the Spectrum 2 badge. Other than the expected switch-ups in navigation keys and the mix of both CDMA with global GSM roaming, the design will feel very familiar to anyone who's been on a trip to South Korea lately. The Spectrum 2 preserves the 4.7-inch AH-IPS display, dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4, 8-megapixel camera, 16GB of storage and support for wireless charging for those who buy a charging pad. We're also expecting a relatively light tweak of the software that keeps it running Android 4.0 for now, with LG's support for Tag+ stickers and QuickMemo being the standouts. We do wish we were looking at a quad-core Optimus G instead. For the moderate $100 post-rebate price, however, we'll take the two fewer processor cores -- especially when the Spectrum 2 is already on sale online and should be in retail stores sometime in the next few weeks.
Continue reading LG Spectrum 2 made official for Verizon, brings Optimus LTE II to the US for $100
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG
LG Spectrum 2 made official for Verizon, brings Optimus LTE II to the US for $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Oct 2012 11:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Wireless charging may be all the rage these days, but actually beaming electricity -- as sketched above by the man Tesla himself -- still has some snags. North Carolina State U researchers have found a way to possibly vanquish the biggest problem: the difficulty of exactly matching resonant frequencies to amplify current. If external factors like temperature change the tuning of a transmitter even slightly then power drops will occur, but circuitry developed by the NC State scientists would allow receivers to detect these changes and automatically re-tune themselves to match. This could make for more potent car and device charging in the future and, if they stretch the distances a bit, maybe we'll finally get the wire-free utopia Nikola dreamed up 120 years ago.
Scientists tweak wireless power transfer, Tesla nods happily in his grave originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 11:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Wireless power has until now been closely associated with the Wireless Power Consortium's Qi standard. There's now a second proposed common ground in the Alliance for Wireless Power, or A4WP. Samsung and Qualcomm, along with some help from Powermat, SK Telecom, Ever Win Industries, Gill Industries and Peiker Acustic, are making an alternative that allows for "spatial freedom" between your gadget and the charging source, although whether or not that's better than the 1.6-inch distance of the updated Qi spec is left to the imagination. The strategy doesn't just let your device avoid French kissing the charger: it lets you power up through a material besides a metal plate, and it reduces the cost by eliminating repeaters. A4WP should power everything from low-power headsets through to smartphones and tablets, although with partnership talk just getting started at CTIA Wireless 2012, we wouldn't hold off on buying wired-power gadgets in the near future.
Continue reading Samsung, Qualcomm start up Alliance for Wireless Power to take on Qi
Samsung, Qualcomm start up Alliance for Wireless Power to take on Qi originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 04:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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It seems that Power Matt just got a bit more, er, powerful. The Wireless Power Consortium announced today that it's improved the Qi inductive-charging standard to "include longer range magnetic resonance wireless charging." Effectively, this means charging stations that are up to spec will be able to transmit up to 5 watts of power from distances of 40mm (up from 5mm, previously) to Qi-enabled devices. The WPC says it's ideal for pushing power through the likes tables and counter tops, and that it currently has 12 types of compatible transmitters ready for action. All in all, it certainly seems like a solid step for finally getting rid of all that cable clutter at your workstation -- especially if it'll rid users of those less-than-pretty looking charging bases. Maybe a last-minute add-on to your Uppleva, IKEA?
Continue reading WPC updates Qi standard, increases inductive charging distance to 40mm
WPC updates Qi standard, increases inductive charging distance to 40mm originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 20:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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