Samsung Galaxy S III for T-Mobile hits FCC, brings future-proofed HSPA+ for good measure

Saturday, May 19, 2012 Posted by Jon Fingas

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There's been hints of it coming as early as February, but we now have a smoking gun at the FCC: the Galaxy S III is coming to T-Mobile. A Samsung SGH-T999 has popped up at the agency sporting newly added 1,700MHz AWS support that's the telltale sign of a T-Mobile device, along with the T999 name itself (the T989 is the network's Galaxy S II). It also totes 850MHz and 1,900MHz WCDMA bands used for HSPA+ data, a clue that the phone is ready for refarmed GSM spectrum. Just in case there was any remaining doubt, we've further spotted a related T999V entry at the Bluetooth SIG with a rather familiar-looking image as well as a Samsung-hosted T999 user agent profile on the web that matches what we know about the Android 4.0 hardware. We have yet to get a look at whether or not the T-Mobile version is any different on the outside, but with the FCC's help, there's not much left to know before the expected summer US launch.

Samsung Galaxy S III for T-Mobile hits FCC, brings future-proofed HSPA+ for good measure originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 20:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Learn the Built-in Superpowers of Your Body and Brain This Weekend [Weekendhacker]

Saturday, May 19, 2012 Posted by Adam Dachis
The human body and its brain are pretty incredible. They're also fragile and dumb. Realizing this can make your life miserable, or you can look at it as an opportunity and take control. This weekend, learn a few built-in superpowers you may not have known you had. All they take is a little practice. More »


Learn the Built-in Superpowers of Your Body and Brain This Weekend [Weekendhacker]

Saturday, May 19, 2012 Posted by Adam Dachis
The human body and its brain are pretty incredible. They're also fragile and dumb. Realizing this can make your life miserable, or you can look at it as an opportunity and take control. This weekend, learn a few built-in superpowers you may not have known you had. All they take is a little practice. More »


Kiss Aero goodbye: Latest Windows 8 build reveals minimalistic desktop UI

Friday, May 18, 2012 Posted by Zachary Lutz

Kiss Aero goodbye: Latest Windows 8 build reveals minimalistic desktop UI

It's safe to say that anticipation is high for the upcoming Windows 8 Release Preview, which will become available in the first week of June. While we're still curious to see if Microsoft can better integrate the desktop and Metro environments of its latest operating system, the company has now revealed a significant change to the desktop portion of Windows 8 -- a completely restyled visual appearance. As you might remember from the Consumer Preview, window borders and widgets featured a simplified and subdued look in comparison to the glass-like materials of Aero, which Microsoft now calls "dated and cheesy." With the latest refresh, however, the company has pushed its modernistic philosophy even further to reveal a spartan (yet functional) interface that draws less attention to the chrome elements and allows the user to focus more on content.

Microsoft's latest reveal was made as part of a larger, retrospective look at its development of Windows and the evolution of the operating system. At every step, the company states that its emphasis has been on the overall "learnability" of the environment. As such, Microsoft claims that it's making great strides to ensure that consumers may quickly get up to speed with the latest OS, and hints that it has a number of reveals yet to be seen. In its very next breath, however, it also emphasized people's ability to adapt and move forward, which suggests the number of changes might not be as concilatory as some might've hoped. Regardless, we'll know for sure what Microsoft has in store in just a few weeks.

Kiss Aero goodbye: Latest Windows 8 build reveals minimalistic desktop UI originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 19:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GameStop Mobile launches as AT&T virtual carrier, gives us rare bring-your-own GSM in US

Friday, May 18, 2012 Posted by Jon Fingas

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Here's an expansion of mobile competition in the US that comes out of left field, even for us: GameStop as a cellular provider. GameStop Mobile, as it's called, is that rare bird of an AT&T-based MVNO that relies on a bring-your-own-device strategy. As long as your hardware works on AT&T's 850MHz and 1,900MHz bands and isn't locked to another carrier, you can bring any GSM- and HSPA-based phone (or data-only device) and use it contract-free: rates start at anything from a strictly pay-as-you-go $5 through to a $55 monthly plan with unlimited voice and text, if just an anemic 500MB of data. Tablet owners and other data-only fans can pay the same $55 for 1GB per month -- a bit stiff considering that those on AT&T proper can get 5GB of data for slightly less. No doubt this is to take advantage of iPad and iPhone trade-ins, PlayStation Vitas and the overall rise of unlocked devices. We're just wondering whether GameStop will catch a few customers subscribing as they pick up their Diablo III pre-orders or else face the uncertain future that befalls many MVNOs.

GameStop Mobile launches as AT&T virtual carrier, gives us rare bring-your-own GSM in US originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 19:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remains of the Day: Verizon Will Grandfather Unlimited Data, Won’t Subsidize Your Phone [For What It's Worth]

Friday, May 18, 2012 Posted by Jeremy Hoag
Verizon relents a little on unlimited data, Congress considers fighting for some "hearts and minds" at home, and Mac folks can relax about lost hotkeys. More »


Use a Banana Peel to Relieve Itching from Poison Ivy, Mosquito Bites, and More [Clever Uses]

Friday, May 18, 2012 Posted by Whitson Gordon
As we inch closer to summer, you're more likely to run into poison ivy, bug bites, and the other itchy ailments that come with being outside. Redditor xume points out that banana peels are a great homemade remedy for itchy skin. More »


AniExplorer Adds Customizable Animations to Windows Explorer [Video]

Friday, May 18, 2012 Posted by Whitson Gordon
Windows: AniExplorer enables hidden animations in the Windows Explorer interface, letting you customize your file manager and give it a little pizazz. More »


Daily App Deals: Get Hurricane for iOS for $2.99 in Today’s App Deals [App Deals]

Friday, May 18, 2012 Posted by Dusty Wright
The Daily App Deals post is a round-up of the best app discounts of the day, as well as some notable mentions for ones that are on sale. More »


The Engadget Show is live, here at 6:00PM ET!

Friday, May 18, 2012 Posted by Brian Heater

Man, what a show we've got for you this month. For starters, we popped by the Smithsonian, to check out the museum's Art of the Video Game exhibit. And while the awesome Fifth Avenue Frogger game didn't actually make it into those hallowed halls, we did take a close up look at the hacked arcade cabinet for the show. Speaking of video games (which we seem to be doing a lot these days), we'll also pay a visit to the newly reborn Chinatown Fair and speak to the directors of Indie Game: The Movie. All of that, plus a performance by musician Alex Winston and the month's latest and greatest gadgets. Keep your browsers locked to this spot!

Continue reading The Engadget Show is live, here at 6:00PM ET!

The Engadget Show is live, here at 6:00PM ET! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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