Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Wi-Fi arrives at the FCC

In warehouses all over the world, there are caches of the new range of Samsung Galaxy Tab devices waiting to be unleashed to the masses the moment the injunction which Apple filed against Samsung’s tablets are lifted by the courts. Good thing there is no such problem here in the US, and yet another Galaxy Tab model has arrived at the FCC – which signals an imminent release to the mass market. We’re talking about the Galaxy Tab 7.7 here, which is also known as the GT-P6810.
This particular model will most probably be a Wi-Fi only version that carries with it 16GB of internal memory, and there was nothing about wireless bands on the GT-P6810. No idea on exactly when the Galaxy Tab 7.7 will arrive Stateside, but it is most likely that “soon” is the correct answer.
In the mean time, which Galaxy Tab tablet are you eyeing at, or are you still waiting to get your hands on the uber popular iPad 2?

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Telstra 4G: why more speed matters

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Telstra 4G modem.

Australia's first 4G LTE network is open to the public, but what will we do with it?

Long Term Evolution, or LTE, is the next step in Australia’s mobile broadband revolution. It’s referred to as 4G even though it doesn’t technically meet the definition of 4G (we’ll need to wait for LTE Advanced). Yet marketing departments never let the facts get in the way of a good story, so Australia’s telcos are using the term 4G to describe LTE.

After a limited trial with business customers, today Telstra threw open the doors to its new 4G LTE network. Coverage was initially restricted to inner Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, but has expanded to cover more than 30 regional and metropolitan centres (you can check coverage here). This should extend to 80 locations by the end of the year.

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LTE promises download speeds of 100 megabits per second, although we all know that theoretical network speeds should be taken with a grain of salt. Telstra is promising "typical download speeds ranging from 2Mbps to 40Mbps", which sounds more realistic. 

To tap into these impressive speeds you’ll need a new phone or USB dongle. Telstra’s first LTE devices are dual-mode 4G/3G USB dongles which fall back to the HSDPA network where LTE coverage isn’t available. Pricing is the same as existing HSDPA dongles and data, which would indicate that Telstra is keen to get customers on the LTE network as soon as possible in order to share the load with its 850 MHz HSDPA network (just like Vodafone is desperately trying to move customers to its new 850 MHz network to spread the load). What’s really interesting is that you’ll be throttled if you reach your monthly limit, a shift away from Telstra’s horrendous excess mobile data charges.

Current Australian handsets aren’t LTE-compatible, but a handful of LTE-compatible phones are available overseas such as the HTC Thunderbolt, LG Revolution and Samsung Droid Charge. Telstra has promised to offer an LTE-capable HTC Android smartphone some time in the first half of next year, along with an LTE-capable tablet.

So what are we going to do with this new-found speed? You might think it’s targeted at business users, but Telstra is pushing the "fun" consumer angle hard - promising faster TV, movie and music downloads. It’s also pushing the social networking angle, letting you upload incriminating photos to Facebook faster than ever.

Telstra isn’t the only Australian telco forging ahead with LTE. Optus and Vodafone Hutchison Australia have also undertaken LTE trials and should launch public services some time next year (Vodafone was even talking about the end of this year at one point).

Telstra has deep pockets and first-mover advantage, so it might be hoping to drive the competition to the wall in an expensive LTE arms race. If I was a Vodafone or Optus customer, I’d be demanding they put more effort into improving coverage blackspots, but I guess they can’t afford to be left behind.

Do you feel the need for speed, or would you prefer improved coverage from your telco? What would you do with the speed boost offered by LTE?

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Google+ app update welcomes iPhone users to Hangouts

Looking for someone to hang out with today? Grab your iPhone and slurp up the latest update to the Google+ app. Released on Friday, this refresh introduces Hangouts functionality to the iOS crowd, bringing them up to speed with Android users. The app's Huddle feature, meanwhile, has been renamed as "Messenger," and supports photos, as well. Plus, iPhone wielders can now +1 comments from their handsets, while using a slate of more granular controls to customize their notification settings. Intrigued parties can grab the update now, at the source link below.

iTunes

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Apple blocks vacation dates for employees

There comes a time in life when you need to bleed for your company, and if you’re an Apple employee, next month is one of those times. It seems that rom October 9th through the 12th, and on October 14th and 15th, you won’ t be able to take a vacation – and normally this happens only when something large is looming on the horizon, which we’re thinking jives to the tune of the iPhone 5. After all, Apple will probably need just about anyone and everyone available to handle the purported swarm of eager beaver customers who want to be early adopters.
Since there are two blocks of blackout dates, they certainly won’t signify the launch of the iPhone 5 twice – which means one of them will have something to do with the unreleased iOS 5, which will be in time for the iPhone 5 if our historical recollection of what Apple did previously is correct. Boo hoo to those born on those days and are working at Apple – you might not be able to celebrate as intended.

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