Tucows launches Ting, a contract-free mobile service on Sprint’s network

Tucows launches Ting, a contract-free mobile service on Sprint's network
Harken back to the days of Windows 95, and you may remember downloading a few shareware titles to your Compaq or Packard Bell courtesy of Tucows and its network of mirror sites. While the company is no longer of much relevance in the software arena, it's recently launched a mobile service called Ting that operates on Sprint's network, and like many of its competitors (think Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile), no contract is needed. That's not to suggest everything is the same, however, as unlike other carriers, Ting offers to reimburse you for your unused voice, text and data allotments -- think of it as rollover to your wallet. Curious to know more? We've laid out and explained the full spread of Ting's phones and plans after the break.

Continue reading Tucows launches Ting, a contract-free mobile service on Sprint's network

Tucows launches Ting, a contract-free mobile service on Sprint's network originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZTE Optik tablet hits Sprint for $100 on February 5th, hopes EVDO is good enough

ZTE Optik
Sprint has officially taken the wraps off the ZTE Optik and, as expected, the 7-inch tablet will be landing for a measly $100 on contract. Of course, to hit that price point you'll have to make some sacrifices, like signing up for a two-year agreement and an appropriate data plan. Not to mention you'll have to settle for a 3G connection -- there's no WiMAX or LTE in sight. Underneath the hood is a respectable dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon and 1GB of RAM pushing Honeycomb to the 1280 x 800 screen. There's also the usual Bluetooth and GPS antennas on board, as well as dual cameras (5MP rear and 2MP front-facing), 16GB of storage and a MicroSD slot for adding more. If you're not keen on locking yourself into a two year contract for a CDMA-only device, you can pick up the Swype-sporting tab for $350 obligation-free on the same day -- February 5th. Check out the complete PR after the break.

Continue reading ZTE Optik tablet hits Sprint for $100 on February 5th, hopes EVDO is good enough

ZTE Optik tablet hits Sprint for $100 on February 5th, hopes EVDO is good enough originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyocera DuraPlus: a Sprint phone so masculine it’ll kick your face in for misdialing

Sprint's announced that it'll carry the Kyocera DuraPlus -- a rugged cellphone that recalls a lifetime of tedious internet memes. It's certified to "Military Standard 810G," for its resistance to dust, shock, vibration, temperature extremes, humidity and it's able to withstand water depths of one meter for, erm, up to half an hour. You'll also find an embedded LED flashlight capable of lighting the darkest of very dark rooms. Using Direct Connect, you can push-to-talk to other subscribers or use Group Connect to chat with 20 at a time. It'll ship with a 1650 mAh battery (9.5 hours of talk time) with an additional 2300 mAh battery for those long trips round the secure compound. You'll also be able to buy an external charging port to juice multiple units at once -- if you're running your own private militia and need to swap out devices on the go, for example. It'll be available in the first half of the year for an undisclosed price, but we'd wager it'll be something really manly, like the teeth of a wild animal you've vanquished or in exchange for capturing Denis Leary.

Continue reading Kyocera DuraPlus: a Sprint phone so masculine it'll kick your face in for misdialing

Kyocera DuraPlus: a Sprint phone so masculine it'll kick your face in for misdialing originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint grants LightSquared six-week extension for FCC approval

As Carl Icahn prepares to take the wheel, buttressed by a cushion of distressed LightSquared debt, Sprint appears close to ending its ill-fated dance with the upstart LTE provider. After granting the Falcone-backed company a 30-day extension earlier this January, the Hesse-led co is taking one last stab at making that 15-year resource sharing agreement work, giving the beleaguered network an additional six weeks to garner regulatory approval for its controversial spectrum. As it stands, the fate of LS' wholesale 4G operation lies within the FCC's hands and with no hard date for a final ruling in sight, it's easy to read this last lifeline as the end.

Sprint grants LightSquared six-week extension for FCC approval originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Refresh Roundup: week of January 23, 2012

Refresh Roundup: week of January 23, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of January 23, 2012

Refresh Roundup: week of January 23, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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