If you live in the UK and a 4G wireless tower is going up right next to your house, you might want to hold off on the excitement. LTE networks occupying the 800MHz spectrum could cause some serious interference (sound familiar?), capable of knocking out around two million households’ free terrestrial TV channels. An independent company has been set up to lessen the effects of the wayward waves and is installing government-subsidized filters in residences across the country. But even its valiant efforts could leave up to 8,500 homes without Freeview, as non-traditional antenna setups aren’t covered by the public fund. Meanwhile, eager Brits continue to patiently line up for some kind of semblance of a 4G network.

Forthcoming 4G networks could interfere with TV in 10 percent of UK homes originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Have you ever wanted to preheat your oven while on the way home from work, or start your sprinklers while vacationing, only to remember you don’t have the spare loot lying around for a network of smart appliances? A recent startup (that somehow eluded Kickstarter) called Electric Imp is about to make your wireless control / monitoring fantasies a reality with its soon-to-be-released, $25 web interface. It works much like an Eye-Fi card, and communicates with cloud services as well as other connected devices like your Android or iPhone via WiFi. The company is working hard to get the slots that work with the cards into many of the machines that we usually don’t link up to the good ol’ www — but have often wanted to — and it hopes to have everything in place later this year. This all sounds like a great deal right now, but just wait until your washing machine gets hacked and starts using scalding water on all your darks and delicates. More info at the source.

Gmail and iPhone alums create Electric Imp, connect your toaster to the web originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 04:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ah, Japan. That far east country what begot Mario most always gets to profit from the industry’s more delightful excesses. This time, however, the spoils have less to do with gaming flash and more to do with smartphone specs. In a document recently released by NTT DoCoMo, the carrier’s upcoming dual-core Galaxy S III variant is listed as doubling up on the available RAM, bypassing the standard 1GB announced at its official unveiling. It’s not the first time we’ve seen an OEM shoot for the silicone stars, considering LG’s headline-stealing Optimus LTE2 and monstrous LS970, so the swap could be likely. Nothing’s set in stone quite yet, but given this is Samsung’s flagship w

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Verizon Wireless is planning to force customers to give up their unlimited data plans when they move to its high-speed wireless service, a top executive for parent company Verizon Communications Inc said on Wednesday. For now, Verizon Wireless customers who move to the company’s highest-speed fourth generation (4G) network from its older network can still use the company’s unlimited wireless data plan for a flat monthly fee. But that will change after Verizon Wireless launches a new shared data plan offering this summer, according to Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo. …

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Verizon Wireless to scrap unlimited plans for 4G users

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Verizon Wireless should see an increase in data revenue after it offers new shared data plans this summer, according to a top executive for parent company Verizon Communications Inc. Verizon’s intends to allow customers to share their data allowance among different devices, unlike their current offerings, where they have to sign up for a separate data plan for every device connected to the wireless operator’s network. Verizon Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo said he expects the new offering to encourage more customers to connect more devices to its network. …

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Verizon sees revenue increase from shared plans