AT&T has just unveiled two new 4G LTE devices, the AT&T USBConnect Momentum 4G and AT&T Mobile Hotspot Elevate 4G. Available this summer, the USBConnect Momentum 4G is a plug-and-play USB stick device, while the Mobile Hostspot Elevate 4G features a 1.77-inch display and can be used to connect up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices. Both 4G LTE modems have expandable memory slot that supports microSD cards up to 32GB and worldwide connectivity through data roaming arrangement with mobile carriers in more than 200 countries. The devices are in preparation for AT&T’s scheduled launching of 4G LTE service in five US markets this summer and will be useful for those located in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. AT&T also plans to extend this service to other markets before 2011 ends.

If you’re planning to transition to 4G LTE networks, those two AT&T devices should help you get started. The AT&T USBConnect Momentum 4G will be available for $49.99 with a two-year contract, while the AT&T Mobile Hotspot Elevate 4G will cost you $69.99 with a 2-year contract. Both prices are applicable after a $50 mail-in rebate and will both will be available this summer via AT&T wireless and AT&T retail outlets nationwide.

Via [AT&T]

With all the buzz surrounding Google+ these days, it’s good to take a step back and assess how this new social network will affect our daily online habits. Throwing a new social platform into the mix that has a backing the likes of Gmail, Gchat, YouTube and the most used search engine around will surely help sway users away from Zuckerberg and co.

And just how many of you have considered deleting your Facebook account at some point? A good portion of Facebook users (at least in my experience) seem to be uncomfortable sharing their personal information and status updates with everyone on their friends list. When you think about all of the co-workers, bosses and relatives that we have on their friends list these days, it’s probably a good thing to be turned away from the ubiquity of Facebook status updates.

What’s unique about Google+ is that unlike Facebook and other social sites, there is no such thing as a friend request. Users can create customizable “circles” and can in turn share their updates with the people within one or more of these bubbles, or with everyone. This feature is somewhat similar to how Facebook allows you to split up your friends list but has a far more visual involvement with the user. Thankfully, you’ll never have to be forced to add someone you don’t want on your friends list; just remove them from your circle. I can definitely see some serious email and mobile integration with this service in the not too distant future.

For those of you that have been fortunate enough to give Google+ a test drive, what are your favorite features of the new service? Let us know what you think.

Via [TechnologyReview]

If you liked iMovie on the iPhone, you’ll love if on the iPad. The only problem: how to get your photos and video from the iPhone to the iPad. Why Apple didn’t homebrew a solution into the iPad is beyond us but thankfully, the developers behind the Transfer app did.

Apple expects you to transfer movies via iTunes. Here in the real world, most of us don’t sync regularly so that solution just isn’t attractive. Another route is the iPad camera connector; allowing you to have a wired connection between iPhone and iPad. In searching for a solution, I found that to be OK, but shelling out $40 just wasn’t attractive.

That’s when I found the Transfer app. For $2.99 I downloaded the app to both my devices (users only pay once) and was ready to transfer over WiFi. The app is intuitive, simple and does the job very well.

Within seconds of downloading, I was transferring my raw videos from the iPhone to the iPad with no issue. To do this, simply open the app on both devices, select the photos or video to transfer and boom: it’s transferring. An bar indicates transfer progress. Bottom line: the whole thing works flawlessly for me.

Pictures and video can be transferred via WiFi or you can use Bluetooth for just photos. Currently video is not support via Bluetooth. Images and video can also be shared to a computer browser.

Seriously, for the effort saved in iTunes syncing and/or carting around the camera adapter, I’d be willing to pay much more than the $2.99 asking price. If you’re in a similar boat and want to get files from your smartphone to the iPad, this is a great option. Check the video below.

Product page: [PhotoTransferApp]

Joining iPhone and Android versions, Splashtop for webOS was just announced and it brings the same one-click access to your desktop machine available on the other mobile OS. Working with Windows and Mac, Spashtop looks more like a precursor for the HP TouchPad tablet rather than a smartphone focused product. Splashtop can pass through games, Flash support, editing files such as Word and Excel.

“We created Splashtop Remote Desktop with the vision of bridging the billions of devices throughout the world,” said Mark Lee, CEO and co-founder of Splashtop. “Our support for HP’s webOS is an important milestone in that direction.”

Currently, Spashtop is compatible with the Pre2 and Pre Plus running webOS 2.1. The software costs just $4.99 and is available now in the HP App Store.

Product page: [Splashtop]

The folks at Messenger Plus, one of the most popular add-ons for Windows Live Messenger has announced that their userbase has now exceed the 60 million mark. Conciding with this feat is the release of the latest version of their add-on, bringing several new features which are social in nature. Messenger Plus has been download more than 500 million times to date making it one of most downloaded Messenger extension.

The latest version of Messenger Plus now lets you join discussion on various topics through several community hubs including Plus! Network, Plus! Image, Plus! Games, Plus! Sports. With the influx of new users, these hubs just made Messenger Plus! one of the largest social communities today. Other features of the updated Messenger Plus include – an all new interface, My Plus! Account, advanced logging, resizable quick panels, quick command on contact list, and new website.

Finally, Messenger Plus has also made its existing chat feature more socialized by encouraging users to create their own skins and apps and submit them to Messenger Plus to be used and downloaded by other Messenger Plus memeber.

The updated version of Messenger Plus is now available as a free download. Hit on the product link below to grab the Windows Live Messenger extension.

via [Blonde20], product [Messenger Plus]

At the Verizon Wireless press conference today at CES 2011, the Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot was announced. It’s interesting to see Samsung deviate from its usual line of products, but I’m sure this one will be well received. The device allows up to five Wi-Fi connected devices to either Verizon’s 3G or 4G network. If you are in an LTE area, then you can connect to the LTE network, otherwise you will be using its 3G service. Unfortunately, no word on some of the more important characteristics of the device — pricing and availability. Naturally, expect an initial cost for the device and then any contract and data fees you may incur.

The press release can be read below:

VERIZON WIRELESS KEEPS CUSTOMERS CONNECTED WITH THE SAMSUNG 4G LTE MOBILE HOTSPOT

Mobile Hotspot Fits Easily In a Purse or Pocket to Provide Mobile Broadband Speeds to Five Wi-Fi Enabled Devices at a Time

LAS VEGAS and BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – From the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Verizon Wireless and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) today announced that the Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot will be available on the Verizon 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network.

The dual-mode Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot works as a wireless access point connecting up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices to the 4G LTE network at the same time. Verizon Wireless customers can expect download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G Mobile Broadband coverage areas. The Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot is also backward compatible with Verizon Wireless’ 3G network.

“By harnessing the power and speed of the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network, our customers have a trusted source of connectivity with the Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot,” said Marni Walden, vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. “We’re expanding our portfolio of 4G LTE-capable devices to provide power and portability to our customers so that they’ll stay connected on the go.”

The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network, launched in December 2010, is the fastest, most advanced 4G network in the United States, providing speeds up to 10 times faster than Verizon Wireless’ 3G network. Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network currently reaches one-third of all Americans, with plans to expand the network to the company’s entire 3G coverage area over the next three years.

The Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot will be on display at CES 2011 in Verizon Wireless’ booth (#35216 in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center) and in the Samsung booth (#12006 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center). For more information about Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network, visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte and for more information about Verizon Wireless at CES, please visit www.verizonwireless.com/ces or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/verizonwireless. For more information about the Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot, visit www.samsung.com.

Over at Business Insider, Matt Rosoff wrote an interesting piece reminding us there is more to laptops than just the included hardware. Things like cameras, hard drives, printers, mice; all those things we plug into our laptops make our experience complete. Google seems to have come up short on supporting these.

Toward the end of today’s Chrome OS event, Google admitted that it’s still working out how to support hardware peripherals. This is how Chrome OS is most likely to fail.

Rosoff goes on to point out that printers are a particularly troubling problem that will most likely force users of the Chrome OS to have another computer to get that printer installed. Camera connections and webcams pose another problem (though, a webcam is listed in the C48 specs). Google has said they’ve not completed work on USB support yet.

Experts are quick to point out that Chrome OS is really just a thin layer on top of Linux and Linux figured all this out a while back.

Will peripherals be the downfall of the new OS? Will it find only netbook adoption rates?

Read: [Business Insider]

If you search on eBay right now for a BlackBerry PlayBook, the new tablet that is said to be coming for sale in early 2011, you’ll find lots of options. Pricing ranges from a whopping $25,000 down to a measly $300. These prices are not for the tablet itself, oh no, it is for something far more valuable: domain names.

That’s right, what’s true for brick and mortar buinesses, “location,location,location”is true for s the #1 rule in locating a business is domain names. From winners like thebbplaybook.com to bbpbaccessories.com to catchy ones like rimsplaybook.com to the costly bbpbstore.com (that’s the $25k option). All come with free domain name transfer and free shipping. These are being sold as buy it now or best offer listings.

Currently, in the US eBay there are 20 different domain names for sale related to the BlackBerry PlayBook. Looking at iPad related domain names, you’ll find some for a little as $2 or as much as, get this, $21 million for 1800ipads.com. There are currently 105 iPad related domains on eBay now.

Will PlayBook be a hit? A good domain name can help.

Auction listings: [for PlayBook] and [for iPad]

“The WiMAX network will allow NYU-Poly to accelerate our contributions to cooperative networking and advance the leading research conducted at NYU-Poly’s Center for Advanced Technology in Telecommunications, one of the State of New York’s original Centers for Advanced Technology, as well as the Wireless Internet Center for Advanced Technology, funded by the NSF,” said Shivendra Panwar, director of both centers. “It will prove particularly helpful in helping us design and develop standards for cooperative networking, a technology that promises to greatly increase the reliability and speed of wireless communication.”

The school envisions equipping cars with 4G radios that will transmit their location in exchange for access to open parking spots and transit notifications. While that concept is interesting, it puts the onus on drivers – we can’t even get all car owners to go hands-free. The technology exists to figure this out, but we seem a bit off from making this a reality.

Read: [NYU-Poly]

Cloud Engines has returned with another bit of Pogoplug related news. This latest is introducing a new device, the Pogoplug Pro which will be available with Best Buy beginning today. The Pogoplug Pro will feature built-in wireless and for those who were not a big fan of the pink — it will be available in black. In terms of pricing, $99. And for those not as familiar with the Pogoplug;

“Pogoplug allows users to easily and securely access, share, and stream their personal content from anywhere, without uploading.  Content remains safely on USB hard drives connected to the Pogoplug device in their home or office, and is available from any Internet enabled device, including apps for the iPhone, Android, iPad, BlackBerry, and Palm.”

Keep reading to check out a few more images and the full press release…

Pogoplug Unveils Latest Version of Award-Winning Product

Pogoplug Pro is Available in Best Buy Stores Today

San Francisco, CA, October 11, 2010 – Cloud Engines, Inc, today announced Pogoplug Pro, the latest version of the company’s award-winning multimedia sharing device. The Pogoplug Pro delivers even more flexibility to store, access, and share personal content from anywhere on the Internet.

Pogoplug allows users to easily and securely access, share, and stream their personal content from anywhere, without uploading. Content remains safely on USB hard drives connected to the Pogoplug device in their home or office, and is available from any Internet enabled device, including apps for the iPhone, Android, iPad, BlackBerry, and Palm.

“Pogoplug is a great option for those who want to quickly and securely share personal files over the Internet,” said Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis at The NPD Group.

The Pogoplug Pro includes all of the popular features of the second generation Pogoplug, including the ability to connect up to four USB drives and to print from any mobile device. In addition, Pogoplug Pro adds built-in wireless connectivity. Owners can place the device anywhere in their home without having to physically connect it to their router.

Pogoplug Pro is available today in Best Buy stores and online for $99 (MSRP).