Sprint is ready to throttle its unlimited data plans, but only in ‘congested’ areas
It was a big promise: unlimited data, without quotes, throttling or restrictions. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse has repeatedly defended the company’s pledge to offer a true unlimited plan, but now the company is quietly eating its words. Customers on Sprint, Virgin Mobile USA and Boost Mobile have all started receiving text messages warning them that heavy users will be subject to data “prioritization” next month in order to “provide more customers with a high quality data experience during heavy usage times.” This prioritization (read: throttling) will only apply to the top 5 percent of data users and only in “congested areas,” however, and Sprint tells FierceWireless that users will only experience limited speeds if they’re connected to a congested cell site. A small concession to your unlimited data plan — and one without a defined data cap — but a small asterisk is still an asterisk.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sprint
Via: PhoneScoop
Source: FierceWireless
Apple is reportedly close to buying Beats for $3.2 billion
The days of Apple limiting itself to (relatively) small acquisitions may soon be over. The Financial Times hears from sources that the folks at 1 Infinite Loop are close to buying Beats Electronics for $3.2 billion. It’s not clear exactly why the company would splurge on such a deal, although there are some strong incentives — Beats Music could provide Apple with a streaming music platform more advanced than iTunes Radio, while Beats’ audio hardware could complement existing iOS and Mac devices. Apple hasn’t commented on the rumor, but the rumored deal could be official as early as next week — we’ll know the truth soon enough.
Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Internet, Mobile, Apple
Source: Financial Times
Buyer’s Guide: Discounts on iMac, iPad Air, MacBook Air, and More [Mac Blog]
There are some decent deals to be had on several Apple products this week, including the iMac, the cellular iPad Air, and the 2013 MacBook Air, all of which are available at low prices from various retailers.
B&H, for example, is currently offering the 21.5-inch 2.7Ghz iMac with 8GB of memory and a 1TB hard drive for $1,149, a $149 savings off the regular price. The higher-end 21.5-inch iMac with a 2.9Ghz processor is also available for $1,399, a savings of $100. $100 off deals from Adorama can also be had on both the 3.2Ghz 27-inch iMac and the 3.4Ghz 27-inch iMac.
Amazon is offering some deals on the AT&T Wi-Fi + 4G iPad Air in space gray, with the high capacity 128GB version available for $819, a discount of $110. Similarly, the 64GB AT&T iPad Air is available for $729, a discount of $100. Deals aren’t quite as good for the smaller capacity iPad Airs from AT&T, but the 16GB model is available for $593 ($36 discount) and the 32GB model is available for $685 ($44 discount).
Apple’s 2013 MacBook Airs are still available at much lower prices following the launch of the 2014 models, with discounts up to $150 on some models from multiple retailers. The 11.6 inch model with 4GB memory and 128GB flash can be purchased from Amazon for $787, $112 off the $899 2014 model. Prices are slightly higher at B&H Photo at $799, but that site only charges sales tax in New York, making it a better deal for most customers.
The higher capacity 11.6-inch 2013 MacBook Air is available for $949.99 from both Amazon and B&H Photo, $150 less than the corresponding 2014 model.
B&H Photo is also offering the 2013 13-inch MacBook Air with 128GB of storage for $899, $100 less than the 2014 model. Amazon has a similar price, at $889. Deals are even better on the 2013-inch MacBook Air with 256GB of storage, which is on sale for $1,044.99 from both Best Buy and B&H Photo, a savings of $154.
As for accessories, the Lightning-compatible JBL OnBeat Micro Speaker Dock for the iPhone is available from Groupon for $39.99 or for $44 from Amazon.com (regularly $99.95). Sphero’s iPhone-controlled wireless robotic ball is also on sale via Groupon for $59.99, a discount of $70.
DODOcase is offering a rare $5 sale on its HARDcover iPhone 5/5s cases via Stacksocial, discounting them to $30. Daily Steals has a couple of Apple accessories available at a discount, including Apple’s EarPods for $15 ($30 retail) and the 30-pin to Lightning Adapter cable for $16 ($39 retail).
MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.
3D Print Your Own 4.7-Inch iPhone 6 Mockup with These $25 Plans
Following our feature yesterday sharing photos of a case and 3D-printed physical mockup of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, designer Martin Hajek is selling his own set of 3D files for a similar model, priced at $25. The files allow anyone interested in trying out how the alleged design feels in the hand to print their own mockup.
Hajek’s $25 package is available through TurboSquid and includes an .STL file for 3D printing as well as .3DS and .OBJ modeling files. For users interested in printing their own physical mockups, quality will obviously depend on the quality of machine used for printing, but the .STL file is compatible with a wide range of machines and services.
The design is based on the leaked concept by MacFan magazine.
Download this file, 3D print it and see what the new iPhone will look like for yourself!
Don’t own a 3D printer? Don’t worry – a version of the model fit for the Shapeways 3D printing service is included!
Based on our experience with our 3D-printed mockup, we are continuing to refine our own model and may freely release those 3D files in the future.
Availability of iPhone 6 files for 3D printing comes as physical mockups have been appearing in increasing numbers. French site Nowhereelse.fr has been sharing several other photos on Twitter, while regular parts source Sonny Dickson has shared a few of his own images.
While there are a variety of cases and mockups all pointing in the same direction for the design of the iPhone 6, it is important to remember that most of these products are essentially all based on the same sets of leaked design drawings, and they ultimately may or may not prove correct.
Leaked cases and accessory company mockups have generally proven accurate over the years, although they were famously incorrect in 2011 when a tapered design led to numerous cases being produced to fit that design. Ultimately, Apple released the iPhone 4s with essentially the same design as the iPhone 4, and the tapered has not been seen since, although one report indicated that it was in fact a real prototype design that was scrapped by Apple.
Here’s what Apple does when US law enforcement wants your data
Apple insists that the US government doesn’t have backdoor access to its data (despite signs to the contrary). So what happens when law enforcement comes knocking at the company’s door, then? We have a fairly good idea as of this week. The company has published guidelines showing just what data it can provide to the authorities and the legal steps needed to get that information. As a rule, Apple can hand over anything from iCloud and its stores as long as there’s a proper court order, subpoena or warrant. It can also pull call records, contacts, text messages and media from locked iOS devices sent to its headquarters in Cupertino, although calendars, email and third-party apps are off-limits.
The company goes into significant detail about what it won’t do. It doesn’t intercept either FaceTime calls or iMessage chats, since they’re always encrypted; while some security researchers believe it’s possible to scoop up iMessages, Apple doesn’t plan on doing that itself. The tech firm also can’t remotely switch on Find My iPhone or grab GPS information, so don’t expect Apple to lead the feds to your door. Apple will warn you if the government is requesting information, but it will stay silent if a heads-up is either illegal or likely to put someone in immediate danger.
The policies are largely in line with those of other tech giants, and it’s clear that Apple wants formal requests before it turns over anything sensitive. As Ars Technica suggests, though, the only surefire way to prevent Apple (or any other third-party) from disclosing data is to keep it to yourself.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
Via: Ars Technica
Source: Apple
This smartphone app can detect skin cancer
You can already use your smartphone to do things like hail a pimp ride home or order an artisan pizza, obviously the next step is cancer detection, right? Researchers at the University of Houston think they’ve created a smartphone app that can detect melanoma even better than your doctor. Called DermoScan, the app works by taking a photo of your odd-shaped mole, and then analyzing it to determine if it might be cancerous. Initial testing found that DermoScan was able to identify skin cancer roughly 85 percent of the time, making it just as effective as visiting a dermatologist and even better at diagnosing melanoma than the average primary care physician. Don’t head over to the app store just yet. The app requires a special $500 magnifying glass to make the magic happen — not exactly more cost effective than a trip to the old MD.
It might not make sense for the average American to shell out five bills for the necessary equipment to use DermoScan, but the app could be big news for developing countries and rural areas where there isn’t a primary physician for people to see. One device could potentially diagnose an entire village. Paired with something like Wello’s tricorder-esque iPhone case, an 5S could become a powerful tool in helping an entire town determine if they need to travel to see a doctor — all for less than your average trip to the ER.
Filed under: Wireless, Science, Mobile
Via: Re/code
Source: EureakAlert
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