Engadget Daily: the battle for VR, Bose sues Beats, and more!
Today, we explore the world of VR, watch Bose sue Beats, learn about a few tools to help you get the most out of Netflix and look at our favorite 11 laptops you can buy right now. Read on for Engadget’s news highlights from the last 24 hours.
The battle for virtual reality: Google, Samsung, Sony and Oculus VR
The history of VR is riddled with missteps like the Nintendo Virtual Boy, but that hasn’t stopped today’s major players from investing in the medium. Even despite the limits of current tech, Google says the best time for VR is right now.
Now that Apple is buying Beats, Bose sues over noise-cancelling patents
Just inches away from officially being part of Apple, Beats is now being sued by Bose. According to the latter, Dr. Dre’s Studio line of wireless headphones infringe on one of plaintiff’s noise-cancelling patents. What a bummer.
The top 11 laptops you can buy right now
The Engadget Buyer’s Guide strikes again! This time, we’ve rounded up 11 of our favorite laptops that you can buy right now. You’re welcome.
Get the most out of Netflix with these tools — while you still can
It’s a fact. Netflix’s library is difficult to navigate sometimes. But lucky for you, we’ve compiled a list of tools that will help you find plenty of fresh, new content to watch. Hurry though, they won’t last forever.
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Verizon to start throttling data on unlimited LTE plans
Out of the many trappings US carriers have in common, throttling speeds for heavy data users is certainly one of them. So, accordingly, it’s not surprising for Verizon to confirm reports that it will soon start slowing things down for more customers. According to Droid Life, Verizon has admitted that, beginning in October, people with an unlimited 4G LTE data plan will see reduced speeds should they fall in the network’s top five percent of internet users, among other things. More specifically, this is part of a plan Verizon is calling “Network Optimization,” which means throttled speeds for anyone who consumes more than 4.7GB of data per month, is enrolled on an unlimited data plan, has fulfilled a two-year contract but is still with the carrier, and attempts to “use data on a cell site that is experiencing high demand.” Chances are most of you won’t be affected by this, but it’s definitely not good news for others who may be.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Internet, Mobile, Verizon
Source: Droid Life
Microsoft unleashes ‘Settlers of Catan’ on the web
Microsoft has something of an extracurricular activity: When it’s not releasing Office for iPad or updating Windows, it has a habit of helping other companies build websites. That’s mostly because it wants to show how smoothly everything works in Internet Explorer, but there’s another reason too. The company has co-developed a web version of Settlers of Catan, the popular board game, making this the only way Windows Phone and Windows tablet users can play online. While the existing Android and iOS apps are of course reserved for people using those platforms, Microsoft’s web version will run in any browser that supports HTML5 — in other words, not just IE.
The game’s in beta for now, and Microsoft says more features and improvements are on the way. For now, the game can’t set you up with computer opponents, nor will it pair with you some random online player. Instead, you’ll have to find at least two other friends, who you can invite through either email or Facebook. (Obviously, since the game runs in any modern browser, it doesn’t matter what kind of device your friends are carrying.) Once you get a game going, you take turns asynchronously, with time limits to keep the game going. You can also opt into email notifications, so you’ll know when someone’s taken a turn. Throughout, you can talk to them using built-in voice chat — powered by Skype, of course.
Microsoft introduced other features too, including auto-trade and auto-roll — again, to help keep things moving. Lastly the dice you’d normally use with the physical board game has been replaced with an on-screen button. Ultimately, the company says it plans to announce a complete rule set at GamesCon in August, including development cards, points and achievements, bringing the web game fully in line with the board game version. In the meantime, you can play the beta game here. Enjoy — and do be patient if you encounter any performance hiccups. It’s clear the site isn’t fully polished yet.
Filed under: Gaming, Internet, Microsoft
Via: GigaOm
Source: Catan Anytime, Microsoft
Buyer’s Guide: Discounts on MacBook Air, Retina MacBook Pro, AppleCare, and Apple Accessories [Mac Blog]
This week’s Buyer’s Guide includes deals on the MacBook Air, the Retina MacBook Pro, and AppleCare, as well as an array of Apple-related accessories that are currently on sale.
MacBook Air
Apple’s MacBook Air is currently available for up to $150 off at Best Buy, with Adorama, Amazon, and B&H Photo offering similar deals on some models.
The entry-level 11-inch MacBook Air with 128 GB of storage can be purchased for $799 from Best Buy, Adorama, or B&H Photo. The higher-end 11-inch MacBook Air with increased storage is available for $949 from Best Buy and Amazon.
The entry-level 13-inch MacBook Air with 128 GB of storage is available for $849 from Best Buy and the higher-end model with more storage can be purchased for $1,099 from Best Buy, Adorama, or B&H Photo.
Best Buy’s MacBook Air discount is only available until July 26, but it can be combined with the site’s educational deal that offers $100 off all Macs, making it a solid choice for students. Buying from Adorama and B&H Photo gives the benefit of no sales tax in many states, as these two stores only charge tax in New York/New Jersey and New York, respectively.
Retina MacBook Pro
Apple’s Retina MacBook Pro has seen ongoing discounts for the past several weeks, with many of the price cuts, in the range of $100 to $150 off, still available this week.
The lower-end 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro with 4GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage is $1,199 at Adorama and B&H Photo. The lower-end 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro with 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage is $1,829.99 at Amazon, Adorama, and B&H Photo, while the higher-end model with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage is $2,449 at Amazon, Adorama, and B&H Photo.
iMac
The end of July has brought some of the best iMac deals we’ve seen this month, with Best Buy offering the new low-cost 21.5-inch iMac for $949.99, a savings of $150. Best Buy is also offering the 21.5-inch 2.7GHz iMac for $1,149, while Best Buy, Adorama, and B&H Photo are offering the 21.5-inch 2.9GHz iMac for $1,349.99.
As for the 27-inch iMac, the 3.2GHz version is on sale for $1,649.99 at Best Buy and the 3.4GHz version is on sale for $1,849.99 at Best Buy and B&H Photo.
iPad
Best Buy is offering a discount on all of its 16GB fourth-generation iPads, both Wi-Fi and cellular, selling them for $329.99, a discount of $70.
AppleCare
Like last week, B&H Photo is offering several discounts on AppleCare. The AppleCare Protection Plan for the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro and the 15-inch MacBook Pro is available for $244, $105 off Apple’s regular price.
The AppleCare Protection Plan for the MacBook Air and the 13-inch Retina Macbook Pro is available for $174, $75 off Apple’s regular price.
The AppleCare Protection Plan for the Mac Pro is available for $174, $75 off Apple’s regular price, while the AppleCare Protection Plan for the iMac is available for $129, $40 off Apple’s regular price.
Apple-Related Accessories
Best Buy is offering the Jawbone UP24 for $99.99, a discount of $50 off the regular price. Best Buy is also offering $100 iTunes gift cards for $85 and the site has refurbished AirPort Extreme Wireless Base Stations on sale for $120, a discount of $80.
The Mophie Juice Pack Helium rechargeable battery case for the iPhone 5/5s is available for $59.99 from Groupon, a savings of $20. Groupon also has a solid deal on a dual stylus/pen from Belkin, offering it for $9.99, a savings of $25.
Daily Steals has Apple EarPods on sale for $15, and the site is offering Apple’s Lightning to 30-pin adapter for $15. Finally, Griffin has a sitewide sale going on, offering 25 percent off all products with the code GT25. The deal is only good today.
MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.
U.S. House Approves Bill Making Smartphone Unlocking Legal, Obama Pledges to Sign it Into Law
We’re one step closer to being able to legally unlock smartphones again, as the United States House of Representatives today passed legislation that legalizes cell phone unlocking, unanimously voting in favor of the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act.
The Act was approved by the Senate last week, which means the final step is presidential approval. Obama has long supported making cell phone locking legal again, and today pledged to sign the bill into law.
I applaud Members of Congress for passing the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act. Last year, in response to a “We the People” petition from consumers across our country, my Administration called for allowing Americans to use their phones or mobile devices on any network they choose. We laid out steps the FCC, industry, and Congress should take to ensure copyright law does not undermine wireless competition, and worked with wireless carriers to reach a voluntary agreement that helps restore this basic consumer freedom.
The bill Congress passed today is another step toward giving ordinary Americans more flexibility and choice, so that they can find a cell phone carrier that meets their needs and their budget. I commend Chairmen Leahy and Goodlatte, and Ranking Members Grassley and Conyers for their leadership on this important consumer issue and look forward to signing this bill into law.
The Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act came about following a 2013 “We the People petition” that called for cell phone unlocking to be made legal. Cell phone unlocking first became illegal in January of 2013, after an exception in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act expired, restricting U.S. customers from shifting service to other carriers or using their devices abroad with local SIM cards.
Under the terms of the bill, consumers and third-party services will again be able to unlock cell phones and tablets without receiving express permission from carriers and without facing criminal penalties.
In December of 2013, U.S. cellular carriers and the FCC also came to an agreement over a set of voluntary principles that make it easier for wireless customers to unlock their devices and switch from carrier to carrier after a contract has been fulfilled.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
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