Samsung Galaxy Note 4 headed to US Cellular Oct. 17th, pre-orders start today
US Cellular has announced the availability of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 today. Marking the launch date as October 17th with pre-orders beginning today. US Cellular has the device listed at $770.16 full price and $299.99 with a new two-year contract. If you qualify for the installment plan option it would $0 down and $32.09 per month.
The device will bring to your hands a 5.7-inch 2560×1440 Super AMOLED display, 2.7GHz quad-core processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB internal storage + SD card slot, 16MP camera on the rear and a 3.7MP camera on the front. The device is powered by a 3,220 mAh battery that is rated for 420 hours standby and 37 hours talk time. Don’t forget the new S- Pen and fast charge ability that can get you 50% charge in 30 minutes.
As I mentioned above, you can head to the US Cellular page to get a pre-order placed today. However, if you want the device ASAP, you may as well wait the 4 days and just swing into a store.
Via Android and Me
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TunnelBear Review: A simple VPN that just works
With more and more companies and organizations attempting to steal/read/snoop on people’s data, security is something that more and more people are searching for. Phone companies are becoming more aware of this and are doing their best to keep user data safe. The next version of Android is said to feature data encryption out of the box and some companies have released phones with the sole purpose of keeping all data secure. But what can people that do not have an encrypted phone or the next version of Android do to help keep their information private. The app Tunnelbear is promising its users a secure online experience without the fear of important data being collected by sites they visit.
Tunnelbear creates a Virtual Private Network (VPN) that changes the users IP address to make it seem like they are located in different cities or even countries. It keeps your data secured from websites and online trackers that may attempt to collect information like your location and other personal data. There are other VPN apps out there, but Tunnelbear VPN is the easiest that I have ever used. The app is free to download and it gives you 500MB of data to use with Tunnelbear every month; however, for $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year, you get unlimited data and unlimited protection. You can also get an extra 1GB by tweeting about the app.
After downloading the app, you sign up for an account and begin your safe online browsing. You are taken to a map of the world and there is a bear at your current location. A simple on/off toggle at the top turns the service on or off. Once the service is on, you have to agree that you trust the application and the VPN is created. At the bottom, you can select which country you want to appear to be in, and your bear tunnels across the map and pops up in whatever country you selected. This is extremely useful if your country blocks certain websites. I am located in Louisiana, and after turning on the service my IP address changed to make it appear like I was browsing from New York City. Changing my desired country to France, I checked again and my IP showed me in Paris. This app is incredibly simple to use and fun to watch.
One thing that I did notice was a drop in data speeds. When on Wifi, I saw download speeds drop from 10+ Mbps to an average of 7Mbps with TunnelBear on. Upload speeds, however, stayed relatively even. On AT&T LTE, download speeds got even worse. I went from getting 20-30 Mbps to 2-3 Mbps with the service on. Upload speeds again stayed relatively similar between the two. While the speeds are still usable, it seems like TunnelBear can drastically reduce download speeds. When changing my country to France, I actually got better speeds on WiFi. Unfortunately, I lost the ability to use cellular data which makes sense since it appeared I was out of the country. It seems like data speeds are hit and miss, but I was surprised how much the download speed dropped.
TunnelBear is a minimalistic and simple approach to VPNs. For consumers who do not want to fiddle with settings and just want privacy when browning online, this is a fantasic solution. It is obviously targeted towards the normal consumer because it lacks basically any tweaking or customization options. If you have more experience with VPNs and want to do more tweaking, then you will want to look somewhere else. If you are just looking for a way to browse the internet more securely, TunnelBear is a wonderful app because it is simple and just works.
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Former Google executive hired by Xiaomi for push into India
The future of Xiaomi is not found in its homeland China. The company is looking at new markets for expansion. It is one of the reasons that Hugo Barra made the jump from Google to Xiaomi. Now, another former Googler is heading out to join Barra. Xiaomi has hired Jai Mani, who worked on Google Play and other items from 2009 until 2013, to lead the Chinese company into India. Barra and Mani do have a history of working with one another at Google.
Here is some of what Hugo Barra had to say about Mani’s hiring:
“The first person we hired is someone who’s going to be the glue between our users in India, product feedback that we receive, and the engineering team we have in Beijing as well as the engineering team that we are going to be building fairly soon in India.”
Via: Digits (The Wall Street Journal)
Come comment on this article: Former Google executive hired by Xiaomi for push into India
Iliad moving on after T-Mobile declines acquisition offer
In July, French telecommunications giant Iliad expressed interest to purchase a majority stake in T-Mobile. The offer at that time was roughly $15 billion for 56.6%. Recently, Iliad upped that number to take 67% at $36 per share. It was going all-in to get its foot into the United States wireless industry.
It all comes to an end today because T-Mobile’s parent, Deutsche Telekom, has “refused” to entertain the new offer. Iliad has announced its pursuit of T-Mobile is over and will move on. In somewhat of a jab at Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile, Iliad said in a press release that it will “continue its profitable growth policy as it has been conducted over the last 15 years in the interest of subscribers, employees and shareholders.”
This means that the door is still open for SoftBank to hop in and merge Sprint with T-Mobile.
Souce: Iliad (PDF)
Via: Bloomberg
Come comment on this article: Iliad moving on after T-Mobile declines acquisition offer
The Galaxy Note 4 gets firmware update in time for worldwide launch
Samsung has pushed out a software update for the International variant of its flagship phablet, the Galaxy Note 4, in preparation for its worldwide launch later this month.
Update ‘XXU1ANJ4′ weighs in at 36MB and transports bug fixes, stability improvements and speed enhancements, in addition to a line of code that “significantly” extends battery life.
If you’ve pre-ordered or intend to grab a Note 4 on launch day, you should see the firmware update icon appear in your notification panel the instant you connect to Wi-Fi. Hit the upgrade button and you’re good to go.
Source: AllAboutSamsung
Come comment on this article: The Galaxy Note 4 gets firmware update in time for worldwide launch
Facebook slaps its stickers into comments for all users
Facebook is about to get a lot stickier starting today. The social media network is unpackaging its stickers for the comments of a post. If you have never seen or even heard of Facebook’s stickers, just think of them as massive emojis with much more personality. Some stickers are fun and creative while others are absolutely bizarre.
This is the third major addition to the comments section since mid-2013. In May of that year, Facebook launched emoji support. Then, the comments section was covered in photographs the following month. Now there are stickers. All users will have access to stickers in comments within the next day.
Do you plan on using stickers often? Let us know in the comments (without stickers, please).
Source: Bob Baldwin (Facebook)
Come comment on this article: Facebook slaps its stickers into comments for all users
Brace yourselves: Facebook stickers are coming to comments
Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, but even when it’s not, you can still use ‘em. After popping up in chat and Messenger windows in the past, Facebook is employing stickers in comments for both mobile and the web. Use the small pictures to visualize your reaction to Timeline, Group and Event posts when you’d rather keep things succinct. Unfortunately, if you want to express your feelings with an image for a regular post, you’ll still have to upload one the old fashioned way.
SWAT app wants to help you keep a close eye on cops
After visiting Ferguson, Missouri recently, a pair of Georgetown students realized the need to access cellphone videos of police misconduct in the event a device is destroyed. With that in mind, Brandon Anderson and Joseph Gruenbaum set out to develop the SWAT app — software that sends your footage to the cloud in the event your phone itself is confiscated or smashed. In addition to safely beaming videos to a server for later use, the app also allows you to file complaints without having to visit a police station. Plus, it’ll tell you about your legal rights (using your GPS coordinates to determine the applicable jurisdiction). That way you can quickly read up on the proper local, state and federal laws should the need arise. The project is in its infancy, but there’s no questioning its utility once it becomes a fully realized mobile app. For now, Anderson and Gruenbaum are looking for tech and legal partners to get the endeavor off the ground, and you can sign up to be a beta-tester at the source below.
Via: Fast Company
Source: SWAT App
Resident Evil is getting its own TV series
If you love Zombies, but find The Walking Dead‘s narrative a little too serious, pay attention: a campier option is coming soon. Constantin Film, the production group behind the Resident Evil movies has announced that the franchise is being adapted for television. It’s part of a larger movement to put the company’s properties on the small screen: Mortal Instruments and Perfume are also being re-worked for television. It’s not clear if the Resident Evil series will be based on the movies or a new storyline derived from the video game source material, but you’ll get at least one more adventure in the current film’s universe before it debuts — Constantin Film says the TV show won’t launch until after it completes the 6th Resident Evil feature film.
[Image credit: Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Via: Geek
Source: Variety
Flight Attendants Union Challenges FAA Decision Allowing Passengers to Use Electronics in All Phases of Flight
The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) launched a lawsuit against the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last Friday in protest over the FAA’s decision to allow passengers to use their iPads, iPhones, and other small portable electronic devices in nearly all phases of flight.
As outlined by the Associated Press (via TechCrunch), the lawsuit alleges that the FAA “acted improperly” and failed to follow proper protocol implementing the changes. A lawyer for the Association of Flight Attendants argued that portable electronic devices distract passengers from safety announcements and can “become dangerous projectiles.”
Dure argued that in greenlighting the expanded use of electronics, officials violated the federal Administrative Procedure Act. The act requires government agencies to give the public notice and the ability to comment when a rule is changed. That didn’t happen properly, the union argues.
FAA lawyer Jeffrey Sandberg responded to the AFA’s allegations by suggesting portable electronic devices are “no more dangerous” than the books passengers have been allowed to keep out during landing and takeoff. The government agency also suggested that the policy change did not trigger the requirements for public notice.
Officially implemented in October of 2013, the FAA’s policy change on portable electronic devices allows smaller electronics, like iPhones and iPads, to be used during all phases of flight. Prior to the rule change, all electronics were required to be stowed away until an altitude of 10,000 feet was reached.
Though devices can now be used during landing and takeoff, passengers are still required to place them into airplane mode, restricting cellular access. Usage of larger devices, like laptop computers, continues to be restricted for safety reasons.
While the FAA enacted the policy change that allows passengers to use their devices in all phases of flight, airlines have always had control over the implementation of the rule. Individual airlines, as the FAA points out, have control over when and if passengers are able to use their electronic devices in flight. A judge hearing the case expressed a similar sentiment, telling the AFA that “Airlines have always had discretion on how to handle this.”
Thus far, the FAA has cleared 31 airline operators to allow passengers to use portable electronics during landing/takeoff and combined, those operators carry 96 percent of all U.S. commercial passengers.
AIVAnet 