Cricket bumps $40 base plan from 1GB of data to 2.5GB
AT&T’s prepaid carrier Cricket is increasing the data allotment for all of their plans without making any changes to the pricing. It’s a bit of a shake-up, offering one of the best data packages among prepaid carriers.
Here’s what’s changed:
- Basic: $40/month, previously 1GB, now 2.5GB
- Smart: $50/month, previously 3GB, now 5GB
- Pro $60/month, still 10GB
Where things get a little more crazy is the “Advanced” tier, which offers 20GB of data each month, and for a “limited time only” can be had for the same $60/month as the Pro plan. That is, however, so long as you purchase an LTE-capable device to go with that plan.
All plans included unlimited voice and texts, and all but the $40 Basic plan also include unlimited international texting. You can check out Cricket’s revised plans right here.
Source: Cricket
Case schematics offer more Galaxy S 6 details
Earlier in the week an Amazon listing for a Galaxy S 6 case revealed that the heart rate sensor and LED flash will move to the right side (from below) of the rear camera lens. Today a leaked case schematic gives us even more clues such as dimensions and ports.
The Galaxy S 6 is expected to come in at 143.52mm x 70.70mm x 7.19mm, which makes it a little taller, but a little less wider than the Galaxy S 5. Probably more importantly is the thickness, which will be almost a full 1 mm (7.19 vs 8.1 mm).
The bottom part of the case also reveals some interesting things. There are three holes cut out, which could be for the new covers we reported on previously. One of the ports could be for a speaker.
The Galaxy S 6 could be the Galaxy S phone everyone has been dreaming of. With included metal and rumors of a toned down TouchWiz experience, Samsung’s struggles might not last all that long.
source: nowhereelse.fr
Come comment on this article: Case schematics offer more Galaxy S 6 details
Expansys offers up big savings on unlocked Android devices in Winter Sale
Looking for a new Android smartphone? Before you head off to your local carrier or start searching online you may want to swing by Expansys today. The online retailer is offering up some serious discounts on a range of devices, many of which are Android-powered and unlocked. In addition to that you’ll also find other handsets and accessories. According to Expansys there are more than 50 products with prices temporarily slashed as part of the Winter Sale. Expansys Canada
Examples:
| Product: | Was: | Now: | You Save: |
| LG G Flex 32GB (D958, Unlocked) | $399.99 | $349.99 | $50 |
| HTC Desire 616 Dual SIM – D616h (Unlocked, 4GB, Dark Gray) | $224.99 | $199.99 | $25 |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini Smartphone (Gold, Unlocked) | $369.99 | $319.99 | $50 |
| HTC Butterfly 2 (Unlocked (CA) LTE, 16GB) | $489.99 | $449.99 | $40 |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 4 N910U (Unlocked LTE, 32GB, White) | $699.99 | $649.99 | $50 |
| Apple iPhone 6 A1586 (Unlocked, 16GB, Gold) | $899.99 | $749.99 | $150 |
| BlackBerry Passport LTE – SQW100-1: RGY181LW (Unlocked, 32GB, Black) | $649.99 | $589.99 | $60 |
| Sony Smartband Talk SWR30 (W/2 Black Wristbands S/L) | $179.99 | $144.99 | $35 |
| Philips Fidelio M1 Headphones (Black & Orange) | $309.99 | $209.99 | $100 |
| Philips P9 Wireless Portable Speaker (White) | $339.99 | $279.99 | $60 |
| Samsung Galaxy V Dual SIM Smartphone (White, Unlocked) | $179.99 | $99.99 | $80 |
The post Expansys offers up big savings on unlocked Android devices in Winter Sale appeared first on AndroidGuys.
New Photos of Chongqing Apple Store Set to Open Tomorrow [Mac Blog]
Preparing to open its doors around 10 AM local time in Jiefangbei Square in Chongqing, China tomorrow, Apple has allowed a few members of the Chinese press inside the new store before the grand opening (via MacX).
Bearing a strong resemblance to the Pudong store in Shangai and the Fifth Avenue store in New York, the majority of the new Chongqing location resides under street level, with a massive glass structure, featuring the Apple logo, hiding a staircase down to lower levels. The company is timing the new location’s opening, and a handful of others, to coincide with the Chinese New Year festivities hitting next month.
Apple has been steadily opening more and more retail locations across China, pushing unique marketing campaigns – like the Hangzhou store’s calligraphy video or Chongqing’s own art mural – to drum up more overseas interest in Apple. In a statement made last October, Tim Cook said the company hopes to open 25 Apple Stores in China within the next two years.
Microsoft’s white space internet aims to improve education in Ghana
Microsoft has long been championing TV white space internet for use in places conventional types of connections don’t reach, even in places that don’t even have access to electricity. After a pilot program that brought white space broadband to some African universities, Redmond is now making it available to anyone in Ghana. The company has collaborated with local provider Spectra Wireless to launch what it claims is the “first commercial service network utilizing TV white spaces” in Africa. Now, people (specifically students) in Ghana can subscribe to affordable high-speed internet bundles and even internet-enabled devices, presumably phones, tablets and laptops.
While the project page doesn’t have a comprehensive list of gadgets, it did mention the brands, namely: Microsoft, Lenovo, Dell and HP. Each internet/device plan will also give students access to useful apps like Microsoft Office 365 and The Microsoft Virtual Academy. The service costs at least 2 Ghana cedi (or roughly 60 cents) for a 24-hour internet access, going up depending on the duration and the speed. And, in case subscribers can’t afford any of the devices offered, they can apply for a zero-interest loan, thanks to a partnership with a local bank.
Microsoft General Manager in Africa, Fernando de Sousa, believes TV white space broadband will provide teachers and students in Ghana what they need to improve education in the region. “High speed broadband offers students and teachers a way to access learning resources from all over the world, equalising the divide between developed and developing nations,” he says. “While the initial pilot project in Ghana offered wireless broadband to universities, this new commercial service allows students to have their own internet bundles, determine their own usage and purchase an internet-enabled device for anytime, anywhere access and enhanced productivity.”
Filed under: Internet, Microsoft
Via: Neowin
Source: Microsoft
(Update: available again) Grab a Moto X (1st Gen.) 32GB Developer Edition for $200 on Ebay
Update January 30
The Moto X (1st generation) 32GB unlocked Verizon/GSM is again on sale on eBay. Get it at the link below:
Get MOTO X Developer Edition 32GB, 4.2 Verizon + GSM XT1060 on eBay for $199
Original post
The Moto X (1st Generation) was one of the best phones of 2013, offering a great user experience and customizable hardware for an inexpensive price tag. It was one of the first devices from Motorola that truly got users excited for inexpensive off-contract devices. Though the specifications may seem a bit outdated by now, the 2013 Moto X is still a great phone.
If you’re in the market for an inexpensive handset, Ebay is currently selling the Moto X (1st Generation) 32GB Developer Edition for only $199.99. The device comes with Verizon branding, and you can activate it on Verizon or any other GSM carrier (no Sprint or other CDMA carriers, unfortunately). The only model the seller has available is the Woven White color. Additionally, this device is brand new, so there’s no need to worry about forking over some cash for a refurbished model.
If you need a refresher, the 2013 Moto X comes with a 4.7-inch 720p AMOLED display, a dual-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 10MP rear-facing camera, a 2200mAh battery on top of a slew of Motorola’s software enhancements. These certainly aren’t the best specifications by today’s standards, but you can’t really go wrong for the price. This model usually runs for around $300-$350, so we’d say this is a pretty good deal. We’re unsure as to how long this deal will run, so you better hurry before all of them sell out.
Verizon Wireless sends Connecticut woman a $42k bill
As we have discussed on a number of previous occasions, consumers around the world continue to be hit with unexpected and expensive data roaming charges, commonly referred to as “bill shock”.
We have seen with story after story after story that consumers are still being hit with high bills (sometimes ranging in the thousands of dollars) that they did not expect and in many cases did not deserve. So, while bill shock has gotten less common in the last few years due to the FCC forcing major wireless providers to provide billing alerts to customers (even though they HEAVILY resisted such alerts), it still occurs to many consumers around the world.
In today’s edition, we have a Connecticut woman who received a $42,000 bill from Verizon Wireless for cell phone charges that she claims were not made by her.
The story is a little odd in that this woman claims that she allowed a friend to use a phone number in her name if he paid the bills. When the friend stopped paying the bills, this woman got hit with over $42,000 in charges and received letters from a collections agency.
Why the high bill? This so-called friend was making and receiving calls from around the world. When the woman called Verizon to try and get her friend off the bill, Verizon told her that in order to do so, she had to either pay the bill in full or have the friend come into a Verizon office and officially put his name on the bill (and therefore take her name off).
Now, to be fair to Verizon, up to this point in the story, I tend to side with them on the charges. Granted, the total amount is insane but to allow someone to use a number in your name is in itself such a risky move.
But why wasn’t this woman ever contacted about the rising bill? Why didn’t she know about the high bill when it hit $1,000 or more? Why wasn’t Verizon sending her letters, emails, etc….to her last address?
Text alerts of the skyrocketing bill were never sent to her phone, Jane says. It appears that this ex-friend convinced Verizon that he was her husband and he should be the one managing the account. – WTNH
This frankly blows my mind. Essentially, Verizon allowed a man to take control of this woman’s account because he told them that he was the woman’s husband. The man also claimed to have the same last name as the woman when no such name existed. He then changed where the billing alerts were being sent to and the woman therefore wasn’t able to see the constant warnings.
Eventually Verizon agreed to a deal with this woman. Instead of being forced to pay all $42,000, she will now be liable for just $4,200, which can be paid within two years.
At the end of the day, I think this works out for both parties. Verizon was absolutely wrong to allow the man to give a name and suddenly take control of the account while the woman allowing a so-called friend to use a phone number in her name is sketchy in itself.
MixaMonster – a fun, colorful Windows Phone children’s game
MixaMonster is a relatively new Windows Phone game that is designed to help children learn about colors and what can be created when they are mixed together.
The Windows Phone children’s game has you mixing colors that will transform into an interactive monster. Available for low-memory Windows Phones, MixaMonster may not be appealing to everyone but if you have young children, MixaMonster comes across as a fun, educational game for your Windows Phone Kid’s Corner.
Deal: Get Omaker 10,000-mAh power bank for $16.99 on Amazon
If you still haven’t got yourself a power bank or if you want another one (can one have too many?) Amazon has got you covered.
The excellent Omaker Brilliant 10,000-mAh power bank is currently available for $21 in both black and white. That’s already a good deal for a high-capacity external battery, but applying the coupon code UV577U98 further drops the price to a sweet $16.99.
Even better, buying this 10,000-mAh power bank together with a smaller 5,200-mAh model also from Omaker, and applying the coupon code W3MP3WO3 at checkout will let you have them both for $30, a $9 save.
Get the Omaker 10,000-mAh power bank on Amazon
Get the Omaker 5,200-mAh power bank on Amazon
The Omaker Brilliant 10,000-mAh battery features two USB ports with up to 2.1A charging, and a built-in 1W flashlight, handy for camping and when on the go. Both the 10,000-mAh unit and the 5,200-mAh are very well reviewed, with scores of 4.7 and 4.8 stars respectively. 10,000-mAh should be enough to charge even large smartphones two to three times, and the bank is rated for 500 charging cycles.
This isn’t a time limited deal, though you may want to take advantage of it sooner rather than later!
Pandora Radio v 5.7 brings much-needed redesign to all users
Pandora Radio, one of the most popular music streaming services in North America, pushed out a big update to its Android app, bringing lots of visual improvements.
Pandora has actually begun testing this new design back in late November, but it’s only now that the change is being pushed out to all users. Pandora Radio for Android was in dire need for some cosmetic work, and the good news is it’s finally getting it. As for the not-so-good news, the fresh design is clearly an adaptation of the iOS version, complete with typical iOS buttons and interaction patterns. Fans of Material design need not apply. If you’re fine with that, there’s quite a lot to like about the new interface, including a decent widget.
In terms of new features, there’s Chromecast support and a new quick access icon to the new Personalization section, where you can see your “like” history. Oddly enough, this icon is only visible in the phone interface.
Another change is a handy mini player that lets browse around and still have your playback controls at your fingertips. While Pandora touts a re-designed permanent notification, there are sadly no controls built in the notification card, like other music services have.
Redditors report that the experience is somewhat marred by bugs, and, of course, you’ll also have to put up with frequent ads – the solution for this last qualm is Pandora One, the service’s premium tier.
You can try Pandora Radio from the Play Store here, though the service is open in US, Australia, and New Zeeland only. Luckily for most of the world, there are a number of great music services available in more countries – check them out here.
AIVAnet 
