AT&T blesses Go Phone rate plans with more data and unlimited calling to Mexico
AT&T on Tuesday that its Go Phone rate plans will now have additional data allotments as well as unlimited calling to Mexico. Available immediately, the $45 plan offers 1.5GB of data while the $60 option gives users 4GB of data.
Additionally, AT&T says both will also have unlimited calls to Mexico and include mobile hotspot capabilities.. As was the case before, each gives users unlimited talk, text, and data. Going over the 1.5GB and 4GB allotments results in throttling instead of outright capping.
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Samsung Galaxy Note II seemingly getting the Android 5.0 update
Multiple reports from Samsung have confirmed that its 2012 flagship, the Galaxy Note II will be receiving the latest Android 5.0 update. This has taken us a little by surprise considering how older devices are often neglected by OEMs.
There’s no word on when the smartphone will receive the update officially, but we’re guessing it won’t be long away considering that the update is already seeding to the Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S5 and the likes. Strangely enough, the Galaxy S III seems to be exempt from the Lollipop update, even though it was launched some months prior to the arrival of the Galaxy Note II.
The Galaxy Note II arrived with Android 4.1.2, so it has seen a variety of Android updates along the way. It’s safe to assume that its update cycle will end with Lollipop, but the customers won’t be complaining much. The only plaguing question now is with regards to the timing of this update.
Do you still own a Galaxy Note II? What do you make of this news?
Via: Sam Mobile
Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy Note II seemingly getting the Android 5.0 update
Engadget giveaway: win a pair of motion-tracking wearables courtesy of Moov!
It’s the hump day of seasons, as it were, and soon many of us will be trying to make up for overindulgence during the dark days of winter. Not to worry, Moov is a fitness wearable that can help you get back in shape using AI technology and motion-tracking in addition to basic activity stats. That extra info transforms the Moov app into your own personal fitness coach, delivering commentary and advice to help fine-tune your workout in real-time. Custom experiences include running, swimming, boxing and cardio workouts, with more on the way to cover yoga, golf and cycling. Strap them on your ankle or shoe for details on cadence and landing impact or put them on each wrist to track the speed and power behind your punches. Moov has provided us with three sets of trackers for a trio of lucky Engadget readers this week to help burn those accumulated calories or simply improve on an existing workout. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning a pair of these wearables along with a digital coach to help you look good and feel good.
- Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
- Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winners will be chosen randomly. Three (3) winners will each receive two (2) Moov fitness trackers.
- If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email or Facebook login. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
- This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Moov and Engadget / AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
- The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
- Entries can be submitted until February 18th at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Filed under: Announcements
Today Only: Oppo Find 7 32GB price cut to £310 in the UK
Amazon is currently selling the Oppo Find 7, a rather good QHD display smartphone, for only £310 in the UK until the end of the day, complete with free delivery.
The Find 7 originally went on sale in Europe back on December 17th. The 16GB variant initially cost £319, while 32GB of storage brought the price up to £379. The current offer works out to a £69 or 18 percent saving.
For your £310, the Oppo Find 7 comes with a 5.5 inch QHD display (2560 x 1440 resolution), a 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB RAM, 13 megapixel rear camera, 5MP front camera, 4G LTE connectivity, a microSD card slot, 3000 mAh battery, and Oppo’s customised Android based ColorOS.
The 32GB LG G3, probably the Oppo Find 7’s closest competitor in terms of specifications, typically costs around the £350 in the UK, making the Find 7 a rather good deal right now.
Amazon’s offer applies to both black and white colour options and can be combined with one day delivery if you want your Find 7 fast.
Upcoming ‘Modern Family’ Episode Shot Entirely on iPhone and iPad Cameras
The upcoming February 25 episode of ABC’s multiple Emmy-winning sitcom “Modern Family” will take place solely on a MacBook screen (via The Verge). The episode, being shot by director and series co-creator Steve Levitan, used an iPhone 6 and iPad Air 2 to shoot every scene.
The episode’s story focuses on Claire Dunphy’s (Julie Bowen) attempt to reach her daughter Haley (Sarah Hyland) by contacting various other members of the Dunphy/Pritchett clan via multiple forms of MacBook apps, all while stuck in an airport.
The show will not only use various chat apps like Apple’s own FaceTime and Messages, but include references to everything from Reminders to the now-obsolete iPhoto. Levitan mentioned that the idea for the episode came from his own experience communicating with his kids in college through the vast array of chat software available today.
“I have two daughters at college, and we do a lot of FaceTiming,” he said at a recent press event in Los Angeles. He was working one day with a number of emails and websites open on his machine, when a video chat from his daughter popped up. On the screen he saw his work, his daughter, himself, and his wife doing something behind him all at the same time. “And I realized on that screen you could tell so much about my life. So the original idea was from there.”
The show has been a proponent of Apple-related gadgets in the past, with an early-series episode mostly dedicated to Claire’s attempt to get Phil the original iPad. Apple was even reported to lend the show a slew of iPhones, iPads, and MacBook Pros for shooting the video chats and for allowing the show’s editors to conduct post-production work once the shoot was done.
The episode has been so long in production – with motion graphics artist John Brown at the head – the team had been working on it since OS X Yosemite itself was in beta. “It was frustrating to be like, ‘Act one, totally locked,’ and then come in Monday and hear the FaceTime notification has changed,” Brown said.
Besides a few slight liberties to the Apple OS X platform, including giving FaceTime the ability to handle multiple calls at once and a few aesthetic alterations to Yosemite’s transparency options, The Verge reports the environment created by the episode “felt all too familiar.”
The episode, entitled “Connection Lost” airs Wednesday, February 25 on ABC.
Sketchy Rumor Claims MacBooks, Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad to Gain Touch ID
Touch ID could be headed to the next-generation MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad, according to a sketchy rumor from Taiwanese website Apple.club.tw [Google Translate]. The report, citing sources, claims that the fingerprint scanner will be positioned above the trackpad on MacBooks and integrated directly into the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad for desktop Mac users.
The addition of a built-in fingerprint scanner on the latest MacBooks, Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad would enable Apple to make an aggressive push into the mobile payments industry with Apple Pay. The NFC-based mobile payments platform is currently limited to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, and will be compatible with the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5 when paired with an Apple Watch.
There are a few reasonable obstacles, however, that suggest this rumor may not be true. First, there is limited space above the trackpad on MacBooks for Apple to implement Touch ID, especially on the upcoming 12-inch MacBook Air. Meanwhile, integrating Touch ID on the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad would be complex due to the need for secure wireless transmitting authentication.
Apple.club.tw has shared reliable information in the past about Apple’s upcoming product plans, leaking photos of components for next-generation products such as the iPhone 6 and iPad Air 2. Nevertheless, this rumor should be treated with a proverbial grain of salt until further information is known.
Non-Retina MacBook Airs could be updated as soon as late February, while the 12-inch Retina MacBook Air is expected to launch closer to mid-year. Keep an eye on MacRumors‘ Buyer’s Guides for the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro for the latest advice and information about product refreshes.
Accessory of the Day: Micro NFC Bluetooth speaker, $24.99
If you’ve ever wanted an extremely portable Bluetooth speaker that has a tiny form factor and can withstand the elements, the TDK A12 TREK is right in your wheelhouse. You can steal this deal for just $24.99 (Prime), carabiner clip included.
Join Prime and get this deal with FREE two-day shipping!
Also worth checking out:
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Records is a powerful, customizable database app for Mac
Records is a new, powerful database app for the Mac that lets you collect and organize all of your important information in one place. You can keep an inventory of items in your home, a recipe collection, and much more using the app’s templates. Records is designed and built exclusively for OS X Yosemite.
Records allows you to create a number of different types of databases. Drag-and-drop editing is available in each form, letting you easily add data to your collections. The visual editor lets you customize the layout of your forms, with alignment guides helping you keep them visually impressive. Records is scalable, and supports databases with tens of thousands of records.
You’ll find 14 configurable form fields that you can put in your databases. You can choose custom colors for your forms, and insert text fields, pop up buttons, images views, and more. You can also import different templates to use, and share your own custom templates with others.
Records is available for purchase in the Mac App Store right now.
- $49.99 – Download Now
Comic: The Applemobile lost a wheel and Google got away
Ed: Welcome to this week’s edition of The Pixel Project: a weekly comic from Diesel Sweeties‘ Rich Stevens on Apple, technology, and everything in-between. Today: The rumored Apple Car.
Xiaomi Passes Samsung as Top Chinese Vendor in 2014
Xiaomi continued its inexorable rise in China, rising to 13.7% of market share in Q4 of 2014, while Samsung’s ongoing decline in China continued through the last quarter, slipping to 7.9% of the market, down to fifth place behind Xiaomi, Apple, Huawei, and Lenovo.
However, Samsung’s overall 2014 performance, while worse than 2013, was still good enough for second place on the year. The Korean giant captured 12.1% of the market over the course of the entire year, a mere 0.4% behind Xiaomi. All in all, it’s a pretty tight race between the top five vendors, with a mere 3.1% of market share between all of them.
Samsung had previously been the giant in China, owning 18.7% of the market in 2013 with Lenovo in a distant second and Xiaomi way off the radar. So what happened?
Xiaomi was extremely aggressive in 2014, releasing moderately-priced high quality phones. Add to the mix a bevy of sales and promotions and Xiaomi now sits atop the rankings, having experienced nearly 187% growth year-on-year.
Apple also had a hot Q4 thanks to its new line of iPhones, which was good enough for second place in the fourth quarter, but still left Cupertino out of the top five rankings on the year.
As for Lenovo, the Motorola acquisition is starting to bear fruit and we can expect to see it rise in the overall rankings, though #3 on the year is nothing at which to scoff.
Samsung had a so-so year in 2014. The Galaxy S5 was met with a lukewarm reception and tepid sales, and there seemed to be a general mood of deflation around brand, as if consumer excitement plateaued in 2013 and had nowhere to go after an underwhelming S5 update.
2015 will be a crucial year for Samsung, and it can’t afford to another year of drastic contraction, not just in China, but globally. We can expect a new Galaxy S6 within the next few weeks, likely at MWC, and there’s no doubt the bean counters in Korea are waiting with bated breath.
Xiaomi will also need to be on its toes if it intends to fight off an embattled Samsung and rising Lenovo. 2015 should be a fun year to watch.
Source: IDC
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