Verizon bringing back some promotional More Everything plans
Although Verizon CFO Francis Shammo just recently indicated the carrier was not planning to chase after price-sensitive consumers in response to pressure from T-Mobile and Sprint, the company is still making moves to entice new subscribers with some special promotions. The company is bringing back a couple promotions for their More Everything shared data plans.
According to Verizon, they will be offering their 10 GB plan for $80 per month, which is down from the current price of $100 per month, but is consistent with what that plan ran before Verizon made several price adjustments earlier this year. They are also bringing back a 15 GB plan which will run $100 per month, which is cheaper than the 14 GB for $120 or 16 GB for $130 plans they currently offer.
A Verizon spokesperson, Debi Lewis, noted that Verizon offers different promotions throughout the year and now just happens to be the time for these two deals. She indicated they would only be available for a limited time and that there was no defined end date for their availability.
Some analysts think this latest move is in response to the first quarter results and pressure being exerted on the market, Verizon in particular. The offers will likely put even more pressure on Verizon’s average revenue per account, an industry-wide trend affecting all carriers.
source: Fierce Wireless
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Acer announces its first Android gaming tablet
Acer have been pretty busy lately. It has now officially announced its first Android gaming table, which the Taiwanese company states goes hand-in-hand with its Predator PC’s. The slate, which has been rather aptly named the Predator Tab, is set to go on sale in Quarter 4 of 2015.
Unfortunately, we have no solid information with regards to specifications, but we do know that the device will pack an 8-inch Full HD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, a quartet of front-facing speakers and an aluminium unibody design.
Check out the full set of press shots below:
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Leo’s Fortune is now just $0.99 on Android and iOS
To celebrate Leo’s Fortune’s first birthday, the developers over at 1337 & Senri have slashed its price on both Android and iOS from $4.99 to just $0.99. In case you have no idea what I’m talking about, Leo’s Fortune is an extremely fun and interactive game in which you assume the role of Leopold, a once rich engineer who has had his fortune stolen by a sneaky thief. It’s your job to get back what’s rightfully his by chasing after the culprit and navigating through different platforms.
Check it out in the gameplay below:
If you like the look of Leo’s Fortune and want to pick it up fro the reduced price, hit the Google Play link below.
Come comment on this article: Leo’s Fortune is now just $0.99 on Android and iOS
Samsung starts distributing Lollipop update for the Galaxy Note 4 in Croatia
Samsung has now begun pushing out the long-awaited Android 5.0.1 update to all unlocked variants of the Galaxy Note 4 located in Croatia. In terms of added functionality, this upgrade transports the latest build of Lollipop to the handset, in addition to a multitude of bug fixes and stability improvements.
Hit the break for the full changelog.
- Material Design: You will quickly notice a whole new colorful look and feel to your device – from fluid animations to new application and system themes, colors and widgets.
- Notifications UI & Priorities: In order to alert you to the mosttimely and relevant information, the format and behavior of notifications have evolved:
- notifications will appear on the lock screen and are intelligently ranked by type and who sent them.
- you double-tap to open one, swipe left or right to clear one, or clear all notifications from the bottom of the list.
- you can set the priority and privacy of notifications for each application.
- very high priority notifications will pop up briefly over other applications so that you can take action.
- when you dismiss a notification on one device it will be dismissed on your other Android devices, if they are connected to the Internet.
- you can further tailor how notifications behave with the new Downtime and Ambient Display settings (see below).
- New Interruptions & Downtime Settings: You can tailor how interruptions behave, choosing to allow all, none, or only priority interruptions. You can personalize what counts as a priority interruption (reminders, events, calls, messages) and even tailor them to be from only contacts you specify. The Downtime setting will allow only priority interruptions during the times and days that you specify. e.g. allow only priority interruptions on the weekend.
- Recent Apps (Multi-tasking): The redesigned Overview space (formerly called Recents) will include both applications and separate activities within those applications. For instance, each open tab in Chrome will also appear here along with recent applications; both your Gmail Inbox and a draft email message will appear as separate cards. This provides a consistent way to switch amongst tasks.
- Flashlight: Lollipop includes a new flashlight option as part of Quick settings (swipe down with two fingers from the status bar to see it).
- Pin a view/app: Screen pinning allows you to keep a specific app or screen in view. For example, you can ‘pin’ a game and your child will not be able to navigate anywhere else on your phone.
- Battery: The Battery settings panel now shows an estimated projection for how much time you have left while discharging or charging. You can also enable a new battery saver mode that will save power by reducing performance and most background data operations to extend your battery life.
- Smarter Internet Connections: With Android Lollipop, your phone will not connect to a Wi-Fi access point unless there is a verified Internet connection. This feature improves hand-offs between Wi-Fi and cellular connections, helping to maintain your video chat or voice-over-IP (VoIP) call as you switch.
- Performance: Your phone now uses the new Android Runtime to help optimize application performance. After upgrading to Lollipop, your applications will undergo a one-time optimization process. Note that the optimization for ART requires more space.
- Security: Encryption can now use a stronger 256-bit key to help protect your data. Note that the stronger key willonly be used after you perform a factory reset on Android Lollipop. Otherwise encryption will continue to use 128-bit key. You can turn on encryption in the Security settings menu.
As is customary with all manufacturer updates, the upgrade is being rolled out in stages, but if you don’t feel like waiting for a notification confirming that it’s ready for your device, you can search for the update manually. To do so simply follow the four steps below:
- Open the Settings app
- Scroll to the bottom and tap on “About Device”
- Hit “System Updates”
Come comment on this article: Samsung starts distributing Lollipop update for the Galaxy Note 4 in Croatia
[Deal] – Geek Squad certified refurbished 16GB Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5-inch WiFi tablet on sale for $239.99
If you’re in the market for a new tablet you may want to check out eBay or Best Buy. Currently they both have the 16GB Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5-inch WiFi tablet on sale for $120 cheaper than they normally are. That’s right instead of $359.99 you’ll get the tablet for $239.99. However there’s just one small detail you’ll need to know.
That detail? They’re refurbished, meaning they aren’t brand spanking new tablets. They are Geek Squad certified though, meaning they’re as close to new as possible. Typically — at least according to Best Buy — most of the Geek Squad certified devices come from customer returns. From there, folks from Geek Squad give it a once-over, then its given to agents who put it through other tests before these devices are sold.
If that isn’t enough, it comes with a one-year limited warranty, so it’s as if you’re buying the device like new. If you decide to buy the devices you’ll be getting a 10.5-inch tablet at 2,560×1,600 resolution, 16GB of storage with up to 128 GB of extra storage via a microSD slot, an Octa-core Exynos 5 processor, 3GB of RAM, an 8MP rear shooter with 2.1 MP front facing camera onboard and Android 4.4 KitKat (though it looks like it’s in the process of getting Android 5.0.2). It also comes with a fingerprint scanner and stereo speakers.
So while they may be refurbished, you’re getting one hell of a deal at two-thirds the price. Hit the source links below to snag one, but you’d better hurry, there’s no telling as to when this sale will be over.
Come comment on this article: [Deal] – Geek Squad certified refurbished 16GB Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5-inch WiFi tablet on sale for $239.99
SquareTrade Announces 2-Year Apple Watch Protection Plans [iOS Blog]
Alternative insurance protection plan service SquareTrade today confirmed support for both the Apple Watch Sport and mid-tier Apple Watch models. The plans sit near the cost of AppleCare+ for the Watch, but cover accidental damage done to the device, unlike the additional charge required in AppleCare+.
The SquareTrade Apple Watch plans offer customers options with and without deductibles. So, for example, the Apple Watch Sport plan ranges from $59 to $69 (with deductible) and $129 to $159 (with no deductible). Similarly, the mid-tier Apple Watch models stretch from $79 to $149 (with deductible) and $169 to $239 (without deductible).
Both Watch tiers are 2-year plans covering malfunctions as well as accidental damage. The company believes that one of the most likely points of risk for the Watch will be “among others, drops and falls from nightly charging stations.” But it assure customers that anything beyond intentional damage, loss, or theft will be covered by the plan.
“We don’t mean to dampen all the excitement about the Apple Watch, but inevitably the klutz in us will come out. Just like smartphones, the Apple Watch accompanies us everywhere and is susceptible to the wear and tear of daily life,” said Jessica Hoffman, vice president of global communications for SquareTrade.
The company has even gone so far as to create a “Wrisk” Predictor Lifestyle Quiz that aims to predict which Apple Watch model is most suitable for each customer’s lifestyle. The company created the so-called Wrisk Factor to detect and perceive the risks for the wrist-worn device.
AppleCare+, in comparison, sees its two-year plans priced at $49 (plus $69 deductible for accidental damage) for the Sport and $69 (plus $79 deductible for accidental damage) for the mid-tier Watch, with the only gradient pricing range increasing with the added option of a combination iPhone/Apple Watch plan. AppleCare+ also provides a $1500 plan for the Apple Watch Edition, but SquareTrade appears to have opted out in focusing on those higher-end customers for its new Watch protection plans.
Samsung explains what makes the S6 Edge’s screen better than LCD
While opinions on the Galaxy S6 Edge’s design, battery life, or software features vary, almost everyone agrees that the S6 Edge and the regular S6 feature some of the best (if not the best) screens in the industry.
Now Samsung Display put out a press release that gives us a little peek at how the S6 Edge display is made and what makes it so good.
It all starts with the substrate: the S6 Edge is Samsung’s third curved screen phone, after the Galaxy Round and the Note Edge, and features the same polyimide substrate as its predecessors. Polyimide is a type of plastic that offers several benefits compared to the glass substrates typically used on LCD and non-curved OLED displays. Obviously, polyimide can flex, but it’s also highly resistant to shocks and can be processed into sheets that are half as thick as similar glass sheets. That leaves more room for other components and enables thinner designs.
While the 2013 Galaxy Round had a pixel density of 386 ppi, Samsung Display upped its game for the S6 Edge to a much more impressive 577 ppi, by depositing 3.6 million organic subpixels on the phone’s 5.1-inch display.
Samsung boasts about the rich color gamut of the S6 and S6 Edge, which means the phones can show more colors than a regular LCD screen: almost 100% of the Adobe RGB gamut, compared to 70%. (However, we should note that quantum dot LCD panels can display more colors than standard LCD, as seen on Sony’s latest phones or on Amazon’s Kindle tablets.)
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The Galaxy S6 Edge display, Samsung claims, is much faster than LCDs, with response speeds of 0.01 milliseconds, compared to 8 milliseconds. But – and this is a big “but” – taking advantage of that speed requires other components to be just as fast, as Samsung admits when it specifies “once new application processors are introduced.”
Finally, like any AMOLED screen, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge display can save power by lighting up just some of their pixels, as opposed to LCD, where the entire backlight module has to switch on even for a small number of pixels. Samsung claims that using this capability to light up just the curved sides on the S6 Edge reduces power consumption by 20 percent in its current form, though there’s potential for more.
Anomaly, The Room 2, Metal Slug series and more on sale on Google Play
The weekend is almost here! For those with a little down time over the weekend, there’s plenty of great games on sale that can help you kill some of that time including big name titles like Leo’s Fortune, the Room Two, many titles from SNK Playmore, and more!
Without further ado, here’s the big roundup of apps on sale this week:
- Metal Slug – previously $2.99, now $.99
- Metal Slug 2 – previously $2.99, now $.99
- Metal Slug 3 – previously $2.99, now $.99
- Metal Slug X – previously $2.99, now $.99
- King of Fighters 98 – previously $2.99, now $.99
- Samurai Shodown II – previously $2.99, now $.99
- King of Fighters-A 2012 – previously $2.99, now $.99
- King of Fighters 97 – previously $2.99, now $.99
- Garou: Mark of the Wolves – previously $3.99, now $.99
- The Room Two – previously $2.99, now $.59
- Anomaly Warzone Earth HD – previously $3.99, now $1.19
- Anomaly Defenders – previously $3.99, now $1.19
- Leo’s Fortune – previously $2.99, now $.99
Keep in mind we can’t say for sure how long these sales prices will last, so if any of the apps on the list hit your fancy, we’d grab them while you can. Any other great games on sale that you’re aware of? Let us know about them in the comments.
5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week! – Android Apps Weekly
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Welcome back to Android Apps Weekly! Here are the headlines from this last week:
- A woman claimed her account was hacked and is suing Google for allegedly unauthorized in-app purchases that apparently cost her thousands of dollars. According to court documents, her account was charged 650 times and she managed to not notice the money missing or receive any of the emails you always get when you buy things.
- A new Humble Bundle is out now and includes 10 titles from Tin Man Games. You can pay whatever you want and get four titles, pay the average and get four additional titles. For a flat $9, you get all ten games. It’s a great way to get some awesome games on the cheap.
- A new study came out to show the Q1 numbers for both Google Play and the Apple App Store. As per the norm, Google Play has more apps and more app downloads but iOS continues to lead in overall revenue. Nothing new here, but it is the latest stat sheet and we don’t expect it to change anytime soon.
- Some developers in Italy who call themselves OrangeSec managed to port Cortana to Android. There are a lot of limitations including no offline mode and it’s only it’s Italian, but it’s still Cortana’s backend that’s being accessed. We imagine Microsoft will shut it down eventually but it’s still fun to see.
- In a blog post released earlier this week, Adobe has officially promised to support Android better in the future. Adobe has Android apps but their more innovative creations have remained iOS exclusives and that is about to change. We can expect to see some progress on this over the summer of this year.
For more Android apps and games releases, headlines, and updates, don’t forget to check out this week’s newsletter where we round up all of the apps news from the last week. If you’re so inclined, you can also sign up using your email to get this news delivered directly to your inbox every single week.
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Android for Work
[Price: Free]
Google has released the official Android for Work application. Obviously you’ll need to have Android for Work on the web to make this work but it’s nice to see it available for mobile devices and tablets. The compatibility is a bit limited, but you should be able to find all of the tools there including contacts, calendar, downloads, the office suite, and email. It also includes the hallmark admin control of Android for Work.
Servicely
[Price: Free / $2.16]
Servicely is a root application developed by Francisco Franco. The app allows you to identify, control, and shut off processes that may be draining your battery while you’re not using your device. It’s similar to Greenify but works more efficiently to keep tasks shut off so they don’t keep your phone awake when it shouldn’t be. There is a pro version that you can access for free and then donate later if you want to. We think you should.
Tiny Guardians
[Price: $3.99 with in-app purchases]
Tiny Guardians is a tower defense style game that was released to relatively positive reviews this last week. Like your typical tower defense games, your goal is to guard against waves of bad guys. Unlike tower defense games, Tiny Guardians doesn’t have any towers. You controls guardians that must defeat all the bad guys and you lose if your strategy doesn’t work out and your guardians die. It’s a unique concept that could be a lot of fun.
Hello Caller ID and Blocking
[Price: Free]
Hello is a new application from Facebook that acts as a dialer app for their Facebook Messenger service. Messenger has had calls for a while but now has a dedicated interface to access them. On top of working with Facebook’s service, you can automatically block calls, get free calls and texts over Messenger, and integration with your phone contacts and Facebook. It does work like a regular phone dialer with your number if you need that.
Mortal Kombat X
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
The long awaited Mortal Kombat X is here, kind of! The game has made its way to the Google Play Store but it has only been soft-launched in select markets ostensibly for testing purposes. We don’t know when it will roll out to everyone but it is here and that means it’s coming very soon. Mortal Kombat X features a whole bunch of your favorite MK characters along with classic tropes from the series like fatalities. It should be a lot of fun once it’s fully released.
Wrap up
If we missed any great Android apps or games news, let us know about it in the comments!
Purported HTC Butterfly 3 specs revealed in new benchmark test
So far this year, we haven’t heard too much regarding HTC’s new Butterfly 3 flagship. We’ve heard whispers that the Asia-centric handset will tote a 5.2-inch Quad HD display (just like the One M9+), but that’s the extent of it. Now we’re getting a few more hints at what the device will bring to the table, thanks to a recent benchmark test over at CompuBench.
The benchmark test reveals that the HTC Butterfly 3 (J Butterfly HTV31) will have a slightly smaller 5.1-inch display with a 2560 x 1440 resolution, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor backed by 3GB of RAM, and an Adreno 430 GPU. The benchmark reveals it also has 32GB of on-board storage, a 20MP rear-facing camera and a high-res 13MP front-facing camera. It’s also running Android 5.0.2 Lollipop.
Traditionally, HTC has only launched the Butterfly series in Asian markets, so folks in North America probably won’t get a chance to see this device. We should try to remember that, no matter how probable the clues are, nothing has yet been confirmed by the company. But if these specs are correct, the Butterfly 3 is turning out to be one heck of a flagship.
AIVAnet 