T-Mobile offering free tablet promotion for Father’s Day
Need to get dad something nice for Father’s Day? T-Mobile thinks he’ll appreciate a new tablet. What’s more, it also believes you’ll appreciate the pricing.
T-Mobile is giving away an LG G Pad F 8.0 to customers just so long as they purchase a qualifying data plan. Yes, T-Mobile will pay for the tablet itself provided you pay for at least 1GB of data per month for two years.
Essentially, you agree to pay $10 per month for 24 months for the data and the tablet’s free. Cancel before the two year period and you’ll have to pay for the remaining tablet balance of up to $239.76.
The LG G Pad F 8.0 is an Android 5.0 Lollipop tablet with an 8-inch display. Internal specifications include a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 16GB storage, and microSD expansion. You’ll also find a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter.
Note that this promotion is limited to a select number of tablets and once they’re gone, they’re gone. Also worth pointing out, a credit check is required as well.
Don’t forget to check out our Dads and Grads Buyer’s Guide for 2015!
The post T-Mobile offering free tablet promotion for Father’s Day appeared first on AndroidGuys.
AT&T Fined $100 Million by FCC for Unlimited Data Throttling Practices
The United States Federal Communications Commission today announced plans to fine AT&T $100 million for misleading customers about its unlimited mobile data plans. Following an investigation, the FCC is accusing AT&T of severely slowing down the data speeds of customers with unlimited data plans and failing to adequately warn them about the slower data speeds.
In 2011, AT&T implemented a “Maximum Bit Rate” policy and capped the maximum data speeds for unlimited customers after they used a set amount of data within a billing cycle. The capped speeds were much slower than the normal network speeds AT&T advertised and significantly impaired the ability of AT&T customers to access the Internet or use data applications for the remainder of the billing cycle.
The FCC says AT&T violated the 2010 Open Internet Transparency Rule by falsely calling its plans “unlimited” and by not informing customers of the maximum speed they would receive under AT&T’s Maximum Bit Rate policy. Millions of customers suffered slow data speeds, with some seeing speed reductions for 12 days per month on average.
On the decision, FCC chairman Tom Wheeler had this to say: “Customers deserve to get what they pay for. Broadband providers must be upfront and transparent about the services they provide. The FCC will not stand idly by while consumers are deceived by misleading marketing materials and insufficient disclosure.”
AT&T ceased offering unlimited data plans years ago, but it continues to have customers with grandfathered unlimited data plans. AT&T previously throttled all of those customers after they exceeded 5GB of LTE data, but in May, AT&T implemented a policy change that sees customers being throttled only when connected to a cell tower experiencing network congestion.
Along with facing a $100 million fine levied by the FCC, AT&T is also involved in an ongoing lawsuit with the Federal Trade Commission over the same issue.
Report: Comcast engaged in talks to acquire T-Mobile
This summer, Deutsche Telekom could have a bidding wars on its hands as competition builds to acquire its United States subsidiary. The parent company of T-Mobile has been engaged in talks with Comcast about acquiring the carrier.
Comcast will have to work against Dish Network’s proposed merger and any other potential companies interested in making an offer for T-Mobile. Deutsche Telekom apparently views Comcast as a more attractive buyer and that is likely due to the media company’s deep pockets. Comcast is now the largest cable provider, has a massive portfolio covering national and regional cable networks, and walked away from a $45 billion purchase of Time Warner Cable. The money set to be used for the Time Warner Cable purchase can be redirected for a deal with Deutsche Telekom.
The Dish Network merger would allow T-Mobile CEO John Legere to remain in his current position. However, Comcast gaining control of the carrier could reassign Legere to another position or even remove him from the company. Comcast is a operates very tightly and Legere’s blunt personality may not be a match for the two.
An unnamed source told Ars Technica that Comcast is not interested in buying T-Mobile. Neither company has yet to publicly comment on the report.
Source: Manager Magazin
Via: Reuters
Come comment on this article: Report: Comcast engaged in talks to acquire T-Mobile
LinkedIn revamps its Pulse news reader app to bring you news powered by the professional world
Since the app’s acquisition by LinkedIn back in 2013, the popular Pulse news reader application has seen little to no notable improvements when it comes to both design and functionality. That’s all changing today, as the LinkedIn team has just released a much-needed update that rebuilds the application from the ground up.
Pulse learns from every topic, person and company you follow
Akshay Kothari, co-founder of Pulse, says that back in 2013, Pulse was struggling to find its identity and readership, which is exactly what today’s update is addressing. Along with a major redesign, the app now functions as a one-stop shop to consume your daily news that’s powered by your personalized professional world. After opening the app for the first time and adding in your LinkedIn account, you’ll be able to check out what your network and peers are reading, read the top news in your specific industry, and also get notifications if one of your connections happen to make the news.
Pulse will now also learn from your connections, allowing the app to get smarter and recommend more relevant articles to you on a daily basis. The idea here is to not only educate you on topics in your field, but also to give you something to talk about in the workplace.
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Speaking from experience, Pulse used to be my go-to news reader application, thanks in part to its sleek and intuitive design. Judging by the app’s previous design and what I’ve seen of the new version so far, I’m pretty sure LinkedIn hit it out of the park with this one.
If you’re interested, the newest version of Pulse is available now in the Play Store for free.
Deutsche Telekom reportedly in talks with Comcast about a T-Mobile sale
Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile’s parent company, is reportedly in talks with Comcast regarding a sale of the wireless carrier. According to a report from Reuters citing an article out of Manager Magazin in Germany, Deutsche Telekom is not only in talks with Comcast, but also multiple other companies including satellite provider Dish Network. Out of the possible T-Mobile buyers, though, the report states that Comcast is the most attractive buyer as it is financially stronger and has the resources to purchase all shares of T-Mobile at one time.
Read more: T-Mobile’s largest shareholder reportedly not interested in Dish Network merger
Deutsche Telekom’s plans to merge with Comcast may be holding T-Mobile back from any real progression
This news shouldn’t really come as a surprise, though. Just last week, we heard about the rumored T-Mobile/Dish Network acquisition, only to later find out that Deutsche Telekom wasn’t actually interested in the merger. As we explained previously, Timotheus Höttges, chief executive of T-Mobile’s parent company, would much rather merge with another wireless carrier such as Sprint, in hopes to become more attractive to Comcast in the long run. T-Mobile has tried to merge with Sprint in the past, but that deal was thankfully shot down by the FCC so we could keep our “four main carrier” ecosystem in effect. But now, according to this new report, it looks like Deutsche Telekom is skipping Sprint altogether and heading straight for a Comcast acquisition.
Although no official comments have been made by any of the involved parties, a “source familiar with Comcast’s thinking” told Ars Technica that Comcast is actually not interested in a T-Mobile acquisition. Ars says that the source asked to remain anonymous because “the company tries to avoid making official comments on rumored mergers.”
If the past is any indication as to what we can expect out of this rumor, Comcast will likely pass on the deal, if it was even presented in the first place. Even though the wireless carrier is proving itself successful in the United States, Deutsche Telekom’s unrealistic goals for T-Mobile seem to be holding it back from some major progression.
V-MODA announces worlds first 3D printed custom designed headphone shields for the M-100 and XS line-up
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Looking to make your headphones stand out in a crowd? V-MODA is the pioneer in giving you that option with the launch of the world first 3D printed custom-design headphones. You may have read our review of the V-MODA Crossfade M-80’s a while back. They are a great set of headphones with a lot to offer consumers including custom laser engraved shields for the outside of the ear cups. V-MODA is now stepping up the customization game with all new options using a variety of materials including Fiber, Stainless Steel, Raw and Plated precious metals. Yes, you can get a set of 14K gold plated shields that say and look however you want, for a price.
“This new offering is not merely a game changer, it is the first time in history mass customization merges jewel-grade 3D printing with consumer electronics,” says Val Kolton, CEO of V-MODA. “Additive manufacturing for wearable technology is not only a product, but a 360-degree service and paradigm-shift for design and manufacturing.”
“3D printing has captured the imaginations of people, but this is the first application that can be worn every day on an award-winning product. This technology ends the ubiquity of carbon copy, plastic consumer electronics and ushers in an era of bespoke designs and metals that transform products into hand-crafted designer relics,” says Val Kolton. “What seemed impossible is now a reality with V-MODA’s new platform.”
Specialized customization isn’t going to be cheap though. Depending on the material you select and if you upload your own design or not (still in beta) you can put some serious hurt on your bank account. In the end though, you will have a truly unique and personal look for your headphones. Here is the break down –
Price
Sterling Silver: $430 for on-ear, $650 for over-ear shield kits; $620 with XS, $900 with Crossfade M-100.
Solid Gold: $4,000-5,500 for on-ear including XS, $9,000-12,800 for over-ear including Crossfade M-100;
Platinum: $12,000-16,000 for on-ear including XS, $27,000-40,000 for over-ear including Crossfade M-100.All precious metal offerings include a lifetime warranty on the headphones and the option to upload your own design for 3D sculpting by V-MODA’s Italian designers.
Raw, Rhodium and Gold-Plated Metals – Luxury within reach. Personalized shields offer sophisticated designs at an accessible price point. Available in raw brass and raw bronze that patina over time as well as brilliant rhodium plated, 14k gold plated and 14k rose gold plated.
Price: $180-$330 for on-ear, $350-$550 for over-ear shield kits; $370-$520 with XS, $600-$800 with Crossfade M-100. Upload your design (Beta) is included.
Stainless Steel – Steel shields feature a distinctive “Damascus steel” effect that allows you to proudly showcase the advanced 3D technology. Available in matte black, stainless steel, polished gold, polished bronze and matte bronze.
Price: $100 for on-ear, $150 for over-ear shield kits, $270 with XS, $400 with Crossfade M-100. Upload your design (Beta) is included.
Fiber – Available in nine matte and vibrant colors, 3D printed fiber is lightweight and features a matte touch.
Price: $40 for on-ear, $50 for over-ear shield kits (add $20 for upload your design); $200 with XS, $270 with Crossfade M-100.
To get a better look at V-MODA is doing and to gt your order started, direct yourself over to V-MODA.com
The post V-MODA announces worlds first 3D printed custom designed headphone shields for the M-100 and XS line-up appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Shake It Up 3D: Seasons LWP review
Did you know that an average person checks their phone up to a 150 times a day? And what screen do you get when you unlock your phone? It’s your home screen most of the times. Well, the good thing for Android users is that there is no limit to the customization that you can do with your phones, which include some crazy home screen customizations.
Well, today we bring you something simple and beautiful. A live wallpaper app! Shake It Up 3D: Seasons LWP, an app by Screaming Snail Studios Inc., is a collection of different seasonal wallpapers that you can use to glorify your home screen. Seeing a static wallpaper does get boring for some people after a while. With Shake It Up 3D: Seasons LWP you get an option to choose from all four seasons, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
Coming to the app, you can either choose one of the four seasons or just put it in Auto Season to choose one randomly. There are also options to choose and set your preferred background scene, gradient color, and the globe wood type. Using all these settings the app renders a beautiful snow globe on your home screen containing different kinds of scenery as per the options chosen in the app settings.
The wallpapers rendered are absolutely beautiful and display in amazing 3D quality using the Unity App Engine for Android. The transitions are very smooth as well. The snow falling or the animals dancing, the wind raking the leaves, all the little movements of the scenes worked flawlessly. A handy double tap shortcut is present that takes you to the settings directly from the home screen.
If that was not enough, you can also set if you want your snow globe to rotate and control its speed as well. I personally liked the bouncing snowman in the winter season setting. Made me smile every time I looked at it.
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There is also an experimental option to choose from for the view position of the live wallpaper. If having a live snow globe wallpaper was not enough, Shake It Up 3D: Seasons LWP also allows you to step inside the snow globe and keep that as the wallpaper. Its feels really amazing to have the view from inside the snow globe. The snow and the leaves feel like they are just at your fingertips whenever you swipe on the home screen.
I hate to say it, but there are some bugs as well. I encountered a black screen several times when trying to load a wallpaper preview in the settings. I had to quit and restart the app for it to disappear. I used a Nexus 4 and Moto G to test this. Also, the app force closed on me when trying to change the wallpaper while I was trying out all the options one by one. The app worked fine after I restarted my devices though. I think its a matter of optimization of the unity engine and I hope it will be fixed in the next update.
One more thing I would like to see is the introduction of a rainy season. Not to sound all gloomy but I do like when it rains, especially when it first rains after a long hot summer. It’s one thing I’ll be looking forward to in a future update.
To sum it up, Shake It Up 3D: Seasons LWP is an app that you can use all year long for every season. Its beautiful animations will have you loving your phone every time you unlock it and the cheerful scenery will bring a smile to adults and children alike.
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Shake It Up 3D: Seasons LWP is available as a paid app download in the Play Store for only $0.99 and I would recommend it, as it is surely worth the price. A nice way to spice up your home screen without using any special launcher.
Have you tried Shake It Up 3D: Seasons LWP ? Tell us your experience in the comments below.
The post Shake It Up 3D: Seasons LWP review appeared first on AndroidGuys.
UK Indie Labels Say Apple Music Free Trial Could ‘Literally Put People Out of Business’ [iOS Blog]
Apple’s newly announced music streaming service, Apple Music, is upsetting a handful of independent United Kingdom-based music labels who house artists such as Adele and Arctic Monkeys (via The Telegraph). Under the terms being proposed by Apple, labels will receive no compensation during the three-month free trial given to Apple Music users. The labels argue that this trial period will “literally put people out of business,” and refuse to support the service, which launches in under two weeks on June 30.
According to Andy Heath, the chairman of industry lobby group UK Music, no British independent labels have agreed to Apple’s terms or plan to in the future. Most of the labels claim Apple hasn’t thoroughly prepared the labels for the launch, and that the time between its announcement and launch has left little time for contract negotiations.
“If you are running a small label on tight margins you literally can’t afford to do this free trial business,” Heath stated. “Their plan is clearly to move people over from downloads, which is fine, but it will mean us losing those revenues for three months.
Apple hasn’t thought this through at all and it’s not like them. They can’t spring a contract like this on us three weeks from release.”
Apple has attempted to reassure skeptical labels that once the three-month free trial ends, Apple Music will support a 71.5 percent revenue sharing contribution to labels backing the streaming service. The number will even be slightly higher — about 73 percent — outside of the United States to counterbalance the no royalty payment policy during the trial period. It’s still not enough for some labels, according to Heath.
“I think the dynamic here is nothing to do with the royalty rates but there are elements of these deals that are just too difficult for smaller labels to do. It will literally put people out of business.
Smaller labels would be completely screwed. Apple just has to move on this.”
Apple Music was officially unveiled last week during WWDC as a three-tiered service with basic music streaming, a live global radio station, and a social media platform that allows fans to follow favorite artists. The long-awaited service will officially launch on June 30 with a three-month trial period that will allow everyone to try it out for the summer. Afterwards, Apple Music will cost $9.99 per month for users who want to stick around.
Hiku Mobile Shopping List
If you’re always forgetting items at the grocery store, Hiku is a perfect companion for your next trip. It easily scans barcodes, or listens to spoken direction, to create a comprehensive grocery list.
Hiku lives in your kitchen, lasts two months on a single charge and connects to your device to automatically sync your latest updates. You can snag this shopping companion, today, for just $59.
See more at deals.androidguys.com
The post Hiku Mobile Shopping List appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Snappy by Appy Pie is a fantastic app creating service for non-coders
Let’s face it, not all of us have mad coding skills like Mark Zuckerberg or your nerdy next door neighbor that had been coding since he was 5. Which is okay, as most of us do not need to be able to code like a coding wizard. The only time that it would become a problem is if you are trying to start a small business and would like to off your customers a mobile app to better connect with you, only to find that creating an app would takes months and hiring someone would be too expense. Yes, this is where things start to become an issue but thankfully for us Appy Pie has come to the rescue (I don’t apologize for the cliche statement…)
Launched in 2013, Appy Pie took a completely different approach when it came to coding by offering the average business and consumer the ability to create apps using nothing but their browser. Users no longer had to spend months learning how to code, hours downloading IDES and setting them up, or the countless amount of dollars hiring someone to do it for them. Building an app had become as simple as logging into your computer, going to their website and creating an app using the simple on-screen prompts. Now you could create an app for your small Italian restaurant as to be able to better connect with your customers. Well, Appy Pie was not content with that service and today they have launched a brand new web service, Snappy, that makes it even easier to create apps!
“Computer science education cannot make anybody an expert programmer any more than studying brushes and pigment can make somebody an expert painter.“
Using nothing but drag and drop prompts, Snappy allows you to quickly create an app for your small business, be it a brand new restaurant or an up and coming shop. Let’s go back to the Italian example and let’s say that you want to be able to create an app so that customers can see what menu items you offer and their prices. Even better, you can add pages that allow your customers to order the food straight from the app and Social Sharing pages to share your app with their friends or like your page on social media.
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After using it myself and playing around with the service, I have to say that is much easier to use and faster than Appy Pie. Not to say that Appy Pie was super difficult, but you can tell that Snappy was built for those that don’t have too much on their hands.
Overall, Snappy is a great new service that any average consumer can take advantage of for whatever their app-building needs may be. While a picture ma speaks a thousand words, using the service to build your app will speak a million. So head on over to website using the link provided and play around with Snappy and start making apps today!
Source
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