AT&T poised to raise activation fees to $45 on contract and toss in $15 on NEXT and BYOD lines

Sounds like AT&T is gearing up to make a little more money thanks to some chatter regarding new fees that are said to land on August 1st. As it sits right now, if you snag a new device on a contract, which the company has been discouraging a bit, then you are subject to a $40 activation fee on the next billing statement. If you opt for one of the NEXT programs, then you only have to worry about the monthly device charge on the next bill until it is paid off. Doing so also gives you a bit of a discount on the current price plan set up knocking anywhere from $15 to $25 off the pre-line charge.

According to sources, the 2-year contract activation fee will be moving up from $40 to $45 on August 1st. The carrier will also be implementing a new fee for NEXT program upgrades which will toss on a $15 activation fee on the next bill as well. If you Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and start a line or add a line, you too will see the $15 charge on your next bill.

To the best of my knowledge, the increase makes AT&T the highest priced carrier to upgrade with. AT&T moved from $35 to $40 just over a year ago with big red Verizon on their heels.  I expect to see a similar move by them very soon. If we put the fees into a real world thought, 1,000 NEXT upgrades will net AT&T $15,000 for simply switching your SIM card, or typing in, a SIM card on your account. Talk about a quick profit margin increase. I suppose they need that injection of funds with the Direct TV deal becoming official soon.

Source: Droid-Life

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Kira: a ring light that will take your selfies to the next level

Manufacturers have managed to improve front-facing shooters, but there is one issue surrounding them – lack of lighting. Unless you are in a well-lit environment, that tiny camera sensor won’t be able to do much to create enticing photos, hence users continue to flip their phones to take a selfie and gamble on their image composition. The Kira ring light is bulky and looks awkward, but it fixes this issue very well and its shape will result in some of the best selfies we have seen coming from a smartphone’s front-facing camera.

As you can guess from the name, the Kira ring light comes from Japan. The project was started by Julie Watai, a photographer aiming to help you shoot great selfies, regardless of your surroundings. Her frustrations sparked a light in her mind that would later materialize into this odd clip that attaches to your smartphone and emanates light directly into the subject.

This product still hasn’t arrived its final stages and Watai is seeking funding through a Japanese website Kibidango. There’s no word on pricing or availability, but I, for one, would love to see it come to market, as it will provide an option we have yet to see come at large scale, in the mobile market.

Manufacturers have been coming up with solutions for these dark, grainy selfies for some time. Samsung recently launched the Galaxy J5 and J7, a couple phones that, beating the hassles that come with a handset’s limited space in the front, manage to feature an actual front-facing flash. LG was a bit more creative when they introduced the G3 and decided to use the screen as a front-facing flash, turning most of the screen white while taking a selfie.

Will these work? LG’s was OK, but needed more work. I am sure Samsung’s application will suffice – but what about the rest of us, who don’t want to stick with a specific phone (especially considering these “J” phones have limited availability and are not exactly great devices). Not only is something like the Kira universal, but having a ring light will prove to be beneficial in many ways.

The benefits of using a ring light/flash

There’s a reason why photographers happen to love ring lighting for specific types of shots. Due to their circular nature and their position (usually surrounding the lens), this type of lighting can help create great photos when the subject is close to the camera. It’s my favorite type of lighting for macro photography, for example, as it creates a uniform light that surrounds the subject and gets rid of strong shadows.

Such is also the case with selfies, in which the subject is usually at arm’s length from the camera. A regular, one-directional flash can create a striking lighting contrast, while these ring lights will output a more even lighting effect.

Ring flashes can also be used for displaying interesting effects if your subject is close to its background. You can simulate a halo-like shadow effect behind the subject. This illusion is caused by the direction of the light, which is set to shoot straight into the subject from a multi-directional source.

Are you in need of a front-facing flash?

Many of you may believe I am going to deep into my photography enthusiasm, which I really can’t deny. I will say the Kira has one thing going for itself, and that is that it should work with any phone. It’s universal nature is what makes it valuable, but I have to say it does look a bit ugly and might be a hassle to carry around.

Other than that, it may be considered an overkill for many casual users. This is why I now turn to you to see what you think. Do you want a front-facing flash? Would you get a smaller one-directional flash over the “superior” Kira ring flash? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Visit the Kira project page on Kibidango

Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 can finally be rooted

Got yourself an Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3? Good choice! We named it one of the best budget phones of 2015 in our review, and now it can get even better. XDA’s developer community has finally achieved root, after having to wait a couple months after the phone’s release.

This comes as great news to OneTouch Idol 3 users who have been itching to tinker with the phone’s software. Those who have been following the progress will know achieving root on this smartphone became a bit of a complication, due to issues with entering fastboot mode. This was no hindrance to XDA users frankee207, DallasCZ, and Gynoid, though. These guys worked their way around the obstacles by studying an exploit on phone with similar complications.

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind rooting, unlocking your bootloader or tinkering with your phone’s software in any way is not safe. There is a chance you could void your warranty or even damage your phone permanently. If you are to root your Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3, we advice that you be careful and do a fair amount of research before doing so, as only you will be held responsible for any issue you may encounter. 

Let us continue. All steps have been compiled, organized and published at a post from DallasCZ, so you can simply read his thread to see how you can finally gain access to your phone’s true potential.

This exploit works on the latest software version of the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3. Keep in mind this solution has only been tested with the 5.5-inch version of the device. If you own the smaller 4.7-inch iteration, your best bet is to wait patiently.

With this out of the way, it is only a matter of time before ROMs for the Aclatel OneTouch Idol 3 start showing up. That’s when things will get more interesting! How many of you have been waiting for the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 to achieve root? Will you be going through this process?