Kogan Mobile lives again, this time an Aussie telco with Vodafone backing
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Kogan Mobile famously exited the Australia telco market in August 2013 due to issues with a Telstra network reseller, but it was announced that they are re-launching the service today, this time with Vodafone backing. Kogan has been dominating online retail sales in Australia for some time now, and particularly in the area of smartphones, so it is logical that they would want to have their own service to offer to customers buying devices outright. Much like Kogan’s retail service, Kogan Mobile appears to offer its phone services at prices that are extremely competitive.
The Kogan Mobile 3XL plan offers unlimited calls and messages with 3GB data for $29.90 AUD for 30 days, or you can get a year’s worth of service by paying 10 months-worth – i.e. $299.90 AUD – up front; that equates to $24.65 AUD for every 30 days. Likewise, the Kogan Mobile 5XL plan offers unlimited calls and messages with 5GB data for $36.90 AUD for 30 days, or $369.90 AUD up front (or about $30.41 AUD for 30 days). To be able to offer such aggressive pricing, Kogan quotes their ability to “cut out the middleman”, and we have to say the results are impressive. We do wonder why there isn’t an unlimited data plan, but then again Australia has always struggled with that idea.
If these sound like the kind of plans you want, you can access them now from koganmobile.com.au. What do you think about Kogan Mobile’s return? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Kogan Mobile
The post Kogan Mobile lives again, this time an Aussie telco with Vodafone backing appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Scientists make an artificial heart out of foam
Artificial hearts only kinda-sorta behave like the real thing. They pump blood, sure, but they’re typically solid blocks of machinery that are out of place in a squishy human body. Cornell University thinks it can do better, though: its scientists have developed an artificial foam heart that imitates both the functions and shape of its fleshy counterpart. The key is a new polymer that can be poured into specific shapes, and has pores that let it pump fluids. It’s not only soft and stretchable, but more efficient — you don’t need much energy to get liquids moving.
If the discovery leads to real products, the most obvious use is in smarter, safer artificial organs that could be customized for individual patients. That’s just the start, though. The material could also be useful for soft robotics, prosthetics and anything else where a bendy, more natural-feeling surface would be appreciated.
Via: Gizmag
Source: Cornell University
Happy Birthday! The NES is 30 years old today
Well, on its American birth certificate at least. Yep, to the groans of middle-aged gamers everywhere, it’s been three decades since Nintendo’s home console first landed: 18th October 1985. Arguably the advent of console gaming, the Nintendo Entertainment System arrived with 17 games, including Mario Bros., and other not-so-much memorable titles like Hogan’s Alley (not the wrestler) and Stack Up — all in often ridiculous box art we’ve already covered in detail. It had a rich life and to celebrate we’ve embedded a video that includes every NES title screen. You’ve got three hours and a box of Kleenex, right? And if you’re still nostalgic, there’s always that aluminum model.
1byone is giving away 10 USB 3.0 4-Port Hubs on Androidguys.com!
We know we aren’t the biggest Android Media outlet, and because we know that, and have some of the most educated and loyal followers, we want to thank you with giveaways. We are making an effort to lineup a few more product giveaways to thank you for your support, and 1byone is one of the first companies to hop on board. You may or may not have heard of 1byone, but they are a company based in China who makes fantastic products. 1byone has a storefront on Amazon.com with multiple products listed as the “#1 Best Seller” with over 13k ratings that average out to 5/5 stars.
I have been very fortunate to review a bunch of their wonderful products and hope they continue to keep up the high quality work, because they offer great products at bargain prices. Most recently, I was pleasantly surprised with their Bluetooth connected LED light bulb with a speaker built-in for $30 which you can check out my review here.
1byone is offering up their 4-Port aluminum 3.0 USB hub which sells for $12.99 right now on Amazon.com. For something so cheap, you would expect the quality to match. But let me tell you, it belongs right next to my Mac computer as it is made from the same materials and simply looks stunning. Not only does it look great but it also performs as advertised. You can even check out our review we did back in July.
This 1byone USB hub is perfect as our laptops keep getting smaller and smaller. Manufacturers are eliminating ports left and right.
In order to qualify for the giveaway(which 1byone has agreed to give away more than 10 if the response deserves it), all you have to do is Tweet to us, make a comment in Google+, Facebook or comment below(tell us you want a free USB hub) and we will select 10 lucky winners on Sat. Oct. 24th. Winners will be notified via the method we were contacted.
We aren’t doing this to collect your personal information. When the winners are selected all we need is an email address we can provide to 1byone so they can send a redemption code on Amazon.com. All you have to do is add the 1byone USB hub to your cart, like you would do with any other Amazon purchase, and then redeem the code for a free 1byone 4-port aluminum 3.0 USB hub.
Thank you again and look out for more giveaways in the near future.
Terms and Conditions
- Winners must live in the United States.
- We are not responsible for lost shipments.
- Only 1 entry per person.
- We reserve all rights to make any changes to this giveaway.
- Your email will be given to 1byone so they can email you a redemption code for Amazon.com
The post 1byone is giving away 10 USB 3.0 4-Port Hubs on Androidguys.com! appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Poor sleep? We can’t entirely blame our smartphones for it
Smartphones have proven to be the best partners you can take to bed. They won’t sneak out in the morning and will keep you connected to everything that is awesome about life. In fact, a recent study from Bank of America corroborates that 71% of us sleep with our phones. Most people leave their gadgets on a night stand, but 13% of all surveyed users keep it on the bed, while 3% hold it in their hand throughout the night.
Is any of this hurting us? The rise of smart mobile devices has been rising a new concern in our communities. It is widely believed that insomnia and other sleep issues could be related to us staring at screens while in bed. The idea is that these smartphone screens emit large amounts of blue light, which fools our brains into thinking it’s day time, and hence, not time for sleeping. Many generations of evolution then kick in and suppress melatonin, the hormone that helps you control your sleep cycle. At least that is the cut-down, simplest explanation.
The spread of this new concern has led people to believe smartphones could be a main reason for poor sleeping, something that may not exactly be true. We are certainly not saying staring at a screen in bed won’t affect your slumber. It probably will, at least a bit, as this theory is backed by plenty of data and professionals. But a new study shows that those shiny screens are definitely not something worth staying awake worrying about all night. And they are not a main factor in sleep deprivation as a whole.
Jerome Siegel of UCLA and Gandhi Yetish of the University of New Mexico have published said study in Current Biology. It was simple to prove that smartphones are no big deal in terms of sleeping. These intellectuals simply had to compare us technology-advanced millennials to pre-industrial communities.
In this case, the groups of people included the Hadza of northern Tanzania, the Ju/’hoansi San of the Kalahari Desert and the Tsimané from Bolivia. None of these are exposed to artificial lighting from screens. In fact, these communities mostly consist of hunters and gatherers. 94 people volunteered to wear devices that record their movements and blood vessel constraint. Humidity and temperature monitors were also installed within their usual sleeping areas, in order to keep track of variables that may affect sleep.
After collecting 1,165 days worth of data, they found the average sleeping time in these groups was at about 6.5 hours a day. Meanwhile, industrial societies average at about 7.5 hours of sleep a night. This effectively proves that smartphones and other light-emitting technology are among the least of our concerns when it comes to poor sleeping.
Once again, this doesn’t mean all the other theories are not true, it just corroborates that there’s way too many factors that affect sleeping, our needs for it and how we incorporate this activity (or lack thereof) into our daily routines. Surely, we should be happy that our biggest worry when going to sleep is our smartphone, and not predators or other life-threatening things.
Amazon sues 1,114 people offering fake product reviews
Amazon isn’t just content to chase down the larger outfits offering fake reviews on its store… it’s pursuing individuals, too. The internet retailer has sued 1,144 people who used Fiverr’s gig marketplace to peddle bogus Amazon reviews. They’re only mentioned in the lawsuit by their user names, but it’s clear that Amazon wants to get their real info from Fiverr’s logs. Moreover, it suspects that there’s more to the story than some unscrupulous writing — it wants these sellers’ client lists.
There’s a real chance that Amazon will take down at least some of its targets, since Fiverr has cooperated on takedowns in the past. Still, the sheer scale of this latest case underscores the problems with keeping a lid on fake reviews, especially on gig sites where it’s not always easy to spot shady dealings. It may take a long, long while before these false authors are forced to go elsewhere.
[Image credit: David Ryder/Getty Images]
Source: TechCrunch
Apple Store Once Called ‘World’s Biggest’ Opens in China on October 24
Apple has announced that it will be opening its 21st retail store in China in Dalian, a major port city in southern Liaoning Province, on Saturday, October 24 at 9:30 AM local time. The new store will be located in the six-floor Parkland shopping mall at 19 Jiefang Road in the urban Zhongshan District.
Parkland six-floor shopping mall in Dalian, China (Image: yongonthego)
In early 2012, Apple promotional signage in Dalian stated “Apple’s world’s biggest flagship store will be coming soon to Parkland Mall,” but it’s unclear if that claim remains true over three years later. More recent rumors suggest the first Apple Store in Dubai, which opens October 29, may now be the “world’s largest” store.
2012 signage advertising upcoming Apple Store in Parkland mall as “world’s biggest”
The new Parkland store will be open Monday-Sunday from 9:30 AM to 9:00 PM local time and offer traditional Apple Store services, including the Genius Bar, Workshops, JointVenture, events and seminars. The closest Apple Store was previously in Shenyang, China, the capital city of Liaoning Province, located nearly 250 miles northeast.
Dalian, a city of 4 million people with a total of over 6.5 million people in the region, is located on the Liaodong Peninsula separating the Bohai Sea from Korea Bay in northeastern China. It is a major seaport, financial center and tourist magnet for the region, drawing significant numbers of visitors from China, Japan and Korea.
Apollo and Space Shuttle pioneer George Mueller dies
It’s a sad week for space travel: acclaimed NASA administrator George Mueller (shown at right) has died at the age of 97. He was only with the agency for six years, but he’s well-known for instituting key oversight changes that helped the Apollo program reach the Moon on time — he insisted on testing complete launch systems rather than individual parts, for example. Moreover, his legacy extends well beyond that short stint. Mueller advanced initial designs for the Skylab space station, and is widely considered the “father” of the Space Shuttle thanks to his advocacy and early work. He may not be as famous as some astronauts or scientists, but his efforts reverberate throughout NASA’s history. He’ll be missed.
[Image credit: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images]
Via: io9
Source: NASA
Trick or Treat! 20 HD wallpapers for your Halloween spirit.
Trick or Treat! Halloween is a fun part of the year where we get to dress up, party and gorge on all of the candy our hearts desire. We’ve curated 20 wallpapers for you to put up on your background to keep you in the spirit.
If you see a wallpaper that belongs to you and you would like to receive credit, I would love to give it to you! Just drop a comment in the section provided below with some proof (You know, just so we don’t have people claiming things that are not theirs…) So, please choose those that you like and enjoy!
The post Trick or Treat! 20 HD wallpapers for your Halloween spirit. appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Droid Turbo 2 and Maxx 2 confirmed in leaked promo material
There’s a great deal of anticipation for Motorola’s Droid variant of its 2015 flagship. That anticipation was exacerbated when the Motorola/Verizon invite went out to the press, because the companies stated that more than one Droid would be unveiled.
Since then, it’s been a mystery as to what that second device would be. We were all pretty sure that the primary device will be the successor to last year’s Droid Turbo.
Fortunately, now we have some more info, and creditable info at that. Promo pamphlets have been found and displayed for us, revealing good, prevalent details about both of the upcoming Droids.
There a few good details to go over here, so let’s get to it. First, we now know what device will be accompanying the Turbo 2 – the Droid Maxx 2. Recall that the original Droid Maxx launched in 2013, and the selling point was a hefty battery. It seems like Motorola and Verizon decided that the market would love to see that focus on battery life once again. The pamphlet above states that the Maxx 2 can get 2 days of battery life.
Design-wise, we’re seeing a very similar phone to Motorola’s 2015 lineup. The info suggests that the back covers will be removable. Three colors of “shells” are shown. It would be disappointing if these are the only color options we get.
Next up are details about the Turbo 2. We see the confirmation of the “shatterproof” display that leaks have been going on about. Unfortunately, we don’t know anything else yet, like how Motorola plans to accomplish this.
Based on leaks, we have been under the assumption that the Turbo 2 will have access to Moto Maker this time (Motorola’s online customization tool). The following promo page backs that up.
If you were a fan of last year’s ballistic nylon material, you’ll be happy to hear it will make a return and be included as a material option, along with leather. One other cool thing is that if you purchase the 64GB version of the Turbo 2, you’ll be allowed one free design refresh (assuming this means that you’ll be able to send the phone back to Motorola and choose a different custom design).
The promo material also details incentives to entice customers to swing Motorola’s way. If you trade in your current, good-working smartphone, you can get “up to $300 back” in the form of a Verizon gift card or account credit. But I wouldn’t get too giddy about that until you find out how much your particular phone would be worth in their system. Interestingly, for the Turbo 2, you can trade in a phone that has a cracked screen.
What do you think about the next Droid lineup? Have you been waiting for another Droid Maxx?
Source: Droid-Life
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AIVAnet 