Uber’s surge pricing doesn’t translate to more drivers

Uber’s surge pricing is ostensibly meant to put more drivers on the road and get you a timely trip during busy hours. But does it really? Not if you ask researchers at Northeastern University. They’ve conducted a study showing that surges don’t necessarily lead to more drivers. After a month of hailing cars from points in Manhattan and San Francisco, they found that the number of rides sometimes went down — drivers stayed away knowing that they’d likely get fewer customers at those higher rates.

Source: ProPublica

NASA: Amino acids in Apollo-era lunar samples are from Earth

The mystery of where amino acids found in lunar soil samples from the Apollo missions has stumped scientists for decades. They certainly didn’t come from the moon, which is completely inhospitable to life. But with help from the Goddard Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory, NASA researchers have finally tracked down the source of the contamination.

Source: NASA

Uber’s surge pricing doesn’t translate to more drivers

Uber’s surge pricing is ostensibly meant to put more drivers on the road and get you a timely trip during busy hours. But does it really? Not if you ask researchers at Northeastern University. They’ve conducted a study showing that surges don’t necessarily lead to more drivers. After a month of hailing cars from points in Manhattan and San Francisco, they found that the number of rides sometimes went down — drivers stayed away knowing that they’d likely get fewer customers at those higher rates.

Source: ProPublica

Automate your home or business with the Nyrius Smart Outlet

Tired of having to get out of bed to turn off the lamp or television? Yeah, the days of The Clapper are behind us with the announcement of the Nyrius Smart Outlet. The Smart Outlet can turn any existing outlet into a Bluetooth controlled source, for controlling any device that is plugged into it using the Android or iOS app.

The Nyrius Smart Outlet was another successful Kickstarter campaign and early adopters saw the true value in a product like this one. Not only does the Smart Outlet allow you to turn electronic devices on or off in an instant, but it also allow you to schedule timers and proximity controls simply by taking advantage of Bluetooth technology. The possibilities for a device like this are endless from setting your coffee maker up in the morning to turning off your reading lamp after you fall asleep. Best of all, it can help you save money with the prices of energy rising.

Up to seven Smart Outlets can be controlled via the app, allowing for whole home or business automation.

The setup is simple. All you have to do is gets your hands on a Nyrius Smart Outlet, plug it into any outlet, download the free Nyrius app and connect via Bluetooth. The app will guide you the rest of the way.

If you sign up for the Nyrius newsletter you can also qualify for $10 off your next order. Learn more at Nyrius.com.

Purchases can be made here.

The post Automate your home or business with the Nyrius Smart Outlet appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Blu Products debuts a huge 7-inch unlocked smartphone

Blu Products debuted the new Blu Studio 7.0 LTE smartphone today, which features a HUGE 7-inch display, while still maintaining a slick, compact design. Yes, you did read that right. This phone is the same size, and bigger than many popular tablets, making it one of the largest smartphones on the market. It’s an ideal purchase for anyone wanting to reduce the total number of devices they have.

One may wonder how well you can hold a seven inch device in one hand. Android does have several settings options for one-handed use, such as screen reduction and keyboard position. On top of that, Blu has designed the back with a better grip, making it even easier to hold and perform one-handed operations.

The specs on this phone are also looking pretty sweet. It will be powered by the 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor, which will allow for extremely fast 4G-LTE speeds, streamlined multitasking performance and improved battery efficiency. The 7-inch display will provide 720p output and the 8.0 megapixel camera will be capable of recording 1080p HD video, along with a 2 megapixel front camera. The internal storage will be 16GB, with an expandable microSD slot up to 64GB, plus 1GB RAM. This phone will run Android 5.1 Lollipop OS. It also has dual sim capability, essentially allowing you to have two phones in one. The Blu Studio 7.0 also comes unlocked and will work on the T-Mobile and AT&T networks, including MetroPCS, Straight Talk, Simple Mobile, Cricket, and others.

You can purchase the BLU Studio 7.0 LTE on Amazon.com for $199.00 with free shipping.  Color options include white, blue, grey, and gold. 

Source: PR Newswire

The post Blu Products debuts a huge 7-inch unlocked smartphone appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Sprint’s new “Starter Unlimited” plan is not the unlimited you want

The problem with Sprint’s new Start Unlimited Data Plan is that it’s not actually unlimited. The carrier will give customers 1GB of data on its 4G LTE network before knocking data speeds. Sprint’s madness doesn’t stop there, though, because the data speeds when exceeding 1GB are from its aged 2G network, a technology that debuted more than two decades ago. Then customers have to get Sprint’s unlimited talk and text services for an additional $20. So the total price for the total ripoff Starter Unlimited Data Plan is $40 per month.

What in the world would cause you to choose this plan?

Is being on Sprint’s often questionable network good enough to you when wanting to save at least $5 per month?

Sprint Beats All National Carriers with Unlimited Data for $20/Month; Family Share Plan Customers Now Get to choose the Best Way to Control Data Costs

• Sprint Starter Unlimited Data — 1GB of High-Speed Data for $20 per Month plus Unlimited Data at 2G Speeds
• Now Sprint Family Share Pack Customers have More Choices and Control over Data Costs — Get Unlimited 2G Speed After Reaching Data Limit and Never Worry about Data Overages Again or Choose to Purchase Additional High-Speed Data

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), October 29, 2015 – Beginning Oct. 30, Sprint (NYSE: S) is launching unlimited data starting at $20 per month. Customers can choose a 1GB high-speed data option for $20 per month, then 2G speeds after that. Plus get unlimited talk and text for an additional $20 per month while on the Sprint network (excludes taxes and surcharges). Sprint Global Roaming also is included with the plan. It’s the best price for data among all national carriers.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151029005929/en/

“Our Starter Unlimited Data Plan is the most affordable data plan available at any national carrier,” Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure said. “Our customers no longer have to worry about being surprised by costly data charges. We offer our Starter Unlimited Data Plan with 1GB of high-speed data and then unlimited data at 2G speeds. At any time if they need more data, customers can easily add it to their plan.”

No Data Overages

With the Starter Unlimited Data Plan, for $20 a month, customers get 1GB of data. After that, they can go to 2G unlimited data or buy up for more high-speed data as needed. They never have to worry about unexpected overages¹.

In addition, customers on the new Sprint Family Share Pack plans also no longer have to worry about data overage charges on their monthly bill when they reach their high-speed data limit. Customers will get unlimited 2G data, so they never have to worry about unexpected overages again. And if they need more high-speed data in a month, customers have the option on the Starter Unlimited Data Plan and the Sprint Family Share Pack to buy an additional high-speed data allowance for just $15 per GB of data.

$70 Unlimited High-Speed Data Plan

Lastly, Sprint is introducing a $70 Unlimited High-Speed Data Plan that includes 3GB of mobile hotspot usage and Sprint Global Roaming. Additional lines with the same unlimited high-speed data, talk and text are just $60 per line (up to 10 lines).² Sprint continues to offer customers the best value for unlimited high-speed data, talk and text among national carriers. T-Mobile’s Simple Choice unlimited talk, text and high-speed data plan is $80 per month. AT&T and Verizon no longer offer unlimited data plans.

Switch to Sprint

Sprint will pay off every dime of your old phone or contract so you can switch via an American Express^® Reward Card after online registration and phone turn-in³.

About Sprint

Sprint (NYSE: S) is a communications services company that creates more and better ways to connect its customers to the things they care about most. Sprint served more than 57 million connections as of June 30, 2015, and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; leading no-contract brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Sprint has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America for the past five years. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

¹After high-speed data allotment is used, speeds will be reduced to 2G until the end of your bill cycle. Req. purchase of unlimited talk and text for add’l $20.

²Unlimited Sprint customers who use more than 23GB of data during a billing cycle will be de-prioritized during times and places where the Sprint network is constrained. See sprint.com/networkmanagement for details. To improve data experience for the majority of users, throughput may be limited, varied or reduced on the network. Sprint may terminate service if off-network roaming usage in a month exceeds: (1) 800 min. or a majority of min. or (2) 100MB or a majority of KB. Prohibited network use rules apply—see sprint.com/termsandconditions.

³Requires valid port-in, submission of previous bill, current phone turn in and online registration. Via American Express Reward Card. This offer is not combinable with the $1 and $10 options. Customers with an iPhone 6 and iPhone 5s may participate in this offer if they choose the $15/mo. lease.

Come comment on this article: Sprint’s new “Starter Unlimited” plan is not the unlimited you want