It’s official: Charter owns Time Warner Cable

Charter Communications purchased Time Warner Cable in a deal estimated at $78 billion, and today the US Department of Justice and Federal Communications Commission gave the acquisition the green light. The companies agreed to the deal in May 2015, when it was estimated at $55 billion. The approval comes with a few caveats: The DoJ says Charter is not allowed to impede access to streaming content, for one. FCC chairman Tom Wheeler says Charter will not be allowed to impose data caps or charge usage-based prices, nor will it be able to charge interconnection fees.

“All three seven-year conditions will help consumers by benefitting [online video provider] competition,” Wheeler says. “The cumulative impact of these conditions will be to provide additional protection for new forms of video programming services offered over the Internet.”

Charter has been hunting Time Warner Cable since early 2014. Today’s approval also covers Charter’s purchase of Bright House Networks, a deal valued at $10.4 billion.

Via: Reuters

WSJ: Facebook working on dedicated camera and live video app

Does Facebook have a sharing problem? If it does, the social network is considering ways to increase the amount of stuff you post, especially pictures and videos. The Wall Street Journal reports that Mark Zuckerberg & Co. are working on a standalone camera app with the aim of helping you create and share more content. WSJ’s sources indicate that app has two prominent features: still photos and the ability to broadcast live video footage quickly. With the popularity of sharing via Snapchat, and Facebook’s on-going push for live video, it’s easy to see why the company would take a stab at a new app.

Of course, Facebook already has a number of apps for sharing photos and videos, including Instagram’s filter-covered snapshots and recently extended video clips. Sure, folks are still posting loads of stuff to the social channel daily, but reports indicate that original content like status updates and other personal sharing is on the decline. Facebook maintains the amount of sharing being done in your News Feed is at “similar to levels in prior years.”

The folks in Menlo Park have been continually adding reminders to inspire you to share more of that original stuff. Last spring, the “On This Day” feature rolled out to help you relive some of those (hopefully) happy memories to inspire you to post some new ones. Facebook has also taken note of the popularity of Snapchat’s features, nabbing face-swapping photo app MSQRD last month to boost its stable of photographic software.

WSJ’s sources say that there’s a chance this new app will never be released, but the move would make sense for Facebook, especially if sharing really is on the decline. Of course, if it doesn’t take hold, the company has no problem pulling it from app stores.

HTC Vive companion app now available for iOS users

If you’re an HTC Vive owner with an iPhone instead of an Android device, you won’t have to feel left out of the phone integration game anymore. The iOS version of the HTC Vive companion is now up for grabs on the App Store.

The self-titled “HTC Vive” software allows users to tap into some of the Vive’s more unique communications features, receiving calls, texts, and calendar reminders, all without leaving the comfort of your own little virtual world. Android users have been privy to these features since the Vive was released in early April, and HTC’s flagship VR product remains the only headset that offers these useful tools in the first place.

However, the iOS app itself was pushed live without every single feature its Android iteration offers. For instance, the ability to send preset responses to calls or texts is absent from the iOS release. It’s useful for iOS owners and is available now, but hopefully the app will be updated in the future to match the capabilities of its Android counterpart.

Source: The Verge

UF researchers let people race drones using their minds

As drone racing gets faster, cheaper and more mainstream, it was only a matter of time before drone pilots ditched the controller and made the leap to an actual brain-computer interface, as these researchers from the University of Florida did last week.

BCI technology has been used in the past to control everything from novelty toys to artificial limbs for paraplegics, and researchers at the University of Minnesota were actually the first to show off a mind-controlled drone in 2013. But as TechCrunch points out, this brain-controlled drone competition is another first.

The low speeds and short, 10-yard indoor course might look a little tame compared to speeding through the woods in first person, but the emphasis here is on the control scheme rather thrill of the event. During the “race,” 16 pilots were rigged up with special electroencepholagram (EEG) headsets that translate their brainwaves into specific commands controlling a DJI Phantom. While these student-pilots look like they needed some intense concentration to get those quadcopters off the ground and moving forward, it’s not much of a stretch to visualize the next generation of pilots using their minds to blast specialized drones through race courses across the globe.

Comcast isn’t letting customers use Starz’s video service

Comcast isn’t exactly known for playing nicely with outside video services (just ask Roku owners), and that trend isn’t letting up anytime soon. Multichannel News notes that the cable giant isn’t letting its subscribers authenticate with the TV Everywhere side of Starz’ new streaming service, which would let customers watch at no charge beyond their existing TV subscriptions. Comcast is the only big TV provider that isn’t authenticating, so it’s clear that this isn’t a technical hurdle.

But why? On the record, the two sides will only say that they’re still “great partners” and hope to work something out. However, it’s no secret that Comcast objects to the all-inclusive nature of Starz’ apps. Unlike the splits in services like HBO Go and HBO Now, Starz lets both internet-only and TV Everywhere customers sign in through the same software — Comcast isn’t happy that cord cutting (or at least, scaling back your cable package) is just a few steps away. It’d rather steer you toward Xfinity TV and similar in-house services that keep you within the fold.

It’s not clear what Starz can do to make peace short of writing an app solely for TV subscribers. Whatever happens, it’s clear that telecom giants still hold many of the cards in the US. Even with net neutrality rules in place, companies can still use tactics to discourage competition and promote their own offerings.

Via: TechDirt

Source: Multichannel News

New 12-Inch Retina MacBook is Between 5% and 18% Faster Than 2015 Model

As customers begin receiving the new 12-inch Retina MacBook, more benchmark results for the Early 2016 model have been uploaded to Geekbench.

Based on the results, the new Skylake-based 12-inch MacBook models are between 5% and 18% faster than the original Broadwell-based models depending on whether you purchase the low-end 1.1GHz, mid-tier 1.2GHz, or top-end built-to-order 1.3GHz model. Geekbench scores vary and were therefore averaged.

The low-end Skylake-based 1.1GHz Intel Core m3 configuration earned average 64-bit single-core and multi-core scores of 2,534 and 5,025 respectively, which is between 5% and 10% faster CPU performance than the equivalent Broadwell-based 1.1GHz 12-inch MacBook released in 2015.

Geekbench 3 results for low-end 1.1GHz model
Geekbench results for the mid-tier Skylake-based 1.2GHz Intel Core m5 configuration surfaced last week, with the model earning single-core and multi-core scores of 2,894 and 5,845 respectively, which is between 15% and 18% faster than the equivalent Broadwell-based 1.2GHz model from 2015.

Geekbench 3 results for built-to-order 1.3GHz model
Meanwhile, the top-end Skylake-based 1.3GHz Intel Core m7 built-to-order configuration earned average 64-bit single-core and multi-core scores of 3,023 and 6,430 respectively, which is between 9% and 17% faster than the equivalent Broadwell-based 1.3GHz model released in 2015.

The 12-inch MacBook is now widely available for $1,299 (1.1 GHz) or $1,599 (1.2GHz), while the 1.3GHz processor is an optional $150 to $250 upgrade. Early reviews find much improved SSD performance, but the lack of ports, a 480p FaceTime camera, and no DDR4 RAM are viewed as drawbacks by some customers.

Related Roundup: Retina MacBook
Buyer’s Guide: MacBook (Buy Now)
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple CEO Tim Cook Auctions Apple HQ Charity Lunch for Fourth Year in a Row

For the fourth year in a row, Apple CEO Tim Cook is participating in a charity auction through CharityBuzz, offering whoever bids the most the chance to eat lunch with him at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino. As with last year’s auction, Cook is also offering tickets to an unspecified Apple keynote event.

Two people will be able to attend the lunch meeting with Cook, with the experience set to last for approximately one hour. Lunch is included in the price of the auction, but travel and accommodations are not. The offer expires on May 5, 2017, and will be scheduled at a “mutually agreed upon date.”

With the expiration date set to happen in May of 2017 and the second Apple campus set to be finished in late 2016, there’s a chance the auction winner could be invited to the second Apple Campus, though the auction makes no mention of this.

The auction, which will last until May 5, has an estimated value of $100,000, but bids have already reached $110,000. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human rights, a charity that aims to achieve a “just and peaceful world by partnering with human rights leaders, teaching social justice and advancing corporate responsibility.” Tim Cook has supported the RFK Center for several years running and was recently elected to the board of directors.

In 2015, Cook’s charity lunch raised $200,000, while the 2014 auction brought in $330,001 and the 2013 auction brought in $610,000.
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Immortal Fantasy: Close to reaching full potential (Review)

Overview

Travel the land to discover weapons, potions and armor while taking on various enemies all in an attempt to get the attention of the gods and become immortal.

Developer: F.B.apps

Cost: Free

Game Play

There are a lot of ins and outs to this game, so I’m only going give a brief overview of how

Creating a Character

to play. First you pick your character by choosing either one of the premade characters or you can create your own.  You have three races – Human, Dwarf, and Elf – to choose from. You may also choose from a few different classes as well as hairstyle, skin color, and sex.

Play begins when you pick a spot on the map to explore. Once you’re inside you go tile by tile and uncover various loot and enemies. Each card has an assigned value that tells you how strong that card is. If it’s a loot card simply tap it to add it to your cards if you are under your allowed card space – if not, pass by it. If you uncover an enemy, you fight it by activating weapon cards, spells, or other various cards. Then the dice gets rolled and if you roll higher than your opponent’s card value, you win.

There are three islands you must beat to win the game and lots of areas inside each island you must pass through.  In between each section of the map, you have a chance to level up certain attributes, buy extra cards, and train your character to make them stronger.

Review

There is a ton of potential in this game. The idea is awesome and unique. Unfortunately, the

Starting game play

graphics are what hold this game back. This game includes rolling dice that took me a while to realize because I couldn’t see them there. To me, it feels more like graphics from an older Playstation 2 game. In order to compete with the market of games that include cards and characters similar to this, it would be better to take a more cartoonish approach, perhaps. I am not sure if it’s within the budget of the developer to hire someone else, but that might be my first recommendation.

While playing the game I didn’t really feel challenged at first. It didn’t seem I could lose even when I tried. During the first island in the game I didn’t even need to use any weapon cards to progress. Once I moved to the second island it then became really hard to win. It can be quite boring and people could potentially quit while playing the first island because of the lack of challenge there. There needs to be a balancing out in that area. Also, they need to encourage buying cards to make yourself more powerful so when you make it to the second island you stand a chance.

Conclusion

Despite the problem areas in graphics and balance, I did enjoy the concept and very much hope improvements are made. I admire the fact that this is a free app with no ads and no in-app purchases; 100% free. I’m not sure if they intend to later add any of this, but for the time it’s free. I would really like to see this make it to the tabletop category sometime in the future. 

Download Immortal Fantasy in the Play Store

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Roundup: Essential apps for 140-character shenanigans (Twitter apps)

Twitter is my personal choice for Social Media. Restricting contact to 140 characters forces people – and, more importantly – news outlets – to really get to the point of their interactions. Headline tells you what to expect, and if you’re convinced you should read it, you can click the link. Simple. Clean. Easy. As such, I’ve gone through a ton of Twitter clients over the years; these are my favorites.

PrevNext

5. Talon

Talon was my first Twitter client not actually called Twitter. It was also, if I recall, the first Twitter client to support Google’s Material Design when it first debuted. Designed from the ground up by KlinkerApps, maker of the excellent EvolveSMS texting app, I always thought this client didn’t get the publicity it deserved because it focused on doing many things quite well, while not quite excelling in any one area. If there’s one area it does excel in, however, it’s style – there are many, many themes for Talon, both paid and free, that can really let you customize your look.

4. Plume

I adore Plume. There’s a single feature that really, truly could change the game for Twitter in general, and that’s an automatic “TweetLonger” expander integrated into the client. If a user has made use of the service in their long tweet, a tap on the tweet itself within the app will expand it to its full, longer-than-140-characters size. I think having the option to view long tweets could really expand Twitter’s use as a source of news and journalism, if only TweetLonger’s used was more widespread. Unfortunately, Plume’s other functionality is slightly less impressive, albeit perfectly competent.

3. Tweetings

Tweetings’ primary claim to fame is pretty simple – and yet very rare, in the Twitter client world; Push Notifications. I, personally prefer to have my Timeline on Manual updates only – but I like to get my Activity notifications in real time (yeah, I’m weird). This usually means that I have to either sacrifice automatic refresh of my mentions in favor of a manual refresh of the timeline, or risk not getting my notifications because the refresh is set to manual. With Tweetings, I don’t have to stress about that decision; it’s also got a solid UI and lots of great features, to boot. Give it a shot.

2. Fenix

In a comment on my “Day One Apps” post, I was referred to Fenix as a replacement for Tweetings; since switching, I’ve seen the light, so to speak – Fenix is an incredibly solid Twitter client with a great UI and a fantastic set of customization options. I do miss the true push notifications that Tweetings (and only Tweetings, as far as I can tell) boasts. Give Fenix a try – it’s worth the price tag.

1. Twitter

What, you thought you’d escape this list without seeing the official app that started it all? Think again, Sir-or-Madam. The first-party Twitter app has improved significantly since hiring Joaquim Vergès, developer of the still-fantastic Falcon Twitter client (see what I did there? Six apps instead of five this week). Many of Falcon’s features have been integrated into Twitter‘s app, and Vergès’ eye for detail is felt within the foundationally solid, if largely unexciting, client.

There you have it  – the five best Twitter apps for Android, in the eyes of the Android Guys. Think we missed one? Drop us a line in the comments.

AT&T vs. Sprint: Best family plan

Comparing data, to minutes, to cost, to perks, which carrier is right for your family?

Wireless carriers don’t necessarily make it easy for you to compare between their services. They all offer data, and minutes, and messaging, but the small details between them can mean a big difference on your monthly bill.

Choosing a shared plan for your family is a big decision. When you’re shopping between AT&T and Sprint it’s important to know how much data you need, how many devices will be on your account, and how much data you expect to use.

• What sharing plans are available?
• How many devices are allowed on a shared plan?
• How does data work on a shared plan
• How do talk and text work on a shared plan?
• What perks come with a shared plan?
• Which carrier’s shared plan is right for your family?

What sharing plans are available from AT&T and Sprint?

Sharing plans allow you to purchase one big chunk of data and divvy it up between all the phones and devices on your account.

AT&T offers their Mobile Share Value plans. These plans are different sizes and allow you to choose exactly how much data you and your family need to share each month.

Sprint used to offer something called the Family Share Pack, but have now eliminated that program in favor of a more simplified plan for individuals and families called the Better Choice plans, which allow you to share data between multiple devices, just like a familiy plan.

How many devices are allowed on a shared plan?

With both AT&T and Sprint you are charged for each device on your plan. Adding smartphones to your plan costs more than adding tablets or wearables, so knowing how many devices you want to share data with will impact your total bill each month.

AT&T cost per device

AT&T allows up to 10 devices to be on one of their shared plans. The cost of adding a device depends on how many GB of data you are sharing.

• $25/month/smartphone (on plans with 5 GB or less of data)
• $15/month/smartphone (on plans with 15 GB of data or more)
• $10/month/tablet (no data restrictions)
• $10/month/wearable (no data restrictions)
• $20/month/laptop or hotspot device

Sprint cost per device

With Sprint, the price per device depends on whether you lease your phone or pay in monthly installments, or if you’re on a two-year service agreement.

• $20/month/smartphone for non-discounted phones
• $40/month/smartphone on a two-year service agreement
• $10/month/tablet (at least one activated phone required)
• $10/month/mobile broadband device (at least one activated phone required)

Remember, if you’re not bringing your own phone, your carrier will also charge you a monthly fee to purchase one of their phones. Costs vary, but if you want the most up-to-date phone, you’ll be looking at about $25-$30 per month until the device is paid off.

How does data work on a shared plan with AT&T and Sprint?

Both AT&T and Sprint let you choose a set, monthly data amount for your family to share. If you go over your monthly allotment, you will be charged an overage fee with AT&T, but not with Sprint.

AT&T monthly data rates

• 300 mb, $20
• 2 GB, $30
• 5 GB, $50
• 15 GB, $100
• 20 GB, $140
• 25 GB, $175
• 30 GB, $225
• 40 GB, $300
• 50 GB, $375

Overage Charges: If you go over your allotted data on one of these plans you will be charged an additional $20/300 mb on the 300 mb plan, or $15/1 GB on all other plans.

Rollover Data: Unused data is rolled over into the next month and expires one month after rolling over.

Sprint monthly data rates

• 1 GB $20
• 3 GB $30
• 6 GB $45
• 12 GB $60
• 24 GB $80
• 40 GB $100

Sprint also offers an unlimited plan but the pricing structure is a little different than other plans. You pay $75 per month for unlimited data and a decreasing amount for each line you want to add bottoming out after your fifth line at $30 for each additional line added. Your data speed will be reduced after 23 GB are used in one month.

Overage Charges: All Sprint plans come with unlimited 2G data after you have used up your high speed allotment for the month. This means you will not be charged overage fees, but your data speed will slow way down if you go over your allotment.

Rollover Data: Sprint does not let you rollover your high speed data into the next billing cycle.

How do talk and text work on a shared plan on AT&T and Sprint?

Both AT&T and Sprint include unlimited talk and text with their shared plans.

With AT&T if you purchase a 15 GB or higher plan, you also get free talk and text to for Mexico and Canada.

Sprint offers free calling to Mexico and Canada when you’re in the U.S. Additionally, you can add the Open World plan to your account for free. This gives you unlimited calling and text while travelling in Mexico and Canada (as well as a few other countries) plus you get 1 GB of high-speed data while roaming.

What perks come with a shared plan from AT&T and Sprint?

Sometimes it’s tough to decide between one carrier or another, so each provider will offer something to sweeten the pot and hopefully make you choose them over someone else.

AT&T offers a popular TV service called DIRECTV, giving you access to local and network shows as well as a DVR. If you subscribe to this TV service, AT&T will give you unlimited data on for your cell phone, which could save you a lot of money each month depending on how much data your family uses. However, AT&T will slow down your connection if you use more than 22 GB of data between your mobile devices.

Sprint doesn’t have any perks comparable to AT&T, but if you have family living outside of the U.S. their above-mentioned Open World plan has some advantages.

Which carrier’s shared plan is right for your family?

There are a few important factors that will ultimately help you decide which carrier will get your business when it’s time to choose a shared plan for your family.

For comparison we’ll judge AT&T and Sprint on plans that share two smartphones and two tablets.

If you want the absolute cheapest plan, that can be built with Sprint. This plan would only come with 1 GB of data to share, but if we’re talking rock-bottom price for your family, Sprint has got it.

If you want the plan with most high speed data, you can get that with AT&T, but you’re going to pay through the nose for it.

If you want the best value for your data Sprint has some really great options whether you only need a little data or a lot.

If you have many devices consider Sprint if you’re planning on leasing your phone or paying for it in installments as their cost/device is low.

If you are concerned about overage fees then Sprint is the winner since they don’t have overage fees, your data just slows down.

If you’re primarily concerned with talk and text from your provider, Sprint has an advantage but only if you frequently talk to people outside of Canada and the U.S. and want that service for free. Otherwise their talk and text plans are both unlimited in the U.S.

If you already pay for TV service in your home you might find more value with AT&T since Sprint doesn’t offer any kind of bundling services.

Keep calm and carrier on

Ultimately choosing a shared plan for your family comes down to how many people are in your home, what devices they use, and what they use them for. AT&T and Sprint have slight advantages between each other depending on what category you look at.

Overall Sprint’s plan is the most straight-forward of the two and has really good value for the amount of data. Their rates and plans are dependent on you being in an area within their coverage map, so make sure to check that first, otherwise you would be charged fees for roaming on other carrier’s networks.