Republic Wireless adding support for Nexus 6P, Galaxy S7 edge, Moto X Pure Edition and more
Republic Wireless has announced some big changes to its network and phone selection, giving customers more options for high-end phones. The company is moving away from a custom firmware solution, and instead making use of a new technology, which it is calling RW 3.0. This will allow the carrier to push updates to its service and apps through Google Play for a quicker update process and better experience. It will also allow you to buy your phone unlocked from wherever you chose and still use it with their service.
From Republic Wireless’ announcement of the changes:
It’s because of these three truths that my teammates and I are so incredibly excited to share that we are adding seven (yes, SEVEN!) of the latest smartphones from four of the top five Android manufacturers to our portfolio (you can either buy them from us, aided by device financing if helpful, or you can bring your own new or used version of these seven devices as well). Furthermore, a second of the four national cellular carriers has agreed to join the Republic WiFi first party, and as a result these new devices will be available on our new GSM cellular network partner, who boasts the nation’s fastest 4G LTE network. Finally, we’ve come up with a new approach for our technology that will allow us to offer more devices sooner and get software updates deployed quicker.
The new technology allows you to take an approved unlocked phone, like the Galaxy S6, and pop a Republic Wireless SIM card in it, download their app and have a great experience. You are no longer tied to needing the custom firmware that Republic was building on its own, as this is independent of that. The catch is that RW 3.0 only works on Marshmallow as well as future releases. Republic will not be able to port this technology to phones running on Lollipop or below.
Republic Wireless says the new phones will be available starting in July. The carrier will also offer financing options for those who make their purchases directly from Republic.
See at Republic Wireless
Clarkson, Hammond and May’s new Amazon motor show has a name — The Grand Tour!
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May now have a name for the new Amazon motor show. Prepare your streaming-enabled devices for The Grand Tour! It was decided that because the trio will be heading worldwide, The Grand Tour is rather fitting. Interestingly, the Amazon show that will take on BBC’s relaunched Top Gear will also house audiences in tents at a different location each week. If you’ve never been to a live show, this may unlock that possibility.
Amazon customers are said to have the opportunity to be in the audience when tickets are released through prize draws this summer. You’ll need to have an active Amazon Prime subscription to be able to watch the new series, but there’s a 30-day trial available should you wish to take advantage of other offerings until the show hits the online world, not to mention free Prime delivery and other cool premium benefits.
The Grand Tour even has its own website now too. You can keep up-to-date with all things Hammond, May and Clarkson before the show kicks off.
Instagram introduces revamped design and a colorful new icon
Instagram is now rolling out its first major redesign in years, and in line with previous reports, it’s ditched its colorful interface in favor of a black and white motif, putting more of an emphasis on your photos and videos. In addition to the new app design, Instagram is also changing its icon for the first time, along with the icons of its secondary apps Layout and Boomerang.
From Instagram:
Today we’re introducing a new look. You’ll see an updated icon and app design for Instagram. Inspired by the previous app icon, the new one represents a simpler camera and the rainbow lives on in gradient form. You’ll also see updated icons for our other creative apps: Layout, Boomerang and Hyperlapse.
We’ve made improvements to how the Instagram app looks on the inside as well. The simpler design puts more focus on your photos and videos without changing how you navigate the app.
The latest version of Instagram should be rolling out on the Google Play Store
TripIt update adds Android Wear support, slightly refreshed app design
Longtime front runner in the travel app space TripIt is releasing a fresh update to its Android app today that includes Android Wear support. With the latest update, TripIt users will get all of the time-sensitive travel info they need right on their Android Wear watch, from pre-departure flight updates to gate information and onward travel arrangements when you arrive at your destination.
TripIt is also leveraging the always-ready nature of Android Wear to introduce its new flight countdown timer, which will show a countdown to when your flight departs, and then a countdown to when the flight lands once you’re in the air. TripIt Pro users naturally get even more alerts on their wrist.
TripIt has been (often rightly) criticized for the less-than-modern design of its Android app, and not a whole lot has changed on that front in this release despite the big feature addition of Android Wear support. There are some subtle design changes in store for you when you grab the latest version of TripIt, including a new floating action button, improved icons, and a new tabbed design to better separate trips and a better first-launch experience.
The rest of the improvements are more functional than visual, with the new version adding the ability to merge and move plans between trips, and more quickly map locations and find directions.
The latest version of TripIt is now available from Google Play, and if you want to take a look at the free version before deciding on the service you can grab that first as well.
Garmin Forerunner 735XT shows that sports watches can be sleek too
Garmin has unveiled a top of the range running and multisports watch that features heart rate monitoring yet is sleek on the wrist.
The Garmin Forerunner 735XT is lightweight and has 24/7 Elevate heart rate monitoring built-in. It also has GPS – after all, this is Garmin – and has the Strava Live Suffer Score app pre-installed so heart rate data can be used to track how hard a wearer has been training.
It is usable for a large array of different activities, including running, cycling, swimming, hiking, XC skiing and more.
The watch is waterproof to 50 metres so can be used with paddle sports too.
It is Connect IQ compatible, which offers other applications to download through the dedicated store for customisation. Both amateurs and professionals can therefore adapt the watch to their own specifications and sport.
The Forerunner 735XT automatically syncs with Garmin Connect throughout the day, which stores tracking data online. And it is capable of controlling music playback on a connected phone, as well as receive notifications, including incoming calls, texts and emails through Bluetooth.
Because of the built-in GPS though, you could go on a run, for example, without your phone.
The Garmin Forerunner 735XT will be available soon in black and grey or midnight blue and frost blue for £359.99. It will also come with HRM-Run in a bundle for £389.99 or a tri-bundle including HRM-Tri and HRM-Swim for £449.99.
How to wipe an iPhone and transfer your content to a new iPhone
So you’ve bought a new iPhone and you need to move everything from your old iPhone to your new one? No problem.
Luckily moving from iPhone to iPhone is a piece of cake but we have detailed a step-by-step guide to help you make the process as smooth as possible.
Here is how to make sure everything that was on your old iPhone is wiped and transferred to your new iPhone without any glitches.
How to backup your iPhone
First things first, you need to backup your current iPhone to the newest possible version. Even if you have automatic backup setup, which you should as a rule, it’s worth doing a manual backup before switching over to your new iPhone.
Automatic backup happens when your iPhone is plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi, which for most people will probably be during the night. Therefore, doing a manual backup will ensure any photos or messages you sent during the day after you unplugged your iPhone will make their way onto your new device.
To do this, head into Settings > iCloud or simply plug your iPhone in and make sure you’re connected to Wi-Fi if you have automatic backup setup. Within the iCloud menu, you can toggle various things on and off, such as Photos, Contacts, Calendars and Wallet if there are certain elements you don’t want to carry across.
Make sure everything you want transferred over is toggled on. Within the iCloud Drive tab, you can also opt to turn various apps on or off, including the likes of WhatsApp, Uber and Slack.
It’s worth noting that for WhatsApp, you’ll need to backup your chats in the WhatsApp app itself if you want all your chats to transfer across. WhatsApp also offers automatic backup but for those that don’t have it turned on open WhatsApp, go to Account > Chats > Chat Backup > Backup Now. It will take a while if you’ve never done it before and you’re a WhatsApp advocate so it’s worth switching on Auto Backup while you’re in this section to make it easier next time and ensure you don’t lose your chats if you lose your phone.
How to move your SIM across
Next step once everything is backed up is to move your SIM from your old iPhone to your new one. You’ll only get as far as setting the language and your Wi-Fi network before you’ll need a SIM in your new iPhone to do anything else.
Get the pin, stick it in the side of your iPhone and switch the SIM from your old iPhone to your new one. If it doesn’t register straight away, don’t panic, just push the pin in and reinsert the slot and it should pick it up.
Once in, you’ll have the option to enable location services and setup Touch ID.
How to restore your new iPhone from iCloud backup
Following this, you have several options. You can setup your new iPhone as a new iPhone if you want to start from scratch, or you can restore it from an iCloud or iTunes backup if you want your new iPhone to have all the information your old iPhone did.
Selecting to restore your new iPhone from an iCloud backup will first ask you for your Apple ID and then you’ll be offered a couple of backup options. These will consist of the latest backup and the backup previous to that when you unplugged your device if you had automatic backup setup.
Select the most recent backup and download the latest software. You’ll then be required to re-enter your Apple ID password, accept some more terms and conditions and your new iPhone will then start restoring from iCloud.
Go grab a cuppa here because while it’s simple to get to the point of restoring your new iPhone from your old one, it will take a while for it to complete the process. Don’t lose patience, it will do it even if you don’t think anything is happening.
Finish setup on your new iPhone
Once your new iPhone has finished restoring, you’ll need to re-enter your Apple ID again. Yep again. This will setup iCloud on your new device.
You’ll then get the option to set up Apple Pay, as well as Keychain and Siri. Setup as much as you want to or as much as you have time for. If you’re short on time, everything is easy to setup afterwards so don’t worry.
Your new iPhone will then need some time to download everything, especially if you’re an app hoarder. Plug it in so it has some power and grab yourself another cuppa while all your apps and media download. It’s again not a quick process but don’t be too hard on it, it’s doing its best. While you’re waiting, flick through your old iPhone and check everything has transferred across.
How to fix greyed out apps on your iPhone
You might find that some of the apps are greyed out on your new iPhone and nothing happens when you tap them, while others say waiting below them. The ones that say waiting are downloading but the greyed out ones with nothing underneath may have got stuck.
To unstick them, the easiest way is to force download from the App Store. If they don’t appear in the list on the App Store, search for them and press the little cloud with the arrow pointing downwards on the right. They should then start downloading and eventually appear on your homescreen, not greyed out.
You’ll need to re-enter passwords but after you’ve done all that, your new iPhone should have everything your old iPhone did. It’s worth taking the opportunity to delete apps you don’t use if you want to make the process a little quicker.
How to wipe your old iPhone
The last step once everything has downloaded on your new iPhone is to wipe your old iPhone and restore it to factory settings. Be sure to check you are happy everything is on your new iPhone before you do this though because once it is wiped, it isn’t coming back.
First things first, you’ll need to unpair your Apple Watch if you have one paired with your old iPhone. To do this, go into the Apple Watch app on your old iPhone then into the My Watch tab.
From here, click on the name of your Watch at the top of the display, followed by the orange information symbol on the next screen. This will then give you the option to Unpair Apple Watch. You’ll need to put in your Apple ID to complete the unpairing and it will take a couple of minutes.
Following this, you’ll need to delete your iCloud account from your old iPhone. Head to Settings > iCloud > Scroll down to Sign Out. Follow the instructions on the iPhone until you have deleted your account. Again, you’ll need your Apple ID.
Next step is to erase the device. To do this, head back to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. You’ll be asked for your passcode, enter it and tap Erase iPhone.
The Apple logo will then appear and eventually your device will return to the startup display you saw on your new iPhone. This again can take a couple of minutes so be patient but once you see it, you’re all done.
Google takes a stand against predatory lending ads
From July 13th, Google will ban adverts that promote predatory lending and other dubious financial products. In a blog post written by David Graff, the firm’s director of policy, it’s said that adverts for loans with repayment terms of less than 60 days will automatically be excluded. In addition, if a product in the US has an annual percentage rate of 36 percent or higher, it’ll be blacklisted. Graff says that these loans can result in “result in unaffordable payment and high default rates,” and that Google wants to protect its users from “deceptive or harmful financial products.”
As income inequality worsens, the issue of financial companies taking advantage of people with very little money is being discussed more widely. Google quotes civil rights leader Wade Henderson as saying that predatory lending traps “customers into outrageously high interest loans.” He added that these loans frequently target “those least able to afford it.” It’s not the first thing that Google has refused to advertise: it also won’t promote topics relating to weapon sales, tobacco products and recreational drugs.
Google’s willingness to wade into a policy issue raises something of a thorny issue with people on both sides of the aisle. On one hand, it’s pushing a positive and responsible attitude towards not exposing its customers to what it perceives as harm. On the other, it’s using its enormous power to dictate what is and is not appropriate behavior on behalf of both users and other companies.
It’s a tricky time within the tech industry as politics becomes more of a prominent issue for many of Silicon Valley’s biggest companies. Facebook — which also banned gun sales — has recently been sent a letter of concern by the senate after the social network was accused of censoring conservative news sources. In addition, Mark Zuckerberg has come under fire for using his lobby campaign to protest the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. However, at the same time, Zuckerberg has also pledged to sponsor the party’s convention in July.
Via: Washington Post
Source: Google
Instagram gets a new monochrome look to focus on your media
After testing a black and white design with a few users, Instagram officially rolled out the look as part of its major redesign today. The idea is that the monochrome interface will put a greater emphasis on your photos and videos. Judging from the screenshots and videos, media does tend to stand out more now on its iOS and Android apps. Additionally, the company has redesigned its app logo with a simple, multi-colored icon that drops the original’s skeumorphic design — it only vaguely looks like a camera. Instagram also updated logos for its other apps, Hyperlapse, Layout and Boomerang, with a similar look.
“While the icon is a colorful doorway into the Instagram app, once inside the app, we believe the color should come directly from the community’s photos and videos,” wrote Instagram’s head of design, Ian Spalter. “We stripped the color and noise from surfaces where people’s content should take center stage, and boosted color on other surfaces like sign up flows and home screens.”
I don’t have access to the newer app yet, but the redesign looks like an intriguing one for Instagram. It hasn’t done much to tweak the look of its apps for the past five years, so it makes sense for it to take some big leaps now. The black and white design feels much more mature, instead of something from a small startup that inexplicably became a giant social network.
Source: Instagram
Google wants emoji that give working women their due
Take a look at your phone’s emoji list. Notice how the only people representing jobs (such as police officers and construction workers) are men, while women are limited to brides and princesses? Some Google developers aren’t happy with that one-sided state of affairs. They’ve proposed a new set of Unicode emoji that better represent women in professional roles. Their 13 new emoji would show both men and women in very well-known industries, ranging from tech (our favorite) to farming to rock stars. They hope that this gives young women a subtle confidence boost — if it’s no big deal to use the emoji for a female software engineer, there won’t be as much of a stigma around becoming a software engineer.
The proposal is still very young, and there are chances that it’ll either go through significant changes or even get the axe. With that said, we wouldn’t be surprised if the Unicode Consortium gives this emoji expansion the green light. As proposed, the new icons would both tackle gender imbalance and expand the range of work-related emoji in one fell swoop.
Via: BuzzFeed, The Verge
Source: Unicode.org (PDF)
Apple’s Notebook Sales Drop to Estimated 2.5M as Buyers Await New MacBook Pro
Apple reported its first negative-growth quarter since 2003 last month as iPhone, iPad, and Mac sales all declined compared to the year-ago period, and new data shows that notebook sales unsurprisingly fared no better when broken out.
MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro sales totaled an estimated 2.53 million in the first quarter of the 2016 calendar year, down from an estimated 3.4 million in the year-ago quarter, according to market research firm TrendForce.
Apple’s notebook market share dropped to an estimated 7.1-percent in the first quarter, down from 8.8-percent in the previous March quarter, as Windows-based PC vendors and the overall notebook industry continue to suffer from slowing sales.
Apple remained the sixth largest notebook vendor in the first quarter, trailing behind PC makers Lenovo, HP, Dell, ASUS, and Acer but ahead of Samsung and Toshiba. Mac notebook sales dropped 40-percent quarter-over-quarter, but largely due to expected seasonality following the holiday shopping season.
In the first quarter, Apple did not have any new MacBook products ready for the market, nor did it lower MacBook prices to generate sales. Apple’s Wintel-based competitors, on the other hand, benefitted from Windows 10 and the steady supply of Intel’s Skylake CPUs. They were able to have numerous new products ready to promote and ship. As a result, MacBook shipments suffered a massive quarterly decline of 40.4% in the first quarter and Apple retreated to the sixth place in the ranking.
Many prospective buyers are also hoping for a redesigned MacBook Pro featuring faster Skylake processors and Thunderbolt 3 with USB-C, which could be announced at WWDC next month. Apple released a Skylake-based 12-inch MacBook in April and started shipping the 13-inch MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM as standard.
Apple officially reported Mac sales of 4.03 million during the past quarter, including the iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Pro alongside notebooks.
TrendForce estimates worldwide notebook shipments totaled 35.62 million units during the quarter, marking a year-over-year decline of 7.3-percent.
Tag: TrendForce
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