FCC votes to eliminate price caps for business broadband customers

Why it matters to you

The FCC is permitting reduced competition between service providers to spur investment, but that could mean small businesses end up paying more.

Small businesses may end up paying more for their broadband internet service thanks to a ruling made yesterday, April 20, by the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC voted to introduce a new standard that can classify local markets as being competitive, even if only one provider is available.

Home internet is not subject to price caps, but the FCC does put restrictions on the cost of broadband access provided to businesses by the likes of AT&T and Verizon, according to a report from Ars Technica. These connections are used for facilitating the use of credit card readers and ATMs, maintaining links with other branches, and for all the more common forms of internet usage.

Yesterday’s decision decrees that price caps will be nullified if 50 percent of potential customers in a given county are within half a mile of a location that’s served by a competitive provider. A county would also be classified as competitive if 75 percent of census blocks are served by a cable provider.

The FCC argues that companies will be more inclined to extend their coverage if the price caps are not in effect. Price caps that are set too low could have the undesirable effect of dissuading providers from making upgrades to their infrastructure.

However, the decision could mean that various businesses end up paying more for the same broadband service. Small businesses, schools, and hospitals could all end up feeling the effects of the FCC’s vote to reduce the influence that price caps hold.

In 2016, former FCC chairman Tom Wheeler submitted a proposal to reduce price caps on broadband service for business by 11 percent over the course of three years, citing efficiency improvements that had been implemented over the preceding decade. However, this proposal was rejected by the current chairman Ajit Pai, and replaced by the plan that just went into effect.

ARM-based Windows 10 machines will launch in fourth quarter of 2017

Why it matters to you

Qualcomm chips are powerful and could offer a new avenue for competition for the laptop and tablet market.

We’ve been hearing rumors about Windows 10 systems running on ARM processors since the tail end of last year, with only the vaguest of hints about when they might actually arrive. In an earnings call this week, however, Qualcomm CEO, Steve Mollenkopf, made it clear that we can expect the first machines to arrive in the fourth quarter of this year.

Although traditionally, desktops and laptops running Windows 10 have been powered by Intel and AMD processors, with the ever-evolving nature of competitor hardware like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon line — which uses ARM architecture — that won’t last forever. Indeed, now it seems like we’re mere months away from ARM hardware finding its way to the heart of new Windows machines.

“We have an opportunity to disrupt the existing suppliers of the PC and the data center,” Mollenkopf said during an April 19 earnings call, transcribed by SeekingAlpha (via PCWorld). “Our Snapdragon 835 is expanding into Mobile PC designs running Windows 10, which are scheduled to launch in the fourth calendar quarter this year.”

While that doesn’t signal a crusade against the traditional Windows 10 desktop, it looks like Qualcomm-powered laptops and/or tablets will be coming to the Windows sphere by the end of the year. Considering the Snapdragon processors with their ARM RISC instruction sets are designed around mobile hardware, a highly portable Windows 10 machine would be a good fit for a first generation of Windows device powered by Qualcomm hardware.

We don’t have the complete specifics of such a device, though it has been termed a ‘cellular PC’ and will feature high-end smartphone features like Bluetooth 5 support and possibly even WiGig, both of which are natively supported by the Snapdragon 835 chip.

These devices are likely to be manufactured in small numbers to start with as Qualcomm tests the water to see how popular they would be. However, as a dominant force in the smartphone business, Qualcomm could find expansion into companion markets like laptops and even eventually low-power desktop machines easier in the long run. Qualcomm is already planning to take on Intel in the server market with its Centriq 2400, 48-core server chips.

It also seems like no coincidence that Qualcomm is looking to cosy up to a major platform provider like Microsoft as its relationship with Apple turns sour.

Kickstarter campaign wants your help in finding aliens on nearby exoplanets

Why it matters to you

The PLANETS Telescope campaign gives you a chance to contribute to finding alien life — and you get a sweet exoplanet in return.

In February, a team behind NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope announced a historic discovery — seven Earth-sized planets in a nearby solar system, three of which orbit the star’s habitable zone. It was the largest haul of potentially habitable planets around a single star, exciting scientists and the public alike about the possibility of discovering extraterrestrial life.

“This discovery could be a significant piece in the puzzle of finding habitable environments, places that are conducive to life,” said the associate administrator of the agency’s science mission directorate, Thomas Zurbuchen.

Now, astronomers at the Planet Foundation want your help observing nearby exoplanets in search of life, seeking support via a Kickstarter campaign launched this week. They’re building a series of telescopes 10,000 feet up on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

“We’re trying to take this academic endeavor of finding signs of life on nearby exoplanets and open it up to the general public,” Kevin Lewis, who works on the campaign, told Digital Trends.

Split into three phases — each set to expand the telescope a bit more than the last — the PLANETS (polarized light from atmospheres of nearby extraterrestrial systems) Telescopes are specifically designed for observing exoplanets with features like advanced polishing and ultrathin mirrors. These technologies make the PLANETS telescopes unique by reducing glare from stars and making the features of the exoplanets — including bio-signatures, geological formations, and maybe even technological signals — more visible, according to the campaign.

The first phase is about half done, with completion estimated around 2019.

Planets Foundation

“We’ve spent all of our scientific history trying to understand what our place in the universe is,” said Jeff Kuhn, a board member for the PLANETS Foundation. “The reason for doing science is perspective — to know how big the universe is … We can’t think of any question more important than discovering that, in fact, we’re not the only civilization or we’re not the only form of life in the universe.”

Recognizing that many people offer support in exchange for a reward, the PLANETS Telescope team have developed the ExoCube, a 3D map of our neighboring exoplanets adorned by a sphere representing one of these celestial bodies. The maps and spheres are available on Kickstarter for pledges of $140. With a month left to go, the campaign has earned over $18,650 toward its $20,000 goal.

Researchers record 65 percent improvement in 3D rendering speeds by processing in memory

Why it matters to you

Research into high-performance computing could provide major improvements to the way your PC renders video games and virtual reality experiences.

A researcher at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has developed a new architecture for 3D stacked memory. It uses the hardware’s capacity for “processing in memory” to deliver 3D rendering speeds that are up to 65 percent faster than previous methodology.

Shuaiwen Leon Song collaborated with researchers from the University of Houston to accomplish those results. The architecture was tested using video games like Doom 3 and Half-Life 2, but there are hopes that it could one day benefit scientific research thanks to its uses in terms of visualization and modeling.

A typical graphics card uses its graphical processing unit to render images from information that’s stored elsewhere. But 3D stacked memory has access to an added logic layer that it can utilize to carry some of the processing burden, which is the process that’s referred to as processing in memory.

The benefit is that less data has to be transferred from memory to GPU cores, with less congestion contributing to the 65 percent improvement in speed, according to a report published by PNNL. The researchers established that it was anisotropic filtering, the final stage in the rendering process, that caused the most congestion. They were able to produce the best improvements to performance by shifting anisotropic filtering to the first stage of the graphics pipeline, and making sure that it was being processed in memory.

“We’re pushing the boundaries of what hardware can do,” Song said of the project. “And though we tested our idea on video games, this improvement ultimately benefits science.”

This kind of research sets out to ensure that we can squeeze every last drop of performance out of currently existing hardware. Between video games, scientific applications, and the continuing rise of virtual reality, there are plenty of applications for a more efficient system of rendering 3D graphics.

Cloud storage is carefree with these top-tier services

A few years ago, a majority of Americans thought a lightning storm could interfere with cloud computing. Today, cloud storage services are as ubiquitous as cumulonimbus in a Kansas tornado season. There are lots of cloud storage services out there luring in new users with free accounts, extra space, and social-networking rewards.

Today, most people use a cloud storage service. Even so, while cloud storage companies take security very seriously, there are still very real concerns about what kind of data you store on systems that could theoretically get hacked without your even knowing it happened. For this reason, we always recommend encrypting sensitive files before entrusting them to the cloud.

Still, there are some general facts and figures to consider when choosing a cloud storage solution. Here are our seven favorite cloud storage services.

Carbonite (unlimited storage)

Star Wars reference aside, Carbonite is the best outlet for unlimited storage space. Yes, that means unlimited space. Who needs unlimited space? Businesses, mostly, but also anyone who has, say, thousands of high-resolution photos could do with a worry-free backup as well. The cloud-based service automatically uploads photos, movies, music and documents to the cloud from a variety of devices. Automatic backups will keep your recent photos and files secure.

In terms of platform support, Carbonite has clients for Windows and MacOS, and apps for Android and iOS. The file storage offers several data storage plans that vary in price. The basic storage plan costs $60 a year, and provides full backup for a single computer. Carbonite also offers advanced services, like localized backup, but those plans cost more.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

The Lowdown: Carbonite is an affordable option for unlimited storage space.

Dropbox

The reasons for Dropbox’s success are simple. The service is full-featured and easy to use. It also helps that the marketing is top-notch. Promotions styled like gaming quests encourage users to invite friends to the service, earning more storage space.

Even though a number of services offer more initial free space — Google Drive’s 15GB, Mega’s 50GB, iCloud’s 5GB, or OneDrive’s 5GB outweigh Dropbox’s meager 2GB — many customers seem to find Dropbox’s referral rewards system irresistible (up to 16GB free space total). Upgraded Plus accounts start at $8.25/month on annual subscriptions (or $9.99/month when billed monthly) for 1TB, and DropBox also offers business plans with more features for more money. Mobile support includes Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows 10 Mobile, and Kindle Fire.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

To get started, just make an account and download the desktop client. This installs a folder where you can drag-and-drop files in order to transfer them to the cloud. You’ll see a pop-up notification anytime anything new is added to your account; if this annoys you, you can disable it in preferences.

Dropbox boasts excellent sharing abilities. Invite someone to share a particular Dropbox folder with you and that folder will appear right on their desktop. You can also send a link to an individual document or image. In addition, folders full of images can be viewed as a gallery, making Dropbox a viable photo-sharing alternative to Imgur and Flickr.

The lowdown: Least amount of starting free space; best version-control backup; great sharing capabilities; good for multiple computers and devices.

Google Drive

Google Drive is great for anyone who prefers Google’s ecosystem. The web giant thrives on integration with Google’s other services, like Gmail and Google Docs. In fact, Google recently re-branded some of its services, and now Google Drive actually integrates Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. For the low, low price of absolutely nothing, you’ll get 15GB of Google Drive space for files, Gmail, and Google Photos. Upgrades cost $2/month for 100GB, $10/month for 1TB, and $100/month for 10TB. Mobile support includes iPhone, iPad, and Android.

Signing up is as simple as logging in with a Gmail address and password. From there, Google Drive appears right in your Google toolbar, just a click away from your email inbox. You can drag-and-drop files straight into your browser, or download the desktop client to have access to Google Drive as a folder, just like with Dropbox.

Google Drive borrows from Google’s powerful search algorithm to allow searches of not only file names, but also text in scanned documents and objects in images (a neat trick for those with years of vacation photos).

But Google Drive’s standout features are its sharing and collaboration tools. Thanks to integration with Gmail and other Google services, you can share files with a click, with or without requiring a password. And when you work with partners on the same word file, spreadsheet, or presentation, either separately or right at the same time, Google Drive marks the contributions of each person with differently colored labels to make clear what has changed.

The lowdown: Only service to integrate so closely with Gmail and Google Docs; best sharing and collaboration capabilities; access files directly in-browser; you can edit documents directly in-browser; one of the most economical file sharing services.

Microsoft OneDrive

OneDrive has undergone some significant updates over the last few years, and now serves as a strong foundation for Microsoft’s overall productivity solutions. It’s not so much that Microsoft OneDrive does one thing better than other cloud storage systems (other than being one of the few services to support Windows phones and Xbox). Instead, Microsoft’s cloud service delivers a well-rounded package.

If you don’t have a pressing reason to choose another service, then it’s hard to go wrong with OneDrive. Furthermore, if you’ve bought into Microsoft’s Windows 10 ecosystem, then OneDrive is the best solution for you. It touts a decent amount of free space (5GB), along with inexpensive upgrades and the ability to get 1TB of storage with an Office 365 subscription, which also gives you full access to Microsoft’s excellent productivity suite. Microsoft’s cross-platform strategy means that mobile support is very strong, including Windows phones, Android, iPhone, and iPad.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

You can also post photos directly from OneDrive to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social-networking sites, which is a nice, time-saving touch. The service also offers built-in remote access capabilities. From the OneDrive.com website, you can get access to any PC associated with your account that has the OneDrive client installed, even files not already uploaded to OneDrive. For example, say you forget to move a presentation to your OneDrive folder before leaving for work, but your home computer is still on. Simply sign into OneDrive and retrieve it from afar, whether it’s on your hard drive or a connected external hard drive.

OneDrive is one of the only services to integrate with free Office Web Apps, allowing you to work collaboratively on projects, much like in Google Docs. However, the Office Web Apps have the advantage of opening Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents seamlessly, avoiding any formatting kerfuffles. OneDrive maintains the 25 most recent versions of every file, so if a partner makes a change you don’t like, you can easily revert to an easier version.

The lowdown: Only service to integrate closely with Microsoft Office Web apps; and a generous amount of free space (5GB); inexpensive upgrades along with the option to combine Office 365 and OneDrive storage in a single purchase; great collaboration tools and version-control backup; built-in remote access capability.

iCloud

Apple’s cloud storage service doesn’t make waves on paper, but it works. And there might not be a better option for those who use iTunes as their central media hub. iCloud provides 5GB of free storage. Upgrading to 50 GB will cost $1/month, 1TB for $3/month, and 2TB for $20/month. Items downloaded from iTunes won’t count against your storage limit, but note that iOS devices use iCloud for backup, and that alone can quickly use up storage allotments.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

iCloud also acts as a media sharing hub that works closely with Apple’s cloud-based productivity suite, iWork. It includes a word processor, among other things that can be shared with other iCloud users, all with an interface that looks a bit cleaner and more modular than Google Docs. Still, Apple can’t compete with Google’s price point or the universality of Google accounts.

The lowdown: Best for iTunes devotees. Google, Mega, and Dropbox don’t offer the same robust database of music and photo sharing options. But the free 5GB won’t get you very far with music and photos.

Box

Box is an all-around solid service. It offers a compelling alternative to users who are wary of placing ever-increasing amounts of information in the control of Google, Apple, or Microsoft. Mobile support for all accounts includes Android, iPhone, and iPad.

Free accounts start at 10GB, and a Personal Pro account provides 100GB of storage for $10/month. There are also business plans that offer more storage and capabilities, such as version history, password-protected sharing, and search abilities.

In many ways, Box seems best geared toward corporate use, and it shows. Clients include Proctor & Gamble, Six Flags, and Pandora. If you’re a small-business owner or a startup, Box may be right up your alley. All accounts, even free ones, allow you to share files or folders with a link. Box also integrates the ability to add comments and assign tasks for easy collaboration and workflow management.

The lowdown: Best for businesses; integrated workflow management tools; great sharing and collaboration potential; free accounts lacking some features.

Cloud storage is carefree with these top-tier services

A few years ago, a majority of Americans thought a lightning storm could interfere with cloud computing. Today, cloud storage services are as ubiquitous as cumulonimbus in a Kansas tornado season. There are lots of cloud storage services out there luring in new users with free accounts, extra space, and social-networking rewards.

Today, most people use a cloud storage service. Even so, while cloud storage companies take security very seriously, there are still very real concerns about what kind of data you store on systems that could theoretically get hacked without your even knowing it happened. For this reason, we always recommend encrypting sensitive files before entrusting them to the cloud.

Still, there are some general facts and figures to consider when choosing a cloud storage solution. Here are our seven favorite cloud storage services.

Carbonite (unlimited storage)

Star Wars reference aside, Carbonite is the best outlet for unlimited storage space. Yes, that means unlimited space. Who needs unlimited space? Businesses, mostly, but also anyone who has, say, thousands of high-resolution photos could do with a worry-free backup as well. The cloud-based service automatically uploads photos, movies, music and documents to the cloud from a variety of devices. Automatic backups will keep your recent photos and files secure.

In terms of platform support, Carbonite has clients for Windows and MacOS, and apps for Android and iOS. The file storage offers several data storage plans that vary in price. The basic storage plan costs $60 a year, and provides full backup for a single computer. Carbonite also offers advanced services, like localized backup, but those plans cost more.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

The Lowdown: Carbonite is an affordable option for unlimited storage space.

Dropbox

The reasons for Dropbox’s success are simple. The service is full-featured and easy to use. It also helps that the marketing is top-notch. Promotions styled like gaming quests encourage users to invite friends to the service, earning more storage space.

Even though a number of services offer more initial free space — Google Drive’s 15GB, Mega’s 50GB, iCloud’s 5GB, or OneDrive’s 5GB outweigh Dropbox’s meager 2GB — many customers seem to find Dropbox’s referral rewards system irresistible (up to 16GB free space total). Upgraded Plus accounts start at $8.25/month on annual subscriptions (or $9.99/month when billed monthly) for 1TB, and DropBox also offers business plans with more features for more money. Mobile support includes Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows 10 Mobile, and Kindle Fire.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

To get started, just make an account and download the desktop client. This installs a folder where you can drag-and-drop files in order to transfer them to the cloud. You’ll see a pop-up notification anytime anything new is added to your account; if this annoys you, you can disable it in preferences.

Dropbox boasts excellent sharing abilities. Invite someone to share a particular Dropbox folder with you and that folder will appear right on their desktop. You can also send a link to an individual document or image. In addition, folders full of images can be viewed as a gallery, making Dropbox a viable photo-sharing alternative to Imgur and Flickr.

The lowdown: Least amount of starting free space; best version-control backup; great sharing capabilities; good for multiple computers and devices.

Google Drive

Google Drive is great for anyone who prefers Google’s ecosystem. The web giant thrives on integration with Google’s other services, like Gmail and Google Docs. In fact, Google recently re-branded some of its services, and now Google Drive actually integrates Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. For the low, low price of absolutely nothing, you’ll get 15GB of Google Drive space for files, Gmail, and Google Photos. Upgrades cost $2/month for 100GB, $10/month for 1TB, and $100/month for 10TB. Mobile support includes iPhone, iPad, and Android.

Signing up is as simple as logging in with a Gmail address and password. From there, Google Drive appears right in your Google toolbar, just a click away from your email inbox. You can drag-and-drop files straight into your browser, or download the desktop client to have access to Google Drive as a folder, just like with Dropbox.

Google Drive borrows from Google’s powerful search algorithm to allow searches of not only file names, but also text in scanned documents and objects in images (a neat trick for those with years of vacation photos).

But Google Drive’s standout features are its sharing and collaboration tools. Thanks to integration with Gmail and other Google services, you can share files with a click, with or without requiring a password. And when you work with partners on the same word file, spreadsheet, or presentation, either separately or right at the same time, Google Drive marks the contributions of each person with differently colored labels to make clear what has changed.

The lowdown: Only service to integrate so closely with Gmail and Google Docs; best sharing and collaboration capabilities; access files directly in-browser; you can edit documents directly in-browser; one of the most economical file sharing services.

Microsoft OneDrive

OneDrive has undergone some significant updates over the last few years, and now serves as a strong foundation for Microsoft’s overall productivity solutions. It’s not so much that Microsoft OneDrive does one thing better than other cloud storage systems (other than being one of the few services to support Windows phones and Xbox). Instead, Microsoft’s cloud service delivers a well-rounded package.

If you don’t have a pressing reason to choose another service, then it’s hard to go wrong with OneDrive. Furthermore, if you’ve bought into Microsoft’s Windows 10 ecosystem, then OneDrive is the best solution for you. It touts a decent amount of free space (5GB), along with inexpensive upgrades and the ability to get 1TB of storage with an Office 365 subscription, which also gives you full access to Microsoft’s excellent productivity suite. Microsoft’s cross-platform strategy means that mobile support is very strong, including Windows phones, Android, iPhone, and iPad.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

You can also post photos directly from OneDrive to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social-networking sites, which is a nice, time-saving touch. The service also offers built-in remote access capabilities. From the OneDrive.com website, you can get access to any PC associated with your account that has the OneDrive client installed, even files not already uploaded to OneDrive. For example, say you forget to move a presentation to your OneDrive folder before leaving for work, but your home computer is still on. Simply sign into OneDrive and retrieve it from afar, whether it’s on your hard drive or a connected external hard drive.

OneDrive is one of the only services to integrate with free Office Web Apps, allowing you to work collaboratively on projects, much like in Google Docs. However, the Office Web Apps have the advantage of opening Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents seamlessly, avoiding any formatting kerfuffles. OneDrive maintains the 25 most recent versions of every file, so if a partner makes a change you don’t like, you can easily revert to an easier version.

The lowdown: Only service to integrate closely with Microsoft Office Web apps; and a generous amount of free space (5GB); inexpensive upgrades along with the option to combine Office 365 and OneDrive storage in a single purchase; great collaboration tools and version-control backup; built-in remote access capability.

iCloud

Apple’s cloud storage service doesn’t make waves on paper, but it works. And there might not be a better option for those who use iTunes as their central media hub. iCloud provides 5GB of free storage. Upgrading to 50 GB will cost $1/month, 1TB for $3/month, and 2TB for $20/month. Items downloaded from iTunes won’t count against your storage limit, but note that iOS devices use iCloud for backup, and that alone can quickly use up storage allotments.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

iCloud also acts as a media sharing hub that works closely with Apple’s cloud-based productivity suite, iWork. It includes a word processor, among other things that can be shared with other iCloud users, all with an interface that looks a bit cleaner and more modular than Google Docs. Still, Apple can’t compete with Google’s price point or the universality of Google accounts.

The lowdown: Best for iTunes devotees. Google, Mega, and Dropbox don’t offer the same robust database of music and photo sharing options. But the free 5GB won’t get you very far with music and photos.

Box

Box is an all-around solid service. It offers a compelling alternative to users who are wary of placing ever-increasing amounts of information in the control of Google, Apple, or Microsoft. Mobile support for all accounts includes Android, iPhone, and iPad.

Free accounts start at 10GB, and a Personal Pro account provides 100GB of storage for $10/month. There are also business plans that offer more storage and capabilities, such as version history, password-protected sharing, and search abilities.

In many ways, Box seems best geared toward corporate use, and it shows. Clients include Proctor & Gamble, Six Flags, and Pandora. If you’re a small-business owner or a startup, Box may be right up your alley. All accounts, even free ones, allow you to share files or folders with a link. Box also integrates the ability to add comments and assign tasks for easy collaboration and workflow management.

The lowdown: Best for businesses; integrated workflow management tools; great sharing and collaboration potential; free accounts lacking some features.

Mint SIM review: The AC community weighs in

Four Android Central community members give their thoughts on the value-first alternative carrier, Mint SIM.

We know that our readers are pretty savvy folks, and want the best deal for mobile data they can find. Mint SIM, which you’ve seen mentioned a lot on the site in recent months, is an alternative carrier that promises great LTE speeds and coverage for less than any other carrier.

But people were skeptical — what’s the catch? Why is it so cheap? And are there any downsides? We decided to let the AC community decide for itself. Four forum members, some of whom were provided Mint SIM service in exchange for moderating the forum (but were not influenced for a review in any way) had this to say.

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On setting it up

All four reviewers had a very easy time setting up Mint SIM because it is essentially “plug and play.” You get a SIM kit in the mail, which takes a couple of days, and go to the company’s web page to activate the SIM card. Here’s what DecAway had to say:

I turned my device off, pulled out the old SIM card and popped the Mint Sim, SIM card into my phone and powered it back up. After a few minutes of working your way through the activation process, you’ll be in business and can power up your device and connect to the network. I was actually pleasantly surprised at the ease of activating the SIM and establishing service!

The others noted that the APN — the address that allows the SIM to connect to the Mint SIM network — should automatically work, but on some phones it may need to be entered manually. That’s easy enough, since instructions are in the Getting Started guide. dpham00 said this:

Setup was straightforward. The provided pamphlet guides you through the activation process, porting your phone number (optional), inserting your sim (the provided sim has perforations, and can be punched out for a mini, micro, or nano sim), and setting up the APN. After doing the activation process, I didn’t have to do any setup at all, I just popped in the sim and everything worked fine.

How to set up the APN on your phone

On performance

Here’s where things get interesting. All four reviewers agreed that performance was good, not great, and that it varied wildly depending on the time of day and the location. dpham00 said that his experience was inconsistent:

Performance seemed to be a little inconsistent – even immediately after getting a good speed test, I would sometimes struggle to open a web page. This could be an issue with the Mint sim being de-prioritized over T-Mobile customers, or something with the connection itself as sometimes, simply turning airplane mode on, and off again, will get things going.

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He notes that, indeed, because Mint SIM is an MVNO — an alternative carrier — it must piggyback off a larger network, which in this case is T-Mobile. While it’s unlikely that T-Mobile is actively deprioritizing Mint SIM traffic, it not be privy to the network’s fastest speeds, especially during times of congestion.

DecAway had a similar experience, but found that performance was mainly very good, and quite reliable:

After a week of using the service I can tell you that it’s definitely not always “blazing” fast, as noted by Mint SIM, but it can be… and it is adequate. Mint Sim users are naturally deprioritized, meaning in congested areas your bandwidth will be much more limited at times, which I attribute to the slower speeds that I received. However, is that necessarily bad? Well, the answer is that it depends. First, objectively, I just paid roughly $12 bucks for 2GB of LTE data… Reflecting on my experience with Mint Sim so far, I have been able to achieve download speeds of up to 21.04mbps and 12.24mbps, with a top-end 13.79mbps and 9.99mbps upload speeds.

Those are pretty good speeds. VDub2174 had a similarly good experience, but remarked on the excellent Mint SIM coverage:

Coverage was great for me! When I checked the coverage map I saw that I was in an area that got great 4G LTE coverage. Living in a suburb area I sometimes get spotty 4G LTE but in my direct neighborhood it was great. I kept an eye on my reception while going about my day and saw that coverage was on point with my T-Mobile phone.

He also enjoyed access to Wi-Fi Calling, which is a hallmark T-Mobile feature that made the jump to its MVNO partners.

User Golfdriver97 also enjoyed the wide coverage provided by T-Mobile’s network, saying he didn’t have a problem with speed or network availability anywhere he went.

Had good to high signal where I went. So there wasn’t any gaps in coverage.

On value

All four reviewers noted that Mint SIM, even with its sometimes-spotty LTE data speeds, is a good deal. From dpham00:

So the question you are having now is – is it worth it? I would say for the price, absolutely. It is aggressively priced if you are willing to make a commitment from 3 months and up, especially at the one year mark. Sure it has a few hiccups here and there, but if you are looking at Mint sim, then you are looking for a bargain basement pricing, and as such, you will have to deal with the occasional problem here and there. If you are using it a lot and demand the best performance, then you would probably be better off with one of the big 3. However, I think this is great for someone who uses the internet somewhat sparingly and can accept some hiccups.

Golfdriver97 agrees:

I would honestly say give them a shot. Start by getting an independent number at first. This way you aren’t porting your number and find out that it doesn’t work for you.

That’s another sentiment shared by all reviewers: Mint SIM is alright as a primary number — VDub2174 said his number was recycled and received a lot of spam calls — but better as a secondary number primarily for data usage. While Mint SIM doesn’t support tethering, it’s a good way to watch media on the go for less money.

DecAway said that Mint SIM is great for most situations:

If you carry two phones around like me and can turn on wireless tethering with the other device, it really makes up for the shortfalls. If you’re cool with occasional inconsistencies in data speeds, then it’s also less worrisome. Call quality and messaging are more than adequate, so if you really need a cheap phone plan with the promise of internet in uncongested areas and off-peak times, this could be the answer for you.

He also notes that the promotional pricing, which is $35 for 3 months, with 2GB of data, is only for new customers, so it’s an easy investment to try, but costs will go up eventually. (You can get 20% off a 6-month or 1-year plan with the offer code “ACMINTSIM20”, by the way.)

Finally, VDub2174 sums it up nicely:

Pricing is very affordable when compared to other plans so if you’re looking for a plan that gives you the most bang for your buck, I would check out Mint SIM.

So there you go. Mint SIM is a great choice for people who don’t need tethering, and can deal with a few occasional slowdowns when it comes to cheap wireless data service.

Head to our dedicated Mint SIM forums to ask questions and get more information!

Alternative carriers (MVNOS)

• What is an alternative mobile carrier?
• What are the advantages of going with an alternative carrier?
• How to make sure your phone works on a prepaid alternative carrier
• 8 Important Considerations When Switching To An MVNO
• These are the cheapest data plans you can buy in the U.S.
• Mint SIM vs. Cricket Wireless: Which is better for you?

Moto plugs its past, present, and future with a rap lyric video

Oh, Moto…

I get that it’s hard to cut through the noise and get your name back out there, especially in a market that’s been dominated by Samsung and Apple, but Motorola, you’ve got the best cheap Android phone on the market. Your Moto Mods are one of the best takes on a modular phone that we’ve seen commercially.

You don’t have to come on this strong.

The 56-second video harkens back to the original cell phone call, and what its maker has done since. From the RAZR and Dynatac to the Moto Z family and all of its mods, Motorola tries to make us remember its previous highs and believe that it’s coming again with the Moto Mods and the phones they can be used with.

I’m all for a good lyric vid, and it is Flashback Friday, but c’mon, Moto. This is dad-trying-to-rap levels of trying too hard.

Moto Z, Moto Z Force and Moto Z Play

• Moto Z + Z Force review!
• Moto Z Play review
• The Hasselblad True Zoom is a Mod to remember
• Moto Z specs
• Moto Mods custom backs
• The latest Moto Z news
• Discuss in our Moto Z forums

Motorola
Verizon

How much does security factor into your buying decisions? [Roundtable]

How the AC staff thinks about security when they’re buying cool stuff.

There are plenty of reasons to want a new phone or cool tech gadget, and everyone has different reasons. And of course, there are plenty of phones and cool tech gadgets to buy. We find the right gadget for the right reasons and lighten our wallets.

In the midst of all the talk about specs and software and updates and cameras and everything else about the next great Android phone, you’ll see a few people talking about security. Security can mean different things to different people but I think everyone considers it while they’re deciding what to buy. Even if they don’t realize they’re doing it. The iris scanning tech on the Galaxy S8 is a security feature. See? You were thinking about it after all.

How important should security be when you’re deciding which phone to buy? That’s the question this week, and we went around the table to see what your Android Central staff thinks.

Most secure Android phone

Andrew Martonik

Security absolutely weighs into my buying decision when it comes to any sort of connected electronic device I buy — particularly with a phone — but it isn’t at the top of my list of importance. I entirely understand that we live in a world where most (if not all) of the electronics we use and love have security vulnerabilities, and in knowing that I’m willing to use devices even though I can’t independently confirm that they are completely secure from all types of exploits.

Yes, that means I buy or continue to use devices that have potential vulnerabilities, but in my case, I’m choosing to use them knowing that my interaction with the device may not be safe from all angles. I have no misconceptions about the potential insecurity of my data on such devices and make changes to my use of them accordingly. But at the same time, I recognize the extreme usefulness of these consumer electronics and continue to use them because I see a net benefit despite their potential insecurity.

Daniel Bader

When I buy a phone, or a connected camera, or a car, security is, like, the third thing I think about. But that’s because it’s something I build into my decision — I take for granted that I am thorough enough in my research to get a product from a company that takes security seriously.

Regular updates and quick patches mean a lot.

But unlike Jerry, that doesn’t mean security trumps other considerations, since I am not quite as security-conscious as he is. I rely on a few basic rules: the device or product must be updated regularly; in the case of something like a smart light bulb or security camera, it needs to be from a company that has a history of patching security holes. Nest, for instance, took over six months to patch a recent exploit in its security camera, and while it was ultimately patched, that slow turnaround time means I may think twice before purchasing another product from them.

In the case of a smartphone, I buy phones that will receive regular updates and security patches. Obviously, I’ll test many phones, but I will usually go back to phones from Google, BlackBerry or Samsung, since they have the best track record of monthly, or at least regular, patches. Similarly, I now take such security into consideration when choosing a carrier; my current carrier, Rogers, is fairly bad about pushing security patches to its Android phones, so I am considering switching to Telus, which is better known for such things.

Florence Ion

It’s easy for me to say that security doesn’t necessarily factor into my buying decisions because, frankly, it’s not the first thing I think of when I’m buying a gadget. And I think that’s because I trust myself enough, and the experience I have buying technology for nearly two decades, to stick with brands and operating systems that I know I can trust.

Of course, sometimes that backfires on us. Sometimes there’s an exploit, and I’m getting an email from Adobe, for instance, saying that it had to reset my password because of a security breach. Or, I hear of a text messaging scam going around that installs some sort of virus on your Android device. I try to stick to “the rules” — updating software and avoiding spam, for instance — to keep those type of predators at bay. It’s worked so far.

I don’t run ad blockers or virus scanners on my Android device, but I do try to do my research, even if it’s merely for a new app I’m downloading from the Play Store. I may not realize that I’m doing that for security purposes, but I think that’s because I’ve reached the point where I’m instinctively looking out for it anyway.

Jerry Hildenbrand

It’s the first and most important consideration when I buy any connected thing.

Would you buy a front door that has no lock?

Security and Privacy are two very different things, but privacy depends on security. I wouldn’t want someone to come into my home when I’m not there, so I lock the door. Locking the door wouldn’t be very helpful if anyone who wanted to get in could download the key to it.

I’m not carrying around any national secrets on my phone. In fact, nothing I have on my phone would be important to anyone else. I would probably unlock it and hand it to you if you wanted or needed to look at something. I just want all the looking to be on my terms and not someone else’s. The company who can offer that is where I start looking when I’m buying.

Ask yourself if you would want a random stranger reading your email and looking through all your photos. If you said no, then security matters for you, too.

Your take

What about you? Do you think about security when you buy connected things? If so, how important is it to you?

Let everyone know your thoughts in the comments down below.

The rumors are true: ‘Call of Duty’ is going back to World War II

The next Call of Duty returns to the series’ roots with a storyline set in World War II. Sledgehammer Games is working on the new title, dubbed Call of Duty: WWII, and the studio is expected to drop details in a livestream on Wednesday, April 26th at 1PM ET.

Call of Duty has a long history with the second world war. The franchise debuted in 2003 and its first three installments took place during World War II. In total, four Call of Duty titles have shared the same setting; the most recent was 2008’s World at War.

Three main studios work on the Call of Duty franchise — Treyarch, Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer — each one tackling a different entry and staggering release dates accordingly. The latest Call of Duty game, Infinite Warfare, was developed by Infinity Ward and looked to the future, featuring space battles and advanced technology. WWII is set to bring players crashing back to Earth.

WWII confirmed. Watch the worldwide reveal of #CODWWII on 4/26 at 10AM PDT/1PM EDT: https://t.co/JtAxQQV4zN pic.twitter.com/culgG1ZQmz

— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) April 21, 2017

Sledgehammer, the studio building WWII, was founded in 2009 by Dead Space veterans Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey. It’s the studio responsible for 2014’s Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and parts of 2011’s Modern Warfare 3, neither of which take place in a historical timeframe. At least the World War II setting is new to someone.

Source: Call of Duty: WWII