Shopping for plans on Sprint? We break down the carrier’s three choices

Sprint is in a dead heat with T-Mobile for offering the cheapest plans of the four major carriers. Its service is also best in cities, but patchy in rural areas. Sprint offers a few different plans, including plans with data caps, unlimited data plans, and prepaid plans. Here, we break down all your options to help you decide which is best for you and your family.

More: Who has the best family plan? Shake-ups from T-Mobile and Sprint tilt the balance

When it comes to data, Sprint doesn’t charge overages, but your speeds will be slower after you pass your data limit (unless you have an unlimited plan). Those who don’t use much data only need about 1GB per person, medium users will want 2GB per person, and heavy users will want 3GB per person or more. Here’s the pricing for Sprint’s data cap plans.

Sprint Better Choice Plan

People
Line cost
4G LTE data
Total
1
$20

$20 w/1GB

$30 w/3GB

$40

$50

2
$20 x 2

$45 w/6GB

$60 w/12GB

$80 w/24GB

$100 w/40GB

$65

$80

$120

$140

3
$20 x 3

$45 w/6GB

$60 w/12GB

$80 w/24GB

$100 w/40GB

$105

$120

$140

$160

4
$20 x 4

$45 w/6GB

$60 w/12GB

$80 w/24GB

$100 w/40GB

$125

$140

$160

$180

5
$20 x 5

$60 w/12GB

$80 w/24GB

$100 w/40GB

$160

$180

$200

Sprint’s non-unlimited Better Choice plans are a little bizarre. Unless you’re sipping data and are only sharing data with one other person, it’s almost worth it to just go ahead and sign up for its Unlimited Freedom plans, which are regularly on some type of promotion — and far cheaper.

There’s no contract, and you have to pay the full, unsubsidized price for each smartphone on the plan. You’ll pay for each device in installments, too, which typically range between $20 and $30 a month per phone. You can also add your own phone to your plan instead of buying a new one (more on this later).

Sprint’s capped plans are a good deal for people who don’t use too much data and want to save a buck or two. T-Mobile offers more perks, but Sprint’s prices are slightly cheaper.

Recommendations:

• Single people and couples get the best deals at Sprint.
• Once you have three people or more, Sprint’s prices are often on par with T-Mobile’s unlimited plan offerings, and its own regular promotions for the Unlimited Freedom Plan.
• Sprint’s plans are great for international travellers because you get free text and data in 180 countries.

The perks of the Sprint Plan:

• Unlimited talk, text, and data in Canada and Mexico, as well as the United States. Unlimited text and data at lower speeds is also available in nearly 180 countries worldwide, though calls cost 20 cents per minute.
• No overages.
• Lets you lease some phones so you can get a new one every year.

The downsides of the Sprint Plan:

• Patchy coverage in rural areas, and consistently slower data rates through much of the country as opposed to its competitors.
• Not as many perks as T-Mobile.
• Once you go over your data limit, your speeds will slow.

Best app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Everyone likes apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers make paid apps free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest apps on sale in the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money, and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

More: 200 Awesome iPhone Apps | The best Android apps for almost any occasion

Fake a Text Conversation

This app will let you simulate a fake text message conversation that can get you out of potentially awkward situations. You can add photos to it and then a screenshot of the conversation is saved to your camera roll.

Available on:

iOS

Simpler Pro

Simpler Pro is a completely redesigned contacts app that makes your address book light, smart, and user friendly.

Available on:

iOS

Lock Notes Pro

Keep your most valuable, private, and secret notes away from prying eyes. Keep them all totally secret and safe. Store passwords, secrets, contacts, and more.

Available on:

iOS

IQ Test

Prove to your friends once and for all that you’re smarter than they are with this 39-question app that will give you an IQ score.

Available on:

iOS

ScanBee

ScanBee turns your iPhone into a portable scanner. It allows you to scan any document into a high quality PDF file.

Available on:

iOS

ICE Standard ER 911

The world’s number one emergency medical contact information app includes the ICE Standard 3 color-coded medical status to provide a baseline for triage and the ICE Standard ER 911 Screen Image for your lock screen wallpaper.

Available on:

iOS

AMD’s latest Radeon driver helps stabilize VR framerates for older graphics cards

Why it matters to you

AMD customers with older Radeon graphics cards should see an improvement in VR performance after installing the latest Radeon graphics driver.

The latest driver for AMD’s Radeon-branded graphics cards is out, dubbed as Radeon Software Crimson ReLive Edition 17.4.1. The big highlights with this release is that it provides support for Asynchronous Spacewarp (Oculus Rift) for the Radeon R9 Fury series, the Radeon R9 390 series, and the Radeon R9 290 series. It also adds Asynchronous Reprojection (HTC Vive) support to the AMD Radeon RX 470 and RX 480 cards running under Windows 10.

On the Asynchronous Spacewarp and Asynchronous Reprojection fronts, this tech fills in the holes when the combined PC and VR application can’t sustain the needed 90 frames per second for a fluid visual experience (dropped frames will create a “dragging,” slow-motion visual effect). Thus, to fill the holes, the tech analyzes the previous frames to determine head movement and then renders a predicted scene in a custom frame.

More: AMD 500 series graphics card names and RAM sizes detailed

In addition to the new VR features, the driver adds support for DisplayPort 1.4 HBR3, an 8K resolution at 60Hz using two cables, and an 8K resolution at 30Hz using one cable. The driver also resolves three non-gaming issues, and one specific issue with Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands. Previously, Wildlands players experienced poor multi-GPU scaling on some configurations with multiple Radeon graphics cards installed.

Here are the three fixed non-gaming issues:

AMD FreeSync:
When running applications in Borderless Fullscreen mode, users experienced flickering on some FreeSync-enabled displays.
Radeon Settings:
Users experienced a stuck/unresponsive issue with Radeon Settings when upgrading the driver through the app.
AMD XConnect:
After a Radeon Software installation, users experienced a system hang when immediately unplugging an XConnect device.

As for the outstanding issues, there’s only one game-specific showstopper: the problem with FreeSync in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and World of Warcraft. Right now, AMD suggests that customers exit and restart the games, or task-switch (ATL+TAB) in and out of the games to resolve the issue. Otherwise, expect flickering or performance issues when the games are first launched with FreeSync enabled.

Here are the four other known issues:

Radeon Settings:
Profiles for some games may not be retained after system log off or reboot.
Radeon Settings:
This app may crash after toggling on/off CrossFire and switching Windows accounts on the PC.
Radeon WattMan:
Settings on some Radeon R9 390 series graphics products may not be applied.
AMD FreeSync:
When apps and/or game launches are running in the background on the primary screen, users will experience visual problems in a small number of apps with FreeSync and Borderless Fullscreen enabled.

AMD also lists five outstanding issues tied to its Radeon ReLive service. These include an incompatibility with Xbox/Game DVR in Windows 10, the inability to install Radeon ReLive on systems with APUs, the inability to change the recording settings with Instant Replay enabled, corruption in recordings associate with Microsoft Office programs, and more.

To grab the new Radeon driver from AMD, select the link matching your operating system below:

Windows 10:
64-bit
32-bit
Windows 8.1:
64-bit

Windows 7:
64-bit
32-bit

Project Zero digs up dangerous Wi-Fi exploit in Broadcom chips

Why it matters to you

Make sure to install all security updates for your smart devices in a timely fashion, as the exploits available on unpatched devices can be highly vulnerable.

Google’s Project Zero continues to strap on its cape to make the world a safer place for us to use our electronics, this time helping to discover a dangerous flaw in Broadcom Wi-Fi chips. That hardware can be found in a variety of smartphones, including iPhones, Nexus phones, and a variety of Samsung devices.

Project Zero has been helping to rid the world of exploits and security flaws for a few years now, regularly releasing information on these bugs to manufacturers and then giving them a short time period to correct the problem before it’s made public. In this case, the Project Zero researcher and bug discoverer, Gal Beniamini, said that Broadcam had been very “responsive,” helped fix the bug, and explained its problem to manufacturers.

Apple has responded with a security update, fixing up the problem in its 10.3.1 release, though it hasn’t released a comment on the bug. Techcrunch notes that Google has declined to comment on the matter.

More: WikiLeaks won’t publish zero-day exploit details until developers can fix them

It’s good to see speedy responses, though. From the detailed breakdown of the bug, it seems like a nasty one. It uses a series of exploits to breach the Broadcom chip’s security, which can in turn be used to take over the entire device it’s built into. All of that can be achieved wirelessly, with no direct interaction with the handset in question.

Theoretically, anyone on a shared Wi-Fi network, private or public, could compromise a device built with Broadcom’s Wi-Fi system on a chip (SOC).

Fortunately it sounds like Broadcom has been very open to advice on how to improve its security and has now informed Project Zero that newer versions of its Wi-Fi SoC will utilize a memory protection unit and several other hardware security measures. We’re told that these should fix most of the exploit paths used to make this bug viable and Broadcom is also considering implementing “exploit mitigations in future firmware versions,” as well.

Project Zero digs up dangerous Wi-Fi exploit in Broadcom chips

Why it matters to you

Make sure to install all security updates for your smart devices in a timely fashion, as the exploits available on unpatched devices can be highly vulnerable.

Google’s Project Zero continues to strap on its cape to make the world a safer place for us to use our electronics, this time helping to discover a dangerous flaw in Broadcom Wi-Fi chips. That hardware can be found in a variety of smartphones, including iPhones, Nexus phones, and a variety of Samsung devices.

Project Zero has been helping to rid the world of exploits and security flaws for a few years now, regularly releasing information on these bugs to manufacturers and then giving them a short time period to correct the problem before it’s made public. In this case, the Project Zero researcher and bug discoverer, Gal Beniamini, said that Broadcam had been very “responsive,” helped fix the bug, and explained its problem to manufacturers.

Apple has responded with a security update, fixing up the problem in its 10.3.1 release, though it hasn’t released a comment on the bug. Techcrunch notes that Google has declined to comment on the matter.

More: WikiLeaks won’t publish zero-day exploit details until developers can fix them

It’s good to see speedy responses, though. From the detailed breakdown of the bug, it seems like a nasty one. It uses a series of exploits to breach the Broadcom chip’s security, which can in turn be used to take over the entire device it’s built into. All of that can be achieved wirelessly, with no direct interaction with the handset in question.

Theoretically, anyone on a shared Wi-Fi network, private or public, could compromise a device built with Broadcom’s Wi-Fi system on a chip (SOC).

Fortunately it sounds like Broadcom has been very open to advice on how to improve its security and has now informed Project Zero that newer versions of its Wi-Fi SoC will utilize a memory protection unit and several other hardware security measures. We’re told that these should fix most of the exploit paths used to make this bug viable and Broadcom is also considering implementing “exploit mitigations in future firmware versions,” as well.

Samsung spent a staggering $10.2 billion on marketing last year

Samsung’s marketing budget overshadows most manufacturers’ revenues.

Samsung isn’t one to shy away from spending extravagant sums of money to market its products, and we’ve seen a lot of that last year for the Galaxy S7, S7 edge, and the Gear 360. There was that building-sized billboard for the S7 in Russia, Lil Wayne’s Samsung Pay advert, endorsements from Casey Neistat, Karlie Kloss, and many more.

According to a report on South Korea’s Yonhap News, Samsung spent a total of $10.2 billion (11.5 trillion won) on marketing last year. That included $3.9 billion (4.4 trillion won) toward advertisements, a 15% increase from 2015.

A bulk of that money went toward promoting the S7 and S7 edge, and Samsung is expected to continue its “aggressive marketing strategies” this year as well — it’s already at it. The company’s South Korean rival LG also saw a 21.4% increase in its marketing spend last year to $1.1 billion (1.3 trillion won).

Samsung India wants you to fill a form to ‘register your interest’ in the Galaxy S8 and S8+

It’s time to fill a form.

Like filling forms? You’re in luck, because Samsung India is asking customers to fill one out to “register your interest” in the Galaxy S8 and S8+. Samsung is taking this very seriously, and as such there’s a Captcha as well. Not the cool new invisible kind where it automatically detects that you’re a human, but the old boring system where you’ll have to enter numbers into a box. If you’re up for it, here’s the form.

You’ll need to fill out your name, email address (best use an alias), mobile number, and pin code. You’ll also have the chance to select the feature you’re most interested about in the Galaxy S8, so if you’re like me and can’t wait to try out Samsung’s 10nm Exynos 8895 SoC, you should definitely tick that box.

Oh, and there’s this: “How will your favorite feature Unbox your Existence?” If you know the answer, you should go ahead and fill out that form right now.

Like most forms, this one isn’t without its quirks, so if you’re unable to fill it out without the page throwing up errors on the first go, fret not. I had to enter my details thrice before I finally saw the message I was looking for: “Thanks for submitting your details.”

What are you waiting for?

Pre-register for the Galaxy S8 in India

Today’s your chance to buy a HTC Vive VR Headset for $100 less

Our friends at Thrifter are back again, this time with a one-day sale on the HTC Vive you won’t want to miss.

If you’ve been eyeing a HTC Vive but haven’t yet pulled the trigger due to cost, today is the day you’ll want to finally hit that buy button. This one-day price drop brings the cost of the VR headset down to $699 from its regular price of $799. The Vive can make you feel like you are in a different place with its immersive experiences in which you can play games, paint pictures and more.

In addition to saving the $100 on the initial purchase, you can also grab Arcade Saga for free on VIVEPORT and a month subscription to VIVEPORT. Some retailers, like Amazon, are offering additional games for free. You can grab one from the following retailers:

• Amazon
• Microsoft Store
• HTC
• Newegg
• GameStop
• ABT Electronics

Keep in mind this deal is only good for today, April 5, so don’t miss out on the discount.

For more great deals be sure to check out our friends at Thrifter now!

Learn the ins and outs of Excel for $39

Microsoft Excel is one of the most widely used programs in business. It helps companies take care of their books, pay employees, build plans, and much, much more. You can probably get the very basics of Excel, but if you’re looking into a job where proficiency is a big asset and/or required, chances are you’ll need a little more help.

Master Excel for $39 Learn more

There are many courses that teach you how to use Excel — you can likely take many at local schools and colleges — but these courses can be quite costly, and then there’s the fact that you have to leave home and learn on someone else’s time.

eLearnExcel Microsoft Excel School is perfect if you want to learn all there is to know about Excel, on your own time. By enrolling in the school, you’ll receive a lifetime subscription to eight complete courses, so you can learn at your leisure and refer back to material when you need a little help. These courses are usually $999 altogether, but through Android Central Digital Offers, you’ll pay just $39. That’s a savings of 96%.

Master Excel for $39 Learn more

If you’re looking to delve into the business world in any capacity, it’s a great idea to brush up on your Excel knowledge. If you want to truly excel (see what I did there?) in the business world, then it’s a great idea to know Microsoft Excel like the back of your hand. Just don’t go spending $1000 on courses when you can spend just $39 for a lifetime subscription to Excel School at Android Central Digital Offers.

These are the best steering wheels for playing PlayStation VR

Steering wheels can bring a racing game to life in VR.

The best part about VR is fully immersing yourself in a new experience, transporting yourself into a game and feeling like you are really there. Anybody who has spent time with a driving wheel on a normal video game already knows that these accessories can really add to the feel of each race. That feeling is only amplified once you are hooked into your PlayStation VR. How do you pick the best steering wheel though? That’s where we come in, with all of the best steering wheels for racing with PlayStation VR.

Read more at VRHeads.com