TPO: Why Saving Money on Cellular Service Never Felt so Good

An introduction to TPO (The People’s Operator), an MVNO that saves you money on cellular plans and helps you initiate change.

The People’s Operator, or TPO, is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) based in the UK that has been servicing the US since 2015. It’s mission is to save you money on your monthly cellular bill, while bringing about social change via charitable donations to various causes.

If you’d like to help out folks in need with your monthly phone bill — at no extra charge! — then TPO might just be the network you’ve been looking for.

Save money and give to great causes! Learn more

How does TPO save me money?

TPO is a mobile virtual network operator, which means that, instead of running its own network and set of cellular towers, it leases coverage from one of the “Big Four” carriers (AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile). Since it’s simply leasing another network’s coverage, it can sell it to you for less.

Which network does TPO use in the US?

TPO is partnered with Sprint’s fast 4G LTE network in the US. It offers both GSM and CDMA service to a wide range of the latest devices, so you can bring your own phone (check eligibility) or buy one from TPO. You can even bring your phone number, so you never have to lose touch.

Is TPO slower than Sprint?

Think of it like this: You go to your supermarket and need Advil. On the shelf, next to Advil, is a bottle of store brand ibuprofen for three quarters of the price. Is it any less effective than Advil? Absolutely not. It’s the same thing, but you pay a premium for Advil’s branding. Same goes for TPO and Sprint.

Other MVNOs do the same thing? Why TPO?

Sure, you could give your hard-earned dough to any other MVNO, but wouldn’t you rather that your money actually had a meaning rather than just giving it to corporations so that they can profit?

Sign up with TPO and 10% of your monthly bill will go to the charitable organization of your choice. The best part? There’s no additional charge to you. You pay your regular monthly bill and give to charity at the same time. TPO is partnered with organizations like the ASPCA, Planet Water Foundation, Art Start, the American Lung Association, and many more. Find a cause that’s near and dear to your heart, and initiate change — just with your phone bill!

Save money and give to great causes! Learn more

Why you should think about switching to TPO

TPO is perfect for the majority of Americans, since most folks don’t use more than 3 or 4GB of data per month. If you’re a data sipper, you could be paying just $8 for your first month and only $16 per month after that, and you get 500MB of data, 1000 voice minutes, and unlimited texting. If you’re on par with most folks, you could still be paying only $35 per month for 3GB of fast 4G LTE and unlimited talk and text!

The best part is that you save and you get to give to worthy causes that mean something to you and the rest of the country.

Fine, but carriers aren’t always friendly. How’s customer service?

Great! TPO staff are there seven days a week to help you with any questions you might have about your service or to simply get you started. TPO’s care center is based in the US, so you’ll get to speak with someone who understands the nature of the mobile business in the US and who understands your needs better than anyone else in the world.

Switch, save, make a difference

If you’re thinking about leaving one of the Big Four carriers, then weigh your options and consider TPO. You get to save more on the plans you need, while 10% of your monthly bill goes to creating change for the better. Save money and feel great doing it. Check out TPO today!

Save money and give to great causes! Learn more

Galaxy S8 Tips: First things to do with your new phone!

So you’ve just unboxed a brand new Galaxy S8, and you want to go exploring everything this phone has to offer. That’s great, and there’s certainly no shortage of features on this phone — both new additions and familiar stuff from previous Galaxies.

That’s why we’ve rounded up the first 5 things you need to do on your new Galaxy S8 — plus some bonus tips and tricks that’ll help you get up to speed. Check out our video above, which covers everything from the launcher to security to buttons and advanced settings!

• Android Central on YouTube
• Samsung Galaxy S8: The best Android phone
• Everything you need to know about the Galaxy S8 + S8+

Zagg’s sapphire-infused screen protector is nothing more than plastic snake oil

You don’t have to spend wads of cash on this overpriced product to protect your new Galaxy S8.

The term “sapphire crystal” may sound like something that’s incredibly protective, especially when you consider the fact that sapphire is one of the hardest nature-made materials on Earth. But things are not always what they seem, as proven by the latest JerryRigEverything torture test with Zagg’s pricey Galaxy S8 curved glass screen protector.

The $50 Zagg Sapphire Defense advertises that it’s effective because it’s infused with sapphire. And though it does offer traces of factory-made sapphire in the plastic, according to the report, it’s not nearly as protective as the real thing. For comparison, JerryRigEverything shows off a Tissot watch and an HTC U Ultra with actual sapphire displays. They hardly scratch, compared to the Zagg Sapphire Defense, which seems just as effective as any other screen protector — or worse, when you consider that it claims to be made of glass.

Take it from us: If you want ample screen protection, any of of these case-friendly screen protectors will do for the Samsung Galaxy S8. Many of the entries even come in packs of multiples, so you can have a backup on the ready the minute you receive your first scratch.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

• Galaxy S8 and S8+ review!
• Galaxy S8 and S8+ specs
• Everything you need to know about the Galaxy S8’s cameras
• Get to know Samsung Bixby
• Join our Galaxy S8 forums

Verizon
AT&T
T-Mobile
Sprint

Does this leak prove Motorola is working on a new Android tablet?

Motorola might soon surprise us all with a new Android tablet.

According to Android Police, which spoke to unnamed source, Motorola is making a new Android tablet. A leaked screenshot from the tablet reveals it will feature a “productivity mode” that allows you to quickly “switch between apps by tapping the app icon in the navigation bar.” The image also shows the navigation bar groups on-screen buttons to the left, and an app drawer icon to the right of the controls.

Android Police

To close the side-by-side apps, you long-press the app icon and drag it upwards. As noted by 9to5Google, this exact way to close apps, as well as the appearance of the navigations buttons, is already available on Lenovo’s tablet skin found on newer devices such as the Yoga Book. However, the switch to enable/disable the productivity mode is all new, it seems. Keep in mind Lenovo bought Motorola in 2014.

• Lenovo Yoga 720 (13-inch) preview: Flexibility at your fingertips
• Lenovo to launch 12 Moto Mods in 2017 that’ll work with future phones

Also, there hasn’t been any major Android tablet update in a long while, so this Lenovo-Moto tablet would be especially welcomed by Android lovers. It supposedly has a “premium look and feel” and screen size that’s somewhere between 9 to 10 inches (diagonal). Although there weren’t any technical specs mentioned, it’s been said that cellular connectivity might be offered in at least one model of the tablet.

We’ll keep you posted as we learn more about this Moto tablet.

Hurry! Amazon’s 7-inch Fire tablets are £25 off right now

Want a new tablet but don’t want to spend a lot of money?

Amazon’s Fire tablets are extremely affordable entry-level tablets, and right now, they’re cheaper than ever. The 7-inch version that comes with 8GB of storage and Wi-Fi connectivity is just £34.99 on Amazon. That’s a 42-per cent discount from its original (and already cheap) price of £59.99. The 16GB version with Wi-Fi is also £25 off, which brings the tablet’s cost down to £44.99 from £69.99.

• Buy the Amazon Fire on Amazon from £34.99

Both these models of the Fire Tablet also come with Alexa for nearly hands-free functionality. You can use it to get the weather report, stream music, and more – all with the touch of a button. The Fire Tablet is comparable in size to the iPad Mini 4, but according to Amazon, it’s 1.8 times more durable. So, if have kids or are just clumsy yourself, then this is the device to get.

Speaking of kids, Amazon’s child-friendly content portal, Amazon FreeTime, is available as a service on the Fire tablets. It gives access to over 40,000 YouTube videos, hand-selected websites, and full parental controls to make sure your children stay safe when they’re surfing online or watching videos. Everything that’s made available to view through the app is age appropriate.

• Amazon Fire tips and tricks: Making the most of your Amazon tablet

We even have an entire guide about how to set-up a Fire tablet for kids. But even if you don’t have kids, these tablets still have a lot to offer with bright whites and vivid colours that make it enjoyable to read e-books, watch TV shows, or use any of the millions of available apps. So, now’s the time to buy if you’re interested. But better hurry – the sale is likely temporary.

Amazon marked down the tablets in the US at the beginning of the month, but the sale is already finished there.

Congress is getting in on the AR and VR hype too

While we don’t tend to think of government as very tech-savvy, a new caucus formed in the US House of Representatives shows just how important the field itself has become. A new bipartisan group has been announced and is co-chaired by Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Bill Flores (R-Texas), Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Ted Lieu (D-Calif.). This “Reality Caucus” plans to “foster information sharing between Congress and our nation’s world-leading technology industry” in the areas of virtual, augmented and mixed reality technologies for the current 115th Congress.

Luckily, the leaders of this new caucus are no strangers to science and technology. Yvette Clarke’s HR 511 bill requested funding for various governmental science agencies, including the National Science Foundation, the DaDepartmentf Energy’s Office of Science and the National Institute of Standards and Technology along with funding for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education. Suzan DelBene sponsored HR 1123 – Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, which sought to allow people to unlock their mobile phones. Bill Flores and Darrell Issa voted yes on the EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2017 to prevent members of the EPA from receiving grants from the same institution. Ted Lieu, who’s been hilariously trolling Trump on Twitter, voted against both the EPA Science Board Reform Act as well as S J Res 34, which sought congressional disapproval of the FCC’s plan to protect consumer privacy.

Whether you agree with their specific stances or not, at least this group of co-chairs seems fairly well-informed. The current executive branch doesn’t seem too forward thinking around science or technology, but at least some of the co-chairs appear to. As Congressman Lieu said last year in regards to the Information Technology Modernization Act, “A 21st century government depends on technology to serve the people…” Having an informed congressional caucus dedicated to even just a slice of tech like virtual and augmented reality bodes well for all of us.

Via: Gamasutra

Source: Congresswoman Suzan DelBene

The Video Game Hall of Fame basically inducted your childhood this year

The National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York announced the four titles it’s inducting into the World Video Game Hall of Fame this year, and they’re all pinnacles in the industry: Donkey Kong, Halo: Combat Evolved, Pokémon Red and Blue and Street Fighter II. But if you think they were all shoe-ins compared to the competition, prepare to get your nerd hackles raised. The games that didn’t make the cut this year include Final Fantasy VII, Myst, Portal, Resident Evil and Microsoft Windows Solitaire.

Which doesn’t mean they won’t make it in later: immortal classics Sonic the Hedgehog and The Legend of Zelda were passed over in the Hall of Fame’s inaugural set in 2015, but then were inducted the next year. The latest collection spanned 30 years between the releases of Donkey Kong in 1981 and Halo: Combat Evolved in 2001, following the Hall of Fame’s tradition to include games that “enjoyed popularity over a sustained period and have exerted influence on the video game industry or on popular culture and society in general.” Q*bert fans, you might have to wait before more deserving games get welcomed in, but hey — don’t let us tell you what to nominate.

Source: Museum of Play

Uber’s drop-off feature saves you time, money when carpooling

Uber has been tweaking its carpooling feature for a while now, with features that improve your experience when riding with strangers. The company will give you $2 off your next uberPOOL ride if you don’t make it to your location on time, and added real-time ride notifications to its carpool service this past December. Today, the company has announced it will pilot suggested drop-off points to make sure you get to your destination as soon as possible, even if you have to walk a ways to get there. The new feature will roll out in San Francisco and Los Angeles today.

Now, the Uber app will keep an eye on your route in real time to determine if there’s a better drop-off spot to help you get to where you’re going faster. You’ll get a notification on your phone to let you know about the spot, and you’ll be able to opt-in with a tap. It’s sure to save you and the rest of the riders some headaches when streets are blocked off or there’s heavy traffic near someone’s final destination.

The program builds on a similar feature that Uber tested out in New York, where the company says that its saved riders an average of $14 over a regular UberX ride. While the new drop-off feature is only available int he three big cities so far, it could indeed roll out to the rest of us if it proves as big a success for Uber and its customers.

Source: Uber

GE’s futuristic Alexa lamp accepts your voice commands in style

Amazon’s Alexa, the voice-controlled platform that powers the company’s own Echo line, continues to gain support from third-party manufacturers. The C by GE Sol is the latest product to embrace the technology, in the form of a table lamp that looks straight out of a sci-fi film. GE actually announced the device December of last year, but now it’s finally starting to take pre-orders. As a refresher, the C by GE Sol features a circular LED light and, most importantly, doubles as a hands-free voice assistant and Bluetooth speaker. GE is letting early adopters pre-order the Sol for $160 right now, with units expected to ship in September. If you decide to wait until it hits stores, it’ll cost you $200.

Via: The Verge

Source: GE

An AI can recognize musical genres better than humans

Can you tell the difference between big band and boogie woogie? An algorithm can. Product design and development firm Cambridge Consultants says it’s created a machine learning AI that can identify different musical styles better than humans. It’s basically Jack Black in High Fidelity without the douchey elitism.

Researchers tested the AI by having a pianist play a variety of music — baroque, classical, ragtime and jazz — in a live demonstration. The AI then assessed the likely genre in real time, vastly outperforming conventional software hand-coded by humans.

“I think the deep learning system performs better because it’s had a dispassionate look at quite a lot of audio material,” says Monty Barlow, director of Machine Learning at Cambridge Consultants. “It’s found the best way to detect one genre from another without any prejudice or bias. It’s strangely more human-like in its capabilities than our programmers were in the classical engineering approach.”

Cambridge Consultants says its algorithm could lead to more sophisticated methods of organising and searching music databases. But, it could also be an important advancement in the medical industry too. It could potentially be used to quickly evaluate a patient’s health using sensor waveforms (although Cambridge Consultants hasn’t exactly said how this will work). And it’s not the only recent machine learning-driven medical breakthrough. Last month, researchers at the University of Nottingham in the UK developed an algorithm that can predict your chances of having a heart attack or stroke with over 70 percent accuracy. In the future, all of our doctors are going to be AI music snobs.

Source: Cambridge Consultants