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.

Update: DecAway returned to his Mint SIM service four months later and noted that it’s still quite good. “For the most part, the service has been reliable, and efficient – especially for the price.” He noted that it appears reliability and speed had increased, and that it was “generally just more efficient … the difference is appreciated and I am definitely happier with the service than I was in the beginning.”

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. 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.

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.

In his four-months-later follow-up, he noted that Mint SIM, despite having increased its prices a little, is still great value for the money. “The prices have shimmied up a little bit from their initial offering, but they are still lower than the competition.”

His conclusion speaks for itself:

I still recommend Mint SIM.

Concluding the 3-month social experiment with the service, I decided to re-up for another year, which at the time was offered for $199 for 12-months, based on the 2 GB plan (currently you can get the exact same plan for $184.00, including tax). Originally I had been a bit more hesitant to recommend the service as a primary form of service – and if you need unlimited data and like to carrier finance phones, I still don’t.

However, if you like cheap service that’s reliable and you purchase your own phones, I would definitely recommend giving it a try. It could work really well for you.

So there you go. Mint SIM is a great choice for people who don’t need a lot of add-ons, 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!

Update, September 6, 2017: This article has been updated to reflect new information from a four-month-later review update.

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?

Logitech launches its first updated trackball mouse in nearly a decade

Do you prefer the trackball style mouse? Logitech finally updates its trackball design.

If you’ve become accustomed to trackball scrolling with your mouse, you’ll be happy to learn that Logitech has just launched its first new design for a trackball mouse in almost a decade. It’s called the MX Ergo and its design comes directly from Logitech fans that have figured out ways to make their own trackball mouse more comfortable.

What makes the MX Ergo stand out is its unique adjustable hinge that makes it possible for you to change the angle of your mouse position from 0 to 20 degrees. The mouse is also designed with ergonomics in mind. It is shaped to fit comfortably while your palm rests, but also gives you easy access to its scroll and click features.

The MX Ergo includes all the great features that Logitech’s other mouse accessories have, like easy-switching (two channels), so you can switch between devices without having to re-pair anything. It comes with a unifying USB receiver, so you can pair up to six different Logitech peripherals to one computer, or you can connect it using Bluetooth.

It’s wireless, using Bluetooth LE and a super-fast recharging system. According to Logitech, you could charge it from empty for just a single minute and it will last a full day of use.

We are so excited by this new trackball. It is back, better than ever and the idea for this trackball innovation was inspired by our users, who invented creative ways to achieve their desired level of comfort, sometimes adding additional wedges under their trackball for elevated angles,” saidAnatoliy Polyanker, global portfolio and brand director at Logitech. “The MX Ergo is our first adjustable trackball that delivers on the need for elevated comfort in a beautiful design.

The MX Ergo costs $99.99 and will ship in mid-September. You can pre-order it from Logitech today.

See at Logitech

Europe’s biggest tech show finally delivered

As we wind down after trawling IFA’s labyrinthine halls, covering everything from phones to washing machines, wearables to haunted pianos, we wanted to point out the most notable things to come out of Europe’s biggest tech show — and it was quite the show this year. If you don’t read anything else, read this. And if you do want even more, you can find everything else right here.

Daniel Cooper
Senior Editor

When Microsoft began talking about its Mixed Reality program earlier this year, the whole thing left me pretty cold. The company claimed that it could slash the cost of a VR headset almost in half, and that the kit would even work with PCs that used only integrated graphics. Given the cash and computing power required for a half-decent Vive or Rift setup, I simply couldn’t see Microsoft’s alternative working.

Yet, after trying ASUS’ mixed reality headset here at IFA, I’m a first-class passenger on the Windows Mixed Reality hype train. The company claims that the gear can be installed and running within 10 minutes, letting you explore the world of Windows Mixed Reality almost immediately. That said, my interest is limited to the Steam VR integration and the ability to play virtual reality titles for far less than it costs to buy one of the big two (still pricey) headsets.

VR may take several more years, and several hardware refreshes, before it can really be thought of as a mainstream proposition. The cost and complexity of installation were the two things keeping me from taking the plunge. I’m delighted that serious progress is being made to eliminate both of these challenges.

Mat Smith
Bureau Chief, UK

LG has struggled to claw its way into the best-selling smartphone circle, but the company has a better chance than ever with the V30. It’s generally pitched to “hardcore” video enthusiasts, but when so many of us are turning to our phones to capture our world, and sharing everything we see, and when we’re just not buying cameras anymore, these days it’s a good place to start for pretty much any smartphone shopper.

From color grading for your next video to hi-fi quad DACs for your music listening, there’s a lot here for smartphone power users to like — and you’re reading Engadget, so there’s a good chance you’re one of ’em. Just as important, at least for me, is how it’s all been crammed into a phone that’s far more attractive than LG’s “main” flagship phone, the G6. The biggest challenge the V30 has to overcome, however, is the fact that its launch occurred between those for Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 and whatever Apple decides to call its new iPhone. Rocks, hard places and smartphones.

Edgar Alvarez
Senior Editor

As much as I love LG’s V30, particularly its design and camera features, it was Sphero that won IFA 2017 for me. The company’s new Star Wars droids, R2-D2 and BB-9E, are going to be must-haves this holiday season. Who doesn’t want cute toys that can be controlled using an app? (Especially if they’re 1:1 replicas of characters from one of the biggest movie franchises of all time.)

What I appreciate the most about Sphero’s latest Star Wars toys is the attention to detail. With BB-9E, the evil counterpart to BB-8 that’s expected to debut in The Last Jedi, the company was able to make its face come to life with working LEDs. So even though BB-9E’s rolling head can taken off its body, when it is attached it can draw power from its body via inductive charging. Meanwhile, R2-D2 has a built-in speaker and makes original sounds from A New Hope.

Sure, they’re not cheap — BB-9E and R2-D2 cost $150 and $180, respectively. But can you really put a price on fun?

Cherlynn Low
Reviews Editor

IFA served as a showcase for a whole variety of artificial-intelligence-powered devices. From washing machines and pianos to speakers and smartphones, all manner of home appliances and gadgets are learning to think for themselves to better serve humans.

What’s different this year is Huawei’s Kirin 970 CPU, which the company says will not only speed up machine-learning programs in its phones but will also protect consumers’ privacy, since it eliminates the need to go through the cloud for processing. We’ll learn more about how the Kirin 970 can improve AI on smartphones in October, when Huawei unveils its Mate 10 flagship — the first with this chip on board.

Until then, we can only wait and see where AI tech will lodge itself next.

Lawsuit claims Trump’s election committee used personal email

Back in July, a group of lawyers sued the Presidential Advisory Committee on Election Integrity for failing to share documents, communications and for refusing to make its meetings open to the public. In a new filing on September 5th, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law plaintiffs say that while the advisory committee has agreed to some concessions around deadlines and document disclosures, members of the governmental group have been using personal email accounts to conduct their business.

The current document (via The Verge) says that using non-governmental email systems violates the Presidential Records Act of 2014, which requires the use of “official federal government email to conduct government business.” The Lawyers’ Committee must be able to search and log any emails used by advisory members to prepare its case. According to the filing, Commissioners promised to search their own emails and identify those that “they believe are relevant, and then forward those emails to Defendants’ counsel.” Wait, what?

It’s hard not to think of the endless tirades against candidate Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server during the last election, of course. A federal judge ordered the release of Clinton’s emails from her tenure as Secretary of State, the FBI investigated her emails (twice) and then said it would not press charges, after all.

The advisory committee, for its part, states in the filing that the “defendants do not, moreover, recall making any definitive statements as to email addresses being used by non-federal commissioners,” and that the specific email accounts are not relevant.

Via: The Verge

Source: Lawyers’ Committee

Martin Shkreli is selling his $2 million Wu-Tang album on eBay

Martin Shkreli, for lack of a better/more accurate word, is a gigantic tool. The priapic “pharma bro” gained notoriety after he jacked up the price of an anti-toxoplamosis drug by 5,000 percent in 2015. Later that year, it was revealed that he was the guy who spent $2 million on Wu-Tang Clan’s one-off Once Upon a Time in Shaolin as a kind of middle finger to music fans everywhere. Now Shkreli has listed the ultra-rare album on eBay. Here’s the item description, verbatim. Emphasis ours:

“This is the one and only Wu-Tang album.

I decided to purchase this album as a gift to the Wu-Tang Clan for their tremendous musical output. Instead I received scorn from at least one of their (least-intelligent) members, and the world at large failed to see my purpose of putting a serious value behind music. I will be curious to see if the world values music nearly as much as I have. I have donated to many rock bands and rappers over the years to ensure they can continue to produce their art when few others would.

At any time I may cancel this sale and I may even break this album in frustration. I will donate half of the sale proceeds to medical research. I am not selling to raise cash–my companies and I have record amounts of cash on hand. I hope someone with a bigger heart for music can be found for this one-of-a-kind piece and makes it available for the world to hear.

Martin Shkreli

Upon sale, I will represent & warranty any copies of the music I have will be destroyed. I have not carefully listened to the album, which is a double CD. There is also a finely crafted booklet which you can read about elsewhere. I will pay legal expenses for the buyer up to $25,000 to ensure the final purchase details are mutually agreeable.”

There’s a lot to unpack here. First off, Shkreli still hasn’t listened to the album all the way through; Taylor Swift must’ve never come calling. Then you have to wonder if your bid is actually going to mean anything, given Shkreli’s threat to end the auction prematurely or destroy the CD.

The current bid jumped almost $20,000 in the process of writing this post, and as of press time was sitting at $95,300 with nine days to go.

Back in 2015, fans tried a few different ways to raise the funds to buy this album, including a (failed) Kickstarter campaign to prevent “some über-rich bastard from keeping it to himself like a collector’s item.” We all know how that worked out. As Marketwatch notes, Shkreli broadcast selections from the album to celebrate Donald Trump’s winning the election last year, and also after his Ponzi-scheme conviction.

With this latest turn of events, it looks like Shkreli is disrespecting the Wu-Tang Clan one more time.

Via: Marketwatch

Source: eBay

Spotify’s new head of podcasts and video ran Disney’s Maker Studios

That didn’t take long. Less than a week after Spotify lost its head of video and podcasting Tom Calderone, its snatched Disney’s Courtney Holt for the job. As Variety notes, Holt led Maker Studios when the House of Mouse purchased it back in 2014, and became CEO a year later. Spotify confirmed the hiring to Engadget and said that he’ll focus on expanding premium video offerings in addition to podcasts and other types of audio programming. This hire serves as evidence that the streaming service is taking another swing at pushing deeper into podcasts. Here’s to hoping for more stuff like Traffic Jams, too.

Source: Variety

Apple at odds with Indian regulators over anti-spam app

In a classic case of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object, Apple’s refusal to approve the Indian government’s anti-spam iPhone app is causing uproar on both sides. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has been pushing unsuccessfully to get its “Do Not Disturb” software included in the App Store, and Apple refuses to budge on the matter, claiming it violates the company’s privacy policy.

The app allows people to share spam numbers with the agency, which passes the data on to carriers so that spammers can be blocked. Apple is having none of it, yet its own policy allows it to share user data with affiliates and strategic partners. Comparatively, the Do Not Disturb app demands much more limited data sharing.

There’s no shortage of iPhones in India — Apple shipped 2.5 million handsets last year, and a limited number are being assembled in Bangalore — but the standoff has serious ramifications for Apple’s plans to expand into the country, where half a billion smartphones will be sold by 2020. Apple wants to open retail stores and secure permission to import used handsets, as well as set up manufacturing facilities, for which it’s submitted a substantial list of demands. With the factions at loggerheads, talks to facilitate these ambitions are proving fruitless.

As such, the regulator is currently putting together a consultative paper on privacy and personal data, and hopes to draw up proposed rules on the way networks use personal information. The process, due to finish in September, could eventually lead to new data legislation which could become part of the telecom licensing process.

As reported by Bloomberg, Ram Sewak Sharma, chairman of the Delhi-based telecom regulator, believes it’s a “ridiculous situation”, and that “no company can be allowed to be the guardian of a user’s data.” He added that, “The problem of who controls user data is getting acute and we have to plug the loose ends. This is not the regulator versus Apple, but Apple versus its own users.”

Via: Bloomberg

Alexa and Google Assistant star in BBC’s interactive radio plays

The BBC is making a new kind of theater that works with your domestic voice assistant — and makes you part of the show. The company’s R&D department has collaborated with Rosina Sound to make a radio play that invites you, the listener, to insert your own lines when cued. And, in true British radio tradition, the story (titled The Inspection Chamber) will be a science fiction audio drama-comedy in the vein of Douglas Adams and Franz Kafka.

BBC wanted to go beyond the traditional “choose your own adventure” mechanic by interacting with voice assistants. The team building it took inspiration from narrative-driven games like The Stanley Parable and Papa Sangre, both of which lean heavily on audio storytelling. But they’re also experimenting with release formats: Initially, episodes will come out for Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home, but the team hopes to expand that to simultaneously drop content for all voice assistants, including the Harman Kardon Invoke speaker and Apple’s HomePod.

The pilot episode of The Inspection Chamber is slated to come out before the end of the year, but you can hear a preview snippet on the BBC’s R&D page.

Via: The Verge

Source: BBC

Senate will consider legislation for self-driving trucks

A bill on autonomous car legislation originally scheduled for a vote on September 6th just passed the US House of representatives and has been sent to the Senate for consideration. The bill does not include legislation regarding autonomous big-rig trucks, however, so the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is planning a hearing for September 13th to discuss potential implications for self-driving commercial vehicles.

According to a Senate press release, “Transportation Innovation: Automated Trucks and our Nation’s Highways … will examine the benefits of automated truck safety technology as well as the potential impacts on jobs and the economy. Including or excluding trucks, buses, and other heavy duty vehicles has been a topic of discussion in ongoing bipartisan efforts to draft self-driving vehicle legislation.” The hearing is sponsored by Senator John Thune of South Dakota and will include testimony from the chief of the Colorado State Patrol, Colonel Scott G Hernandez, Navistar’s CEO Troy Clarke, National Safety Council CEO Deborah Hersman and CEO of the American Trucking Associations, Chris Spear.

There are many companies with self-driving trucks in the works. Colorado’s autonomous impact protection vehicle is set to protect road workers, Einride’s self-driving elecrtic vehicle can transport 15 pallets and of course Uber and Waymo continue to try and one-up each other with self-driving big rigs. Convoys of semi-autonomous trucks are even set to hit the UK roads by next year. The push towards vehicles that don’t need human drivers is a concern, however. The future is coming; our government has to figure out how to legislate it.

Via: Reuters

Source: Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

‘Flip-flop’ design makes quantum computers more affordable

One of the greatest challenges in quantum computing is… well, making the computers. You may need exotic manufacturing techniques just to handle the very exacting requirements, such as positioning the atoms in quantum bits in exact positions at close distances (to make quantum entanglement happen). However, that might not be a problem going forward. Australian researchers have developed a new chip design that could be built using the same silicon technology that you see in use today.

The technique revolves around ‘flip-flop’ qubits that use both the electron and the nucleus of an atom, with the direction of the electron spin dictating the qubit’s state (hence the name). They can be controlled with electrical signals instead of magnetic ones, and you don’t need to space them as closely or make very tiny supporting lines and electronics. Companies like Google and IBM are trying superconducting circuits that are easy to make, researchers say, but their larger sizes may run into problems down the line when quantum chips could have millions of qubits.

The technology is still theoretical and requires a practical , but it’s promising enough that the scientists started Australia’s first quantum computing company. And it’s easy to see why: if the technology pans out, you could see mass-produced quantum computers that are relatively affordable. While it may be years before you have a quantum phone, the days of elaborate, one-off machines may soon be over.

Via: Reuters

Source: University of New South Wales