Verizon expected to crack down on unlimited customers using ‘extraordinary amount of data’
According to a new report, Verizon may be planning a crackdown of sorts on customers it deems to be using “an extraordinary amount of data” each month. Specifically, Droid Life reports that, according to its sources, unlimited data customers that Verizon flags as using too much data will have an opportunity to move to a different plan starting July 21.
From Droid Life:
According to sources of ours, Verizon is working on an Unlimited Data Plan Migration for the highest unlimited data users on their network. Starting tomorrow, July 21, Verizon will begin notifying users who have been flagged as using that “extraordinary” amount via mailer and through bill messages and explain to them their options to stay with Big Red.
According to the report, users who are alerted will have until August 31 to switch to a tiered plan, otherwise their line may be disconnected. If disconnected, the customer will have up to 50 days to reactivate with a new plan, the report says.
It remains unclear what Verizon would deem as “an extraordinary amount of data,” but we should know more if and when the carrier moves forward with its plans.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and S-Pen shown off in leaked video and render
Two new leaks – including a blurry hands-on video – have shown us what the Galaxy Note 7 might look like and feature.
The Galaxy Note 7 will be a new phablet from Samsung. It is a successor to the Galaxy Note 5, and Samsung has already confirmed it’s skipping the name “Galaxy Note 6” in order to line its next device up with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge flagships. Similar to the Galaxy S7 Edge, the Galaxy Note 7 will sport a dual curved edge display. It’ll be the first phablet to launch with the feature.
Venture Beat’s Evan Blass on Wednesday tweeted a leaked render of the device, and he included some information about it, such as the fact that there will be just one Galaxy Note 7 model, which contradicts earlier rumours about Samsung prepping a secondary Galaxy Note 7 with a flat screen. The curved screen of the Galaxy Note 7 will also be Samsung’s latest foray into smartphones with breakthrough form factors.
- Amazing Samsung Galaxy Note 7 leak shows full prototype
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Galaxy S7 edge vs Galaxy S7
- Samsung Gear VR 2 tipped for Galaxy Note 7 launch
Samsung’s Galaxy Note7 is a big bet that may pay off for the entire industry https://t.co/eIJk8V6biH pic.twitter.com/mLDhmEpvuB
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 19, 2016
The Korean company is reportedly developing new phones with foldable screens, for instance. Anyway, going back to the Galaxy Note 7, its newly-leaked render shows off a new hue for the phablet: Blue Coral. We can also see the phone’s dual curved edges, USB Type-C port, part of the camera sensors that house the iris scanner, a gold-type frame, embedded fingerprint sensor, and the push-to-eject S-Pen stylus.
The other leak, embedded above, comes from accessory maker Olixer. It filmed the device while testing new screen protectors. The quality of the video is obviously low resolution, but we can still determine stuff like the phone’s lack of bezels and the sheen of its sliding sides.
The Galaxy Note 7 will debut on 2 August. Check out Pocket-lint’s rumour round-up for more information about the device, including other leaks.
GOP and industry agree: Tech has a messaging problem
The government and the technology industry agree: They need to do a better job educating the public. During a policy forum hosted by The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) at the Republican National Convention this week, members of Congress and several industry veterans admitted that they have not done enough to dispel myths around technology, nor have they found the proper way to push Americans towards degrees in STEM fields. Congressman Blake Farenthold from Texas said that, “everyone still wants an MBA,” even though you’d probably make more money with a degree in engineering.
It’s unclear exactly how many STEM jobs there are out there waiting to be filled. Estimates vary from 400,000, according to Erin Egan at Facebook, all the way up to 1.4 million by 2020, according to Code.org. Regardless, it’s clear there aren’t enough graduates with the appropriate degrees to fill those roles. Especially since, as Robert D. Atkinson (president of the ITIF) points out, “everything is becoming a tech industry.” Unsurprisingly, Michael Gallagher, President and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), believes part of the solution is gamification. He argues that when you use a video game style interface, kids stay engaged and learn quicker. But, it will take more than earning badges to hook kids early and keep them interested in science and technology. Representative Michael Turner of Ohio says we know how to teach STEM; our challenge is motivation.
The messaging problem goes beyond promoting STEM degrees, though. The industry is losing the PR war over controversial technologies like GMOs and artificial intelligence. Egan, Facebook’s Vice President of US Public Policy and Chief Privacy Officer, is quick to admit that “we as a technology industry need to be doing a better job” of communicating with the public. She says that people are concerned that robots are going to take all their jobs and artificial intelligence is going to enslave the human race, but those are myths. These narratives make for great television and movies, but they’re simply not realistic, according to Egan.
James C. Greenwood, President and CEO of the trade group Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), latched on to the fear of GMOs in particular. He argued that even many in congress don’t quite understand what a genetically modified organism is. This has led to fear that modified corn is poisoning us or that modified fish will demolish populations of native species, which he claims is simply untrue.
Farenthold argues part of the problem is that both the industry and law makers “have a bad habit of getting into the weeds too fast.” He says that most Americans only need a 30,000-foot view of the issues. So perhaps part of the solution is to keep it simple. As he explained, “you don’t need to understand the blockchain to understand encryption.”
Facebook Live now lets you hide comments, stream for longer
If you’ve been waiting for Facebook Live to offer bigger, longer broadcasts, this is your week. The social network just announced updates for its broadccasting platform that will allow longer, full screen videos with less distractions. Soon, the company says that all users will be able to broadcast for as long as four hours per session, more than doubling the length they could stream without sacrificing VOD archives.
Facebook is also enabling a “video-only” mode that hides viewer comments and reactions. Swiping right will clear the screen for a distraction-free broadcast, temporarily removing viewer interaction from the equation. Finally, the update will enable broadcasters to go live in full screen — but this feature varies by OS: iOS will be able to broadcast in ful lscreen from both portrait and landscape mode, but Android users will have to wait for an update for the latter orientation.
These features will be rolling out to select users soon, and general users over the coming weeks.
Gorilla Glass 5 will save your phone from even bigger falls
It’s been about two years since version four of Corning’s ubiquitous protective glass rolled out, and Gorilla Glass now protects some 4.5 billion devices across the planet. So, you can probably thank Corning if your phone has ever survived a tumble onto the sidewalk. This fall, Corning will start protecting new devices with its toughest version of Gorilla Glass yet. According to the company’s own lab tests, a Gorilla Glass 5 smartphone screen will survive a 1.6-meter drop (about 5 feet, 4 inches) on its face around 80 percent of the time.
“We recently did a survey, and it’s fairly obvious that everyone drops their phone. We find that the average height is over a meter high,” Corning’s Senior VP Jim Steiner explained to TechCrunch. “Based on our internal data on drop events, our data shows that Gorilla Glass 5 outperforms 4 by 1.8-times.”
On the other hand, the latest version is about on-par with version four in terms of scratch resistance. (Which the company tests by putting the phone in a purse, and then tossing the purse in a tumbler barrel.) The new glass is already commercially available and the company expects it to start showing up on retail devices later this quarter.
Finally, for the masochists out there, Corning has put together a cringe-inducing sizzle reel of scratches and drop tests. Be warned, the video is not safe for klutzes:
Plex streams your music collection to Sonos speakers
If you’re using Plex to store your music and video files, there’s a new option for listening to those tracks around the house. The company announced today that access to your audio collection is now available inside the Sonos app. This means that you’ll be able to browse and control playback of any stored music on Sonos’ line of speakers. Plex says users can also expect access to their libraries away from home as well thanks to the Sonos mobile software. You know, in case your pals have one of the company’s audio setups, too.
Just like a streaming service, Plex will show up inside the Sonos app once you link your account. The tie-in is in beta right now, so you’ll need to look for it in the Sonos Labs section of the application. Speaking of which, joining the public beta is a requirement to opt in, as is enabling remote access to your Plex server files inside the storage option’s web app. For a step-by-step on how to get it up and running, a how-to is provided right here.
Source: Plex
Firefox will leave Flash off by default in 2017
Add Mozilla to the ranks of web browser developers giving Flash the boot. While it previously blocked Flash over security issues, it’s phasing out regular use of Adobe’s often-criticized plugin, starting with one of its next major releases. As of August, Firefox will block some Flash content that’s “not essential to the user experience.” And in 2017, it’ll leave Flash off by default — much like what other companies are doing, you’ll have to click to activate any Flash-only material.
You’ve heard the reasons before. Mozilla explains that shutting off Flash will not only offer “enhanced security,” but improve the overall experience by getting rid of a crash-prone performance and battery hog. Web standards like HTML5 now handle media playback, 3D graphics and video chats — there’s just not much reason to rely on Flash these days.
While Mozilla says it works “closely” with Adobe to optimize for Flash when it’s running, there’s no denying that the plugin is out of favor. With Apple, Google and Microsoft also switching off Flash (Opera wasn’t big on it to start with), there will be very little incentive to keep Flash on by default. Who’s going to use it for not-so-vital tasks when the rest of the big browsers won’t handle it either? In many ways, this is one of the last nails in the coffin for Flash as a regular sight on the internet.
Via: VentureBeat
Source: Mozilla Future Releases
Apple Facing Class Action Lawsuit for Offering Refurbished Replacement Devices Under AppleCare+
Apple is facing a new class action lawsuit, levied today by customers in California who are unhappy that their iPhones and iPads were replaced with refurbished devices under Apple’s AppleCare or AppleCare+ warranty plan.
Filed by Vicky Maldonado and Joanne McRight, the lawsuit, first shared by Cult of Mac, accuses Apple of failing to provide replacement devices that are “equivalent to new in performance and reliability” as stated in the company’s terms and conditions.
Both plaintiffs purchased replacement devices under AppleCare protection plans and were given refurbished devices rather than new devices, which they claim is a violation of the aforementioned line in the AppleCare Terms and Conditions.
The Apple Plans purport to provide consumers with Devices that are “equivalent to new in performance and reliability.” What that phrase means is ‘new’ as refurbished devices can never be the equivalent to new in performance and reliability. Plaintiffs allege that it means refurbished. Refurbished is synonymous with the term “reconditioned,” that is, a secondhand unit that has been modified to appear to be new for all purposes relevant to this litigation.
“New” means a Device that has never been utilized or previously sold and consists of all new parts. The word “refurbished” appears only once in the AppleCare+ terms and conditions even though the printed booklet is 33 pages long.
The plaintiffs claim they were deprived of the “use and value” of their original devices when Apple replaced them with refurbished devices, suffering an economic loss in the amount of the cost of the AppleCare plans, the loss of value of their original non-refurbished devices, and the purchase cost and replacement cost paid to Apple.
Apple is being accused of breach of contract, breach of warranty, concealing information from the public, deceptive marketing, violating labeling requirements, and unfair competitive practices. The lawsuit covers all customers who purchased an AppleCare or AppleCare+ plan for an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch after July 11, 2011.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages, attorneys fees, an order that would prevent Apple from replacing damaged or defective iOS devices with refurbished devices in the future, updated AppleCare+ terms and conditions, and an option to get a refund for a broken device instead of a repair.
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‘Dots & Co.’ is a meditative puzzle game that should be on your phone
Mobile puzzle game Two Dots (from developer Dots) did a ton of things right when it was released in 2014. The game took a simple mechanic — matching two or more dots of the same color — and added a bunch of great power-ups, varying goals, constant content updates, new mechanics as you progress and a great visual style. It was a huge improvement over the original Dots and was one of the best examples of a free-to-play game that doesn’t nickel-and-dime you to death. It’s easy to play and succeed in the game without ever spending a dollar, if that’s what you want to do.
After releasing more than 700 Two Dots levels, the game’s developer is ready to unveil the next evolution in the series: Dots & Co. is out today for iOS and Android. If you’ve played earlier Dots games, the new one will feel pleasantly familiar: Your job is still to connect same-colored dots, and making a square will clear all of that color off the board. Each level has an objective to be accomplished in limited moves (clear a certain number of specific colored dots, or break all of the “ice” on the board, for example), and you’ll still get up to three stars based on how many points you get. The new game is not the radical change that we saw between the initial Dots and Two Dots. But Dots & Co. is still a fresh and refined experience that introduces a bunch of new gameplay features, and that is definitely a good thing.
The most noticeable change is the new “companions” that help you in each level. Fortunately, these helpers are very subtle. You’ll see them at the top of your screen as you play through a level — a big penguin or eskimo smiling down on you as you play through the level. Throughout the playing field are companion dots; clearing those helps fill up an energy bar at the top of the screen. When it’s full, your companion drops a special move in the screen to help you progress.
This changes the way you play the game in pretty significant ways. In Two Dots, my main focus was on making color-clearing squares to jump-start my progress if I was having a tough time with a level. Now, you can either try and make squares or link together companion dots to get a boost. I’ve only unlocked two companions in the time I’ve played thus far, but I’m looking forward to finding more to see their different abilities.
Probably the other biggest change is to the game’s economy. Instead of starting with five lives that slowly regenerate after you’ve lost them, you use “energy” to start a level. Your meter goes to 15, and each level drops your level by three points. Finishing a level regenerates energy — but you’ll only get all three energy points back if you “ace” the level and get three stars. So even if you keep successfully finishing levels, you’ll run out of energy unless you consistently get three stars, something that could be tough as the difficulty ramps up.
If you want, you can replenish your energy using tokens, but those tokens need to be bought using real-life money unfortunately. The game starts you with 25, and you can use them to replenish your energy fully, give your companion a power-up at the beginning of a level or get some extra moves if you fail to complete a level. Two Dots similarly charged real money for power-ups, but the game also introduced ways to get freebies from time to time; I’m hoping that Dots & Co. does the same at some point. But the company did confirm that, at least for now, you’ll need cash to buy those tokens.
Fortunately, the new companions and their ever-present special moves help keep the game feeling balanced and fair. I haven’t played for long, but the levels haven’t gotten unfair or cruel thus far — if anything, I’m hungering for a bit more of a challenge. Based on Two Dots, I’m sure the game will get much harder as the levels pass. But the Dots team has lots of experience designing fair and fun free-to-play experiences, and that appears to be the case with Dots & Co. as well.
Crucially, Dots & Co. retails the excellent, unique atmosphere and mood of the previous game. It’s one of the least stressful puzzle games out there, with gorgeous graphics and an extremely chill soundtrack. It looks unique and feels like it’s been put together with more care and love than just about any other mobile game out there. Given the entry price (free, if you haven’t been paying attention), it’s absolutely worth a download. And given the many updates Two Dots received (and will continue to receive), you should get plenty of play time out of its sequel. Dots & Co. is out today for iOS and Android — you can download it now from the App Store or Google Play.
Source: iTunes Store, Google Play
Best browser themes for Chromebooks
What are the best themes for Chromebooks?
Since your Chromebook uses the Chrome browser, you can customize the look and feel of it to suit your mood and interests. The Chrome Web Store is packed with myriad themes, so we went in a pulled out a few of the best, just in case you didn’t feel like slogging through.
These themes won’t change your Chromebook’s background or layout, but they’ll definitely make your Chrome browsing experience more enjoyable or more functional, depending on your preference.
Remember: You don’t have to use the same theme on all of your devices that have Chrome! You can have a different theme to suit every experience and every purpose.
- Space themes
- Minimalist themes
- Nature themes
- Comic book themes
- Pokémon themes
Space themes
Sometimes you just need to space out and enjoy the heavens while you’re cruising your Chromebook.
Universe: Alison Goldsmith
This is a beautiful theme that extends beyond the home screen up onto the address bar. If you enjoy a serene spacescape, this is the theme for you.
Resolution: 1920×1080
Download: Universe (free)
Space Planet: Thee Pupil
This is a very serene theme to get you in a mellow mode whilst using your Chromebook. Take a trip by Saturn (or what looks like Saturn, anyway) and enjoy the calmness of the cosmos.
Resolution: 1920×1080
Download: Space Planet (free)
A Crack in Time and Space: Greg Cordover
Get a little wibbly wobbly with A Crack in Time and Space by Greg Cordover. This is a Dr. Who-inspired theme for your Chromebook that’s vague enough to be enjoyed by all, but specific enough to please the Whovian within.
Resolution: 1920×1080
Download: A Crack in Time and Space (free)
Earth: Thee Pupil
Earth’s a beautiful place when you stop and look around. Now you can stop and look around from space with Three Pupil’s Earth theme for your Chromebook. Your tabs flip between green and blue, making this a theme that extends beyond your home screen, taking a piece of Earth with you to every web page you visit!
Resolution: 1920×1080
Download: Earth (free)
Minimalist themes
Some themes can be altogether distracting. If you want to personalize your Chromebook but want to keep things simple and refined, a minimalist theme is the way to go.
Slinky Elegant- slinky.me
Slinky Elegant is the little black dress of Chrome themes. It’s simple, jet black, and entirely unobtrusive.
Download: Slinkey Elegant (free)
Black carbon + silver metal: bitofcode.net
Black carbon + silver metal is about as simple as it gets for Chrome themes, given that it only affects the address bar and tabs. It’s highly effective, though, if you’re looking to jump between tabs and apps quickly, since each tab stands out nicely from the background.
Download: Black carbon + silver metal (free)
Dark Vibe: Bjarki Jónasson
This gorgeous theme is a dark gradient that goes from black to a deep, deep blue. If you’re trying to focus on the task at hand and want nothing in your background to stand out, then Bjarki Jónasson’s Dark Vibe theme is the perfect solution.
Download: Dark Vibe (free)
Classic blue theme: bitofcode.net
If you want an unobtrusive theme but would perhaps like something a bit more cheerful than black, the Classic blue theme will suit your needs nicely. This theme only affects your address bar and tabs with a lovely two-tone blue that hearkens back to Windows XP.
Download: Classic blue theme (free)
Nature themes
Just because you’re inside enjoying your Chromebook doesn’t mean you can’t indirectly enjoy nature.
Beautiful Landscape: http://www.chromeposter.com
This is an awesome full theme that affects all aspect of Chrome, which is great for those who want their theme to affect every aspect of their Chromebook experience. Two-tone tabs let you know which tab you’re presently on by turning it a lovely grassy green. If you’d like your Chromebook to be a functional Bob Ross painting, then Beautiful Landscape is where it’s at.
Resolution: 1920×1080
Download: Beautiful Landscape (free)
The Simple Life: Jallacy
Do you dream of the simple life and want be reminded of that dream every time you open a new tab or look at your background? The Simple Life theme by Jallacy features a lovely little cabin nestled in the mountains, presumably on a farm where happy little crops grow.
Resolution: 1920×1080
Download: The Simple Life (free)
Indescribable: atavi.com
If you’re tired of the rat race and dream of a vacation destination with crystal-clear waters and sandy beaches, then download the Indescribable theme. It’ll soothe your workaday woes and perhaps provide a bit of inspiration as you slog through work in search of the weekend. (Inb4 “Why’d you describe Indescribable?”)
Resolution: 1920×1080
Download: Indescribable (free)
Palau HD: t22sai
Now and then we all need some jellyfish. Whether they’re for racing through like Marlin and Dory, or for making peanut butter and jellyfish jelly sandwiches, they’re just lovely to look at. Palau HD is another escapist theme for your Chromebook that’ll allow you to take a breath now and then and take you out of your immediate surroundings and toss you in the ocean.
Resolution: 1920×1080
Download: Palau HD (free)
Comic book themes:
Who doesn’t love a great comic book theme?
Deadpool [FVD]: coolchromethemes.com
Time to make the chimi-f**in’-changas and grab this sweet Deadpool theme for your Chromebook. If your common sense is tingling at all, then you’ll download it. No you won’t. Yes you will. No you won’t. OK, of course you will. Get the Merc with a Mouth on your Chromebook now!
Resolution: 1920×1080
Download: Deadpool [FVD] (free)
Iron Man-Material Design-: JamesB
If you like a blend of comic book and minimalist themes, this Iron Man theme is your bag, baby. The colors are muted and mellow and Iron Man floats in the center, a sentry guarding your Chromebook.
Resolution: 1920×1080
Download: Iron Man-Material Design- (free)
Flash [FVD]: coolchromethemes.com
Fan of the CW’s Flash? Why not wear your fandom loudly and proudly on your Chromebook? Central City’s Scarlet Speedster makes for a great Chromebook theme with the muted red of his suit being just as easy on the eyes as Grant Gustin.
Download: Flash [FVD] (free)
Batman: SpliffMobile.com
If you’re a fan of the Arkham games and Batman in general, this theme is right up your Crime Alley. It features an image of the Dark Knight from Arkham City, along with the Bat Symbol front and center, just in case you didn’t know this was a Batman theme.
Resolution: 1920×1080
Download: Batman (free)
Pokémon themes
Pokémon is where it’s at right now, so why wouldn’t you be playing Pokémon in the streets and then come home to Pokémon on your Chromebook? POKÉMON!!!
Ghost Pokémon: Suchy
Everyone’s favorite creepy, purple family, Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar take their place on your Chromebook and then take their place in your dreams (where they eat them). I’m not sure of this theme’s resolution, but I’m working on a 5k Mac and it’s the first one to stretch to fit my browser, which is almost full screen. This is an excellent theme for any Pokémon fan.
Download: Ghost Pokémon (free)
Wobbuffet: lincolnstoel
WOOOOOOOBBUFFET! Come on. The perennial Team Rocket jokester, let Wobbuffet onto your Chromebook and into your heart. This theme will stretch to fit any screen and the Wobbuffet-blue background is gorgeous and easy on the eyes. You can see the jagged edges where the Wobbuffet and Poké Ball tab images were cut out a little bit, but it’s easy to get past.
Download: Wobbuffet (free)
Pokemon: Legendary pokemons theme: zigrass
How great would it be if someone rendered the Legendary Bird Pokémon as realistic Chinese art-style animals? Boom! Legendary pokemons theme by zigrass! Yes, the title is a bit off, but the imagery is allll legendary.
Download: Legendary pokemons theme (99 cents)
Pokemon Red: RatchetV
Do you dream of riding a Charizard into the fiery crucible of battle? Well, you can’t, but your Chromebook can with the Pokemon Red theme by Ratchet V. Allow gorgeously rendered fan art to grace your Chromebook in muted colors that are gorgeous when viewing the full image but unobtrusive when you’re not.
Download: Pokemon Red (free)
What’s your theme?
Everybody’s gotta have a theme. What theme are you using on your Chromebook? Sound off in the comments below!
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