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T-Mobile starts own 'unRadio' streaming service, inks deals with Spotify, Pandora more for unlimited streaming

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 18 Jun 2014 11:23

T-Mobile starts own 'unRadio' streaming service, inks deals with Spotify, Pandora more for unlimited streaming T-Mobile US continues to go for the jugular of the U.S. wireless industry, introducing unlimited music streaming that will not go against your data cap.

'Simple Choice' plan customers will be able to stream music from Pandora, Spotify, iHeartRadio, iTunes Radio, Slacker and others without impacting their data caps, a really big deal as streaming services can eat into a 2-3GB data plan in quick order.

In addition, the carrier introduced its own streaming service called 'unRadio' that offer ad-free streaming Internet radio powered by Rhapsody. Users can skip an unlimited amount of tracks and can even download 25 songs for offline playback.

If you have an unlimited data plan with the carrier, unRadio is free. Otherwise it's $4 per month. "It's designed to be a better Internet radio," T-Mobile CEO John Legere added. The service also comes with a Shazam clone built-in, for those times you want to search a song.




AfterDawn: News

T-Mobile to allow consumers to 'Test Drive' an iPhone 5S for free for a week

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 18 Jun 2014 10:49

T-Mobile to allow consumers to 'Test Drive' an iPhone 5S for free for a week Speaking today during the carrier's "Uncarrier 5.0" event, T-Mobile US CEO John Legere has announced a new plan that will let consumers test an iPhone 5S for free for a week.

As part of their "Test Drive," new users to T-Mobile get unlimited 4G LTE data and a free phone for a week. If you do not like the network, you can cancel at no cost.

Of course, you will have to give T-Mobile your credit card number before the trial starts so if you decide to keep the phone or destroy it, the carrier will charge you $700.

Reads the press release:

To kick off Un-carrier 5.0, T-Mobile today introduced "T-Mobile Test Drive" and pioneered a new way to buy wireless in the U.S. With T-Mobile Test Drive, anyone can get an iPhone 5s and unlimited nationwide service to take T-Mobile's network for a data-intensive, seven-day spin at no cost.

Starting June 23, people can sign up for T-Mobile Test Drive at www.t-mobile.com/testdrive. A few days later, they'll receive an iPhone 5s and they can put T-Mobile's data-strong network to the test for seven full days.




AfterDawn: News

Samsung introduces Galaxy S5 LTE-A for Korea with much better specs than current model

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 18 Jun 2014 9:22

Samsung introduces Galaxy S5 LTE-A for Korea with much better specs than current model Samsung has unwrapped a gift for the Korean market, the oft-rumored Galaxy S5 LTE-A (Galaxy Prime) with much improved specs from the recently released international S5 model.

The new model offers support for the ridiculously fast data speeds of LTE-Advanced (as high as 225Mbps) but also packs a redone interior that easily blasts away the international S5 model.

Under the hood is a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, 3GB RAM, a 16MP camera, 2,800mAh battery. The device is waterproof and dustrproof (IP67) and most importantly, has a QHD Super AMOLED display (2560×1440), a nice improvement from the 1080p display and Snapdragon 801 processor of the standard S5.

It is very unlikely that the Android KitKat device will ever make it to the U.S. (or anywhere outside of Korea) but we can dream.

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AfterDawn: News

Microsoft answers questions about new Xbox Development Kit update

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 18 Jun 2014 8:55

Microsoft answers questions about new Xbox Development Kit update Following E3, Microsoft was bombarded by questions about their June XDK (Xbox Development Kit) update, most notably about how it affects Kinect and the "horsepower" of the console.

In fact, Microsoft had so many questions that it decided to post a new blog entry answering the most asked questions. Kareem Choudhry, the Director of Development, Xbox Software Engineering was put on the hot seat.

Full text here:

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AfterDawn: News

Apple finally settles ebook price fixing case, avoids trial

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 18 Jun 2014 8:43

Apple finally settles ebook price fixing case, avoids trial Apple has reached a settlement with U.S. state governments and consumers who were seeking damages over the company's price fixing of ebooks.

The tech giant will avoid trial and has settled just like all the publishers it conspired with to raise prices. Apple had been facing over $800 million in claims if it had let the case go to trial.

Details for the agreement were not disclosed but Apple must submit a filing to seek approval within the month.

In 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Apple and five of the largest book publishers claiming that the companies conspired to break Amazon's dominance of the ebook market and its wholesale pricing. At the time, Amazon would buy the rights to the books at wholesale prices and then priced them at whatever they chose, often times underpricing hit books to get traffic to their site and get more people to buy the Kindle hardware. Apple, who was launching its own bookstore with the launch of the iPad, changed the game to the "agency model" in which Apple sells the books at the prices dictated by the publisher but takes a 30 percent cut. This pushed the average price of ebooks from $9.99 to $12-14 or even higher in many cases.

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AfterDawn: News

EU, South Korea team up for future '5G' wireless networks

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Jun 2014 10:26

EU, South Korea team up for future '5G' wireless networks The European Union and South Korea have teamed up to develop future '5G' mobile wireless networks, which will be the fastest on the planet.

As part of the deal, a new joint group will be created to set standards, and get radio frequencies ready for the new networks.

The overall goal is to have a "global consensus and vision" on '5G' by the end of next year.

According to EU data, 5G speeds would be significantly higher than the current 4G standards with users able to download a one-hour HD video in just six seconds. Huawei of China has already set aside $600 million through 2018 for R&D on 5G, and universities in the U.S. are also researching the standard.

South Korea is certainly a good partner for the EU in the 5G race. The country's mobile-penetration rate is over 100 percent, meaning there is over one mobile device in use for every person in the nation. The nation also has the fastest broadband speeds for home users.

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AfterDawn: News

The Nest Protect is back after recall, and with new price cut

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Jun 2014 8:46

The Nest Protect is back after recall, and with new price cut The Nest Protect, the company's smoke and carbon monoxide detector, is back in stores following a two month recall over safety concerns about a specific feature.

In addition, the Protect will return with a price cut - down to $99 from the original $130.

Nest Labs (now owned by Google) had recalled about 440,000 of its smoke detectors, due to safety concerns about the Nest Wave feature. "Nest Wave" had let users silence alerts temporarily just by waving their arms. The feature has been remotely disabled via a new mandatory OTA update.

The feature has not been fixed as of yet, and will be turned back on when all safety concerns are satisfied.




AfterDawn: News

Report: Amazon's new smartphone to be an AT&T exclusive

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Jun 2014 8:23

Report: Amazon's new smartphone to be an AT&T exclusive E-commerce giant Amazon is expected to unveil its long-awaited 3D smartphone tomorrow at a new product launch event.

According to a new report, the smartphone will be an AT&T exclusive, which would double the already huge marketing potential for the device and extend Amazon's relationship with the major U.S. carrier. AT&T currently offers the 3G service for Amazon's Kindle devices.

The new smartphone will be different from other devices due to its multiple front-side sensors that allow for eye movement tracking, extended gestures and 3D images and gaming.

Developers who have used prototypes of the smartphone have been unclear how to use the eye-tracking software in their apps, so it is unclear what the "killer" apps will be when Amazon unveils the device. The smartphone is also expected to use the Fire OS operating system available on Amazon's other devices, which has the curated Amazon Appstore rather than the full Android Google Play Store.

As with Amazon's past hardware, the company is likely to sell the device at cost, looking to make profits on the Amazon ecosystem of Prime, music, movies, books, and of course, shopping.

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AfterDawn: News

Geohot is back - This time with a root tool for nearly every Android device out there

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Jun 2014 7:35

Geohot is back - This time with a root tool for nearly every Android device out there George Hotz (aka geohot) is back with a vengeance, releasing a new root tool that can be effectively used on all Android devices including the "unrootable" Samsung Galaxy S5 for Verizon and AT&T.

Geohot became famous for being the first person to unlock the original iPhone, and later for creating the limera1n jailbreak tool for future versions of the iPhone. The hacker then gained notoriety when he exploited OtherOS for the Sony PlayStation 3, opening up the ability to add homebrew (and play pirated games), causing Sony to disable the feature entirely and sue the young hacker.

Gaining root access to an Android device allows users to make system-level changes, and gain great apps like Titanium Backup. You can also flash different ROMs, like CyanogenMod, if you just hate the bloat of your Samsung, LG or HTC device.

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AfterDawn: News

BlackBerry rolling out encrypted BBM messenger for enterprise users

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Jun 2014 7:01

BlackBerry rolling out encrypted BBM messenger for enterprise users BlackBerry has announced the launch of their first eBBM product, a suite that includes a specialized BBM instant messenger service for enterprise users.

The company says the suite includes BBM Protected, which is FIPS 140-2 cryptographic library-enabled messaging. The service can be used between users within the same enterprise, or with other companies who are also using BBM Protected.

While it may seem like a niche product, there are likely plenty of corporations who require secure communications, including defense contractors, attorney firms and even investment banks. BlackBerry still has a large government customer base, even as other industries move to iOS and Android.

Currently, the BBM Protected product works on BB OS 6.0 or newer, and on BlackBerry 10 in "Regulated Mode." Later this year, BlackBerry 10 users with BlackBerry Balance will be able to switch between business and pleasure, and iOS and Android BBM users will receive BBM Protected later this year, as well.

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AfterDawn: News

Google reveals first 'Glass at Work' partners

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Jun 2014 5:24

Google reveals first 'Glass at Work' partners Google has revealed the first "Glass At Work" partners, pushing forward with the wearable device featuring apps designed for businesses.

The search giant unveiled the first Certified Partners, authorized companies that were selected to develop enterprise solutions for Glass devices. For their part, the companies can also co-brand and will be listed on the Glass at Work website.

A couple of hundred of developers applied for the program, and Google seems to have selected a broad spectrum of industries. The initial partners include APX, Augmedix, Crowdoptic, GuidiGO, and Wearable Intelligence.

APX makes Skylight, a software platform that companies use to create smart glasses applications. AugMedix has a Google Glass app for doctors. The app enters electronic health-record data while doctors treat patients. CrowdOptic has context-aware apps for the sports industry. GuidiGo offers an update to the classic museum audio tour by offering a more immersive Glass version. Wearable Intelligence builds workflow, training and communications apps.




AfterDawn: News

SanDisk buys up Fusion-io for $1.1 billion

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Jun 2014 12:11

SanDisk buys up Fusion-io for $1.1 billion SanDisk has significantly enhanced their enterprise and datacenter strategy, purchasing Fusion-io for $1.1 billion in cash.

Fusion-io specializes in SSD, and has major corporations as customers including Apple and Facebook. The company "develops flash-based PCIe hardware and software tools" and has seen strong growth until recently, when it was panned for not diversifying its client base.

SanDisk will quickly move the company into its vertically integrated supply chain and SanDisk CEO Mehrotra says the deal will "position us well in enterprise storage."

Since the company was spending heavily on R&D for PCIe hardware, the new move will prove an immediate synergy.

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AfterDawn: News

Torrent indexer Isohunt releases movie streaming Popcorn Time clone 'IsoPlex'

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Jun 2014 11:37

Torrent indexer Isohunt releases movie streaming Popcorn Time clone 'IsoPlex' Torrent search index site Isohunt has released its own version of the popular Popcorn Time movie and TV streaming service, dubbed IsoPlex.

Popcorn Time and its clients became popular as it offered free streaming, in as high as 1080p quality, of any movie or show you could think of. Of course, this is not legal, but it hasn't stopped Isohunt from releasing their own version.

IsoPlex is available for Windows, Mac and Linux and will offer 1080p, 720p, SD and low quality, depending on your connection and preferences.

As of writing, Isohunt says Plex has access to over one million movies. Once you search for the film or show, you don't even to download it the full way through to start watching.

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AfterDawn: News

Chinese government reveals Microsoft's Android patents

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Jun 2014 11:00

Chinese government reveals Microsoft's Android patents Microsoft, who has long licensed its patents to Android OEMs and takes a piece of a majority of Android devices made, has now had those mystery patents revealed by the Chinese government.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has revealed the 300 patents and applications held by Microsoft, following China's recent approval of their purchase of Nokia's handset business.

Among the list are 73 standard-essential patents, and another 127 that Microsoft claims are currently used in Android. Microsoft is said to be bringing in nearly $1 billion in licensing revenue from Android device makers.

Some of the list includes patents from Nortel, which were acquired as part of the Rockstar Consortium.

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AfterDawn: News

Netflix orders movie, series based on popular Mattel doll franchise

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Jun 2014 10:27

Netflix orders movie, series based on popular Mattel doll franchise Netflix has announced this week that the company has ordered a movie and series based on the hit Mattel doll franchise "Ever After High."

Set for launch in early 2015, the movie "Ever After High Spring Unsprung" will then be followed by a 12-episode animated series.

All Netflix territories will have access to the content.

"The engaging and magical storylines of Ever After High make it a great addition to our growing slate of original kids programming. Mattel has a track record of making high-quality animated programs, and we're excited to extend our relationship, bringing our members the enchanting world of Ever After High," Netflix's chief content officer Ted Sarandos said.

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