Users can now pay credit card bills with external checking accounts and manage Bill Pay.
The Bank of America app for Android phones has been updated with a few very important features. Users can now make credit card payments using checking accounts at other banks, as long as the external accounts have already been set up using Online Banking (accessible using any web browser -- such as Google Chrome).
The BofA app also gains the ability to add, edit and delete Bill Pay accounts. Money can now be sent through the app using an email address or phone number, with users being able to add their own email address or phone number to receive money. Finally, Platinum Privileges clients get their very own Call Me Now feature as well.
Update now through the Play Store, or download the Bank of America app using the Play Store link above.
Network launching in just three markets, prices and data allowances not specified.
Following in the footsteps of EE which already has LTE available in the U.K., carrier O2 has announced that it will launch its higher speed network as well at the end of August. O2 says that the network will go live on August 29th in London, Leeds and Bradford with a total of 10 cities going live with the network by year's end.
That still puts O2 in a tough position, as EE already operates its network in some 95 markets. Additionally, O2 hasn't given detailed information about the monthly prices or data allowances on LTE plans aside from a quoted "basic" 4G tariff of £26 per month. It's clear that O2 has a long ways to go before it will be drawing anyone to its LTE network.
Available on T-Mobile’s Simple Choice Plan for 24 payments of $10 a month
After seeing releases on both Sprint and Virgin Mobile, a GSM variant of the LG Optimus F3 will now be available on T-Mobile, starting August 7. The carrier is offering a limited-time promotion price of $0 down with 24 equal monthly payments of $10. To take advantage of this deal, customers should be on T-Mobile’s Simple Choice Plan, and are subject to credit approval.
Like the Sprint and Virgin Mobile version, this device comes with a 4-inch IPS screen offering "sharp text and crisp images," a long-lasting 2460 mAh battery, and Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean with LG's own apps suite. Exclusive to this version of the Optimus F3 is T-Mobile's signature WiFi Calling.
The LG Optimus F3 can be found at T-Mobile retail stores, select retailers, and online at www.T-Mobile.com. For more about T-Mobile's latest entry-level phone, see our hands-on with the Sprint version.
The update to Jelly Bean will be sent out to users over-the-air
Pantech Discover owners should be on the lookout for update notifications, because starting today an OTA rollout has begun for Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. This is a significant update from the Discover's launch OS, Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich. Pantech has outlined the key new features of this update below:
Google Now, which will allow Discover users to automatically receive relevant information when they need it based on their interests, activities and habits, including weather, sports, shopping, upcoming events and more; Voice Search, a part of Google Search, lets you launch apps or add meetings to your calendar and provides personal results based on your location, and an expandable and actionable Notification Bar which allows for easier return of calls, sending and scanning multiple emails and sharing photos directly from your notification panel.
Pantech certainly is on a roll with its Jelly Beans, with the Pantech Flex getting a similar update just last month. It's good to see such support for manufacturers.
Are there any other new and notable changes present? How about bugs and problems with updating? Those that have already received the update, sing out in the comments.
We've started building up a list of features that came with the Android 4.3 update, but sometimes it takes a little while to pick up on some of the more subtle changes. With this latest release of Jelly Bean, Google has finally figured out how to hide the status bar clock when your lock screen is displaying a clock — something that seems trivially easy and has been implemented in other mobile platforms for years.
When your lock screen has a clock widget on it (as is the case by default), the status bar will now hide the system clock. If you replace the clock with another widget — say, the Android Central app widget — the status bar clock comes back.
We know, a simple tweak like this shouldn't get us that excited, but as we said sometimes it's the little things that make a difference.
Performance, reliability and security are all improved in the coming update.
The Chrome Releases blog has announced a scheduled over-the-air update for the Chromecast will begin pushing out in the next few days. The update is said to improve reliability, security and performance — things that we always appreciate when they are at their best.
The best part of the news is that you'll never know you're getting the update, and that you don't have to do anything to get it. Like Chrome OS on any of the Chromebooks, the update will be downloaded and applied automatically without telling you or needing your intervention.
Some of us like to know every little version bump, but for the most part seamless updates are appreciated by consumers. Those that want to know can read Android Central, everyone else can just enjoy the enhancements.
Feature first implemented in Google+ app now makes its way to Calendar
An update to Google Calendar is rolling out in the Play Store today that enables a single feature, but it's an important one – notification dismissal sync across devices. First unveiled at Google I/O 2013 as a new service, the notification dismissal sync will clear calendar notifications on all of your other devices as soon as it is dismissed (by swiping or entering the app) on one device.
If the feature sounds familiar, you may recall that Google quickly added it to the Google+ app when it added a redesigned notifications system across both its apps and web. Google is doing its best to lead by example here, and we sure hope that more developers will implement this service into their own apps and keep our notification bars clean(er) — especially with increasing usage of tablets alongside phones.
Putting some Android 4.3 devices to sleep while using Netflix causes freezing
Android Central forums member WwonderLlama has posted about problems he is having using his new Chromecast to watch Netflix:
I just updated my Nexus 4 to [Android] 4.3 via the OTA. That afternoon, I got my Chromecast in the mail. After playing with it for a while, I've found that if I start casting something from my Nexus 4 and lock the screen (just clicking the power button), after a few seconds, the Chromecast audio will stutter and then my Nexus 4 will be hard-locked. I can't get it back without doing a hard reset.
He is not alone, as many people -- specifically those with the Nexus 4 or 2013 Nexus 7 -- are having freezing issues when using Netflix on Android 4.3. Once the app is opened, sleeping the display will lock the device up, forcing a reboot by holding the power button.
Considering the emphasis Google put on Netflix to promote the recently released Chromecast, Google has taken specific interest in finding a solution. Googler Dan Morrill posted on Reddit that "we have top men working on it now." Until these top men send out an update, be sure to keep those Nexus 4 and new Nexus 7 screens on when watching Netflix on Chromecast.
Congrats guys, and enjoy your new Nexus 7 tablets!
We got a bit excited last week when the new Nexus 7 was announced, and ordered a couple of them to give away to our awesome readers. It's a great update to the original, and most everyone seems to think they are the best small-form tablet ever made (so far). We've been using the heck out of ours, and we're glad to help a couple of you guys have one to use the heck out of as well!
Send these two fellows some warm thoughts guys and gals, and we'll get their tablets out to them shortly. Look for more giveaways and contests from us soon, there's nothing we enjoy more than spreading the Android love around.
Show us your best shot of traffic for a chance to win a new phone tripod!
We're getting back into the swing of things with weekly photo contests, and we hope that this will compel more of you to get out there and take some pictures. Practice makes perfect, so let's get to this week's topic.
This week, the subject is "Traffic". We had you show off your best travel photos a couple of weeks back, and now it's time to show off the best representation of the commute -- be it to work or to that vacation spot. Now we don't condone or encourage that you take pictures while driving, so maybe this will be best handled from the passenger's seat of a car or on the sidewalk if you happen to be making a walk past everyone sitting in gridlock.
Entering is easy. Just drop your entry in a post below. Tell us what Android you used to get the picture, and any back story you want to add to it. We'll pick a winner Tuesday (August 6) night at 11:59 PM ET, and announce them on the blog with next Wednesday's contest.
Pictures must be uploaded to the contest thread. I'm not running all over the Internet to track them down.
You have to tell us what device you used to take the picture, and any special software you might have used. Editing your pictures is fine -- this is art.
You must have used a valid email address to register here at AC, so I know how to contact the winner.
adb shell cat /sys/module/pvrsrvkm/parameters/sgx_gpu_clk can never tell a lie
Samsung got caught cheating. It is manipulating benchmark results for the Galaxy S4 by allowing the GPU to run at a higher clock speed and locking the CPU to the max frequency, in a different way than other system processes are allowed to do. They give a few of Samsung's own apps limited time with these higher speeds, but clearly favor some popular benchmark apps. They got caught red-handed by Brian and Anand over at AnandTech — two of the best hardware geniuses in the business — and the Internet is in a tizzy, as the Internet is wont to do.
We've been reading all about it, including the responses of people who are in no way affiliated with any of the involved parties, and now that it's past noon and I've had a few cocktails with lunch I want to write a few words about it.
Under ordinary conditions, the Galaxy S4 has been designed to allow a maximum GPU frequency of 533MHz. However, the maximum GPU frequency is lowered to 480MHz for certain gaming apps that may cause an overload, when they are used for a prolonged period of time in full-screen mode. Meanwhile, a maximum GPU frequency of 533MHz is applicable for running apps that are usually used in full-screen mode, such as the S Browser, Gallery, Camera, Video Player, and certain benchmarking apps, which also demand substantial performance.
The maximum GPU frequencies for the Galaxy S4 have been varied to provide optimal user experience for our customers, and were not intended to improve certain benchmark results.
We remain committed to providing our customers with the best possible user experience.
The problem is, that's not quite true. Anandtech has data that shows Samsung isn't being completely truthful — especially the part where it claims things "were not intended to improve certain benchmark results." It also completely glosses over the part in the code where "BenchmarkBooster" actually names a few popular benchmarking applications that are able to set a special "boost_mode" flag when they are launched.
Maybe this statement came from someone who wasn't familiar with the situation, and it's an honest mistake. That doesn't mean it's not false. And people are going to rightly jump all over Samsung for saying it.
But it doesn't really matter.
Benchmarks suck. I know benchmarks suck, because I have a Galaxy S4 and a Nexus 4 here beside me, and the scores in no way reflect the user experience. They are just numbers for people who like to look at numbers and tell other people that their numbers are bigger than your numbers, or something like that. When I want to know how well any computing device, not just an Android, handles the system and apps we like to install, I turn it on and use it. Something like "25,611" means nothing to me. The fact that your phone got "25,612" also means nothing to me. In fact, we only run benchmark apps when our inboxes won't shut up and stop asking us to run them, and even then only in a momentary lapse of reason. Because they suck.
They're also super easy to manipulate, as evidenced by Samsung's latest gaffe as well as shown here. If you want numbers, just tell me what number you want and we'll make it happen. You still will have no idea what they mean in the real world and how it matters when you want to play Words with Friends of stream porn from the Internet.
Kudos to Anandtech for digging to the bottom of this, and shame on Samsung for playing into the game and then giving a wishy-washy response about it when they got caught. That needs said, so Ill say it. But as for benchmarks themselves, and whatever numbers Samsung's Galaxy S4 can turn in, I don't care, and I don't think you should care either.
A heads-up for newly-upgraded Android 4.3 users in the UK — the BBC Media Player app has been updated with support for the latest version of Google's OS. Previously, users who'd upgraded to 4.3 after downloading the player would've been able to continue using it, but if you tried to download it from Google Play using a 4.3 device you'd be out of luck. (The same applies to the BBC iPlayer app, as it happens.)
The app allows users to stream content from the Beeb through their mobile browser of choice, including BBC iPlayer content on the web. That's significant because the dedicated iPlayer app itself hasn't been updated with Android 4.3 support yet. So if you're coming from a fresh installation of Android 4.3, you can now get BBC video content on your device — you'll just have to use your web browser until iPlayer is updated to support Android 4.3.
As always, we should point out that most of the cool stuff that can be accessed through the BBC's player is still exclusive to TV license fee payers in the UK. If that's you, hit the Google Play link up top to grab the latest version of the app.
New methods and security models have changed the way superuser permissions are handled in Android 4.3
You've probably heard some chatter about root and the latest version of Android, and maybe even heard things like "the death of root" being thrown around. Things have changed, and new security features in Android now limit what processes with superuser privileges can do on the system partition. I'll try to explain some of this as best as I can without throwing around too many words nobody (well, almost nobody) will understand. Some of it's unavoidable, though.
You might need to pour a stiff one for this.
All Android apps fork from a system process known as zygote. In Android 4.3, things were changed and now zygote has a new security policy. Even though we can fork a process with suid (superuser) privileges, the new restrictions limit what we can do with it. This is the entire point of SELinux, which is a good thing for user security. Our new process (think of it as the root app you're trying to run) technically has root access, but it can't actually do anything useful with it. This is a very good way to protect the system from rogue processes that you don't want — as in potential ZOMGMALWARE — to have access to everything.
There are two ways being talked about to work around this new set of security policies. One is that root access through the shell — where you've connected your phone to a computer and use the command line to communicate — still works fine. You can elevate your user status, and do the same things you could always do through adb. And chances are pretty slim that'll not happen without you knowing it.
A daemon is a background process that isn't under direct control of the active user. It runs quietly, waiting for the time it's needed to do something useful. When it's called, it does what it was designed to do, then goes back into hiding. An su daemon needs to be invoked during the system initialization, which becomes a sticking point for hacking root access into "stock" ROMs.
The Android implementation shipping with [the] Nexus doesn't look for additional policies in /data/system/sepolicy like the CyanogenMod and upstream indicate it should. It loads the /sepolicy file from ramdisk and calls it a day.
You need — at a minimum — a modified boot image to start a custom daemon on your Android device. That's not a problem with something like CyanogenMod, but that means that you're flashing something other than stock to make it happen. Flashing custom images, kernels and ROMs is something that a lot of people just don't want to do.
So that's where we are. The biggest names in the Android community are hard at work to get things all sorted, but there's a very good chance that root, the way you know root today, will require you to flash custom firmware above and beyond the SU app and binary. It's a good thing that Android is moving to a more secure security model, and you'll just have to learn a little more about how your system works and how to modify it to get it in the condition you want — which in the end is another good thing.
Google knows users want things like superuser permissions. There's a very good chance it will address these issues somehow, either by requiring root for less things or by building a solution into Android itself. If you run Linux or OSX on your computer, you know that having a home folder lets you do most things without elevating any permissions. Maybe Google will move towards this direction. Or maybe they will add superuser functions into Android in the developer options. In the meantime, they will continue to make completely unlockable Nexus phone for users who want or need to flash custom firmware — and folks like the developers at CyanogenMod (and elsewhere) will continue to build it.
Current users have until the shut down date to download their data through Catch.com
After years of service to its web and mobile users, Catch Notes has made the difficult decision to shut down its services. One of a growing number of free note-taking apps, Catch Notes offered the capturing of voice, photo, and text for use online and offline, as well as checklists, reminders, and collaboration between friends.
Service will shut down after August 30, which is why the company urges all users to download their data from the Catch.com website before the deadline. Full directions are available at the Catch Help Center.
Disenfranchised users will likely be looking for other services to replace their beloved Catch. Evernote offers free and subscription-based services, while Springpad offers all of its services free of charge. There is also Google's official app Keep, which offers a simpler solution. Check out the Applications Forum for more ideas.
Catch has made the difficult decision to take the company in a different direction. As such, we will be terminating service next month. We value our users and have greatly enjoyed providing Catch to millions of people over the last several years, but it is time for us to move on.
Catch will no longer be available after 30 August 2013. Please follow these directions to download your data before this time.
We thank you for your support. If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at support@catch.com. We apologize if we are not able to respond to all emails.
by Rene Ritchie, Daniel Rubino, Kevin Michaluk, Phil Nickinson
Our smartphones and tablets are increasingly becoming repositories of our personal information. It's a treasure trove of data that could be used to build a frighteningly complete picture of you as a person. It's more than just your contacts, calendar, memos, and photos - it's your web history, your calls and text messages, your banking data and social network logins.
People say "my whole life is on my phone", and while that hopefully isn't entirely true (time to reevaluate your priorities if it is), an increasingly large portion of our lives - or at least the data that comprises it - is finding residence on these devices. So just how are we going about keeping it all secure?
How do we deal with the threat of the less-than-thoughtful people around us, let alone the government's intrusions? How do we keep our devices and the accounts on them secured? And how do we train our children, the ones that are growing up in a world where ubiquitous internet is a fact of life, to understand the real threats that exist on the internet and how to protect themselves?
Let's get the conversation started!
Who’d have thought Little Brother would end up being just as big a threat to our privacy and security as the classic, Orwellian Big Brother? Yet now we live in a world where not only do clandestine government surveillance programs track us beyond all reasonable bounds of decency and legality, where we not only have to worry about our rights being violated by the state or some shadowy department thereof, but we have to worry about every jerk with a mobile device recording our image, voice or video.
There are benefits to ubiquitous mobile recording devices, to be sure. Be they phone, tablet, or wearable, the ability for everyone and anyone to capture real-time news and record events as-they-happen is invaluable to history, journalism, and even law enforcement. If we, as humans, were perfect, with unimpeachable morality, unassailable ethics, and unquestionable motivations, it could be the single greatest advancement for society, not just technology, that we’ve enjoyed since the printing press.
We’re the assholes who find as many deplorable, despicable, desolate ways to abuse these breakthroughs.
But we’re not. We’re the assholes who snap pictures of each other in changing rooms, who post videos of kids pretending they have lightsabers, who wrongly identify bystanders as suspects, who release recordings of people famous and unknown at their worst, and who find as many deplorable, despicable, desolate ways to abuse the breakthroughs we’ve achieved as we do exemplary, meritorious, and glorious. In many ways our fellow humans are worse than Big Brother - it's not often that we worry about the government publicly elevating-by-demolishing our reputation with a compromising photo or video.
The power provided by modern mobile recording technology brings out both the best and worst of us. Every moment where the deaf can video chat or the blind can use voice control or parents can see their children or loved ones can hear each other’s voices from across the globe is purchased by an equal and opposite moment of tyranny, betrayal, and bullying.
It’s not the technology we need to worry about. It’s not even each other. We have control over neither. It’s ourselves. The only way to avoid worrying about “Little Brother” is for each of us, every day, every hour, to refuse to be a “Little Brother” that needs to be worried about.
In other words, to quote Wheaton’s law: Don't be a dick.
The issue of computer security is will increasingly grow more complicated and imperative as we place more and more of our personal lives “online” or in the cloud. From banking to travel information, shopping history to browser syncing, the amount of information we share and enter online is simply staggering. But how do we best to protect that information?
Tried and true methods from years ago still apply today, including using unique passwords, having those passwords utilize alpha-numeric variations (e.g. upper and lowercase, special characters, and numbers), not storing them in an unencrypted file, and certainly not using a short and simple password.
Today there are a few password manager apps like LastPass and KeePass that work across traditional desktop operating systems and browsers, and even smartphones like Android, iOS and, Windows Phone. These password lockers can do the work for you in entering your account information as the user only needs to remember one long master password. Of course, such a scenario also means all of your passwords are listed somewhere and in theory, it can be hacked in one fell swoop.
Features such as two-factor authentication are becoming more widespread, though not optional. Two-pass authentication requires the user to enter in a password but the service may also call or send a text message to your cell phone with a unique-for-this-login security code that you also need to enter. Such methods, while a bit clumsy, go the extra step in making sure you are really you.
Another method is the use of a physical “key” like YubiKey, which requires the user to connect the device up to their computer to “login” to services like LastPass. Two-factor security models dramatically amp up the effort required to access your secured accounts and data, though you pay for that security with diminished convenience.
The more security stratums you have in place, the better.
And really, that is the secret right there: layers. The more security stratums you have in place to protect your information, the better off you will be. There may never be a single solution — even biometrics are a mixed bag these days — which means it will be up to the user to throw up roadblocks to the would be hackers of the world.
Security on mobile still sucks. We're limited to entering numbers for a PIN lock or maybe a real password or tracing a pattern on a little touchscreen, or taking a picture of our own face, just to unlock our devices. Add up the hours spent in a year by humans trying to enter passwords on mobile devices, and you’d get a ridiculously big number.
Since password entry on mobile by-and-large sucks, people often dumb down their passwords, making them less secure. They turn to password managers which often don’t have the same capabilities on mobile as they do on the desktop, or just turn off or save all the passwords they can, resulting in phones and tablets that, if lost or stolen, are totally unprotected.
That doesn’t even take two-step or multi-factor authentication into account. Ever watch a normal person try to use that? It’s like watching a puppy be subjected to torture.
Security on mobile, for individuals, is horrible. It needs to be fixed, and that fix has to come from the OS makers. It has to be baked in, and it has to be as strong and as convenient as possible.
So how do we get there? Basic password management has to be built into the platform at the system level, so it can be everywhere and access everything. Think 1Password or Lastpass at their most basic level, usable by all the built-in and third-party apps. Any time anything on my phone or tablet needs a password, the system-wide manager should pop up, take my master password, fill in the specific account information, and let me get on about using my device.
Basic password management has to be built in at the system level.
It should also be abstracted enough that while, for now, a master password unlocks everything. One day biometrics can take its place and a fingerprint or iris scan can take on that job.
Identity is becoming a big deal on the internet. Proving who we are will be the key to online commerce. Mobile is going to play a big part in that. Once security in mobile works, your phone can prove who you are, and then unlock other services and devices around you. Just like you show a drivers license or passport today, mobile will be the ID tomorrow.
That’s why mobile security has to be improved now. It has to be made simple, and it has to be made seamless.
It’s time for a new digital revolution. The 1980s in America were the “Just say no” years in the fight against drugs. In the 1990s, it was all about safe sex education. The proliferation of the Internet — and moreover, broadband Internet — of the aughts brought us all together like never before, but often in nameless, faceless ways. Those were easier times and our advice to children and adults could be summed up with the likes of “Don’t tell people your real name,” and, “Don’t give out your address.”
But we now live in a time in which sharing anything and everything isn’t just accepted — it’s expected. And if you take a minute to think about that, it's truly terrifying.
“Put it on Facebook, Dad!” is a constant cry in my house.
“Put it on Facebook, Dad!” is a constant cry in my house. Kids want to see and be seen. Nothing wrong with that, of course. That’s why all these social networks exist.
But someone has to teach our children that not everything needs to or should go online. That starts, as it should, with the adults. Computers and tablets should be in common rooms of the home. They should be password protected. Children should only use them under supervision. And they should be taught to, above all else, not be afraid to ask questions and to ask for help.
Privacy and personal security has to start with other basic Internet skills. Hell, it needs to be the No. 2 item on any how-to list, right after “Press the power button.”
Parents and guardians are only part of the battle. Teaching online safety and security has to be part of school curriculum as well. And in a growing number of schools, it is. That doesn’t mean parents can give up the responsibility of making sure our children know when it’s OK to share, and when some things need to stay private. But we gladly welcome the help.
One of the most important things for us to do is monitor what our kids are doing and where they're doing it.
- Georgia / Therapist, Host of ZEN & TECH
With everything we keep on and do on our mobile devices, keeping it all secure can be a struggle - mentally and physically. Understanding the threats that exist on the internet and how to avoid them, is an evolving challenge. Grappling with securing our devices, data, and accounts is also a challenge.
The most important aspect is physical security. All bets are off if you lose control. A determined and knowledgeable individual can circumvent nearly any software lock. But a simple PIN or pattern lock can deter more basic shenanigans.
Two-factor authentication provides another layer of security - more layers being better - but each layer introduces additional complexity and failure points. We don't want security so intense that it blocks us from our own devices. Perhaps biometrics will fill that role, providing near-infallible authentication, but not today.
Our children have to be raised with the same healthy fear and respect of the internet as they are of strangers and dark alleys. Most people on the internet are inherently good, but there are enough who will do us harm without a second thought.
When you think about it, the internet can be a scary place. Just how do we stay in the clear when the nastiness is lurking around the next hyperlink?
Protect your Nexus 4's fragile exterior and pick up some style points at the same time.
The Nexus 4's design has a lot of great features, but one of them isn't durability. With big plates of glass on both sides of the device and easily scuffed plastic around the sides, we wouldn't blame you one bit for wanting a case wrapped around it. Or like many of us, you may have gone without a case on your Nexus 4 at first, and now about 6 months in it has picked up some wear and is in need of a little facelift.
Seidio makes many great cases, and it now offers what is called the SURFACE kickstand case for the Nexus 4, and it's designed to take a beating and add a little bit of functionality and style while it does it. Read along after the break for a closer look.
Like many hard shell cases, the Seidio SURFACE kickstand case attaches to the phone by coming in two pieces — the top two-thirds and bottom one-third — that slide over the ends of the phone and attach in the middle. The downside is having a seam where the two halves meet, but fortunately the placement means you'll likely never run your fingers across it. It also seals plenty tight so that it won't snag on clothing.
The case is a hard plastic with a soft touch coating, which along with the increased thickness gives your Nexus 4 an additional bit of grip. That thickness doesn't get in the way of the ports and buttons, which have adequately sized openings around them save for the charging port which interfered with just one of our many USB cables. The lip created by the case around the screen is just high enough to protect the screen when placed face-down, but not big enough to cause any usability issues — a tough balance to strike.
A little bonus can be found on the back of the case, and that is of course the kickstand which props the device up at an angle that is good for watching longer content while sitting on a table. The kickstand is made of some sort of metal material, and has a satisfying click when it is opened and closed. The mechanism is well shrouded to prevent accidental openings as well.
OK, boys and girls. We're in the home stretch now. Just four Chromecasts remaining on our desk, and one of them can be yours today.
We're declaring this "No-hoop Hump Day." To enter to win, just leave a comment on this post. We'll collect 'em through midnight PDT (anything after that won't count) and pick a winner in the morning.
And congrats to the winners of the first two days — Ben in Utah and Ray in Houston! Your Chromecasts are on their way!
Samsung will launch new variants of its Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S4 Mini handsets with dual-mode TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE connectivity, the company has announced. While current LTE networks are primarily based upon FDD-LTE the standard, Samsung's new devices will be able to operate on these networks in addition to TDD-LTE networks expected to launch soon in Asia and Eastern Europe.
Samsung said its new dual-mode LTE Galaxy S4s will be the first handsets to market to support "seamless handover" between the two standards, with "continuous and seamless voice and data communications even as the devices switch between two different types of LTE networks." While Samsung hasn't specified which countries will be getting these new dual-mode handsets, smooth handover between the two standards will be particularly important in markets where both TDD and FDD are deployed.
Samsung Announces GALAXY S4 and GALAXY S4 mini
With the world’s first TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE Seamless Handover Technology
Samsung accelerates global LTE market possibilitieswith world’s first commercial dual-mode LTE handover devices
Seoul, Korea – Jul 31, 2013 – Samsung Electronics today announced the world’s first commercial devices capable of TDD-LTE (Time-Division Duplex) and FDD-LTE (Frequency Division Duplex) seamless handover technology. Samsung will launch TDD/FDD Dual Mode LTE versions of the Samsung GALAXY S4 and Samsung GALAXY S4 mini, which will enable continuous and seamless voice and data communications even as the devices switch between two different types of LTE networks.
“Samsung continues to accelearate global LTE market deployment, addressing technical challenges faster than anyone else. With today’s TDD/FDD LTE seamless handover devices announcement, Samsung again demonstrates the company’s commitment to driving better, more convenient customer experiences,” said JK Shin, co-CEO and president of the IT & Mobile division of Samsung Electronics. Shin added, “The first commercially available TDD/FDD seamless handover devices will allow customers to fully enjoy the benefits of fast mobile data communications no matter where they are.”
While the majority of the global LTE market is based on FDD-LTE technology, TDD-LTE, the alternative LTE technology, is expected to see increased adoption in the US, China, Australia, Middle East, Northern and Eastern Europe, and Southwest Asia, and to gain a more pronounced position in the global LTE market. Seamless handover between FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE networks is a critical feature for end-user customers and mobile operators, especially in markets where the both technologies are deployed.
As a market pioneer in LTE technology, Samsung’s new support of seamless handover with the GALAXY S4 will enable even more convenient, ultra-fast mobile data communications, and provide users with smooth and seamless data communication without delays or interruptions while browsing or on calls during network handover. In addition, the seamless handover will enable a true global LTE roaming solution, enabling users to enjoy fast and rich multimedia data communication wherever they are. For mobile operators, use of both TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE frequencies can help them effectively manage data traffic and sustain quality of service. For example, mobile operators can allocate data traffic from FDD-LTE frequency to TDD-LTE frequency when FDD-LTE frequency is heavily loaded.
Samsung is the first player in the global mobile industry to provide dual-mode (TDD-LTE/FDD-LTE) smartphones.
Samsung will continue to launch TDD-LTE devices in other markets throughout third quarter.
Samsung's LTE Innovation
Samsung's innovation in the LTE market is driven by the company’s determined investment in LTE technology and launching of various LTE-enabled devices.
Samsung was the world’s first to showcase LTE technology in 2008, and has been leading the market expansion and technology standardization for high speed mobile data communication ever since. After launching GT-B3710 Dongle, the world’s first commercial LTE device, the company went on to introduce Craft, world’s first LTE mobile phone, to the US market in 2010.
In 2012, GALAXY S III, world’s first device supporting VoLTE technology was introduced, and in June, GALAXY S4 LTE which enables LTE-A communication service twice as fast as the standard LTE, was launched.
Samsung is driving the popularization of the global LTE market by launching over 60 million LTE devices for over 150 mobile carriers in 50 countries across the globe.
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1GB, unlimited calls and texts for £30, 2GB for £40 on new PAYG plans
Vodafone UK has announced some new additions to its Pay As You Go line-up today. The new "Vodafone Red Freedom Freebee" gives customers unlimited calls and texts — much like the contract-based Vodafone Red service — with the option of 1GB of data for £30, or 2GB for £40. That's a large amount of money to be spending on a pre-paid service plan, but it also gets you access to a greater data allowance than some other carriers are offering, in addition to unmetered calls and texts.
Vodafone has also tweaked its other PAYG offerings, allowing customers to get unlimited texts on a £10 "Freebee" deal, as well as 1GB of data from a £20 bundle.
The operator's PAYG announcements follow the launch of new, competitive pre-paid prices from rival Three.
At this point, many of the Moto X's hardware and software features have already been the subject of extensive online leaks. It's a little surprising, then, to see Motorola's upcoming handset hiding one more surprise — a nano-SIM tray. The photo on the left was snapped by GSM Insider in Hong Kong, and clearly shows a smaller SIM tray and matching nano-SIM card alongside the unreleased device. (That's as opposed to the slightly larger and more common micro-SIM standard.)
Currently the only mainstream smartphone to use the nano-SIM standard is Apple's iPhone 5. Earlier in the year ASUS' quirky Padfone Infinity became the first Android handset to rock a nano-SIM.
The possible use of a nano-SIM slot in the Moto X raises a few questions, not least of which is how the decision benefits Motorola. The Moto X doesn't appear significantly more compact than other Android phones, most of which use micro-SIMs. The hassle involved with changing (or trimming down) SIM cards could also pose an obstacle to would-be Moto X buyers.
Motorola's launch event is just a day away, in any case, and we're sure any remaining questions will be addressed at tomorrow's NYC gathering.
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