Jul 25
We’ve all misplaced our cell phone and spent what seems like hours searching for it—but some people take losing handsets to a whole new level. Chances are, you’ve never lost a phone as impressively as the people that feature in these stories.
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Jul 23
If you recall, the day after AT&T unveiled its Next upgrade plan, which allows users to pay for a device monthly with various terms for upgrading, T-Mobile sent out some vocal statements challenging the program. This spiraled into a sort of back-and-forth bickering betwixt the carriers, each lauding their respective programs, and now T-Mobile has fired off another jab at its competitor, tossing Verizon’s recently unveiled Edge plan into the mix.
The jabs come in the form of two print ads, one of which goes out today, and another that is slated for release on Thursday. In the ads, T-Mobile features some snippets from various media sources that have likewise criticized AT&T’s Next plan, calling it “underhanded,” “sneaky,” and other sorts of passive jabs. In addition, the company’s CEO Mike Sievert also gave a lengthy criticism of both AT&T Next and Verizon’s Edge.
Said Sievert: “Had AT&T with “Next” and Verizon with “Edge” really taken our lead and unveiled offerings worthy of serious consumer consideration, we’d have to give them credit … On the surface, their programs look okay. For the first time, these old guard phone companies seemed to be acknowledging that a certain segment of customers hates being locked into the same phone for 730 days. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll see they don’t get it at all. Or they don’t want to.”
Under AT&T Next, subscribers have an option of taking on a device without down payment for a monthly fee, which ranges from $15 to $50. The payments must be made for the duration of 12 months, at which point the device can be turned in for an upgrade, or for 20 months if the user wants to keep the device. Using the GALAXY S 4 as an example, which has a monthly price tag of $32, the subscriber would end up paying $640 total if they chose to keep the device, or $384 for 12 months.
Under Verizon’s Edge, users can get a device and have the full retail price of the handset spread over 24 months. If the user wants to upgrade, they can do so at the 6 month point, being required to pay half the cost of the smartphone’s full retail price.
T-Mobile’s criticism of these plans is that they fail to factor a discount into the monthly service price that results from the carrier not having to subsidize the price of the handset by using a contract. With a contract, the cost of the phone is reduced and rolled into the monthly price for the duration of the contract. Without the subsidization – meaning when consumer’s pay full retail price for the phone – the natural assumption is that the monthly price for the plans should decrease to reflect this. And that is where the crux lies.
SOURCE: T-Mobile
T-Mobile calls out AT&T Next again, criticizes Verizon Edge is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jul 22
In spite of iOS and Android’s quest towards world domination, it’s easy for us overprivileged first-world residents to forget that the spread of the smartphone doesn’t affect everyone. In fact, only half of all mobile phones shipped in 2013 are expected to be smartphones. The rest are the slower, clunkier, and exponentially cheaper devices officially known as feature phones but more commonly dismissed as dumbphones. Careful, though. They’re smarter than you think.
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Jul 19
Cell phone data collection by law enforcement requires warrant, rules New Jersey
Posted in: Today's ChiliNew Jersey saw a bill proposal surface last month that would allow law enforcement to confiscate a cell phone at the time of a crash to investigate whether a driver was distracted, leading to the incident. Such a proposal caused quite a bit of backlash, but at least one area in the state’s battle between police needs and consumers’ privacy has been resolved: a warrant must be obtained to get cell phone location data, according to a ruling.
The ruling came down from the New Jersey Supreme Court today, and with it is a requirement for law enforcement to acquire a warrant in order to get tracking information about a cell phone from the owner’s carrier. Montana was the first state to require such a measure, and California nearly became the second before it was vetoed by the governor under the grounds that it didn’t meet the needs of both law enforcement and citizens.
According to the state’s supreme court, which ruled unanimously in favor of requiring a warrant, by entering into a contract with a carrier, the subscriber can “reasonably expect” that the private data resulting from their handset usage will remain private. Part of the ruling came in part from a US Supreme Court ruling in 2012 declaring it unlawful for law enforcement to place a GPS unit on a car without having a warrant. Says New Jersey, a smartphone functions in the same way.
Chief Justice Stuart Rabner said: “Using a cellphone to determine the location of its owner can be far more revealing than acquiring toll billing, bank, or Internet subscriber records. Details about the location of a cellphone can provide an intimate picture of one’s daily life and reveal not just where people go … but also the people and groups they choose to affiliate with. That information cuts across a broad range of personal ties with family, friends, political groups, health care providers and others.”
The case cited one example where tracking information from a cell phone was used by law enforcement without a warrant, leading to the arrest of an individual discovered in a motel room with the goods he had stolen from various homes. The court has pushed the issue of whether an “emergency aid exception” to the ruling will be admissible to an appeals court.
SOURCE: The New York Times
Cell phone data collection by law enforcement requires warrant, rules New Jersey is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jul 18
The government has called on handset makers to implement technology that will potentially reduce the instances of smartphone thefts, which are increasingly on the rise. Several makers were sent an open letter months ago by New York Attorney General Schneiderman, as well as District Attorney George Gascón of San Francisco, criticizing them for not taking a more proactive approach to the issue.
Now two of those companies – Apple and Samsung – are having their anti-theft technology put to the test at a meeting under the Secure Our Smartphones (S.O.S) Initiative. The devices being tested are Apple’s iPhone 5 and its Activation Lock, and Samsung’s GALAXY S 4 and its Lojack for Android. The meeting was underway today in San Francisco.
Said the two in a statement: “While we are appreciative of the efforts made by Apple and Samsung to improve security of the devices they sell, we are not going to take them at their word. Today we will assess the solutions they are proposing and see if they stand up to the tactics commonly employed by thieves. Together, we are working to ensure that the industry embeds persistent technology that is effective, ubiquitous and free to consumers in every smartphone introduced to the market by next year.”
The meeting includes reps from the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center, more commonly known as NCRIC, according to the statement. Under the test, the smartphones in question will be “treated” like they were stolen, presumably with the security features being utilized to demonstrate what the result would be. There’s no word yet on whether either of them satisfied the state and federal ambitions for the technology.
Although California and New York are being most vocal about the move, the S.O.S Initiative is a national coalition that is enjoying participation from public safety activists, various DAs and AGs, city comptrollers, law enforcement, and consumer advocates. All of this follows the launch of a stolen cell phone database that went live in the US in October 2012.
SOURCE: NY AG
iPhone 5 and GALAXY S 4 anti-theft technology put to test is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jul 18
Late last year, allegations had surfaced regarding Chinese handset makers ZTE and Huawei, with claims being tossed around that they were spying on behalf of the Chinese government. Both makers rejected the claims, and Huawei went on to offer unrestricted access to its software code in an effort to prove its innocence. Nearly a year later, and now former CIA boss Michael Hayden has spoken out, stating that Huawei did provide information to the Chinese government.
On October 17, a source had cropped up over at Reuters claiming that a White House review in the matter found no evidence indicating that Huawei was spying for China. The probe, according to the sources, had found risky vulnerabilities with the maker’s products, but no evidence that espionage was taking place. It was never specified whether those vulnerabilities were believed to be intentional.
All was quiet on the matter for awhile, but now former CIA boss Michael Hayden has spoken up about the issue in a lengthy interview with the Australian Financial Review. When asked specifically about whether he’d ever had any “direct exposure” with Huawei, Hayden responded:
Two or three years ago Huawei was trying to establish a pretty significant footprint here in the United States. And they were trying to get people like me – as the former head of NSA and the CIA – to endorse their presence in the US. To serve on their local board, or to have some other kind of commercial relationship with them.
I reviewed Huawei’s briefing paper, which said all the right things. One could almost honestly judge that were actually trying to genuinely put my mind at ease.
But God did not make enough briefing slides on Huawei to convince me that having them involved in our critical communications infrastructure was going to be okay. This is not blind prejudice on my part. This was my considered view based on a four-decade career as an intelligence officer.
My conclusion was that, “No, it is simply not acceptable for Huawei to be creating the backbone of the domestic telecommunications network in the United States, period.” And frankly this is where I think the state has a role to play – to ensure we don’t make decisions that compromise the foundations of our national security.
Following a brief discussion about the telecommunications industry, Hayden was asked outright whether he felt Huawei was a threat to the security of the United States and Australia, he said that he does. He also states that he believes there is “hard evidence” showing that the maker has engaged in espionage for China. He says it is his belief that, at a minimum, Huawei provided China with “intimate and extensive knowledge” on the telecommunications systems it works with.
When asked if he knew of any instances of backdoors and other specific things, he repeatedly claimed being unable to provide answers and direct knowledge. What he does reveal, however, is very interesting, not only the topic of Huawei, but also of other recent happenings, including the PRISM leak and how it is viewed from someone who was so deeply entrenched within the system. You can read the entire interview yourself, which is fairly long, over at the AFR.
VIA: Financial Times
SOURCE: Australian Financial Review
Huawei accused of spying for China by former CIA boss is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jul 16
Yesterday, AT&T revealed its Next plan, which allows for monthly device payments on a new smartphone or tablet annually, with monthly prices falling between $15 and $50. If the first thing that popped in your mind was “T-Mobile” when the plan was announced, you’re not the only one, and now the latter carrier has stepped forward with some biting things to say about AT&T Next.
Under AT&T’s new plan, new and current customers will be able to grab a new tablet or smartphone every year, doing so without a down payment or fees. Instead, the cost of the device will be spread over the course of 12 months or 20 months, depending on what the subscribers chooses. The program requires at least 12 months of device payments after which point the device can be traded in or kept.
If kept, the subscriber will have to make payments on it for another 8 months, bringing the total number of payments to 20. The monthly device charge will depend on the device that is selected, with the Samsung GALAXY S 4 costing users $32 per month. As such, the total cost of the device under the program would be $640 if the subscriber chose to keep it.
Such device payments are on top of the regular monthly plan payments, and work out to higher device rates than what you’d get by taking on a full 24-month contract and gaining the subsidization that comes with that. Today we spoke with a T-Mobile spokesperson who has responded to AT&T Next, saying that “while imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, AT&T has gotten it all wrong. Their offering is a terrible deal for consumers.”
“AT&T has separated the cost of the phone and the rate plan, but they forgot to pass on the monthly service plan savings to the customer. Instead, customers are paying the same high monthly service bill, but with no device subsidy. That means customers in this program will essentially pay for their phone twice!”
To put it simply, when a customer receives a subsidization on the price of a device, that discounted rate is reflected in the price of the monthly plan fee. If that subsidization is not in place, then the cost of the monthly plan should be lower, which is the approach T-Mobile took. This isn’t the case with AT&T Next, however, with subscribers paying the same monthly prices they normally would, but also shelling out the full price for the phone.
T-Mobile lambastes AT&T Next with claim that it is “all wrong” is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jul 11
We got our hands on the Kyocera Hydro Edge back in May (as well as the Hydro XTRM), with the word being at the time that it would be rolled out to the US market soon. Several weeks later, and both Boost Mobile and Sprint have announced the availability of the Hydro Edge, a waterproof handset aimed at those who want a budget handset with a bit of environment protection.
The Hydro Edge features a 4-inch display with a resolution of 480 x 800, as well as a 1GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and a 1600 mAh battery. Around back, users will find a 5-megapixel camera with an LED flash with video recording capabilities. Connectivity includes Bluetooth 4.0, and the handset runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean.
The handset was designed to be a bit “rugged,” and as such the display is impact-resistant in addition to the handset being waterproof. Overall, the specs aren’t anything that stands out among other offerings, but this does represent a waterproof handset in the budget range for those who need it, as well as being offered on a prepaid network.
On Boost Mobile, buyers will be able to use the device on the carrier’s contract-free Android Monthly Unlimited plan, which is, as the name suggests, a plan offering unlimited talk, text, and data. The device is currently available for pre-order, making it the first to be offered in such a manner by the carrier. Pricing is at $149.99, and will be available in retail stores in August.
The device will also be offered on Sprint via the Truly Unlimited plan, with a price of $19.99 with a two-year contract.
SOURCE: Boost Mobile
Kyocera Hydro Edge now available from Boost Mobile and Sprint is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jul 03
Nokia has unveiled three new candy bar-style cell phones, the Nokia 207, 208, and 208 Dual SIM. All three handsets are small, clean-looking phones available in four different colors offering 3G connectivity with a low price tag. The phones are aimed at users who want an alternative to their smartphone, or who are updating from an older phone but wish to stick with a non-smartphone offering.
Though the cell phones resemble the network-lacking candy-bar phones of days mostly gone by, they offer some features sorely needed on modern handsets, among them being Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity, microSD storage exapansion up to 32GB, and 3G data network support. The 208 models of the phone also offer a 1.3-megapixel camera, while the 207 lacks a camera for those who need a handset in camera-restricted locations. In addition, the SIM is a micro slot, so users can pop their card from a smartphone and use these handsets as a cheap backup.
There’s 258MB of flash memory, a 1020mAh capacity battery (12 hours talk time, one month standby), micro USB slot, AHJ headphone support, and a standard 3.5mm AV port. The display measures in at 2.4-inches with a QVGA resolution, and while that isn’t particularly notable, it is large enough to make Web browsing and app usage doable. The 207 model weighs just under 90 grams, while the 208 models weigh just a tad over that.
For browsing the Web, the handsets include the Nokia Xpress Browser, which compresses data. There are also some pre-installed applications, among them being Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and YouTube, with additional software options being available via the Nokia Store. In addition, the cell phones are enabled to function as a USB mobile data modem.
As far as design goes, Nokia says the three models are “splash-proof”, and that the keys have no gaps between them, preventing debris build-up over time. The colored part of the handsets are a removable shell, so users can swap their current color for a different one whenever they want. The three versions of the phone will be available in black, white, red, and cyan, and will be priced at about $68. Shipping starts sometime in Q3 of this year.
SOURCE: Nokia
Nokia unveils 207, 208, and 208 Dual SIM budget 3G cell phones is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jun 28
Nokia Trade-Up program offers Lumia discount for swapping in an old cell phone
Posted in: Today's ChiliNokia is attempting to earn some new Lumia converts by announcing its new Nokia Trade-Up Program, which is a clever title saying between the lines that, “No matter you turn in, you’re trading up.” Under the program, current smartphone owners who have grown tired of their old, possibly beat-up handsets can turn them in, buy
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