Latest Gear Live Videos
Foursquare 5.0 brings new design, improved recommendations, and more
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Social Networking, App Updates, Free Apps,
Foursquare has released a major revision and revamp of its iOS and Android apps, introducing a brand new user interface. Foursquare 5.0 aims to make it easier to find places to go and activities to do, as it now takes into account the time of day, the local weather, and your location before recommending something to do. It also now incorporates a Like button on venues, which it will then use to find more places that it thinks you'll like when you are using the Explore function. You can grab Foursquare 5.0 now from the App Store and Google Play.
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Hands-on video shows off rumored next iPhone design and metal casing
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Design, Handhelds, Rumors, Videos,
Video footage of the purported next-generation iPhone has surfaced today, courtesy of ETrade Supply, a reseller of parts. The video appears to confirm the new iPhone images we posted a couple of weeks ago, showing the two-tone rear metal casing of the next Apple smartphone, as well as a taller profile with larger display. Other changes that seem to be confirmed include the move of the headphone jack from the top of the device to the bottom, larger speakers, and a much smaller dock port. We also see that the SIM card tray in the new model is a bit smaller that the ones Apple has used in the past.
Click to continue reading Hands-on video shows off rumored next iPhone design and metal casing
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Verizon to beginning Samsung Galaxy S III preorder on June 6 for $200
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Corporate News, Google, Handhelds,
Verizon Wireless has announced that it will begin taking pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy S III beginning on June 6. That's right--in two days you'll be able to put your $200 down for the 16 GB Galaxy S III, or $250 if you'd prefer the 32 GB model. The Verizon Galaxy S III will be compatible with its 4G LTE network, and ships with Android 4.0.
Read More | Verizon
Black and white next-gen iPhone leak: Smaller dock, metal rear, larger display, headphone jack moved
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Rumors,
You're looking at what's believed to be the rear panel of the next iPhone (above.) The part was uncovered by iFixYouri, which was tipped off by a "reliable source" at a Chinese parts supplier (the same source who revealed that the iPad 2 would be available in white) who already has the parts for sale. 9to5Mac was able to get even more images of the device.
As you can see in the image, the rear casing matches up quite nicely with recent rumors. We see the rear metal backing (although this is aluminum alloy and not LiquidMetal,) a spot for a much smaller dock connector, and larger speaker grilles as well. In addition, the sides of the device are incorporated into the back piece, and it appears that the headphone jack has been moved to the bottom as well, similar to the iPod touch.
Of course this is all rumor and speculation at this point, and even if real, plans can change at any time. Continue reading for more images!
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AT&T clarifies throttling rules for unlimited data customers
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Broadband, Smartphones, Corporate News,
AT&T stopped offering unlimited data plans for its cell phone customers long ago, but allowed those who already subscribed to such a plan to be grandfathered in. However, recently it's become very obvious that, grandfathered in or not, AT&T wants you off of the unlimited plan, and that they'd annoy you with slow data speeds in an effort to nudge you towards a tiered plan. Some users were seeing their speeds throttled down after using just 2 GB of data on their "unlimited" plans. After enough people complained, and enough press covered it, AT&T has finally decided upon what the throttling rules will be for unlimited data customers. If you have a smartphone that works on our 3G or 4G network and still have an unlimited data plan:
- You'll receive a text message when your usage approaches 3 GB in one billing cycle.
- Each time you use 3 GB or more in a billing cycle, your data speeds will be reduced for the rest of that billing cycle and then go back to normal.
- The next time you exceed that usage level, your speeds will be reduced without another text message reminder.
- If you have a 4G LTE smartphone and still have an unlimited data plan, the same process applies at 5 GB of data usage, instead of 3 GB.
So, there you have it. If you have an unlimited 3G data plan, then you can use up to 3 GB of data in a given billing cycle before your speeds are throttled down to super-slow for the remainder of the cycle. Once a new cycle begins, the process starts again. As for you unlimited 4G LTE AT&T customers, you get 5 GB instead of 3 GB. Kind of horrible, since 4G LTE is supposed to let you get faster data speeds and all the advertisements around it show customers using it to stream movies and TV shows, and yet AT&T is saying if you do that a couple of times, then for the rest of the month your data speeds will be nowhere near what 4G LTE is advertised as.
Leaked images of LG Optimus 3D successor CX2
Posted by John Ball Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Rumors,
Thanks to Pocket Now, we have our first look at what is rumored to be the successor to the LG Optimus 3D, currently known as the CX2. From initial information and pictures, the new phone is not much better than the Optimus 3D, having what seems to be a higher focus on form factor rather than function. With an upgraded CPU that goes from 1.0 GHz dual core to 1.2 GHz dual core, and with 8 GB of internal storage, there is not much difference between the two phones in the hardware department.
The thickness of the device, as it stands right now, is 0.39 inches. That's considerably less than the Optimus 3D at 0.47 inches. The width of the display on the CX2 is around 4.7 inches, which matches the original specifications, although it is said that LG swapped out the original display panel for a brighter one. The last morsel of knowledge that we have right now is that the device will, by default, be running Android 2.3 Gingerbread. We can hope to find out more about this phone next month at the Mobile World Conference.
Verizon Wireless will charge you $2 to pay your bill online
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Corporate News,
Do you pay your Verizon cell phone bill online or by phone? You might want to look into other options, because starting Jan. 15, those methods of payment will include a $2 fee.
As reported by Droid Life, Verizon will impose a $2 "convenience fee" for one-time online and phone payments, starting next month. The move is intended to "balance the support costs" associated with those payment options, Verizon said in documentation posted by the blog.
Users can avoid the fees by signing up for Auto Pay, which makes automatic monthly payments via a major credit or debit card on the same day every month, or when your account reaches a specific dollar amount. With Verizon, the minimum payment is $15 and the max is $250.
Other ways to avoid the $2 fee include: using an electronic check, which will pull the funds directly from your bank account; paying online via your bank's bill pay site; going to a Verizon Store; using a Verizon gift, rebate, or friends and family referral card; or mailing a paper check.
Verizon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Click to continue reading Verizon Wireless will charge you $2 to pay your bill online
Motorola Droid RAZR unboxing gallery
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Cell Phones, Features, Galleries, Handhelds,
Motorola has ressurrected the RAZR from the dead, slapped the Droid branding on it, and has come up with a 7.1mm thin powerhouse. Appropriately called the Droid RAZR, the smartphone has a Gorilla Glass covered 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display and a body made of Kevlar, making it lightweight, water-resistant, and durable. On the inside you've got a dual-core 1.2GHz TI OMAP4430 chip, 8 megapixel camera that records 1080p video, 1 GB RAM, and 16 GB flash storage onboard (and another 16 GB on the included microSD card.) It runs on Verizon's 4G LTE network. so you know, it's fast. We'll be getting a review up soon, but in the meantime, be sure to peep our Droid RAZR unboxing gallery first!
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Is rapid iPhone 4S battery drain due to a time zone check bug?
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones,
Reports have surfaced that the iPhone 4S is home to a battery drain of a bug, and speculation is mounting that the source of the drain is related to the iPhone's Location Services features. And you might be able to blame time zones for that.
Time zones?
"See, it appears that iOS 5′s GM release introduced a bug that causes the Setting Time Zone function to keep the location tracking circuitry running constantly, draining battery power considerably," writes Oliver Haslam of iDownloadBlog. "Switching it off may mean that your iPhone will no longer set its own time zone when you travel, but that's a small price to pay for having your iPhone last more than 12 hours on a full charge."
Of course, with any proposed fix from the Internet, there's still a crop of naysayers who maintain that the time zone feature has nothing to do with the battery drain issue. And we're not just talking about an hour or so cut out of the iPhone's normal standby time: Some iPhone users claim that their devices only last for a few hours, at best, even when they aren't being used to a great degree. That's a far cry from the promised 200 hours of total standby time listed on the iPhone 4S spec sheet.
Click to continue reading Is rapid iPhone 4S battery drain due to a time zone check bug?
Bleeding Edge TV 401: Apple iPhone 4S speed test - AT&T vs. Verizon
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Apple, Cell Phones, Features, Handhelds, Podcasts, Product Reviews, Videocasts, Videos,
In this episode we compare the data speeds of the iPhone 4S, looking at Verizon and AT&T. As has been mentioned by Apple, the GSM version of the iPhone 4S supports the faster 14.4Mbps speeds that AT&T refers to as 4G (not to be confused with 4G LTE, as confusing as that may be.) The Verizon (and Sprint) model of the iPhone 4S doesn't support the faster speeds on those CDMA networks. We also compare the speed using the AT&T Microcell as well, which is a device you can buy from AT&T if you don't get great coverage in your home or workplace to boost your signal strength.
Be sure to also check out our iPhone 4S review, iPhone 4S unboxing gallery, and iPhone 4S video review.
Big thank you to GoToMeeting and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like.
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