• AAPL Company
• Apps
• App Store
• iPhone 6s
• iPhone 6s Plus

Turn your Live Photos into GIFs with new Live GIF app

Cam Bunton Oct 15 2015 - 2:34 am PT

9 Comments

Live Photos is one of the stand-out new features on the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. It captures a short video while you’re taking pictures, which you can then watch back, and interact with using 3D Touch on your Lock Screen. Today, a company named Priime launched a new app which makes them easily shareable and viewable with anyone, regardless of device or platform.

Live GIF is the first app of its kind and lets any iPhone 6s or 6s Plus user turn their Live Photos in to GIFs which can then be shared by MMS, email, or shared on social media. The best part is, it doesn’t really require much setting up. Launch the app and it automatically detects any Live Photos on your phone, displays them in a grid (as shown below). Once you’ve picked one to share, you can choose either to ‘share as GIF’ or ‘share as video’, then select which service you want to share them on, and you’re done.

As you’d expect, Live GIF also supports 3D Touch. On the home screen, this lets you quickly open the last Live Photo and turn it in to a GIF immediately.

Live GIF is available to download from the App Store from today, and costs just $1.99. The app is compatible with any device running iOS 9.0 or later including iPhone 5s, 6, 6 Plus and the new 6s and 6s Plus as well as several iPad models.

• iPhone
• T-Mobile
• Tech Industry
• Deals
• iPhone 6s

T-Mobile brings back its 4 for $120, 10GB-per-line deal

Cam Bunton Oct 14 2015 - 7:52 am PT

6 Comments

T-Mobile is bringing back one of its most popular promotions by — once again — offering four 10GB data lines for $120 total. The offer is available for a limited time from today, and is ideal for data-hungry families needing multiple lines. With no overages, you know exactly what your bill’s going to be every month too.

If you don’t need four lines, you can get two 10GB lines at $50 each:

With #10Gigs4All, two people can get up to 10 GB of 4G LTE each – no sharing required – for just $100 a month. Then, each additional line is just $20 more per person – also with 10 GB of T-Mobile’s blazing-fast 4G LTE. Now, with this promotion, that 4th line is free, bringing the total cost to just $120 per month for a family of four.

As with every Simple Choice plan, customers signing up get access to a host of awesome offers including rollover data for up to 12 months, Wi-Fi calling, unlimited music streaming and unlimited in-flight texting with GoGo. Customers also get unlimited calls to and from Mexico and Canada, as well as the ability to use 4G LTE data from their plan allowances in those countries, unlimited data and texts in 140 countries abroad and unlimited international texts from the US. Compared to the other three carrier options, it looks a fantastic deal:

This news comes just weeks after the carrier announced some killer iPhone deals, where customers were offered the new iPhones for $5 per month if they trade in their old ones.

• Apple News
• Tech Industry
• Android
• HTC
• leaks

HTC One A9 dummy leak gives our best look yet at the unreleased iPhone copy

Cam Bunton Oct 10 2015 - 9:28 am PT

9 Comments

Yet another leak has shown up of the rumored HTC One ‘Aero’, also known as the One A9. Although it’s shown up a few times in the past, never has it been clearer as to where the design influences have come from. HTC is expected to officially unveil the smartphone during a virtual event on October 20. Today’s leak comes via Steve Hemmerstoffer (aka @OnLeaks) and shows the extent to which HTC has gone to be ‘inspired’ by the iPhone 6/6s..

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• iPhone
• Tech Industry
• Verizon
• unlimited data
• 4G LTE

Price increase coming for few remaining Verizon customers on unlimited data plans

Cam Bunton Oct 8 2015 - 8:40 am PT

3 Comments

Verizon iPhone users still clinging on to their grandfathered unlimited data plans will shortly face a $20 price hike. The wireless carrier confirmed to CNET that it plans to raise the price of its old unlimited plan, meaning grandfathered customers will face a monthly data plan charge of $49. The price increase will take place once each individual contract expires…

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• Apps
• iOS
• Apple Music
• Android
• Music

Site claims to be offering Apple Music for Android beta access

Cam Bunton Sep 28 2015 - 6:11 am PT

13 Comments

UPDATE: One of our readers over at 9to5Google, with experience of using Betabound commented the following: “Centercode, who runs Betabound, has been around for over a decade running software/hardware betas. I have been through numerous tests with them. I understand the skepticism but this is a legit company.” Perhaps then, we can be a little less skeptical of the beta test.

Apple surprised the tech world back in June when it announced that its music streaming service, Apple Music, would be making its way cross-platform. Up until then, the company has kept all of its mobile products in-house, and hadn’t offered anything on the Google Play Store except for the ‘Move to iOS’ app – and we all know how that turned out. A company is now claiming that Apple has started beta-testing the Android version of Apple Music.

Members of Betabound.com have received emails inviting them to apply to test Apple’s music app for Android. Little detail is given in the email, except a short paragraph and a linked questionnaire which hopeful testers have to fill in. Betabound, a Centercode company, proudly labels the test as an exclusive.

We’re excited to invite you to come test Apple Music for Android. If you’re a current Android user that would like to join the beta for the new music streaming service, you won’t want to miss this opportunity. To learn more and apply, click the link below. Best of luck! The Betabound team.

Contracting out beta-testing would be a very unusual move for Apple, so we’re skeptical. While it could be suggested that the Android community’s response to its last app prompted Apple to try a much quieter launch this time, we haven’t heard of Betabound, so would be reluctant to take the company’s word for it and hand over the user data it wants in return for claimed access.

• iPad
• iOS Devices
• T-Mobile
• iPad mini
• LTE

T-Mobile starts selling Apple’s new iPad mini 4 w/ LTE for $0 down

Cam Bunton Sep 18 2015 - 8:50 am PT

1 Comment

Competitively pricing Apple’s new tablet, T-Mobile has opened up orders on the LTE-enabled models of the iPad mini 4. Pricing starts at $529 full retail, with $0 down finance options available to well-qualified buyers. From today, customers can order the latest 4G-capable mini from T-Mobile’s online store in all three colors and storage capacities.

16GB – $529.99 full retail – $0 down + $22.08 per month
64GB – $629.99 full retail – $99.99 down + $22.08 per month
128GB – $729.99 full retail – $199.99 down + $22.08 per month

Customers buying the iPad from T-Mobile will be able to take advantage of the carrier’s tablet data plan which — for $10 per month — matches the data on their smartphone plan up to 5GB per month. What’s more, customers will get the usual Un-carrier perks of being able to access 4G LTE in Canada and Mexico, unlimited data and texting in 145 countries abroad and get unlimited music streaming on cellular including Apple Music for subscribers.

If you’d rather pick one up from a brick-and-mortar store, they’ll be on physical retail shelves from September 25th, timed alongside the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus launch.

• iPhone
• T-Mobile
• Tech Industry
• Data
• Roaming

T-Mobile expands Simple Global international texting and data, now includes all of Europe and South America

Cam Bunton Sep 17 2015 - 7:47 am PT

4 Comments

Today T-Mobile announced that its Simple Global Uncarrier move is expanding to cover 20 more countries. That means you can now take your T-Mobile iPhone abroad to anywhere in South America and Europe as well as many other destinations, and not pay any extra for data or texting while you’re there.

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• Apps & Updates
• Apps
• iOS
• iPhone
• App Store
• eBay

eBay 4.0 arrives on iPhone, offers simplified selling and revamped UI

Cam Bunton Sep 8 2015 - 9:09 am PT

4 Comments

In celebration of its 20th birthday, eBay has launched a brand new mobile app with a new focus on selling and a more attractive and intuitive user interface. eBay describes the app as having a “more browsable design” with much easier access to features like top deals, promotions and events. What’s more, the seller dashboard has been refreshed to offer a more personalized look at how well you’re doing and give you relevant tools, tips and guides on how to improve.

Focused on creating more vibrancy in our marketplace, we’ve elevated selling within eBay 4.0, and have designed a more personalized experience based on a seller’s level and activity. The new app offers more information to help first-time and new sellers be successful, and a new dashboard for more regular sellers with at-a-glance activity updates. We are passionate about creating a great experience for our buyers and enabling the continued success for our sellers.

eBay 4.0 offers a new Activity feed giving consumers personalized updates on the objects and goods that are important to them. Alongside that is the new Shop tab, with a bespoke feed of items tailored for each individual user. eBay 4.0 is available to download from the App Store.

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• Apps
• iOS
• HomeKit
• Samsung
• iot

Samsung launches next-gen SmartThings Hub with 10-hour backup battery, new iPhone app

Cam Bunton Sep 3 2015 - 4:38 am PT

3 Comments

SmartThings, Samsung’s answer to Apple’s HomeKit, got some valuable stage time at IFA in Berlin this morning, with the announcement of a brand new SmartThings Hub.

The hardware has been revamped, and no longer needs a connection to the cloud in order to work. What’s more, it’s got a built in backup battery capable of giving you 10 hours use in the event that you have a power cut.  The new Hub is available to order today and was launched alongside a handful of complimentary sensors for tracking water leaks and motion among other things.

Whether you have two smart devices or 200, all you need is one Hub to create a smart home. Like a live-in translator, the Hub communicates with all of your different connected products—regardless of their wireless protocol—so that you can easily monitor and control them from the SmartThings app.

Samsung’s new SmartThings hub has a more powerful processor enabling it to handle video streaming and sensor monitoring tasks without the cloud. With this feature in mind, Sammy also introduced its new Smart Home Monitor which lets users access a continuous vide live-stream and can trigger video recording when something unexpected happens. Only important video is saved for viewing, and early detection enables it to capture the footage before the event.

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As well as new hardware, Samsung has released a new app for iPhone today, with an Apple Watch app expected in the near future. You can organize and control your connected devices by room, view live streaming from cameras and manage the routines right from the app. It’s probably worth noting that although the hub itself has a built-in battery capable of keeping it active during power outages, there’s little point to that feature if all the connected products also require power from the mains.

SmartThings is compatible with nearly 200 products, including the Amazon Echo, and devices from manufacturers like Bose, D-Link and Honeywell. It’s unlikely that many Apple owners will be tempted, but just in case there are, the SmartThings hub is available to buy from today for $99 from SmartThings.com or Amazon, with sensors priced between $30-$55.

• Apps & Updates
• Apps
• iOS
• App Store
• Facebook Messenger
• LinkedIn

LinkedIn revamps messaging experience on iOS with redesigned app

Cam Bunton Sep 1 2015 - 8:41 am PT

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LinkedIn, the popular social network for connecting business people, has announced that its messaging experience is getting a serious design overhaul from today. Unlike the previous inbox, messages will no longer follow a traditional email format. Instead, it’s turned towards a messaging app design similar to Facebook Messenger.

LinkedIn has built everything from scratch, from the ground up with a cleaner, streamlined look with a brand new chat-style user interface. You can chat with contacts individually or send group messages, and conversations are organized around the people who are important to you. What’s more, you’ll be able to send documents, images, stickers, emojis and GIFs in your messages.

Starting today, we are rolling out a new messaging experience on LinkedIn that offers an easier and more lightweight way to have professional conversations with your connections.  We know many of you have been asking for this ability and we’ve taken a thoughtful approach to reflect the evolving ways professionals are communicating with one another today, as well as, the different ways our members are interacting with each other across our international markets.

From today, the new messaging experience will by rolling out to English-speaking LinkedIn members across the globe on iOS, Android and on the web. If you have LinkedIn installed on your iPhone, check the App Store for updates and you should find one waiting for you over the coming days or weeks.

• iOS Devices
• iPhone
• T-Mobile
• Smartphone
• LTE

T-Mobile to clamp down on network abusers, booting them down to lowest Simple Choice plan

Cam Bunton Aug 31 2015 - 4:51 am PT

5 Comments

T-Mobile has announced that it’s going to seriously clamp down on any users using unauthorized methods to get around its tethering cap. Those caught using more data than they should be on the highest tier, unlimited Simple Choice plan will be warned to stop, before being moved down to the entry-level plan. This move is aimed specifically at smartphone users who deliberately break T-Mo’s terms and conditions using workarounds to conceal their tethering usage.

The magenta carrier published an updated FAQ page on its support site stating that some customers have been blowing way past the 7GB tethering limit on the highest Simple Choice plan, some using as much as 2TB (2000GB) of data on their mobile plan. Its biggest concern is the experience created for others. With people using the network so heavily, it can ruin the network performance for everyone else. The carrier has developed software to detect those using workarounds and will initially warn users. If they carry on abusing the network, then they get moved on to a plan with just 1GB data (including tethering).

We’re first warning these customers that they’re illegally using more data than they bought. We hope folks will stop on their own so they can keep their current plan. These customers are on an unlimited 4G LTE smartphone plan that includes a set amount of Smartphone Mobile HotSpot data, but they’re using workarounds to make their tethering look like smartphone usage which helps them use significantly more 4G LTE tethering than their plan includes.

Once they’re on a plan with a set amount of 4G LTE data, it won’t matter what method they use for Smartphone Mobile HotSpot. Once they use their 4G LTE data bucket, they’ll continue to be able to use data at reduced speeds and still never worry about overages.

T-Mobile will start communicating these changes with its customers from today and notes that only a very small percentage of its customers have been discovered to be concealing their tethering. Despite it being a very small fraction of the customer base, it has a “disproportionately negative impact” on the experience for everyone else.

• Apps & Updates
• Apps
• iOS
• iPhone
• Twitter
• App Store

Twitter introduces Music on Vine: Better audio controls and music discovery on Vine app

Cam Bunton Aug 28 2015 - 1:33 am PT

1 Comment

Last night, Vine announced that it’s bringing greater music controls to its popular video-looping app on iOS. While users have always had the ability to include audio of any kind in their Vines, this new update makes it far more precise. The biggest update is a feature called ‘Snap to Beat’ which enables users to more easily create a seamless loop, or perfect loop where you can’t tell the beginning of the audio from the end.

To get Snap to Beat working for you, choose a song by tapping on the music note in the ‘Details’ screen. Snap to Beat automatically identifies how much of the song to use to make a seamless loop, then trims the video to fit that music clip. If you don’t want it happening auto-magically, you can switch off Snap to Beat and edit the audio manually yourself. This gives the user complete control over how much sound to include in the Vine, and which part of the video it should play over.

As a part of Vine’s new-found focus on music, there’s also a new audio discovery tool within the app. First up is a new ‘Featured Tracks’ section which you can explore when you create a new Vine and tap on the music note to add a song. What’s more, you can use Vine to detect what you’re listening to while watching other Vines. If a musical note icon appears beneath a Vine, tap on it, and it’ll show you the name of the track, and the name of the artist performing.

The Music on Vine updates will be rolling out to iOS users from today and will be available to download from the App Store for free.

• AAPL Company
• Accessories
• lg
• Wireless
• Bluetooth Keyboard

LG debuts ‘Rolly’ universal, rollable Bluetooth keyboard

Cam Bunton Aug 27 2015 - 1:13 am PT

2 Comments

In a press release early this morning, Korean tech giant LG announced that it wants to grab a bigger share of the mobile accessories market. It wants to do so with Rolly Keyboard, a wireless, portable, rollable universal keyboard. Opened, it forms a four-row keyboard with close-to full size keys. What makes the keyboard unique is the method by which it’s stowed. Unlike the traditional single fold down the middle, each row of keys has a hinge, enabling the user to roll it up in to a ‘stick’.

Rolly Keyboard is powered by a single AAA battery and uses two Bluetooth 3.0 channels to pair to two separate devices and enable easy-switching between them, similar to the Microsoft Foldable Keyboard we reviewed recently. What’s more, it also features two arms to hold smartphones or tablets upright. It’s made from polycarbonate and black ABS plastic and LG claims it “offers satisfying tactile feedback often not found on flexible silicone keyboards”. Judging from the selection of keys on the device, it seems it’s going to be compatible with multiple platforms, including Apple-flavored devices.

Instead of offering a separate row for extra function keys for tasks like media playback, volume etc. LG has opted to use an individual ‘Fn’ key which — when pressed with a labelled key — will allow users to skip tracks, play/pause, change volume, pair devices and much more. And it won’t be alone on the accessory market his year:

“LG Rolly Keyboard is just one of the many premium input devices we’ll be unveiling in the coming months as we expand our accessories offerings,” said Seo Young-jae, vice president in charge of Innovative Personal Devices at LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “The goal was to create a product that could add more value to LG smartphones and tablets at the same time offering a unique design proposition that hadn’t been explored before.”

LG will show off its Rolly Keyboard at IFA in Berlin at the beginning of next month and launch in the U.S. in September. Pricing and availability details will be shared once it’s available to consumers.

• Apps & Updates
• Apps
• iOS
• iPad
• iPhone
• App Store

Pocket 6.0 rolls out for iPhone & iPad with new Recommendation feature

Cam Bunton Aug 26 2015 - 12:32 pm PT

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Pocket is one of the most popular read-it-later apps available on iOS, and the service is about to get better (or perhaps worse depending on your viewpoint), with the public launch of recommendations. The feature has been tested in beta for some time, and is now officially out in the wild and will be available to users on iOS, Android and on the web. Pocket describes it as “high-quality content without the noise”.

Recommendations takes the absolute best content being saved across Pocket and tailors it to your own saving and reading habits. The result is a feed that’s completely unique and personalized to you, and is filled with the most interesting articles and videos you might have missed otherwise.

Instead of being a collation of the most viewed web pages from the web, recommendations are based on how popular stories are with people with your interests. Since they’re already curated by humans, the company hopes that helps tune out the noise. For instance, if you happen to save a lot of technology articles to read later in Pocket, you’ll be served up tech-based recommendations. What’s more, if you find a recommendation you don’t like, just press the ‘X’ and remove it from your feed.

Recommendations are currently available in English only currently, but the company states that it is working on a wider roll out in more languages. You can download Pocket 6.0 for iPhone and iPad from the App Store for free.