expansion

• Apps & Updates
• Apps
• iOS
• iPhone
• How-to
• Facebook

Facebook Messenger’s free video calling now available worldwide

After adding support for a new cross-platform video chat service through its Facebook Messenger mobile apps, Facebook has now announced that the feature is rolling out to all worldwide.

The feature first launched back in April for users on iOS and Android in Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Laos, Lithuania, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, the UK, the US and Uruguay. Today, Facebook said the feature is now rolled out globally “with the exception of a few countries” that it’s still working on:

Quick update on video calling in Messenger: we’re happy to share we’ve now rolled out the capability globally, with the exception of a few countries we’re still working on improving quality for.

You can check out the new Facebook Messenger video calling feature through the latest versions of the iOS and Android apps.

• Apps & Updates
• Apps
• Mac
• iPhone
• OS X
• Mac App Store

The Sims 2: Super Collection hits Mac as Peter Molyneux’s ‘Godus’ lands for iOS

Two new games are arriving today with Mac users getting access to a new The Sims 2: Super Collection and iOS gamers getting their hands on the latest creation from Fable creator Peter Molyneux.

The Sims 2: Super Collection includes the return of the classic title for Mac exclusively on the Mac App Store and with it you get all of the downloadable content including 6 expansion packs and 3 additional content packs. The collection is available on the Mac App Store now as a single download for $29.99. Developers Aspyr noted, “We’ve completely overhauled The Sims™ 2 to work with modern hardware and OS configurations, optimizing performance with a new renderer, and we are supporting native resolution.”

Up next for games today is the latest from Peter Molyneux, creator of Fable and other popular titles for consoles and PC, with the release of ‘Godus’ for iPhone and iPad. The god simulator of sorts has received some teasers up until now through its Kickstarter campaign, but today the game is finally available on the App Store as a free download.

The Sims 2: Super Collection – $29.99 Mac App Store

Godus for iPhone and iPad – FREE App Store

• AAPL Company
• Apple News
• retail
• San Francisco
• store

Expansion of Apple Store Stonestown, San Francisco set for December 14th

Apple has announced that the expansion of its Stonestown retail store in San Francisco will be open to the public on December 14th. The expanded store will open at 8 AM. This announcement comes less than a day after the announcement of a new Apple retail store in Dusseldorf, Germany, which is set to open on the same day.

Ifo Apple Store notes that this expansion will put the store at 7,690 square feet—more than double the size of the existing space—allowing more room for customer training that the current store does not have. The expanded store will occupy two adjacent spaces previously held by other retailers. Part of a third space is also being added to the store, though the rest of that space will remain unused.

Apple has plans to open thirty new retail stores worldwide in the coming year, which will bring the total number of stores to around 448, with stores in fourteen countries and counting. The company also plans to expand twenty of its existing locations.

Update: Apple is also re-opening an expanded store at the Rosedale Center in Roseville, Minnesota.

• AAPL Company
• iPad
• iPhone
• T-Mobile
• carrier

T-Mobile CEO teases carrier will expand its Apple product offerings (iPad?)

Following this morning’s T-Mobile announcement of a jump in customer base, thanks somewhat to Apple’s iPhone, T-Mobile CEO John Legere teased an expansion of what Apple products his company offers. In an interview with AllThingsD, Legere said the following:

“I think there’s a whole array of Apple products that we look forward to carrying,” Legere said. “We will expand what we offer from them.”

The first part of the quote seems to be referring to upcoming, rumored Apple product launches such as two new iPhone models. Apple is planning an “iPhone 5S” with improved camera and voice features plus the potential of a biometric fingerprint scanner. Also in the works is a low-cost, plastic-based iPhone model. We previously noted that Apple would debut an “army” of new products this fall, and the company says it plans to have an aggressive product rollout this fall and throughout 2014.

The second part of the quote is a bit more assertive, however. Legere outright says that his carrier will expand its Apple product offerings. T-Mobile currently does not carry the cellular-enabled iPads, so perhaps Apple will team up with the carrier to also sell tablets. Apple has expanded its iPad carrier options over the past couple of years, starting in 2010 with AT&T, adding Verizon in 2011, and Sprint in 2012. Perhaps T-Mobile will be the 2013 addition with the upcoming fifth-generation iPad. (Image via Fox).

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• iPhone
• iPod touch
• Tech Industry
• iPod
• Sprint

FreedomPop announces network expansion for nationwide coverage alongside new 3G/4G ‘Overdrive Pro’ hotspot

Update: A 9to5Mac reader has chimed in clarifying that the new hotspot only offers the free 500MB plan on the new Sprint-enabled 4G service. For 3G coverage, users will have to pay an additional $3.99 per month:

Although their website and press release say the new Overdrive comes with free data every month, there’s apparently a string.  Apparently only the 4G data is free, see my email thread with customer service below.  This is wholly inconsistent with what their website or press release indicates… This tactic is as deceptive as when FreedomPop first went live. At that time, they said the devices were “free with deposit” but it now turns out that if you keep the device for 12 months or more, the deposit is forfeited.  That forfeiture is buried deep within the TOS, and not likely understood by consumers until it’s time to return their hardware.

Wireless provider FreedomPop, the company providing access to free monthly data plans through a number of hotspot devices and iOS device accessories, today announced it is expanding its 3G coverage through Sprint’s network to provide nationwide coverage to its customers.

“The biggest criticism with our service to date has been the coverage gaps in certain parts of the country,” said Stephen Stokols, FreedomPop’s CEO. “Starting today, FreedomPop users can connect to the Internet across the entire nation leaving no reason to continue paying high monthly Internet bills for Internet from large, expensive carriers.”

In addition to the network expansion, it is also now accepting preorders for its latest hotspot device dubbed “Overdrive Pro” (pictured above):

The FreedomPop Overdrive Pro becomes the company’s first device to run on Sprint’s network. The Overdrive Pro will allow up to five devices to connect to it and get speeds up to 8 mbps down. In addition to FreedomPop’s free 500 MB plan, users can also purchase a 2 GB or 4 GB 4G/3G plan with no contract or annual commitment at rates up to 50 percent less than major carriers.

FreedomPop offers users free data (with the option to purchase more) ranging from 500MB to 2GB per month through devices such as its $99 WiMAX sleeve for iPod touch or the recently announced $89 Burst 4G home wireless router. It also has an iPhone 4/4S case that is awaiting Federal Communication Commission approval and told us in February it plans to roll out LTE service and a new LTE iPad clip later this year.

• AAPL Company
• AT&T
• LTE
• 4G
• expansion

AT&T’s LTE to blanket 103 markets, with 24 new markets announced this week

AT&T just revealed its 4G LTE now blankets over 150 million people across the United States, more than doubling where it stood at the end of 2011 in terms of people covered, and now it plans to push full steam ahead by expanding to 103 markets total, with more expected by the end of 2012.

The carrier further noted its 4G LTE coverage is “part of the nation’s largest 4G network” that services 3,000 more 4G areas than Verizon currently does (although much of that is slower HSPA 4G).

Moreover, as AT&T’s 4G LTE coverage continues to widen, customers can access 4G speeds “outside of 4G LTE areas on the nation’s largest 4G network, unlike competitors, whose smartphone customers fall back to slower 3G technologies when outside of LTE coverage.”

4G LTE expansions announced today: 

• Charleston, S.C.
• Columbia, S.C.
• Greenville, S.C.
• Columbus, Ohio
• Toledo, Ohio
• Corvallis, Ore.
• Eugene, Ore.
• El Paso, Texas
• Jonesboro, Ark.
• Mobile, Ala.
• Pensacola, Fla.
• Portland, Maine
• Saratoga Springs, N.Y,
• South Bend-Mishawaka, Ind.
• Bridgeport, CT expansion (in Fairfield County/Danbury)
• South Detroit expansion (in Monroe/Downriver)

Today’s expansion notice comes just two days after the carrier also announced its 4G LTE network would light up in Daytona Beach, Fla. Denver, Colo., Louisville, K.Y., Milwaukee, Wis., Provo-Orem, Utah, Tacoma, Wash., York, Pa., and Washington D.C.

This article is cross-posted on 9to5Google.

Get the full press release below.

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