Posts Tagged ‘service’
MetroPCS launches GSM-based Bring Your Own Phone service in four cities
Author: Angela Stephens
We’d heard rumors that T-Mobile would take advantage of its MetroPCS deal to offer bring-your-own-device service to more customers, and it isn’t letting us down with the launch of MetroPCS’ Bring Your Own Phone. Much like T-Mobile itself, MetroPCS can now offer its plans to customers with unlocked GSM phones. Don’t be too quick to hop aboard, however. Only those in Boston, Dallas, Hartford and Las Vegas can switch service right away, and the carrier’s official support is limited to Android, iPhone and Windows Phone devices. Should everything line up, though, Bring Your Own Phone is available today.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, T-Mobile
Via: FierceWireless
Source: MetroPCS
Related Posts:
Tags: 
FreedomPop teases free phone service over Sprint’s network, due this summer
Author: Melissa Shroeder
Oh, hell. FreedomPop might really be onto something this time. The company best known for doling out 500MB of free mobile data per month to hotspots, iPods and home routers will step up its game later this summer with a free phone service for Android users… with a few caveats, that is. To get by on the cheap, you’ll need to make do with a relatively scant 200 voice minutes and 500MB of mobile data in order to avoid overage fees, but to FreedomPop’s credit, it’ll include unlimited texting as part of the mix. What’s more, if you happen to go over your minute allotment, you’ll be charged a rather reasonable $ 9.99, which brings unlimited voice to the table. As you might’ve suspected, data overages are the biggest caveat to FreedomPop’s service, which can cost between $ 10 and $ 20 per gigabyte.
The service will operate over Sprint’s network, which brings access to EV-DO and WiMAX, and also leverages VoIP for calls. While it won’t be available at launch, FreedomPop tells us that LTE may eventually worm its way into the offering. Sadly, the company isn’t ready to discuss which Android phones will be offered (or at what price points). As another sticking point, there’s a chance that number portability won’t make it into the beta launch, but FreedomPop assures us that it’s in the works. Even with the constraints and risk of overages, it seems that FreedomPop could still be a workable (and very inexpensive) solution if you lean on WiFi for most of your data usage. In fact, company reps tell us that 50 percent of its customers are able to get by without incurring overages or monthly fees. Think you have the self-restraint to be among them?
Source: FreedomPop
Related Posts:
Lenovo Reach cloud service opens in beta, official launch coming ‘later this year’
Author: Tech Blogger
Lenovo’s getting into the cloud storage game, but rather than dive straight in, the company’s taking a tiptoe approach. Starting today, curious consumers can sign up to preview the company’s cloud service, dubbed Reach, which offers exactly what you’d expect: remote access to stored files and applications from any device, be it Android, iOS or Windows. The actual beta won’t be open until June 22nd, at which point only a select few will be able to test drive the new service and provide Lenovo with feedback. Depending on how smoothly things go, an official launch for all comers should be announced sometime “later this year.” But with so many other free cloud storage options already available and so many consumers already tethered to those clouds, Reach could find itself overextended.
Filed under: Storage, Internet, Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Related Posts:
Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann: consumers will soon expect every service on every platform, mobile included
Author: Margo Tipton
Ben Silbermann has found himself in a pretty swell spot. He’s the CEO of Pinterest — a company that was recently valued at $ 2.5 billion, despite not making a single cent to date. He took the stage today at D11 in Southern California, answering questions shot from Kara Swisher. One of the key points he made was on the topic of mobile. Swisher was asking about Pinterest’s mobile efforts, and Silbermann suggested that in the very near future, asking such a thing would be borderline silly. “It’d be like asking a business today if they’re a dot-com business,” he said, suggesting that every business created in 2013 should absolutely have some sort of presence on the web.
It’s perhaps due to the shocking uptake of Pinterest’s apps. Said Silbermann: “A growing number [of users] use Pinterest exclusively on their phone or tablet. When we released our mobile apps, we were taking bets on how long it’d take for those to surpass our web traffic. I figured it’d take a few weeks. It was literally the day it was released [that the traffic was passed]. I think it’s because phones and tablets are largely always around you, whereas you’re not always around a [traditional] computer.”
It’s perhaps the token example of how consumers at large are moving away from needing a full-fledged machine at their fingertips, and the redefining of what a “computer” is for the newest generations.
Filed under: Internet, Software
Related Posts:
US Cellular getting ready to launch Home Phone service
Author: JohnnyBells
Keen to capitalize on the ever-growing segment of landline cutters, US Cellular appears to be launching a home phone service similar to the Home Connect offerings by Verizon and Sprint. According to information we’ve received, all you have to do is plug in a regular cordless or corded phone into the provided base station and voilà — you’ll be able to make calls via US Cellular’s wireless network instead. You’ll get unlimited voice calls for only $ 19.99 a month, which also includes voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, three-way calling and that all-important E911 service. Of course, as it’s voice-only, you won’t get data or text messaging as part of the plan.
The PCD-made base station seen above has a model name of FT2260 and boasts dual-band support (800/1900 MHz CDMA), a QSC6055 chipset, two phone jacks and a USB port for diagnostics purposes. Also included in the package are a charger, an antenna and a 1500 mAh NiMH battery that promises up to two hours of talk or 36 hours of standby time. We’re not sure when exactly this’ll roll out, but from the looks of it, we won’t have to wait long for yet another alternative to ye olde POTS.
[Thanks, Anonymous]
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
Related Posts:
Acetrax movie service to close, lights go dim on June 21st
Author: Randy Miller
It’s just as likely that you’ll know Acetrax from the video services it’s behind, as from its own branded offerings. Regardless of how you might use the service, its owner Sky is pulling the plug on June 21st. Impact to pay-per-view customers should mean nothing more than looking elsewhere, but those who bought titles outright will need to download them before the cutoff (there are a bunch of caveats though). The same goes for account credit — either use it, or face the hassle of claiming it back after the fact. There’s an FAQ on the website outlining the best course of action depending on your situation, so we’d suggest you head there first before working your way through your rental library.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Via: CNET
Source: Acetrax
Related Posts:
Google reportedly signs deal with Sony and Universal ahead of launching music streaming service
Author: Melissa Shroeder
Sure, Google I/O may not focus on new products, but it might just take a moment to unveil the firm’s take on music streaming. According to The Verge, industry sources say that Mountain View has inked licensing deals with Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment for YouTube and Google Play. With Fortune having reported that a similar deal with Warner Music Group is already in the can, it’s entirely possible that the search titan could reveal its Spotify-like service at the developer event. Page & Co.’s dev shindig may not have skydivers this year, but on-demand music may be on the program.
Filed under: Internet, Sony, Google
Source: The Verge
Related Posts:
beIN Sport launches Play streaming service for cable subscribers
Author: Randy Miller
You can’t always be camped out in front of your TV for the big soccer (or “footie”) match. Thankfully, beIN Sport is hopping on the streaming bandwagon and, starting today, will offer 24/7 access on both PCs and mobile phones though Play. Of course, like many of these properties making the leap from TV to the web, beIN Sport Play requires that you have an active subscription through a cable or satellite provider. At first only Time Warner and Bright House subscribers will have access, though other networks will come online over the next few months. Play will also offer unique features such as email alerts 30 minutes before the beginning of an event and the ability to watch alternative streams and un-broadcast matches. Now, if only beIN could convince Americans to care about soccer in the first place…
Filed under: HD
Related Posts:
Google’s rumored Babel chat service will reportedly launch as Hangouts
Author: Rod Sutherland
Google hasn’t even officially launched Babel, but word on the street has it that the aforesaid term was being used internally to reference a new, unified chat platform. Now, TechRadar is reporting that Babel will simply become a part of Google Hangouts — almost certainly as a means to continue the art of subtly shoving Google+ onto every user it can. Moreover, the newly expanded Hangouts could launch as early as next week during Google I/O, and we’ll be there to bring you the goods if indeed it does.
Via: SlashGear
Source: TechRadar
Related Posts:
Task management app / service Astrid is Yahoo’s latest acquisition
Author: Stacey Cook
Under new CEO Marissa Mayer, Yahoo has been working on expanding the services it offers across multiple platforms and its latest move on that front is the acquisition of Astrid. The Astrid Tasks and To-do list app is a popular productivity manager on Android and iOS, particularly notable for its tie-ins with Google Calendar and the ability to assign tasks to others. In a blog post, CEO and co-founder Jon Paris announced the company will be joining Yahoo’s mobile team with a goal of “making the world’s daily habits more inspiring and entertaining.” As for existing users, the service will continue to work as-is for 90 days, and those who have paid for annual subscriptions to add on file storage, backup and more can expect refunds from Yahoo. There will also be a way for users to download all their data, although there aren’t any details on that yet. Astrid had received funding from Google Ventures, among others, but as shown by the launch of Google Keep it seems the usual giants in tech will be focusing on in-house ways to offer productivity features.
Source: Astrid Blog
