Virgin Mobile infuriates customers with 2Mbps 3G download speed cap

As other networks go superfast, Virgin is slowing its service

Virgin Mobile customers will not be too pleased to learn that their network is restricting mobile broadband download speeds to just 2Mbps.

After some users took to support forums to complain about a perceived slowing of 3G services, a company representative confirmed that a speed cap had been implemented late last month.

The representative said that the deliberate slowdown was to ensure there was enough of the company's bandwidth to ensure all users could make good use of the service.

While download speeds are now capped at 2Mbps, upload speeds are also restricted to 0.5Mbps.

Good service for all?

The post on the support site read: "I've received confirmation that we're trialing a speed cap which has been in place since mid-Feb and is applicable to Contract and PAYG customers, but excludes Mobile Broadband.

"The current cap is 2Mb/s download, 0.5Mb/s upload. We are doing this to ensure we can offer a good level of service to all customers."

Users have naturally responded angrily to the admission, registering their displeasure on the support forums, although a couple of users said a quick call resulted in them being exempted from the trial.

Others have complained to the Advertising Standards Agency, claiming that 'truly unlimited' data contracts must equate to more than just volume, but also forbid speed throttling too.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/virgin-mobile-infuriates-customers-with-2mbps-3g-download-speed-cap-1135569

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Can an ex-phone maker really reinvent Facebook on the phone?

Do social networks need to be simpler?

INQ, the brand behind the now-retired-but-super-connected Cloud Touch, has launched So.Ho as a new way of consuming social network updates.

Sitting on the homescreen of Android phones (running Ice Cream Sandwich or above) the free app allows you to look at your Twitter or Facebook feed in simple, block-based format rather than diving into the apps themselves.

This does strip away some key functionality, like seeing responses or searching hashtags, so users will have to decide whether avoiding diving into the apps for the ease of update viewing is worth it.

This is hardly a new concept; however the difference here is the app's ability to dive into links posted by friends or those you follow and pull richer content out – meaning Tweets will auto-populate with pictures and more information, rather than just a meaningless URL.

Ken Johnstone, CEO and founder of INQ Mobile, told TechRadar that the company was looking to bring more social networks into the fold – he said the company was focusing on the more visual-based services, meaning the likes of Pinterest or Instagram are being considered (among others).

Breaking old ground

Such feed apps aren't new for the phone, with the likes of Sony Ericsson's TimeScape feed combining users social network updates in one stream. However, these quickly become noisy and more of a hassle to view for users, meaning they were dispensed with in favour of dedicated apps.

Johnstone said INQ was aware of this flaw, which is why the two feeds (Facebook and Twitter) are kept separate within the app, but the company was intent on improving the 'discovery' element of So.Ho, giving it powers to discern the updates it thinks you'll be most interested in.

This would build on work from the firm's recent Material app, which pulls down content it thinks you'll be most interested in based on who you follow on Twitter and the links your Facebook friends post. This could also be included in So.Ho in the future to add functionality, Johnstone confirmed.

These content aggregators are growing in power it seems – taking the idea of the Live Tile from Windows Phone, which dispenses constant updates from disparate apps, and then moving onto elements like the HTC One's Blinkfeed, which fuses RSS feeds, pictures and social networks to give truly 'snackworthy' content for those that like to glance at the mobile phone and go.

Whether this smaller manufacturer can make inroads into a market that's also dominated by the likes of Flipboard, which is pre-installed on a number of Android devices, remains to be seen – but the smooth and clean interface at least promises to make digesting your social network feeds a little simpler.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/can-an-ex-phone-maker-really-reinvent-facebook-on-the-phone-1135533

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HTC One to hit Russia in April, to carry RUB 29,990 price tag

Info on HTC One pricing keeps rolling in – the flagship is expected to hit Russia on the first Sunday of April for RUB 29,990 ($977). This is according to info shared by Russian retailer Euroset, but other retailers should get the One around the same time for about the same price.

The HTC one can already be pre-ordered at the Euroset’s website in silver or black. There are a number of plans available for multiple carriers.

The HTC One is also coming to the UK (£510 / $773 SIM-free or £41/month for 2 years on contract) and Germany (€600 / $782). It will also hit the US on AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile.

The HTC One will be available in a huge number of other countries too, you can check the complete list.

Thanks to Freddie for sending this in!

Source (in Russian)

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_to_hit_russia_in_april_to_carry_rub_29990_price_tag-news-5649.php

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Next Apple iPhone might feature a smart stylus, rumor suggests

As the rumor has it Apple might be working on a smart stylus for its next-gen iPhone 6. It should work the similar way as the Note and Note II S-Pens but support even more functionality.

You should definitely take this one with a healthy pinch of salt as it's coming from The Sun, which is not exactly known for its tech industry coverage. Anyway the tabloid's sources had it that the next iPhone will have a smart stylus, just like the S-Pen on the Note smartphones.

The rumor also has it that the next flagship by Apple will offer some sort of motion gesture password protection and mini barcode scanner.

What lends some credence to those rumors is the fact that Apple recently filed three patents for stylus technology. The Cupertino giant might simply be preparing for another legal round (with Samsung probably), but it might be getting ready to try and attack the Koreans' Note lineup instead. We guess only time will tell.

Thanks Ras Santa Rasta for the tip!

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/iphone_6_might_feature_a_smart_stylus_rumors_suggest-news-5648.php

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BBC iPlayer comes to Windows Phone - but not as an app

The new service will arrive in the coming months

The BBC is finally bringing iPlayer to Windows Phone 7.5 and 8, though not quite in the form we were hoping for.

The new service, which will arrive "in the next few months", is a Live Tile shortcut that takes users to the service via the BBC Media Player.

A spokesman for the BBC told TechRadar: "It's not a native app, so we're being clear that it will be a shortcut available on the Windows Phone Store. It will link to the mobile site which you currently can't access via Windows Phone 7.5 and Windows Phone 8 via the BBC Media Player."

We all stream for iStream

Over 650 devices can currently access BBC's instant streaming service and this new deal will mean that Windows Phone users can finally join this not-so-exclusive club which includes Blackberry, Android and iOS users.

It's a step in the right direction for Microsoft, but there's a way to go if it wants to play catchup, with the iPhone app already offering offline downloads for iPlayer.

As for Windows 8 users, the desktop iPlayer can still only be downloaded and used in desktop mode, which is better than nothing.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/bbc-iplayer-comes-to-windows-phone-but-not-as-an-app-1135468

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Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 goes on sale, priced at €329

Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2, a recent addition to the extensive collection of smartphones from the company is up for grabs. The device has been listed on gigantti.fi, a Finnish retailer, with a price tag of €329 (about $428).

Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2, which is an IP 67-certified smartphone, comes with 4" LCD display, 1 GHz dual-core processor along with 1 GB of RAM, 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, VGA front facing camera, 4 GB inbuilt memory with microSD slot and latest connectivity options.

Galaxy Xcover 2 runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and is powered by a relatively small 1,700mAH battery. Just in case if you are wondering about the features and the performance of the smartphone, check out our detailed review.

Source | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_x_cover_2_goes_on_sale_priced_at_329-news-5647.php

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Purported official image of Samsung Galaxy S IV shows up

Samsung Galaxy S IV rumors pop up by the day and the last one comes from the relentless leak mill evleaks. What looks to be a Galaxy S IV presentation slide, containing an image of the smartphone popped on the famous Twitter account .

Although evleaks has proven its reliability numerous times in the past we remain dubious on this particular image's authenticity. The Galaxy S IV photo looks like a quick mockup rather than an actual product image.

Besides Samsung did quite well in hiding the face of the Galaxy S III until its official unveiling last year. We wouldn't be at all surprised if the image you see here is just a placeholder, and not the real deal.

As for the S IV's specs on the slide, they coincide with what the AnTuTu benchmark test showed yesterday.

There's little left until March 14, when the Galaxy S IV will shine on Times Square in New York, so we'll know all about it soon enough. You can check out the phone's teaser video released yesterday to make the wait easier to bear.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s_iv_shows_up_in_a_purported_official_image-news-5646.php

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TelePod, Mobi, Tripad: The terrible iPhone names that could have been

Never again will we make fun of the iPhone's name

Yes, it turns out that even Apple had a few dud names in the bag before settling on the iPhone.

Apple's former head of advertising, Ken Segall, told an audience at the University of Arizona's Department of Marketing that they wrestled with several naff ideas.

Mobi, TriPod, TelePod and, strangely, iPad, were all up for consideration for Apple's first phone - we can see why they didn't make the cut.

The fastest, most powerful Mobi yet

"Dude, check out the new TelePod," doesn't quite have the same ring to it, even if it does combine the device's key elements – telephone and iPod.

The TriPod, on the other hand, was a nifty way of communicating the added internet capabilities, though also sounds like we'd be emailing on some sort of, well, tripod.

The fact Apple pondered on iPad is particularly interesting, especially as the Cupertino company was working on what became the real iPad before their flagship phone came along.

Is there an alternative universe where we're tapping away on our TriPad Minis right now? It doesn't bear thinking about.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/telepod-mobi-tripad-the-terrible-iphone-names-that-could-have-been-1135416

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Cell phone unlocking to be legalized in the United States

Back in October of last year, the Librarian of Congress decided to remove cell phone unlocking from the exceptions to the DMCA list, effectively rendering it illegal. The decision came into effect on January 26 of this year, forcing users to stay with a given carrier even after their original contract had expired.

This, in turn, resulted in an online petition to overturn the decision, either by once again making cell phone unlocking an exception to the DMCA, or create specific legislation which legalizes it.

In a statement from the White House, Senior Advisor for Internet, Innovation, and Privacy David Edelman declared his and the White House support for the online petition, which received over 114,000 signatures, and stated that:

"...neither criminal law nor technological locks should prevent consumers from switching carriers when they are no longer bound by a service agreement or other obligation."

According to Edelman, the FCC and NTIA are hard at work moving forward with legislation regarding this "urgent issue."

Thanks, Leroy, for the tip!

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/cell_phone_unlocking_to_be_legalized_in_the_united_states-news-5645.php

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Affordable HTC phones could harness fancy Ultrapixel tech

Top notch camera tech in mid range handsets

The surprisingly decent camera experience featured in the HTC One could well make it to other, less powerful HTC devices in the future.

The Taiwanese firm engineered a new form of camera technology for its latest flagship venture which saw the HTC One equipped with an Ultrapixel sensor equivalent to a 4MP camera, but with the ability to match the likes of the iPhone 5, Sony Xperia Z and Nokia Lumia 920 in terms of image quality.

Now Phil Roberson, Head of HTC UK and Ireland has confirmed that the Ultrapixel technology could feature in other devices which don't boast quad-core processors.

Potential is there

Roberson told Omio: "The ability to take HD video and high-res images at the same time is powered by the quad-core on the device.

"There will be certain technical challenges, but the tech does support the other elements of it which we can take to other parts of the portfolio."

Speaking more specifically on bringing the Ultrapixel technology to low-end handsets Roberson said: "There is definitely the potential to take it into those spaces."

BlinkFeed incoming

While current handsets won't be able to benefit from the Ultrapixel camera tech, those in line for an upgrade to Android Jelly Bean 4.2 and Sense 5.0 will be able to enjoy the firm's new BlinkFeed service.

BlinkFeed serves up bite size portions of news from pre-selected categories which you can easily digest from the homescreen and while we're not completely sold on the idea it could grow into something useful after more development and greater customisation options.

Current handsets which are in the running to receive Sense 5.0 are the HTC One X, HTC One X+, HTC One S and HTC Butterfly.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/affordable-htc-phones-could-harness-fancy-ultrapixel-tech-1135425

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HTC One could arrive in your hands a day early

Who wants it first?

It's no secret that the HTC One release date is set for March 15, but one online retailer in the UK reckons it could be getting it a day early.

Expansys told TechRadar, "The HTC One is now expected in stock on Thursday 14 March."

We contacted the retailer and a spokesperson clarified: "We are hoping for stock to be in customers hands for March 14 if they have pre-ordered. It all depends on the stock coming in and so far we can only say 'expected on 14th'."

Not set in stone

Release dates from Expansys haven't always been on the money, so anyone who has pre-ordered shouldn't automatically assume they'll be among the first to have the HTC One in hand.

We were impressed with the One when we saw it at its official launch event last month with our Phones and Tablets Editor, Gareth Beavis, saying: "This is a phone that wows the second it hits the hand, it has a great screen, strong internal storage of up to 64GB and a superfast processor."

However, the Taiwanese firm will be going to market at the same time its close Korean rival announces the Samsung Galaxy S4 in New York, which could well overshadow the HTC One.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/htc-one-could-arrive-in-your-hands-a-day-early-1135399

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