56819859
submission
zacharye writes:
The “iPhone vs. Android” debate is an odd one but it’s also quite prevalent among technology enthusiasts, so we cover it often here on BGR. Among the more interesting aspects of the debate are the perspectives shared by users who jump from one camp to the other and then share their thoughts; since we use both mobile platforms constantly here at BGR, the occasional outside commentary is interesting. In the past, we covered an account from an Apple fanboy who couldn’t stand using the Nexus 5 even for a full 24 hours, and we also found a more level-headed anecdote from someone who switched from the iPhone 5 to the Galaxy S4 for six months. Now, a Silicon Valley investor and marketer has shared his thoughts on Android after switching from the iPhone a few weeks ago...
56675445
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zacharye writes:
Last week, we wrote about five Android apps that do amazing things the iPhone just can’t. There are countless clear benefits to owning a smartphone powered by Apple’s mobile platform but the simple fact of the matter is that the restrictions imposed on third-party apps inevitably leads to limitations. There are also good things about Apple’s approach to third-party apps, of course, and we think Apple’s mobile software ecosystem is easily still the best in the business. As good as it is, however, there are some amazing Android apps out there that remind us why Google’s open approach has some real advantages. Here are five more apps that really show us how amazing and creative developers have gotten with Android...
56638085
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zacharye writes:
Last year ahead of Apple’s iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c launch, lines began forming outside Apple stores weeks in advance. At the time, we thought it was pretty crazy that anyone would line up that far in advance to buy a cell phone — but now we know what crazy really looks like. A Japanese man named “Yoppy” says he has already lined up to buy Apple’s unannounced iPhone 6, which isn’t expected to launch for another seven months...
56606803
submission
zacharye writes:
I had one single thought the first time I held Apple’s iPhone 5s in my hand: I want a bigger display. As I have covered here on BGR several times, most extensively in my review of the phone, the iPhone 5s is both Apple’s best iPhone yet and its least significant iPhone update thus far compared to the previous-generation model. Performance improvements in most use cases are barely perceptible compared to the iPhone 5, and there really isn’t much useful new functionality to speak of. The iPhone 5s is still a great smartphone, mind you — the best of the year in 2013, in fact — but it isn’t the huge “S” jump iPhone users have grown accustomed to over the years. And compared to other leading smartphones on the market, the iPhone’s 4-inch screen is painfully small. Size matters....
56378795
submission
zacharye writes:
Have U.S. Internet users’ worst fears just been realized? A new report from iScan Online programmer David Raphael claims to confirm that Verizon, which you might recall helped lead the charge against net neutrality regulations, has begun limiting the bandwidth utilized by certain websites for its FiOS Internet subscribers. In a blog post on Wednesday, Raphael shared a troubling account of issues that his company had been experiencing with service slowdowns. After digging into the problem he finally contacted Verizon customer support, which seemingly confirmed that the ISP is throttling bandwidth used by some cloud service providers including Amazon AWS, which supports huge services including Netflix and countless others. As BGR has learned, however, this is in fact not the case...
56338167
submission
zacharye writes:
T-Mobile’s chief executive John Legere is a marketing genius. There’s no denying it. His antics have made a carrier that no one really cared about a few short years ago the talk of the tech press on a regular basis. What’s more, consumers are listening — T-Mobile added 4.4 million net new postpaid subscribers last year. In the fourth quarter of 2013, T-Mobile netted 869,000 new postpaid customers while it’s self-proclaimed top rival AT&T only gained 566,000 net postpaid subs. Make no mistake about it, those are phenomenal results and T-Mobile is, without question, the most important wireless carrier in America right now. That said, it’s time to clear the air. With tricky marketing and CEO Legere’s constant barrage of shocking commentary, T-Mobile has managed to convince U.S. consumers that it has eliminated cell phone contracts. Simply put, this just isn’t true...
56141805
submission
zacharye writes:
Can you negotiate the cost of cell phone service just like pay TV and Internet service? Thanks to pressure from T-Mobile, the answer might be yes...
55887043
submission
zacharye writes:
We see plenty of iPhone users switch to Android for a period of time and then write about their experiences. For example, we recently read an account from an Apple fanboy who couldn’t stand using the Nexus 5 even for a full 24 hours. We also see plenty of stories from Android enthusiasts who try to stomach the iPhone for a period of time. These stories are often written from the perspective of fanboys on both sides, however, so they rarely offer much substance. One iPhone user took to Reddit on Thursday to describe his experience using Android for six months though, and he provided an uncommonly succinct and level-headed account of his impressions after moving back to his iPhone 5...
55587115
submission
zacharye writes:
According to a study conducted recently by Cowen and Company, Verizon Wireless customers pay more for wireless service each month on average than any other customers in the country. Verizon is widely known as the most expensive carrier in America though, and many of its subscribers have come to accept the high cost of service in exchange for fast LTE data and outstanding coverage in most areas across the country. The least expensive carrier, unsurprisingly, is T-Mobile...
55535905
submission
zacharye writes:
In a federal copyright-infringement lawsuit filed recently in Philadelphia, Comcast is suing a former employee over the rights to software he developed while working for the pay TV giant in Colorado. Defendant Robert Orlowski helped form the company Tuning Analytics, LLC to market and sell software he developed that tracks a TV watcher’s viewing habits by being installed on his or her set-top box. Orlowski also filed two patents protecting the technology used in his software. According to Comcast’s suit, however, it has rights to Orlowski’s software and to all related patents...
55362617
submission
zacharye writes:
It’s every air traveller’s worst nightmare, and one passenger aboard a flight off the coast of Kalaupapa, Molokai in Hawaii recently gave the world a first-hand look at what it’s like to go down in a plane crash. Thanks to the proliferation of smartphones and other portable cameras like the GoPro, we now often see firsthand accounts of events that only a lucky few — or a very unlucky few, in this case — could experience in the past. The latest example comes from Ferdinand Puentes, who pulled out his GoPro camera and began filming recently when an airplane he was aboard abruptly fell out of the sky off the coast of Hawaii...
55158849
submission
zacharye writes:
T-Mobile is working hard to expand its coverage, and there is no question the carrier is making progress at an impressive rate. T-Mobile’s LTE network now covers 209 million people. This time last year, it covered zero people. And the company is showing no signs of slowing down, having just announced a $2.37 billion deal to acquire more spectrum from Verizon. But the scrappy carrier's problem is very real and it won't be solved by its CEO's showmanship...
55088145
submission
zacharye writes:
Microsoft probably had a good idea that Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai and his team would talk up the PlayStation 4 during his opening keynote at the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show on Tuesday, so it preemptively announced a huge milestone for its own next-generation video game console: 3 million Xbox One units sold in just 40 days of availability in 2013. The figure is very impressive indeed, but Sony just announced an even bigger number for Xbox One rival: Sony has sold more than 4.2 million PS4 consoles as of December 28th, 2013...
54728211
submission
zacharye writes:
The new Mac Pro is the most powerful and flexible computer Apple has ever created, and it’s also extremely expensive — or is it? With a price tag that can climb up around $10,000, Apple’s latest enterprise workhorse clearly isn’t cheap. For businesses with a need for all that muscle, however, is that steep price justifiable or is there a premium “Apple tax” that companies will have to pay? Shortly after the new Mac Pro was finally made available for purchase last week, one PC enthusiast set out to answer that question and in order to do so, he asked another one: How much would it cost to build a comparable Windows 8 machine?...
54635977
submission
zacharye writes:
As Google’s share price soars beyond $1,100, it seems like nothing can stop the Internet juggernaut as its land grab strategies continue to win over the eyes of its users and the wallets of its advertising clients. But an analysis published over this past weekend raises an interesting question surrounding a new business model that could someday lead to Google’s downfall. Do we want an erasable Internet?...
