Advanced technology

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Save up to 60% on certain HTC devices; sale expires tonight

From now until 11:59 pm PDT today, you can take as much as 60% off the price of certain HTC devices. For example, you can pick up the HTC One M9 for only $399. For $389, you can purchase the HTC One A9. And the HTC Desire 626or HTC Desire 626s are yours for only $149. The RE Camera is 60% off, and the Nexus 9 tablet is up to 40% off. The savings show up in the cart when you are checking out. There is a limit of ten discounted products for each customer.

HTC is looking to lighten up on its inventory of older models prior to the release of theHTC 10. The new flagship model is expected to be unveiled on April 12th. HTC has already said that the device will feature the best BoomSound ever, and will offer a world class camera on the rear of the handset.

If you'd rather pick up a bargain, you have until just before the stroke of midnight on the West Coast tonight to take advantage of these discounts. If you are interested, click on the sourcelink.

Take up to 60% off these HTC devices until Midnight on the U.S. West Coast tonight

source: HTC

Winning hearts and minds: Taliban says their app will be back in the Play Store 'soon'

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The Taliban resurgence back in some Afghanistan provinces hasn't gone unnoticed by the State Department, the Pentagon, the Russians and even ISIS, not to mention the local authorities that are trying to fight their grand return. Thus, the Taliban are facing an uphill battle, and, as every self-respecting insurgency, are in need of some public relations effort to spread their message.

Winning hearts and minds these days means winning the digital message, or, as the Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed puts it, "part of our advanced technological efforts to make more global audience," that is why the Taliban came up with their own Android app. Called Alemarah (Al Emarah), and written in Pashto language, the app aimed to disseminate the fundamentalist group's point of view, which, if the Taliban's Twitter account is any indication, consists of often made-up news, tailored statements, video footage and pseudo-analysis.

So far so good, but here comes the fly in the honey. As soon as Google found out that the Taliban have concocted a brand new app and managed to upload it to the Play Store without much trouble on Friday, the gang from Mountain View apparently pulled the plug without much ado. The only reply from Google's spokespeople were in the realm of "While we don’t comment on specific apps, we can confirm that we remove apps from Google Play that violate our policies."

Well, these policies do include hate speech and terrorists content that propagates their "achievements," so it's not hard to fathom why Google brought Alemarah down. There is still hope for the Taliban's PR department, though, as, according to the group's spokesman Mujahed, the app has disappeared due to "technical difficulties," and should be back soon. We'll see about that - for a group that sniffs at cell phones and other decadent Western influence, the Taliban sure seem like a tech-savvy bunch.

source: Bloomberg & Quartz

Survey: Most smartphone users aren't pleased with their wireless carrier and are ready to switch

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According to a survey conducted by Accenture, the majority of smartphone users are not pleased with their wireless carrier, and are ready to switch. A few years ago, consumers didn't know what they should expect from a wireless provider. But with the number of global consumers sporting a smart device rising from 26% in 2012 to 80% currently, most consumers now know exactly what they should be getting from a wireless carrier. As a result, the survey shows that 60% of those surveyed are not happy "with their connectivity," and are ready to switch.

Other results of the survey reveal that 62% have concerns about the security of their financial transactions. Not surprisingly, a whopping 83% are not happy about ads ruining their mobile experience. It seems hard to believe, but only 47% are concerned with privacy and security on their wireless device.

With smartphone sales growth expected to register a figure under double digits this year, the survey revealed that in 2015 only 13% were planning on buying a new smartphone, tablet, laptop or PC over the coming 12 months. That was a 60% decline from the 33% that were planning on making such a purchase during 2015. 41% of those buying a new phone this year are doing so in order to snag the "newest and most innovative features."

Here is the challenge for carriers in the years ahead. 71% of those surveyed said that they would pay a carrier higher rates for better connectivity. Some might argue that this is Verizon's business plan in the U.S. This shows why Verizon continues to grow despite being one of the costliest wireless providers in the states (if not THE highest priced carrier). And 83% stated that they would buy more products and services from carriers if they could speed up the pace of problem resolution.

Other results of the survey show that 81% are watching online movies, and 69% are playing online games. And Good news for Apple, Samsung, Google and LG. 50% are already using a mobile payment service.

Accenture survey reveals that the majority of consumers are ready to switch to another mobile operator

source: Accenture

Deal: Unlocked Microsoft Lumia 950 now available for $499.99

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Originally released in November, the Microsoft Lumia 950 can be bought in the US via AT&T, as well as unlocked from Microsoft and various retailers. If you want to get the handset unlocked, we're happy to inform you that B&H Photo is now selling it for $499.99. That's $49 off the original price of $549 (which is still in place at Microsoft Store) - not a huge discount, we know, but still a deal that you may want to consider if you're in need of a high-end Windows 10 phone that's not as big as theLumia 950 XL.

With its 5.2-inch Quad HD display, the Microsoft Lumia 950 is about as large as most flagship smartphones of today. The handset is among the first to receive the latest Windows 10 updates (directly from Microsoft), so you will have the newest software on it for a couple of years. Besides the sharp 5.2-inch screen and Windows 10 (with support for Microsoft Continuum), the highlight features of the Lumia 950 include an iris scanner, a 20 MP PureView rear camera, 3 GB of RAM, and 32 GB of expandable storage space. For a detailed look at the handset, check out our Microsoft Lumia 950 review.

Update: an unlocked Lumia 950 XL currently costs $529.99 at B&H.

Microsoft Lumia 950

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Monday, April 4, 2016

Man sues LG after Optimus F6 explodes in his pants, causing severe burns

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Muhammad Sattar is suing LG in a federal court in Brooklyn after the IT specialist's LG Optimus F6 exploded in his pants pocket on January 13th of this year. The explosion caused 2nd and 3rd-degree burns on Sattar's hand and right leg. As a result of necessary skin grafts, he missed at least a month of work at the Manhattan investment bank that employs him.

Sattar said that he had been using the LG Optimus F6 for months when it burst into flames. His attorney, Lawrence Goldhirsch, said "It was just in his pocket, sitting there, and it blew up." The phone was launched in the U.S. on September 11th, 2013.

After the explosion, Sattar was taken immediately to Weill Cornell Medical Center. There, he was admitted to the hospital's burn center.

LG Optimus F6