Author: zppiot
Still can’t afford last year’s high-end Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro even after their latest hefty discounts with no strings attached? That’s (obviously) where the hot new Pixel 8a mid-ranger typically comes in, and for a presumably limited time, you can get the Tensor G3-powered 6.1-inch handset together with a nice little gift from Best Buy.We’re talking about a $50 gift card that you can use in the future to save, well, 50 bucks on an item (or several) of your choice from the nation-leading retailer, which is naturally not the same thing as an outright price cut on…
The nation’s largest broadband affordability program is coming to an end due to a lack of congressional funding.The Federal Communications Commission is reluctantly marking the end, as of Saturday, of a pandemic-era program that helped several million low-income Americans get and stay online. Created in December 2020, what became the Affordable Connectivity Program, or ACP, eventually enrolled more than 23 million subscribers — or one in six U.S. households — across rural, suburban and urban America.That demand illustrates that “too many working families have been trapped on the wrong side of the digital divide because they struggle to pay for…
London-based tech company Nothing has been known for its unique marketing tactics, often teasing upcoming products on social media. In recent weeks, the company has been dropping hints about its next smartphone release, potentially the highly anticipated Nothing Phone (3).The excitement began when Nothing CEO Carl Pei shared photos showcasing a redesigned quick settings user interface on a Nothing phone. Eagle-eyed observers noticed an extra button on the phone that doesn’t exist on previous models, sparking speculation about new features and functionalities.Adding fuel to the fire, Nothing’s official X (formerly Twitter) account shared a cryptic image of a device under…
After scooping up Sprint and Mint Mobile, T-Mobile has its eyes on UScellular. The company recently expressed its intentions to purchase UScellular’s wireless operations and some of its spectrum assets and the two hope to close the deal in mid-2025. The deal will only go through if it gains regulatory approval and T-Mobile may have a strategy in place to ensure everything works out smoothly.The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) that made internet affordable for 23 million Americans has officially ended. The program can be traced back to the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program, which began when Donald Trump was president.…
You can’t just call any older iPhone obsolete unless it is obsolete by Apple’s definition. Any product that Apple stopped distributing more than seven years ago is considered by Apple to be obsolete. Once a device has been given this title, all hardware services are discontinued and service providers are not allowed to order parts for this product. There is an exception: Mac laptops can have their battery replaced for up to 10 years after Apple stopped distributing the model if parts are available.First spotted by MacRumors, Apple has now officially labeled the iPhone 5s obsolete. The phone was first…
A newly uncovered internal database has shed light on Google’s questionable data collection practices, raising concerns about the tech giant’s commitment to user privacy. The database, spanning from 2013 to 2018, reveals a wide range of incidents where personal data was collected and stored across various Google apps and products, including Waze, YouTube, and AdWords.While Google claims to prioritize transparency, the leaked database reportedly paints a different picture. Reports within the database, ranked by priority, detail instances of data collection that were often not publicly disclosed. Some incidents involved sensitive information, such as the recording of children’s voices through Gboard’s…
Sometimes it’s not hot to be a foldable phone with a tall and narrow cover screen. Samsung, which makes perfectly good foldable phones, has been on the receiving end of criticism for making devices with barely usable outer screens. The company has had enough and is ready to up the hot quotient with a refined and sleek Galaxy Z Fold 6.We have seen plenty of renders of the phone and now, we can have a better look at the alleged design, thanks to images of dummy units that were apparently shared on a South Korean forum and reposted on X…
UFS 5.0, the next major update in the world of Universal Flash Storage, is not expected to be available until 2027 even though the new standard has already been under development. The next minor update will appear as UFS 4.1. A tweet from Sawyer Galox says to expect 2025’s Galaxy S25 Ultra to employ UFS 4.1. Interestingly, his tweet doesn’t mention whether the entire Galaxy S25 series will use UFS 4.1.UFS 3.1 comes with a write speed of up to 1,200MB per second for devices with 256GB and 512GB of storage, and up to 850MB per second for 128GB of…
Android tablets are already excellent devices for taking notes, particularly with a keyboard or stylus. However, the current process of unlocking the device to launch a note-taking app can be a bit of a hassle. With the upcoming Android 15 update, Google aims to streamline this process, making note-taking on tablets faster and more efficient.Google unveiled new note-taking features at last month’s Google I/O conference. These features allow users to quickly access their preferred note-taking app from any screen, eliminating the need to switch apps. As reported by Mishaal Rahman (via Android Authority), Miguel Montemayor, a Developer Relations Engineer for…
A growing Russian disinformation network is targeting European Union countries ahead of the EU Parliament elections scheduled for June, researchers say, largely focused on spreading false claims about the war in Ukraine and political leaders who are critical of Russia.The disinformation network, which operates under the “Pravda” name and masquerades as news websites, is now targeting all 27 EU countries with its content. Researchers from the European Digital Media Observatory say the network’s use of artificial intelligence to produce high volumes of content provides an insight into Russia’s disinformation tactics ahead of the U.S. presidential election. Darren Linvill, a professor at Clemson…
Just a few days after Google reminded the entire tech industry that the Fitbit brand is still alive and well, the Sense 2 smartwatch appears to have dropped to a new record low price. That makes perfect sense (pun intended) when you think about the advanced age of this ultra-advanced health and fitness-focused timepiece, but of course, Big G could have simply discontinued the device nearly two years after its commercial debut without offering this latest and heftiest discount.Interestingly, the Fitbit Sense 2 currently costs $199.95 instead of its $249.95 list price when purchased directly from Google’s official US e-store,…
Google has continued its steady pace of refining Android 15 with the release of the Beta 2.2 update (build AP31.240426.023.B4). This minor but impactful update brings with it a host of fixes that aim to improve the overall experience for Pixel users who have opted into the beta program. One notable fix addresses an issue that had been causing some app icons to disappear from the home screen when users created a private space for the first time. This had been a source of frustration for some users, and its resolution is sure to be welcomed.Additionally, Beta 2.2 tackles a…
When’s the last time you bought a smart speaker from a carrier? Never? That sounds about right. But if you’ve been waiting for an opportunity to get Apple’s 2023-released HomePod 2 at an affordable price, you should probably hurry and place an order on Verizon’s website while you can.Believe it or not, the largest mobile network operator in the US is selling the latest and greatest Siri-powered Echo rival for $174.99 after a mind-blowing new $125 discount. This online-only promotion is available to just about anyone rather than exclusively targeting Verizon subscribers, and of course, you don’t need wireless service…
While Google Calendar might not be the most exciting app in your arsenal, it is undoubtedly one of the most useful. Many of us rely on it for remembering birthdays, and Google seems to be making that even easier with a feature found tucked away in the code of version 2024.21.0-637471596.Currently, adding a birthday involves multiple steps like creating an event, adjusting settings, and ensuring it repeats annually. Alternatively, you could also add birthday information to a contact, which will populate within the Google birthday calendar that is available as a separate entity. However, hidden within the latest Google Calendar update…
Telegram, the popular messaging app, has just unveiled a range of exciting new features designed to enhance the chatting experience. These updates were announced via a post on the platform’s blog last week.The most eye-catching addition is the introduction of animated message effects. Users can now add playful animations to their messages, ranging from hearts and flames to a variety of other fun options. These effects trigger when the recipient opens the message, adding an extra layer of expression and personality to conversations. Telegram Premium subscribers will have access to an even wider selection of animated effects, while non-Premium subscribers…
T-Mobile is trying to make life easier for its customers by bringing new features to the T Life app that was released earlier this year.T Life started as an app for managing perks and also included some account management features. The company has slowly been adding more capabilities to it, including the option of managing your Home Internet Gateway remotely. Of course, we have seen some unwelcome changes too, like the app getting plastered with ads, but T-Mobile is not alone in showing ads in its app, so we can hardly blame the company for having a revenue stream.The app is…