News

Apple starts ‘AntennaGate’ payout

Remember all that time ago when Apple released the iPhone 4? Remember there being a problem with the Antenna that had been built in to the aluminium body?

Well that was back in 2010 and following various lawsuits and free cases offered by Apple, the case was eventually settled in February 2012. This allowed iPhone 4 owners to claim compensation for the issues relating to Apple "misrepresenting and concealing material information in the marketing, advertising, sale and servicing of its iPhone 4 — particularly as it relates to the quality of the mobile phone antenna and reception and related software."

According to one TUAW reader: "My $15 Apple iPhone4 AntennaGate settlement check came today. It has been so long I forgot what it was for and had to look it up."

So any sign of these reaching the UK yet?

Oh and if you haven’t made your claim yet, then you are out of luck, you can no longer do so.

Posted by: Matt

ZTE Delivers 500 Millionth Handset

Chinese company, ZTE, have been around for a really long time (in technology terms) but only rather more recently have they been a name that the average consumer would recognise.

Yesterday ZTE reached their 15th Anniversary and also the 500 millionth handset sold milestone.

Full press release below.

Glass App pops up

Google has launched a ton of new and relevant stuff for Project Glass. First up, the beta explorer units are rolling out of the factories and will be shipped to early adopters very soon. Second, they already put their MyGlass app on the Google Play Store along with a setup page. Next, they revealed the full specs of the device. Here’s a bullet-point breakdown for you:

• 640 x 360 display – however, because of its location close to your eye, it simulates a 25-inch hi-def monitor from a distance of eight feet
• 5MP camera
• 16GB of internal storage supported by “Google cloud storage”
• Audio via bone conduction
• Battery life = “one full day of typical use” and will charge with a standard microUSB cable
• WiFi and Bluetooth

Google also released the Mirror API which will be handy for developers wanting to whet their appetite on the new platform. Just remember to take them off in the bathroom.

Posted by: Gareth

Google Glass illustrated

A gentlemen by the name of Martin Missfeldt has created a useful infographic on the full concept and functionality of Google’s Project Glass. His hard work helps illuminate some of the interesting details of the upcoming tech. After seeing some of the videos in action and checking out this infographic, Google Glass is much more exciting. Using Wii style avatars it seems reminiscent of the augmented reality seen in the PC and console game Deus Ex: Human Revolution (or even the original Deus Ex PC game). If Google Glass can create just a portion of the usefulness of the in-game concept, then it really could be the next big revolutionary technology to change the way we do things.

Posted by: Gareth

Facebook home launch day

Posted by: James

O2 launches new tariff allowing customers to get the latest phone whenever they want

O2 today announces the launch of O2 Refresh, the first 24 month tariff to decouple the cost of the phone from the cost of calls, texts and data. O2 Refresh has been designed for customers to get a new phone at any time, without having to pay out their airtime contract. Instead, customers simply pay the remaining balance for their phone and then start afresh.

When a customer signs up to O2 Refresh, they choose a Phone Plan and an Airtime Plan. By signing up to and paying separately for their phone and airtime, customers are given complete transparency, while paying the same overall as they would on a standard 24 month Pay Monthly tariff.

For those customers who want a new handset before the end of their contract term, O2 Refresh enables them to pay off the remainder of their Phone Plan and end their Airtime Plan with no termination fee. To make it even more affordable to get the latest smartphone, customers can trade in their old mobile for cash using O2 Recycle, getting up to £260 to put towards their new phone.

Mobile Tech stealing PC thunder

Industry analysts have been remarking on turn if the tides for the PC industry for quite some time now. Yesterdays market numbers (from two different studies) paint a stark picture revealing why people are making these predictions. The first quarter of this year saw the worst PC sales decline in history, as PC sales dipped down a whopping -14% (as you can see in the chart). Here’s a quote with more of the details:

Asus Fonepad gets date and price

The final release date and pricing for the Asus Fonepad has been revealed. The smartphone/tablet hybrid will launch for £179.99 ($275 USD) and will be available for pre-order at retailers like Carphone Warehouse, Amazon and Sainsbury’s April 12. The final ship date will be April 26.

Posted by: Gareth

Great news for EE 4G customers

EE is doubling the speed and capacity of its 4G network, doubling the average speeds for 4GEE customers to more than 20Mbps and future proofing the network.

Double-speed 4G will roll out to ten existing 4G cities by summer – Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Sheffield. The improvements will be automatically available within existing plans to new and current customers.

EE has set a target of reaching one million 4G customers by the end of 2013, and stated its aim to always offer the fastest network in the UK.

9^th April, 2013 – EE, the UK’s most advanced digital communications company, is doubling the speed and capacity of its 4G network. The arrival of double-speed 4G, which enables lab speeds of 130Mbps, will boost headline 4G speeds to 80Mbps plus, and double the average speeds for 4GEE customers to more than 20Mbps.

EE is doubling the amount of 1800MHz spectrum bandwidth dedicated to 4G, from 10MHz to 20MHz. This will give 4GEE customers increased capacity, and access to some of the fastest mobile speeds in the world, reinstating the UK as a leader in mobile and digital communications.

EE is forecasting mobile data traffic to grow by as much as 750% in the next three years alone. Increased speeds and capacity are vital for mobile operators to continue to deliver a consistently high quality experience. EE is committed to always having the fastest network in the UK.