Author: Juan Carlos Bagnell

Juan has been obsessed with consumer electronics since before computers had GUI’s. Out of college he worked on a JIT computing contract which supported DOE facilities in New Mexico. He’s been featured on numerous podcasts and radio shows lending his tech insights. You can also find him in LA directing voice over actors and producing spoken word recording.
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AT&T Overhauls Mobile Share Plans, Cuts Prices

att mobile share plansSimplifying is the name of the game over at Big Blue.

Customers bringing their own phone, or who have paid off their phone from a previous contract might save as much as $25 per line compared to the previous AT&T Mobile Share plans. Starting December 8th, the new rates go into effect. All plans include unlimited talk and text, and are tiered solely by how much data you want to pool.

Starting at $20 a month for 300MB and climbing up to 50GB for $375, the rates for individual devices has been simplified too. Smartphones off contract will cost $25 a month and smartphones on contract will cost $40 a month. So an individual who bought a phone outright on the lowest tier data plan will pay $45 a month.

Tablets can be added to share your data for $10 a month, and additional feature phones, home phones, and mobile hotspots can be added for $20. All in all a pretty decent combo for AT&T customers. Plans which are easier to understand, and you’re going to save a little cash at the same time.

Full PR after the jump

Continue reading “AT&T Overhauls Mobile Share Plans, Cuts Prices”

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PSA: Last month to enjoy ad-free Pandora music streaming for free on Windows Phone!

c4e43008-640c-43e4-af1e-a963de3b3189Months ago, to celebrate the arrival of a proper app, Pandora offered up ad-free streaming for all Windows Phone users through the end of the year!

Well that means you only have a couple weeks left to enjoy commercial-free tunes if you’re rocking some Live Tiles. Fire up the app and start rocking out! Starting January 1 2014, you’ll either have to listen to commercials or pony up some cash.

Pandora on Windows Phone

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Quick Tip: Stream movies and music in the background on Windows 8 and RT

youtube on windows 8Reader question!

500embo has a problem. When streaming Youtube in Windows 8, he can’t find a way to keep the audio playing in the background whenever his browser isn’t on the screen.

Fret not, it’s an easy trick. Here’s how!

;aoisdn;aoisdn

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AT&T EverThere: protecting Senior Citizens with advanced fall detection, Emergency care center calling

photo_01We’re a long way evolved from Life Call’s “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up”.

Utilizing a smartphone style data connection, AT&T’s EverThere is bringing some tech sophistication to the discussion of health and personal monitoring. Each year, one third of adults over the age of 65 experience falls, many of which can cause serious injuries. EverThere brings a combination of GPS and movement tracking to help aid in the first aid response.

Like a fitness tracker, EverThere can detect movement, so in the event of a fall, paramedics can be alerted automatically. Unlike more home-based monitoring, the unit includes GPS so if a Senior family member is hurt while out and about, they location can be easily found. Connected to AT&T’s network, EverThere users can get help anywhere there’s a cellphone connection. A small, lightweight puck-like device can be worn on a chain or clipped to a belt, and the unit is battery powered for up to 36 hours.

Lastly, EverThere is an IP67 ruggedly built gadget, making it drop resistant, freeze resistant, and waterproof. It’s all about piece of mind, and you don’t want to have to worry about your emergency communication gadget getting damaged while in the middle of an emergency.

Prices start at $99 on an 11 month contract and a monthly rate of $29.99 for the EverThere service.

Full PR after the jump.

Continue reading “AT&T EverThere: protecting Senior Citizens with advanced fall detection, Emergency care center calling”

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Ask Juan: Now that I own an RT tablet, will Windows RT disappear?

lumia 2520 20Just got this question from a reader. Jim asks:

As a recent purchaser of a Nokia Lumia 2520 tablet I am starting to get a little concerned about Windows RT folding or at least developers not making apps. Is this real and if so what does that mean for my tabby?

Hey Jim! First of all congrats on the Lumia! It was my Windows Tablet pick of the year!

So here’s the deal.

Windows RT as we know it today probably wont stick around long, and as the owner of a 2520 this is a good thing for you…  Continue reading “Ask Juan: Now that I own an RT tablet, will Windows RT disappear?”

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Camera Test: The LG G2 on AT&T – video samples from a 13MP Android with Optical Image Stabilization!

LG G2 Camera reviewMonster specs!

The G2 is one of the first Android phones to rock the Qualcomm 800 processor here in the states. It’s also only the second Android handset to sport a camera with proper hardware optical image stabilization and a higher resolution sensor than the HTC One. This should be a recipe for camera phone success.

LG made some pretty bold claims with their ads, so let’s see if the LG G2 lives up to the hype!

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Windows Phone Breaks 10% Market Share in Europe, Apple Slipping

ComTech-des13-dataHappy day for Nokia!

Kantar Worldpanel announced sales figures for the fiscal quarter ending October of 2013. Windows Phone has yet to break 5% here in the states, but we did almost double the number of Windows Phones sold here. The news in Europe is much more exciting for Microsoft fans. This same period last year, WP was floating around 4.8%, and moving into 2013 sales more than doubled with Microsoft cracking 10.2%.

Bolstered by some fantastic low end Nokia phones like the Lumia 520, Windows phone is rocking 11.9% in Great Britain, 12.5% in France, and 16% in Italy.

The news for Apple wasn’t quite as rosy. While sales are generally up fr the iPhone, they’re losing share in almost every major market. Down 6% in the USA, 3% in China, and 5% in Europe. The 5S is also unsurprisingly outselling the 5C more than three to one, it would seem that Apple is missing out on the hot smartphone growth sectors in the entry-level and mid-range.

Of course Android is continuing it’s domination in every major market tracked, but it’s nice seeing Microsoft step up as a potential competitor to the Android / iOS power struggle.

(via Kantar Worldpanel)

 

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Moto X Cyber Monday Crash & Burn, CEO Apologizes by Repeating Promo Wednesday Dec 4th

moto x cyber monday sale motorolaI guess you can have too much of a good thing. For Moto, this meant too many customers trying to take advantage of yesterday’s Moto X promo. People flocked to score a Moto X for $350 unlocked, and unfortunately Moto Maker just couldn’t handle the strain.

In a letter released last night Moto CEO Dennis Woodside issued a formal apology to all the customers who weren’t able to properly place their orders, and promised to correct the problem. They’ll be improving MotoMaker’s ability to handle large numbers of customers, and they’ll be doubling the number of phones that will be available for the promotion.

On Wednesday, December 4th at 9am Pacific time the Moto X will once again be on sale for $350 unlocked for the 16GB model on any network with any color combination. Mark your calendars. Apparently this is shaping up to be a popular sale.

Full Motorola apology letter after the jump.

Continue reading “Moto X Cyber Monday Crash & Burn, CEO Apologizes by Repeating Promo Wednesday Dec 4th”

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