Category: Articles

Posted on

Tesla Wins in Massachusetts Supreme Court Direct Sales Lawsuit

model-s-blue-front2_960x640It’s been a long fight for Tesla in MA, but yesterday the state’s highest court thew out the lawsuit which would have blocked Tesla from selling electric vehicles directly to consumers.

The Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association sued Tesla citing the state’s franchise law, but the court ruled that Tesla was not violating the spirit of that law. The franchise law was written to protect franchise owners from direct and unfair competition against a parent company, a relationship which does not exist for Tesla. Justice Margot Botsford wrote:

The law “was intended and understood only to prohibit manufacturer-owned dealerships when, unlike Tesla, the manufacturer already had an affiliated dealer or dealers in Massachusetts”.

“Contrary to the plaintiffs’ assertion,” she added, “the type of competitive injury they describe between unaffiliated entities is not within the statute’s area of concern.”

Tesla is current fighting similar statutes in several other states including Texas, Arizona, Maryland, and recently an ugly public fight in New Jersey. If the state laws there are similar to MA’s, then this case might set the stage for Tesla’s future legal strategy.

 

Posted on

LTE Enabled NVIDIA Shield Tablet Available for Pre-Order at $399

NVIDIA SHIELD_Tablet_Cover_Front_Wide_Angle_LeftNVIDIA’s Shield is a handy little Nexus 7 competitor with solid gaming capabilities, and they’re now offering a 32GB version with LTE. Starting today, you can pre-order the Shield on AT&T for $399, and if you’re signing up a new two-year agreement, you will also receive a $100 credit towards the purchase.

It’s not a bad upgrade from the WiFi-only Shield as it doubles the on board storage and adds that LTE radio for only $100 more. For more info on Shield, or to commit your cash to receiving one when they ship, head on over to NVIDIA’s site. Pre-orders are expected to ship by the end of the month, and you can find more info on AT&T’s promotion from their press release.

Posted on

Following iPhone 6 Announcement, AT&T Offering up to $300 for Trading in Your Old iPhone

iphone 6 iphone 6 plus apple homescreen somegadgetguyAT&T is price warring with its competition, and all four carriers are building up for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus push. For those looking to save a little extra cash on their new iPhone purchase, Big Blue will give you cash for turning in your old iPhone.

Starting now and running through the end of this month, you can get up to $300 back for trading in an iPhone 5S and up a minimum of $200 back for trading in an iPhone 4, 4S, 5, or 5C. It’s a convenient way to cut your bill down, and can be paired with other promotions or AT&T Next.

Full AT&T PR below.

Continue reading “Following iPhone 6 Announcement, AT&T Offering up to $300 for Trading in Your Old iPhone”

Posted on

Google Finally Merging Google Voice with Hangouts, Offers Free Voice Calling

hangouts1It’s about damn time!

Ahem…

Having lived in limbo for a while now, Google is finally updating Google Voice by making it a part of the Hangouts service. Google Voice allows users to send phone calls to multiple phone numbers, and manage text messages and voice mail from a web browser or app.

An update to Hangouts, rolling out over the next couple days will now absorb those Google Voice features, allowing you to make calls and send texts through your Google Voice number, and you’ll be able to make free voice and video calls through the app.

Google’s full PR is below.

Continue reading “Google Finally Merging Google Voice with Hangouts, Offers Free Voice Calling”

Posted on

PSA: ‘Battle for Net Neutrality’ Internet Slowdown Protest Planned for Sept. 10th.

sept 10th internet slowdown net neutralityThe fight over Net Neutrality and the FCC’s proposed “Fast Lane” rules is heating up again.

Tomorrow, a number of sites around the internet will be intentionally slowing their traffic to demonstrate what a tiered internet might feel like for consumers. The Fast Lane rules have come under a lot of scrutiny, as many fear they will slow innovation online by creating more expensive barriers for companies wanting to create the next generation of data services.

The list of sites includes the ACLU, Imgur, Daily Kos, Etsy, Foursquare, Kickstarter, Vimeo, and adult sites YouPorn, RedTube, and Pornhub will be joining in as well.

For more info on the slowdown head over to https://www.battleforthenet.com/sept10th/

Posted on

New Moto G with 5″ Display set for $179 Off Contract Price

moto g teaser vidAlongside the Moto X refresh, the Moto G is also getting an update.

Keeping a similar shell, and the front facing speakers from the X, the new G will step up to a 5″ 720p screen paired with a low power 1.2GHz quad-core and 1GB of RAM. Depending on region it will receive 8 or 16GB of storage with a MicroSD slot to add more. A 2070 mAh battery should keep the device running all day thanks to the low power internals.

While the G wont have the same breadth of customization options through Moto Maker that the X will have, there will be a variety of backplates for consumers to choose in a variety of colors. Happily, for people shopping entry level devices, Moto stands with LG and Nokia in providing inexpensive phones which look very similar to their flagship counterparts. That simply because they aren’t spending as much, doesn’t mean they should get saddled with boring or “cheap” looking phones.

The new Moto G is available starting today off contract for $179.99 at Motorola.com. You can see Moto’s teaser for the new G below.

Posted on

New Moto X Debuts with Larger Screen for $499

moto x teaser vidMoto is refreshing their line up of smartphones, and the X is getting a top to bottom makeover.

Their flagship steps up to a more premier spec sheet. Moving up to a 5.2″ 1080p OLED powered by a Qualcomm 801 quad-core with 2GB of RAM. It will come in 16GB and 32GB variants, and a 2300mAh battery is on board. The Moto X also joins HTC in providing front facing stereo speakers.Customers will also still have access to Moto Maker, which allows them to customize the colors and materials used to build their phones.

The camera is now being supplied by Sony, and it’s the same sensor which was used on phones like the GS4 and G2. That might feel a little mid-pack by today’s standards, but it should be a welcome improvement from the mediocre 10MP shooter on the OG Moto X.

Motorola’s focus is on optimization, and this new X looks to be continuing in the tradition of pairing a lean build of Android (little to no skin running on top) with software services designed to make the experience a bit more ergonomic. Voice control seems to play a larger role in this generation, and better interaction with voice commands and 3rd party apps will be a welcome improvement.

This new Moto X should be available later this month, and Moto Maker customization will be available for AT&T and Verizon. Pricing is set at $499 off contract and will likely hit $99 on contract. Catch Moto’s teaser vid below.

Posted on

Glass Explorer Edition Now Available in Google Play Store

google glass in google play storeGlass is taking another step towards being a commercial product. Google is now offering the Explorer Edition in the Google Play store.

They’re slowly walking away from the previous invite system, and they’ve flirted with selling Glass at events and kiosks, and recently had a limited time open invitation for new Explorers. Now anyone who wants to jump on board can grab Google’s wearable eye-level computer. They are also selling frames and earbud accessories alongside Glass.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t come with any pricing breaks, and you’ll still drop $1500 to own a Glass of your very own. Still, we can consider this progress, and some small sign that Google still has faith in the project while we wait out a more reasonably priced consumer edition.

Google Glass in the Google Play Store.

Proudly powered by WordPress