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Europe's next roaming charge cut comes into force on July 1st
From July, anyone travelling in any of the EU member countries with their smartphone will enjoy a few less numbers on their bill. As part of new roaming caps coming into effect next week, the European Commission has cut the price of data downloads by 55 percent. This means the most you'll pay for a megabyte is 20 cents instead of 45. As promised by the Commission's VP Neelie Kroes, the new price caps will also drop call charges by 21 percent to 19 cents per minute, while receiving calls will be reduced to 5 cents per minute. Text message costs are down 25 percent to 6 cents, but it's the lower cost of data roaming that's the banner announcement, meaning smartphone owners can safely sneak in a quick tweet or Instagram upload while they're making their way across Europe. Some customers, like those on Three in the UK, can bypass charges completely by way of free roaming plans, but for those who find themselves in an unsupported country, the new rates could lighten possible bill shocks in the future.
Engadget Daily: Samsung's VR headset, the new Leica T and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours – all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Apple to fix iMessage bug that causes ex-iPhone users to lose their texts
Apple says it's fixed a server bug that was affecting "some" former iMessage users who had tried to switch to Android or another OS. However, it admits there's another problem with its messaging platform that it still hasn't managed to address. According to Re/code, the first bug was making it difficult for Apple staff to keep track of which phone numbers are currently associated with an iPhone -- information that is essential for the proper running of the iMessage system. Without an accurate database, ex-iPhone users could find that some of their SMS messages are mistakenly treated as iMessages and sucked into the bowels of an Apple's datacenter, from whence they may never return. As for the remaining flaws, and iMessage's broader dependence on up-to-the-minute record-keeping, Apple says it's working on a fuller solution that will come in a "future software update." In the meantime, the best advice for any iPhone leaver is still to manually disable iMessage and return to regular SMS before they power down for the final time.
50 Cent's Star Wars-themed headphones launch on the light side of the 4th
That great disturbance you just felt? It's likely the bass from SMS Audio's Star Wars-themed headphones. We heard they were coming back in Vegas. In fact, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson joined us in person to tell us as much. Today, excuse us if we don't play along by saying the date, they'll be with you. Or rather, in stores, so you can buy 'em. You won't need 10,000 credits, but you will need to pay the 200 US dollars asking price upfront. No need to sell your landspeeder, either. However, you will need to pick your allegiances carefully, as there are Boba Fett, Stormtrooper, Empire and Rebel Alliance editions to choose from. The headphones themselves are emblazoned with logos on the earcups that match your chosen Star Wars representative/s, and on the Boba Fett one's at least, have a smart-looking matte finish, and soft leather-coated memory foam on the ears (complete with that "new trainer" smell). Inside the box are some Star Wars related goodies, and the box is drenched in intergalactic artwork. We're still disappointed there's no Leia design, but for the next edition, there's new hope.
Google Hangouts merges conversations and texts messages from the same sender
Since Google tacked on SMS messages to its Hangouts app, it has been tweaking the experience to keep convos on the up and up, and this week it's making a major change. In version 2.1 of the software, text messages and Hangout conversations from the same contact are neatly merged into a single thread, allowing you to send notes via either method. In order to keep track of things, the two sources are color-coded, and you can separate them any time you'd like. There's also a split in the contacts list for quick searching: folks you chat with on Hangouts and phone contacts that you keep to SMS. For easy access, there's a new home screen widget and improved quality for video calls. If your Android device hasn't alerted you to the update yet, head over to that second source link to snatch it up.
Google Glass now displays your iPhone's text messages
On the heels of last week's KitKat update, Google Glass nabbed up two more notable improvements today. First, iOS users can now have their text messages displayed on Glass, after a quick toggle of the Bluetooth settings. Here's the catch: "due to some limitations with iOS," you wont be able to reply to those messages directly from the headset. There's also a new Calendar Glassware that situates an agenda to the left of the home screen. Tapping a card in that timeline will allow you edit title, time, location and even RSVP. If you'd rather just skip those festivities altogether, you can delete events or hide them from view. Both of the new features are said to be rolling out to early adopters "in the next few days," so keep your eyes peeled.
Download: HoverChat offers SMS multitasking with Facebook-like 'HoverHeads'
Since Google decided to scrap the SMS app in Android 4.4, developers have scrambled to fill the gap. Apps including Textra, HelloSMS and EvolveSMS have helped raise the bar for SMS apps on the platform, along with HoverChat, an app you might previously have known as Ninja SMS. Like its rivals, HoverChat utilises the traditional list-based inbox, but it's how the app handles incoming messages and notifications that sets it apart from the rest of the competition.
US denies that 'Cuban Twitter' was developed to create political unrest
Last week, we brought you the story of ZunZuneo, an oddly-named startup that sought to launch a social network like Twitter in Cuba. The twist in the tale, is that it was built and funded by the United States Agency of International Development, allegedly as a way to slowly turn the island's youth away from rum and cigars and toward a local version of the Arab Spring. Naturally, the agency denies this, posting a rebuttal online that says the project was designed to circumvent the "information blockade" to connect people who have been cut off from the outside world. At a hearing on Capitol Hill, USAID head Rajiv Shah publicly denied the allegations, saying that "working to improve platforms of communication is a core part of what USAID works to do." We're sure that this story is going to run and run, at least until it forms the plot of the next Jason Bourne movie.
The US started a social network in Cuba to foster dissent
At first glance, ZunZuneo had all the markings of your average Silicon Valley startup: a silly name, a focus on messaging and plans to make a splash abroad. That wasn't exactly the case though, as the Associated Press reports. No, ZunZuneo was a social messaging service (think of it as Twitter over SMS) cooked up by the US Agency for International Development to help foment political unrest in Cuba. The plan? To hook users on a steady stream "non-controversial" updates on banal topics, before subtly injecting political messages into the mix in hopes of sparking a movement.
Twitter claims Venezuela is blocking its images to stifle protests
Venezuela's government has been trying to silence protests over shortages of basic goods, and that crackdown appears to be extending into the digital realm as well. A Twitter spokesperson tells Engadget and Bloomberg that pictures on its social network are "currently blocked" for at least some users. The country hasn't confirmed anything, but President Nicolas Maduro has already taken a TV station off the air after it showed unflattering protest footage (pictured here); this may be just a continuation of his policy. Whatever is taking place, Twitter is encouraging Venezuelans to sign up for text message updates to keep the news flowing. And locals can take comfort in knowing that government attempts to censor online content aren't always effective at crushing dissent -- if there's enough demand for political change, it can happen. [Image credit: Eduardo Massieu / NTN24, Twitter]
MightyText Android app goes Pro, adds extra features for monthly cost
Three years ago, MightyText started out as a clever app that, when paired with a Chrome extension, could sync your texts and incoming call alerts to your computer. Since then, it's blossomed into a web app in which you can access your SMS/MMS, calls, contact list and photos/videos from any browser. Next up in the app's progression: a Pro version. It's technically been in a limited beta for the past few weeks, but the developers of MightyText have wiggled most of the bugs out and are ready to open Pro account access to any and all who are willing to pay a monthly or annual fee. The Pro account, which is launching at an early bird price of $2.50 per month (or a flat annual rate of $30, if you know you'll hang onto it for a while), comes with a rather large list of additional features. A Pro's arsenal of software weaponry will include eternal message storage, number blocking, mass-group messaging (up to 25 people), themes, the ability to sync older texts from your phone to the app, message templates, 50GB storage space for photo and video uploading and a scheduler. If Pro isn't your thing, the free version will continue to be available -- MightyText plans to always have one.
Verizon plan lets you send unlimited international texts for $5 per month
If you like to text friends and family overseas, you know that it can be expensive -- US carriers frequently charge either per text or for blocks of messages that aren't always enough. Pricing won't be a problem if you sign up for Verizon's new World Messaging Unlimited plan, though. As the name implies, the $5 add-on lets you send as many messages as you like to most countries. It also drops the per-minute voice rates to a penny when calling Canada or Mexico, and 5 cents for the rest of the Americas. Verizon describes the unlimited plan as a promotional offer; while there isn't a clear expiry date, we'd suggest acting quickly if you want to chat with the rest of the planet.
Put your emoji where we can see them! The NSA collected text messages, too
Secretly sifting through your text messages isn't just for overprotective parents and paranoid lovers anymore. Now the NSA's prying eyes have shifted from your call logs and location data to your texts in a not-so-secret initiative called Dishfire. The Guardian reported that the NSA collected some 200 million text messages per day globally, extracting location data, contact information and credit card numbers. This revelation, unsurprisingly, sprung from documents leaked by Edward Snowden. According to the paper, the British intelligence agency known as the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) also used the NSA's database to cull information about "untargeted and unwarranted" communications by UK citizens, noting that the program collects "pretty much everything it can." In addition to collecting and storing data from texts, a 2011 NSA presentation titled "SMS Text Messages: A Goldmine to Exploit," revealed a second program, referred to as "Prefer." Under Prefer, the agency used information pulled from automated text messages, missed call and network roaming alerts and electronic business cards to collect information pertaining to users' travel habits and social connections. While the documents, complete with smiley face Venn diagrams and gemstone metaphors, stated that US phone numbers were either removed or minimized. The same cannot be said for numbers from the UK and elsewhere. In a response to the report, an NSA spokesperson told The Guardian that the information would only be used against "valid foreign intelligence targets." Meanwhile the GCHQ claims it used the Dishfire data to develop new targets. According to a representative from the UK carrier Vodafone, the findings came as a shock and the program sounded like it circumvented UK privacy and security standards. Joseph Volpe contributed to this report
Video messaging app Wordeo turns plain text into audiovisual poetry
Six-second Vine clips are all well and good, but the best ones involve significant amounts of creative energy and pre-planning. A new video messaging app called Wordeo, on the other hand, tries to simplify things by asking you to write a text message first, and then automatically providing short snippets of moving images (gathered from Getty Image's huge media library) an an emotive background to each word you've written. As you'll see in our hands-on video after the break, the whole process can be completed in under a minute, depending on how much time you spend messing with the font, background music or -- more importantly -- inserting self-made, two-second video clips to better express a particular word or sentiment.
With Motorola Assist's latest update, you can now reply to texts with your voice while driving
Motorola Assist, the contextually aware app that lets you set triggers and actions for a wide variety of tasks, is smart enough to determine when you're driving, sleeping, in a meeting or in other situations. In that first scenario, however, the app was only able to read texts out loud to you as you drove, leaving you without a way to respond aside from pulling over and doing it manually. The latest update to the app fixes that, as it promises to let you reply to incoming messages using your vocal cords. Additionally, Assist can also launch your music app of choice as soon as you begin driving. Assist is available on the Moto X and the trio of Verizon's latest Droid devices, so text-happy drivers should check it out post-haste.
Researchers use alcohol, Arduino and a desk fan to send molecular text messages (video)
Scientists from York University in Toronto are using alcohol as a method for sending text messages. How, exactly? By converting sprays of isopropyl alcohol into binary code, using off-the-shelf components. The researchers used an Arduino Uno board, an Adafruit LCD, a desk fan and a household spray bottle to transmit a short message across a tabletop, via molecular diffusion. In the experiment, the fan pushed bursts of alcoholic mist across a table, where a sensor at the other end measured the alcohol content of the air. From there, the vapor was reassembled into non-binary characters and the phrase was successfully reconstructed. Naturally, the transmitted words were "O Canada." The university says that this chemical form of data transmission could easily be shrunk to the microscopic level and find use in the medical field for targeted drug delivery. Conversely, the system could expand in size and offer communication through sewer systems or be used in search and rescue situations; basically, anywhere that traditional radio signals just won't work.
Google Hangouts app update tweaks texts and group messaging
Since Google bundling text messages into Hangouts, it's had its share of quirks, and the Android app's latest update addresses a few of them. If you were aggravated by the application converting group messages to MMS by default (and the possible upcharge to your mobile bill), then maybe the power to disable the function will fix that. What's more, you can now import existing SMS into the app, and Mountain View has added APN tweaks for those rocking certain unlocked handsets. The update is currently rolling out, but, if you're the impatient type, you can grab it from Android Police right now.
CyanogenMod to encrypt text messages by default with latest update
Android users worried that the government is spying on their smartphone now have a new privacy option: CyanogenMod. Starting with today's nightly 10.2 build, the custom firmware will encrypt SMS and MMS messages sent to any device using the TextSecure protocol, including fellow Cyanogen users. Users won't have to do a thing; the cryptography runs automatically in the background, regardless of the text messaging app. The encryption won't reach CyanogenMod 11 or other releases until the company is confident that everything is running smoothly, but it shouldn't be long before many Android users can chat with a greater level of secrecy.
Twitter and U2opia Mobile bring trending tweets and topics to dumb phones
We're spoiled here in the US. When we want to browse what's trending on Twitter, we just break out our smartphones, launch an app and we're perusing the latest tweets about Joan Didion and the war on Christmas in no time. Those in developing nations don't have that luxury. Twitter knows it needs to crack those markets to stay relevant and competitive, so it's reaching back to its text-based roots in a partnership with Singapore-based U2opia Mobile. Customers of the company's Fonetwish service just dial a special code, and a feed of trending tweets and topics is sent to their handset. The company already provides a similar service for Facebook and Google Talk (now, Hangouts) that delivers content in a text only format via USSD designed for handsets without an internet connection. Sure, it might not seem like an exciting to those of you toting a Nexus 5. But for many in these emerging markets, this will be their first taste of the world's most popular microblogging platform.
Text message exploit can force your Nexus phone to reboot (updated)
Watch out if someone sends a flood of text messages to your Nexus phone -- they may be trying to break in or otherwise cause havoc. IT administrator Bogdan Alecu has discovered an Android bug that triggers exploitable behavior in the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 whenever they're hit by a large volume of Class 0 SMS messages, or texts that aren't automatically stored on the phone. The denial of service attack usually forces the handset to reboot, but it can also disable the network connection (if temporarily) or crash the messaging app. Non-Nexus hardware appears to be safe, although Alecu notes that he hasn't had a chance to test a wide variety of gadgets. Regardless of the problem's scale, affected users will have to be cautious for a while; Google tells PCWorld that it's looking into the exploit, but there's no word on just when we can expect a patch. Update: There's already a firewall app in Google Play that protects against the exploit. Thanks, Chipsy4!
