Tether
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Ukraine raises over $13 million in crypto to help fight Russian invasion
Ukraine has raised over $13 million in cryptocurrency as part of a crowdfunding effort helping its defense against the Russian invasion.
The US may crack down on 'stable' cryptocurrencies
US regulators are mulling a crackdown on stablecoins like Tether over concerns they actually destablize the economy.
Cryptocurrency exchange accused of covering up $850 million loss
In the evolving story of a so-called "stablecoin" the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James accused iFinex Inc. -- operator of the Bitfinex exchange and the Tether cryptocurrency -- of trying to cover up "the apparent loss of $850 million dollars of co-mingled client and corporate funds." While researchers have tied Tether transactions to the spike in Bitcoin value that occurred between March 2017 and March 2018, this issue of the missing money is allegedly tied to a transfer of $850 million in funds to Crypto Capital Corp., a payment processor based in Panama.
T-Mobile cracks down on customers who abuse their unlimited data
If you're using T-Mobile's network to torrent all seven seasons of The West Wing (remember kids, piracy is for jerks) or tethering like an absolute madman, don't be surprised if your data speeds start dipping dramatically over the next few weeks. According to a leaked internal memo (which T-Mobile has substantiated) data draining customers with one of the carrier's Unlimited 4G LTE plans -- like the $80 Simple Choice option -- will see their speeds throttled starting on August 17 if they don't change their network hammering ways. The only real consolation here is that T-Mobile won't spring this on you out of the blue. Before you start getting throttled, the carrier will contact you to give you a warning -- if you don't shape up, your LTE speeds will be cut down until your next billing cycle rolls around.
Ask Engadget: best device locator?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Eric, who needs help overcoming a memory condition with regards his wallet. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Hello! I've got a problem whereby I can forget things, and I've lost my wallet on more than one occasion. Naturally, the lack of technology makes it difficult to find, so is there a way I can add a tether (to alert my phone when it goes out of range) or a GPS tracker to save yet more tedious calls to cancel my credit cards? Thanks!" That's an interesting puzzler, and certainly one that we think we should throw straight out to the wider community. What have y'all seen that'd help our friend Eric overcome his burdens and keep his wallet close to hand? You know where to leave your comments.
Another stealth tethering app will probably be pulled off the App Store any second... (Updated)
Update: It's been yanked. These things tend not to survive long in the wild, but it's your $2, have fun: audio capture iPhone app DiscoRecorder apparently has a secret, and it's an Easter egg proxy server. If you follow a rather rococo set of network config steps (detailed by 9to5Mac), make a recording, and rename it "PearSauce269.aac" (really? OK, sure, why not) then voila! Free tethering, regardless of your iPhone data plan (but that will still use up your data allocation). [Update: Note that this will only work from your Mac, not your iPad, as it requires you to create an ad-hoc network to start with. If you went ahead and spent $2 thinking this would tether your iPad, sorry about that.] Given that the discovery of this feature was coincidentally and/or conveniently timed for a Friday evening, when the App Store minders have presumably fixie-biked off into the Cupertino sunset, there's at least some chance the app will still be on the store in the morning -- but needless to say this is not a good long-term plan for tethering. [hat tip Giz]
Nokia confirms Lumia 710, 800 to be knighted with mobile hotspot 'soon'
If you've pored over the specs of Nokia's Lumia 710 and 800 handsets during the last few months, you've likely noticed the duo's lack of mobile hotspot functionally. Of course, the Finnish phone maker didn't completely abandoned the feature in Windows Phone, as the ability to turn your device into a portable access point will ship with its flagship Lumia 900 and the recently announced 610 at launch. Nokia admitted that the feature would be coming to the 800 months ago, and now Elop & Company have announced that the 710 is also on the shortlist. A recent Q&A post on its Connects blog explained that software updates will be "coming soon" -- by way of Zune update -- to remedy the discrepancy between the old and new. No word on what Nokia's definition of "soon" is, but you can find all the available details at the source link below.
Tether for iPhone returns as an HTML5 app
Last year, iTether hit the App Store and was promptly pulled when Apple discovered it let customers share their phone's mobile broadband connection without paying for a carrier tethering plan. After a few months of inactivity, Tether is now back as an HTML5 app. The new HTML5 version of Tether creates a wireless connection using an ad-hoc network. Setup the ad-hoc network on your PC, login to your tether account using the browser on your iPhone and you can enjoy a jailbreak-free shared data connection. The service now costs $30 a year, though it is on sale now for $15 as a promotion. We talked to the developers behind Tether about their new HTML5 app. Read on to learn what they have to say about why they chose HTML 5 and what happens to customers using the iOS version. There's also a demo video showing the new Tether app in action. Question: What made you decide to go the HTML 5 route? Answer: HTML5 was the obvious choice when Apple decided to block us from their App Store. The beautiful thing about the web is no matter how hard you try to stop innovation and block things, there's always people finding ways around it. Question: What were some of the technical challenges you faced when you decided to go with an HTML5 app? Answer: There were a number of challenges; unfortunately we can't actually legally disclose them because of our patents we have filed. Question: Will the clients on the other mobile platforms also move to this HTML 5 app? Answer: At this time the application only works very well on iOS devices. We are evaluating other platforms but have not tested them. Question: Can Apple or the carriers find a way to block your web app from working? Answer: Anything is possible. It's impossible for us to understand what carriers/Apple will do. Our goal is to work collectively with carriers and handset manufacturers to provide tethering as a native product. Question: You say the data is encrypted. Is it encrypted from end to end? I'm thinking of people who might visit their bank and any security concerns they may have. Answer: We encrypt the data connection directly from the PC to our Proxy. Question: What happens to your current customers who bought Tether when it was in the app store? Will their service continue to work? Will they have to pay again to use the new HTML 5 service? Answer: iTether users can continue to use the service, we just suggest they do not update. If they wish to use our new HTML5 version they will need to pay again. This is the unfortunate position that Apple left us in. Question: Is there anything else you'd like the public to know about the app or your company? Answer: Any more info can be found at: http://tether.com/blog/
Tether for iPhone returns as an HTML5-powered subscription service (video)
We're still not sure how iTether temporarily snuck into the App Store the first time around, but the developers behind that software have returned with a new version that skirts Apple's guidelines entirely. While Tether.com has standard apps available for BlackBerry and Android users, the new approach on iOS relies on creating an ad-hoc network from a PC, and then visiting the appropriate webpage on the iPhone. Log in to the website, and the company's "patent-pending" software does the job of tying the two connections together wirelessly through the magic of HTML5, no jailbreaking or other hackery needed. The cost for the service is $30 a year, although it's currently available for the first year at $15 -- no free trials, and of course what happens to your data plan is between you and your carrier. Check out the video above for a demonstration or hit the company's website for more details.
iTether app allows tethering even if your plan doesn't (Updated: Apple pulled it)
Update: Despite Tether's assertions, Apple has pulled this app from the store. Update #2: Tether confirmed in a blog post that Apple pulled its iTether app because it could place a burden on a carrier's network. It appears that iTether may be gone for good. Apple reportedly "offered us (Tether) no way to remedy the solution." BlackBerry users may remember TetherBerry, an app that lets you share your BlackBerry's cellular Internet connection with a computer. It caused a storm because it was one of the first third-party apps with tethering functionality that actually worked. The company behind this app is now disrupting the iOS world with iTether, the iOS version of their tethering app. The iOS app lets you share your cellular Internet connection with your laptop or desktop via USB (WiFi or Bluetooth is not supported). It requires you to run an app on your iPhone and a companion app on your PC. The two apps bridge the connection between the phone and the computer. It doesn't require you to jailbreak your device, so everyone with a computer, a USB cable and an iPhone can use it. I've used both the BlackBerry and the Android version and they worked great. I haven't had the chance to use the iOS version because Tether's servers are down and I can't download the Mac software needed to get it to work. The developers behind iTether told MacRumors that the app is in the iOS App Store with Apple's blessing. "We were very clear with Apple what our app did. They asked us a bunch of questions and then approved us." If you really want the app, you should grab it fast as it may disappear once carriers start to complain to Apple. If you buy the app, be aware that carriers could detect that you're using it and shut you down. The app, iTether, is available for US$14.99 from the iOS App Store. [Via 9to5Mac]
HTC Mozart and HD7 go back to grade school, learn how to Internet Share
The ability to use your Windows Phone as a mobile hotspot was originally an exclusive feature extended only to brand new Mango devices, but we're now beginning to see Internet Sharing pop up on the HTC HD7 and Mozart. We're seeing reports that it's showing up in various parts of the world, though we still haven't heard if this will include T-Mobile HD7 users in the US or if it still awaits final carrier approval first. Either way, it's probably worth clicking on that Zune icon to check for the update. Update: Several people have let us know that the update is indeed making its way to T-Mobile HD7 devices. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Hey yo, T(ether) technology tracks rap gestures in 3D
T(ether) is a bit like that amazing Reality Fighters game we saw on the PS Vita, except it's more tranquil and it works slightly differently. The tablet-based technology uses motion capture cameras to track users' heads and the orientation of the device itself, building a 1:1 spatial connection between real and virtual coordinates and allowing "intuitive interaction with volumetric data." As you'll see in the clip after the break, this equates to some pretty neat tricks. And, if you throw in multiple users wearing motion-tracked gloves, things get even more Eastside.
Sprint reportedly capping its mobile hotspot plans October 2nd
If Sprint's myriad policy changes are part of the company's strategy update, perhaps we're not looking forward to October 7th's event after all. The latest bout in a series of gut-punching cost-cutting moves is the elimination of "unlimited" in the Now Network's $30 mobile hotspot add-on; according to a leaked employee memo uncovered by SprintFeed, October 2nd is the dreadful date in which all users who have the add-on (sorry Sprintsters, there's no grandfathering) will be given a limit of 5GB, and any overage will be charged five cents per MB. It appears that only phones will be affected, leaving tableteurs safe for now. So if you're currently using the hotspot feature, enjoy the last few solid days of sweet downloading while you can. Update: To clarify, this change will only be affecting users who have the mobile hotspot add-on; as the screenshot confirms, on-phone data use (as well as dedicated mobile broadband packages) will remain unlimited.
Verizon now cracking down on jailbreak tethering and apps
Verizon is now blocking customers from tethering for free on their data plan. For years, savvy smartphone owners have used hacks and software to connect their laptop or tablet to their phone's mobile broadband connection without paying the additional US$20 monthly charge for tethering. Until now, carriers have turned a blind eye to this free tethering and let it continue as long as data usage wasn't excessive. Verizon, similar to AT&T, has decided to put an end to this practice. The carrier is forwarding these free tethering customers to a Verizon webpage that lets them add the tethering option to their plan in just a few clicks. This move comes hot on the heels of Verizon's controversial decision to end its unlimited data plan last month.
Android app tethers handsets to Canon cams, live view fanboys rejoice (video)
We're living in a post-pc world, folks. High time you got with the program and junked that heavy and outmoded relic called the computer. But how does one take tethered snaps from a Canon, sans EOS Utility? Meet DSLR Controller, an Android app from Chainfire that turns your little green robot into an external live view monitor, and gives you complete control over your shooter's finer sensibilities. It lets you tweak exposure, aperture, shutter, white balance and focus with sensuous swipes of your fingertip. To make the whole shindig work, you'll need an Android device packing a USB host port and an "on-the-go" USB cable -- which lets your handset wear the pants in the phone / DSLR relationship. We should also warn you that the $8.51 application is currently still in beta and thus streams video in live view mode at a less than optimal 15fps. Those and other foibles may be remedied by the final release, but if you're looking to practice your tethering voodoo immediately, hit the source below, and watch a vid of your photographic future after the break.
AT&T: no more unlimited data for illegal tetherers
There's a war on unlimited data being fought as we speak, and Ma Bell is leading the main charge. Just days after AT&T announced it would begin throttling data speeds for the heaviest bandwidth hogs grandfathered into the carrier's no-limit internet service, it's also confirmed it's ready to crack the whip on illegal tethering as well. In attempt to achieve "fairness for all of [its] customers," the carrier has added a bit of force behind its March announcement, sending out notices to anyone using their jailbroken iPhones as a mobile hotspot. The gist? Cut it out or be scaled back to a tiered data plan. In a statement originally given to 9to5mac, an AT&T spokesperson said: Earlier this year, we began sending letters, emails, and text messages to a small number of smartphone customers who use their devices for tethering but aren't on our required tethering plan. Our goal here is fairness for all of our customers. (This impacts a only small percentage of our smartphone customer base.) The letters outline three choices: 1. Stop tethering and keep their current plan (including grandfathered unlimited plan) 2. Proactively call AT&T or visit our stores and move to the required tethering plan 3. Do nothing and we'll go ahead and add the tethering plan on their behalf - after the dated noted in their customer notification We reached out to AT&T and confirmed that this statement is indeed true. Consider this the company's last warning -- your time to enjoy all-you-can-eat tethering is almost at an end. How soon the day of reckoning will come, however, likely depends on when you received the notification originally. And you thought you were being so sneaky...
Verizon speaks up, confirms usage-based data plans are coming July 7th
The leaks about Verizon's usage-based plans have become so abundant that it's been nearly impossible to shake off with any amount of skepticism, but one key ingredient's been missing from the saga: official word from the carrier itself regarding the exact date and specific pricing. A mere two days before DataGate's rumored debut, Verizon's finally cleared its throat to make a statement confirming the inevitable. The unlimited smartphone data plan will predictably make a sad and sudden departure from the company's brochures -- lingering only for those grandfathered into it -- and a tiered structure will enter in its place. There were no surprises on pricing: for smartphone data, plans start at $30 for 2GB, $50 for 5GB, and $80 for 10GB. New customers can add mobile hotspot service for an extra $20, and Big Red will throw in a couple additional gigabytes as well. Customers currently using the unlimited LTE mobile hotspot will be given the option to retain that service for another $30. We've yet to receive confirmation from our spokesperson, but will keep you updated as soon as we get word. Knowing is half the battle, though, so take action -- interested parties only have two days left.
AT&T to enable BlackBerry Bridge support before sundown
Most tablets function just fine on their own, but RIM's BlackBerry Playbook introduced a unique, yet restrictive interface that limits Bluetooth tethering to a similarly-branded handset. This feature, called BlackBerry Bridge, lets your tablet piggyback on a handset's 3G data connection, also enabling access to productivity apps like email and calendar, which are still otherwise unavailable on the PlayBook. Unfortunately, this option hasn't been made available for AT&T users, but that's about to change, as the feature will be added to App World today. While the Bridge suite is totally gratis, enabling the AT&T 3G data connection requires a monthly tethering plan of $45, which means anyone grandfathered into the unlimited data feature will need to decide if it's worth the jump. Bridge not sounding like your cup of tea? Don't worry -- at least you can take comfort in knowing that the days of pining for native email are numbered.
Verizon offers unlimited LTE data plan for HTC Thunderbolt, don't expect it to stick around
Verizon execs have been clear as crystal that unlimited smartphone data will follow the dodo -- perhaps as soon as summer of this year -- but in the meanwhile you can drink your fill of the best as the HTC Thunderbolt will launch this Thursday with an unlimited LTE data plan. While we've no guarantees how long it will last, or whether you can grandfather the $30 monthly option into bigger and better devices down the road, it does open up a whole new avenue of opportunity for the Thunderbolt. Considering that Verizon's 4G USB modems top out at 10GB of LTE data for $80 a month, the HTC handset just became the most powerful, affordable MiFi you could possibly own. Assuming battery life is decent, of course. Find the full PR below.
TetherGPS brings GPS navigation to Nook Color, in a manner of speaking
The smart folks over at ComptonSoft are looking to provide a GPS receiver to your mobile device in a rather unconventional way. TetherGPS links up your Android phone's GPS to the Nook Color by means of WiFi -- either on the same network or via a WiFi tether -- because the Nook Color is lacking in the standard usable Bluetooth department. After connecting the two devices, it makes a second link by running a TGPS server on the phone and a TGPS client on the Nook. The two devices are then intertwined in a blissful, all-you-can-GPS buffet of routes and roads. For the most part, the Nook's location-aware Android applications, such as Google Maps, will draw from this connection for location data and use it as if there were a GPS receiver on board. TetherGPS is up for grabs for $2.99 on the Android Market, and there's also a free "Lite" version for those who only need GPS for five minutes at a time -- we'll assume you know who you are. [Thanks, Red]
