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Verizon will reward customers for referring new subscribers
Need a little extra pocket money? Is Verizon your cell phone carrier? You might be able to hit the company up for a little boost in your cash flow then, provided you bring a few new customers along with you.
T-Mobile will offer unlimited data for European travel
T-Mobile is continuing its practice of proving to everyone why it should be worthy of the "Un-carrier" moniker. This time around, the company is offering unlimited data with up to 4G LTE speeds throughout Europe for the rest of the summer.
Court says police don't need warrants for phone location data
You would think that police would require a warrant to get your phone's location info, right? Not according to the US' Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. It just ruled that asking a company for cellphone location data you've offered to a third-party doesn't represent a search under the Constitution's Fourth Amendment, and thus doesn't need a warrant. According to the judges voting for the decision, volunteering your position info means you've given up a "reasonable expectation of privacy" -- if you didn't want to share where you were, you wouldn't have handed that knowledge over to someone else, would you?
AMC is considering letting people text in movie theaters
Just as AMC was starting to win customers back by replacing every old seat in its auditoriums with recliners, the company wants to destroy that good will among moviegoers. That's because CEO Adam Aron thinks letting people use their phones during a movie would be a good idea. "When you tell a 22-year-old to turn off their phone, don't ruin the movie, they hear 'please cut off your left arm above the elbow,'" Aron tells Variety. "You can't tell a 22-year-old to turn off their cellphone. That's not how they live their life." Yes, he actually said that.
House bill would discourage crooks from using burner phones
For many criminals, prepaid "burner" phones are a dream tool: they're cheap, commitment-free... and most importantly, don't require ID that could reveal the buyer. House Representative Jackie Speier wants to put an end to that anonymity. She just introduced a bill, HR4886, that would require prepaid phone sellers to verify ID through common sources like credit cards, drivers' licenses or Social Security numbers. In theory, this prevents drug dealers, terrorists and other crooks from evading law enforcement by using untraceable phones that they can toss at a moment's notice.
OnePlus 2 drops the invite requirement on December 5th
If you're looking to purchase a new handset this holiday, OnePlus is hoping you'll look its way. To help lure you, the company is permanently dropping the invite usually required to purchase the OnePlus 2. What's more, you won't need an invitation to nab the smaller $249 OnePlus X between December 5th-7th. If you miss the window for the cheaper device, you can splurge for a OnePlus iPhone case that includes the requisite invitation. You'll want to act quickly, though, as the company says you'll have to order by December 7th to receive your new phone by Christmas.
IRS promises to get a search warrant before spying on cellphones
The IRS will no longer use "Stingray" cellphone-tracking devices unless the agency receives a search warrant supported by probable cause, in accordance with the Department of Justice's Policy Guidance, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen says in a letter. The agency's use of Stingray surveillance devices went public in October, though at the time it was unclear how (and how often) the IRS used the technology. Stingray devices mimic cell towers to trick nearby phones into connecting to them, allowing the user to track locations, record calls and access text communications.
US won't stop the NSA's mass phone spying before a ban kicks in
If you were hoping that the courts would find a way to end the National Security Agency's mass phone surveillance a little early... well, you'll be disappointed. The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals says it won't overturn Congress' decision to offer the NSA a 180-day transition period ahead of the USA Freedom Act's more targeted spying requirements. It's a "reasonable decision" that helps the agency keep tabs on terrorists, according to the ruling. You might beg to differ given the potential privacy violations of bulk data collection, but it's a short-lived victory for the NSA regardless -- the outfit has to scale back its snooping on November 29th.[Image credit: AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana]
New DHS policy demands warrants before deploying Stingrays
The Department of Homeland Security announced a substantial policy change Wednesday regarding how it employs cellphone-tracking tools like the Stingray system. These cell-site simulators have been in use for more than a decade. They allow law enforcement to find cell phones either by directly searching for a known device or find an unknown device by sniffing for signaling information from the simulator's immediate vicinity and triangulating that data. The new policy explicitly demands that DHS personnel acquire a warrant before deploying the devices unless an exception, such as the imminent loss of human life, destruction of evidence, or to prevent the escape of a fugitive felon. Wednesday's announcement follows a similar decision by the Department of Justice last month. [Image Credit: Getty]
Sprint's delivery service arrives in Las Vegas and six other cities
Sprint continues to expand its in-home sales and service effort, making a trip to its retail stores a thing of the past. The carrier's Direct 2 You home delivery option is heading to seven more cities: Charlotte, Cincinnati, Las Vegas, Nashville, New Orleans, Pittsburgh and Salt Lake City. This means that if you're in those locales, the in-store experience comes to your home or office to save you a trip. Direct 2 You not only drops off your shiny new handset, but a Sprint employee can walk you through the setup, transferring contacts and answer any questions that may arise. The free service began back in April and is already available in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and other major US cities. Sprint says it plans to take Direct 2 You to even more cities in 2016.
Teen texting can be just as compulsive as gambling
There's no question that modern teens are more comfortable with cellphones than earlier generations, but there's now evidence to suggest that some of them are a little too comfortable. A recent study shows that some teen texters exhibit the same compulsive behavior you see from gamblers, including the inability to cut back, sleep loss and lying to cover up habits. For the girls in the study, this frequently translated to poorer grades at school (though they still fared better overall than the boys). The quantity of texts didn't affect the teens so much as their inability to pull away from their devices. Sending just a few messages doesn't matter if your eyes remain glued to the screen, after all.
Microsoft's 5.7-inch Lumia 950 XL is liquid cooled and $649
While the Surface Pro 4 may garner the bulk of the attention from today's Microsoft event, the folks in Redmond had other stuff to reveal, too. Those other announcements include a pair of smartphones, one of which is the supersized Lumia 950 XL. Thanks to a handful of leaks, we already had an idea what the handset would look like and some details of its spec sheet. The 950 XL features a larger OLED screen than its sibling, measuring 5.7 inches at 518 ppi. It also offers 32GB of storage that you can expand via microSD card up to a whopping (theoretical) 2TB. There's a 20-megapixel camera with a Zeiss lens around back with triple LED RGB natural flash, optical image stabilization and a dedicated camera button as well, continuing to leverage the photo chops from Nokia. That wordy flash description basically means people will look more natural in photos where you have to employ said feature. And, of course, all of that runs on Windows 10.
Sprint's unlimited data plan increases to $70 a month on October 16th
If you're been eyeing Sprint's Unlimited Plan for an endless supply of data, you'll want to act quickly. The carrier is increasing the cost of its unlimited data option by $10 a month on October 16th, upping it from $60 to $70. The announcement comes in the form of an "act now" promo of sorts from Sprint, offering those who are interested a chance to opt in before the price hike. The company says that in addition to those who switch over by October 15th, customers who are currently on the $60 unlimited tier will be able to keep the current rate after the changes go into effect. What's more, the monthly cost will stay put, even when getting a new phone, as long as plan requirements are met and selected financing options are available with the data option. Sprint is offering the iPhone 6s for $1/month when you trade-in too, pairing it with unlimited data for $61 for a limited time. [Image credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Investigators can't make you give up your work phone's passcode
American law enforcement might have free rein to make you unlock a phone using your fingerprint, but personal passcodes? Nope. A Pennsylvania-based federal judge has ruled that the Securities and Exchange Commission can't make two former Capital One employees hand over the passcodes for their old work-supplied smartphones to prove that they're guilty of insider trading. While the US Constitution's Fifth Amendment doesn't protect people from self-incrimination using corporate records, both devices were locked with codes that only their owners knew. That's personal information still covered by constitutional protections, according to the court.
Sprint thinks its existing wireless spectrum is enough
Phone carriers usually have a voracious appetite for wireless spectrum, and for good reason: they don't want to lose your business because their networks are overloaded or missing coverage. Sprint isn't in a hurry, however. The provider just announced that it's passing on the FCC's upcoming 600MHz auction after determining that its existing airwaves are "sufficient" for its future needs. The goal right now is to improve service on the frequencies that Sprint already has by adding tons of extra cell sites and aggregating bandwidth.
Nextbit's cloud-friendly phone is heading to Sprint, too
After adding Verizon to its list of carriers last week, Nextbit announced today that its Robin phone would be available on Sprint as well. When it was first announced, the cloud-focused handset was only available for AT&T and T-Mobile customers, but the company tacked on two more networks since. This means customers on all four of the big-name carriers in the US will be able to pick up a Robin. With a week to go, Nextbit has raised over $1.2 million (and counting) via Kickstarter for the project. When the campaign ends, backers will be able to choose between the GSM or CDMA version of the device via a survey. Nextbit also revealed what would be included in the box with an image of the matching quick charger, charging cable and SIM pin. If you're still considering one, you'll have to commit $349 to secure it in the next seven days.
Google's next phones will reportedly be the Nexus 5X and 6P
We've seen a few snapshots of the upcoming Nexus phones and now we may have an idea what they'll be called. Droid Life reports that the pair of Google phones, one made by LG and the other by Huawei, will carry the labels of Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P (yes, six pee), respectively. The LG device is said to house a 5.2-inch display while the Huawei handset is rumored to carry a 5.7-inch inch screen, hence the 5 and 6 designations. We won't have to wait too long to find out, though, as reports indicate that Google is hosting event on September 29th where the duo is expected to be revealed alongside a new Chromecast. And, of course, a look at the latest version of Android Marshmallow. Hopefully we'll also find out what Huawei has tucked under that camera hump, too.
Dear Veronica: How to make it big in a band!
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-634269{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-634269, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-634269{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-634269").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Happy Wednesday, advice-seekers! This week, we're covering one of my favorite topics: audio production. We have a great question about miking techniques, and a slightly more esoteric question about being famous in a band. Also, have you ever been the victim of someone talking on the phone in the bathroom stall next to you? It's the worst. Don't worry, I've created a brief primer for all the places it's safe / not safe / totally uncool for people to be talking on the phone. Let me know the most awkward phone conversations you've experienced! Were you the recipient, or just an innocent bystander? Tweet me using the hashtag #DearVeronica, or send them via email. I'll share your responses next week! See you then. Subscribe in iTunes or RSS
Apple helps you prep to pre-order a new iPhone
Anxious to get your hands on one of those shiny new iPhones? You're not alone. And while you may be waiting a few days to have one in hand, pre-orders open up this weekend. To help prep for the rush, the company is allowing eager US customers to enter some personal info ahead of the pre-order window opening, so when the time comes, all you'll have to do is select your carrier, model and storage options before hitting submit. Entering your details will also tell you how much you'll be parting with to secure the phone you're after. Of course, Apple also has a new carrier-free upgrade plan that gets you a new iPhone every time a new one becomes available after 12 monthly payments. That option starts at $32 for the 16GB iPhone 6s. If you haven't set your reminder yet, pre-orders open up at 12:01 AM PT (3:01 AM ET) September 12th.
DOJ's new Stingray rules: feds need a warrant to track phones
Over the last few years, we've learned that US law enforcement agencies not only regularly use "Stingray" devices to locate suspects by their cellphones, but go to great lengths to hide this activity. After extensive reporting on the subject, the Department of Justice has established an "Enhanced Policy for Cell-Site Simulators" (PDF) detailing when they can be used by federal agencies, and how. A big part of that is the requirement that agents obtain a warrant first, except in certain cases that can include ongoing hacking attempts and people in danger of death or bodily harm. Also, they can't be used to collect communications like emails or texts at all.
