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Bangladesh shuts off mobile internet ahead of election
The Bangladeshi government isn't just counting on Facebook and Twitter crackdowns to protect its December 30th parliamentary election. The country's Telecommunication Regulatory Commission has shut down 3G and 4G mobile data to "prevent rumors and propaganda" from skewing the vote. The measure took effect immediately and was poised to last through the end of election day.
Google adds more handy tools to its data-monitoring app
Google launched its data-tracking app Datally for Android last year, giving users more insight into how and where they're using their phone plan data as well as more control over that usage. Now, Google has released a handful of new features for the app. First up is Guest Mode, through which Datally users can set the amount of data someone can use when borrowing their phone. And in that same vein, Datally now lets you apply daily data usage limits for yourself. The app will give you warnings as you approach that limit and once you reach it, you can either block data for the rest of the day or continue using it.
Google's new image compression tech is actually pretty cool
In a bid to save you precious mobile data, Google has developed a technique that improves image quality without taking up more bandwidth. Entitled RASIR (Rapid and Accurate Super Image Resolution) this impressive software quickly reads large photos and manages to replicate them using a quarter of the pixels. RASIR achieves this by analyzing both low and high-quality versions of the same image. As it reads the image, it learns from the superior version and applies filters to its low-res counterpart that simulate extra detail, creating a convincing data-friendly replica of the original high-res photo.
AT&T will downgrade mobile video streams by default next year
We have officially entered a world in which carriers think they're doing us a favor by throttling video streams. AT&T today announced a new "feature" called Stream Saver that'll automatically downgrade whatever video you're streaming to standard definition 480p, or "DVD quality." In early 2017, AT&T will turn Stream Saver on for all customers by default, though you'll be able to opt-out of it through your account settings.
Ting made its pay-for-what-you-use data rates cheaper yet
Folks looking to save a few bucks on their cellphone bill might want to take a look at Ting. It's an alternative to the likes of pre-paid offerings from the big carriers and the company's approach might be enough to sway you. Ting operates on a pay-what-you-use basis, and it recently announced drops in rates ranging from $2 to $10 for its data plans. Specifically, using less than 500 MB per month will run $10 rather than $12, below 1 GB is $16 versus $19 and up to 2 GB will cost $20. Should you need more than that, each additional gigabyte will be $10.
$60 gets you 6GB of mobile data on Verizon pre-paid plans
Verizon is bumping its pre-paid data allotments up. Folks on the $45, 1GB month-to-month plan will have an additional 2GB of mobile data available at their fingertips come May 15th, and the $60 plan jumps from 3GB of data to 6GB. Of course, that's if you're enrolled in auto-pay. If not? Each plan's data drops by 1GB. The plans include unlimited texts to Canada and Mexico, but if you want to make unlimited calls to either of our immediate continental neighbors, you'll have to pony up for the most expensive plan.
Verizon's 18GB shared data plan costs $100
If Verizon's previous 12GB bucket of shared data wasn't big enough for your needs the company's got a new tier to (hopefully) help you out. Big Red's now offering 18GB for $100 a month and calling this new tier XXL, as Android Central points out. Of course, you'll have to shell out $20 per connected line, but what's a touch unexpected is that this promotion is only available for a limited time. This naturally still includes unlimited talk and text and if it proves popular, it probably wouldn't be a stretch to imagine the carrier keeping the new tier around. [Image credit: Associated Press]
Your BMW just downloaded a security patch
Have a BMW, Mini or Rolls Royce with the ConnectedDrive feature parked in your driveway? Maybe all three? Well, it turns out there was a bug that allowed ne'er-do-wells to manipulate it -- entirely wirelessly. According to Reuters, by simulating a fake phone network researchers at German outfit ADAC (essentially Deutschland's AAA) were able to gain access to systems governed by the platform's SIM card by spoofing a cell tower. They've even put together a video describing the gap in security which you can check out after the break -- if you speak German. While the vulnerabilities didn't include anything related to steering, acceleration or braking, the ConnectedDrive does have access to traffic information, air conditioning and... door locks.
AT&T and Verizon are upping bandwidth on select data plans
These days we could all use a little more mobile bandwidth, and the folks at AT&T and Verizon are giving us some. Let's break it down, shall we? If you're on an AT&T single-line plan or have two to three devices, the company is now offering 3GB of data as opposed to the prior 2GB for $40 per month. And now, the carrier's $70 tier will net you 6GB of bandwidth instead of 4GB. This new allocation starts November 2nd, and as Gigaom points out, the double-data promo for higher-tier plans runs until November 15th. Verizon has a sorta similar deal going, but it's for plans that have higher bandwidth to start. Big Red is bumping its $80 per-month customers from 6GB to 10GB and the previous 10GB, $100 per-month tier is getting a bump to 15GB of data. This is apparently a limited-time offer, but, hey, at least it extends to both new and existing customers starting this Saturday.
Samba's free mobile data network shuts down as ads fail to cover costs
If 500MB of free browsing a month in exchange for watching a few ads seemed too good to be true, it was -- Samba, the free, data-only MVNO is no more. According to the company's blog, it came down to the increasing price of wholesale data, which made the ad model unsustainable. Fortunately, if you bought a SIM card recently or paid for a data top-up (another option if you didn't want ads), you'll get a refund. There'll be no credit for time spent watching ads, though -- but it's a pretty good bet you were doing something else at the time anyway.
Google invites iOS users to experience data compression with Chrome
Like it or not, thinking about every megabyte is essential for smartphone owners hoping to keep their monthly usage from topping whatever tier they've purchased. The nasty, unbecoming world of data caps isn't changing in the near-term, and Google knows it. Following in the footsteps of Opera, the outfit's Chrome browser for iOS is evidently equipped with a data compression feature that's engineered to save precious bytes when browsing via mobile. This technology has existed for some time, but it's just now being rolled out en masse to those with an iPhone. We're told that it "compresses and minimizes HTML, JavaScript and CSS resources, removing unnecessary whitespace, comments and other metadata not essential to rendering the pages," which can reduce data usage by up to 50 percent on certain sites. So, Apple -- thinking about tossing something similar under the hood of Mobile Safari?
Qualcomm aims to solve the coming mobile data crunch with small cell base stations
Qualcomm's been doing very well lately, and most of those chips it builds are for mobile devices that demand a lot of data to serve their owners' needs -- and as more and more folks jump on the smartphone bandwagon, the demand for data will continue to grow exponentially. Today at Qualcomm's What's Next in Mobile event in Santa Clara, California, the company told us more about its plan to help build a network that'll be able to serve up the data all its SoC's need. The goal is to give us 1000 times the capacity of what we currently have. One of the key parts, as Qualcomm sees it, is small cell base stations in homes, offices and retail spaces working in tandem with the large cell towers that currently adorn so many roofs and mountain tops -- the same thing ex-FCC head honcho Julian Genachowski talked about last year. You see, macrocells (read: towers) can blanket wide areas in signal, but they struggle to penetrate the innards of buildings, which is where small cells come in handy. For those who aren't familiar, small cell base stations like femtocells and picocells have been around for years, helping to boost cell signal in small areas by hooking into a local wired network. Until now, these small cells have served as a small-scale supplement to macro networks, but Qualcomm CTO Matt Grob sees them comprising a much bigger chunk of the network of the future. According to him, there are a few issues with using them in an expanded role, however.
FreedomPop expanding free LTE service to tablets
Forbes is reporting that FreedomPop, the gratis wireless broadband startup, is planning to release a 4G device designed specifically for tablets. The company's "LTE Clip" will attach to an iPad or Android tablet and transform WiFi-only devices into 4G-capable hotspots (so long as you're in an area with Sprint service). Weighing in at 2.5 ounces, the Clip will act as a mobile hotspot, supporting eight connected devices with up to six hours of battery life. Similar to its current model, FreedomPop will reportedly spot up to 500MB of data for free each month, with the ability to raise the cap via a paid add-on package or by using credits earned for inviting friends to join the service. We have yet to receive direct confirmation from the company, but Forbes suggests that we'll see the LTE Clip in the latter half of 2013 -- until then, it may be worth checking out the rest of the FreedomPop lineup.
The People's Operator launches in the UK -- a charitable MVNO for data haters
Another mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) has joined the fray in the UK today -- The People's Operator (TPO). The main hook of this entrant is relatively low calling and text costs, and with 25% of the company's profits going to its own charitable foundation, you know all that nattering is doing some good (you can also assign 10% of your monthly spend to a specific cause). You should get decent coverage piggybacking on EE's towers, and it's expected to share its new 4G network with TPO in the future. The MVNO doesn't really cater to those who like their data, however, as the current cost is a flat 12.5p per MB, and the pay-as-you-go bundles launching in December don't come much cheaper (£17.50 per month for a 500MB allowance). That may well put off smartphone users, as several other carriers like Three and giffgaff offer unlimited data at similar prices. Pay monthly contracts and handsets are coming soon, but at the moment, TPO is a PAYG, SIM-only provider. If the combination of cheap calls and charity has sparked your interest, head over to the source link to learn more.
Opera Web Pass goes live in Malaysia, provides short-term mobile data access on demand
Opera introduced a new approach to pay-as-you-go mobile data today, but unless you currently live in Malaysia, you'll only be able to read of the latest advancement. Known as the Opera Web Pass, the service is geared to those without data plans and allows users to purchase short term access from their local carrier. In its current form, mobile providers are given the flexibility to determine which subscriptions to offer, such as an hour or day of internet use, or even quick access to individual apps like Facebook or Google+. Naturally, the service could also be a great value for travelers. For its part, Opera insists that Web Pass should be extremely easy for carriers to implement with their servers. For the time being, however, Opera Web Pass is currently only available to subscribers of DiGi Telecommunications, which partnered with the Norwegian company to develop and test its service. If you're curious to learn a bit more, feel free to hit up the source links below.
Microsoft partners with Devicescape to give WP8 users access to over 11 million WiFi hotspots
Microsoft has secured access to over 11 million WiFi hotspots for Windows Phone 8 users today by inking a deal with virtual network provider Devicescape. Hoping to help people avoid pesky data overages, this partnership uses Windows Phone 8's Data Sense feature to locate participating hotspots from Devicescape's group of pre-approved WiFi access points. When launched, the app pulls up a Bing-powered map displaying nearby hotspots and vets them based on their signal strengths. Now before you start dreaming of watching your entire Netflix queue on your shiny new Lumia 920, keep in mind that Verizon's currently the only US carrier on the Data Sense bandwagon. Hopefully Microsoft's customer-friendly approach to mobile data will motivate other service providers to follow suit as more Windows Phone 8 handsets become available.
T-Mobile drops 200MB smartphone data plan, 2GB now the new standard
T-Mobile silently killed off its $10 per month 200MB data plans, a leaked document reveals. A company spokesperson verified the news with Fierce Wireless. This decision is most likely due to the growing demand for mobile data as smartphone applications continue to evolve. Grandfathered customers will not be affected by this new policy, but will need to pay full price for a device and sign up for a "Value" plan when upgrading in order to maintain their existing service plan. T-Mobile now requires its smartphone customers to have a minimum data plan of 2GB or higher, which starts at $20 per month. While this change may make sense for most smartphone users, existing customers who are light on data and heavy on savings might have a different perspective when it's time to buy a new phone. Check out an extreme closeup of T-Mobile's document after the break.
International Telecommunication Union: worldwide mobile subscriptions hit six billion in 2011
Last year, the UN's International Telecommunication Union (ITU) told us there were five billion mobile subscriptions worldwide at the close of 2010, and now it's reporting that at the end of 2011, that figure hit a staggering six billion. China and India account for one billion a piece, and it brings us ever closer to having the equivalent of one subscription for every person on the planet. (According to the CTIA, there are already more cellular plans in the US -- around 322 million -- than there are inhabitants.) In a stat-heavy release from the ITU, it also ranked the most advanced telecoms countries, with South Korea placing first, Japan eighth and countries in Europe filling the remaining spots. Interestingly, the number of global mobile broadband subscriptions now outnumbers fixed ones by two to one, and mobile internet services showed the biggest growth rates in 2011: 40% worldwide and 78% in developing markets. The ITU attributes the latter figure to the relatively high price of fixed access in these countries, and the increasing availability of mobile alternatives. The CTIA also commented on mobile broadband use, reporting that from July 2011 to June this year, Americans consumed 104 percent more data -- no doubt due, in part, to people taking advantage of expanding 4G coverage. As usual, we've given you the cheat sheet, so if you'd like the full reports and have got a thing for statistics, there's plenty more in the source links below. [Image credit: Chris Jordan]
Tep Wireless review: another great option for international mobile hotspot rentals
Traveling is great -- nay, amazing. And travel that requires a passport can be even more fulfilling for those willing to open their minds to new cultures (and, perhaps, deal with entirely too much security screening). But here's the thing -- travel is a lot better, generally speaking, with an internet connection within arm's reach. Things are never more likely to go awry than when you leave your comfort zone (or, you know, home nation), and we here at Engadget have been investigating the best methods for maintaining a connection whilst abroad for the better part of our lives. To date, you've got a smattering of options: rent a mobile hotspot from XCom Global, pick up a rental SIM from iPhoneTrip, pray that you can find a shop that rents data SIMs upon your arrival or pony up for whatever absurd roaming fees that your home operator deems fit. All of the above options have their pros and cons, but the good news here is that your choices are expanding. As the market for ubiquitous connections continues to grow, another player has recently entered the market. Tep Wireless began as a hotspot rental service that mainly looked after those traversing the United Kingdom, but recently, it expanded its coverage umbrella to include some 38 countries across Europe and 50 nations total. This here editor recently had the opportunity to cross through four of those on a single journey, with a Tep hotspot in hand the entire way. Care to see how things turned out? Let's reconvene after the break.
Tep Wireless expands mobile hotspot rental plan to 50 countries, revamps pricing
The international mobile hotspot rental market just got a lot more interesting. While Xcom Global's offerings are still broader, Tep Wireless is expanding in a major way. Previously reserved for European nations, the upstart is now serving a full 50 nations, adding Brazil, the United States, South Africa, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, Bahrain, Israel, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and UAE to its repertoire. For those in need of a refresher, the company enables customers facing an international trip to order their hotspot and get it delivered prior to departure, with a prepaid envelope included to ship it back once they've returned. The company's made clear that its hotspots will track data usage in real time right on the inbuilt display, and they're programmed to hop onto different networks as borders are crossed. (If you're curious, we confirmed that it all works as advertised in a recent jaunt across European borders.) The full pricing chart fo is hosted up after the break, with those needing unlimited buckets able to pay a $6.95-per day surcharge. (It should be noted that the preexisting EU-wide pricing options remain for those sticking to that region.) It'll probably look a touch pricey to light users and common tourists, but business travelers unwilling to take chances on connectivity when heading overseas will find the rates far more palatable than roaming fees from their home carrier.
