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AT&T relaunches Cricket prepaid brand with nationwide 4G coverage
It's a brand new day for Cricket, AT&T's budget wireless arm. Last year, the mobile giant announced plans to acquire Leap Wireless, Cricket's parent company, and has since launched a major refresh, formally introducing the new service today. After purchasing new devices, Cricket customers will be able to access AT&T's nationwide 4G network, including LTE. All plans include unlimited domestic calling, messaging and international texting to 35 countries, and come in at $35, $45 and $55 monthly (after a $5 auto pay credit), with 500MB, 2.5GB and 5GB of data, respectively. You won't be charged for data overages -- instead, Cricket will cap your speed at 128 Kbps for the rest of the billing period.
Minecraft Realms subscription service now available
Mojang has launched its Minecraft Realms subscription service in North America, offering hosting and setup for multiplayer Minecraft worlds starting at $13 per month. Mojang notes that the service holds particular value for parents, as Minecraft Realms makes it easy to set up a child's individual sandbox world and restrict it to invited players. The subscription fee also covers an automatic backup feature, allowing players to undo unwanted alterations and roll back worlds to a previous saved state. Up to 10 players can join a Minecraft Realms-hosted world at once, and the service will host minigames and other exclusive in-game events on a regular basis. Discounts are available for users who sign up for a three- or six-month subscription package. The service is currently exclusive to the PC version of Minecraft, though support for Minecraft: Pocket Edition is planned in a forthcoming update. [Image: Mojang]
Crytek unveils $10 per month CryEngine developer subscription plan
Crytek may be known for its Crysis and Far Cry series, but the developer also makes a pretty penny by licensing out its proprietary tech for game development, CryEngine. Crytek will now offer a subscription-based model for the latest version of its engine, charging $9.90 USD/euros per month for each CryEngine licensee. The "Engine as a Service" plan starts in May and won't affect the free, non-commercial software development kit offered by Crytek. Epic Games announced its own subscription model for Unreal Engine 4 yesterday, a plan that amounts to $19 per month plus 5 percent of gross revenue from any commercial product developed with the engine. While Crytek will unveil more details about its subscription plan in the future, its announcement noted that the Engine as a Service version of CryEngine will be "royalty-free." The latest version of CryEngine features Linux support as well as "Physically Based Shading," a Geometry Cache feature to calculate cache-based animations for elements like cloth and fluid dynamics and an image-based lighting system. An alternative to these subscriptions for some independent developers are middleware development tools like GameMaker: Studio and MonoGame. Sony announced PS4 exporting solutions for those pieces of development software yesterday in addition to PS3, Vita and upcoming PS4 solutions for Unity users. [Image: Crytek]
Diablo III shows off expansion gameplay as the auction house closes
Are you ready to continue the adventures of John Diablo as he fights the nefarious forces of Reaper McSoul? Probably not, as that's not even close to the plot of the Diablo III expansion Reaper of Souls. A new gameplay trailer for the expansion has just been released and is available past the break, showing off the new regions, new abilities, and the new class. The expansion launches next week, so you don't have to wait long to try all of this out for yourself. The game's real-money auction house has also finally breathed its last today, with the service currently shut down in the Americas. This goes hand-in-hand with the features of Reaper of Souls that are designed to keep loot drops more relevant and interesting for players. If the trailer is any indication, there are still plenty of demons to be slain -- you just won't be dropping real money to do any of that.
Beats Music set for US launch in January, but you can claim a username starting today
If you've been anticipating the arrival of Beats music-streaming service since it was first teased, it looks like wait is finally up next month. CEO Ian Rogers took to his personal blog to announce the January 2014 launch of Beats Music in the States. The software in currently in an internal private beta and is gathering feedback from artists so that the necessary improvements can be made before going live. To tide you over for another month, you can head over to the Beats Music site and stake your claim on a username starting today. You know, so you won't have to worry about not swiping up that go-to handle when the time launch-day rush comes. Hopefully we'll find out soon just what the outfit has done with its MOG acquisition.
BlackBerry Messenger app arriving on Android and iOS this weekend
BlackBerry's effort to extend its messaging service beyond its own failed hardware has finally come to fruition. After some awkward false starts, plus a detailed leak, BlackBerry Messenger apps for iOS and Android will soon be available for download at the respective app stores, allowing members of those more popular ecosystems to do... well, chat-related things that they could largely do already, except now through BlackBerry's BBM servers. The company has confirmed that the Android BBM app will launch at 7AM ET on Saturday, while its iOS equivalent will be available beginning at 12:01AM local time (in each market) on Sunday. More details at the source link below.
Crying wolf: when emergency alerts stop being effective
Yesterday, I switched off all AMBER and Emergency iPhone Alerts in Settings > Notification Center. This followed a day and a night of flash flood warnings that started at 1 AM and continued until just after noon. [Erica is in Colorado, where recent wet weather has contributed to disastrous flooding. –Ed.] In that time, I counted eight individual Emergency Alerts issued by the National Weather Service in my personal notification center. These included alerts in the middle of the night; alerts as I was in office buildings; and alerts while I was waiting for appointments or having meetings. Since AT&T pushed out its Emergency Alert upgrade to support my iPhone 4S, I have received alerts for a variety of weather situations plus that abduction one from California. I cannot point to a single alert in my history that I considered necessary to receive on a phone rather than seeing on the TV or by hearing the local tornado alarms. I cannot customize the alerts I hear. It's all on or all off for AMBER and/or emergency items. These alerts are loud, scary, intrusive and blunt. I think my alert burnout is pretty human. When people get tired of alerts that aren't relevant, they're going to shut them off. Emergency alerts by their very nature should be few, important and effective. As is, they've become the spam of disaster preparedness. And I've just sent mine to my virtual alert spam folder. We posted a how-to on turning off your emergency alerts in July. Please consider the risks and benefits before changing this setting on your phone. –Ed.
PSA: StreetPass relay points across the US aren't doing their jobs
Joystiq has received numerous reports that Nintendo's 3DS StreetPass relay points aren't functioning. The relay points are physical Nintendo Zone locations across the globe that temporarily store user data from passers-by like Miis and select profiles from games, then transfer that data to players that walk by in the future. StreetPass relay points were introduced in a 3DS firmware update in August as a means of providing players with more chances to swap data for use in apps like the four new Mii Plaza games, which made $4 million in one month. Nintendo's support page notes that players must have firmware 6.2.0- 0U or higher on their systems in order to use the service, though some users claimed the latest 3DS firmware hasn't alleviated their woes. Others noted that some locations, such as McDonald's, only relayed data after logging in to free wi-fi services using the 3DS web browser. We've reached out to Nintendo for more information, and will update as we learn more. [Thanks, alittlebird!]
Twitter sets new tweets per second record, explains why 143k simultaneous updates didn't make it stutter
Remember the last time you saw the infamous Twitter fail whale? With any luck, it's been a while -- the microblogging outfit is boasting that it withstood a one-second peak of 143,199 Tweets earlier this month. This volley of updates stands not only as a new record for tweets per second (the previous record topped out at 33,338), but as a sign for the social network's stability. Twitter's Raffi Krikorian took to the company's engineering blog to elaborate. Three years ago, the World Cup brought Twitter to its knees -- crashing the service with nearly every play. Krikorian says the experience gave the company pause, prompting them reevaluate its approach to managing traffic. "We learned a lot. We changed our engineering organization." Krikorian goes on to detail the transformation, explaining how the firm tweaked its programming models, architecture, services, applications and storage databases to eliminate bottlenecks and increase stability. "We're now able to withstand events like Castle in the Sky viewings, the Super Bowl, and the global New Year's Eve celebration." All of the above topics are addressed at length, but Twitter promises future blog updates diving into each subject at even greater length. So, curious as to why exactly you haven't missed out on any of @GeorgeTakei's quirky banter? Check out the attached source link and find out.
TextNow launches IP-based mobile phone service starting at $19 per month
Some people are afraid of commitment, and that includes vowing to stick with a carrier for two years. Thankfully, the list of choices keeps on growing for those who'd rather use contract-free devices, and the new TextNow mobile phone service is a fresh option. If the name sounds familiar, that's because it began its life as a standalone app for making free calls and sending texts via WiFi. Staying true to its roots, the new service piggybacks on Sprint's 3G and 4G network for an internet connection in the absence of WiFi, so you can use a TextNow-powered Android phone wherever the carrier has coverage. Yes, that's wireless phone service over IP, and the outfit claims it's the world's first all-IP mobile operator. Device choices are limited to a Nexus S for $90 and a Galaxy S II for $120, but as plans begin at $19 per month, it might still be worth checking out, especially if you're on a budget.
Wuaki.tv streaming service launches UK beta, offers many ways to pay
Okay, we're pronouncing it "ooh-acki", because that sounds slightly more classy than "wacky", but you can call this new Rakuten-owned streaming service whatever you like. You can also choose how to pay for it, because the pricing system gives you the option of a monthly subscription for access to a "regularly-refreshed line-up" of movies and TV shows, or a per-item charge to rent or buy the latest Hollywood releases -- or you can pay both types of fee if you want it all. Having already attracted 600,000 subscribers in Spain (hence the idioma in the image above), Wuaki.tv is offering a decent introductory discount to give itself a kickstart in the UK: be among the first 75,000 to sign up during the beta phase (and do so before mid-September) and you'll get a half-price monthly fee of £2.99 for as long as you stay with the no-contract service. The downside to joining early is that, for the time being, you can only stream to a Mac or PC. Support for mobile devices, smart TVs and consoles is due to be added over the coming months, at which point the decision to sign up quickly (via the Source link below) might start to prove its worth.
Gigabit Squared outlines Seattle fiber prices: 1Gbps for $80 per month
Ultra-high-speed fiber-to-the-home from Gigabit Squared isn't scheduled to light up Seattle until 2014, but the outfit's just revealed what it aims to charge for its blisteringly-fast internet service. Folks who are content with the bare minimum can pay a $350 installation fee and net 5Mbps up and 1Mbps down at no charge for 60 months, and can then convert to $10 each month for 10Mbps both ways. With a one-year contract, residents of The Emerald City can avoid the setup charge and score 100Mbps down and 100Mbps up for a $45 monthly bill. If pure speed is your prime directive, 1Gbps up and down will be available for $80 per month, and with no cash put towards installation. Aching to hook up to the web at those eye-watering speeds? You'll have to live in Seattle's West Campus District, First Hill, Capitol Hill or Central Area neighborhoods, as they'll be the first connected to Gigabit Squared's pipes. There's no sign-up process just yet, but it's scheduled to go live next month. Update: We've corrected the story to reflect that the free plan can be converted to a $10 monthly plan after 60 months, which boosts speeds to 10Mbps up and down. [Image credit: Eli Duke, Flickr]
Feedly RSS reader launches cloud service
Feedly is a service that's risen in popularity recently for the most part because the much-loved RSS service Google Reader is coming to close on July 1, but the company is definitely doing its best to make a space for itself as something more than just an alternative. Today, Feedly released the Feedly Cloud, which not only creates a standalone web-based RSS reader app, but also hooks all of your feeds into the cloud, which developers can then hook their own APIs into for various purposes. Just like Google Reader's API, the idea is to allow Feedly's work to power other readers, and in fact the service is connecting into IFTTT right away at launch, and opening up other options for future apps and tools. This also means that Feedly is available right inside your web browser (previously, the app required a plugin or extension in your browser to work correctly), and can be pulled up from anywhere. Personally, Feedly has become my reader of choice, partly because it works so similarly to Google's service, and partly because it's so easy to migrate from one service to the other. If you use Google Reader and haven't yet chosen a new service, you're running out of time, as Google is finally shutting everything down on July 1. Feedly is the best alternative I've seen so far, and this move to the cloud shows that the company is very interested in not only grabbing Google's refugees, but keeping their patronage for as long as possible.
Reuters: Apple to show off iRadio streaming service next week
Reuters is reporting that among the announcements we'll see at next week's WWDC keynote, Apple will introduce a new music-streaming service called iRadio. The service will be free and ad-supported, Reuters says those in the know claimed, and will feature ads from the iAds team. The service is designed to dive into the already crowded market of music-streaming services, which includes Pandora, Rdio, Spotify, Slacker Radio and a number of other sizable options. I will buy this rumor, but I don't know if Apple's plan is simply to just introduce "another" music streaming service. The company has been working hard with iCloud and iTunes Match to get you access to your music from any of your devices, and my guess is that any "iRadio" reveal would be along those lines, aimed at providing you direct access to any tunes you want to listen to from anywhere. The iAds division was of course put together for running ads on apps, but it makes sense that Apple would want an in-house solution for them to sell, so it sounds like this could work. As with all of these rumors, we won't know what's true until Apple actually takes the stage next week. But at least we don't have too much longer to wait.
BlackBerry introduces OTA service for automakers, brings push expertise to vehicle telematics
With more and more vehicles featuring telematics and built-in wireless connectivity, it's no surprise that we're seeing a new ecosystem emerge around the technology, with M2M specialists providing everything from radios to apps. BlackBerry wants a piece of this pie, and today at the Telematics Detroit conference, the company is showing a new OTA (Over The Air) service for automakers. The solution lets car manufacturers manage and deploy software updates to vehicles in the field and takes advantage of BlackBerry's push expertise and secure infrastructure. Other remote capabilities include installing apps on a car's infotainment system and getting status information on vehicle components. Let's just hope there's no service outage in the middle of that ECU update, okay? PR after the break.
Tesla announces new service details, unconditional warranty for Model S battery
Tesla CEO Elon Musk talked a bit about his goals for expanded service options in his interview with us earlier this month, and he's today detailed some of those options that the company is ready to roll out. That includes one perk that's been mentioned previously: the ability to get a Model S loaner to tide you over when you have to turn your car in for service. What's more, that loaner will be a top-of-the-line Model S regardless of the car you turn in (there's a fleet of 85 to start with, each with valet service to your location), and customers in "most markets" can also opt to get a Tesla Roadster as a loaner if they'd prefer to try out something sportier. Musk further explains that customers can even choose to keep that loaner car if they like it better, and simply pay the difference. Beyond that, Tesla is now making annual checkups entirely optional, meaning that your warranty will still be valid for the full term even if you never take your car in. And rounding things out is what Tesla describes as an "unconditional warranty" on Model S batteries, which will let owners get a factory reconditioned unit as a replacement even in the case of user error. You can find the full details on the new options in Musk's blog post announcing the news linked below.
Rumor: Amazon's Goodreads purchase cancelled a possible Apple partnership
The Wall Street Journal says that before Amazon's purchase of the Goodreads service earlier this year, Apple was planning to possibly integrate the social reading-recommendation service into its own iBookstore. Apple and Goodreads, says the WSJ, had been talking for a year or more about combining Goodreads' social ratings for books into the iBooks app directly, but of course Amazon's purchase put the kibosh on any such team-up. Amazon purchased Goodreads for what could be close to $200 million, and purportedly plans to use the service and its user reviews to help sell e-books on the Kindle bookstore. As for Apple, it's hard to say just what such a partnership would have looked like. Obviously Apple is willing to integrate partners in certain products, especially on iOS, where both Twitter and Facebook have seen fairly major social integration. But on the other hand, Apple's also very careful about mixing up brands, which is probably why any possible Goodreads partnership took as long as it did to come to light. Apple's seen a lot of success with iBooks, and so the company might be leery about including anyone else's content on that store. Nevertheless, thanks to the Amazon acquisition, integrating Goodreads on the iBookstore is no longer a possibility. Currently, users can review books on iBooks in exactly the same way they can review apps in the App Store, and that solution may be good enough for Apple for now.
Twitter launching #Music app for iPhone alongside new service today (update: now live)
We had a strong suspicion that Twitter's new music service would figure into the company's "big announcement" promised for today, and that is indeed the case. The company confirmed on Good Morning America this morning that its #Music service will be launching on the web later today with a separate iPhone app in tow. As expected based on the company's acquisition of We Are Hunted, the service is focused largely on music discovery, letting you find music that's popular with your friends or those you follow -- specifically, music shared from iTunes, Spotify or Rdio at the moment. According to Twitter, the web version will be rolling out over the next few hours, with the service currently offered in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Twitter also says that it hopes to roll the service out to Android devices in the future, but unfortunately isn't offering anything more specific for the time being. Update: The iPhone app is now available in the App Store. If it's not turning up in searches for you, this link should work. Most should also now be seeing the web-based version at the source link below.
Mac 101: Checking your Mac's warranty status
More Mac 101, tips and tricks for novice Mac users. Every newly purchased Mac comes with a one-year limited warranty and 90 days of complimentary telephone technical support from Apple. Of course, by purchasing AppleCare with your new Mac, you can extend this warranty and telephone technical support to three years, but it will cost you extra. How do you find out if your Mac is still in its first year of warranty or covered by AppleCare for an additional two years? Simple! Go to Apple's Service and Support Coverage page and enter your Mac's serial number. You'll get a break down of your warranty based on the date your Mac was purchased. Where do you find your Mac's serial number? You'll find it in About This Mac (here's how). Or for an even easier way -- because remembering and grabbing your Mac's serial number can be a bother -- download WozWas's Mac Warranty Status Script, which grabs your Mac's serial number and enters it into Apple's Service and Support Coverage page for you. All with one simple click. Knowing whether your Mac is in warranty can be really helpful, should something go wrong. It's also particularly useful to know the status of a Mac's warranty if you're planning on buying second-hand. Remember, warranty and AppleCare coverage stays with a Mac until it expires. There are different views on whether AppleCare is worth the cost, but regardless, a general rule of thumb is that if you can afford it, you should get it. Though Macs are great, if / when something goes wrong, it can be expensive to repair. AppleCare provides you with peace of mind and first-rate support from Apple.
AppleScripting Email > Developing a Quoted Reply Service
A reader recently wrote to me with a problem. Apparently, Microsoft Outlook no longer contains the ability to create quote level chunks of text when replying to messages in plain text format. Why this functionality was removed, I can't say. But, with a little help from AppleScript and Automator, I was able to help the reader to add this functionality back via a Service. Better yet, the Service can be set up to work in any email client, or even system-wide in any app. Here's how you can do it... Building the Service 1. Launch Automator (in /Applications) and create a new Service workflow. Creating a Service workflow in Automator 2. Configure the workflow (at the top) to process selected text in any application, or your favorite email client, such as Mail or Outlook. Then, select the "Output replaces selected text" checkbox. In this screenshot, the Service is set to appear only in the Outlook app. 3. Find and add the Run AppleScript action to the workflow. It should link up with the header, indicating that it receives text as input. Enter the following script into the action. Note: If you get stuck, you can download the completed script and workflow here. Example of the completed workflow 4. The script above is set to limit lines to a maximum of 42 characters. If you want longer lines, go ahead and adjust this in the script. Just set the theMaxLineLength variable to the desired length. Also, note that this is a guideline. The script tries not to break words in the middle. So, if an extra long word is encountered, you may still have lines longer than the maximum length. 5. Save the workflow as Email > Quote Selected Text. Automator puts it where it needs to go. Saving the Service workflow Using the Service Now, anytime you're in your email app and want to create quoted text in a plain text message, just select the desired text. Right-click it (or Option+Click it) to display the contextual menu. Then, select Services > Email > Quote Selected Text. Again, this is intended for plain text messages. It will probably generate inconsistent results with HTML formatted text. Triggering the workflow from the Services contextual menu in Outlook to process selected text in a message If you don't see the Services menu in the contextual menu, then whatever app you're using may not support contextual Services. In this case, try triggering the workflow from the App > Services menu instead. Triggering the workflow from the Application > Services menu If all goes well, your selected text is passed to the Service workflow, and the processed quoted text is inserted. Happy Scripting! A message containing processed text
