Tag: T-Mobile

Tech Articles For Your Weekend Reading Pleasure Week Ending December 12

Linda Reimer

Article 1. An interesting Times’ article that focuses on how the use of technology can be used to help lessen income inequality

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/07/upshot/how-technology-could-help-fight-income-inequality.html?ref=technology&abt=0002&abg=0

Cowen, Tyler. (2014, December 6). How Technology Cold Help Fight Income Inequality. The New York Times. Online. Accessed December 6, 2014.

Article 2: A helpful re/code gift guide for those purchasing gifts for families that include young children – the gifts are mostly for young children although the lists includes a few items for the parents:

http://recode.net/2014/11/25/holiday-gift-guide-new-parents/

Boehret, Katherine. (2014, November 25). Holiday Gift Guide: Tech Relief for Parents of Young Children. re/code. Online. Accessed November 25, 2014.

Article 3. I found this article on the Quartz blog – Quartz is a blog owned by the Atlantic Publishing Group – the people behind The Atlantic magazine – and I thought this article was neat because it offers us a brief look at the divide between the U.S. where we collectively highly value technology and other parts of the world where the technology we value, and most of which is produced in the U.S., is seen in a more negative light as exemplified by the “Right to be Forgotten” issue which has been a huge bone of contention between European countries and Google – here’s the link to the article:

http://qz.com/303947/us-cultural-imperialism-has-a-new-name-gafa/

Chibber, Kabir. (1 December, 2014). American cultural imperialism has a new name: GAFA. qz. Online. Accessed December 2, 2014.

Article 4: This article is from the La Prensa (The Press) site and it discusses how a group of students at the U. S. C. Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism had a 15 week software production (aka Hackathon) session where the developed new software applications for Google Glass. The session was overseen by Web Journalism Professor Robert Hernandez.

Here’s the link to the article:

http://www.laprensasa.com/309_america-in-english/2825693_students-develop-google-glass-app-that-gives-users-encyclopedic-knowledge.html

And a link to the U. S. C. Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism’s website in case anyone wants to check that site out to learn more:

http://www.glassjournalism.io/

Students develop Google Glass app that gives users encyclopedic knowledge. La Prensa. Online. Accessed December 4, 2014.

Article 5: Article 5 offers info on the second Sony hack in recent weeks:

http://recode.net/2014/12/08/hackers-hit-sony-again/

Hesseldahl, Arik. (2014, December 8). Hackers Hit Sony, Again. re/code. Online. Accessed December 8, 2014.

Article 6: This article discusses how & why many people under the age of 30 expect that they can view and listen to digital content for free:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/08/technology/grappling-with-the-culture-of-free-in-napsters-aftermath.html?ref=technology

Grappling With the ‘Culture of Free’ in Napster’s Aftermath. New York Times. Online. Accessed December 8, 2014.

Article 7. Another cool re/code gift guide – this one focuses on the gadgets you might buy to please the combo tech and fitness people on your gift list:

http://recode.net/2014/11/25/holiday-gift-guide-active-people/

Goode, Lauren. (2014, November 25). Holiday Gift Guide: Gadgets for Fitness Freaks. re/code. Online. Accessed December 10, 2014,.

Article 8. This week T-Mobile launched a new and cheaper family plan that allows you to have two lines with unlimited date for only $100 per month!

Here’s the link:

http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/9/7362629/t-mobile-100-two-line-unlimited-family-plan

Seifert, Dan. (2014, December 9). T-Mobile launches $100 two-line family plan with unlimited data. The Verge. Online. Accessed December 9, 2014.

Article 9. If you have an Amazon Prime membership and i you purchased a new 4 K TV in 2014 then you might want to check out this article because Amazon has just updated its software so that you can access 4 K content from the Amazon Instant Video Store!

 http://www.cnet.com/news/amazon-starts-4k-uhd-streams/

Katzmaier, David. (2014, December 12). Amazon 4K streams start (updated with hands-on). cnet. Online. Accessed December 12, 2014.

Article 10. And yet another sign of the fact that we live in a high tech era – The State of Iowa will soon put out a new app that will allow residents to keep their official drivers’ license – on their smartphone!

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/12/12/370359601/coming-soon-to-iowa-drivers-license-on-a-smartphone-app

Calamur, Krishnadev. (2014, December 12). Coming Soon To Iowa: Driver’s License On A Smartphone App. NPR. Online. Accessed December 12, 2014.

Article 11. Here’s a tech column from the New York Times that offers info on just why Windows computers keep doing those annoying updates, and, what type of scanning & virus protection software you might use on a Mac:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/11/technology/personaltech/keeping-up-with-windows-update.html?ref=technology&_r=0

Biersdorfer, J. D. (2014, December 10). Keeping Up With Windows Update/Scanning A Mac. The New York Times. Online. Accessed December 12, 2014.

Article 12: And if you like cooking and technology checkout this cool NPR article that discusses a new high tech pan!

ttp://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2014/12/03/367995538/weekly-innovation-a-smart-pan-that-helps-you-cook-like-a-chef

Ralphelson, Samantha.(2014, December 3). Weekly Innovation: A Smart Pan That Helps You Cook Like A Chef. Online. Accessed December 8, 2014.

 

The iPhone Comes To The Newly Contactless T-Mobile & Facebook Can Now Take Over You Phone

Linda Reimer

It has been another busy, busy day in library land so this will be a briefer than usual posting!

I know, I know!  “short” is not a word you usually find in my vocabulary especially with regard to writing anything as tech blog postings go! As frequently tech blog viewers know. However, I really will try and do a short posting this evening!

Two of the largest tech stories today, and in deed for this week, are the fact that the iPhone is finally available for T-Mobile customers – and perhaps as you’ll recall T-Mobile recently discontinued its contract cell phone programs so you can get the iPhone 5 for $100 down (and $20 extra dollars per month until the phone is paid off) through T-Mobile and leave T-Mobile at any time for another cell phone company if you wish – you just have to pay off the balance you own on your phone.

Here’s a link to a CNET article that offers more information about the iPhone now being available to T-Mobile customers:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57579367-37/t-mobiles-iphone-off-to-a-damp-but-hopeful-start/

And as far as Facebook taking over your smart phone you can now get the Facebook home app from the Google Play Store for all Android phones (not yet for iPhones). This app will basically put your phone in the Facebook universe as it overlays Facebook features on top of the OS of your phone. So if you are a huge Facebook fan you’ll be able to get this app and then easily reply, send and see Facebook postings among other Facebook related options.

Here’s a link to a CNET story on that same subject:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57579370-93/facebook-home-arrives-in-google-play-store/

Have a great weekend everyone!

Linda R.

P.S. I did it – it is short – only one Word length page!

References

Cheng, Roger. (2013, April 12). T-Mobile’s iPhone off to a damp, but hopeful, start: The iPhone finally launches at T-Mobile, injecting a little energy into the smallest national carrier. CNET. Online.

Van Grove, Jennifer. (2013, April 12). Facebook Home arrives in Google Play store. CNET. Online.

 

T-Mobile Discontinues Cell Phone Contracts & Mainstream Media Discusses The Television Revolution

Linda Reimer

T-Mobile Discontinues Cell Phone Contracts: T-Mobile, the fourth largest cell phone carrier in the United States, just dropped all its contract plans and has moved to a pay-by-the-month becoming the first large carrier in the U.S. to do so. Cell phone users can now transfer their old phones to T-Mobile, or obtain a new phone from T-Mobile and pay a monthly fee for the phone for a certain period of time until the phone is paid off. However, cell phone users will also have the option to pay off their phones early, without penalty, and will be able to switch carriers or obtain new phones whenever they want to as of course there will no longer be a contract to adhere to. Monthly service plans are called “Simple Choice” plans and the entry level package costs $50 per month for unlimited texting and voice and 500 MB of data. Customers can also pay $70 per month for an unlimited texting, talking and data plan.

Here’s a link to a Ars Technica article titled After months of speculation, T-Mobile finally ditches cellphone contracts on the subject:

http://arstechnica.com/business/2013/03/after-months-of-speculation-t-mobile-finally-ditches-cellphone-contracts/

And another link to a New York Times article on the subject titled T-Mobile Unveils Aggressive Phone Pricing With No Contracts:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/27/technology/t-mobile-unveils-aggressive-phone-pricing-with-no-contracts.html?_r=0

Mainstream Media Discusses The Television Revolution: I keep talking about the Television Revolution and how more and more people are streaming television shows and movies over the Internet and now mainstream television is beginning to cover this very cool story as it unfolds! More specifically NBC’s Night News offered a news story on Sunday regarding how the Netflix production of the hit Kevin Spacey series House of Cards is very popular. NBC also notes that when Netflix debut the first season of the series for its customers they offered the entire season all at once so eager viewers can have House of Cards marathons and watch the series in either one long weekend sitting or each night over the course of two weeks – basically they can watch all of the series whenever they want to. And that so called “binge” or marathon streaming of shows by television and movie fans is a large facet of the unfolding TV Revolution.

Here’s a link to the NBC video clip titled Netflix Changing TV

http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/51312617#51312617

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Chen, Brian. (2013, March 26). T-Mobile Unveils Aggressive Phone Pricing With No Contracts. The New York Times. Online.

Farivar, Cyrus. (2013, March 25). After months of speculation, T-Mobile finally ditches cellphone contracts: Firm’s new plans start at $50/month for unlimited voice/texting and 500MB data. Ars Technica. Online.

Netflix Changing TV. (2013, March 24). Nightly News. NBC. Online.