To save you money, we’ve gathered up all of the promotions we could find from Sprint. Regardless of where you’re thinking of going for service, or what phone you are looking to pick up, you owe it to yourself to check below.
What follows is a mix of phone, rate plan, and accessory promotions worth checking out. It might not be an exhaustive list, but it’s a good collection of what’s currently offered through Sprint.
Although we’ve listed known expiration dates, we have no idea how long some of these other deals will last.
If you wanted to switch from iOS to Android a few weeks ago, you didn’t have much choice but download Google’s services like Google Music or Google Photos for iOS and upload your entire collection there.
But this week Google has updated its Switch page to support Google Drive. Google says all you need to do is install Google Drive on your iOS phone an then open app and find the backup wizard by selecting Menu > Settings > Backup.
From there, users can simply choose the content they want to back up. When they are done a simple tap on “Start Backup” will get everything started.
Google warns the process could take several hours and advice users to have a Wi-Fi connection in their vicinity.
Once everything is done, get your new Android device and sign in the same Google account you use to back up your iPhone info.
However, there’s a small caveat to be considered. It doesn’t seem at this time that Google is offering any means to port existing iMessages to the new Android devices, so you’ll need to use your OTG adapter for that.
Google has made Switching to Android better in the wake of Santa’s descent into the world, who will certainly have a lot of new Android phones to give this year.
Google wants to put Android on everything. Android is available for phones and tablets, Android Wear for smartwatches and Android Auto for your car. Well now Google is launching the newest version of Android today called Android Things which wants to will rule over all your home connected devices including speakers, routers and so on.
Google has released a Developer Preview of Android Things – thus inviting developers to build loT products using the power of Android. The new initiative creates a safe work frame in order to allow devs to create smart devices using Android APIs and Google the company-based services.
Naturally, Google itself will be delivering the updates to the OS, including patches, bug fixes and new feature additions.
Do you remember Brillo? It’s the company’s previous attempt at building an loT OS which has now been re-branded to Android Things. The expertise acquired by Google as it worked on Brillo, is now put to good used, while mixing in other tools such as Android Studio, the Android SDK, Google Play Services and Google Cloud Platform.
On top of that, Google says it’s taking steps to update the Weave platform in order to make it easier for all type of devices to tap into cloud and interact with the various Google services. We’re reminded Philips Hue and Samsung SmartThings are already taking advantage of Weave, but other important manufacturers as Belkin WeMo, LiFX, Honeywell, Wink, TP-Link and First Alert are also looking to implement it.
Additionally, Google invites you to start building things using supported hardware development kits like Intel Edison, NXP Pico and Raspberry Pi 3.
A few years ago, the industry was hotly discussing loT and its endless possibilities, but since then it seems enthusiasm has weaned. Hopefully the advent of Android Things will bring it back, because loT continues to be a very interesting niche that needs to be explored.
Have a smartwatch laying around somewhere? Then let’s try and breathe some new life into it. How? The easiest way is to try out some new watch faces.
Select Android Wear owners and Apple Watch users have been able to tap into Facer’s extensive 15,000 watch face database for some time now. But now the app has added support to a third platform, Samsung’s Tizen OS – which comes pre-installed on the recently launched Gear S3 smartwatch and the older Gear S2.
Owners of these Samsung wearables can now benefit from the “always-on” mode which allows Facer to display watch faces in colors and featuring animations 24/7.
On top of adding Tizen Support, Facer has announced it is now coming to other Android Wear devices including the ASUS ZenWatch 3, Moto 360 Sport, Michael Kors (presumably the Access Dylan?), Polar M600 and Nixon Mission.
Last but not least, the new Facer version introduces Color Match – a fun features which allows to swiftly match your watch face to the color of your outfit.
While wearables haven’t had the best year, some companies continue to believe in their potential. While not so many OEMs have shown intentions of launching new smartwatch products in 2017, it’s a good thing that existing options are still given new customization options.
Those of you who re bored of using Android Wear, can go ahead and install AsteroidOS instead – a Linux-based wearable operating system which aims to make things more interesting on your wrist.
Sprint might soon become your favorite carrier. This week at a New York media event, Sprint Chief Technology Officer, John Saw revealed the company has ambitious plans when it comes to your high-end smartphone.
Come 2017, Sprint wants to roll out a software update for premium phones such as the Galaxy S7, LG G5 and Google Pixel in order to unlock a hidden capability meant to boost connection speed.
In a few months these high-end phones will be allowed to tap into a wireless technology which will allow them to work with 3x carrier aggregation. In laymen terms, Sprint is looking to enlarge the pipe it uses to deliver traffic to customers, making it spacious enough to accommodate larger streams of data flow.
Sprint is unique among carriers due to the fact that it uses three different frequencies including the higher 2.5GHz frequencies. While higher airwaves have their deficiencies like the inability to penetrate buildings, 3X carrier aggregation allows Sprint devices to use all three bands, thus delivering the best the three frequencies have to offer.
In New York, Sprint demonstrated what 3x carrier aggregation means by showing handsets delivering peak downloads speeds of 200 Mbps. But the carrier admitted that the typical user shouldn’t expect to see such blazing speeds, although one can expect about three times improved performance.
Remember that last month when Sprint unveiled the HTC Bolt, the carrier said the phone was its fastest phone (despite it running on a Snapdragon 810). That’s because HTC Bolt is the first device to take advantage of this tech out of the box. But in a few months, other high-end phones will be able to enjoy the same perks.
This week Sprint also unveiled a new technology called High Performance User Equipment (HPUE) which is expected to extend the range of its cell towers by 30%. This means more users will be able to connect to higher frequencies like the elusive 2.5GHz band. As the update stars rolling for premium smartphone users, Sprint customers won’t be able to get enough of their phone (in theory).
Sprint says it’s looking to roll out the HPUE to 250 LTE Plus markets in 2017 and that Samsung is expected to embed the technology in its next-gen flagship, the highly anticipated Galaxy S8.
Ulefone is a Chinese smartphone maker that is trying to make it in today’s extra competitive mobile market. The company has been offering great bang-for-the-buck Android phones, like the Power model. Well this week Ulefone has unveiled a new wallet-friendly device called the Ulefone U008 Pro.
The Chinese handset maker claims the newcomer is the best priced metal 4G product. So let’s see what the new product is all about. The Ulefone U008 Pro makes a debut into the world with a 5-inch HD display (1,280 x 720 pixel resolution) and a quad-core MediaTek MTK6737 chipset clocked at 1.3GHz.
Ulefone also throws in 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. In the photography department the device takes advantage of an 8MP main camera (interpolated to 13MP) plus a 5MP selfie snapper.
While other devices launched by Ulefone like the Power had a huge 6,050 mAh battery pack, the new U008 Pro features a more modest 3,500 mAh juice pack. The phone ships out with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, but don’t get your hopes up about Nougat.
Ulefone has made efforts to make sure the U008 Pro comes equipped with some unique software feats. The new device rocks a new gaming mode which disables the menu and back keys in order to avoid any mis-touches. Ulefone also bundled the phone with gesture recognizer, float video player, double-finger volume control and smart screenshot mode.
The U008 will be launched with Grey, Black and Pink for an unspecified priced, but given the company’s track record the handset should feature a sub $100 price tag.
When you think of a first-class gaming experience, mobile gaming is not usually what comes to mind. There have been quite a few really fantastic mobile games, but most are just for a quick gaming session, with very few offerings for the serious gamer. If you’re into serious gaming or eSports, you’re probably going to be on a powerful PC or console. Vainglory looks to change the face of mobile gaming with a massively multiplayer experience and an up-and-coming eSport focus. Does it’s gameplay live up to its ambition? Let’s take a look.
Vainglory is a MOBA, which stands for Multiplayer Online Battle Arena. The basic idea is there are two teams made up of three players each, and each team is trying to destroy the others base. To do this, they need to travel down a center lane and destroy giant turret guns protecting the enemy’s base. There is a constant stream of minions pouring out of each base that will do little more than distract the enemy. It takes teamwork, quick thinking, and powerful hero skills to win the battle.
Setup
Vainglory is a big game with lots of moving parts and many things to learn before you can just jump in. To help with the otherwise steep learning curve, the game walks you through several tutorial missions that cover everything from basic movements and maneuvers, several different special abilities, unlocking heroes, and some light strategy to help you win. All of this takes about an hour, but it’s worth your time to really understand all of the things going on in battle, as they can get quite fast-paced.
To really get the most out of the game, you need to create a profile to be able to access all the features and events. At the time of this writing, there’s a tournament coming up where you could win an iPhone 7, so we’re not just talking about in-game currency or a unique character, but actual real life prizes. There’s also an active community, friends list, and even an eSport league, so when it asks if you want to register, do it.
Gameplay
Some of the many, many characters available from the huge roster
The gameplay is solid and really easy once you’ve learned how to play. There are around 30 different heroes to choose from, each with multiple unique abilities, so playing around with all of them is key to discovering which characters skills fit your play style. I’m partial to Saw and his giant minigun, but there are quick run-and-gun characters, sword wielders who get up close and personal, and even little mage dragons who look like they came right out of Digimon. No matter your playstyle, there’s something for everyone. Each week there are new free-to-try heroes, which can be unlocked through collecting in-game objects or can be purchased through in-app purchases, so if there’s someone you really like, you can have them available, but for me personally, I enjoy playing with all of the different character types and trying them out for the week. If during that time there is a character that you especially like, you can purchase them for 10% off their regular price, which is a great system.
Depending on your match type, each round could take anywhere from 5 minutes up to 30+ minutes. At the start of each round, you have a small amount of money to buy one piece of equipment with, but as you mow down minions and enemy heroes, you’ll gradually gain both gold and experience. Gold can be use at your base or as item shops on the battlefield to purchase new equipment that will increase your attack, defense, speed, or grant new abilities, such as short speed bursts. Experience allows you to upgrade abilities and unlock new abilities for the round. Each round starts you off with little equipment and gold, allowing you to rebuild in different ways depending on what is needed for the round. If a certain enemy is resilient to your first ability but crumbles against your second, you can tailor your build during that game to boost the damage and level of your second ability. There’s also gameplay modes that will start your character at level 4 with a good sum of gold from the start so you can jump right into the action.
The biggest draw to Vainglory is the fact that the game is centered around multiplayer. There are some bot modes to play but they are just considered practice rounds, and your AI controlled allies can pretty much be forgotten about because they will be off lollygagging about and will not be much help. Connecting to other players and working together to overthrow the other team is the heart and soul of this game, and when you find players that you play well with, the game really shines. A strong team usually consists of characters that can cover each other weaknesses, but I’ve played matches where my teammates and I overwhelmed the other team through sheer force alone. The variety of character you’ll be playing with, both on your team and against, always keeps matches fresh and fun.
This game is beautiful. There are brilliant colors everywhere on the battlefield. All around you are lush bushes, pathways that have been trampled by war, and incredible masonry surrounding each base. Character animation is smooth and using abilities is fun with leaps and dives and uppercuts that all transition seamlessly into one another. All the characters have unique looks and multiple costumes.
The Verdict
Vainglory is all the fun of the MOBA games on PC only in a pocket format. The characters are varied and unique, and with a heavy focus on multiplayer and events, there’s always new content to discover. In-app purchases are available but hardly necessary, which is great for those who want things right away and don’t mind paying, but it’s also great too for those on a budget. If you are a fan of MOBAs, action games, or enjoy serious gaming on the go, download this now.
Time to purchase a new smartphone? Is this an upgrade from an existing device? We want to help you out either way.
To save you money, we’ve gathered up all of the promotions we could find from T-Mobile. Regardless of where you’re thinking of going for service, or what phone you are looking to pick up, you owe it to yourself to check below.
What follows is a mix of phone, rate plan, and accessory promotions worth checking out. It might not be an exhaustive list, but it’s a good collection of what’s currently offered through T-Mobile.
Although we’ve listed known expiration dates, we have no idea how long some of these other deals will last.
Recently Samsung debuted a new, non-interactive VR experience titled “The Night Before.” This 3D-VR short video allows users to experience Santa’s sleigh ride from Santa’s home, around the world, and into space, then back to New York City. Although this ride is non-interactive (aside from looking around the 360-degree space), it’s a fun little video that kids can enjoy.
The VR and motion features do a fairly decent job immersing the viewer into the combined CG and live-video world. Overall, the production values and acting are respectable and should be serviceable for the intended audience.
Want to ride along with Santa and his magic sleigh?
Samsung labels the journey as a 4D VR experience, but never really defines what the extra dimension this video brings. It’s short for sure, but it’s nice to see that Samsung continues to add content for the Gear VR headset. If you have a Gear VR headset and you’re itching for some extra Christmas spirit, “The Night Before” is worth checking out in the Samsung VR application.
Visit Samsung’s newsroom site here for more information including scheduled mall hours for a dedicated sleigh-ride experience.
Not so long ago Cyanogen Inc. CEO Lior Tal announced in a sketchy blog post that the company is closing its Seattle office and moving to Palo Alto, California – presumably to be closer to where all the action happens, while leaving co-founder Steve Kondik behind.
Kondiak apparently wants to move on with the CyanogenMod project, but things might not be so easy due to legal issues. Let’s elaborate on that.
New rumors have emerged online saying that CyanogenMod might be renamed in the near future to LineageOS or Lineage Android Distribution.
(Dictionary definition: linage – direct descent from an ancestor; ancestry or pedigree)
In his last official statement before parting ways with Cyanogen Inc, Steve Kondik asks the community if they should keep going. But he warned against intellectual propriety issues CyanogenMod might be confronted with if it were to “fork and rebrand”, which sparked talk of re-naming possibilities.
Kondik explains that the main IP is brand and trademark and he confesses he is not sure he can get it back without a fight, which is why renaming the custom firmware makes sense.
With that being said, a repo called “Lineage Android Distribution” has been spotted on GitHub hinting LineageOS (or Lineage Android Distribution for that matter) is already being considered as a serious alternative to CyanogenMod.
The repo is said to be very active, although the status of this mystery project currently remains unknown. So for the time being it’s quite uncertain whether CyanogenMod will indeed transition to LineageOS or not.
Even if the naming scheme changes, it’s very unlikely the functionality of the firmware will also be changed, so rest assured that the potential LinageOS will deliver the same goodies you have been accustomed to expect.
As for CyanogenOS, the company announced a few months ago it is focused on developing the so called ModularOS – an initiative designed to provide device manufacturers with a customizable version of Android.
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