The fee amounts to 61 cents, which, when multiplied across AT&T’s entire customer base, amounts to about $500 million in extra revenue per year for the company.

An AT&T spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that the fee is less than that charged by its competitors. It went into effect May 1.

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The application is free to download from the iTunes App Store.

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According to Clewley, BB OS 10.2 will add support for unicode emoji, support for multiple alarms, a timer, and support for level 1 notifications.

An SDK for BlackBerry OS 10.2 is expected to arrive in June, with the full operating system following several months later.

The post BlackBerry Dishes Details on BlackBerry OS 10.2 appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Devices certified as HTCpro meet certain security standards that make it more appealing as a choice for business customers. Chiefly, it meets the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 and offers 256-bit encryption. Further, it includes IPsec VPN for accessing corporate networks securely, and includes mobile device management APIs that can be used by businesses to control the One remotely.

The One is available from AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile USA

The post HTV One Is First HTCpro Certified Phone for Businesses appeared first on Takes On Tech.

It costs $199.99 for the 16GB model with a new contract.

The post Galaxy S 4 Now Available from Verizon appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The latest stable release changes the search omnibox to show the search terms rather than the search URL, and makes it easier to jump to other searches in the search history.

The app now also allows for full-screen browsing. Last, Google says the browser loads pages 5% faster.

Google said that a new version of Chrome will soon be available to Apple’s iPhone and iPad, and will bring with it voice search tools built into the browser.

The post Google Updates Chrome for Android to V 27 – Supports Full-Screen Browsing appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Microsoft updated the app after Google asked it to remove the app from the Windows Phone Store for violating Google’s terms of use.

“Microsoft updated the Windows Phone YouTube app to address the restricted video and offline video access concerns voiced by Google last week,” said the company in a statement provided to The Verge. “We have been in contact with Google and continue to believe that our two companies can work together to hone an app that benefits our mutual customers, partners and content providers.”

Google cited the app’s ability to permit video downloads and its lack of advertising as the two main issues.

The post Microsoft Updates YouTube App Per Google’s Request appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The process requires that users add a mobile phone number to their account. With the two-step authentication enabled, Twitter will send an SMS to that number with a code that must be entered in addition to the username and password in order to gain access to the Twitter account. The code will be sent each time the person logs in via the web, but is not required for subsequent sign-ins through Twitter apps.

This new security feature is optional.

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The news will come as a blow to users who like what the Galaxy S4 hardware offers, but don’t like Samsung’s TouchWiz version of Google’s Android operating system.

The post Google Edition of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Is US Only appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Google Drive has been updated with a number of user interface tweaks to make it easier and faster to access files and documents. Documents are now laid out in cards that offer large previews of the content within the document. Users can swipe from card to card and document to document, viewing previews as they go. The app now also lets users download and store copies of files to their Android device.

Another new feature of Google Drive lets Android device users snap photos of documents, which are then converted into PDFs and automatically uploaded to Drive for safe keeping. Google says that Drive’s optical character recognition feature will allow the text of those documents to be searchable.

Last, Google Drive for Android updates the editing tools for spreadsheets, making it less cumbersome to make changes from mobile devices.

The new version of Google Drive for Android is free to download from the Google Play Store.

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Band 25 LTE is used exclusively by Sprint in the U.S. Band 4 (AWS) is used by many carriers, including T-Mobile, AT&T, and soon, Verizon.

The Samsung Galaxy S 4 will be Cricket’s first phone to support band 25 roaming.

The post Cricket, Sprint To Enable LTE Roaming appeared first on Takes On Tech.

• The Admire 2 is a new, mid-range Android phone with 4G LTE, 4-inch display, 5-megapixel camera, memory card slot, and Samsung’s TouchWiz interface and camera features on top of Android 4.1. U.S. Cellular carries it as the Axiom.
• The Galaxy Discover is a basic Android phone with a 3.5-inch display, 3-megapixel camera, memory card slot, and stock Android 4.0 interface.

Further specs, pricing, and launch dates will be announced at a later date.

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he app is accompanied by a re-loadable prepaid Visa debit card that can be used for transactions at retailers around the country. The application itself is free to download from the Google Play Store.

The wallet app can be used to make payments directly at select retailers in Los Angeles, San Diego, and portions of New Jersey. Boost expects to roll the payment service out nationwide beginning this summer.

For more information, visit the Mobile Wallet site at https://boostmobile.wipit.me/.

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The browser had been in testing for the last several months so Opera could fine-tune the WebKit rendering engine. Previously, Opera used its own Presto rendering engine. Opera’s customizations include a revised Speed Dial screen, simplified tab management, and deep browsing history support.

The browser also offers server-side compressions should users wish to conserve mobile data usage. The browser is free to download and runs on devices with Android 2.3 and up.

The post Opera for Android Leaves Beta appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Verizon Wireless today announced plans to use small cells to supplement its LTE 4G network in select areas around the country beginning in the second half of the year.

Verizon calls the use of small cells a “balanced approach to network capacity.” They will be deployed in areas where capacity is constrained due to high concentrations of users, such as shopping malls and business districts. Verizon will use small cell equipment from Ericsson and Alcatel-Lucent. Verizon did not specify any exact locations where the cells would be added.

According to Verizon, its LTE 4G network already covers 95% of its existing 3G footprint in some 497 markets.

The post Verizon Will Deploy Small Cells Later this Year to Expand LTE Coverage appeared first on Takes On Tech.

It also includes a 5-megapixel camera, a MediaTek dual-core 1GHz processor, GPS, Wi-Fi, and support for microSD cards. The device is fully ruggedized and can withstand up to 30 minutes in three feet of water as well as multiple drops to concrete from six feet. CAT says it is “impervious” to dust and dirt.

The B15 is being built and distributed for CAT by Bullitt Mobile. It costs $349 and can be used on the networks run by AT&T and T-Mobile USA.

The post CAT Will Sell the B15 Smartphone Directly to US Consumers appeared first on Takes On Tech.

A casualty of the new system is Flickr Pro, which  has been excised, as Yahoo wished “everyone to have professional quality photo  space and sharing.” An additional terabyte of storage can be purchased by  users,  called “doubler.” Double storage sells for $500 per year, and is  ad-free.

Flickr is compatible with OS X, Windows XP SP3 and above, iOS,  and Android 4.1 and above. The free version is ad-supported, with an ad-free  version available for an additional $50 per year.

The new release brings comes with revamped Android app, similar to the iOS application launched  in  December. CEO Mayer boasts that the new app “maintains your photos’ original  quality, so every image you take, edit, share, or view on your phone or tablet  looks spectacular.”

The new Flickr is now live.

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The statement serves to update its position after it was discovered last week that the new Google Hangouts application cannot conduct two-way video chats over AT&T’s cellular network. “For video chat apps that come pre-loaded on devices,” explained AT&T, “we currently give all OS and device makers the ability for those apps to work over cellular for our customers who are on Mobile Share or Tiered plans. Apple, Samsung and Blackberry have chosen to enable this for their pre-loaded video chat apps.”

This includes FaceTime, ChatOn, and BlackBerry Messenger. Google Hangouts, which replaces Google Talk, technically qualifies as a pre-loaded app and Google has not sought to enable Hangouts over cellular with AT&T.

“Throughout the second half of this year,” continued AT&T, “we plan to enable pre-loaded video chat apps over cellular for all our customers, regardless of data plan or device; that work is expected to be complete by yearend.”

Customers are still able to download third-party apps such as Skype, Viber, Kik, and others, to conduct video chats over cellular.

The post AT&T Releases A Statement On Video Chats Over Cellular appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Jolla is based in Finland and took over the remnants of Nokia’s Meego operating system. It has been working to create a new, gesture-based operating system based on Meego called Sailfish. The smartphone announced today is the fruit of its labors.

The Jolla device features a 4.5-inch HD display, a dual-core processor, support for LTE 4G networks, an 8-megapixel autofocus camera, and will include a user-replaceable battery. The Jolla also features exchangeable shells, which allow owners to customize the appearance of their device.

Last, the Jolla’s Sailfish operating system will be able to run Android applications. Jolla said the device, which costs 399 Euros, will ship by the end of the year.

The post Jolla Launches Its First Sailfish Smartphone appeared first on Takes On Tech.

According to Google, the app is now better at automatically uploading photos from Android smartphones to Google+ for safekeeping. Once uploaded, new tools automatically sort the images to “select the top shots” in each series, as well as auto-enhance the photos to make “subtle improvements” to the people and places the user captures. Last, the app adds the ability to create animations and panoramas from the photos in the user’s collection.

Google+ for Android 4.2 devices is free to download from the Google Play Store.

The post Google+ for Android Updated – Sports Photo Improvements appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Hangouts was announced last week, and encompasses instant messaging (old Google Talk) and video chats on the web, and Android and iOS devices. According to Google, the current version of Hangouts does not support outbound calls from Gmail (via desktop browsers), but it does support inbound calls to Google Voice numbers. Google Hangouts will soon support inbound and outbound calls via desktop-based Hangouts.

Google suggests that people who rely on this Gmail feature continue to use the older Google Talks tool (those who update to the new Hangouts will lose the functionality temporarily). Further, Google said “Hangouts is designed to be the future of Google Voice” and that more seamless integration between Google Voice and Google Hangouts is on the way.

The post Google Voice Support Heading to Hangouts appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The Galaxy SIII LTE features the same internals as the regular Galaxy S III. The only change is the addition of LTE connectivity, granting users faster data speeds.

T-Mobile stores will receive 16GB white models of the Galaxy S III LTE. It’s uncertain whether or not they will eventually carry the titanium model.

The post T-Mobile Will Carry the LTE Version of Galaxy S III appeared first on Takes On Tech.

To-date, Android has not included a built-in Bluetooth stack, which means device makers have been on their own to add Bluetooth. By adding support for Bluetooth Smart Ready (Bluetooth 4.0 on a dual-mode chip) and Bluetooth Smart, Android will be capable of interacting with nearly all Bluetooth devices (keyboards, mice, speakers, etc.). Developers and accessory makers will be able to use the core Android SDK and included APIs to access the Android devices’ Bluetooth radio, rather than use multiple APIs and work-arounds as they do today.

According to Bluetooth SIG, this new version of Android will arrive in the coming months.

The post Android to Adopt Bluetooth Smart Ready appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The effect is that newer devices, such as the Galaxy S 4, can not read those older tags. Samsung had to update its tags in order to be compatible with today’s newer phones. In addition to the new TecTiles,

Samsung has updated the TecTiles application, which is used to program the tags to initiate specific actions on smartphones and/or tablets. TecTiles can be ordered directly from Samsung.com, and the stickers will become available at select retails stores in June. They cost $14.99 for a pack of five.

The post Samsung Releases Second-Gen TecTiles appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The new plans offer unlimited talk and text, and 2GB of data for $60 per month (previously only 500MB). For $70, prepaid customers get unlimited talk and text, and 4GB of data (previously only 2GB).

The improved data allotments are available to existing customers now, and will be available to new customers beginning June 6.

The post Verizon Offers Larger Data Plans to Prepaid Customers appeared first on Takes On Tech.

In addition to text messages, Google Hangouts will also eventually be able to make outbound calls. Storbeck didn’t provide a timeframe on when these features might become available, other than to say “soon.”

Google Hangouts replaces Google Talk for most Android users and can be used for IM, voice, and video chats.

The post Google Hangouts Will Add SMS Support appeared first on Takes On Tech.

When they attempt to start a video chat, a message appears prompting them to connect to a Wi-Fi network; the feature won’t work on AT&T’s cellular network. When reached for comment, AT&T explained that AT&T customers are free to download any third-party video chat app they wish and they’ll work fine.

Apps that come preloaded, however, must be enabled by the developer for use over AT&T’s cellular network. AT&T did not address Google Hangouts directly, but it implied that 1. Google Hangouts qualifies as a “preloaded” app because it replaces the Google Talk app on Android handsets, and 2. Google did not follow the proper protocols required by AT&T in order for the app to function over its cellular network.

Google Hangouts for iOS, which qualifies as a third-party download on the iPhone, functions properly over AT&T’s cellular network. Google Hangouts for Android works fine on the cellular networks of other carriers.

Google has not yet offered a clarification on the matter

The post AT&T Blocking Andoid Users Video Chats in Google Hangouts appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Google Play Music All Access lets you start with any song and automatically build a custom streaming radio station of similar songs. Unwanted songs can be dismissed and re-ordered. The service is integrated into Google Play Music as Listen Now.

The service works on Android phones and tablets, and the web, and integrates your own music library with the streaming catalog. The service launches today in the U.S. for $9.99/month, with a 30-day free trial.

Users who sign up before June 30th can lock in a special $7.99 monthly rate.

The post Google Makes Play Music Official appeared first on Takes On Tech.

“One of our most exciting current projects is called Frostbite Go, a mobile division empowering EA game developers with Frostbite’s proven excellent workflows and features to bring true Frostbite experiences to all major mobile platforms,” the site’s History page reads. Switching over to the This is Frostbite page, EA mentions “diverse targets from XBOX360 and PlayStation 4 to iOS and Android.”

At the moment Frostbite is only used in Windows and console games published by EA, such as Battlefield 3, the Need for Speed series, and the upcoming Battlefield 4. The engine is particularly known for its visual effects and physics, which can include destructible terrain.

The post Frostbite Go Engine coming to iOS, Android appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Miscellaneous changes include the ability to share items via email or Messages, and the addition of an “Add to 1Password” link to shares which lets people add items automatically. Search functions have been improved with the display of primary URLs and the option to expand results across all fields.

1Password is $17.99 and requires iOS 6 or later.

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