SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Technology Stocks : Apple Tankwatch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: iggyl who wrote (12346)11/8/2011 4:29:05 PM
From: sylvester80  Respond to of 32692
 
THIS IS HUGE..Republic Wireless Offers Unlimited EVERYTHING for $19 Per Month, LG Optimus One Kicks Things Off
Republic Wireless Offers Unlimited EVERYTHING for $19 Per Month Cellular Service, LG Optimus One Kicks Things Off
by Quentyn Kennemer on November 8th, 2011 at 10:39 am



A new cellular network has launched. Named Republic Wireless, the service will generate loads of interest from its monthly cost alone – $19 per month. For that, you’re getting unlimited texts, calls and data. What’s more? No overages. Do they have your attention yet?

Even more interesting is the first phone they’re set to offer. It’s the LG Optimus One the Android 2.3 mid-range smartphone that seems to be on just about every carrier in existence. The device features “Hybrid Calling,” the technology that supposedly allows Republic to offer services so cheap. They’ll only be asking for $200 to take it home.

Hybrid Calling utilizes WiFi networks to handle calls and hands off to Sprint’s network if you leave a WiFi network. In order to help make this feasible, users are required to have a WiFi connection of their own and use it whenever they can.

And while looking for public hotspots wherever you go may be a pain, it helps Republic keep their operating charges low and it will afford you, the user, improved service as WiFi calling is a lot more reliable.

While this solution may not be great for many of you that read sites such as Phandroid, there certainly may be a market out there for this sort of service. You’re getting a decent Android phone with very affordable rates and since hand-offs are handled with Sprint’s network you’re already getting an established cellular network; getting cellular service while traveling the country shouldn’t be difficult at all. The budget conscious should strongly consider what Republic is offering here.

Unfortunately, things aren’t ready to go just yet. The beta period is just about ready to begin, however, so keep your eyes on Republic’s site .



To: iggyl who wrote (12346)11/8/2011 4:46:46 PM
From: sylvester80  Respond to of 32692
 
Republic Wireless: 'Unlimited' Voice+Data+Text Android phone for $19 per month
by Rick Broida November 8, 2011 12:05 PM PST
reviews.cnet.com

What's the catch? You'll need to do most of your calling and downloading over Wi-Fi networks.

(Credit: Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET)
Looking for a no-contract Android phone with low monthly rates? Until now, your best bet was Virgin Mobile, which has plans starting at $35 per month.

Newcomer Republic Wireless just blew that out of the water. The company offers an Android phone for just $19 per month, including unlimited voice, data, and text. No contract, no early termination fees, no overage charges.

I think I'm in love.

I think. There is, as you might expect, a catch. To help minimize costs, Republic Wireless relies on Hybrid Calling technology, meaning your phone automatically taps Wi-Fi networks--rather than cellular ones--whenever possible.

No Wi-Fi? No problem. You'll still get plain old cell service (via Sprint), but if your non-Wi-Fi usage gets too high, the company might give you the boot. Seriously.

That would happen only after numerous warnings and "tips for reducing your cellular footprint." But I find it interesting that Republic calls it customers "members" and its service a "community," and reserves the right to revoke your membership if you "cross the community's fair use threshold."

What constitutes crossing the threshold? Republic allots you 550 voice minutes, 150 texts, and 300MB of data. But remember, that's cellular usage; if you're connected to a Wi-Fi network, like at home or the office, there are no limitations.

The only phone Republic offers at the moment is the LG Optimus S, an entry-level Android phone, to be sure, but one of the better ones. It's compact, reasonably speedy, and powered by Android 2.3 (aka Gingerbread). To my thinking, it's a fine choice for kids, first-time smartphone owners, or anyone with fairly minimal needs. The phone costs $199, including your first month of service, and there's a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Republic currently classifies itself as "in beta," and says a limited number of memberships are available.

Watch this space for some hands-on coverage of Republic's phone and service. In the meantime, hit the comments and tell me what you think of this intriguing offer.

My initial reaction is that it's a home run for my daughter, who's been begging for a phone--but doesn't need anything super-fancy. And $19 per month sounds a lot more attractive to the guy who'll be footing at least some of the bill.



To: iggyl who wrote (12346)11/8/2011 4:58:06 PM
From: sylvester80  Respond to of 32692
 
Are you ready for $19/mo unlimited wireless service?
Are you ready for $19/mo unlimited wireless service?
By Jim Rossman/Columnist
9:04 AM on Tue., Nov. 8, 2011 | Permalink

Launching today is a new wireless carrier called Republic Wireless who touts a $19 per month unlimited talk, text and data plan.

So, how does that work?

You pay $199 for the first month. This gets you an LG Optimus Android phone and the first month of service. If you find the service is not to your liking, you can get a full refund during the first month.
After that, the service is $19/month plus your local taxes and fees.

The phone will be programmed to use wifi for all voice and data communication whenever possible. Republic says most people are covered by wifi about 60 percent of the time.
They will route calls over 3G when you're out of wifi range, but if that happens too often, Republic will let you know that you're using more than your "fair share" of data and offer you tips to help you reduce your cell usage.
If you can't get down under their "fair use" limit, you'll be asked to leave.

Think you can do it?

Here's an excerpt from their FAQ:
How much cellular usage is too much?
It depends. Even assuming 0% wifi usage, for example, you could consume 550 minutes, send 150 texts, and download 300 megabytes of data without crossing the community's fair use threshold. Everyone's usage patterns will be different, but we're confident you'll be amazed at how little cellular you actually use when you have a phone that makes it easy to leverage the power of your Wi-Fi networks.

It could be the perfect solution for a younger child's first smart phone or for a senior citizen. Heck, I think I meet those usage limits from the FAQ.

Hmmmm....



To: iggyl who wrote (12346)11/8/2011 5:32:34 PM
From: sylvester80  Respond to of 32692
 
Consumer Reports scores Android higher than iPhone
November 8, 2011 12:56 PM
cbsnews.com
(CBS News) The new iPhone 4S got a thumbs up from a major consumer products rating agency but Apple's smartphones still came up No. 2 to Android.

In its review, Consumer Reports recommended the iPhone 4S, something it withheld from its predecessor, which was nagged by complaints about antenna reception problems.

In special reception tests of the iPhone 4S that duplicated those we did on the iPhone 4, the newer phone did not display the same reception flaw, which involves a loss of signal strength when you touch a spot on the phone's lower left side while you're in an area with a weak signal.

Consumer Reports added that its latest tests confirm that the iPhone 4 still exhibit that problem.

Consumer Reports last year reported it was unable to recommend the iPhone 4 to its subscribers. When users touched the gap on the device's lower left side, Consumer Reports said that "the signal can significantly degrade enough to cause you to lose your connection altogether if you're in an area with a weak signal."

Even though Consumer Reports gave the iPhone 4S a thumbs up, it found that Apple's smartphone still failed to best the top new Android-based phones. Three phones came in with higher scores than the iPhone 4S at AT&T--Samsung Galaxy S II, Samsung Galaxy Infuse 4G and LG Thrill 4G. At Sprint, Consumer Reports scored the Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch, Motorola Photon 4G, Samsung Epic 4G and HTC Evo 3D ahead of the iPhone 4S. The top 5 smartphone Sprint scores finished in the 73 to 76 on a scale of 100. At Verizon, Motorola's Droid Bionic, HTC Thunderbolt, LG Revolution and Samsung Droid Charge got higher ratings than the iPhone 4S.



To: iggyl who wrote (12346)11/9/2011 7:30:55 AM
From: sylvester80  Respond to of 32692
 
More bugs reported in iPhone 4S
11/07/2011 | 09:24 AM
gmanews.tv
Apple fans wanting to buy a new iPhone 4S may want to hold on to their wallets for now, after more apparent bugs in the gadget surfaced last week.

Enthusiast site MacRumors said some users have reported static on iPhone 4S calls, affecting both incoming and outgoing calls.

The problems follow a bug involving shortened battery life in the iPhone 4S.

MacRumors said some users reported the issue occurring on multiple handsets as they have exchanged devices at Apple retail stores to try addressing the problem.

Another issue involves users experiencing no audio on a subset of outgoing phone calls.

"Call shows the timer counting as if the call is progressing but absolutely no ring back and cannot hear the party on the other end when they answer," it said.

But it noted some users have reported that toggling the speakerphone option may fix the lack of audio on a given call, although others claim that the tactic does not always work.

MacRumors said Apple support staff have been "unable or unwilling to specifically diagnose the issue as either a hardware or software problem."

It said at least one user has reported that the first developer beta of iOS 5.0.1 released last weekend does not fix the issue.

Another tech site, "Boy Genius Reports," said an echo problem also hounds voice calls when using a wired headset.

"Users across multiple wireless carriers with various iPhone 4S models report that audio quality on voice calls often depletes after a period of time, and the voice of the caller on the other end of the line begins to echo," it said.

Citing threads from users, it said the problem does not occur immediately, and can vary from 30 seconds into a call and as far up to nine minutes in before it begins the annoying echo.

It said an independent testing found that an echo developed between one and four minutes after starting a call, though some users report that voice calls remain echo-free for up to 12 minutes.

The bug occurs while using Apple-branded wired headsets and third-party headsets alike, it added. — RSJ, GMA News



To: iggyl who wrote (12346)11/9/2011 7:34:31 AM
From: sylvester80  Respond to of 32692
 
Users are furious over Iphone 4S static bug
Apple silent on growing 'staticgate' fiasco
By Dean Wilson
Tue Nov 08 2011, 14:10
theinquirer.net
FLOGGER OF SHINY TOYS Apple's Iphone 4S has yet another problem, this time with an irritating static sound being heard by users while making calls.

Hundreds of customers who bought the latest Iphone are trying to deal with a crackling noise and sometimes an echo whenever they call someone, receive a call or record a video.

The problem appears to affect the Iphone 4S regardless of mobile carrier, internal storage size or whether it is black or white coloured.

Most users said that the noise is relatively faint, but can become increasingly annoying on long phone calls. Regardless of the severity of the problem, it appears to be quite widespread and has caused significant upset amongst customers, to the point that some have switched to rival devices.

Some carriers have suggested a phone and network reset, as well as swapping SIM cards, but these tactics have failed to fix the problem. Users have speculatedthat it is likely a hardware issue, such as a problem with radio interference or possibly some defective Qualcomm chips. If this is the case it will make solving the problems significantly harder, as it likely cannot be fixed with a simple software update.

Apple has so far failed to respond to the complaints, but if it does we imagine it will blame everyone but itself for the problem and possibly tell users to hold their phones in a different way, the original solution suggested for an Iphone 4 issue that caused frequent dropped calls. That incident went down in history as 'antennagate', suggesting how damaging it was to the company's reputation.

This is not the first problem to affect the Iphone 4S. Users have been complaining about extremely poor battery life on the device, which Apple claims it will fix with a software update. Despite its best efforts Apple has also failed to fix a daylight savings time change bug that has plagued its Iphones for some time. Unlike these software bugs, this latest problem could escalate until it becomes known as 'staticgate', a possibility that Apple will be keen to avoid. µ



To: iggyl who wrote (12346)11/9/2011 7:36:00 AM
From: sylvester80  Respond to of 32692
 
Kiss POS CrApple goodbye.....

Message 27755573



To: iggyl who wrote (12346)11/9/2011 8:04:29 AM
From: sylvester80  Respond to of 32692
 
BREAKING...Samsung Demands and Judge Orders Apple Must Disclose Australian Deals
Samsung Demands, Apple Must Disclose Australian Deals – AAPL, MSFT, DELL, HPQ
9 NOVEMBER 2011
galaxystocks.com

Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) must provide Samsung Electronics Co with its deals with Australian cellular phone carriers as the South Korean company wanted in a patent disagreement with the iPhone producer, a justice ruled.

Annabelle Bennett Federal Court Justice in Australia ordered on Tuesday that Apple must produce agreements it has with Vodafone Group Plc (VOD), SingTel Optus Ltd and Telstra Corp, Apple fail to settle on a declaration in Samsung’s patent court case that the carriers were contractually indulged to subsidize iPhone sales.

Samsung charged Apple in Australia claiming the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPad 2 overstep its patents and is looking for a prohibition on the sale of the devices in the state.

Apple’s lawyer Andrew Fox stated to the judge that they will resist any efforts by their friends to push them into a corner on the subsidies.