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Apple says the iPhone 6 has broader support for LTE than any iPhone before it: It supports 20 different LTE bands, up from 13 for the iPhone 5S. Unfortunately, support is absent for a new LTE band that T-Mobile USA is spending a lot of effort (and money) to deploy: LTE Band 12. It's disappointing news for some T-Mobile customers, but it shouldn't be entirely unexpected. LTE provides for much faster data transfer over cellular connections, which means your iPhone spends less time connecting to the Internet, checking mail, and keeping you connected to what's important to you. It also enables the iPhone to support advanced technology like Voice over LTE (VoLTE), which t…

There's that scene in The Empire Strikes Back, where you see the Star Destroyer, the one that looked so big in the first film. Then you see a shadow fall over it, and the Super Star Destroyer once again redefines your whole perception of big. The iPhone 6 Plus is just exactly like that. It's 5.5-inch screen is so much bigger than any previous iPhone that it changes the way you think about the iPhone itself. Yes, it’s better — new display technology, second generation 64-bit processor and motion coprocessor, improved cameras, faster cellular and Wi-Fi networking, and a new transaction system called Apple Pay. Yet it’s more than that as well. When Steve Jobs introduce…

Facebook has received approval from the European Union for its $19 billion purchase of WhatsApp. The main concern over the deal in Europe was that the deal would harm communication in the telecom market. The European Commission said that the acquisition would not impede competition, according to Re/code: "We have carefully reviewed this proposed acquisition and come to the conclusion that it would not hamper competition in this dynamic and growing market. Consumers will continue to have a wide choice of consumer communications apps," European Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said. The purchase was previously given the go-ahead by the United States back …

This iPhone 5/5S CONVERT Combo is a no-brainer for anyone that works outdoors everyday or simply needs next level protection, no matter the size. Featuring 3 layers, this entire combo includes a thin hard case, rugged skin and skeleton and finally a strong swivel holster to clip it all into at your side. Continue reading...

A new report has gone in depth about how Apple Pay will work and why it is so secure. In addition to reiterating information that Apple presented in September, like the the fact that credit or debit card data is never exposed, there are also extensive details on tokens, authentication via Touch ID, and cryptograms. From Yoni Heisler at TUAW: But there's a whole lot more to Apple Pay than Touch ID and the simple handing off of tokens. Providing an additional layer of security, an Apple Pay-equipped iPhone at the time of each transaction also sends a dynamically generated CVV up the chain along with a cryptogram. The CVV is the three-digit string located on the b…

It was only yesterday when we reported that pre-orders for both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus reached 2 million in China, but today Chinese media outlets have refreshed reports with new figures. According to Tencent, reservations for the new smartphones have hit 4 million: [Translated] Integrated three operators, virtual operators, as well as data Suning, Dixon pass and Jingdong and other social channels, Apple iPhone, two new bookings in the country has more than 4 million. As we noted in our previous article covering Chinese reservations, Apple has yet to open up official channels for consumers to pre-order the new iPhones. Local carriers and retailers have …

iCloud Keychain is Apple's approach to managing passwords effortlessly across both iOS and OS X. After you've set it up, all your passwords and credit card information is immediately synced securely across your devices. When adding a new device or replacing one, you'll need to verify with either a security code or phone number. So what if you forget or lose your security code? As it turns out, all is not lost. As long as you know your iCloud password and you're running iOS 8 or higher, you can easily reset it! How to reset your iCloud Keychain security code in iOS 8 Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad running iOS 8 or higher. Tap on iCloud. Tap on Keyc…

Apple may be looking to make your Beats Music a little less expensive. Apple is apparently in early talks with major record labels about lowering streaming costs. Additionally, new features that would eventually make their way to a revamped Beats Music service might also be on the table, according to Re/code: Sources say Apple is talking to the big music labels about a new set of rights and features it would like to include in a revamped version of the Beats Music service it bought earlier this year. Among the things Apple wants is a new pricing structure that would allow it to sell the service for less than the $10 level it's at now. It currently costs $9.99 p…

Honeywell has launched its connected Single Zone Thermostat in the UK to compete against the likes of British Gas' Hive and Google's Nest, making the option available for those who require a more affordable solution. The unit makes it possible to control and schedule heating wirelessly, whether you're located inside the house or out and about. An interesting feature of the Honeywell Single Zone Thermostat is that there is no tethering to a heating provider, making it possible to easily switch between energy suppliers at will without losing said functionality. The thermostat connects to Honeywell's Total Connect Comfort app, which is available for both iOS and Android…

Hulu now finally lets users sign up for its paid Hulu Plus service inside its iPhone and iPad app, marking a truce between the media company and Apple over in-app billing. Prior to now, you had to sign up for Hulu Plus from the web and then sign into your premium account in the app, thus getting around Apple's policy of taking a percentage of all in-app billing activity. If you didn't sign up separately, you only had access to some free content in the app. Apple takes a 30 percent cut of all in-app purchases, even a recurring subscription like the $8 that Hulu charges, so it's somewhat understandable that it wanted to get around that structure. In the end this new move…

If you have a Gmail or Google apps account that has two-step verification enabled, the process of linking your account to your iPhone or iPad is slightly different, as you may have found out if you attempted to sign in and got an incorrect password error. This is because you'll need to generate an app-specific password for your iPhone or iPad in order to securely link them to your Gmail or Google Apps account. How to use Google app-specific passwords for mail, contacts, and calendars in iOS Launch Safari on your iPhone or iPad and go to security.google.com. Log in to your Gmail or Google apps account as you normally would — you may be required to complete two-step…

Looking for the best iPhone apps to help you monitor and manage your credit on the go? For many folks, particularly in the United States, your credit score plays a huge role in what financing you're eligible for and what kind of rates you'll get. A bad score can not only result in you paying more interest over the long term, but can even cause you to get declined completely for things like mortgages, cars, and other kinds of loans. That's why it's so important to know where you stand and what you can do to improve, or maintain, a good credit score. These are currently the best iPhone apps that can help you monitor and manage your credit on the go! Credit Karma …

Groupon has just kicked off an app called Snap, whereby you're notified of promoted brands, and if you pick up something of theirs from any store, you can take a picture of the receipt and earn cash back on your account for doing so. After you earn $20, they'll mail you a check. It's an interesting new take on classic couponing that produces the same end result with considerably less clutter. You can also earn cash for recruiting friends to redeem their receipts through the app. Snap has actually been around for awhile as SnapSaves in Canada, but Groupon bought the developers a few months ago and have since updated the app's name and interface. Which apps do you g…

In this edition of Weekend Reading, we’ve got stories on the introduction of Windows 10, the relationship between Microsoft and the NFL, and a YouthSpark expedition into the jungle with five young technologists. Terry Myerson, executive vice president, Operating Systems, introduced Windows 10 as “the first step of a whole new generation of Windows.” Windows 10 will run across a broad set of devices – from the Internet of Things, to servers in enterprise datacenters worldwide. “We’re not talking about one UI to rule them all – we’re talking about one product family, with a tailored experience for each device. And across this breadth of devices, we are delivering one a…

Prior to iOS 8, you only had two options when it came to sharing your location with App Store apps, share or don't share. That meant if you wanted an app to use your location while you were actively using it, but never in the background, you couldn't have both without changing settings. Now, you can have the best of both worlds by just changing a few settings. How to restrict apps to only use your location while they're open Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad running iOS 8 or higher. Tap on Privacy. Tap on Location Services. Find the app in the list you'd like to change location settings for and tap on it. Choose which option you'd like that app to …

Readdle's find document reader and editor, PDF Expert 5, has been updated to include a whole slew of iOS 8 features. iCloud Drive ensures all of your documents are securely available across multiple devices, and you can open them directly to PDF Expert when looking through your cloud-stored files. For extra security, you can now use TouchID to make sure you're the only one to look through your documents. Here's a full changelog for PDF Expert 5.2 Zoom Writing (iPad): This is a great tool to write with precision. Essentially, it adds the area that zooms in a part of the page and allows you to handwrite more on a single page or document margins. As you write, the…

Famous British red phone boxes are being revived to charge smartphones. The new solar-powered hubs are painted green and branded "Solarbox", but retain much of the same iconic design. Gone were the days of wired calls, say hello to free public charging. While the service to charge your smartphones is free, users will be met with advertisements displayed on a small screen located within the Solarbox. Many of the original red phone boxes are no longer in use, making this project quite the revival scheme. The boxes are locked overnight and are maintained on a daily basis. The Solarbox project itself is by entrepreneurs Harold Craston and Kirsty Kenny, who managed to …

Earlier this week, Pebble dropped the price of the Pebble Steel to just $199 — which is a $50 savings off of the original price tag. Some eagle eyed shoppers have spotted an even better deal though, as it appears that you can pick up a brushed stainless model of the Steel at Amazon for just $169.99 — an additional $30 savings. As if dropping the price $50 wasn't enough, saving a total of $80 off the price of a Pebble Steel is a bargain in our book. While we still love the newly discounted original Pebble (now just $99), the Steel remains one of our favorite smartwatches. It's good to note that it looks like only the brushed stainless variant gets the extra discoun…

Vector is a news and analysis show focusing on the biggest stories, hottest trends, and most important issues in technology and popular culture. On this week's show, Jessie Char couldn't get an iPhone 6, but she did join us to talk about Bendgate, big phones in small pockets and purses of holding, iOS 8.0.1 and the coverage thereof, the realities of running an indie dev company, and more! With Georgia Dow, Guy English, Rene Ritchie Subscribe in iTunes Subscribe in RSS Download directly Follow on Twitter Show notes Nantucket is an island Hugs not bugs Brent Simmons goes to Omni Kevin Hoctor went to Apple Craig Hockenberry on "no indies left" Panel …

The Finnish studio behind Angry Birds, Rovio has announced that job cuts may be on the cards to simplify the company. CEO Mikael Hed admitted in a blog post published today the company has been growing on assumptions, a tactic that's clearly not sustainable in today's competitive market. We are an entrepreneurial company and have been exploring multiple areas. We have been building our team on assumptions of faster growth than have materialized. As a result, we announced today that we plan to simplify our organization around our three key businesses with the highest growth potential: games, media, and consumer products. Unfortunately, we also need to consider possib…

Alongside todays news that Apple CarPlay units are finally hitting the road, Spotify has updated its app for iOS to include support for it. It joins other apps such as Stitcher, iHeartRadio and Apple's own Beats Music in supporting the automotive version of iOS and we're happy to see it. Spotify is one of the biggest streaming music services on the planet so it's certainly one plenty of prospective CarPlay owners will be happy to see. Since CarPlay relies heavily on Siri voice activation, we'd hope that Spotify, too, takes advantage of this to get you listening to your music without taking your hands off the wheel. Besides CarPlay, Spotify can now speak Swedish an…

Instapaper has today announced that the company is changing its subscription model, enabling everyone to download the official app for free. A new premium subscription is now available for $2.99 or $29.99 a year, but for those who are already paying for the service, you'll remain on the old $1 a month plan (as a token of their gratitude). The team states that the new premium model will enable them to add cool new features to the advanced package. The new Premium model will allow us to keep adding great features to the Premium package. That's what we've been focused on for the past year, and that's what we'll be obsessed with in the years to come. When betaworks took…

We first saw an example of what Pioneer is doing with Apple CarPlay at the recent IFA event in Berlin, Germany, and today we have the very first official release information. Besides launching a new, CarPlay compatible unit, Pioneer is issuing a firmware update for some of its existing units to bring CarPlay to current customers. Today Pioneer becomes one of the first aftermarket manufacturers to support Apple CarPlay™ with the official release of a compatible firmware update for the AVIC-F60DAB, AVIC-F960DAB, AVIC-F960BT, AVIC-F860BT and the AVH-X8600BT, as well as the introduction of the CarPlay-compatible SPH-DA120. The firmware updates are available to down…