Spotify now offers US college students half-price music streaming (updated)

Don't think you can afford a paid streaming music service as a cost-sensitive student? Think again -- the price may finally be within your reach. Spotify has launched a US student program that lets you pay just $5 per month for Premium access (half of the usual price) as long as you're attending a post-secondary school that qualifies for federal aid, whether it's a college or a vocational outlet. Be sure to time your registration well, though. Much like an equivalent offer in the UK, you'll only get the discount for a year. Still, the $60 you spend may be worthwhile if it gives you enough studying music to get through a couple of tough semesters.

Update: Helpful reader will noticed that the discount merely lasts for a year at a time -- you can renew it three more times before you're paying full price. In other words, it should cover your entire degree.

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Via: San Francisco Chronicle, Rich DeMuro (Twitter)

Source: Spotify

Tags: discount, education, internet, music, spotify, streaming, student, students Next: Augmented reality concept uses Google Glass to make reading the newspaper more like... reading a website .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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Google brings the Chromecast to Europe, offers the Nexus 5 and 7 in several new countries

"http://i-cdn.phonearena.com/images/article/54079-image/Google-brings-the-Chromecast-to-Europe-offers-the-Nexus-5-and-7-in-several-new-countries.jpg" alt

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Which carrier offers the fastest mobile data and coverage: 4G / 3G speed comparison

4G LTE has brought blazingly fast Internet to our mobile devices, with speeds often even higher than what home Internet connections offer. However, not all carriers are equal in their offerings, and speeds can vary hugely on different carriers. Nowadays, most major US metropolitan areas are well covered, but speeds still differ hugely and while a carrier might deliver extremely high speeds in one area, in a different area it might deliver a much slower connection.

To see what is the current reality of US carriers’ cellular data speeds, we are comparing America’s top 4 carriers: Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile. For this comparison we are looking separately at 4G and 3G speeds, as well as at latency. We have used data from the 20 largest metropolitan areas in the United States to come up with nation-wide averages (but you can also see the results per area). For the actual speeds, we are using publicly available data from OpenSignal's excellent maps. OpenSignal takes its data from over 1 million consumer devices, which is a great sample size. Here are the 20 metros we used for this comparison:
We compare the data speeds offered by the four largest US carriers: Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile New YorkLos AngelesChicagoWashington DCSan FranciscoBostonPhiladelphiaDallasMiami

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Google Play Store offers more control over in-game purchases

Google updates its Play Store so parents and others can require that a password be entered every time someone wants to buy virtual goods while in a mobile game or other app.

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Veronica Mars Ultraviolet digital copies frustrate many backers, Warner Bros. offers refunds

After an instantly successful $5.7 million Kickstarter campaign the Veronica Mars movie has finally arrived in theaters and at home, but that doesn't mean all is well. Digital copies of the movie for backers were distributed using codes for Flixster, Warner Bros.' Ultraviolet-connected movie site/service. Unfortunately, many users had issues signing up for the often-convoluted Ultraviolet login process, setting up the Flixster software to stream or download the video, accessing a copy outside the US, or actually getting overloaded servers to work.

There are some who flew through the setup without issue, but an update by series creator Rob Thomas directs backers with problems to contact customer support. They'll help get things working, or provide a refund for purchasing the movie on another service like Amazon or iTunes. On (the also Flixster-operated) Rotten Tomatoes, Veronica Mars is showing a 98 percent audience rating and 76 percent overall, so once fans can sit back and and press play, it appears they're liking what they see. Not yet familiar? An unaired version of the original pilot is available for free on iTunes, and you can get caught up on the entire series on Amazon's Prime subscription service.

Post by The Veronica Mars Movie.

Going to bed angry. Have been trying to watch

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Verizon now sells the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014, offers Google's Nexus 7 2013 for $49.99 on contract

Verizon today launched the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition - which, despite what its name suggests, is a tablet that’s been available from other locations since October last year. We knew that this would eventually come to Verizon.

Verizon is offering the Note 10.1 2014 for $699.99 off contract, and for $599.99 to customers willing to sign a new 2-year contract agreement. Although it's not the newest tablet around, the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 remains a high-end offering. Its features include a 10.1-inch display with 2560 x 1600 pixels, S Pen Stylus, LTE connectivity, 8MP rear camera, 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal memory, and a 8,220 mAh battery.
The Note 10.1 is the second Samsung-made tablet released by Verizon this year. Earlier this month, the carrier launched the newer, bigger and arguably better Samsung Galaxy Note Pro, which costs $749.99 on contract, or $849.99 outright. Yes, we know, these on contract prices are ridiculously high.

In related news, Verizon has cut the price of its Nexus 7 2013 from $249.99 on contract to just $49.99. As you may know, the carrier started selling the Nexus 7 with LTE last month.

sources: Verizon (1), (2) Share: Discuss12 Tweet

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Sprint's latest prepaid plan offers 2.5GB of LTE data for $60

Sprint has slapped a fresh coat of paint on its prepaid mobile by rebranding Sprint As You Go to Sprint Prepaid and launching all-new plans. The carrier has more attractive pricing too, though there's a caveat. The Smart Plus LTE data plan is $10 less at $60, but the previously unlimited data is now throttled after 2.5GB like plans on Sprint's Virgin and Boost Mobile brands. If you don't need network data, the basic Smart Plan is $45 for unlimited calls and texts (plus WiFi data), a $5 drop over last year. You'll also be able to pick any device you want, as long as it's an LTE Samsung Galaxy S3, LTE Galaxy S4 mini, 3G Moto G or pre-owned Apple iPhone 4s. With T-Mobile having just doubled down on data, we're not sure how tempting that sounds -- but if Softbank gets its merger, it may soon not matter.

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Source: Sprint

Tags: 4G, data, mobilepostcross, plans, prepaid, spark, sprint Next: Reported Amazon game controller appears in pictures .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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Canada's Wind Mobile offers unlimited US roaming for $15 extra per month

Canadians frequently have to pay through the nose to use their phones in the US; at best, they'll get a paltry 50MB of data per day. They won't have that problem for long, though, since Wind Mobile is launching an unlimited US roaming plan on February 3rd. For $15 extra per month, subscribers will get to use as much data, text messaging and voice as they like while visiting their American neighbors. This isn't as sweet a deal as T-Mobile USA's free basic data, but it's still a huge bargain for traveling Canucks who'd rather not deal with an outrageous phone bill when they get home.

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Via: Recode

Source: Marketwired

Tags: billshock, canada, cellphone, international, minipost, mobilepostcross, mobilepostmini, roaming, travel, us, windmobile, wireless Next: Zoom's H5 brings high-quality audio recording to budget-minded pros .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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OUYA's new matte black console offers twice the storage for $130

If you were jonesing for a 16GB OUYA console but didn't snag the limited white edition, we have good news: you just got a second chance at buying your dream Android gaming system. The company plans to launch a standard 16GB model in matte black (aka "anthracite") that throws in a handful of important tweaks. It includes the refined gamepad, with higher-quality buttons and a more responsive Bluetooth connection; it also boasts stronger WiFi performance and more recent firmware. Should the color, capacity and tweaks be enough to seal the deal, you can buy the black variant starting today from Amazon or OUYA for $130.

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Source: OUYA

Tags: android, black, console, controller, gamepad, gaming, ouya, VideoGames Next: The Engadget Mobile Podcast is live at 2PM ET!
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US Cellular offers $50 unlimited plan with throttled data as a catch

You won't have to endure data caps if you want cheap phone service at US Cellular. The carrier has just launched a promo plan that offers unlimited internet access, messaging and voice for $50 per month without a contract. There is a big gotcha, though -- US Cellular will start throttling data speeds after the first 500MB, which rules it out for movie fans and others who need a lot of bandwidth. Still, it's worth a look if you're keen to both lower your bill and avoid those dreaded overage fees.

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Sony's Smart Tennis Sensor hits Japan in May, offers topspin advice for $175

Sony's theme for its CES press event was "Play" and part of the fun was a smart tennis sensor that adds vibrational and gyro detection to your racket, linking up with your smartphone through Bluetooth to offer up improvement suggestions and surprisingly deep information on your racket game. While we got in a few serves and forehands right after the event, the announcement, like its incoming Core life-logging / wearable sensor, was a broad one. A spokesperson told us back in Vegas that Sony hadn't yet decided on a concrete name, let alone a price or release date. Well, Sony had plenty of answers at today's press event, announcing at a tennis club near its Shinagawa HQ that the sensor will launch (in Japan only, for now) this May, priced at 18,000 yen (around $175).

We'll admit, we had some suspicions that Sony's Smart Tennis Sensor might never arrive in the real world (the demonstration area wasn't that far away from a row of conceptual smart glasses), but it seems that Sony's taking this new possible market pretty seriously. The sensor will launch compatible with around six Yonex EZone and VCore tennis rackets, with more models promised after launch. At the moment, you'll need a dedicated sensor for each player: if your buddy uses your racket, their data will be folded into yours, but the team added that this is something that they'll be working on in the future.

Sony has also readied a companion app on both iOS and Android to launch alongside the sensor hardware when it arrives in late May. The app, alongside displaying stats and heat maps of where the ball hits the racket, will also be able to record a video of your earth-shattering serve and replay it alongside the metrics captured by the sensor. Maybe that ace wasn't quite so earth-shattering. We've added Engadget editor Michael Gorman's attempts right after the break. Sony Smart Tennis Sensor app

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Thanks To Ads, Rdio Now Offers Free Streaming On The Web

Not to be outdone by Spotify, Beats or Pandora, Rdio is now free through its website. Mobile users still have to pay if they want access to the full Rdio experience. Users will also have to pay if they want an ad-free experience — because that’s how Rdio is making its service free.

As the announcement says, “Free listeners will hear a mix of new feature announcements, messages from partner brands, notifications about exclusive content, and other helpful tips.” So, you know, commercials.

This move isn’t that surprising for Rdio. Just yesterday, Spotify dropped its time limit on its free service, which previously limited freeloaders to unlimited streaming for six months.

On mobile, Rdio’s free version remains unchanged where it previously offered users a radio-like (or Pandora-like) experience where stations streamed for free but users could not select individual songs. Last month Spotify launched a similar service.

Rdio’s longevity has long been called into question. Recent layoffs and restructuring seems to indicate not everything is well in Rdio’s house. And the competition is about to get even more tight.

The streaming music scene is about to get a new player. Backed by AT&T, Beats Music launches on January 21st. The service is said to be sold in AT&T stores and likely bundled in some fashion with AT&T phones and included on wireless plans. Rdio, and for that matter, Spotify, need to grab all the marketshare they can before this new player enters the game. Free is a good, if desperate, way to do it, too. As Janet and Luther once proclaimed, the best things in life are free.

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Steambox debuts, offers a new path to living room PC gaming

LAS VEGAS -- After revolutionizing the distribution of PC games through its online Steam game store and app, Valve is jumping into gaming hardware with its new Steambox platform. First announced in 2013, the platform combines console-like hardware that runs Steam-based PC games and works with a Valve-designed custom controller.

At its CES 2014 press conference, Valve for the first time announced partnerships with the PC makers that will actually produce and sell Steambox hardware, and it showed off early hardware prototypes from companies including Dell, Maingear, Falcon Northwest, and Origin PC. Valve has previously produced a small number of its own Steambox machines, seeded to developers and beta testers, but the company says it remains undecided on whether it will be making its own commercially available box. The Steambox controller, however, will be available to buy separately at an unspecified time in the future.

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Valve CEO Gabe Newell says that about 250 games have been ported to the Steam OS so far, and will play natively on Steambox hardware. Other games, which may include many popular mainstream PC titles, will be playable, if you stream the gameplay from a Windows gaming PC on your home network. A complicated workaround (similar to how the Nvidia Shield plays PC games), but at the very least it will let you get PC games from your current gaming rig onto your big-screen TV without having to physically connect them.

Among the Steamboxes announced at the Valve press conference were the Alienware Steam Machine from Dell, the Origin PC Chronos, and the Maingear Spark, which was a last-minute addition for which prototype hardware was not yet available. Maingear's variants are dual-boot machines that offer mainstream gaming PC components and can run both Windows 7 or 8, as well as Steam OS.

The first commercially available Steambox systems are expected in the second half of 2014 and should cost about the same as a current-gen video game console, around $400 to $500, with the more expansive dual-boot systems, such as the Origin PC Chronos, costing as much as a comparable gaming PC.

Tags: Valve, Steambox, PC gaming, Steam Machine, CES2014, Alienware

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Apple 12 Days app offers 'Hugo' or 'Home Alone' for free

(Credit:Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET)

iPhone and iPad users able to tap into Apple's 12 Days of Gifts app can score a free film as Monday's treat.

Through the app, Apple has been doling out free downloads since December 26 and will continue playing virtual Santa until January 6. The gifts vary based on your country.

People in the US or Canada can download "Hugo," a 2011 film from renowned director Martin Scorsese. Folks outside the US and Canada instead get "Home Alone," the 1990 Christmas comedy directed by Chris Columbus and starring Macaulay Culkin.

The 12 Days app is compatible with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. However, it requires iOS 7.0 or higher. That means those of you with older iOS devices stuck on version 6.x are out in the cold this holiday season.

Topics: Apple, Apps, iOS Tags: iPad, 12 Days of Gifts, iPhone, Home Alone, Hugo, Apple, iOS

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Rdio shutters Vdio movie streaming service, offers Amazon gift cards as compensation

Rdio was a bit late to the game when it announced its movie streaming service, Vdio, earlier this year. The spinoff site was available in beta form in the US, the UK and Canada, offering blockbuster flick rentals for $6 and movie purchases for up to 20 bucks. Rdio took Vdio offline today, however, citing an inability to differentiate its offering in a very crowded market. Customers who purchased movies and TV shows or have unwatched rentals will receive compensation in the form of Amazon gift cards, while promotional credit will expire. Click through for a surprisingly succinct FAQ.

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Via: TechCrunch

Source: Vdio

Tags: hdpostcross, movie, movies, rdio, streaming, vdio, video, videostreaming Next: Judge rejects ACLU challenge, says NSA telephone data collection is legal (update) .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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Rdio Shuts Down Video-Streaming Site Vdio, Offers Amazon Credits As Reimbursement For Purchases

It’s only been six months since Rdio launched its video-streaming platform Vdio to the world, but it appears that the company has already decided to give up on that experiment. In an email sent to customers today, the streaming media startup announced that it has decided to discontinue the service.

While Vdio was only just introduced over the summer, it followed nearly two years of speculation that Rdio would compete against Netflix and Amazon with a streaming video product. When it finally launched, Vdio was less of a Netflix clone, and more of a competitor to traditional on-demand video rental services like iTunes or Google Play.

The shutdown of the service follows a layoff that affected 35 people at the company. At the time, Rdio didn’t comment on how the layoff would affect the video service.

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Roku enters early 21st century, offers YouTube

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Roku owners are getting their Christmas a week early: Google and Roku on Wednesday finally made YouTube available as a channel on the streaming set-top box.

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The Roku YouTube channel includes high-definition streaming; a Send to TV option that lets you use your phone as a YouTube remote control, as with Chromecast; and access to subscribed channels.

The channel is available on Roku 3's in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. A Google spokesperson said that there are plans to add more features and expand to more countries in 2014, but wouldn't comment directly on a question about why YouTube was missing from the Roku for so long.

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