Report: Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile to lower throttled data speeds starting in May

Customers of two Sprint MVNOs, Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile, have received a message that is not a happy one. Starting on May 6th, those Boost and Virgin customers that use more than 2.5GB of combined 3G/4G data in one month, will have their data speed reduced to 2G for the remainder of the month. Once your account gets close to the 2.5GB threshold, you will receive a text message warning you that your data speed will soon be throttled. Another text is sent out once you exceed the cap. You can check how much data you've consumed at anytime by going to My Account and checking out your Data & Web History. 

Currently, those Boost and Virgin subscribers that exceed the data cap have their data speed throttled to 256Kbps. The 2G speeds that throttled customers will have starting on May 6th, are slower. Sprint says that only a small percentage of Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile customers exceed the cap. Those that do can top up their account early to restore the faster 3G/4G data speeds.

"Effective 5/6/14, if you reach 2.5GB of combined 3G/4G data during your monthly plan cycle, your data speeds will be reduced to 2G speeds for the rest of that monthly plan. During this time, you may experience slower page loads and file downloads, and lags in streaming media. Data speeds will return to normal as soon as your next monthly plan starts. If you’d rather not wait for your new month to start, you can restart your plan immediately through My Account.
How will I know if my data speeds have been reduced?
If you are close to reaching 2.5GB of data in a month, you will receive a text message alerting you. Once you reach the 2.5GB limit, you will receive a text message letting you know your data speeds will be reduced for the rest of your plan month. You can check how much data you’ve used at any time during the month by logging into My Account and checking Data & Web history.
By putting this data speed reduction in place, we’re making sure we can deliver the same quality of service to all of our nationwide customers

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Google to shutter "tap and pay" for Google Wallet on non KitKat phones starting April 14th

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Google Wallet's tap-to-pay feature will require Android 4.4 KitKat starting April 14th

It's time to upgrade that old phone you've been using for Google Wallet payments at the local store. Google is now telling Android users that they'll have to run KitKat to use Wallet's tap-to-pay feature from April 14th onward. The company prefers the newer OS' "improved experience" for NFC-based payments; in other words, it would rather use a more universal, cloud-based approach to processing your banking info. You may be out of luck even if you are using KitKat, though, since the new requirements rule out support for the EVO 4G LTE, Galaxy Note 3 and 2012-era Nexus 7. We suspect that many Wallet fans are early adopters that already carry qualifying devices, but Google's move could have many shoppers looking for alternatives.

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Via: Droid-Life

Source: Google

Tags: android, e-commerce, google, googlewallet, kitkat, minipost, mobilepostcross, mobilepostmini, nfc, payment, retail, shopping, smartphone Next: Uber now insures drivers (and passengers) whenever its ridesharing app is turned on (update)
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Xbox One's Project Spark available to everyone starting today in beta mode

Project Spark is pretty, encourages creativity and incorporates Kinect directly. The sandbox/game-creation tool became available for Windows 8.1 users back in December, and today it's entering beta on the Xbox One as well. "Does that mean there's a new, free thing on my Xbox One?" you might be asking. Yes, yes it does. Hot dog!

Project Spark isn't in the XB1 store, so how do you get it? The announcement points to a still-active beta sign-up page, so it seems that interested parties still have a few hoops to jump through before getting in. (If you're already in the Windows 8.1 beta, you're in the XB1 version.) Interestingly, there are already several entries on the store for "Spark Tokens" in 500 token increments ($4.99 equals 500); beta or not, it looks like Microsoft's interested in monetizing Spark from the jump. For the full FAQ on the beta, head right here.

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Source: Microsoft

More Coverage: Project Spark beta, Project Spark beta FAQ

Tags: beta, hdpostcross, kinect, microsoft, openbeta, projectspark, teamdakota, xboxone Next: LG G Pro 2 review: new year, new Note contender
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Starting Your Own Fashion Store: Is It Possible?

Are you interested in making a living as a fashion store owner? If you are, you are definitely not alone. In the United States and all around the world for that matter, there are many individuals who dream of running and operating their own fashion store. Unfortunately, many believe that dream is one that is too difficult to become a reality. Yes, it may be a little bit difficult for you to get to a successful fashion store up and running, but it is more than possible to do.



The good thing about running a fashion store is that you have a number of different options. One of your options is your location. There are many individuals who choose to run a business out of a storefront location, others who choose to run an online fashion store, and others who choose to do both. If you are able to score a prime business location, it may be profitable for you to have a storefront location. However, it is also important to mention that many individuals are now deciding to do their shopping online; therefore, you may want to take that into consideration as well.



Another choice that you have, when running your own fashion store, is the type of products that you would like to sell. There are a large number of fashion stores in the United States and all around the world that focus on particular fashions, like lingerie or work clothing, but the decision is yours to make. You may also want to decide whether you would like your fashion store to sell just womens clothes, mens clothing, teen clothing, or clothing for children. Of course, you can also decide to make your fashion store universal for all shoppers, should you wish to do so.



Another choice that you have is whose clothing you would like to sell. In addition to wanting to be a fashion store owner, do you also enjoy designing and making your own clothing or fashion accessories? If you do, you may want to think about selling your own designs. You may also want to think about selling the work of other fashion designers. As a business owner, you should be able to find a clothing designer or manufacturer who would be willing to sell their clothing and clothing accessories to you for wholesale prices, which are affordable. You also have the option of selling your own designs and well as others.



Perhaps, the only downside to starting your own fashion store is the costs associated with doing so. All businesses have startup costs, but the costs of starting your own fashion store can be quite high. If you want to run a storefront location, you need to rent or buy your own business space. You will also need point of sale equipment, like cash registers, as well as store fixtures and merchandise to stock your stores with. The good news, however, is that you dont have to be rich to start your own fashion store. By developing yourself a professional business plan, one that outlines what your business will be, how it will make money and such, you can easily seek financing from financial lenders or investors.



If you are interested in starting your own fashion store, it is important to remember that it requires a lot of hard work and determination. With that in mind, however, it is more than possible for you to run a successful and profitable fashion store. As a reminder, be sure to research and review all local, state, and federal laws before opening your first store.

French Uber users face 15-minute delay starting next year

To the surprise of virtually everyone in France, the government has just passed a law requiring car services like Uber to wait 15 minutes before picking up passengers. The bill is designed to help regular taxi drivers, who feel threatened by recently introduced companies like Uber, SnapCar and LeCab. Cabbies in the Gallic nation require formidable time and expense to get their permits and see the new services -- which lack such onerous requirements -- as direct competitors. The legislation managed to pass through parliament despite reservations from the French competition authority, which deemed it ill-thought-out. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the private services called the new law "absurd, unjust and incomprehensible" and vowed to attack it. One SnapCar rep even told TechCrunch it would never leave a customer on a rainy street, and pointing to the French Minister responsible, said "what would Manuel Valls want for his mother?"

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Via: TechCrunch

Source: Liberation

Tags: cabs, CarService, CarSharing, France, legislation, Taxis, Uber Next: LG makes Knock a standard feature, update coming for L Series II models .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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Archos will debut multiple 'pebble-like' smartwatches at CES, starting at less than $50

There's one more interesting nugget in today's jam-packed Archos press release. Alongside the home tablet, scale, weather system, activity monitor, et al. is a very brief mention of a smartwatch -- a "selection of" smartwatches, actually. There's not much info here, save for the fact that at least one of the wearables will hit an under-$50 price point. The company is also apparently comparing the iOS/Android-compatible line to a familiar wearable, referring to it as "pebble-like" in the included press material (lower case, mind). If we had to venture a guess, we'd say the similarity comes from what looks to be an e-ink or e-ink-like display, but it looks like we're going to have to jump on a plane to Vegas to find out for sure.

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Tags: archos, ces2014, smartwatch, watch Next: FAA selects six sites for drone testing because flying robots are our future .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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KUBI telepresence robot arm for tablets now shipping, starting from $399

It was almost a year ago when we checked out Revolve Robotics' KUBI, a motorized tablet cradle that lets you remotely pan and tilt your device -- via an iOS app (Android version coming soon) or web portal -- during video calls. After missing its summer launch window, this US-made telepresence robot is finally shipping to its Indiegogo backers starting this week. Those who want in now can also order one through the company's website, albeit at much higher price points: the KUBI Hacker Edition for developers costs $399, whereas the prettier but otherwise identical KUBI Classic (pictured above) is asking for a steep $499 -- almost twice as much as the original intended price due to a change in tooling, for the sake of speeding up production.

If you're really desperate for a Bluetooth LE robot arm for your tablet, order soon -- delivery is expected within three to four weeks. For now, you can get a glimpse of the first few KUBIs in the short video clip after the break.KUBI telepresence robot arms at the production line

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Amazon puts Kindle Fire HDX on interest-free payment plan, starting at $57

Short on cash? Amazon wants to sell you a Kindle Fire HDX anyway. As of today, you can pick up the shopping giant's flagship slate on a quarterly payment plan. Naturally, the amount of each installment varies based on the size and configuration you choose; a 7-inch model with WiFi, 16GB of storage and Special Offers, for example, runs $57 per payment. A similarly equipped 8.9-inch model on the other hand, costs $95 every three months. If you're worried about financing fees or interest, don't sweat it -- Bezos and pals aren't charging either of them. That doesn't mean Amazon is a completely forgiving money lender, though: miss a payment, and the shopping giant will block any access to its content library and possibly delete your account. Harsh, but at least it's better than a broken leg.

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Via: All Things Digital

Source: Amazon

Tags: amazon, e books, e-book, e-books, e-reader, KindleFire, KindleFireHdx Next: IRL: Trading in the Sonos Play:3 for Korus' V600 and V400 wireless speakers
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