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UK regulator to ban carriers from selling locked phones
From December 2021, all phones bought on contract in the UK will work with any network
When a mobile network sells you a phone with a costly contract, it makes sure that switching providers won't be easy. Handsets have traditionally been locked to the carrier who sold it, and you have to jump through hoops to get it unlocked. From December next year, this practice will no longer be permitted in the UK as regulator Ofcom is banning the sale of locked phones by network operators.
In a first for Google's fledgling game streaming service, Stadia Premiere Edition packs will be offered to UK consumers as part of BT's superfast fiber broadband plans. The strategic partnership will see Stadia promoted far more heavily in the UK across TV, print, and on the web.
Harman Kardon, the high-end cousin of JBL and AKG (all owned by Samsung), is launching its first new personal audio products in six years with its Fly series. Since it's 2020 now, they're all wireless/Bluetooth models spanning the three most popular form factors. There's the Fly ANC, an over-ear headphone with active noise cancellation, Fly TWS true wireless earbuds, and lastly, Fly BT earbuds with the old neck-dangling connection wire.
United Kingdom communications giant BT Group, also referred to by its primary subsidiary British Telecom or simply "BT," is buying its way back into the mobile carrier business. The company announced its intention to buy UK carrier EE for a combination of cash and stock worth 12.5 billion pounds. That would combine the country's largest mobile carrier at 24.5 million customers with its largest landline/ISP operator at 10 million customers, creating a force to be reckoned with in both wireless and wired connections.
Several months ago, we discussed something called Nearby, a project that - at the time - seemed to be Google's effort to let "people, places, and things" know when a user is, well, nearby. It seems that Google is still hard at work on its effort to connect various devices to each other and their surroundings, but Copresence (an internal name for this functionality) may have a more specific scope in this effort than we first estimated, apparently including iOS devices in the fun.
Nexus season is in full swing, and as rumors and leaks continue to pile up around Motorola's Nexus 6 (Shamu), we've been wondering when more news might emerge about Volantis (or Flounder, or T1, take your pick) - HTC's 9" Nexus tablet that we first learned of back in spring.
Samsung's Galaxy Note III, the device hotly anticipated by existing Note fans and mobile watchers alike, is one step closer to its imminent reveal, recently passing Bluetooth SIG certification.
[Rant] Reality Check - HTC Has Plans For Bluetooth LE And OpenGL ES 3.0 But It Doesn't Make Them "Android 4.3 Features"
It's 4 a.m., I just read the 6th mention of the same misleading story in the last 24 hours, and it's time for a rant. Yesterday, several "independent"
It's 4 a.m., I just read the 6th mention of the same misleading story in the last 24 hours, and it's time for a rant.
I have a confession to make: I'm obsessed with wireless portable audio gear. Bluetooth earbuds, headphones, and portable speakers excite me more than they probably should. And I'm OK with that. My wife, however, gives me "the look" every time a new gadget arrives, rolling her eyes so far up her skull she could have easily become a soap opera star or an extra on The Walking Dead. She doesn't get it - she's not a geek who loves to get to the bottom of every feature, spot every miniscule detail, and figure out if we have something special on our hands. She doesn't get why I travel with 4 pairs of headphones and a wireless speaker. And lucky for you, she's not the one reviewing JayBird's latest and greatest Bluetooth earbuds - the BlueBuds X.I've been using the BlueBuds X (BBX) for about 2 months now, which allowed me to test it out in a variety of situations and form an opinion of where it stands compared to some of its competitors, such as the Sony HBH-IS800, Sony Smart Wireless Headset Pro, Sony MW600, and Meelec Air-Fi AF9. I haven't had the pleasure of trying JayBird's previous flagship called the Freedom (Cameron reviewed it back in November of 2011), so unfortunately I can't compare the two outside of pointing out the obvious evolution of design and bud size. But what I can do is break down all the positives and negatives, and let you decide for yourself whether the BlueBuds X is right for you.Let's dig in, shall we?
[Quick Review] Satechi BT Lite Headphones: Cutting The Wrong Corner
Satechi BT Lite Headphones: Cutting The Wrong Corner
Satechi is known for offering good products for a good price. Recent examples: an awesome $30 portable Bluetooth speaker, a high-quality headrest mount for tablets, and a whopping 10,000mAh portable charger for just $50. So when the company announced some new lightweight Bluetooth headphones (creatively named "BT Lite Headphones"), it caught my attention.
MEElectronics Air-Fi AF9 Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds Review: More Versatile Than Meets The Eye
Like many technophiles, I have a soft spot for wireless audio gear. While cord-free is moving in the direction of Wi-Fi and mesh networks at home, the
Like many technophiles, I have a soft spot for wireless audio gear. While cord-free is moving in the direction of Wi-Fi and mesh networks at home, the world of portable gear still belongs to Bluetooth. Earbuds, headphones, portable speakers - they're all different, and so far none I've tested are perfect. Once I find the perfect one in each category, I'll be sure to let you know.A few months ago, I reviewed the MEElectronics Air-Fi AF32 - a full-size over-the-ear set of wireless headphones that ended up scoring surprisingly well while at the same time not breaking the bank. The other Bluetooth offering available from Meelec is the in-ear Air-Fi AF9, which is precisely what we're taking a look at today. In fact, I've been testing them for the last 2 months or so and had plenty of time to form an opinion.
[Deep Review] MEElectronics Air-Fi AF32 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones With A 6-Button Controller And Mic - Very High Value, Low Compromise
MEElectronics Air-Fi AF32 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones With A 6-Button Controller And Mic
I'm a big fan of cutting the cord. But this time I'm not talking about cancelling your cable and moving your Judge Judy marathons online - I'm all about going wireless in the audio department. Wireless speakers, wireless streaming, and, of course, wireless portable audio.
I've been on a bit of a headphone kick lately, and have tried out a number of sets from various manufacturers. The only on-ear headphones I've tried during this time, though, have been AKG's K 830 BT's, the company's only high fidelity Bluetooth headphones. Bluetooth headphones remain a relatively young technology, and have been growing steadily as more and more computers and smartphones adopt the A2DP Bluetooth audio transmission standard.
British Telecommunications plc (aka British Telecom, or BT) has joined the long list of litigants looking to catch Google on alleged patent infringement, filing a lawsuit with the US District Court for the District of Delaware claiming that Google infringed six of its patents with Android and other services.
People who constantly wear Bluetooth headsets annoy me. I'll admit it. Yep, it's probably pretentious, judgmental, and just kind of mean, but nonetheless, that's where I stand (see: this highly relevant video). I figure it's only fair warning for you, our readers, going into this review. So, when Samsung offered me a chance to spend some time with their latest high-end Bluetooth headset, the HM7000 (the product naming department was on vacation), I accepted with a good deal of hesitancy.