| AT&T continues the 4G LTE rollout with 10 new markets Jul 31st 2013, 18:04, by Cory Gunther The folks from AT&T have been touting that lightning fast 4G LTE network lately, and this morning they’ve confirmed another 10 markets and locations are getting the green light for faster speeds. After initially launching their 4G LTE network expansion later than Verizon, they’ve been pretty busy upgrading their coverage, and today’s no different. We have the full list below. 
Between having a record number of smartphone sales for Q2 of 2013, adding some new Mobile Share Plans, and their new “Next” upgrade plan, AT&T’s been busy this month. And now to add even more to it they’ve launched 4G LTE in 10 additional markets. It looks like most of the new regions getting faster speeds are in the midwest, but surely you’ll all take what you can get right? From Oklahoma to Georgia here’s the list of the 10 new spots according to AT&T’s newsroom. – Marthas Vineyard, Massachusets
– Durant, Oklahoma
– Enid, Oklahoma
– Ardmore, Ada, Oklahoma
– Arkadelphia, Arkansas
– Russellville, Arkansas
– Ponca City, Oklahoma
– Charleston, West Virginia
– Cedartown, Georgia
– Rome, Georgia During their Q2 earnings call AT&T confirmed they’re on track for their LTE goal for 2013, and will reach 400 markets by the end of this year. They then went on to mention that by mid-2014 their entire 4G LTE expansion will be complete. Now that we’re seeing towns I’ve never heard of (like Arkadelphia) get 4G LTE, it’s safe to assume all the major areas have already been updated, and now they are focusing efforts on rural markets. If you’re in one of those locations do you have LTE this afternoon? |  | US Airways app arrives for Android users Jul 31st 2013, 17:29, by Robert Nelson Android users have some convenience when it comes to flying with Google Now. But while Google Now provides quick and easy access to things like boarding passes, it certainly doesn’t compete with full-featured apps direct from the airlines. In this case it looks like some good news has arrived for those who often travel with US Airways. 
The US Airways app has arrived by way of the Google Play Store where it is currently sitting at version 1.0 and with support for devices running Android 2.1 or later. Perhaps more important though, using the US Airways app will allow you to manage your trips from beginning to end. Some of the highlights include being able to book flights, check-in and manage your account. The app also has the ‘boarding pass wallet’ which does just what one would think — serves as a central location within the app to find your boarding passes. Those looking to use this will need to choose the “send my passes to my smartphone’ option when checking-in. Remaining features also include being able to find club locations, get terminal information and even email trip information to friends and family members. Using the app while on the ground is obvious given you will likely have cellular or WiFi connectivity, however you will also be able to use the app on Gogo flights. Similar to how you can visit the usairways.com website for free on Gogo flights, you can also use the US Airways mobile app on an Android device for free. Bottom line here, the US Airways app has arrived alongside the countless others including American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and others. Not to mention the more general travel apps such as Expedia, TripAdvisor, Kayak and Orbitz. SOURCE: US Airways, Google Play Store | | Android 4.3 update now rolling out to more Galaxy Nexus users Jul 31st 2013, 17:05, by Cory Gunther Last week Google officially announced Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and the new Nexus 7, and along with it confirmed all you Nexus users would be seeing the update arrive shortly. Claiming it would start rolling out that exact day, which was last Wednesday. As usual these staged rollouts are taking their sweet time, but today more users with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus are seeing it arrive. 
This morning our international Samsung Galaxy Nexus was updated to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, which is surprising considering my Nexus 4 is still sitting here without the update. Most users with the Nexus 4 and 7 have already seen the update hit their device, even if the rollout is slow and gradual. Google confirmed the Gnex would see the update, but their other Nexus devices seem to be taking priority when it comes to pushing out these updates in a timely manor. We did receive a few tips this afternoon that others have received it as well, which is good news, but don’t even get me started on the Verizon model. 
So for all of you sitting on that aging Samsung Galaxy Nexus hitting “check for updates” (if you haven’t flashed a custom ROM yet) don’t worry as the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update for your Gnex should be arriving any minute now. It’s finally rolling out on a larger scale, so if you haven’t check for a day or two, now might be a good time. You won’t see much visually that’s different, but there’s plenty of changes under the hood as we outlined in the announcement link above. As of now the international Galaxy Nexus is officially getting the update, and I’m going to go ahead and guess sometime around the end of September for the Verizon (toro) Galaxy Nexus. Drop us a comment below if Android 4.3 has arrived for you too. | | LG Optimus F3 release confirmed by T-Mobile Jul 31st 2013, 16:32, by Robert Nelson T-Mobile has announced the upcoming availability of the LG Optimus F3 smartphone. The handset will be available beginning on August 7th. Those looking towards the Optimus F3 will be able to grab it with T-Mobile’s Simple Choice plans. Perhaps key for some, the handset will be available with no money down. 
Aside from the no money down portion, the handset will then be $10 per month for 24 months. Basically, you are looking at paying $240 for the handset over the course of two-years. Of course, that $10 per month will be in addition to the price of the monthly service plan. In this case the Simple Choice plans begin at $50 per month for unlimited talk, text and data with the first 500MB being high-speed. In addition, those looking for more high-speed data can add 2GB for $10 per month or go unlimited for $20. Shifting over to the handset itself and we are looking at a device sporting a 4-inch IPS display, dual-core 1.2GHz processor and 5 megapixel rear-facing camera. 
The handset also has a 1 megapixel front-facing camera, microSD card slot and support for the T-Mobile LTE network. Other than hardware, the Optimus F3 is also compatible with WiFi Calling and the T-Mobile TV offering which brings live television including news, sports and more to enjoy while on the go. As this is an LG handset, there will also be some goodies from what they describe as the “suite of unique services.” In this case that means those who purchase the Optimus F3 can expect to see QuickMemo, QSlide and VuTalk which are all apps that “focus on enhancing usability.” Bottom line here, T-Mobile has announced another low priced Android handset. And if for some reason you are really excited about the Optimus F3 but would prefer it with another carrier — the handset also came available with Virgin Mobile and MetroPCS. | |
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