| Android 4.3 builds for various AT&T Samsung smartphones leak out Oct 28th 2013, 02:37, by Juan Carlos Torres Owners of several recent Samsung high-end devices who are itching to get their hands on the latest Android 4.3 version might now have their need satiated, that is if the devices were purchased from AT&T. Several builds for Samsung’s Android 4.3 update have been leaked and are ready to serve the AT&T Galaxy S III, Galaxy S 4, Galaxy S4 Active and Galaxy Note II. 
The firmware collection comes from Android developer DesignGears and only covers AT&T variants of the devices. Considering that it was just recently leaked that the official Android 4.3 update will be rolling out in a few days, the leaked images might be unnecessary. However, of the major US carriers, only AT&T’s schedule is still unknown, so eager beavers might opt to not wait for weeks and try their luck with these unofficial updates. One reason such users might be excited to update as soon as possible could be the fact that this update brings in support for the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch. Last week, Samsung officially announced which smartphones, aside from the Galaxy Note 3, will be receiving support for the wearable device via an Android 4.3 update. However, of those included in that list, only the Galaxy S4 Mini, the Galaxy Mega 5.8 and the Galaxy Mega 6.3 still don’t have any leaked Android 4.3 firmware, so owners of those devices will just have to wait for the real deal. As these are pre-release builds, great care must be taken in installing and using the firmware, as bugs might still be present that have already been addressed in the final builds. Those who really can’t wait, for one reason or another, are, of course, free to proceed at their own risk, hopefully with a proper backup and recovery image at hand. VIA: SamMobile |  | AT&T moves away from voice-centric subscriptions Oct 28th 2013, 02:03, by Juan Carlos Torres More and more phone users rely on the Internet to keep connected with others and network carriers need to adapt to this growing trend in order to remain relevant and competitive. That is why AT&T is slowly moving away from plans that revolve around voice calls and text messages towards more data-centric offerings. 
The carrier will hardly be alone or first in slowly changing their paradigms and business models. Verizon is taking the same road and has already stopped offering per-minute voice and text plans since last year. T-Mobile is also doing the same and is expected to force customers into data plans that offer unlimited calls and text messaging in the coming months. AT&T, whose profits from data services rose by 17.6% last quarter while seeing its voice and text revenue sink by 2.6%, also has another incentive to start switching to more data plans: the growing prevalence of VoIP or voice over IP, making it possible to make and receive calls through the Internet instead of the conventional lines and networks. Adding the popularity of instant messaging services such as Viber, WhatsApp, LINE, and even BBM, makes more data-centric subscriptions even more compelling. Of course, AT&T cannot immediately and totally wipeout its traditional per-minute and per-text plans. Instead, it will keep on offering at least one such plan that bills per minute, with 450 minutes per month for $40, with additional provisions for text messaging and data. VIA: SlashGear | | Google WiFi Passport gets soft launch in Jakarta Oct 28th 2013, 01:30, by Juan Carlos Torres One of Google‘s long-term aspirations, aside from becoming the world’s repository of information, is to help get everyone on the planet connected to the Internet. The company has rather quietly started a service in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta that will let netizens connect to the Internet in an easier, or at least more affordable, way. 
Google has several endeavors in the pipeline to help bring the Internet to more and more people across the globe. After all, the more people connected to the Internet, the more data it can gather. But while the recently launched, and somewhat controversial, Project Loon attempts to bring Internet connectivity to otherwise inaccessible locations, its new WiFi Passport system launched in Indonesia simply makes it more convenient for Internet users, particularly mobile users, to get online in the already Internet-connected city. The way Google WiFi Passport works is quite simple and reminiscent of other free or paid public WiFi services. Vouchers are available for purchase which contain code that users can input into their Google account via an Andorid app. They then can connect online in various participating hotspots and can stay connected for the next 24 hours, as long as they remain in that hotspot. Users can use up to 3 GB of data for a day, 7 GB over 7 days, or 10 GB over 30 days. The service is only available in Jakarta, and there is no news if this will spread to other Indonesian territories, much less other countries. For now, only Android devices running Android 2.2 Froyo and higher are supported by the WiFi Passport app. There are various tiers and prices available, ranging from free 10-day vouchers, to $1.82 for 20 days to $4.55 for 50 days. VIA: Google Operating System Blog | |
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