Author: Brandon

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AT&T Cracking Down on Jailbreak Tethering

What is tethering? Well, tethering with your iPhone is using your iPhone as a modem for other devices to connect to the internet. Tethering allows you to use your iPhone as a means for Internet access, through WiFi, USB, or Bluetooth. There are many people who jailbreak their iPhone and use it for tethering. One of the most popular jailbreaking apps is MyWi. MyWi allows you to bypass AT&T’s DataPro plan check and enable you to tether independently. Running jailbreaking apps such as MyWi gives you the chance to use your iPhone as a hotspot for other devices to connect to the internet. It appears AT&T has noticed that people are jailbreaking their iPhone devices and are tethering without AT&T’s permission. AT&T has been sending this letter to customers who are suspected of tethering without permission:

Dear [Name of Account Holder],

We’ve noticed your service plan may need updating.

Many AT&T customers use their smartphones as a broadband connection for other devices, like laptops, netbooks or other smartphones— a practice commonly known as tethering. Tethering can be an efficient way for our customers to enjoy the benefits of AT&T’s mobile broadband network and use more than one device to stay in touch with important people and information. To take advantage of this feature, we require that in addition to a data plan, you also have a tethering plan.
Our records show that you use this capability, but are not subscribed to our tethering plan.

If you would like to continue tethering, please log into your account online at www.wireless.att.com, or call us at 1-888-860-6789 Monday — Friday, 7 a.m. — 9 p.m. CST or Saturday, 8 a.m. — 7 p.m. CST, by March 27, 2011 to sign up for DataPro 4GB for Smartphone Tethering. Here are details on the plan:

DataPro 4GB for Smartphone Tethering
– $45 per month (this gives you 4GB in total, combining both your smartphone data plan for $25 and the tethering feature, $20)
– $10 per each additional GB thereafter, added automatically as needed
– Mobile Hotspot capabilities are included for compatible Smartphones

If we don’t hear from you, we’ll plan to automatically enroll you into DataPro 4GB after March 27, 2011. The new plan — whether you sign up on your own or we automatically enroll you — will replace your current smartphone data plan, including if you are on an unlimited data plan.

If you discontinue tethering, no changes to your current plan will be required.

It’s easy to track your usage throughout the month so there are no bill surprises. For example, we send you free text messages when you reach 65, 90, and 100 percent of your plan’s threshold. If you would like to monitor your account more closely, go to www.att.com/dataplans to learn about other ways to track your data usage.

As a reminder, our smartphone data plans also include unlimited usage of Wi-Fi at no additional charge. AT&T smartphone customers can use Wi-Fi at home or on-the-go at any one of our more than 23,000 U.S. hotspots already included in your data plan.

Thank you for bringing your account up to date. We appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve your mobile broadband needs.

Sincerely,

AT&T

Please update your data plan by March 27, 2011 if you intend to continue tethering

To learn more and update your plan, visit att.com/dataplans

Reach us for assistance during business hours: Monday — Friday 7 a.m. — 9 p.m. CST Saturday 8 a.m. — 7 p.m. CST at 1-888-860-6789

If you are suspected of tethering without permission, you are most likely going to receive this email letter. If you receive this email, you should contact AT&T immediately. If you decide to discontinue tethering without permission, you will not be penalized. If you decide to continue to tether, you will have to enroll into DataPro 4GB.

AT&T is really cracking down on those who are jailbreaking and tethering without permission. Many people will definitely be disappointed that they can no longer tether without having to pay for the DataPro 4GB.

Feel free to leave questions or comments below.

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iPad 2 Lines Still Crowded After Launch!

It has been more than a week since the launch of the iPad 2, and it is still difficult to get one. People have been lining up outside Apple retail stores every morning. Apple retail stores only receive shipments on certain days also, but they will not disclose the days it will receive a shipment. You have to go every morning just to check if they even have a shipment that day. Even if they do have a shipment, they only receive a small quantity. If you decide to buy it online, it now estimates that it will ship in 4-5 weeks, which is a very long time for those who are anxious to get there hands on one. On a positive note, if you buy it online at the Apple Online Store, you get free shipping and free iPad engraving, an Apple Online Store exclusive offer.

Apple Stores are now holding iPad 2 shipments that were received during the day, instead of selling them once they arrive, so they can sell it the next morning so people won’t crowd the store all day hoping a shipment will arrive to sell throughout the day. Some Apple Stores are even opening earlier just to sell the iPad 2 and get rid of the crowd so it will be less crowded for the normal business hours.

In my opinion, your best bet is to still purchase your iPad 2 online at the Apple Online Store. You get free shipping and the free iPad engraving is an awesome offer. You can your very own iPad 2 customized with your very own engraving. On the other side, I would also want to get my iPad 2 right away. It would also be a good idea to go to the Apple Store early in the morning and wait in line. Some people are even camping out, so there is a lot of competition for getting an iPad 2. Just make sure you are prepared for the weather. The iPad 2 is definitely in demand, and I hope they come out with more frequent and larger shipments because we are all waiting for one.

Feel free to leave comments and questions.

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Apple is the #1 Most Admired Company!

How do you know that Apple is the #1 Most Admired Company? Well, FORTUNE magazine runs a yearly survey by asking businesspeople to vote for the companies that they admire the most. They compile the votes and create a list called Top 50 Most Admired Companies. So what did FORTUNE magazine find this time? Apple is #1, for the fourth year in a row. There is good reason for why Apple was picked as #1. They make so many great products that are admired by many. The company introduced the iPad last year and opened the world to an entirely new idea. Google, the #2 most admired company, was also following closely behind Apple. The following are the Top Ten Most Admired Companies:

  1. Apple
  2. Google
  3. Berkshire Hathaway
  4. Southwest Airlines
  5. Procter & Gamble
  6. Coca-Cola
  7. Amazon.com
  8. FedEx
  9. Microsoft
  10. McDonald’s

As for my own opinion, I also admire Apple the most. What do you think? Leave a comment.

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How To: Buy an iPad 2

On March 2, 2011, Apple introduced the iPad 2. We all know that it will be lighter and thinner and all those other features such as cameras for FaceTime and Photo Booth, but what we don’t know, is how to buy an iPad 2. The iPad 2 is going to be released on March 11, 2011. As far as you can tell by looking at the Apple website, it says it will be starting at $499. You also have to worry about the fact that you can’t pre-order it and you will have to deal with tons of other people fighting to buy an iPad 2 once it come out. So how should you deal with this? First of all, figure out where you can buy it. You can buy it at the Apple Store, the Apple Online Store, Best Buy, Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Target. The Apple Store will definitely have long lines. I think the Apple Online Store would be the best bet because you won’t have to wait in lines or get through crowds. You will have to wait for it to arrive because it ships on the day it is released, but it is the easiest way to get it. Patience is definitely required for the Apple Online Store method. Best Buy will have some on sale, but the amount is unknown. You will have to hope they have some in stock by the time you get there. Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Target are also the same story as Best Buy. They will have some available, but how much is unknown. AT&T and Verizon will also have 3G iPad 2 models available on March 11.

My recommendation is to just order it on the Apple Online Store. You just need to be patient. People who are patient always get rewarded. People will also try to sell it on sites such as Ebay, but don’t bother because they will just raised the price.

Now let’s go over the models and the prices. The iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will come in three models and two colors each. The prices are as follows:

16 GB = $499.00
32 GB = $599.00
64 GB = $699.00

The iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + 3G will come in three models and two colors each, but will be sold by two separate providers, AT&T and Verizon, at the same prices. The prices are as follows:
16 GB = $629.00
32 GB = $729.00
64 GB = $829.00

That is about it for the rundown of the iPad 2. Good luck buying one. Leave questions and comments!

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Should Apple get in-app fees?

Apple has just released new App Store policies for in-app subscription sales. With the coming release of iOS 4.3, your iOS device will now be able to support in-app subscription sales, but there is a catch, Apple is asking for in-app subscription companies to pay a 30% fee, just like other in-app purchases. Any titles that involve subscriptions or purchasable content will have to offer an in-app option that cannot be more expensive than anywhere else. This will pose a problem for developers and vendors. They aren’t allowed to provide a link to an outside market for things that can be purchased within an app. In general, that means if I was a developer, I wouldn’t be able to sell an app that directs users to my own website to buy a subscription to my content. I would still be able to sell my subscriptions to customers I found on my own. It is also mandatory to make it possible for users of my app to purchase my subscription content through iTunes if I want to put my app on iTunes. There is also some reason why this is not a bad idea. Apple actually acts as a newsstand when it provides subscription. Apple provides the subscription service, manages the delivery of the content, and acts as a tollbooth by taking 30% of the revenue.

There is also an alternative called the Google Way, which makes content free when it’s placed next to ads. The downside is that the content generator gets a tiny fraction of the minimal ad revenue generated.

A big issue about this is that Apple thinks it is simple that if Apple brings a new subscriber to the app, Apple should receive 30% of the revenue, but if a publisher brings an existing or new subscriber to the app, the publishers keeps all 100% of the revenue. But can you really say that Apple brought a person to the app if the person decides to search up the app for a subscription because they already knew ahead of time that they wanted to subscribe to that certain company? You can’t really say that Apple brought the customer to that app. Another big issue is that maybe companies will decide to not make an app to begin with anymore. Big companies may decide that they don’t need to provide their service on iOS devices. What will we do now? There are many issues that will arise from this and it would be best to avoid it. I think Apple should rethink their ideas.

Leave questions or comments below.

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