AT&T Revoking Unlimited Plans From “Illegal” Tether Users

Are you currently enjoying unlimited data on your AT&T mobile device? Do you also jailbreak or use a third-party program to tether? If so then expect to have your “unlimited” data plan revoked. In addition to throttling customers that use unlimited data the “right way”, AT&T will take away unlimited plans from users not abiding by its terms. According to Boy Genius Report:

AT&T on Thursday confirmed that it will remove grandfathered unlimited data plans from accounts belonging to users who tether or use unsanctioned mobile hotspot apps without a tethering plan, which is expressly prohibited by AT&T according to its terms and conditions.

If you jailbreak your iPhone and tether through unofficial means then your plan will be revoked. If you use a program like EasyTether on your Android phone then your plan will be revoked. On one hand, it’s clearly stated that this is against AT&T’s terms and conditions. On the other hand, AT&T’s definition of unlimited data is getting murkier and murkier.

How do you guys and dolls feel about this issue? Is AT&T just protecting its network (that it doesn’t spend enough money on, despite record-break profits)? Or is this data discrimination?

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Nokia N9 Countdown Clock Points to September Release

Nokia Sweden has launched a countdown site for the upcoming Nokia N9. The phone was rumored for a September release date in several European countries and the countdown clock supports this rumor. There’s no word on a North American launch at this time, but I expect the phone to be available in the U.S. some time this fall.

I’m really excited for this phone. It’s gorgeous. The operating system seems shockingly elegant for Nokia. Admittedly, part of the N9’s charm is that it will be Nokia’s first and last MeeGo-powered phone. Part of me is hoping that the N9 sells so well that it makes Nokia’s decision to go with Windows Phone look stupid. That would be fun to write about. Ha!

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Apple iCloud Premium Pricing Revealed

When Apple first announced its iCloud serivce, it revealed that users will get 5GB of cloud storage for free. Boy Genius Report has discovered the cost for “premium” iCloud tiers as revealed in the developer beta program. In the immortal words of Tone Loc, it goes a little something like this:

Users can sign up for an additional 10GB of storage (15GB total) for $20 per year, 20GB of additional storage for $40 per year, or 50GB of added storage for $100 per year.

What do you think of Apple’s iCloud pricing tiers? Are you going to up your storage? Or are you going to stick with the free 5GB plan?

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Final Fantasy Tactics Hits iOS on Thursday!!!

Square Enix Europe has announced that Final Fantasy Tactics will be available for iPhone and iPod Touch on August 4, 2011. This strategy-RPG is one of the most anticipated “hardcore” games for Apple iOS. The original PlayStation version is my favorite game of all time, so I’m more than a little excited for this release.

That said, I’m probably going to wait for the iPad optimized version, which will be out later this month. Ah hell, I’m probably going to buy them both because I’m such a big FFT mark. As some of you know, I’ve sunk hundreds of hours into the iPhone and iPad versions of Civilization Revolution, but I’m pretty sure Final Fantasy Tactics will become my primary airplane game. I can’t wait!!!

Any of you planning to pick up FFT for your iPhone or iPod Touch?

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Nintendo Execs Remind Me That RIM Execs Suck

You have to hand it to Nintendo’s executive team. They step up to their responsibilities and accept blame like men. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata recently addressed shareholders about the company’s decision to slash the price of its Nintendo 3DS handheld system. He acknowledged the failure, accepted the blame, and said that he would slash his salary in half. He also noted that other executives would be hit with a 20- to 30-percent salary cut.

Iwata’s actions are very Japanese and very Eastern. By Western standards, it seems unusual. A high-ranking executive admitting fault?!? That’s crazy (think Brian Fellow)!!! The whole thing reminded me of another company that has made several mistakes, but continually refuses to acknowledge them in a meaningful way. I’m talking about Research in Motion (RIM), makers of the once-dominant BlackBerry smartphones.

Once upon a time, RIM was the dominant name in smartphones. It offered — and still offers — some of the best emailing and security options on a mobile phone. However, the smartphone landscape has drastically changed thanks to the iPhone. Whether it’s for work or play, many users prefer Apple iOS and Google Android over BlackBerry for their superior multimedia capabilities. Web browsing, watching movies, listening to music, playing games, and performing big-screen work is simply better on Android or iOS than on BlackBerry OS.

RIM’s executive team has failed to quickly adapt to the dramatic changes in the smartphone space. It still offers phones with great call quality and excellent keyboards. It still offers superior email and security. Unfortunately, that’s not enough these days. The company has pinned its future on QNX, but has been comically slow to implement modern QNX features into BlackBerry OS. RIM claimed that it would make a big splash with the BlackBerry PlayBook. Instead it released a half-baked product that’s a joke compared to the Apple iPad.

Despite its glacial pace of evolution and numerous failures, RIM’s execs haven’t admitted failure the way that Iwata has. Part of the problem is that nobody is sure which CEO to blame. Another part of the problem is that having two CEOs is a galactically stupid idea. It’s also a cultural thing. RIM is a Western company with a Western culture. I don’t expect RIM CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie to publicly cut off their pinkies (metaphorically) the way that Iwata did. That said, they probably should. The 3DS launch was arguably Nintendo’s biggest mistake in the last decade, yet Iwata immediately stepped up and accepted responsibility. RIM has been flailing around for years and nobody is stepping up.

Ultimately I see one company that has made a mistake and will most likely succeed again, partially because of its executives. I also see another company that has made mistakes and will most likely never be as successful as it once was, partially because of its executives. I found the contrast amusing and wanted to share it with all of you. I’d also love to hear your thoughts on Nintendo and RIM. What do you make of their executives’ behavior? What kind of success will each company have in the future? Leave a comment and let me know (please)!

AT&T to Start Throttling “Unlimited” Customers on October 1

Are you on an AT&T “unlimited” plan? If you’re a heavy data user then prepare to get limited! AT&T has announced that it will start throttling customers with unlimited data plans starting October 1, 2011. The company claims that only “the top 5 percent of heaviest data users” will be affected. Here’s a clip from the press release:

Starting October 1, smartphone customers with unlimited data plans may experience reduced speeds once their usage in a billing cycle reaches the level that puts them among the top 5 percent of heaviest data users. These customers can still use unlimited data and their speeds will be restored with the start of the next billing cycle. Before you are affected, we will provide multiple notices, including a grace period.

The hilarious part is that AT&T threw in a line about how only an approved merger with T-Mobile can save the company from a “spectrum shortage”. That’s just dishonest.

I know that RPadholic slickyfats uses a ton of data on AT&T. If you’re an AT&T customer like him, are you considering switching to a different carrier in light of the company’s new policy? As mobile Internet services become more advance and require more data, are you concerned about things like bandwidth caps and data throttling? Or are you not going to worry about things until it becomes an issue for you?

Apple’s Q3 2011 Results Are Ridiculous

Ridiculous. Simply ridiculous. What else can you say about Apple’s Q3 2011 numbers? The company sold more than 20-million iPhones and nine-million iPads. The company posted $28.57-billion in revenue and $7.31-billion in profit. More than ever it’s hilarious to think that Apple once needed cash from Microsoft to stay in business.

Apple is making crazy money across a wide variety of products. From smartphones to tablets to notebook computers to desktop computers to software to music, Apple is kicking ass.

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Epic’s Mark Rein Talks Android, iOS, and PlayStation Vita

Epic Games’ vice president Mark Rein recently spoke with Game Network about a wide variety of topics. The section on mobile gaming was particularly interesting. As I noted in December 2009, Unreal Engine 3 on iOS was a huge step for smartphone gaming. Since then, Epic and Chair Entertainment have had one of the biggest iOS hits ever with Infinity Blade. It was interesting to hear what he had to say about iOS, Android, and PlayStation Vita gaming. Check it out:

iOS is certainly part of Epic’s future. Our recent iOS game, Infinity Blade, has already earned us over $10 million in its first six months and hammers home the notion that iOS users are ready for the kind of high-production value games that Unreal Engine 3 is uniquely qualified to produce on iOS. Our engine is also available on Android and one of our licensees — Trendy Entertainment — holds the distinction of having the first-ever game certified for Android’s Honeycomb tablet release with Dungeon Defenders. They were also demoed on Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play (aka the “PlayStation phone”) and we showed them onstage at the Tokyo reveal event for Sony’s next-gen portable, the PSVita. Epic and Unreal Engine 3 are already big players in the mobile and handheld space.

Epic’s Unreal Engine is already dominant in the console gaming world. It looks like the company is on its way to having similar success on numerous mobile platforms. While that’s nice for Epic, it also mean better looking games for you and me. I have no doubt that Unreal Engine will succeed on iOS and PS Vita. Android developers have a bunch of other problems to worry about, but I’m sure Unreal Engine will help a few of them make great games too. While Gears of War is still the company’s prime franchise, it’s clear that Epic sees how important the mobile market will be in the near future.

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Vellamo Benchmark Measures Android Web Browsing Prowess

Qualcomm has released the Vellamo Mobile Web Benchmark, which is a testing suite that measures the web browsing prowess of Google Android phones. According to the official description, Vellamo measures, “browser performance and stability, including networking, JavaScript, rendering, and user experience.”

I just ran the test on the T-Mobile G2x by LG and the HTC Thunderbolt. The former uses a dual-core Tegra 2 processor, while the latter uses a single-core Snapdragon processor. The G2x scored a 604, while the Thunderbolt nabbed a 592. Please keep in mind that these were initial runs; any serious benchmarking should been done multiple times.

I’d love to see your results. If you have an Android phone and have some time to run a benchmark, please download Vellamo and post your score in the comments section.

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Coffee Talk #374: Totally Loving Google+

I’ve been using Google+ for about two weeks and I’m totally enamored with the service. I love that it combines facets of Facebook, Twitter, and BlackBerry Messenger. I love the control offered by its…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Spotify’s American launch, waiting for HSPA+ 42 phones, or naughty dreams about Ann Coulter, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I’ve been using Google+ for about two weeks and I’m totally enamored with the service. I love that it combines facets of Facebook, Twitter, and BlackBerry Messenger. I love the control offered by its Circles feature. I love the excellent Android app for Google+. Certainly there’s a whole “shiny and new” aspect to my fascination with Google+, but there’s no denying that Google launched a strong product and has several excellent features in the works.

The reason I’m most excited about Google+ is that it allows me to easily write personal blog posts again. After seven years of consistent blogging, I haven’t really touched my personal blog in three years. I love that I can easily share some intimate thoughts through Google+ Circles, whether it’s with five super-close friends or 50 people I really like. I’m definitely going to start using Circles for personal writing. Of course the big fear is a security issue exposing all my thoughts to the world…and also writing drunk blog posts.

I know that several of you are using Google+ too. Please let me know what you like and don’t like about the service. If you’re not using the service yet and would like to, just leave a comment here. Several RPadholics and I can send you an invite.