GeekSugar

AT&T Confirms Mobile Hotspots For iOS 4.3 Coming March 11

Kristen Hawley — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 13:36:14 PST

Mobile hotspotting on AT&T iPhones was implied yesterday during the iPad 2 launch, and AT&T has confirmed that it will be available March 11 with the release of iOS 4.3.

AT&T customers can add hotspot technology to their existing plans for $45, giving them up to 4GB of data use. This includes a $25 data plan for 2GB a month and an additional $20 tethering charge that comes with 2GB of additional data usage. The Verizon iPhone launched with a 2GB mobile hotspot for $20/month.

Verizon iPhone Hotspot: $20 For 2GB a Month

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 15:28:24 PST

One of the major pluses coming out of the iPhone 4's move to Verizon is the ability to link up five other devices to a built-in mobile 3G hotspot. While the company hadn't previously released information regarding data plans and hotspot charges, Verizon is letting it all hang out today. We already know that the iPhone 4 will come with an unlimited data plan for $30 a month (for a limited time), and now Verizon has confirmed that using the mobile hotspot will cost you an additional $20 for 2GB of shared data.

While $50 for data doesn't seem like that much, tack on the minimum $60 talk and text plan, and you begin to realize just how much this iPhone 4 is really costing you - upwards of $1,300 a year - if you don't go over your limits. For example, each additional GB on your hotsopot will set you back another $20. Ouch.

AT&T's WiFi Hotspots Are Free and Available to iPhone Users

GeekSugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:04:36 PDT

Remember a few months ago, when we all got giddy because AT&T hotspots were suppose to be free for iPhone customers? Well that didn't exactly happen, but now (I'm guessing because of iPhone 3G mania), AT&T's free WiFi hotspot access is finally live! If you've got an iPhone, you can now use the WiFi at 17,000 sites around the US, including Starbucks. Use AT&T's hotspot locator to see where the nearest hotspot locations are to you! Forgive me for quoting Celine but, "A new day has come!"

Source

5 Tech Must Haves From GeekBeat.tv's Cali Lewis

Kelly Schwarze — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:50:36 PST

As host of GeekBeat.tv and tech expert extraordinaire, Cali Lewis spends close to 75 percent of her time on the road. It's fitting that during a recent Macworld panel when asked to name five technology innovations she can't live without, she didn't give a coveted spot on the list to just any fad. Cali's list of life-changing tech is a combination of the practical for someone always on the go and the lifesavers that make mobile work life efficient. Check out her picks below!

Pandora and Spotify - Cali uses each music streaming service equally so she's never without tunes. Discovering new music is Pandora's niche, while she uses Spotify to have on demand music on any device.
Powerbag - Knowing the outlets at an airport or convention center are almost always already in use by someone else desperate for battery juice, Cali has "fallen in love" with the Powerbag solution and charges her gadgets wherever she goes.
The Cloud - The ability to access all your important music, documents, and media files from anywhere just by signing in to a cloud account is a pretty big deal. Never go without a file again!
Tablets - Without the need to carry a heavy laptop around, tablets have reimagined the way people work on the road - and lightened the load.

Check out the one tech advancement Cali can't live without after the jump.

AT&T Announces New Data Plans For Smartphones and Tablets: Details You Need to Know

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:43:40 PST

AT&T announced new data plans for smartphones and tablets today that will take effect starting Jan. 22. As always when it comes to change, there's good news and bad news. Each plan costs about $5 more than the previous plans (that's the bad news), but the good news is that you'll get 100MB more data on the Plus plan and 1GB more data on the Pro plans than you were getting before. Current customers can stick with the plans they're already on or switch up to the new plans, whereas new AT&T customers will have to select one of the new plans at signup starting on Sunday.

Get the details on all the new data plans below.

Smartphones

AT&T Data Plus 300MB: $20
AT&T Data Pro 3GB: $30
AT&T Data Pro 5GB: $50, with mobile hotspot or tethering

It'll cost an extra $20 for an extra 300MB on the Plus plan and $10 for each additional gigabyte on the two Pro plans.

Tablets

AT&T DataConnect 3GB: $30
AT&T DataConnect 5GB: $50

Best Black Friday Deals Roundup

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:08:53 PST

It's hard to believe that we're halfway through November already, but it's true. Not only is it time to start thinking about your guest list for Thanksgiving dinner, but also your Black Friday shopping list. Get a head start on your planning by checking out these Black Friday ads that are already posted online for your browsing pleasure.

Amazon

Motorola phones will be on sale for just a penny. Some of the available models include Droid Razr 4G, BlackBerry Torch 4G, HTC Inspire 4G, HTC Rhyme, Samsung Focus Flash 4G, and more. This sale is available now through 11:59 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28.
Verizon and Sprint customers are eligible for some extras. If they activate a mobile hotspot data plan on their hotspot-capable smartphone, they will also receive a $100 Amazon gift card.

Apple

Apple's sales will take effect on Friday, Nov. 25 at physical locations and online.

Get $101 off MacBook Airs, Pros, and iMacs. The 11-inch MacBook Air will be on sale for just $898!
Save up to $41 on iPods, including iPod Touch and Nano
iPads (first and second generation models) will be discounted up to $61.
Accessories for Macs, iPods, and iPads will be discounted as well.

Best Buy

Stores will be opening at 12 a.m. on Black Friday. Get a closer look at the Best Buy Black Friday ad here.

An insane deal, the Sharp 42-Inch LCD 1080p TV is only $200. Better get in line early for that one.
Capture precious moments with the Canon Power Shot ELPH 300HS Digital Camera for $150.
Alternatively, you can grab the Kodak PlayFull 1080p HD Camcorder for just $70.
Insane prices on DVDs - just $1 and up.
Or, grab Blu-rays starting at $5 and up.

GameStop

Stores will be opening at 12 a.m. on Black Friday.

Trade in your old DSi XL and get a 3DS bundle (that includes the system and a game) for $100.
The black Wii bundle, which includes Super Mario Bros. Wii and the official Super Mario Galaxy soundtrack, will be selling out at $150.
There's also a Xbox Kinect Bundle, which includes 250GB Xbox 360, Kinect, wireless controller, three-month Xbox Live membership, and two games for $300.

Kmart

If you're looking for a camcorder to capture family moments, snatch up the Sony Compact Camcorder with 60x Optical Zoom, which is on sale for $170.
Listen to your tunes on the cheap with Maxell Color Earbuds that are going for $2.50 a pair.
I love the Samsung PL120 DualView digital camera for self-portraits and videos, and on Black Friday, you can get one for yourself for just $99.
Looking for an affordable tablet that will let you surf the Internet on the fly? The Archos 8GB 101 Internet Tablet will be priced at just $219 on Black Friday.

Office Depot

The 17-inch HP g7 laptop is going for $350, but if you buy any HP laptop you can also get the HP Touchpad for $149.
The "tech bundle" from Office Depot offers a laptop sleeve, wireless mouse, and 500GB hard drive for $80.
8GB SanDisk SD cards are only $9 each.
All M-Edge Kindle accessories and cases are buy one get one free.
All tablets are on sale during the Black Friday sale. The BlackBerry Playbook is only $200, while the Lenovo IdeaPad is $300.
The Canon Power Shot A22 14.1MP digital camera is $90 and comes with a free 4GB SD card.

Sam's Club

Stores will be open starting at 5 a.m. on Black Friday and will include a complimentary egg sandwich breakfast for members!

It could be better, but for the price of this Samsung 51-Inch Class 720p 600Hz Plasma HDTV ($498), it's a nice upgrade for someone with a smaller screen.
If you don't already have one, the Sony PS3 160GB Bundle is going for $239.
Or, get a Nintendo Wii Limited Edition Blue Console for only $99.
Need a laptop? The HP Pavilion 17.3-Inch Notebook is $499.
And though model numbers haven't been released, select 4G Android Smartphones are going for just $1.

Target

Stores open at midnight on Black Friday.

Get your game on with the PS3 gaming bundle, that comes with a 160GB PS3 Slim, two games (including Little Big Planet 2 and a 30 day PlayStation Plus membership for $199.
The Acer 10.1-inch netbook is $72 off and priced at $157 on Black Friday.
Get a Westinghouse 47-inch 1080p LCD HDTV for $298. That's $250 off the regular price of $550!
Select video games start at $5 a piece and DVDs starting at just $2.
Other gaming bundles include the Kinect sensor bundle (Kinect, two games and two game downloads) for $99, and a 3DS bundle (red 3DS and a copy of Super Mario 3D Land) for $180.

Walmart

Walmart's Black Friday ad is available to view online. Electronics will be going on sale starting at 12 a.m. on Black Friday, while toys and other departments will be open for shopping at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

Get your hands on an LG Blu-ray Player for movie-watching fun for just $49.
Or, if you're in need of some sweet sounds to go along with your flicks, the Philips WiFi Blu-ray Home Theatre is going for $178.
Upgrade your movie-watching experience with the Samsung 51-Inch Plasma TV, priced at $498.
Keep the fun coming with DVDs starting at just $2 and up.

Penny-Pinching Phones With Amazon's Black Friday

Kelly Schwarze — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:44:14 PST

Not one to be outshone by its competitors on Black Friday, Amazon released their own set of low-priced electronics marked down for the Thanksgiving weekend. The penny-pincher sale has all phones from Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint for one cent with a new line of service.

The line of phones available in this deal is impressive, including the latest smartphones that have me wishing my current contract was up. Some of the penny-priced phones across the three wireless carriers are the Motorola Droid Razr 4G, BlackBerry Torch 4G, HTC Inspire 4G, HTC Rhyme, Samsung Focus Flash 4G, and on - though no iPhones. If you don't want to be tied to a data plan, you'll be happy to know that not all of the 97 phones for sale on Amazon are smartphones. To avoid higher monthly fees, choose one of the feature or kid-friendly phones that are also selling for one penny.

Verizon and Sprint customers are eligible for some extras. If they activate a mobile hotspot data plan on their hotspot-capable smartphone, they will also receive a $100 Amazon gift card. Verizon 4G smartphones can double the amount of data for the same fee through November, and Sprint customers qualify for free activation through Dec. 5.

The Amazon penny phone deals are on now through 11:59 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28. Are these sales enough to make you upgrade your current phone?

OnSugar Blog: What Defines a Good Mother?

OnSugar Blog — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 04:21:15 PST

Lots of moms like to think out loud, and CherylDee is one of them. Here is one of the latest posts to her Lipsticks to Baby Bottles blog.

Compared to Westerners and Europeans, Asians tend to be more closed-minded. Even speaking about sex is such a taboo. Seeing young parents, especially mothers here, are somewhat frowned upon. Whereas I find it tends to be slightly more accepted in places out of Asia.

I wouldn't say I had a very traditional Asian upbringing. I mean I'm sure most of you have heard stories about how in Asian homes, children stay in their family home till they marry. As for me, I moved out of mine at 18. Anyways, what all this brings me to is that, I've been able to make my own decisions and live by them. Some were not so good decisions but as the saying goes, "If I could make my own bed, I jolly well better be able to lie in it".

Now that I am a mother, the decisions I make don't only matter to me but to this little girl, whom I owe my all to give her all the world has to offer. What really annoys me about living here in Singapore, is that people can be so bleedy vocal about their opinions! And I am not only talking about people whom I know personally! I've had the displeasure of meeting such people either in the streets, or in another 'hot-spot', the trains!

I don't need some random stranger to tell me how, I as a parent, should raise my child! People look at me and know that I am a young mother. But that does not give you any right to assume that I am not a good parent!

I remember having some lady tell me that I should not breastfeed my child because god knows what I eat and that may not be good for my daughter. How formula milk is so much better. Hello, what century are you in? It is encouraged around the globe that breastfeeding is highly recommended!

Keep reading to see more of CherylDee's thoughts on young mothers.

Battery-Saving Tips For Your iPhone 4S

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 03:11:25 PDT

Over the past week, iPhone 4S owners have been complaining about poor battery life on their new devices. Apple is currently investigating the issue by reaching out to customers for information, but there are a few things you can do to lengthen the life of your iPhone 4S battery (or any cell phone) in the meantime. See our tips for prolonging your iPhone 4S battery life below.

Lower your screen brightness - Just like on your laptop, you can lower the screen brightness on your iPhone to increase battery life. Just head to Settings > Brightness to adjust.
Use WiFi where you can - Instead of downloading apps, making Google Voice calls, or browsing the web over your cellular or 3G connection, find a WiFi hotspot or use your home's WiFi network instead. This will keep your data charges down and will improve battery life since your phone won't be searching for a data signal.
Block GPS tracking in apps - If you're using lots of apps that include automatic GPS location and tagging (a la Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter), your phone is working overtime to locate you. If you don't need to geotag your posts and updates, keep the GPS off.
Turn your iPhone's "Fetch" and "Push" off - I have my iPhone set to "fetch" my data every 30 minutes and a ton of apps set to push new messages and alerts as they happen. This is great for keeping up with news and messages when I'm at home, but bad for your data and battery. To turn your "fetch" functions off on your iPhone, just go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, and Calendars > Fetch New Data > Manually. You can also turn off your email and calendar "push" from this screen. To turn off app "push" notifications, head to Settings > Notifications, then switch to off.
Shut down apps often - Do you shut down your apps after you're done using them? If not, you're using up lots of battery by allowing those apps to run. To shut down apps after use, double tap on the home button to get to your app drawer. To close open apps, just hold down on one until you see the wiggle, then click on the "X" to shut down.

Have any tips of your own to keep your iPhone battery juiced up?

Lauren Conrad Rocks Hot Leather Pants Amid More Derek Hough Romance Rumors

Molly Goodson — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 09:18:37 PDT

Lauren Conrad stepped out of new LA hotspot Marcato di Vetro decked out in a sexy head-to-toe black ensemble complete with one of her favorite recent statement pieces, her leather pants, last night. LC was rolling solo as she walked to her car, but there are rumors that things are getting more serious with the guy in her life. LC is reportedly dating Derek Hough, and the two have been spotted out around together over recent weeks. Derek, meanwhile, is going strong on this season of Dancing With the Stars as he helps mentor his partner Ricki Lake, who partially credits Mr. Hough with the amazing 13 inches she's lost off her waist already. Lauren has yet to pop up in the audience to watch Derek perform on the show, but, hopefully, they'll have time for a double date with his sister, Julianne, and her boyfriend, Ryan Seacrest sometime soon.