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. Thanks reader Kory for screenshot AT&T started this month charging an administrative fee of $.61/month/user for its mobile customers in addition to its current fees. While the fee may be small, as the Verge notes it adds ‘up to hundreds of millions of dollars’ over 24 month contracts and millions of customers. What gives?  An AT&T spokesperson told us: Consistent with similar fees charged by other carriers, the monthly fee of 61 cents per line will help cover certain expenses, such as interconnection and cell site rents and maintenance The fee applies to consumer mobility lines as well as IRU lines –  the kind of business lines where the employee pays the bill directly. AT&T isn’t alone in this endeavor. Verizon charges admin fees of $0.91 and Sprint charges $1.99.  (Plus more for regulatory fees.)  T-Mobile’s combined regulatory programs fee is $1.61.  On this basis, AT&T’s is still the lowest of all carriers.  It still sucks though. “expenses, such as interconnection and cell site rents and maintenance” seems like it should be part of the current fees and that fee is easier to raise because it isn’t part of the publicized rate plan.

Passbook users rejoice, as life is about to get a little easier. Skycore has announced support for cross-carrier delivery of Passbook passes via MMS. That means in the near future you will be able to send friends and family tickets, coupons, and gift cards via a simple text message, and have them installed in Passbook on their phones. The MMS message arrives showing an image, which the receiver simply has to tap on to install the pass. Services for pass creators include the ability to monitor MMS delivery receipts and to confirm that passes have been installed. If the recipient of the MMS doesn't have an iPhone, the service automatically detects what phone they do use and offers an alternative for their operating system. Skycore CEO Rich Eicher explained the move to MarketWire. A number of clients expressed concerns about relying on just their apps to deliver passes, especially for tickets, coupons, gift cards and IDs. While mobile-optimized email is a good option, MMS is ideal because the recipient instantly knows when they've received it, and they don't need to open their email client to find the pass. Skycore MMS passes are be available for Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon subscribers.Skycore uses MMS to send Passbook passes originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 23 May 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

We first looked at Disk Drill from Clever Files back in 2011. Now in its 2.0 release, this app continues to help prevent data loss by enabling you to recover lost files that you've already deleted. The app goes beyond searching your garbage pail. This is meant for users who have already emptied their trash, and need to access that data from the file system. If you haven't used some sort of data shredding app, chances are good that the deleted files are still recoverable. Available in Basic (free), Pro ($89), Expert ($169), and Enterprise ($299), Disk Drill offers a range of products that ramps up in ability from simple scanning (without file recovery), all the way up to a full site license with forensic data investigation. Disk Drill scans your drive, offers a list of recoverable files, and lets you preview and retrieve them. A company spokesperson told me that, "if recovery is done fast and right, data recovered is between 70%-100% of the lost amounts." The app uses a variety of retrieval methods that range from simple scanning to "Deep Scan". A new HFS+ catalog option, new to Disk Drill 2.0, can also recover the structure of a partition that was lost to hardware or system drive error. To learn more about updated features, check out the 2.0 release notes.Disk Drill file recovery app moves to 2.0 release originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 23 May 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Google wants to submit an All Access app for iOS, but is still working to find something Apple will accept at the App Store, say 9to5Mac sources. What disputes the companies might have are unmentioned, but they could conceivably involve things like the revenue split from in-app purchases, and/or features that may violate App Store guidelines....

A purportedly official email sent out to Brazilian Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs) earlier this month appears to confirm a previous rumor that Apple is planning on performing iOS device repairs in-house, a change from the current policy of replacing the damaged model with a refurbished unit.

AT&T Wireless has started billing customers $0.61 per month as a mobility "administrative fee." The new charge came into effect May 1, and has been applied to all consumer bills, in addition to business accounts where the user pays the amount due. The new fee will add nearly $500 million to AT&T's coffers in a year....

AT&T Wireless has started billing customers $0.61 per month as a mobility "administrative fee." The new charge came into effect May 1, and has been applied to all consumer bills, in addition to business accounts where the user pays the amount due. The new fee will add nearly $500 million to AT&T's coffers in a year....

From 9to5Toys.com: A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites that feature a couple exceptional deals for just 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second of the day, so we’re going to roundup the best daily deals to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow Follow 9to5Toys so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook Today’s Featured deals: Apple iPad mini 64GB WiFi for $450 w/ free in-store pickup or $5 shipping Logitech UE Mini Boombox Bluetooth speaker, “9to5Mac’s best portable Speaker you can buy” $80 Shipped (Save 20%) Free and reduced Apps/Games: Fruit Ninja for Android Free, Avengers Initiative $2, BioShock Infinite $40, more EA Games Memorial Day iOS App Sale: Over 55 games for Free or $.99 iPhone & iPad game, Angry Birds Space, Free for the first time ever (Reg. $.99-$2) Other great deals we love that may not see tomorrow: SlickWraps 35% sitewide sale on all personalized mobile device protective skins Sony MDR-XB400 Black On-Ear Headphones: $37 shipped (Reg. $60) Free Online Photoshop Training w/ over 80 video lessons ViewSonic 24? 1080p LED Monitor (refurb) $130 Shipped, AOC 27? Widescreen 1080p $200 Shipped Philips Dual-Docking 30-Pin iPod/iPhone/iPad Alarm Clock Speaker Dock – $80 (Reg. $150) SkyDock XM Satellite in-vehicle radio receiver for iPhone and iPod Touch: $30 shipped Toshiba 50? 1080P 60Hz LED HDTV (refurb): $450+$5 shipping Nikon Coolpix P310 or S6200 16 Megapixel Digital Cameras: $150/$100 shipped ($180/$120 off) Lightning to 30-pin/MicroUSB Adapter 3 pack: $10 shipped

We looked at the original Halftone app for iOS a couple of years ago and were impressed. The app has been completely rewritten and is more touch oriented , supporting vector graphics for smooth insertion of picture elements. Halftone 2, which is iPad-only and was released today, lets you import pictures and create a real comic book look by adding bubbles, banners and other bold graphic elements to your photos. The app also embeds an image editor, so your photos can be filtered to have a more graphic look. There are also tools for fixing blemishes, and the usual contrast, saturation and brightness sliders. Halftone 2 also adds the ability to work with multiple picture frames, rather than just one image. I didn't get too fancy with my image creation, but I could see the possibilities. Banners, balloons and text are very nicely rendered. The image editor is robust and there is built-in video help. I found I could explore the app and get things done without the tutorial. Gallery: Halftone 2 Halftone 2 is free, but as a free app it is limited. It seems at every turn I was offered a chance to buy more graphic elements. If you buy the essentials pack, it totals US$6.99. I would like to have seen more in the free app, and I think $6.99 is a bit too high for the complete add-on. Most other free photo apps give more features up front. That's not to say you can't make some very presentable comics with the free version, and in fact I did so. The app is responsive, and the output looks very good. You can share your creations by mail and the usual social services. The app also supports Dropbox and you can print your comics using AirPrint with a compatible printer. There are other similar apps around. One very well reviewed app is ComicBook!, which as it happens is free today only. It also has a lot of in-app purchase options, so free will only get you so far. I like Halftone 2. It works well. I just would like to see the In-App toll lowered so more people could enjoy it. Halftone 2 requires iOS 6 or later. Turn your photos into a comic book with Halftone 2 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 23 May 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Last week TUAW reported on the diminishing numbers of MacBook Airs available from third-party retailers like Best Buy. Now the source of that information, AppleInsider, is reporting that Amazon is completely sold out of the 11.6-inch low-end MacBook Air (1.7 GHz Intel Core i5, 64 GB storage) with other models showing that they're "n/a". AppleInsider points out that Amazon's listing for the entry-level 11.6-inch model is "consistent with a discontinued item on Amazon, with no indication that stock will be replenished. In contrast, the online retailer typically portrays a simple stockout with availability advertised for '1-2 months'." Stock of many MacBook Air configurations is limited at other retailers, including Best Buy, MacMall, J&R, and MacConnection. Apple Stores and the online store still show availability of both the 11.6-inch and 13-inch models. Speculation is rife that new MacBook Air models might be announced during the WWDC 2013 keynote on June 10, possibly using Intel's new Haswell processors for increased performance and battery life.Amazon's MacBook Air stock dwindles originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 23 May 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments