Top 5 Apps for Making International Calls

International calls can be one of the steepest charges on your mobile phone bill. Fortunately, there's an array of alternative options to choose from. Many consumers choose to use international calling cards, for example. These give you a PIN number which allows you to use any phone yet still benefit from low per-minute rates. Another option if you have relatives in the states is to call USA with Lebara or other pay-as-you-go carriers. These offer SIM cards and prepaid rates for low cost international calls. Finally, downloadable apps can be used on your mobile phone. These give you a high level of flexibility and little hassle when you need to call friends and family living abroad. The following are five of the top options.

Viber

Viber is a simple to use app which lets you make cheap international calls. You can download the app and it will scan through your contact list to connect with those contacts who also have the Viber app on their phones. If you place calls between two Viber users, the call is free overWiFi networks. However, one problem with Viber is that if another call comes in on your mobile phone, the Viber call could be dropped.

Skype

Skype has quickly become one of the most popular options for international calling. Like Viberand other options on this list, calls are free between two users of the same service. International rates to non-Skype numbers are comparable to those you'd get when you call Australia with Lebara or other destinations using a prepaid service. An added plus to Skype is that you can video chat, but the audio tends to be somewhat unpredictable. This is particularly true if you're calling areas where WiFi is spotty.

Google Voice

There are a number of different functions provided by Google Voice, including voicemail, call forwarding, and low international calling rates. However because this service is still relatively new, it has yet to catch on across the world like competitors such as Skype. This means that it's more difficult to connect calls between two Google Voice contacts, although the service can be quite reliable.

Rebtel

Another popular worldwide option, Rebtel has been rapidly expanding. Their apps allow you to place international calls from pretty much any device, with calls between Rebtel customers conducted free of charge. Rebtel also offers local numbers and low rates to a number of destinations, making them a strong competitor to prepaid options like Lebara.

Fring

One of the first international calling apps on the market, Fring has unfortunately been overshadowed by its new competition. However, it still offers a worthwhile app that provides video chat, instant messaging, and VoIP calling services.

When it comes to making international calls, all of these apps can provide strong alternatives to your regular mobile service. There's no excuse for ending up with a sky-high phone bill when you combine services like mobile calling apps and prepaid phone cards.

Sony SmartWatch 2 apparently shipping starting with the week of July 15 in the UK

Sony’s recently announced SmartWatch 2 is apparently going to arrive in stock with Clove starting with July 15, according to the UK retailer.

The device is already available for pre-order with Clove, which basically said in a blog post that it will ship the first units as soon as they arrive.

Furthermore, Clove’s pre-order page now lists the new smartwatch for £120 (VAT included) or around $181, and has shipping pegged down to the “week commencing 15th July.”

That’s certainly surprising considering that Sony said in the official SmartWatch 2 press release that the device will ship at some point in September.

Not long after it was made official, the device was confirmed to arrive in France also in September, where it would cost €199, or around $258. From the looks of it, UK buyers interested in smartwatches are definitely getting a better deal, and an earlier ship date.

The Sony SmartWatch 2 sold by Clove will come with a black leather wristband in the box. As for the other features of the device, here’s what you can expect:

  • Splash proof (Not suitable for showering, bathing, swimming, diving, snorkeling, water related work or fishing)
  • Easy calling
  • NFC capabilities
  • Versatile accessory ideal for the active person
  • Connects via Bluetooth to your compatible device
  • Transmits key information from the mobile device to the SmartWatch without the need to touch the phone itself
  • Can be clipped to clothing, bags or worn on the wrist
  • More applications being developed at all times to give greater personalization and functionality

Source: Android Authority

Apple Continues Rolling Out iWork for iCloud Beta Invites

After introducing iWork for iCloud during its Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple began sending beta invites for the service to registered developers on June 13. 

Since then, Apple has continued to send out beta invites on a rolling basis to both paid and free developer accounts. It appears the company has sent out a large batch of invites today, inviting a number of new people to participate in the beta. 

iWork for iCloud offers in-browser versions of Apple's iWork software suite, including Pages, Keynote, and Numbers. The software can be accessed from both PC and Mac computers as well as a number of mobile devices. 

Developers with both free and paid accounts that have received an email from Apple can access the beta by visiting beta.icloud.com. iWork for iCloud is expected to be released to the public later this year.  

Update: Some reports today indicated that the iWork for iCloud beta had been extended to non-developers. The Next Web contacted Apple, and the company confirmed that reports of beta access for non-developers were inaccurate.

Source: Mac Rumours

 

Apple plotting iPhone sales overhaul, report says

Apple is said to be plotting new incentives and schemes to persuade shoppers to buy the iPhone in-store.

Head honcho Tim Cook imparted some of the new measures -- which could include more price-matching and trade-in options -- at a chinwag with Apple's retail chiefs, 9to5Mac reports, citing "multiple people familiar with the internal event".

The move apparently comes in a bid to fight competition from Android smart phones. While Cook is supposedly happy with sales figures for Mac and iPad devices, he wants more customers to buy iPhones from inside Apple shops, so that they get a gander at the other glossy gadgets Apple offers.

The move could have some positive consequences for shoppers. The possibility of a previously rumoured trade-in scheme is mentioned once more, for example. This retail ploy would likely see you getting a discount on your next iPhone when you trade in an older model.

The program could also let you upgrade a damaged, older iPhone to a refurbished iPhone 5, the report says, with price-matching programs for international stores also tipped.

Source: CNET

 

Facebook Android app security flaw affects those who don’t even use the app

While it’s not clear just why the app would do this, or what purpose it has for doing so, the Facebook app for Android is taking your phone number the first time you open it up. Without even logging in, the app takes your number and stores it on the Facebook servers. You don’t need a Facebook account, or even initiate an action within the app. Simply having it and opening it will allow the app to take your phone number.

Norton discovered this security flaw during routine testing they perform on apps for their Mobile Insight security app. According to Norton, their testing methods are sound:

 

Through automatic and proprietary static and dynamic analysis techniques, Mobile Insight is able to automatically discover malicious applications, privacy risks, and potentially intrusive behavior. Further, Mobile Insight will tell you exactly what risky behavior an application will perform and give you specific, relevant, and actionable information.

-norton


Norton then reached out to Facebook, who claimed to be unaware of the issue. They told Norton they“did not use or process the phone numbers and have deleted them from their servers”, and said they had no knowledge of the issue. Norton also notes that Facebook is not the only app doing this, or even the worst offender. They promise more information on other culprits in coming weeks, but we’re still curious why Facebook would take numbers from a device that wasn’t even logged in. If I were to download the app, then open it to see what it looked like out of curiosity, my number would then be uploaded to the Facebook server.

We’re not ready to call Facebook nefarious on this account. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, even in the face of all their other security flaws, we’ll chalk this up to another error on their part. What this does do is bring into focus app permissions, and how important they are. Perhaps more importantly, how they can be abused by the app publisher, and ignored by users as fine-print.

Source: Android Authority

 

Dutch Officials Set to Open 11 iPad-Only 'Steve Jobs Schools' for Children

Last year, we reported on a Dutch proposal to launch so-called "Steve Jobs schools" for children, offering a peek at of Jobs' vision of how the iPad could help remake the educational experience. 

Spiegel now follows up (via AppleInsider) with a new report discussing the country's plans to open 11 such schools this August.

 Some 1,000 children aged four to 12 will attend the schools, without notebooks, books or backpacks. Each of them, however, will have his or her own iPad. 

There will be no blackboards, chalk or classrooms, homeroom teachers, formal classes, lesson plans, seating charts, pens, teachers teaching from the front of the room, schedules, parent-teacher meetings, grades, recess bells, fixed school days and school vacations. If a child would rather play on his or her iPad instead of learning, it'll be okay. And the children will choose what they wish to learn based on what they happen to be curious about.

The article highlights the flexible nature of the schools with a look at an upcoming school being prepared in the city of Breda. The school building itself will be open from 7:30 AM to 6:30 PM every day of the year except Christmas and New Year's Day, with children free to come and go as they please as long as they are present during the core school day that runs from 10:30 AM to 3:00 PM...

Read the full story here. Source: Mac Rumours

 

High-Resolution Renderings of Apple's Lower-Cost Plastic iPhone

While Apple has been rumored for some time to be planning to launch a lower-cost iPhone available in multiple colors with a plastic shell, reports have been picking up steam in recent weeks, led in part by a claim that Apple will be adopting the bright colors it used for its iPhone 4/4S bumpers. That report was followed by leaked design drawingsfrom a case maker showing the expected measurements and physical features of the device. 

And just this past weekend, several new images were posted to Chinese forum site WeiPhone showing what may be rear shells from the lower-cost iPhone in yellow, red, and green. 

Based on all of this recent information, we once again commissioned Ciccarese Design to produce some high-quality mockups intended to capture the lower-cost iPhone's size, shape, and texture given that it will mark a departure from the nearly all metal and glass bodies of recent iPhone models. 

The renderings show a slightly thicker device than the iPhone 5, measuring at 8.5 mm thick compared to 7.6 mm for the iPhone 5. The lower-cost iPhone is also slightly taller and wider than the iPhone 5 to account for the thicker plastic shell. 

Physical features are very similar to those of the iPhone 5, although the volume buttons appear to be shifting from the round design seen on recent iPhone models to pill-shaped, and the speaker and microphone holes along the bottom edge will also see a simpler design compared to the iPhone 5. 

Apple is expected to launch its iPhone 5S flagship device later this year, most likely around the same September-October timeframe seen the past two years. The company's lower-cost iPhone is likely to make its debut at around the same time, offering an updated more affordable option for consumers, particularly in markets where carrier subsidies are uncommon.

Source: Mac Rumours

 

Firefox OS phone launches Tuesday in Spain at $3 a month

It's not every day that a new mobile operating system arrives, but Tuesday will be one of them as Telefonica begins selling the inexpensive ZTE Open with Mozilla's Firefox OS in Spain.

The move marks the commercial beginning of an effort by phone makers and network operators to use Mozilla's open-source, browser-based operating system to reclaim power in the mobile market lost to Apple and Google.

The phone itself costs 69 euros ($90), including 30 euros ($39) of pay-as-you-go credit -- or for those who sign up for a two-year contract, for 2.38 euros ($3.10) per month. That's a lot cheaper than most of the new Android and iOS smartphones on the market today that consumers have flocked to and that Firefox OS is competing with.

The ZTE Open won't impress smartphone power users who want more than its 3.5-inch 480x320-pixel touchscreen, 3.2MP camera, 256MB RAM, and 512MB flash memory that's boosted with an included 4GB microSD card. But it's not designed to win them over; it's more for new and cost-conscious smartphone buyers, Yotam Benami, Telefonica's digital director of open Web devices, said in an interview...

Read the full story here. Source: CNET

Apple Testing Software Update to Address 2013 MacBook Air Wi-Fi Issues

Last week, it was reported that a growing number of owners of Apple's new MacBook Air were experiencing Wi-Fi issues, with users reporting problems such as dropped connections that require a restart in order to reconnect. It was reported earlier this weekthat Apple has been replacing affected machines and collecting the defective units in order to examine them as part of the company's investigation into the issue. 

As noted by AppleInsider, Apple is now sending out invitations to certain MacBook Air owners asking if they wish to participate in the company's AppleSeed customer software seeding program for the purposes of testing a new "MacBook Air WiFi Update 1.0". While Apple does not specify in its invitation exactly what problem the software update is designed to address, it presumably focuses on the connection issues being reported by users.

 You have been selected to join our AppleSeed program. If you accept, we will provide you with a pre-release version of the MacBookAir WiFi Update 1.0 to install and use. 

While trying out MacBookAir WiFi Update 1.0, we ask that you provide us with your feedback. Our program includes a bug reporting system for our participants. If you wish to be a seed volunteer and help Apple release high-quality software, follow the instructions below.

Beyond the connection issues, Apple's OS X 10.8.4 public release and OS X Mavericks beta also appear to have a software issue that prevents machines supporting the new 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard from taking advantage of the faster speeds for file transfers. It is, however, unclear whether Apple will address this issue for current MacBook Air owners through this software update in testing or through a separate update such as the upcoming OS X 10.8.5 update.

Source: Mac Rumours

 

Apple Has Also Filed for an 'iWatch' Trademark in Japan

Bloomberg reports that Apple has filed for a trademark for the term 'iWatch' in Japan:

 The maker of iPhones is seeking protection for the name which is categorized as being for products including a handheld computer or watch device, according to a June 3 filing with the Japan Patent Office that was made public last week.

'iWatch' is one of the possible names for the long-rumored Apple wristwatch that has generated increasing buzz over the past year. 

The filing actually represents the second 'iWatch' trademark filing discovered from Apple. The first report of the 'iWatch' trademark came from Russia, also on June 3rd. 

Bloomberg repeats its February claim that Apple has a team of about 100 product designers working on a wristwatch computer. The most recent reports have suggested we won't see the Apple watch until late 2014 and that the watch will feature biometrics as a key feature, allowing for increased security and opening the door to broader health-related applications.

Source: Mac Rumours

 

San Francisco Officials Suggest Significant Changes Needed for Apple's New Flagship Store Proposal

Last month, Apple submitted plans to relocate its flagship San Francisco retail store three blocks north, putting the new store directly on Union Square, the heart of the city's high-end shopping district. 

Despite initial praise for the project from city officials, Apple's proposal rapidly drew criticism for a number of its features, including an 80-foot-long blank wall along Stockton Street and the apparent removal of a sculptural fountain currently located at the entrance stairway to a public plaza. 

The San Francisco Chronicle now reports that the city's Planning Department has issued its preliminary project assessment (PDF) on Apple's proposal, indicating that it would like to see a number of changes to the project.

 There's too much glass on Post Street and too much metal on Stockton. The plaza that would accompany it needs a friendlier entrance. Planners also want the project to include a circular bronze fountain by Ruth Asawa that is the centerpiece of the plaza now on the block. 

Despite all this, the city's top planner said Thursday that he sees no reason Apple can't build a modernistic metal-and-glass box within the historic setting of the Union Square retail district.

The city's planners object to the uniform wall of glass along the store's main frontage on Post Street, suggesting that Apple should do more to break up the wall by including colors or textures or vertical design elements. The planners also suggest possibilities for improving the blank Stockton Street frontage, including adding windows or pulling back the storefront to allow for landscaping and perhaps public seating areas...

Source: Mac Rumours

 

 

Windows 8.1 Preview: What you need to know

Those of you eager to check out the new Windows 8.1 Preview have a few choices as to how and where to install it. Let's cut right to the chase and review the different options.

Update Windows 8
If you're already running Windows 8, you can simply update it to Windows 8.1 via the Windows Store, as CNET's Jason Cipriani explained earlier this week.

One word of warning before you proceed, however. The Windows 8.1 preview is essentially a beta of the new OS and is by no means a finished or polished version. Therefore, you shouldn't update to Windows 8.1 on your main or only PC. Instead, reserve the update for a spare or non-essential device outfitted with Windows 8.

Your first step in Windows 8 is to browse to Microsoft's Windows 8.1 preview page. Click on the Get it now button. At the Download Windows 8.1 Preview page, click on the Get the update button. You're prompted to open or save an msu file. You can open it directly or download it and then double-click on it to install it. You're then asked to install an update for Windows. Click Yes. After the installation completes, you're prompted to restart your PC.

Windows restarts to install the new update. Log back into Windows 8 at the lock screen. You should see a message inviting you to get Windows 8.1 Preview for free. Click on the link to Go to the Store where you can download the update...

Read the full story here. Source: CNET