Choosing the Best Prepaid Cell Phone Plans

If you prefer lower cost carriers that offer more flexibility, which do not require credit check and contract, then you need to opt for a prepaid cell phone plan. There are many options available in the United States that you can consider to choose from.

This article compiles the review from various wireless carriers to find the best prepaid cell phone plans.

Virgin Mobile

Virgin Mobile uses Sprint's network. It offers the prepaid cell phone plans called Virgin Mobile Love Data. The prepaid plan includes unlimited talk and 5GB of data. You can access unlimited music streaming through selected apps, such as Pandora and iHeart Radio, which is also included in the data plan. The monthly price starts at $35 per month. You can opt for the more expensive $45 per month that gives you 10GB of high-speed 4G LTE data or the $60 per month for unlimited data (which will be slowed down after 22GB of usage per billing cycle). Other interesting features are unlimited text messages and picture messages, unlimited web/email, basic voice mail, auto refill option, call forwarding, call waiting, caller ID, and conference calling.

Another plan offered by Virgin Mobile is called Virgin Mobile Inner Circle. This plan starts at $50 per month (excludes taxes). It gives the subscribers with unlimited data (that will be slowed down after 23Gb of usage per billing cycle). Other benefits offered by Virgin Mobile is similar to the Virgin Mobile Love data. However, in this plan subscribers can enjoy limitless video streaming capped at 480p resolution. This plan is exclusively bounded to iPhone, which the subscribes can purchase starting from $319.99 up to $969.99.

Republic Wireless

If you prefer the prepaid cell phone plans with no data included, then Republic Wireless No Data offers the best at the most affordable price. No contracts and commitments required and highest satisfaction for plan costs give Republic Wireless the best value. Subscribers will receive unlimited talk, text messaging, and free data access via WiFi, which is nice. It uses a combination of Sprint's and T-Mobile's networks. However, due to the technology required, there are only few smartphones that are supported by the prepaid plans. You can check the list of their phones for the prepaid plans here.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile offers a prepaid cell phone plans starting at just $3 per month called Pay As You Go. As it name suggests, subscribers will be given basic packages with 30 minutes of talks or 30 texts (or combination of minutes and texts that add up to 30. Additional minutes and texts are counted for $0.10/each. You can add the LTE data packages by subscribing to the 24 Hour Data Pass or 1-Week Data Pass, which is priced at $5 and $10 respectively. Before you sign up for their service, check the prepaid cell phones here.

Cricket Wireless

Do you want the best prepaid cell phone plans for your family? The Cricken Wireless Basic with Group Save discount offers just that. It operates on the AT&T network, but the LTE data is capped at 8Mbps. You will not notice the difference unless you use it to stream HD videos on the Youtube and access webpages that need a lot of bandwidth. The price started at $100 per month, which will give you 4 lines. You will get unlimited talk and text along with the plans, with 4 GB of LTE data per line. The Cricket's group discount give you the best value for your family. It is inexpensive and you can add the fifth line at no extra cost.

Page Plus Cellular Subscribers Enjoy Increased LTE Speeds

Unofficial sources have mentioned that some TracFone-based Verizon MVNOs are currently enjoying increased LTE speeds. Reports said that they have been able to enjoy higher LTE speeds compared to the ones that they are originally restricted to. This includes Page Plus Cellular subscribers, a prepaid Verizon Wireless mobile virtual network operator operated by the TracFone Wireless, Inc. Other Verizon MVNOs, Straight Talk and Total Wireless, have been reporting the speed increase as well. They said that speeds are completely unthrottled now.

Over the past few weeks, the news has been circulating that users of TracFone based Verizon MVNOs have been experiencing speed increase from the restricted 5Mbps download and 2 Mbps download. The rumor comes from the forum, mentioned that people suddenly getting much faster speeds. Subscribers of Page Plus Cellular report that they receive following text from Page Plus (71098):

Page Plus: Great news - our network has improved! Better & faster data speeds are now here! Click to learn more: http://A01.PGPL.CO. 

The link has been shortened, which redirects user into the page under the domain extras.pagepluscellular.com. Inside the page, the notified subscribers are asked to "scratch" on the Scratch Here button to see their network improvement. However, the change has not yet been posted on the homepage of Page Plus Cellular.

There is no official press release to confirm whether the speed caps have been totally lifted or if the speed caps are still in place although the speed just being faster now.

How Do I Update the Firmware of My Samsung Smart TV

If you own a Samsung Smart TV, it is important to keep the firmware and software versions up to date. The firmware updates allow you to get more variety of features and options to the TV. It will also enhance the efficiency and use of the Samsung Smart TV.

You can choose between the automatic online update or manual update using an USB device. The automatic online update let you do the whole process over the internet. But if your TV is not connected to the internet or problems persist when you update the firmware over the internet, then you should opt for the manual update.

Automatic Online Update

To update your Samsung Smart TV, follow these steps:

1. Turn on the Samsung Smart TV. Make sure that it is connected to the internet. It is also recommended that you leave the device turned on for at least five minutes.

2. Using your remote control, go to the Smart TV's options menu. Click MENU button on your remote control. Then go to Support  Software Update using the arrow button.

3. Select the Online option.

The Samsung Smart TV will look for an update as long as it is connected to the internet. In an update is available, it will begin installing automatically.

Manual Update

In some cases, although update is available, sometimes the device is not capable to detect the new firmware updates. It does not detect the new firmware automatically, so you have to update the Smart TV manually. You have to prepare a USB thumb drive to do the manual update.

1. Download the firmware version from the Samsung website. You need to download the latest firmware version for your specific Samsung Smart TV device model from the Samsung website. You will need to find the specific model by following this link to find the model number:

http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/help/modelfinder_popup.html

2. If you have known the number of your device model, head to this link to download the required firmware version:

http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/download/supportDownloadMain.do

3. Select the appropriate Model Code then click on Get Downloads.

4. If a new firmware is available, then select the appropriate firmware and click Download (Zip).

5. Move the firmware into the USB. Once the firmware has finished downloading, you have to unzip the file and save the content inside the designated USB thumb drive. Make sure that the USB thumb drive only contains the firmware upgrade files. Once you have unzipped and moved all the files into the USB thumb drive, you are ready to install the firmware update into your Samsung Smart TV!

6. Install the new firmware version on your Samsung Smart TV. Plug in the USB thumb drive with the extracted files into your Smart TV. Disconnect any other USB devices that you are connecting to the Smart TV.

7. Press the Menu button on your remote control to access the menu of the Smart TV. Go to Support  Software Update using the arrow button.

8. Select the "By USB" option. The following message will appear "Scanning for USB.... This may take more than 1 min" indicating that your Smart TV is scanning for the USB device connected to the TV.

9. The Smart TV will begin updating the firmware. Do not disconnect the USB thumb drive during this process.

or

9. In some cases, you have to go through one more step. After you select the Software Update on your Samsung device, check if you see the Alternative Software is colored in white. If you click it, you will see the message says "replace XXXXXX XXXXXX version? The system reboots after the replacement". Click Accept to update your Samsung Smart TV and your system now will have the latest firmware version installed.

How to Check the Version of the Firmware Installed on Your Samsung Smart TV

Follow these steps to check the firmware version of your Samsung Smart TV before you update.Turn on your device.

1. Click the Menu button found on your remote control.
2. Using the down arrow on your remote control, go to the last tab that says Support.
3. Use the arrow on your remote to navigate to the Contact Samsung tab.
4. At the end of the text that appears, you will find the following product information:

Model code (for example, UE46C9000)

Software version (for example, T-VAL9DEUC-2003.0)

The Best Free Ebook Reader for Your Android

If you get yourself an Android tablet, why don't you turn it into an ebook reader? There are many ebook reader available in the Play Store. Finding the right ebook reader can be tiring. 

There are variety of ebook types and formats, which might make the whole experience a bit more complicated. In this article, we try to compile the best ebook reader for the Android.

Google Play Books

Get it on Google Play!

Google Play Books has been progressively improving over time since it was first released. It is connected with the Google Play service. You can directly download the ebook from the Play Store or they can upload their own PDF and EPUB. To read their own PDF and EPUB, first you have to enable the PDF loading by going to
Menu  Settings  Enable PDF uploading
Then, you can use the file manager to find the PDF or EPUB files, and tap
More   Open With  Play Books or Upload to Play Books
The files you have uploaded can be seen at the
Library  Uploads.

Google Play Books has clean and modern look, which is an excellent option if you are looking for a visually attractive ebook reader on the Android. Play Books also allows you to sync the books across the devices. You can read the books on your phone and continue reading it later in the desktop computer. It doesn't only sync your collections, but it also syncs your bookmarks, notes, and annotations across devices.

Google Play Books has some of the best built-in features. You can highlight by long-press on the words and get quick definition through the dictionary. Play Books is also integrated with the Google service, where you can search the highlighted words directly. The text can be translated into other languages and turn on the read out loud option as long as the publisher enables the feature.

Kobo Books

Get in on Google Play!

Kobo Books is another store based ebook reader that is integrated with the Kobo Books Store. Kobo Books let you to read from the extensive catalogue of the digital store. The application is very basic but it does not have feature that allows you to read books that you keep on the device. You have to download the books from the store. Luckily, some books are free.

Kindle

Get it in Google Play!

Kindle is like Kobo, a standalone book store where you can purchase and read ebooks. Kindle was one of the original ebook vendors that already has vast collections of ebook titles. There are millions of ebooks available at your fingertips, from books, magazines, to newspaper. You can enjoy some popular titles such as The Economist and Reader's Digest that is available in the store in high-resolution color images.

Kindle also provides free ebook titles such as the classic Pride and Prejudice and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. You can purchase the books easily, which includes the new releases and New York Times Best Sellers. You can bookmark the page, as well as the charts, graphs, and maps through the Explore Page Flip feature. Kindle also has the built-in dictionary that allows you to search for the words instantly while you are reading the ebook. It is also integrated with Google and Wikipedia, so you don't have to exit the application to look up the topics.

The app syncs across devices as long as you log into your account. It will keep the furthest page you read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights. You can read on one of your own device and pick up where you left off on another device.

If you want to sample the books before you buy, you can read the first chapter of the books for free. Reading can be customized, that allows you to choose your preferred font size, screen brightness, background color, and screen orientation. The amazing feature is Borrow eBooks from the Library, where you can check out ebook from your local library and have it delivered to your Kindle app. The borrowed ebook is available to read for a limited period of time.

PocketBook Reader

Get it on Google Play!

PocketBook is an ebook reader with lots of features. The interface is simple, yet it deliver a great reading experience on an Android device. It is easy and user-friendly, which is designed to provide the most convenient reading experience to enjoy the book. It supports various file types, which includes PDF, EPUB, DjVu, MOBI, PDB, TXT, FB2, FB2.zip, html (basic), CBZ, CBR, CBT, and RTF ebook formats. It also supports the Adobe DRM format, where you can read protected PDF and EPUB.

You can customize the text size, layouts, and colors while you are reading the ebook. You can highlight the words and insert notes inside the page. The notes and highlights can be exported into a file. You can quickly access the table of contents, notes, and highlights, so you can navigate through the book easily.

The application is available in multiple languages: English, Russian, German, and Portuguese.

Here are The Things You Need to Know About Microsoft Search Engine Bing

Bing is the Microsoft's search engine that has its origins in MSN Search and Windows Live Search. Bing replaced the previous Microsoft's search engine, Live Search, which is available from June 1, 2009.

Although Google is the most popular search engine in the world, what makes Bing different is its emphasize on aesthetic quality. Bing has also become the alternative search engine in recent years for its efficiency and utility.

If you access the search engine's homepage, you will be presented with a beautiful homepage. The homepage features image that changes daily. At the bottom of the homepage, you can access the latest recent news on the web. If you keep scrolling down, you will see the Image of the Day, which can be downloaded to your computer to be used as a wallpaper. You can give your favorite to the image or share it through the social media thanks to the search engine's inclusive social media integration.

Microsoft has designed Bing with beauty in mind. Bing's results pages are visually attractive. It is clean and neat, makes it appealing to the eyes. Some said that the Microsoft's search engine look like Google in the past. The page is uncluttered and few ads are visible.

Bing has also teamed up with Yahoo! since July 2009. In this ten-year deal, Bing would replace the Yahoo! search engine while retaining the Yahoo! interfaces. The deal also includes that Yahoo! will get to keep 88% of the revenue from ads sales for the first five years of the deal and the right to sell advertising on some Microsoft websites. The transition is made in the early 2012. However, the deal is altered in 2015, in which Yahoo! only requires to use the Bing for majority of searches.

Bing has some features that makes it more visually engaging:

1. Daily changing image of background image

As it is mentioned before, the image on the Bing's homepage changes daily. The image mostly features noteworthy natural landscape, although occasionally it also includes animals, people, and sports. The image sometimes also changes to celebrate the national events, such as the American independence day of Fourth of July. The search engine emphasizes to bring a visually informative search page to its users.

2. Bing has video thumbnail preview

Video thumbnail preview is not something you can find on Google. In Bing, if the result page contains videos, you can hover over the thumbnails and the video will play automatically. It is a really convenient way to get preview over the videos before you click the link to the videos. 

3. Advanced image searches

Users can refine their search results using the filter function. They can select the properties from the image size, color, type, layout, people, data, and license to enhance their search results. Multiple suggestions will be given above the image search results to find images with related keywords.

4. Advanced video search

For me personally, searching video in Bing is much more convenient than in Google. The videos are displayed in thumbnails, and you can see the preview if you hover over the video (although the preview is not available in all videos). There is save button where you can instantly save the videos to your Bing account. In the filter, you can also choose the duration of the video, the published date, resolution, source, and price of the video. You can also check the related keywords on the top of the video search results.

Microsoft has designed Bing to provide instant answers. If you type "NBA" to the search box, you will get instant results about the latest match and scores on the search results' first page. Bing also can display the scores from a specific day and statistics of the teams or players. The Microsoft's search engine is really powerful in providing updated informative news to its users.

Bing can be used to search for local info as well. Bing can provide current traffic information, business listing, people listing, real estate listings, collections, localized searching for restaurants and services, restaurant reviews, movies played in the area, and hotel listings. For instance, if you type apartments in Washington DC, you will get lists of apartments, their locations, room types, and the prices. You can also directly check the reviews and ratings from people. 

LG V20: The Android for the Power Users

Last year on September 2016, LG unveiled its new line of G flagship series, the LG V20. Previously rumored as LG V11, LG V20 was packed with ton of features for a single phone. With the 5.7 inch big screen, LG V20 comes to top with the 16 MP rear camera and 8 MP wide-angle lens front camera.

LG V20 is the LG V11 people were talking about. It was the first Android phone outside of the Google Pixel that featured Android Nougat. Although it was released on 2016, this phone still stands through 2017 as one of the best Android phones. LG V20 offers a smooth and refined design in the league of powerful smartphones. It comes with the abundance of awesome hardware and software features that only LG V20 could offer. Unlike most newer powerful smartphones in its class, LG V20 battery is removable.

The design of the phone itself is simply elegant. Although it is relatively big, with the dimension of 159.7 x 78.1 x 7.6 mm, the phone itself is slimmer and lighter than its predecessor. LG removed the textured back that comes in LG V10 but LG V20 is not less resilient to drops. The body is military-grade build and is made up of aluminium back panel that gives the smooth look and feel. The top and bottom parts are made of silicon poly carbonate that helps to protect the phone from serious drops several times.

For the security, LG has combined the fingerprint sensor and power button at the back into one. It might take time to get used with, but the button is tactile and responsive. It feels pretty much the same like the Apple iPhone home button, except that LG put its button at the back of the phone.

The 5.7 inch Gorilla Glass 4 features 2,560 x 1,400 (QHD) resolution. The second screen, which is located at the top of the phone next to the front camera, features a 160 x 1,040 resolution on its 2.1 inch wide screen. The second screen is the LG's innovation to enhance user's experience. It is designed as an additional screen for important functions and notifications, as user can access contacts, put shortcuts, and jump between apps with the help of the second screen.

The chip processor has been upgraded from the Snapdragon 808 to the Snapdragon 820. The integrated Qualcomm Adreno 530 helps with the graphical duties. LG V20 runs with 4GB of RAM, that will keep things running without any problems for mobile games and multimedia playbacks. The baseline amount of onboard storage is 64 GB and users can install additional microSD for external storage. LG V20 supports the cross-platform Vulkan API that will bring the console-quality graphics into the device.

Despite its powerful features and specifications, LG V20 battery life is quite descent. It is equipped with 3,200 mAh removable battery, bigger than its predecessor LG V10. Like any other modern smartphones, the battery could last over a day even with the second screen and Hi-Fi sound mode features. The QuickCharge 3.0 helps fill the battery into 50% in just half hour.

LG V20, in conclusion, is the LG V11 people are hoping for. With its abundance of features, it makes LG V20 one of the best powerful Android smartphones available.

US Cellular Offers Free iPhone 7 with Monthly Contract

iPhone 7 has dramatically improved the mobile experience, with its all-new advanced camera system, dust and water resistant design, immersive stereo speakers, and the most powerful chip for the smartphone - the A10 Fusion Chip. The processor is two times faster than the iPhone 6, which makes it as the high-performance iPhone ever. It also delivers the best battery life on the iPhone thanks to its high-efficiency processors. It is available in two model, the 4.7 inch screen iPhone 7 and 5.5 inch screen iPhone 7 Plus. Its 12 MP rear camera and 7 MP front camera come with the advances new features like wide color capture that make the photos more vibrant.

The great device now comes at great value. U.S. Cellular, the fifth largest wireless carrier in the United States, is giving away free iPhone 7 with its monthly-based contract. This Chicago-based carrier is giving great deals for a great device. Those who want to switch to iPhone 7, will have to turn in their working iPhone 5s, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge or later respective models. This offer is just in time with the summer holiday and probably might become the best device to capture the moments of the vacation.

The 2017 Press Releases mentioned that the following conditions apply:

Free iPhone 7 promotional pricing requires smartphone turn-in of iPhone 5s or Samsung Galaxy S6 or better in working condition and undamaged, Device Protection+, new customer port-in and comes via a monthly bill credit of $18.28 on a 30-mo. installment plan plus a $100 U.S. Cellular promo card. Total Plans: Taxes and charges such as USF and RCRF apply. All data on unlimited data plans will stream at standard definition speeds and will automatically shift to 2G when each line reaches 22GB. All data on 2GB and 6GB data plans will stream at high definition speeds and will automatically shift to 2G when each line reaches the plans high-speed allotment. Auto Pay/Paperless billing required. 4G LTE service may be provided through King Street Wireless, a partner of U.S. Cellular. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. Additional terms apply. See uscellular.com for details.

Prospective consumers can choose the best monthly payment options that meet their needs, which is available at 30 months installment. In addition, with the Total Plans with No Hidden Fees, U. S. Cellular offers its customers to get unlimited data for as low as $40 per line/month for four lines. This plan comes with no activation fees, no monthly device connection charges, no phone upgrade fees and no data overage fees, which includes unlimited talk and text with buckets of 2GB, 6GB and unlimited data, and family discounts if they add additional lines. If the customer refers a friend and the friend activates the Total Plan, both will receive $50 U.S. Cellular Promo Card.

Current customers who would like to upgrade to any new iPhone will get $100 promo card that can be used to purchase accessories in the store. The deal continues for those who purchase the 9.7 inch iPad Pro will get a reduction of $200 off the regular price.

When is Google Birthday?

It is difficult to imagine the life before Google. Its search engine has made life so much easier. Any information on the internet is just clicks away. It is the champion in its field, with Yahoo and Bing hardly beat the position. Google's products and services have been the part of the daily lives for many people. However, 19 years ago, this search engine barely existed on the world wide web. Although Webcrawler, Lycos, and Yahoo were born before Google, most of the people nowadays will refer to Google if they want to search on the internet. So, when did it all begun?

Google's Fourth Birthday Doodle

Google marked its birthday as September 27th, 1998. However, it is not the date when the idea of making Google was born. It is not even the date when the company was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin. So, what is the story behind the date?

The story begins with the meeting of Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the founders of Google, at Stanford in the summer of 1995. The idea to create Google began in January 1996, when Larry Page started working on a project for his doctoral thesis. The project was BackRub search engine, that gives search result based on the number of citation count of the web page. The BackRub engine was an innovative approach, which Page and Brin realized that it would become amazing idea. As they got excited with the idea, the project was continued and renamed Google. The google.com domain was registered on September 15, 1997. On September 4, 1998, the company filed for the incorporation.

It might sounds ridiculous that none of the dates above become the actual date for Google birthday. September 4th is registered as the day the company was found but it is not the birthday of the Google.

The story goes that September 27th is the date when Google Doodle was first used to highlight its birthday back in 2002. Although along the way the birthday doodle appears on different dates but since 2006, September 27 has been used to celebrate the birthday anniversary. Google has admitted to confusion over its birthday in 2013. There are four different dates that have been used since, but September 27 is the officially recognized birthday of Google.

It has been almost 19 years after the company was founded and Google has been one of the most powerful companies in the world. Google now is more than just a search engine. Its variety of products and services have made Google second to Apple in value. Page and Brin are ranked 12th and 13th richest people in the world respectively on the Forbes' list.

Best Emulators for Retro Gaming on Android

There are a lot of options to relieve your childhood memory. Retro gaming is a trend that even Nintendo released a mini version of its Nintendo Entertainment System to bring back the nostalgia of 8-bit gaming. It was an incredible success and sold out almost immediately after its release in November 2016. 

But wouldn't it be incredible if you can take your retro games collection anywhere in your Android smartphones? Although there are a lot of emulators exist, few are actually work fine. In this article we try to help you get the right application for your retro gaming experience. Most of the emulators are going to cost you money but they are worth the investment!

ePSXe (PlayStation Emulator)

Price: $3.75

If you want to bring back your childhood memory of playing the PlayStation games, then ePSXe is the right choice. This PlayStation emulator has high compatibility with almost all titles and boasts good gaming performance. You can remap the button and configure the on-screen controls. You can also connect your own gamepads if you don't like to use the on-screen buttons. The price relatively cheap for all the features it offers.

Get in on Google Play!

Check out the video demo here:

John GBC (Gameboy Color Emulator)

Price: $2.99

Those who miss the Gameboy Color classics should look into John GBC. John GBC is the best Gameboy Color available in the Playstore. It has good performance and high compatibility. The emulation features include fast forward, quick save, support for zipped files, and Bluetooth controller, which are simply amazing.

Get it on Google Play!

SuperRetro 16 (SNES Emulator)

Price: $3.99

SuperRetro 16 remains as the most stable one among other SNES emulators. Compatibility is high and it support network multiplayer. Other amazing features include gamepad support, customizable on-screen controls, cloud sync for save files, chromecast streaming, mouse support and many more.

C64.emu (Commodore 64 Emulator)

Price: $3.99

If you look beyond the Nintendo era, you will find that Commodore 64 was the prima donna in the early 1980s. Although Commodore 64 itself was not only a gaming console, but C64.emu is designed to bring back the glory of Commodore 64 games. It supports various types of cart types, which include zipped format support. The sound modes are available in FastSID and ReSID. It has configurable on-screen multi-touch controls, but you can conveniently connect your bluetooth or USB gamepad and keyboard.

Get it on Google Play!

MD.emu (Sega Genesis Mega Drive Emulator)

Price: $4.99

There are not much Sega Genesis Mega Drive emulator available, but MD.emu is the best on the Play Store. It's an open source software and the most versatile emulator among others. There are long list of additional features, which makes it hard to beat. The sound emulation is very accurate with high quality of re-sampling.

Get in on Google Play!

MegaN64 (Nintento 64 Emulator)

Price: Free

It is the only free application in our list but it doesn't make it less better. Based on the open source Mupen64 project, Mega64 works well in most situations.  It is the fastest and most popular Nintendo 64 emulators on the Play Store. Unfortunately, N64 support in Android is not really good but this emulator still worth a try. It's totally free anyway.

Get it on Google Play!