Back in February this year, Verizon introduced budget friendly 3G prepaid plans which included the $60/month plan with 500MB of data and 2GB of data for $70/month. Both the plans include unlimited talk and texts. Now Big Red has quietly extended the amount of data allotted for each plan.

From now on, customers using BlackBerry, Android or iOS 3G smartphones will be able to enjoy 2GB of data with the $60 plan, while the $70 plan is coming with 4GB of mobile data. These new offers are available at the moment to existing customers. These won’t be available to new customers until June 6^th. And just in case you don’t know, these plans are just for 3G. There are no hints about the inclusion of LTE. And there are others around offering better plans, though everything will depend on the coverage that you get.

Are you currently using one of these plans? If yes, are you satisfied with the increase of data? Verizon’s 3G plans are expected to become cheaper while also offering more data in the future as more customers start using LTE.

[Source]

The post Verizon’s 3G Prepaid Plans With Extended Data appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Friday is here, ladies and gents! That means it is time for yet another chapter of “Best of Apps of the Week” here at Mobile Mag. Unless this is your first rodeo, you should know the drill by now: I take a look at 5 Android and 5 iOS apps that were released during the week and are worth being showcased.

That’s about it, so let’s get started!

Best Apps of the Week – Android

Best Apps of the Week – iOS

Summing it all up….

That’s it for this week’s Best Apps list.

Did you agree with our picks, or did we live out a vital new app that you feel should have made the cut? Let us and other readers know about them through the comments below!

The post Best Apps of the Week (5/17): A Look at New Apps for iOS and Android appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Google Now recently launched on iOS devices giving iDevice users a taste of the personal assistant service and predictive search, although it does not run in the background. Those using Android 4.1 and above can simply swipe up from the bottom of the screen to get to Now, but it’s different on the Galaxy S4.

The Galaxy S4 has its own S-Voice assistant. The good news is that using Google Now is not only still possible, but actually pretty easy to do.

You can try the following ways on the S4:

• Just long-press the home key to bring up the task switcher and press the “g” icon at the very bottom of the screen.
• You can add an app shortcut or widget on your home screen. The app can be accessed with a single tap and the Now widget will allow you to view predictive cards without opening the app.
• You can also long-press the menu key when on the home screen to go straight into the Google Search bar and view the Now cards below recent search results.

What do you think of S-Voice versus Google Now, which do you prefer?

[Source]

[Video Source]

The post Using Google Now On The Galaxy S4 (Video) appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Although Matias Duarte earlier said that Facebook Home is impressive, even he would agree that there’s more work to be done on the app which still has only managed just 2.2 average rating at Google Play. But Facebook seems to have big plans for Home for the future, according to Vice President of Mobile Engineering Cory Ondrejka and Director of Product Adam Mosseri.

There is good news for those who are worried about the disappearance of Docks and Folders in Home. A future update will bring those features into Home’s application launcher. Mosseri says, “We want to ease the transition from your old launcher to the new launcher“. But support for widgets will take more time to arrive. Home users will also get to play with a new Buddy List feature which will allow Chat Head conversations to be started directly from Cover Feed.

Furthermore, they will also introduce the so called “Blues Clues” which will guide users through the application via directions and clues, not unlike the pop ups received by Facebook’s web users.

Other developments for the future include support for Home on more devices including tablets, although they are currently just focussed on improving the app than introducing it on more hardware. And as for an iOS version, Ondrejka says, “If there are hooks available, we’ll take advantage of them—I don’t think we see a way to do something like Cover Feed just yet“.

And you can also look forward to seeing advertisements, after the app is improved a great deal. But they are promising that the ads will go well with the Cover Feed.

So far, Facebook Home has been downloaded almost a million times. They have just released an update that will fix a few bugs, but no hints regarding when the above said features will arrive.

[Source]

[Image Source]

The post Facebook Home Updates To Bring Big Changes In The Future appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

BlackBerry devices have always been marketed as being very secure. It looks like the Department of Defense agrees. The DoD has officially approved the use of BlackBerry 10 devices, including the full lineup of the Z10, Q10 and the PlayBook, on its network.

This approval has come after earlier reports that the DoD was going to approve Apple iOS devices and some Samsung Galaxy handsets. While iOS 6 devices are expected to join BlackBerry 10 devices in being allowed in the next two weeks, devices running Samsung Knox, the South Korean company’s enterprise mobile solution, have already got the green light.

The Knox was earlier expected to be available with the S4, but later reports have pointed to the feature being available only by July. Samsung is certainly making a good effort, but BlackBerry is still the best when it comes to security.

Scott Totzke, SVP, BlackBerry Security at BlackBerry says: “BlackBerry 10 is ideal for our government customers because it offers a rich, highly responsive mobile computing experience, along with BlackBerry’s proven and validated security model – a combination that’s unmatched in the industry. This approval will enable DoD customers to connect their BlackBerry Z10 or BlackBerry Q10 smartphones to DoD networks and securely access assets from work, while enjoying the wealth of consumer-oriented functionality that BlackBerry 10 brings to market”.

[Source]

[Image Source]

The post BlackBerry 10 Devices Approved By US Department Of Defense appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Announced at last year’s Google I/O conference, Google Now is now bringing the personal assistant service and predictive search to iOS users. It has arrived as an update to the Google Search app for iOS and is available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Google Now’s response via voice recognition is much quicker, compared to Siri. And iOS users will get predictive “cards”, whether you asked for it or not, for stuff such as weather, traffic, navigation and sports scores (you can choose what comes on), and this service depends on the way you use Google services. So it’s like getting an answer before you know you want one.

Unlike the Google Now on Android (4.1 and later), the iOS version requires you to log into your Google account for using Now. It also won’t run in the background, and there will be no notifications. This might not be a perfect version, but it certainly gives iDevice owners a taste of what Google Now has to offer.

To get your hands on Google Now for iOS, head over to the App Store.

[Source]

The post Google Now For iOS (Video) appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

As typical, we will cover 5 Android apps, followed by 5 iOS apps. So let’s jump in, shall we?

Best Apps of the Week – Android

Facebook Home

So whether or not you consider this one worthy of being listed as a “best app of the week” largely depends on how important Facebook is to you and if you find it acceptable to essentially run the app as the forefront of your phone experience.

Facebook Home is a launcher that is designed to replace the lockscreen, homescreen and other areas of Android. The app is currently only officially available for a few devices such as the Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, HTC One X and HTC One X+. That said, there are plenty of work-arounds out there to expand support.

You can grab Facebook Home for free through Google Play.

**************

Cut the Rope: Time Travel

Can you believe it has been two whole years since the last original member to the series, Cut the Rope: Experiments? Since then, there have been plenty of updates to Experiments and the original Cut the Rope, but no sequel. That situation has finally changed with the latest game, Cut the Rope: Time Travel.

Om Nom is back, but this time there is a time travel theme, two on-screen monsters to feed and plenty of new obstacles to get in your way.

In typical fashion, there is a free and paid version for $.99, both available through Google Play.

**************

Dungeon Hunter 4

Ah, Dungeon Hunters 4, you’ve finally arrived. Last week lucky iOS users had their day in the sun. Android users didn’t have to wait too much longer, thankfully. If you are a fan of action and hack n’ slash games on the mobile, you pretty are guaranteed to already know about this series.

As I mentioned last week, I’m a huge fan of the first two games, though Dungeon Hunter 3 ruined the experience by turning the paid dungeon crawler into a freemium arena brawler. In Dungeon Hunter 4, the freemium app style isn’t gone – but at least the game has both traditional dungeon crawling and arena battles this time around.

I have now had a little time to play with the iOS version, and must say that Dungeon Hunter 4 is a welcome change, though I’d rather have the freemium app approach ended for good. I’ll take what I can get, though.

You can now snag this one from Google Play.

**************

Real Racing 3

Technically this isn’t a new app, but it is a big enough of an upgrade to make it worthy of this week’s list. Real Racing 3 might turn some folks off due to its somewhat wonky in-app purchasing options, but it is still one of the better Android racing games out there.

The new update adds 100 new events, two new Chevy vehicles and even a new cross-platform save function. It doesn’t end there, a new “hunter mode” also has you tracking down and overtaking a car within a lap.

Get it now from Google Play.

**************

OfficeSuite Pro 7.1

Once again, this app also isn’t “new”, but instead a massive upgrade. If you have ever done productivity work on a tablet or smartphone, you might already know about OfficeSuite Pro. It is arguably one of the best office alternatives you’ll find.

The new version adds support for Samsung devices with multi-window mode, improved UI changes, Oxford Dictionary to English integration, the ability to insert an image from Camera into Word/Excel/PowerPoint docs, and so much more.

At $14.99, it is probably one of the most expensive apps for Android you will ever run into. Still, if you regularly plan on using your Android device for business – it is worth every penny.

Best Apps of the Week – iOS

Cut the Rope: Time Travel

This one already made the list for the best Android apps, but it is certainly one of the best of the week for iOS as well.

Om Nom is back once more, but this time there is a time travel theme, two on-screen monsters to feed and plenty of new obstacles to get in your way.

The game is just $.99 through iTunes.

**************

The Thirty-Nine Steps

This unique app is based on John Buchan’s famous novel, turned into an interactive iPad experience. The game has you control Richard Hannay and has you collecting items, exploring scenes and experiencing a wonderful story.

The game is a bit on the higher end of the price totem, but is certainly worth the $6.99 to get it.

 **************

**************

Real Racing 3

Is there an echo in here? Real Racing 3 is not new, and was just covered above for Android. Why are we covering it again then? Because a major update has arrived for both Google Play and Apple’s AppStore.

The new update adds 100 new events, two new Chevy vehicles and even a new cross-platform save function. It doesn’t end there, a new “hunter mode” also has you tracking down and overtaking a car within a lap.

Get it now from Apple’s AppStore.

**************

Fish Out of Water!

Some of my favorite games of all time are by Halfbrick Studios, such as Jetpack Joyride and Fruit Ninja. This new Halfbrick game is equally addictive. Fish Out of Water has now arrived only for iOS (though hopefully Android users will be able to get it soon enough).

The new game is more casual than previous Halfbrick titles, and has you seeing how far you can fling a fish across the ocean. The score is than calculated and presented by a panel of crabs, yes really.

There are different kinds of sea creatures beyond fish, including the dolphin. Each have their own unique abilities as well.

Fish Out of Water can be yours now for just $.99.

**************

Twitter #music

Twitter released a new music discovery service called Twitter #music earlier this week, though oddly enough they only released it for iOS users. The new app serves up charts of songs that are currently trending on Twitter, and those being tweeted by people you follow.

It doesn’t allow you to listen to the whole song, but it does make it possible to listen to the rest through Spotify and Rdio, or download it through iTunes.

**************

Summing it all up….

So ends another “Best Apps of the Week”. Is it every app that released this week for Android or iOS? Of course not, but this should certainly help you on your journey to finding a few great new apps or games this weekend.

Any apps debut this week that you feel we should have covered? Let us and other readers know about them through the comments below!

The post Best Apps of the Week: A Look at New Apps for iOS and Android (4/19) appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

It’s been almost 2 years since Zeptolabs released their Cut the Rope: Experiments, the sequel to Cut the Rope, which was introduced back in October 2010. Now, we can get excited again as the developers have just teased about the next generation of the addictive physics-based puzzle game.

The upcoming Cut the Rope game, dubbed Cut the Rope: Time Travel, will arrive sometime in the near future for both iOS and Android. They haven’t released much info about the new game, and all we have is a video which shows Om Nom and his candy being sucked into a mini time machine. We are guessing that this version of the game will feature various settings from the past and the future.

Whatever it’s coming with, it will certainly be interesting as there is time traveling involved. Excited? Well, you are not the only one. Cut The Rope has many fans around the world and has been downloaded over 100 million times since it was launched. We are keeping a look out for more details about the game, so stay tuned to Mobilemag for updates.

Check out the video and do share your thoughts about the upcoming game. The trailer itself is a puzzle, by the way, as they asking for a hidden star in it. Have you found it?

[Source]

The post Cut the Rope: Time Travel Coming Soon (Video) appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

When is Microsoft Office going to arrive for iOS and Android? Not very soon it seems, that is if we are to believe a leaked Office roadmap brought to us by ZDNet. Apparently Microsoft’s strategy is to release Office for iOS and Android a year and a half from now on October of 2014.

There have been rumors for a while that Microsoft would extend Office to Android and iOS, but that hasn’t happened. If they are to introduce Office for iOS or Android, they will surely have to put it on Apple and Google’s stores which means sharing revenue with rivals. So, earlier Microsoft decided to release OneNote.

And now, if Microsoft has plans to introduce Office for iOS and Android in October 2014, that’s for attracting customers to its platforms with the exclusivity. But Windows Phone and Windows RT haven’t made waves on the market and if this continues that Office exclusivity until Q4 2014 might not bring good results for the company.

Furthermore, Quickoffice and Google Docs (Drive) could become a big headache in the future, and Apple’s upgraded iWork apps are also coming. The more time Google and Apple gets, the more they can plan for their best shot against Microsoft’s dominance.

[Source]

The post Microsoft Office For Android And iPad Coming — in 2014 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Tumblr is gaining popularity faster than ever before and it’s certainly a good idea to make things easier for its users. Aiming to make the Tumblr Android app clean and easy to use, they have released an update for it which comes with a redesigned interface and a “post anything” screen.

The new “post anything” screen allows you to share videos, chats, links, quotes, photos and text with just a single tap. The new version also allows you access to advanced controls such as saving drafts, queuing posts, and customizing tweets. And the entire look follows Google’s Holo design rules.

So far users seem to be satisfied with the arrival of the update, although there are a few complaints about refresh happening every few seconds automatically and problems getting gifs to load.

No word on an update for their iPhone and iPad apps. But it was about a year ago that they released a major update for its Android app and a month later they launched an iOS refresh. So, an iOS update might arrive sometime in the coming months.

What do you think about the new look? Are you having any problems?

[Source]

[Image Source]

The post Tumblr For Android Gets A New Look appeared first on Mobile Magazine.