TeamUSCellular Community Blog List

TeamUSCellular Blog - USC Pricing Changes to Start 5/17

Fri, 17 May 2013 04:14:56 +0000

Phone prices are dropping tomorrow, we just received notice a few hours ago.

Here's the complete list, yes these are a lot of older or EOL devices but the feature phone prices have been ticking a lot of people off lately.

Chrono 2 $20- Down from $70
Pantech Verse $20- Down from $100
Freeform 4 $20- Down from $50
One V $30- Down from $100
ZTE Render free- down from $50 w/$50 MIR
Electrify 2 $50- down from $100 w/$50 MIR

So what do you fine fellows here at tuscc think?

Bout' time.

TeamUSCellular Blog - Rooting: As Explained by the Android Open Source Project

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:58:07 +0000

Rooting of Devices

By default, on Android only the kernel and a small subset of the core applications run with root permissions. Android does not prevent a user or application with root permissions from modifying the operating system, kernel, and any other application. In general, root has full access to all applications and all application data. Users that change the permissions on an Android device to grant root access to applications increase the security exposure to malicious applications and potential application flaws.

The ability to modify an Android device they own is important to developers working with the Android platform. On many Android devices users have the ability to unlock the bootloader in order to allow installation of an alternate operating system. These alternate operating systems may allow an owner to gain root access for purposes of debugging applications and system components or to access features not presented to applications by Android APIs.

On some devices, a person with physical control of a device and a USB cable is able to install a new operating system that provides root privileges to the user. To protect any existing user data from compromise the bootloader unlock mechanism requires that the bootloader erase any existing user data as part of the unlock step. Root access gained via exploiting a kernel bug or security hole can bypass this protection.

Encrypting data with a key stored on-device does not protect the application data from root users. Applications can add a layer of data protection using encryption with a key stored off-device, such as on a server or a user password. This approach can provide temporary protection while the key is not present, but at some point the key must be provided to the application and it then becomes accessible to root users.

A more robust approach to protecting data from root users is through the use of hardware solutions. OEMs may choose to implement hardware solutions that limit access to specific types of content such as DRM for video playback, or the NFC-related trusted storage for Google wallet.

In the case of a lost or stolen device, full filesystem encryption on Android devices uses the device password to protect the encryption key, so modifying the bootloader or operating system is not sufficient to access user data without the user’s device password.

TeamUSCellular Blog - Google Announces Galaxy S4 Nexus Edition

Wed, 15 May 2013 17:50:04 +0000

Today at Google I/O, the Samsung Galaxy S 4 Nexus edition was announced. The hardware will be exactly like the current Galaxy S 4, but the software will be stock Android and receive updates directly from Google. Like previous Nexus smartphones, the Galaxy S 4 will be sold SIM unlocked and bootloader unlocked. The device will support HSPA+ and LTE on AT&T and T-Mobile’s network. Look for the Galaxy S 4 Nexus edition with 16GB storage to go on sale June 26th for $649.

TeamUSCellular Blog - New Android Boss Finally Reveals Plans for World’s Most Popular Mobile OS

Mon, 13 May 2013 18:32:04 +0000

Here's an interview from WIRED with Android boss Sundar Pichai that I thought I would share:

New Android Boss Finally Reveals Plans for World’s Most Popular Mobile OS
BY STEVEN LEVY | 05.13.13 | 6:30 AM

For the past few years, Sundar Pichai has been part of a tag-team routine staged at Google’s annual I/O developer conference. Pichai, a Googler since 2004, would present on behalf of Google’s Chrome division, including its browser and cloud-based operating system. His counterpart was Andy Rubin, head of Google’s Android division. As Android grew to the world’s most popular mobile OS (it’s now on 750 million devices worldwide, with 1.5 million new activations every day), people wondered what was the sense of Google having two operating systems. Meanwhile, Andy Rubin was the unofficial king of I/O.
That won’t be the case this year. In March, Google announced Rubin was stepping down from Android to pursue unspecified moon shots elsewhere in the company. Pichai would take over Rubin’s duties at Android. He immediately went from being an important Google executive (in addition to Chrome, he was also in charge of Google’s apps efforts) to perhaps the most pivotal member of Larry Page’s “L-team” of top executives. So far Pichai, a 40-year old grad of the fabled Indian Institute of Technology and later Stanford, has kept his head down and refused all press. But as this week’s I/O event approached, he granted WIRED his first interview since taking over Android.

WIRED: The Android handover from Andy Rubin to you seemed sudden and mysterious to us on the outside. Was it long in the works?
PICHAI: I got to know only towards the end of the process of Andy deciding to step back. It played out in a rapid time fashion over the couple weeks prior to the actual announcement. I am passionate about computing and so to me, it was very exciting to be in a position where I could make an impact on that scale.

Now that you’re in this new position, have your views evolved in terms of the coexistence of Chrome and Android?
I don’t think my views have changed much. Android and Chrome are both large, open platforms, growing very fast. I think that they will play a strong role, not merely exist. I see this as part of friendly innovation and choice for both users and developers.

But can’t it be confusing having two operating systems?
Users care about applications and services they use, not operating systems. Very few people will ask you, “Hey, how come MacBooks are on Mac OS-X and iPhone and iPad are on iOS? Why is this?” They think of Apple as iTunes, iCloud, iPhoto. Developers are people, too. They want to write applications one time, but they also want choice. What excites me in this new role is that I can try do the right thing for users and developers — without worrying about the fact that we have two things. We embrace both and we are continuing to invest in both. So in the short run, nothing changes. In the long run, computing itself will dictate the changes. We’re living through a pivotal moment. It’s a world of multiple screens, smart displays, with tons of low-cost computing, with big sensors built into devices. At Google we ask how to bring together something seamless and beautiful and intuitive across all these screens. The picture may look different a year or two from from now, but in the short term, we have Android and we have Chrome, and we are not changing course.

Still, it’s a huge use of resources to have two operating systems as opposed to one. This has to be an issue you wrestle with.
It’s a fair question. We want to do the right things at each stage, for users and developers. We are trying to find commonalities. On the browser layer, we share a lot of stuff. We will increasingly do more things like that. And maybe there’s a more synergistic answer down the line.

As Android’s new head, what do you see as the biggest challenge?
First let me talk about the opportunities. The scale and scope is even bigger than what I had internalized. The momentum — in terms of new phones and new tablets — is breathtaking. I see huge opportunity, because it is just shocking how much of the world doesn’t have access to computing. In his book Eric [Schmidt] talks about the next 5 billion [the people on earth who aren’t connected to the internet who soon will be]. That’s genuinely true and it excites me. One of the great things about an open system like Android is it addresses all ends of the spectrum. Getting great low-cost computing devices at scale to the developing world is especially meaningful to me.

Now what about the challenges?
Here’s the challenge: without changing the open nature of Android, how do we help improve the whole world’s end-user experience? For all your users, no matter where they are, or what phone or tablet they are buying or what tablet they are buying.

What does that mean when a company like Facebook comes out with Home, which changes that experience?
It’s exciting that Facebook thought of Android first in this case. Android was intended to be very customizable. And we welcome innovations. As for the specific product, my personal take on it is that time will tell. To Mark [Zuckerberg], people are the center of everything. I take a slightly different approach. I think life is multifaceted: people are a huge part of it, but not the center and be-all of everything.

Some people worry that Google might respond to Facebook Home by blocking this kind of approach in a future release.
We want to be a very, very open platform, but we want a way by which end users are getting a good experience overall. We have to figure out a way to rationalize things, and do it so that it makes sense for users and developers. There’s always a balance there. It’s no different from the kind of decisions that Facebook has to make about its own platform. But right now, we don’t plan to make any changes — we are excited they’ve done good work.

Hold on. You’re saying that you like innovation like Home–but at some point in the future you might decide that an invasive software approach like this isn’t good for users and can’t be done in a future Android release?
No. Let me clarify. Users get to decide what apps and what choices they want. Some users really want this. We don’t want to get in the way of that. [But] in the end, we have to provide a consistent experience. As part of that, with every release of Android, we do go through changes. So we may make changes over time. But if this is what users want, I think Facebook will be able to do it. We want it to be possible for users to get what they want.

What about something more drastic like Kindle Fire, which actually forks the Android experience into something quite different?
Under the rules of the license, Amazon can do that. In general, we at Google would love everyone to work on one version of Android, because I think it benefits everyone better. But this is not the kind of stuff we’re trying to prevent. Our focus is not on Facebook Home or Kindle Fire. Computing is going through a once in a lifetime explosion. Our opportunity is making sure that this works well for people and solves important problems for them. For example, you are going to have computing which can potentially warn you before you have a heart attack.

Is it a problem for Google that Samsung is so dominant, and makes almost all the money on the platform?
I realize this gets played up in the press a lot. Samsung is a great partner to work with. We work with them on pretty much almost all our important products. Here’s my Samsung Galaxy S4. [Pichai holds up the phone.]

How’s that eye-tracking thing working out?
I actually never used it. Look, Samsung plays a critical role in helping Android be successful. To ship great experiences, you need hardware and software together. The relationship is very strong on a day-to-day basis and on a tactical basis. So I’m not that concerned. Historically the industry has had long stable structures. Look at Microsoft and Intel. They were very codependent on one another, but it served both of them well. When I look at where computing needs to go, we need innovation in displays, in batteries. Samsung is a world leader in those technologies.

One benefit of Samsung being so dominant is that you don’t hear much concern that Google might show favoritism to Motorola, which it now owns.
For the purposes of the Android ecosystem, Motorola is [just another] partner.

What’s the future of Google-branded hardware?
You will see a continuation of what we have tried to do with Nexus and Chromebooks. Any hardware projects we do will be to push the ecosystem forward.

One reason that people think that Chrome might step back in favor of Android is that the Open Web might not be able to deliver what users need on their devices. As head of Chrome you have promoted the vision of cloud-based apps, based on technologies like HTML 5, saying that they will be as powerful and fast as native apps written to run directly on specific machines. But last year Mark Zuckerberg said that Facebook’s biggest mistake was trying to use HTML 5 and the open web for its mobile apps. He said it simply didn’t have the quality and speed to serve his users. Was that a blow to your vision of Chrome?
I think the reality is a bit different. I managed Chrome and apps even before Android. Some of our large applications are now written directly to the device — for instance, we have native Gmail apps. But I disagree with the opinion that all of Facebook’s mobile issues can be blamed on HTML 5. I just don’t think that was true. There are other companies with very successful apps that have taken an HTML 5 approach on mobile and done really well. For instance, a lot of magazines have switched from native back to HTML 5 for the mobile apps. Financial Times did it, and they’ve blogged that their user engagement and traction has increased significantly. It’s the reverse of what Facebook said. And this is the beauty. Each developer’s needs are unique.

In terms of numbers, Android sells more than Apple, but Apple makes more money from its platform. Is your mandate to generate more revenue from Android?
We’re very comfortable with our business model. All our core services–Search YouTube, Maps, etc.– are used on phones, and Android helps people to use those services. So fundamentally there’s a business model there. And services, like Google Play, are obviously a source of revenue. We saw payouts to developers on Play quadruple in 2012. I think we are barely beginning to get started. We’re in the early beginnings of a sea change in computing. Think about education and enterprise — incredible opportunities. We’re much more focused now on the consumer end of the experience, but we think the right things will happen from a business sense.

Were you surprised to see a Firefox OS?
Not at all. The web is an important platform, and I don’t think it’s going change ’til I die. It’s another reason why if we don’t do Chrome OS, someone else will.

A lot of people have complained about Android’s update process. How does Google make sure that people will get updated with the latest version?
We are thinking about how to make Android handle updates better. We see ways we can do this. It’s early days. We’re talking with our partners and working our way through it. We need time to figure out the mechanics, but it’s definitely an area of focus for me and for the team.

What can we expect from I/O this year?
It’s going to be different. It’s not a time when we have much in the way of launches of new products or a new operating system. Both on Android and Chrome, we’re going to focus this I/O on all of the kinds of things we’re doing for developers, so that they can write better things. We will show how Google services are doing amazing things on top of these two platforms.

As Android head, what are your marching orders from Larry Page?
Larry wants to make sure we are driving innovation and doing amazing things for users and developers. That’s what I want too. So there’s a melding of minds– his marching orders are, “Please go and do Google-scale things.”

Finally, you had a pretty full plate with Chrome and Apps, and now you’re handling the world’s biggest phone platform in addition. How are you managing?
I have a secret project which adds four hours every day to the 24 hours we have. There’s a bit of time travel involved.

SOURCE

TeamUSCellular Blog - Samsung Galaxy S4 Update!

Sun, 05 May 2013 21:06:00 +0000

Yes, already! There is an update already rolling out from Samsung to adress some things that were present when the device was released. Obviously, these are not major issues as the device was still released and seems to be doing quite well. Now, there's a positive and a negative to this update. The version we have is a full ROM update meaning it will wipe your device using ODIN. I'm sure there will be a version using Simple Upgrade Tool coming soon from Samsung. The good news though since this uses ODIN, we now have Stock to get back to! That's great news and should set a lot of people's minds at ease now that they can recovery from errors.

So, here's the change log:

Pressing Home key in Sound&shot mode and a device will be in idle mode. And then, receiving a message, no sound observed.
Camera file name deleted which printed on log file
Ghost Touch / Glove Touch by upgrading TSP Firmware
Add protection for changing timer values when some sensor is malfunctioning and it is being screened in a factory now.
Multiwindow default setting set to off
When video content of WatchOn/Samsung App is deleted, available space is not increased until rebooting.
Update S Health version 1.5.4.5
Audio quality improved by tuning the recording solution's parameter
Implemented the SIM Lock Feature

Download:

http://teamuscellular.com/Forum/files/file/179-stockupdated-files/

Let us know what you think. Should this have been released so soon after the device or should they have loaded it before launch? Are you glad we have a full stock to fall back on now? Let's hear it!

TeamUSCellular Blog - Internal Mumblings From USCC

Sat, 04 May 2013 19:38:51 +0000

As we all now know, Apple products have been confirmed to be coming to U.S Cellular. Well, some have asked where the money came from to pay the exorbitant fees Apple demands to carry their products. We have it on good information that the money most likely came from the Mid-West sell-off.
Now the whole idea of the sell-off starts to make more sense from a business perspective.

We are also hearing that once the iPhone is released that it will require a 2 year contract no matter what plan you're on. Similar to how the newest promo unlimited plans require a new contract.

Also shared data is coming, best guess is August because the new billing system will be fully in place by then.

Small and medium businesses can ADD smartphone lines to their account to get the $100 credit. Also eligible for trade in guarantee.

TeamUSCellular Blog - Confirmed: U.S. Cellular to offer iPhone this year!!

Fri, 03 May 2013 14:33:00 +0000

U.S. Cellular is said to start offering "Apple products later this year,"

A strong indication that it will soon launch the iPhone, marking a reversal from the position they took in 2011, stating that launching the iPhone did not make sense for the company, especially since it didn't offer LTE.

"By further strengthening our device portfolio, we'll give consumers another great reason to switch to U.S. Cellular, and enable our existing customers to choose from an even wider variety of iconic smartphones, and enjoy the outstanding U.S. Cellular customer experiences they deserve,"
-U.S. Cellular CEO Mary Dillon said in a statement.

It's likely that U.S. Cellular will launch an LTE-capable iPhone 5 or whatever comes out later this year.

What say you TUSCC? Apple products on USC?
(the reason behind the sudden price hikes and BS fees?)

More info (thanks

dutchprins16)

:
PDF file contains 2013 1st Quarter slideshow stating US Cellular will be offering Apple products: http://phx.corporate...3&p=irol-IRHome

US Cellular to buy $1.2 Billion in iPhones over 3 years http://www.nasdaq.co...-20130503-00682

A little more behind the decision: http://allthingsd.co...-apple-devices/

TeamUSCellular Blog - [Editorial] Galaxy S4 vs S3- is it really a step up?

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:36:33 +0000

This review was written by forum member bleemck.

So I've had my Galaxy SIV for two whole days now, and like the others on the site that have chosen to dive in head-first, I've been scrutinizing it like no other. After having such high hopes for the SIII and being so severely disappointed on a personal level by it, I'm glad to say that I really do see the SIV as a solid step up from it's now older brother. Here's why, in no particular order:

The hardware:
If you haven't had the SIV in your hands, and it doesn't obviously feel like a more solid device compared to the SIII, you've not paid attention. Seriously, go a store and just hold it. Albeit it's still just glass and plastic (and we all wish Samsung would throw some anodized aluminum our way) this phone feels SOLID. Not only does the battery back attach so snug that it's borderline terrifying to take it off, but the phone itself does not creak or give at all. The chrome painted plastic isn't as obvious as it was in the SIII, either. This is what the SIII should have felt like. I have no doubt that I'm holding a luxury piece of hardware now that they've taken those rounded corners down a notch to a form factor that more closely resembles the SII. On the down side though, this phone is VERY thin and VERY light. Now, that may seem like a plus to some, but I've heard several say that how light it is makes it feel fake. It just doesn't seem like so much can weigh so little.

SCREEN:
I know you've probably heard this a billion times over already, but the screen on this thing is an absolute wonder to behold. Not only is the device the same dimensions as the SIII as far as height and width, but they packed in a much higher resolution screen by reducing the screen bezel. That 5" Full HD Super AMOLED display is just beautiful. The resolution is insane and images (Default Wallpapers, for instance) are so sharp you might cut yourself. I can't describe it as anything other than gorgeous. This alone sold the phone for me, as it was the ONE aspect of the the SIII that I considered to fall short of the standard my last iPhone had set for me.

SIGNAL:
Because I know it's a major deciding factor for most of you, the signal is so much better from initial observations. At the time of typing this my SIV reads -87dBm 4 asu (3G mode) and my SIII sitting next to it is at-103dBm 4 asu (3G mode). I live in what can be considered a "tough" zone for signal, so this is a huge relief. Now keep in mind that the LOWEST (which is better in case you, like myself, did not know) I've seen my SIII hit in my room is -79dBm, where as the SIV has only gotten down to -83dBm. My litmus test is my drive home from work. I have NEVER been able to stream music from Google Play without interruption on my SIII, and I enjoyed constant, uninterrupted playback all the way home on the SIV. The SIV even held 4G for a longer period of time (driving away from the 4G area where I work) than my SIII ever did and it also seems to switch between the two networks more seamlessly.

CAMERA:
The camera is awesome. I haven't had time to test it thoroughly, but when I do, I will update. Comes with a ton of features and effects. Keep in mind that out of the box it is set to 9.6 megapixel to fit the aspect ratio of the screen. Setting it to 13 takes much better photos, but your viewfinder does NOT take up the whole screen. Which brings me to the inevitable..

UI:
Believe it or not, Samsung put a bit (see: "a bit") of effort into refining TouchWiz in the latest version we see on the SIV. It's not perfect (and still drags along the Android 2 green we're all sick-to-death of), but it makes a few leaps forward. Your old gripes are sure to be there, but a few things have been fixed. I recommend checking it out in person before buying if TouchWiz is a dealbreaker for you.

The stock TW launcher is very pleasant to look at. Though not much more functional than the SIII it's much more fluid and responsive. I actually don't mind using/am growing to like it.
The Camera app is beautiful if you're willing to sacrifice a few megapixels. Setting the resolution to full puts your viewfinder in a letterbox, and makes the interface look horrible. The default 9.6 mega pixel aspect ratio fits the new camera design well (though why they decided to ditch function in favor of good design instead of going for both is beyond me).
The stock messaging app is also a lot easier on the eyes, though I couldn't say why. It's no longer something you'll be ashamed of opening in public.
All of the crazy TW features are very cool to play with, though for the most part that's what they amount to - toys. Waving your hand over the phone to scroll though pages, though it feels a little unnatural, is very fun and acts like hitting Page Down on a keyboard. It's useful to preview texts and photo albums by just hovering your finger, too.
Samsung decided that their awkward TW blue goes better with bright white, which makes the Dialer and Contacts app not only a pain to look at, but also very hard on battery and your eyes in a dark room.
The Gallery app is much more like the Note II and can sync with Facebook, Picasa, and Dropbox so all of your photos across all of your accounts are there.
The lock screen does support widgets, and works as expected. The new unlock animation is very interesting, as is the unlock sound effect.
The S-Cover accessory is neat. Very neat. I like that, when closed, pressing my unlock button shows me a quick glance at the time and notifications, and that I don't have to open it to answer or decline a call, I can swipe through the window. It's also cool to have the phone automatically wake up and unlock when you open it (think Nexus 7 covers). The window also allows for use of the camera when the cover is flipped behind the phone, which I didn't even realize until I just flat-out tried it.
With all of the added TW features, the Settings on your phone are now in tabs. This means that nothing in your settings is immediately easy to find, and some options are just plain out of place.
WatchON allows me to control my parent's TV and works flawlessly with their LG TV and DirectTV box. It even sports Netflix support, though I haven't tried this out.
The S Health App is very, very useful looking and very well designed. In fact, all of the new apps Samsung loads on here are very well designed. The Media Hub for music, video and everything else would be my first choice to use if all of my media weren't already through Google Play and therefore inaccessible to Samsung's Apps. Samsung even has it's own media stores. It makes me feel as though the next iteration of this wonderful line of Phones is going to say goodbye to Android.

SUMMARY:
Overall, I am very pleased. I was concerned when I ordered it that it would be nothing worthy of spending money on, but the tech junkie inside me is very satisfied with it so far. I'll keep everyone updated (although I'm sure most of you will have one soon) on my discoveries, likes and dislikes as time goes on. To paraphrase kremlingifts, the SIII was the revolution, the SIV is an evolution. I totally agree, but I'll add this: The SIV was the phone I was hoping to get when I bought the SIII.

Thanks again to bleemck for the great review. So, what do you think? Will you be more likely to jump to the S4? Let us know in the comments.

TeamUSCellular Blog - Samsung Galaxy S 4 Bootloader: Unlocked

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:27:00 +0000

Well, the good news is in! I just received a message from Shabbypenguin while on the road accompanied with this screenshot:

It appears droidroidz, Shabbypenguin, and kallell have worked together and figured out that our bootloader is officially unlocked as opposed to Verizon and AT&T.

If you're not familiar, the bootloader needs to be unlocked and accessible so that a custom recovery such as CWM (ClockWorkMod) or TWRP (TeamWinRecovery) which then allows custom ROMs to be flashed. It was unknown for a few short hours what the outcome would be for us as AT&T joined the locked list. Seems we know our fate now.

While the bootloader is obviously unlocked and droid confirms a recovery was flashed, this was a Sprint recovery. While this will work in a pinch, this is what causes assert failed errors when flashing stuff as this CWM is not made for our device. Shabbypenguin will be working on a recovery specifically for us as soon as Sprint's is finished. CWM and TWRP version are planned. Stay tuned here for updates but in the mean time - are you excited? Ready to put custom ROMs on already? Let us know below!

TeamUSCellular Blog - Galaxy S4 shipping to pre-orderers April 26th, in-store April 30th

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 22:08:00 +0000

US Cellular customers who preordered the new Galaxy S4 will be happy to hear that US Cellular will be shipping on April 26th! (That's tomorrow at the time of writing.)

This puts us first in line out of all US carriers- AT&T will have it in stores on the 27th, Sprint will start online orders the same day, T-Mobile goes in stores on May 8th and Verizon possibly not until the end of May. This is actually big news- even though all these carriers are much bigger, we go first with a major flagship release- who knows what this could mean for the future of US Cellular?

Those who didn't preorder or want to get the opinions of the early adopters can pick up the device in stores starting April 30th.

The Galaxy S4 specs are as follows:

4G LTE capability
1.9 GHz quad core Snapdragon 600
2GB RAM
1080p HD Super AMOLED display (441 pixels per inch) with Gorilla Glass 3
13mp camera and 2mp front facing camera
16GB internal storage and support for MicroSD cards
Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, temperature, humidity, and gesture sensors

Source: http://phandroid.com/2013/04/24/us-cellular-galaxy-s4-release-date/