Month: February 2017

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Linda Jo Heilman)

AT&T is feeling the heat of competition and as a result has lowered the price of its unlimited data plan from $100 to $90 a month, also improving it by adding 10GB of high-speed tethering data. AT&T today also announced a $60-per-month option for customers who are willing to accept slower speeds of no more than 3Mbps.

Until recently, AT&T only sold its $100-per-month unlimited smartphone data plan to customers who also subscribed to DirecTV or U-verse TV. After unlimited data announcements from Verizon and T-Mobile USA, AT&T made its unlimited plan available to any customer but initially did not change any of its annoying limitations. Unlimited data users thus couldn't use their phones as mobile hotspots to get Internet access for other devices.

Today's announcement cut the monthly price from $100 to $90 and renamed the plan "Unlimited Data Plus." Customers will get 10GB of high-speed tethering each month. After the 10GB is used, tethering speeds are reduced to 128kbps. There were no changes to this plan on the HD video front: the best video quality is still disabled by default, but customers can watch video in HD by disabling the "Stream Saver" option, AT&T told Ars.

Enlarge (credit: Samsung)

There haven't been many major updates to Samsung's Gear VR headset since its debut in 2014. But at MWC in Barcelona, Samsung announced an updated version of the headset that includes an all-new handheld controller. Equipped with an accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetic sensors, the controller will let users interact with VR content without fumbling for the headset's onboard controls.

According to the announcement, Samsung worked with Oculus to make the device. In addition to the round, clickable touchpad at the top of the controller, there are also home, back, and volume buttons; a trigger; and an included wrist strap. The controller isn't rechargeable; it takes two AAA batteries that you'll have to replace occasionally. According to a report from Engadget, at least 70 new controller titles are in development for the Gear VR.

The controller doesn't seem as intricate as those accompanying the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift, but simply placing crucial buttons in the user's hand will make it much easier for them to control in-game experiences. Samsung is likely playing catch-up to competitors like Google's Daydream headset, which already comes with a handheld controller.

Ferrari

Over the weekend, the last of the new Formula 1 cars of 2017 were unveiled, just in time for the first official preseason test, which began Monday morning in Spain. Ferrari, McLaren, Haas, Red Bull, and Toro Rosso joined the five other teams that took the wraps off their cars earlier in the week, giving us our first complete look at the grid for the coming year.

We covered the big rules changes that have affected the design of the cars last Friday. To briefly recap, the cars—and their wings and tires—are wider than in recent years, and they are expected to be several seconds faster per lap thanks to better aerodynamic downforce.

BARCELONA, SPAIN—We're making the rounds at Mobile World Congress checking out all the new flagship smartphones, and next up is Huawei's latest: the P10 and P10 Plus. The rumors on the P10 Plus claiming it had a curved screen were totally wrong; the 5.1-inch P10 and 5.5-inch P10 Plus have identical, flat-screen designs.

The P10 looks and feels just like an iPhone 7, which is both a ding on the design and very high praise for the build quality. As usual, Huawei does a great job building an aluminum phone that just oozes quality. It feels super solid and the smooth, rounded edges make it a joy to hold.