metro

Don't like the iPad's Music app? Here are two alternatives

Not a fan of Apple's iPad Music app with its awkward interface and tiny controls? Relief is at hand! Here are two iOS music players that offer some clever advantages over the built-in app.

Bongiovi DPS

Designed by Bongiovi Acoustics, the free Bongiovi DPS app provides a clean interface and user-friendly controls.

The app presents you with the usual ways to access your music -- albums, artists, playlists, genres, podcasts, audiobooks -- all icons easily accessible from the home screen. Tapping on a particular icon, such as albums, shows you a list of all albums. Tapping on an album … Read more

AT&T considered buying Leap, Reuters says

AT&T buying Leap Wireless? It could happen.

The latest acquisition rumor comes courtesy of Reuters, which reported yesterday that AT&T and Leap have been in talks over the past few months regarding a potential deal.

Such a deal would give AT&T more spectrum -- an asset it has been actively looking for since its deal with T-Mobile collapsed, as well as a decent base of prepaid customers. The report comes just days after Bloomberg reported that T-Mobile had considered buying MetroPCS. The speculation frenzy underscores the acquisitive posture of most of the wireless carriers, … Read more

Google agrees with Mozilla's Windows RT browser concerns

Google has joined Mozilla in its attempt to push Microsoft to permit full-fledged browsers other than Internet Explorer on Windows RT, its operating system geared for devices running ARM processors.

Mozilla objects to Microsoft decisions that, it says, prevent it from bringing a competitive version of Firefox to Windows RT. Other browsers don't get access to the same operating system abilities that IE10 gets, recalling browser battles from earlier years that ultimately triggered government antitrust actions in the United States and Europe.

Now Google, maker of the Chrome browser, has weighed in:

We share the concerns Mozilla has raised … Read more

T-Mobile reportedly in talks to buy MetroPCS

T-Mobile USA may be going from acquisition target to acquirer.

T-Mobile made a splash when it agreed to be bought by AT&T more than a year ago. Now, it may want to make a splash of its own, with parent company Deutsche Telekom weighing the acquisition of MetroPCS, according to Bloomberg.

Deutsche Telekom could merge MetroPCS and T-Mobile under a single entity, or it might sell off the business entirely, an option that has long been proposed for the U.S. carrier that's been steadily losing customers, according to Bloomberg.

T-Moblie and MetroPCS declined to comment.

The … Read more

T-Mobile's quiet silver lining: Monthly 4G prepaid

T-Mobile USA isn't a prepaid carrier, but it might as well be.

While the company's base of contract subscribers -- still a majority of its business and greatest source of revenue -- has been shrinking over the past few quarters, its prepaid business continues to sign up new customers.

In fact, it's been one of the rare bright spots at a carrier that is struggling to get back on its feet after a failed takeover attempt by AT&T. With higher-end customers looking to the other national carriers for better phones (read: iPhone) or 4G LTE … Read more

The ZTE Score gets a sporty makeover for MetroPCS

About a month ago in March, I got my hands on the ZTE Score by Cricket Wireless. Aside from its decent call quality, there wasn't much to write home about. The device had a unresponsive touch screen and its speed (both in relation to the processor and network) was sluggish.

Tacking on an extra "M" at the end of its name (I'm assuming it stands for MetroPCS...or maybe marshmallows?), MetroPCS got a hold of the device, changed up the design a bit to accommodate a larger battery (the original score had a 1,200mAh battery; … Read more

LG Optimus M+ is a plus for MetroPCS users

MetroPCS recently added the LG Optimus M+ to its Android offerings, and the phone is available online now, starting at $129.

The 3G Gingerbread device has a 3.5-inch touch-screen display, an 800MHz processor inside, and a 5-megapixel camera in the rear.

The handset also includes features such as Bluetooth, 2.8GB of internal memory, and a 1,300mAh battery.

For an extra $60 a month, users can also receive Rhapsody Unlimited, a music portal where subscribers can download and access millions of songs and albums.

How to tame the Windows 8 Metro Start screen

The Windows 8 Metro Start screen can quickly get overrun with a huge number of tiles, making it hard to find the app you need. How can you manage this mishmash?

Users who have taken the Windows 8 beta for a spin already know that the Metro Start screen poses certain challenges. For every app you install -- Metro or non-Metro -- one or sometimes several tiles are plopped onto the Start screen. Each Web site you pin gets its own Start screen tile. Displaying features such as Administrative Tools adds even more tiles.

Windows 8 is designed with a … Read more

Windows 8 Store gets first Metro Twitter app and more

Microsoft's new Windows Store for Metro apps is finally stocking its shelves with some interesting titles and updates.

The first social-networking app to directly support Twitter leads the list. Dubbed FlipToast, the app supports both Facebook and Twitter and lets you view the latest posts, update your status, and see notifications directly on the Metro Start screen.

Meanwhile, the Inrix Traffic app provides real-time traffic conditions and updates as you drive along. But as such, it's an app more suited for a mobile tablet than a PC. The Xbox 360 game Hydro Thunder Hurricane is also now available … Read more