Some stories slip through the cracks and aren’t covered, so here’s what you might have missed this past week along with a week in review of what we did cover.
Top Stories You Might Have Missed
AT&T
AT&T has decided to eliminate its mid-range text messaging plans and offer only unlimited or pay per text messaging options to customers according to a recent find by Engadget. Since the pay per text option would likely be costly for consumers, the unlimited plan is the only smart choice.
Consumers take a hit to the wallet as AT&T is eliminating the $10/month 1000 text plan whereas the unlimited plan is $20/month or $30/month for family plans. The prices are set to begin on August 21st.
Firefox
Mozilla is contemplating removing version numbers from their Firefox browser. Instead the format would be similar to ‘Firefox updated 1 hour ago. You are up to date.’ with no actual definition as to what the version is. The move is thought to be more in tune with their recently adopted rapid release policy on updates coupled with the fact that as the computing experience moves more towards the cloud, version numbers become less important.
While we understand the move away from version numbers for the average user, the more important issue is that developers need those numbers in order to properly maintain extensions and addons for current and future versions of the browser. Mozilla will have to determine a more middle of the road course of action so they don’t drive away developers from their platform. With the rise of Google’s Chrome, Firefox can ill afford to lose more users or developers.
PS3
Sony has raised the bar for every other set-top box and media streaming device as they have landed the NFL. NFL Sunday Ticket, popular with DirecTV subscribers, is now available on the PS3 for $339.95. If you already subscribe to NFL Sunday Ticket you can add it to your PS3 for $50. Quite possibly the best part of the NFL on PS3, no dish required.
This move is sure to put pressure on other media devices like Roku, Apple TV and Xbox as NFL games have long been an issue with fans who want to ditch cable, but won’t sacrifice the NFL.
Week In Review
We explained the benefits of investing in hardware upgrades which are less expensive, but yield big benefits over purchasing a new system. How To Get Your Old Computer Running Like New Again
We showed you How To Take A Screenshot from Windows, Mac and Linux.
On Thursday, the tech industry broke news about HP ending its sale of PCs. We got you the details quickly and offered some insight on the announcement. Expect a follow up from us on this story as we process this and the other HP announcements from the week. Breaking News: HP To Spin Off PC Business
Our continuing look at online security leads us to information access. This week we looked at how to securely access your online information. Be sure to check in regularly so you don’t miss any of our online security coverage. Online Security: Accessing Personal Information