Dutch smartphone maker Fairphone makes devices that are designed to be long-lasting, easy-to-repair, and manufactured with ethically-sourced materials whenever possible. So two years ago, when the company launched a subscription service, it was a bit different than most plans that let you pay for a phone in installments. Fairphone Easy subscribers were effectively leasing phones […]
subscription
Samsung’s Galaxy AI features are only free for the first 2 years, and other things that went unmentioned during the Galaxy S24 launch event
The new Samsung Galaxy S24 line of smartphones have some pretty nice hardware including high-quality displays, speedy processors, and some pretty nice cameras. But if you watched Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked launch event this week, you probably noticed that Samsung spent most of its time highlighting the new Galaxy AI features launching first on those phones. What Samsung didn’t mention during […]
Microsoft Office is getting rebranded as Microsoft 365
Microsoft’s Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook apps have been bundled together under the Microsoft Office brand for more than three decades. But Microsoft is planning a rebrand in the coming months. Goodbye Microsoft Office. Hello Microsoft 365. Microsoft says the change will hit Office.com in November, before rolling out to Office for Windows and the Office […]
Fairphone Easy is a different kind of smartphone subscription (pay to keep your phone longer rather than for upgrades)
Subscriptions are nothing new in the smartphone space. Wireless carriers and phone makers have long offered customers a chance to pay for phones in a series of monthly installments rather than putting down a bunch of cash up front. And many plans also include cheap or free upgrades to newer phones every few years. Fairphone’s […]
reMarkable’s E Ink tablets: Now you need a subscription for handwriting recognition and cloud storage
The folks at reMarkable sell tablets with E Ink displays and digital pens that are designed for taking notes, drawing pictures, and reading documents. Basically they’re digital replacements for pen and paper. But you know, more expensive than a legal pad thanks to a $399 price tag. Now you can also add a subscription fee […]
Nura’s new earbuds are only available with a subscription (but you get a new pair every 24 months)
Subscription pricing has come to the world of true wireless earbuds. Just like you buy phones from wireless carriers in monthly installments, now you can buy a pair of NURABUDS true wireless earbuds by paying $5 per month for a NURANOW subscription. In fact, that’s the only way to get your hands on the latest earbuds […]
Lilbits 6-04-2020: AFTVNews returns, Apple “Prime” may be in the works, and Playdate runs Doom
First playable version of Doom on the Playdate. Still very early but I guess I will cross out “Port Doom” from my bucket list. My main inspiration was @fabynou Game Engine Black Book. pic.twitter.com/Qy21oTYkvf — Nic (@NicMagnier) May 31, 2020 Here’s a roundup of recent tech news from around the web. First playable version of […]
Lilbits 396: Smart home… at a cost
Wink sells a line of smart home products including hubs, motion sensors, door and window sensors, and chimes. The company’s systems also work with third-party smart lights, cameras, doorbells, and other accessories. And up until recently, you could use Wink’s products for free after paying for the hardware. Then this week the company announced it […]
HBO Max launches May 27 for $15 per month
The streaming wars are getting… more complicated again. HBO Max is launching in just over a month and for $15 per month subscribers will be able to access the entire HBO content library plus TV shows and movies from Warner Media and some original new content. HBO Max goes live on May 27th and it’ll […]
Google Play Pass launches with 350+ games for $5 per month (or $2 for early birds)
The Google Play Store is filled with millions of apps and games. Some are free. Some you have to pay for. And an awful lot are somewhere in the middle — you can install the app for free but need to make in-app purchases to unlock features. Now Google is launching another option: pay a […]