Roundup for 10-4-11

5 Big Stories
Arstechnica - US signs ACTA
Thisismynext.com - Apple iPhone 4S/5 event (Liveblog)
Slashdot - Facebook Files For a Patent To Track Its Users On Other Sites
Arstechnica - Kindle Touch 3G can't touch most of Internet without WiFi
Engadget - T-Mobile and Walmart offer 4G with no long-term contract, avoiding the pain of divorce

Other News
Beyond Black Friday - Blog Archive » The 10 Biggest Surprises about Amazon’s New Kindles
Neowin.net - Microsoft explains decisions behind Windows 8's Start screen
AppleInsider - Apple seen selling iPhone 3GS free with subsidy, $399 without contract
Computerworld - Google+ rides momentum up social net ranks
ExtremeTech - Why Amazon buying webOS from HP is a no-brainer
GamePolitics - Verizon Files Lawsuit against New Net Neutrality Rules
MobileBurn.com - Rhapsody purchases Napster from Best Buy
ZDNet - The Amazon Kindle Fire is no iPad Killer
BusinessInsider.com - TechCrunch Reporter MG Siegler Joins Arrington At His New VC Fund  
The Daily Green - Free Range Foods
Fortune Tech - The truth about the Rhapsody-Napster tie-up
AppleInsider - Steve Jobs gave pre-release iPad 2 to President Obama
Engadget - Zune is dead, long live Zune
UNCRUNCHED - Facebook: Brutal Dishonesty
Arstechnica - RAGE is creatively and mechanically bankrupt, but it sure is pretty
Arstechnica - HTC acknowledges security hole in its phones, promises a patch
The Patent Examiner - Innovatio’s Infringement Suit Rampage Expands To Corporate Hotels
Neowin.net - New Hotmail features revealed
MakeUseOf.com - 5 Things You Need To Stop Posting On Facebook
Computerworld - iCloud is a bigger deal than the new iPhone
OSNews.com - ACTA Violates Fundamental Human Rights
TechEye - HP decides it will sell a tablet after all - Windows 8? Maybe
ThinkProgress - VIDEO: Reagan Called For An End To ‘Crazy’ Tax Loopholes That Let Millionaires Pay Less Than Bus Drivers

Old News...that I somehow missed
Arstechnica - Former Reddit co-owner arrested for excessive JSTOR downloads

iUnload 1: Verizon gets the iPhone and a problem

AT&T Changes iPad & iPhone Fees, sorta

Here are a few stories covering this topic if you care to read up/skim before going further.

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9G30GCG0.htm
http://mashable.com/2010/06/02/att-kills-ipad-unlimited-data-plan/

Much like the ETF open letter that was available from AT&T it really doesn't spell out everything. Also, I'm not a fan of AT&T in any way. I currently am evaluating my options to get away from AT&T to Verizon with an Android phone of some flavor.

Existing Customers - AT&T has decided to change their fees for data plans. Anyone under contract with AT&T will be able to keep their previously agreed data plan as long as they have a contract with AT&T.

Quote from BusinessWeek Article - "Current AT&T subscribers will be allowed to keep the unlimited plan, even if they renew their contracts. But all new subscribers will have to choose one of the two new plans."

So if you are already have an iPad 3G or iPhone then you have no worries as long as you have that plan or upgrade to a new plan with a new iPhone or data package.

New Customers - New iPad 3G and iPhone customers have to choose from the new data packages only. Unless AT&T backtracks or Apple has a fit, this will be the new plan fees going forward for any new customer. $15 for 200MB of usage and $15 for ever extra 200MB which AT&T claims will work for 65% of their iPhone customers. $25 for 2GB and $10 for every additional 1GB. This will according to AT&T will be sufficient for 98% of their iPhone customers. (information pulled from BusinessWeek Article listed above)

"With that plan and voice service, a smart phone could cost as little as $55 per month before taxes and add-on fees, down from $70 per month" - BusinessWeek Article. This will allow lower end users to save money and makes me think we will see a new lower cost iPhone. This will get the iPhone into more hands since Android has overtaken them with total handsets. We will see if that is true at WWDC next week.

Overall, taking away the all-you-can-eat data plan from iPhone is not as traumatic as it is for the iPad. This could very much slow down sales and possibly change how people really want to use the iPad. The iPhone should be ok with this change because it's hard to use 2GB of data in a one month period, in my opinion. I'm still going to pay $30 for unlimited because I like the all-you-can-eat format better for a phone.

Article also featured on:

http://www.webcastnation.com
http://brandonweir.tumblr.com
http://brandonweir.posterous.com

ESPN Fantasy Baseball App for iPhone $4.99

Downloading App now and will have additional images and impression available here soon. $4.99 seems slightly high but we will see if it's worth it. More to come.

If you have a specific questions regarding the app before you buy it email me at FBBiphoneapp@live.com

Direct Link to iPhone App Store information.

First Impressions:

Looks great.
Load times are ok on 3G. Not near as fast as they should be for a $5 app, but faster than the mobile website.
Seems to have all the abilities that you would want from a PC browser UI built into the app in a user friendly layout.
Slidebars with information and stats are a must and great to have. No way you should try and squeeze all those stats on a small screen.

Update 1:
Screen 1 - My Team 1 - Right half of the screen is slideable to show all stats of players
Screen 2 - Players tab
Screen 3 - My Team 2 - Right half of the screen is slideable to show all stats of players
Screen 4 - League Scoreboard
Screen 5 - Overall Scoreboard / League Standings
Screen 6 - Activity Feed. Displays any updates from players on your team.

Update 2: More screenshots
Screen 7 - Schedule for previous/upcoming weeks of your opponents
Screen 8 - League Settings and Scoring for league
Screen 9 - Selector of how your team information. so you can see specific information about players to compare
Screen 10 - Message Board

Update 3: Added direct link to app store for direct download.

Update 4: Added the descriptions from Flickr to the post.