News
Nokia maker releases a global SIM card, literally ‘connecting people’
No roaming charges in 120 countries
HMD Global unveiled a slew of Nokia-branded phones via an online-only event. As it turns out, the company is ambitious about the mobile future and it’s not just limited to hardware. They’ve also announced an HMD Connect SIM card that provides up to 1GB of data with a validity of 14 days. Obviously, the user can opt to purchase more bandwidth. How’s this different from your local telecom operator?
It will work in 120 countries without a hitch and no extra charges on top, also generally known as “roaming” cost. You can purchase the Starter Kit from their website and it’ll cost €19.95 (US$ 22). But, if you order two Starter Kits, the second one will cost just €10 (US$ 10.8).
The Starter Kit includes 1GB of data by default and you can buy more for €9.95 (US$ 10.75) for 1GB, followed by €5 (US$ 5.4) for each additional gigabyte. The company will start sending out the kits from March 30.
HMD Connect app has been released on the Play Store where you can seamlessly manage your SIM card and top-up whenever necessary. It’ll also show you how much data is left in your account.
However, the amount of data you get depends on three zones. Zone 1 countries get 1GB of data, Zone 2 countries get 500MB, while Zone 3 countries get just 250MB. HMD Global hasn’t specified the network it’ll work on — 2G, 3G, or 4G? Guess that’ll depend on their regional partners.
The SIM card will be very handy for people who travel internationally very often. Although the same won’t be happening in the foreseeable future because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Air travel has been radically shut down by most countries, so the timing of the launch isn’t in HMD Global’s favor.
HMD Global has the license to produce Nokia-branded phones worldwide and it has relied massively on Nokia’s legacy to boost sales. While there’s no doubt that its offerings are top-notch and competitive, it continues to churn the nostalgia wheel by releasing classics like the recently announced Nokia 5310.
The SIM card is literally about “connecting people”. This used to be Nokia’s iconic tagline during the golden days.
Apps
Canva teams up with SB19 to turn A’TIN’s passion into creativity
Campaign lets fans access assets, editable templates, more
Canva Philippines has joined forces with SB19 and Sony Music Entertainment to launch the “Kaya sa Canva” campaign.
This first-of-its-kind initiative is aimed at transforming the popular Filipino boy band’s fanbase into creators by giving them access to official design assets, exclusive templates, and powerful creative tools.
That’s of course as fans have a way of creating artwork, banners, and more outputs to honor their idols.
As such, the partnership enables the A’TIN (SB19’s fanbase) to access the Canva-exclusive SB19’s Creative Hub.
This dedicated space lets fans access assets, including SB19-inspired sticker packs, custom typography, and editable templates inspired by the group.
Fans around the world will initially have access to templates for photo-booth strips, wallpapers, posters, and videos.
The campaign will then expand with Canva-exclusive assets celebrating the group’s New Era, as well as their latest single, “Lawless”.
Meanwhile, the original song “KAYA” is accompanied with an upbeat music video, doubling as a love letter to A’TIN and a masterclass in Canva’s tools.
Every visual and animation is fan-inspired, a celebration of the creativity, passion, and dedication that’s defined in the community from day one.
News
The iPhone 18 might sell out for an unexpected reason
The ongoing shortage might play a part in the phone selling out earlier than expected.
An iPhone selling out is not news. Because of how popular the phones are, it’s within the realm of probability that Apple runs out of stock at some point. According to a new report, this year won’t be any different… but it’s for an entirely different reason.
First reported by analyst Tim Culpan, Apple is reportedly struggling to meet its demand for semiconductors for the iPhone 18 and the foldable iPhone. The ongoing memory shortage is cutting off Apple’s ability to deliver the required supply of smartphones in a timely fashion. The report even claims that TSMC, which helps produce the iPhone, is sitting on a shipment of processors, worth US$ 1 billion, that don’t have memory chips.
Now, Apple is still confident that it can weather the launch. However, if the shortage persists, the iPhone 18 generation will likely sell out much more quickly than expected.
It’s an interesting time for Apple to experience such a shortage. It’s been heavily rumored that the company will launch its very first foldable phone next month, creating a new market for the brand. Apple definitely wants this attempt to succeed after the tepid response to its last new product, the Vision Pro.
SEE ALSO: Did Tim Cook just confirm that iPhone prices are going up?
News
These “smart” glasses just sold out in under a week
DuckDuckGo touts that these glasses have zero AI, zero cameras, and an infinite battery life.
Smart glasses are in a weird place right now. While a chunk of the population views them as cool and innovative, another significant chunk sees them as a privacy nightmare. If you’re in the latter group but want to see what life is like on the former, DuckDuckGo has a new product: a pair of anti-surveillance glasses with no camera or AI, otherwise known as just normal sunglasses.
If it’s not obvious, yes, it’s a troll product. DuckDuckGo is a search engine famously known for pushing privacy as a priority, opposing Google’s penchant for advertising and AI. Now, the search engine is taking on the smart glasses market.
Partnering with Knockaround, DuckDuckGo released the Paso Robles, a pair of sunglasses touted as having zero cameras, an always-offline mode, and a battery life of infinity.
It’s a statement piece. The rims have a logo mark, similar to the Meta’s glasses. The packaging also states that the glasses are “designed to block the sun, not send data to the cloud.”
Now, if you want a pair, they cost only US$ 35, as opposed to Meta’s US$ 299 price tag, but they are already sold out.
Which says quite a bit about today’s sentiment against AI and for privacy. Of course, to be fair, DuckDuckGo’s supply is certainly less than Meta’s stock for their smart glasses. It does, however, prove that the sentiment is there.
As of now, the world is slowly realizing that unimpeded smart glasses aren’t such a good idea, leading to people concerned about their privacy. In fact, some states have already started banning the technology in certain public spaces.
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