Apple Launches iPhone Reuse and Recycling Program

iPhone owners can now trade in their old devices at Apple retail stores across the US. Officially the iPhone Reuse and Recycling Program, Apple's offering gives customers up to $280 for a used device, as long as they leave the store with a new two-year contract for a new iPhone. The credit comes in the form of a gift card, which must be used towards a new iPhone.

Apple iPhone reuse and recycling program

Of course, any value left over on the card can be spent on merchandise or accessories at the Apple store. Customers must be deemed eligible for an upgrade by their wireless carrier to make use of the trade-in program. According to CNBC, smartphone trade in programs have become the hottest area of all smartphone transactions this year.

Aio Wireless Prepaid Service Available Mid-September

AT&T plans to make its Aio Wireless pre-paid plans available nationwide next month. Mid-September will see the service rolled out across the country, competing directly with similar plans offered by T-Mobile and others. When it comes to the basics, Aio plans start at $40 for 250MB of data, with other tiers upping the ante to $55 or $70 for 2GB or 7GB respectively.

Aio Wireless pre-paid

To help spark interest in the service, Aio is offering a fall promotion that delivers the third month of service free for customers who sign up by September 29. AT&T is billing Aio as the best way to access a high quality cellular network with no contract. 4G LTE speeds are included, and the new service is less expensive than AT&T's GoPhone prepaid offering.

Share iPhone Files Over Bluetooth with Celeste 2

Looking to share files with an iOS device over Bluetooth? Celeste 2 has arrived in the Cydia jailbreak app store, and the tweak incorporates several improvements over its predecessor. With Celeste 2 installed, a new Bluetooth sharing option becomes available across many stock and third party apps. Any compatible Bluetooth device can be paired with Celeste 2 to send and receive files.

Bluetooth file transfer iPhone

Sending files between iOS devices, or from an iOS device to a Mac or PC computer has never been easier. In fact, because Celeste 2 uses the original iOS Bluetooth stack, files can be transferred while simultaneously streaming music to a Bluetooth speaker, or while paired to another device. Celeste 2 will install the Notification Center Widget app on the home screen, and when a file transfer is in progress this is where you can find a status bar indicating how much data has been sent or received.

Sony to Announce iPhone and Android Smartphone Lenses at IFA

More details about Sony's new lens attachment for Apple and Android mobile phones has been leaked. Sony is expected to announce the DSC-QX10 and DSC-QX100 “lenscameras” at the IFA trade show in Berlin in September. The QX10 will feature the same 18MP CMOS sensor and f/3,3-5.9 lens as the Sony Cyber-shot WX150, and will be priced at $250, according to SonyAlphaRumors. The QX100 will cost around $450, and will feature the same sensor and lens as the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II.

Sony Smart Shot

SonyAlphaRumors has also learned that the new lenses will be called “Smart Shots“, which is a combination of "smartphone" and "Cyber-Shot". The lens attachments will feature lens stabilization and will be able to capture low noise full HD video in MP4 format. The lenses will also support Sony's PlayMemories Mobile app, and connect to both iOS and Android devices via Wi-Fi/NFC.

iPhone 5S Launch Confirmed by AT&T Blackout Dates

Even more evidence points to a September 20 release date for the Apple iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C this fall. Not only has T-Mobile blacked out vacation dates for employees around this time, now BGR confirms AT&T has done the same. The second half of September will also be reserved for the iPhone, with no other high-profile devices seeing initial release.

ATT blackout iPhone 5S

This comes as no surprise, as AT&T has blacked out employee vacation dates around each iPhone launch since the very beginning in 2007. Back then, the carrier had an exclusive deal with Apple to offer the iPhone stateside. Apple's next generation iPhone media event is widely expected to occur on September 10. Additional reports have confirmed a September 20 release date in Japan and other countries outside of the US.

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