We've seen connected scales that provide oxygen levels and heart rates, but they have nothing on the sheer range of data coming from Runtastic's imminent Libra scale. In addition to basic weight and body fat measurements, the Bluetooth-based sensor can also calculate body mass index, bone mass, ...FILE - This Feb. 18, 2013 file photo shows actress Ellie Kemper at the Vanity Fair and Juicy Couture Celebration for the 2013 Vanities Calendar at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles. NBC has ordered 13 episodes of a new singlecam comedy from multiple Emmy Award winners Tina Fey and Robert Carlock. Ellie Kemper is set to star. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — NBC says it's ordering 13 episodes of a new comedy created by Tina Fey and starring Ellie Kemper of "The Office."
The network says Kemper will play a woman who flees a doomsday cult and begins a new life in New York city. The actress had joined "The Office" as Erin the receptionist in the show's 2009 season.
NBC says Fey created the new series with Robert Carlock, who was an executive producer on her Emmy-winning series "30 Rock." The pair will join in writing the new comedy and serve as executive producers along with David Miner.
NBC says the new show, as yet untitled, is scheduled to debut in fall 2014.
Spending time with mommy at work before the Halloween festivities later, Honor joined Jessica Alba on the set of "How to Make Love Like an Englishman" on Thursday (October 31).
The "Sin City" star looked cute in a purple striped sweater, blue jeans, and black boots while her adorable little girl skipped around in a pink tutu.
In the upcoming rom-com directed by Tom Vaughan, a Cambridge poetry professor begins to re-evaluate his life of Byronic excess.
Co-starring with Jessica in the movie are Salma Hayek, Pierce Brosnan, Malcolm McDowell, and Marlee Matlin.
A night out with training partners from Reign MMA quickly turned into chaos for Uriah Hall, thanks to Jason Miller. Hall and 'Mayhem' were involved in a nasty incident Oct. 25 while attending BAMMA USA's Badbeat 11 event in Commerce, Calif. After being taunted with racial slurs by Miller, Hall threw a punch.
Now a week removed, Hall says he was merely an onlooker looking to settle tensions before being singled out by Miller.
"Initially, I saw a big bald-headed dude," Hall tells MMA Weekly. "Then it hit me that it was Mayhem Miller. I was a little star struck, at first. He was yelling at me though, and wanted to talk to the girl. I guess it was his ex. I tried to stay calm and just diffuse things. I was still kind of shocked that it was all happening."
After his punch 'just barely clipped' Miller, the pair were separated by security. It didn't stop there. Hall says following the confrontation with Miller, 'Mayhem' continued the onslaught via Twitter and text messages.
"I don't know how he got my number," Hall says. "I asked and his response was, ‘I am Mayhem Miller, I know everything.'"
Miller, seemingly unrepentant, only looks more bizarre after comments made by former acquaintances revealing personal anecdotes. Hall, who faces Chris Leben at UFC 168 on Dec. 28, says he's past being angry and simply hopes Miller takes the steps to get help.
5 MUST-READ STORIES
Lil Nog out. Just days after being set to face Alexander Gustafsson next year in London, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira has withdrawn with an injury.
WADA on the house. Josh Barnett will have random, extensive pre-fight drug screenings paid for by the UFC.
TRT for a title shot. Vitor Belfort says he'd stop testosterone replacement therapy if he were granted a UFC middleweight title shot. "I've already said that, if they agree with it, I would (stop doing TRT)," he said. "No problem at all. If they want me to get there in a disadvantage, that's ok."
20 in 20. Chuck Mindenhall's series hits 2010, the year we said hello (goodbye?) to the WEC and Ferrari World.
JDS not impressed. Junior dos Santos says Cain Velasquez' performance at UFC 166 didn't necessarily prove he was better. "He applied pressure, grabbing hold of me and avoiding the fight, making the fight boring, making the audience boo a lot. An effective strategy to win, but he didn't prove he was the better fighter."
MEDIA STEW
Michael Bisping walks around Manchester with James Haskell.
Chael Sonnen and Rashad Evans put friendship aside.
King Mo talks Emanuel Newton.
And a pre-fight interview.
Friend of the MR Ottavia Bourdain teaches some BJJ.
Halloween special from Tommy Toe Hold.
Jordan Mein's dad gets a quick KO from last weekend.
Super Fight League 31.
TWEETS
Chael had some thoughts on Lil Nog pulling out.
New standard?
Kinda came out of nowhere.
Diego poetry will always have a home here.
What is?
Calling out Demian Maia?
Halloween.
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (Oct. 31 2013)
cancelled Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Alexander Gustafsson at UFC Fight Night in London.
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today's Fanpost of the Day comes via Bradley Bates.
Rampage vs. Beltran? Wake me up when it's done
You've probably heard the news today that former UFC light-heavyweight Joey Beltran has stepped in to replace the injured Tito Ortiz and face Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson at Bellator 108.
Whilst this is good news for Bellator as they get to put on a fight with what is probably their biggest draw, it's bad news for us fight fans. With a combined four wins in their last 11 fights, neither guy is exactly riding high at the moment. Nor did either guy light up the UFC, at least not in the past four and a half years since 'Rampage' knocked out Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92.
Beltran (14-9-0(1) MMA, 0-0 BMMA) is a known brawler, but isn't exactly a finisher, having not finished a fight since his UFC debut in 2010. Rampage (32-11 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) on the other hand is known for his vicious knockout power, but again it's something we haven't seen as of late. You would have to go back to the above mentioned, albeit spectacular, knockout of Wanderlei Silva in 2008 for Rampage's last finish.
With both fighters last three wins coming by decision, it doesn't look as though it will be a 'balls to the wall' fight. Then there's the question of what happens to the winner? If Rampage wins do Bellator still do the Tito fight? And if Beltran wins, the Tito fight, for Rampage at least, wouldn't be easy to sell.
...
Check out the rest of the post here.
Found something you'd like to see in the Morning Report? Just hit me up on Twitter @SaintMMA and we'll include it in tomorrow's column.
Guilherme Cruz, MMA Fighting
Hernani Perpetuo is the latest addition to the UFC’s welterweight division.
Two months after winning the Shooto world title with a unanimous decision victory over MMA veteran Tommy Depret at Shooto Brazil 42, Perpetuo (17-3, 1 no-contest), a Nova Uniao product, signed a deal with the UFC and is expected to make his Octagon debut early 2014.
"I’ve signed a contract with the UFC today," Perpetuo told MMAFighting.com on Thursday, confirming an initial report by Combate.
"I already expected to sign with a major promotion after I won the Shooto title, and I’m looking forward my first fight."
Perpetuo’s five-round war with Depret was the ninth bout of his undefeated streak, which includes two knockouts and one submission.
"I have to win my first fight and then climb the rankings step by step," he said. "The Shooto title was very important to open doors and get me in the UFC."
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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 31-Oct-2013
ShareContact: Patrick Smith
psmith88@jhmi.edu
410-955-8242
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Results of a Johns Hopkins study published today in the journal Diabetes Care found that young and middle-aged women with type 2 diabetes are at much greater risk of coronary artery disease than previously believed.
Generally, women under 60 are at far less risk for coronary artery disease than men of the same age. But among women of that age who have diabetes, their risk of heart disease increases by up to four times, making it roughly equal to men's risk of this same form of heart disease.
"Our findings suggest that we need to work harder to prevent heart disease in women under 60 who have diabetes," says Rita Rastogi Kalyani, M.D., M.H.S., endocrinologist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and lead study author. "This study tells us that women of any age who have diabetes are at a high risk for coronary artery disease."
While men generally have a higher incidence of heart disease than women, the study found that diabetes had little or no effect on men's heart disease risk.
Kalyani said the new study is believed to be the first to focus specifically on gender differences in coronary artery disease among younger and middle-aged people with diabetes.
For the research, she and her colleagues analyzed data from more than 10,000 participants in three widely regarded studies: the GeneSTAR Research Program, the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III. None of the participants had a history of heart disease. All three studies yielded similar gender differences in rates of diabetes and the risk of developing heart disease.
"Our study adds to growing evidence that gender differences exist in the risk of coronary artery disease brought on by diabetes," Kalyani says.
Interestingly, in both women and men, these findings were unrelated to differences in obesity and other traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, cholesterol and smoking.
Kalyani and her colleagues offer several possible explanations for the increased risk. There may be distinct genetic and hormonal factors related to the development of heart disease by gender. Differences in adherence to heart-healthy lifestyle behaviors, compliance and treatment of cardiovascular treatments between genders are also possible but need to be further investigated, Kalyani says. Also, the relationship of diabetes duration and glucose control to risk of heart disease remains unclear.
###
In addition to Kalyani, the study's authors are Mario Lazo, M.D.; Pamelo Ouyang, M.B.B.S.; Karinne Chevalier, M.S.; Frederick Brancati, M.D., M.H.S.; Diane Becker, Sc.D., M.P.H.; and Dhananjay Vaidya, Ph.D., M.P.H., of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, as well as Evrim Turkbey, M.D., of Radiology and Imaging Sciences at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center.
About Johns Hopkins Medicine
Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM), headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, is a $6.7 billion integrated global health enterprise and one of the leading academic health care systems in the United States. JHM unites physicians and scientists of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine with the organizations, health professionals and facilities of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System. JHM's vision, "Together, we will deliver the promise of medicine," is supported by its mission to improve the health of the community and the world by setting the standard of excellence in medical education, research and clinical care. Diverse and inclusive, JHM educates medical students, scientists, health care professionals and the public; conducts biomedical research; and provides patient-centered medicine to prevent, diagnose and treat human illness. JHM operates six academic and community hospitals, four suburban health care and surgery centers, and more than 35 Johns Hopkins Community Physicians sites. The Johns Hopkins Hospital, opened in 1889, was ranked number one in the nation for 21 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report. For more information about Johns Hopkins Medicine, its research, education and clinical programs, and for the latest health, science and research news, visit http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org.
Media Contacts: Patrick Smith
410-955-8242; psmith88@jhmi.edu or
Helen Jones
410-502-9422; hjones49@jhmi.edu
Share
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 31-Oct-2013
ShareContact: Patrick Smith
psmith88@jhmi.edu
410-955-8242
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Results of a Johns Hopkins study published today in the journal Diabetes Care found that young and middle-aged women with type 2 diabetes are at much greater risk of coronary artery disease than previously believed.
Generally, women under 60 are at far less risk for coronary artery disease than men of the same age. But among women of that age who have diabetes, their risk of heart disease increases by up to four times, making it roughly equal to men's risk of this same form of heart disease.
"Our findings suggest that we need to work harder to prevent heart disease in women under 60 who have diabetes," says Rita Rastogi Kalyani, M.D., M.H.S., endocrinologist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and lead study author. "This study tells us that women of any age who have diabetes are at a high risk for coronary artery disease."
While men generally have a higher incidence of heart disease than women, the study found that diabetes had little or no effect on men's heart disease risk.
Kalyani said the new study is believed to be the first to focus specifically on gender differences in coronary artery disease among younger and middle-aged people with diabetes.
For the research, she and her colleagues analyzed data from more than 10,000 participants in three widely regarded studies: the GeneSTAR Research Program, the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III. None of the participants had a history of heart disease. All three studies yielded similar gender differences in rates of diabetes and the risk of developing heart disease.
"Our study adds to growing evidence that gender differences exist in the risk of coronary artery disease brought on by diabetes," Kalyani says.
Interestingly, in both women and men, these findings were unrelated to differences in obesity and other traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, cholesterol and smoking.
Kalyani and her colleagues offer several possible explanations for the increased risk. There may be distinct genetic and hormonal factors related to the development of heart disease by gender. Differences in adherence to heart-healthy lifestyle behaviors, compliance and treatment of cardiovascular treatments between genders are also possible but need to be further investigated, Kalyani says. Also, the relationship of diabetes duration and glucose control to risk of heart disease remains unclear.
###
In addition to Kalyani, the study's authors are Mario Lazo, M.D.; Pamelo Ouyang, M.B.B.S.; Karinne Chevalier, M.S.; Frederick Brancati, M.D., M.H.S.; Diane Becker, Sc.D., M.P.H.; and Dhananjay Vaidya, Ph.D., M.P.H., of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, as well as Evrim Turkbey, M.D., of Radiology and Imaging Sciences at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center.
About Johns Hopkins Medicine
Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM), headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, is a $6.7 billion integrated global health enterprise and one of the leading academic health care systems in the United States. JHM unites physicians and scientists of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine with the organizations, health professionals and facilities of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System. JHM's vision, "Together, we will deliver the promise of medicine," is supported by its mission to improve the health of the community and the world by setting the standard of excellence in medical education, research and clinical care. Diverse and inclusive, JHM educates medical students, scientists, health care professionals and the public; conducts biomedical research; and provides patient-centered medicine to prevent, diagnose and treat human illness. JHM operates six academic and community hospitals, four suburban health care and surgery centers, and more than 35 Johns Hopkins Community Physicians sites. The Johns Hopkins Hospital, opened in 1889, was ranked number one in the nation for 21 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report. For more information about Johns Hopkins Medicine, its research, education and clinical programs, and for the latest health, science and research news, visit http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org.
Media Contacts: Patrick Smith
410-955-8242; psmith88@jhmi.edu or
Helen Jones
410-502-9422; hjones49@jhmi.edu
Share
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
FILE - In this July 15, 2013 file photo, two signs that read "Who Lobbied For This?" and "We Need Healthcare Options, Not Obstacles" are held by attendees of a rally in front of Dallas city hall where a group of nearly 200 gathered to protest the approval of sweeping new restrictions on abortion in Texas. A U.S. appeals court on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013, issued a ruling reinstating most of Texas' tough new abortion restrictions, which means as many as 12 clinics will not be able to perform the procedure starting as soon as Friday. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)
FILE - In this July 15, 2013 file photo, two signs that read "Who Lobbied For This?" and "We Need Healthcare Options, Not Obstacles" are held by attendees of a rally in front of Dallas city hall where a group of nearly 200 gathered to protest the approval of sweeping new restrictions on abortion in Texas. A U.S. appeals court on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013, issued a ruling reinstating most of Texas' tough new abortion restrictions, which means as many as 12 clinics will not be able to perform the procedure starting as soon as Friday. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)
File - In this Oct. 29, 2013 file photo, Dottie and Tom Knodell, opponents of abortion, hold signs outside a Planned Parenthood Clinic, in San Antonio. A U.S. appeals court on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013, issued a ruling reinstating most of Texas' tough new abortion restrictions, which means as many as 12 clinics will not be able to perform the procedure starting as soon as Friday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal appeals court on Thursday ruled that most of Texas' tough new abortion restrictions can take effect immediately — a decision that means a third of the state's clinics that perform the procedure won't be able to do so starting as soon as Friday.
A panel of judges at the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans said the law requiring doctors to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital can take effect while a lawsuit challenging the restrictions moves forward. The panel issued the ruling three days after District Judge Lee Yeakel said the provision serves no medical purpose.
In its 20-page ruling, the appeals court panel acknowledged that the provision "may increase the cost of accessing an abortion provider and decrease the number of physicians available to perform abortions." However, the panel said that the U.S. Supreme Court has held that having "the incidental effect of making it more difficult or more expensive to procure an abortion cannot be enough to invalidate" a law that serves a valid purpose, "one not designed to strike at the right itself."
The panel left in place a portion of Yeakel's order that prevents the state from enforcing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration protocol for abortion-inducing drugs in cases where the woman is between 50 and 63 days into her pregnancy. Doctors testifying before the court had said such women would be harmed if the protocol were enforced.
After Yeakel halted the restrictions, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott had made an emergency appeal to the conservative 5th Circuit, arguing that the law requiring doctors to have admitting privileges is a constitutional use of the Legislature's authority.
"This unanimous decision is a vindication of the careful deliberation by the Texas Legislature to craft a law to protect the health and safety of Texas women," Abbott, a Republican who is running for governor, said in a written statement.
Lawyers for Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers had argued that the regulations do not protect women and would shut down a third of the 32 abortion clinics in Texas.
Twelve of Texas' abortion clinics won't be able to perform the procedure starting as soon as Friday.
In a statement Thursday, Planned Parenthood said the appeals court decision means "abortion will no longer be available in vast stretches of Texas."
"This fight is far from over," Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards said in the statement. "This restriction clearly violates Texas women's constitutional rights by drastically reducing access to safe and legal abortion statewide."
The court's order is temporary until it can hold a complete hearing, likely in January.
The restrictions are among the toughest in the nation and gained notoriety when Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis launched a nearly 13-hour filibuster against them in June. Davis has since launched her own gubernatorial campaign and could face Abbott in the November 2014 election. Republican Gov. Rick Perry has said he will not seek another term.
The law that the Legislature passed this summer also bans abortions at 20 weeks of pregnancy and beginning in October 2014 requires doctors to perform all abortions in surgical facilities.
Officials for one chain of abortion clinics testified in the trial that Yeakel oversaw that they've tried to obtain admitting privileges for their doctors at 32 hospitals, but so far only 15 accepted applications and none have announced a decision. Many hospitals with religious affiliations will not allow abortion doctors to work there, while others fear protests if they provide privileges. Many have requirements that doctors live within a certain radius of the facility, or perform a minimum number of surgeries a year that must be performed in a hospital.
Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-10-31-Texas%20Abortion%20Restrictions-Lawsuit/id-42429cd6e70b44118d149c43825ee240FILE - In this Oct. 22, 2012 file photo Singer Kanye West and girlfriend Kim Kardashian attend Gabrielle's Angel Foundation 2012 Angel Ball cancer research benefit at Cipriani Wall Street in New York. Marriage is coming after the baby carriage for Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. E! News reports West proposed to Kardashian Monday, Oct. 21, 2013, on Kardashian's 33rd birthday, in front of family and friends at the AT&T Park. Kardashian gave birth to the couple’s first child, daughter North West, in June. Representatives for 36-year-old West and Kardashian didn't immediately respond to emails seeking comment about the engagement. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - In this Oct. 22, 2012 file photo Singer Kanye West and girlfriend Kim Kardashian attend Gabrielle's Angel Foundation 2012 Angel Ball cancer research benefit at Cipriani Wall Street in New York. Marriage is coming after the baby carriage for Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. E! News reports West proposed to Kardashian Monday, Oct. 21, 2013, on Kardashian's 33rd birthday, in front of family and friends at the AT&T Park. Kardashian gave birth to the couple’s first child, daughter North West, in June. Representatives for 36-year-old West and Kardashian didn't immediately respond to emails seeking comment about the engagement. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kim Kardashian and Kanye West sued a co-founder of YouTube on Thursday claiming he violated a confidentiality agreement by posting a video of the couple's marriage proposal to his new video-sharing website.
The couple's lawsuit states Chad Hurley wasn't invited to the elaborate Oct. 21 proposal at San Francisco's AT&T Park, but was allowed to stay because he signed an agreement not to post any video or images from the event. West allowed other cameras to film the event for possible broadcast on E! Entertainment Television, home to his fiancee's show "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," according to the suit.
Hurley posted a fuzzy 2 ½ minute long video on his new website MixBit, that showed West proposing to Kardashian while an orchestra played. The video also showed the ensuing celebration with Kardashian's family and invited guests toasting the newly-engaged couple.
Kardashian and West are seeking unspecified damages from Hurley and his company, Avos Systems Inc.
"Exclusive rights, such as those sold by plaintiffs to publication of video of the event, are particularly valuable," the lawsuit states. "If people violate these rights ... they are of substantially diminished value."
A message sent through MixBit seeking comment from Hurley was not immediately returned.
West proposed to Kardashian on her 33rd birthday; the couple's first child North West was born in June.
The lawsuit was first reported by celebrity website TMZ.
___
Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP
Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-10-31-People-Kardashian-West-Lawsuit/id-a260b3067f8d4ee7a0e50bb84bcfdefc
If you're in the U.S., Apple's new iPad Air and Retina iPad mini bring with them new choices for carriers. In addition to AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, T-Mobile is offering iPad service now. Coverage and cost are your two major factors, as well as LTE footprint, since all cell-equipped iPads support the technology. Which carrier is right for you?
Let's get down to business, looking at prices first.
All four carriers offer data plans for iPads with month-to-month, contract-free pricing. So if you are interested in choosing a different provider than you have for your cellular service, you can. You may also be interested in one of these plans if you are not on a "share everything" plan on AT&T or Verizon.
Quite frankly, each carrier has done their best to totally muddle the waters, so rather than break it down in charts, let me try to summarize:
Sprint offers a wide range of plans starting at a scant $5 (for a measly 25 MB per month - suitable for "emergency" e-mail use, but little more) and running up to $80 per month for 12 GB.
T-Mobile also accounts for tablets independently of phones. But the company's doing its best to be disruptive here, just as it has been in the smartphone market. When T-Mobile announced plans in late October to carry the iPad Air and iPad mini for the first time, the company also announced "Free Data for Life," which guarantees T-Mobile customers 200 MB of free data every month for as long as they own their iPad, even if they aren't yet a T-mobile customer.
T-Mobile's "always on" plans for iPad start at $10 per month for 500 MB of data. You can up your data limit in 2 GB increments for $10 a pop. T-Mobile is also introducing daily and weekly passes for customers who only occasionally need cell access on their devices - 500 MB for a day for $5, and weekly passes of unlimited data with 1 GB of 4G/LTE speeds for $10.
If you already have a "share everything" plan with AT&T or Verizon, you can add a tablet to your plan for another $10 per month. That's $10 per month more than you're paying now, plus the iPad draws from the pool of data you're already paying for. If you have an individual plan, this is not an option and you must use one of the above prepaid plans.
Neither Sprint nor T-Mobile will bundle your tablet with your smartphone plan. Tablet data plans are accounted for separately - see above for details.
In addition to price, you must also consider where each carrier offers coverage and if you're within that area. When it comes to coverage, the first thing you want to consider is LTE availability. LTE speed makes such a difference in data performance, this factor should weigh heavily on your decision.
Verizon has deployed LTE the fastest: they claim that 99 percent of their former 3G network now receives LTE coverage. However, customers in some areas are already complaining about network slowdowns, so Verizon has to stay on its toes by building out more capacity.
AT&T is building out their LTE network as fast as they can. Right now they have LTE available in almost 450 markets nationwide, with more to come. So if you're on AT&T and don't have LTE already, you should have it soon. AT&T also claims that their is the most reliable network, in terms of successful delivery rate of high-speed content.
Sprint is playing catchup here, but the company has spent 2013 accelerating its 4G LTE buildout as fast as it can. Sprint now has LTE available in 230 markets nationwide, and made a strong push this summer to grow that further. See those red dots on the map? They represent Sprint's 4G LTE footprint.
T-Mobile is in fourth place, but it's nipping at Sprint's heels. The company plans to have 200 markets with LTE coverage by the end of the year; and it only started to build out LTE coverage this past March. The company has also aggressively "refarmed" its network to improve its 4G footprint.
Obviously, all of this nationwide stuff is irrelevant if the coverage isn't good in your market. So here are some links to individual service providers' coverage maps. Check them yourself, and talk with friends, family members, coworkers and others about their experience with different services.
The iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina Display both include support for GSM and CDMA, the two dominant network types in the US. GSM is used throughout Europe and CDMA exists in some parts of Asia, Mexico, parts of Latin America and elsewhere.
Check with your individual carrier to find out their international plan rates. In general, it's going to cost you quite a bit to get your iPad working abroad. One exception to that is T-Mobile - customers who have their "Simple Choice" plans now get unlimited data in more than 100 countries.
Depending on where you're traveling, how the duration of your trip, and your carrier, you may find that it's less expensive to buy a local carrier SIM once you get to the country you're visiting and buy a prepaid data plan instead.
Verizon has the most ubiquitous coverage of any of the four major carriers. They've successfully transitioned the vast majority of their network to LTE. The company has its sights focused on improving capacity and reliability now that its transition to LTE is mostly complete. The adage "you get what you pay for" applies - you may pay a bit more to use Verizon, ultimately - however, if you're already a Verizon customer and you're using a shared data plan, you'll be able to add your tablet for $10 a month.
AT&T has been investing heavily in rolling out their LTE network quickly. If they have good coverage in your area, they're a good option. And like Verizon, if you have a shared data plan with AT&T now, it's just $10 more per month to add your iPad to that pool.
Sprint made a wrong turn with WiMax - a 4G networking technology that hasn't worked out very well - and it's cost them years. Now they're doing the same thing as everyone else, transitioning their network to 4G and LTE. But that rollout is far, far behind Verizon and AT&T. Still, if they're the best in your area, and their plans appeal to you, go with Sprint.
T-Mobile is in fourth place, and that's causing them to take risks and cause as much disruption in the market as they can - hence their decision to give iPad customers absolutely free data, and to provide international travelers with free data access abroad. Their LTE is far behind their competitors, but the HSPA+ is very fast anyway. If you have great service with them, and like the plans they're offering, go with T-Mo.
So which carrier are you going to choose? Will you be ditching one carrier for another or sticking with the one you already have? Sound off in the comments below!
Retina iPad mini
The world's most popular tiny tablet goes Retina. Features include:
iPad Air
Apple's full-sized iPad gets slimmed down. Features include:
Released
November, 2013
Alternatives
Retina iPad mini, iPad 2
Replacements
iPad Air 2 (iPad 6)
Fall, 2014
Resources
Buyers guide
Help forum
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