Dbrand’s ‘Something’ skins make your phone look like a Nothing Phone 1

Most reviews agree: the Nothing Phone 1 is a striking device. But thanks to limited availability, good lucking buying one – especially if you live in the US or Canada. Enter Dbrand. The accessory maker has announced a new “Something” line of skins that promise to transform your iPhone 13 Pro Max, Pixel 6 Pro or Galaxy S22 Ultra.

You might think Dbrand is playing with fire here, and you’re probably right. “Some might accuse us of theft. Here’s our counter: we stole nothing,” the company says on its website. “That’s not theft – it’s plagiarism, which is definitely not a crime. We checked,” Dbrand adds after noting it spent “a lot of time” taking apart electronics, an investment the company says makes it “uniquely qualified to rip off an industrial design and ‘creatively reinterpret’ it for other devices.” 

Dbrand is no stranger to these kinds of marketing stunts. At the end of last year, the company made headlines when it stopped selling custom PlayStation 5 faceplates following a cease-and-desist letter from Sony. Days later, the company announced a new version of its “Darkplates” it claimed Sony would not have a legal case against. We wouldn’t rule out the possibility that Nothing founder Carl Pei is involved. Pei is widely credited for the guerilla marketing strategy that put OnePlus on the map.  

Something skins are available to buy through Dbrand’s website. You can get one for $24.95. 

FCC chair proposes raising broadband standard to 100Mbps

The FCC’s 25Mbps broadband standard seemed fast in 2015, but that was seven years ago — and the agency’s current leadership believes it’s time to raise that baseline. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has proposed raising the minimum definition of broadband to 100Mbps for downloads and 20Mbps for uploads. The previous 25/3 benchmark is both outdated and hides just how many low-income and rural internet users are being “left behind and left offline,” Rosenworcel said.

The chair said multiple pieces of evidence supported the hike, including requirements for new network construction stemming from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The FCC had already proposed upgrades to rural speeds through a special program, but this would affect the definition of broadband regardless of where users live in the country.

Rosenworcel also wanted the minimum speed to evolve over time. She proposed setting a much higher standard of 1Gbps down and 500Mbps up for some point in the future. The leader further suggested more criteria for determining the “reasonable and timely” rollout of broadband, including adoption rates, affordability, availability and equitable access.

It’s unclear if the standards change will move forward. Ars Technicanotes any proposed upgrade would require a vote, and the current commission is deadlocked with two Democrats and two Republics. As the Senate has done little to advance commissioner nominee Gigi Sohn, there’s no guarantee Rosenworcel (a Democrat) will get her way. Telecoms might not be thrilled, either. Comcast only last year raised the speed of its $10 Essentials tier to 50Mbps downstream — it and other carriers might have to invest in better networks to reach the 100Mbps minimum in some areas, let alone a possible 1Gbps threshold.

Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K drops to $30, plus the rest of the week’s best tech deals

Amazon Prime Day brought a flurry of deals earlier this week, but just because the shopping event has come and gone doesn’t mean all of those savings have disappeared. In fact, there are a number of good tech deals still lingering today, so you still h…

The best student discounts we found for 2022

Your college years can be some of the best of your life, but we know it can be tough to enjoy them when you’re scrounging every dollar for textbooks, food and (if you’re lucky) the occasional outing with friends. Money is tight when you’re a student, a…

Intel price hikes could make PCs more expensive

Intel has told customers that it will raises prices on most of its processors and other chips by up to 10-20 percent later this year, Nikkei has reported. That could mean price increases on computers products ranging from laptops to servers, at the same time that demand is weakening and sales are dropping. 

Intel effectively confirmed the news, referring back to its Q1 earnings call. “Intel indicated it would increase pricing in certain segments of its business due to inflationary pressures. The company has begun to inform customers of these changes,” it told Nikkei.

With the COVID-19 keeping folks working at home, PC sales increased dramatically in 2020-21. That bubble has since burst, however, and key Intel buyers like Acer, ASUS and others have warned of slowing sales ahead. Acer Chairman Jason Chen even noted that his company is no longer seeing a shortage of chips. “Some of the chip suppliers’ CEOs even called me recently to buy more chips from them. The situation has changed,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

Rival chipmaker TSMC previously said that it would race prices by a “single-digit” percentage starting next year. Since that company manufactures AMD’s chips, consumers aren’t likely to find as much price relief by switching brands, either. 

Some device makers are starting to build up inventories, which could mean deals in the short term. However, the outlook longer term is less clear. Samsung, for one, reportedly told suppliers to stop shipping parts used to manufacture its PCs, TVs and other devices. 

Nothing Phone 1 Review: A remarkable-looking midrange Android phone

When I first pulled the Nothing Phone 1 from its slender retail box, I just stared at it, flipped it over in my hand and scrutinized the see-through bits and pieces. Nothing’s attention to detail was noticeable everywhere. I’ll admit it outright: I lov…