Blog Archives
Apple: The new AT&T
Steve Jobs last gift to technology buffs may not be just a new iPhone or SmarTV. Apple’s next market maybe to take on carriers. So look out AT&T and Verizon Wireless. It makes perfect sense and something that Google has been working on for a while. Apple as a direct mobile service provider ensures that the network can not be to blame for shabby service. Apple has somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 million credit cards on file for iTunes users. That means they can just charge your iTunes account for the monthly phone bill.
Apple has a network architecture technology that will help it make the jump. They have had a patent-pending on the technology since 2006. If Apple does have a very large piggy bank to help with the subsidies carriers pay to keep iPhone pricing affordable. As much as I love the iPhone, I do not think I nor anyone else but the most die hard Apple Fanboy would pay upwards of $700 for a phone.
Would Apple bite the hand that feeds it? Apple has never been one to care about anything other than a good product. They don’t about their customers wants only what Apple thinks they need. So, I think Apple will do this just as soon as their patent gets approved.
Do you have Verizon? They are now using your personal info for ads
If you are a Verizon customer you need to read this carefully. Verizon Wireless is changing its privacy policy. While this on its own is nothing new; companies change them all the time. What is new and should have you very concerned is that the carrier will now monitor your usage and mine that information for marketing reports and targeted ads.
The information will not be mundane things like how much data you use? Instead the new privacy policy calls for Verizon to mine the websites you visit, what search terms you use, location information, app usage and what phone features are usage. As stated earlier Verizon will also monitor how you use your calling plan and what mobile phones you buy.
Verizon plans to use your information internally and share it with third-party companies to create targeted ads and generate marketing reports. The most unsettling part about this is that they will start doing this without your consent. Taking a page out of the Facebook policy playbook. Users will be opted in to this new program to share their information by default.
If you don’t want Verizon to use your data in this way take a moment to change your settings. To opt out call Verizon at 1-866-211-0874 or by going to the privacy page. On the site you should check “Don’t use my information” for all of your Verizon cell numbers.
iPhone 4S : What rumors were ture and what was not so much
FACT:
- Siri is all over this thing. Voice works for almost everything.
- It’s a world phone. GSM/CDMA together
- It will have the A5 chip in it. Same chip in iPad 2
- 8MP Camera
Not so much
iPhone 5 + Sprint = Apple Dominance of US Market. iPhone on every major carrier
If the rumors are to be believed, Apple is about to present Sprint subscribers with an early holiday gift. WSJ is reporting that the Apple iPhone will be on Sprint the same time as AT&T and Verizon Wireless. Wall Street Journal sources “familiar with the matter” tend to be off on dates but usually get the information on the product right.
They say mid October and that Sprint will also get the iPhone 4 for those that don’t want to get the new iPhone 5. Correction, for those that did not save enough to get the iPhone 5. As the iPhone 4 will be marked down a lot by that time. I do however wonder if Sprint will be able to keep it’s Truly Unlimited plan going with the new data hungry device.
Apple would be adding Sprint’s 52 million subscribers add that to the number of official users it would get from the sale of T-Mobile to AT&T. That would bring the iPhone to every major cell phone service in the USA. In other words dominance.
Android 3.1 (Honeycomb) Software Update: The facts
Motorola announced that the Android 3.1 Honeycomb update will become available on the Motorola XOOM within the next several weeks as an over the air (OTA) update. We are not sure if and when the new Honeycomb build might become available to devices. Motorola has now clarified that Android 3.1 will become available in the next few weeks and it will be delivered
Android 3.1 includes support for the new Android movie rental service, full support for Adobe Flash Player 10.2, resizable home screen widgets, USB-connected peripheral support and photo sharing between the XOOM with a PC.
The Press Release:
Android 3.1 (Honeycomb) Software Update, Coming First to Motorola XOOM™, Delivers Support for Android Market Movie Rentals and Numerous Other Enhancements
Over-the-air software update rolling out this week to Motorola XOOM tablets on Verizon Wireless
Motorola XOOM users on the Verizon Wireless network will soon be able to rent movies, use a Bluetooth® headset during video chats, resize their widgets and more with an over-the-air software update for Android™ 3.1 (Honeycomb) that makes the Motorola XOOM experience even more powerful than before. The software update, coming first to Motorola XOOM and rolling out this week, delivers a wide range of new features and expanded functionality, including:
- Support for the new Android Market movie rentals service with thousands of titles available for immediate viewing on the Motorola XOOM’s high-resolution display or on a larger screen via HDMI
- Full support for the final release of Adobe® Flash® Player 10.2, delivering significant performance enhancements when viewing rich Flash content on the web
- Resizable widgets to enable further customization of home screens
- Support for USB-connected peripherals and accessories, such as keyboards, mice, game controllers and digital cameras
- Expanded Bluetooth features to support Bluetooth headsets in Google Talk™ video chats and Bluetooth mouse support in addition to additional shortcut keys with the Bluetooth keyboard
- Picture Transfer Protocol Feature support to enable easier transfer of photo files to your PC without the need for drivers
Motorola XOOM with Wi-Fi tablets and other variants of Motorola XOOM will receive the update within the next several weeks. If users have questions or need support, they can visit www.motorola.com/myxoom or www.motorola.com/support, or get help from other owners on our online community at https://supportforums.motorola.com.
Free Calls & Text to Japan
Sprint to provide its customers with free calling and text messaging to Japanese phone lines. AT&T, Verizon Wireless and MetroPCS announced similar policies for both their subscribers. T-Mobile been silent so far. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon have all committed to waiving fees assessed to users making a donation to the Japanese relief effort via text message.
Consumer Reports says it can not recommend the Verizon iPhone 4 either
Consumer Reports says it can not recommend the Verizon iPhone 4 either. This is what they had to say about the iPhone.
We are not including the Verizon iPhone 4 in our list of recommended smart phones, despite its high ranking in our Ratings. Although Apple no longer offers a free case to buyers of the iPhone 4, as it did for a time after the problem was first discovered on the AT&T version, the company has said in the past that it will consider requests for a free case from customers who buy the phone and subsequently experience reception problems.
Consumer Reports added fuel to the already burning Antennagate fire when the iPhone 4 first came out. Now it seems it wants to continue the same road even though it’s selling like hot cakes. Seems to be someone wants to sell some magazines.
Not so fast, AT&T tries last ditch effort to keep and get new customers of iPhone
Not so fast, AT&T tries last ditch effort to keep and
get new customers of iPhone. Simultaneous voice and data is great but AT&T needs to do more than that to keep and get new customers. I mean after all Verizon iPhones can make calls. So AT&T has made the old out of date AT&T’s iPhone 3GS just $49, it’s $150
cheaper than the 16GB iPhone 4 and $250 cheaper than the 32GB model. This makes the device cheap for those that just want to say they have an iPhone. If under contract with AT&T wait for the iPhone 5 launch. Don’t extend your contract. If not under contract wait for iPhone 5 because, Verizon Wireless will have to mark their iPhone 4 for cheap. I don’t see $49 cheap but cheaper than now.
Walmart to have the Verizon iPhone 4 too
Walmart U.S. said: Do you know who we are? We run this! Ok that is not what they said but I know they are thinking it. Here is what they really had to say.
We’re excited to bring iPhone 4 on the Verizon Wireless network, one the most anticipated mobile phone launches in recent history, to Walmart customers. As customers continue to embrace smart phone technology, we’ve added nearly 20 smart phone models to our assortment, including the new Verizon Wireless iPhone 4.
Verizon says sales were great: No surprise
Verizon has announced to nobodies surprise that first-day sales of the iPhone were bigger than any first-day phone launch ever. Verizon notes that this happened between the wee hours of 3-5AM. You know how many people have waited for the jump to Verizon Wireless? I look for sales to get ridicules come Feb 10th
VERIZON WIRELESS HAS RECORD SALES ON FIRST DAY OF iPHONE 4
Available to General Public on Feb.10
BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – At 8:10 p.m. EST yesterday, Verizon Wireless ceased online orders of iPhone 4 to existing customers and ended the most successful first day sales in the history of the company.
“This was an exciting day,” said Dan Mead, president and chief executive officer for Verizon Wireless. “In just our first two hours, we had already sold more phones than any first day launch in our history. And, when you consider these initial orders were placed between the hours of 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., it is an incredible success story. It is gratifying to know that our customers responded so enthusiastically to this exclusive offer — designed to reward them for their loyalty.
“I am proud of our employees who worked tirelessly to strengthen and scale our systems, enabling unprecedented customer orders through our website. Overall, it was a very good day,” he added.
Mead also said customers will have another opportunity at being among the nation’s first to own an iPhone 4 on the Verizon Wireless network.
“Yesterday’s launch set the pace for next week when we open up sales to everyone across America.”
The general market launch of the iPhone 4 on the Verizon Wireless network will occur on February 10. The company will open its more than 2000 Verizon Wireless Stores at 7 a.m. It will also be available at all Apple store locations, Best Buy, select Wal-Mart stores, and on-line at verizonwireless.com and apple.com.
