WebProNews

Tag: Verizon

  • Redbox Instant Coming (Exclusively) to Xbox 360 in the “Very Near Future”

    Redbox Instant Coming (Exclusively) to Xbox 360 in the “Very Near Future”

    Microsoft has just announced that Redbox Instant, the company’s streaming video venture with Verizon, will be coming to the Xbox 360 as as console exclusive.

    “Today we’re happy to reveal that Redbox Instant by Verizon will be coming to Xbox 360 in the very near future,” says the Major Nelson blog. No other details were provided on the exact launch date of the new app, simply the “very near future.”

    Also adding to a vagueness is the phrase “coming days,” which is the time frame in which current Redbox Instant beta participants will receive an email with a special access code. Redbox Instant is currently in a beta testing phase, but is likely to open up to everyone by March.

    As is the case with Netflix, HBO Go, Hulu, and most other Xbox apps, an Xbox LIVE Gold membership will be required to use the new Redbox Instant app. Redbox Instant itself costs $8 a month ($9 for Blu-ray), and that includes full streaming access as well as four additional physical rentals.

    Score one for Microsoft as they’ve just landed another streaming video option to tempt users into paying for Xbox LIVE Gold – even if Redbox Instant’s current offerings leave a lot to be desired.

  • Square Finds Its Way Into Verizon Stores & Angie’s List

    Verizon Wireless announced today that the Square Card Reader is now available in its stores across the U.S. The card reader works on Android and iOS, and sells for $9.97. It also comes with a $10 credit to a Square account.

    Additionally, Square announced on Wednesday that it is now working with Angie’s List so that merchants can enable mobile payments as part of Angie’s List’s Business Center mobile app.

    “Working with Square will help provide happier transactions for our members and service companies,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “We’re excited to work with Square because they understand what small businesses need to succeed.”

    “Whether on site or at a customer’s home, people will now have a fast, reliable way to accept payments. With Square, Angie’s List businesses can focus their time and energy on what really matters—doing great work,” said Square co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey. “We’re proud to work with Angie’s List to make life easier for businesses of all sizes.”

    The Business Center app is currently only available on iOS.

  • New BlackBerry 10 Phones Coming to All Major U.S. Carriers

    New BlackBerry 10 Phones Coming to All Major U.S. Carriers

    Nearly every detail of BlackBerry’s (RIM has changed its name to just “BlackBerry”) new BlackBerry 10 operating system and smartphones were painstakingly covered in the company’s big launch event earlier today. The one very noticeable thing that wasn’t covered, however, was when the new devices would actually launch in the U.S.

    Canada got a clear release date of February 5, but U.S. BlackBerry fans will have to wait until sometime in March. The specific launch date will probably vary by carrier, but each of the major U.S. carriers has at least confirmed that it will carry at least one of the two new BlackBerry 10 smartphones.

    AT&T and Verizon, the two largest U.S. wireless carriers, have both confirmed that they will be carrying the BlackBerry Z10 (the one that resembles an iPhone) and the BlackBerry Q10 (the one with the traditional BlackBerry physical keyboard). The white version of the Z10 will be a Verizon exclusive handset. Verizon is also the only carrier that has so far announced a price for either of the new BlackBerry devices. The Z10 (both black and white) will retail for $200 plus a two-year Verizon service contract.

    Neither T-Mobile nor Sprint will be selling both the Z10 and the Q10. They seem to have some sort of split deal with BlackBerry, where T-Mobile will be selling the Z10 and Sprint will be selling the keyboard-laden Q10.

    None of the carriers are taking pre-orders for the BlackBerry smartphones yet, though all of them but Sprint are allowing customers to sign up for email notifications regarding the devices.

  • Verizon Wireless Sells Spectrum to AT&T For $1.9 billion

    Verizon Wireless Sells Spectrum to AT&T For $1.9 billion

    According to a regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, AT&T has agreed to acquire spectrum licenses from Verizon Wireless for $1.9 billion. The 700 MHz Block B licenses will cover 42 million people in California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.

    The deal also includes AT&T handing over to Verizon Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum licenses in markets such as Phoenix, Los Angeles, Fresno, and Portland, Oregon.

    The transaction is subject to regulatory approval by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), but AT&T expects the transaction to be completed sometime in the second half of 2013.

    The transaction is part of a 700 MHz spectrum sale that Verizon announced last year. The sale is part of an agreement made with U.S. regulators so that Verizon could acquire spectrum from cable companies such as Comcast and Time Warner.

    This spectrum acquisition comes just after AT&T announced this week that it will buy Alltel for $780 million. Alltel is a smaller wireless carrier that serves around 585,000 subscribers in the rural areas of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Illinois, Ohio, and Idaho. AT&T announced last year that its goal is to provide 300 million Americans with access to its 4G LTE network by 2014.

  • Verizon Will Start Throttling The Internet Of Accused Pirates Soon

    It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about the six strikes anti-piracy program being put into place by ISPs across the U.S. The last news that came out of the CCI said that the program was delayed until early 2013 for some last minute problems caused by Hurricane Sandy. We don’t know when exactly the program will go into place, but some new information on the program itself has leaked out.

    TorrentFreak reports that Verizon’s Copyright Alert Program has been leaked, and the document details what the ISP for each tier of alerts. It was previously reported that Verizon would throttle speeds on the fifth and sixth alert, but the new leaked document is a bit more specific on what that means. Spoiler: Hope you pirates like dial-up speeds.

    Before getting to that, let’s take a look at what pirates can expect on the first and second copyright alert they receive from Verizon. For these first two alerts, Verizon will either send you an email or call you to tell you that a copyright owner believes you are a dirty pirate. From there, they will provide info on how to locate, and remove, file sharing software from your computer as well as provide a list of legal alternatives to piracy.

    By the sounds of it, the first two alerts aren’t that bad. They’re a little annoying, but nothing to get angry about it. Now the third and fourth alerts are where things start to get annoying. Upon being alerted that your a dirty pirate, the ISP will redirect your browser to a “special Web page” in which you must acknowledge receiving the alert. You will also have to sit through a presumably boring film on copyright law and infringement.

    How can it get more annoying than PSAs? On the fifth and sixth alert, you will be given three options: one, you must agree to an immediate reduction in Internet speed to 256kbps for two days; or two, you must agree to the same reduction, but it can be delayed for up to 14 days. If you’re feeling really lucky, you can also appeal the the validity of the alerts to the AAA who will decide if the copyright owners were wrong in sending you the alerts. This process will cost you $35, and will only be refunded if you win.

    In what may be even worse, it was confirmed by TorrentFreak that ISPs will be sending out copyright alerts to businesses. How many people do you think pirate content on public Wi-Fi networks provided by restaurants or cafes on any given day? A business could receive six alerts in one day and have their complimentary Wi-Fi slowed to a crawl. At that point, you’re not even punishing pirates anymore – you’re punishing everybody, including the businesses.

    In short, the Copyright Alert Program is probably going to anger more people than it will convert them to law abiding citizens who buy all their music from Amazon. Of course, the intention of the program is not to convert dedicated pirates, but the casual music listener who might pirate a few songs here and there. The first alert might scare them into being a good little boy or girl, but I just don’t see it working all that well.

    Also, I have to ask – whatever happened to this program being pro-consumer? CCI Director Jill Lesser has repeatedly stated that the intention of the CAP is not to punish the consumer, but rather educate. I think having speed dropped down to what constituted a regular Internet speed in 1995 to be a little extreme. Sure, you can delay the throttling, but it’s still going to happen across your entire connection. If Verizon and the CCI wanted to cultivate a little goodwill, they would only throttle P2P traffic. It’s possible, and some ISPs already do it. Throttling the entire connection is asinine and does little to educate the consumer, it only serves to grow resentment among the consumers they claim to care about so much.

    In all honesty, I see the CAP not lasting very long. It’s not as extreme as when the RIAA was suing people left and right, but I feel the public outcry is going to be similar. Piracy is a problem, and one that does need to be solved. Throttling speeds and punishing the very consumers that ensure the survival of copyright owners isn’t going to solve it.

  • Redbox Instant Will Open Up to Everyone By March

    Redbox Instant Will Open Up to Everyone By March

    Redbox Instant will be available to everyone in the U.S. by the end of the first quarter, according to a statement from CEO Shawn Strickland today at CES.

    After a long wait, Redbox Instant by Verizon finally launched in beta last month. It’s a gradual rollout, and as of right now you still need an invitation to be able to join.

    The service costs $8 a month, and gives subscribers access to a library of 4,500 films. Film, specifically, as the service doesn’t yet offer any TV shows.

    Of course, Redbox Instant will be competing with other streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Instant Video. As you would expect from any brand new streaming service, it’s starting off kind of slow. That is, the selection is not quite on par with its competitors. A recent analysis showed that out of the “first 50” titles streaming on Redbox Instant, 40 are available on Netflix too. Redbox Instant will continues to add titles leading up to its public launch, but it has a ways to go to match the content options available on other services.

    What it does have, however is that nice little bonus built into the subscription: 4 free DVD rentals from Redbox kiosks. That alone is worth $4 of the monthly price.

    [via VentureBeat]

  • Redbox Instant Finally Here, Kevin McAllister Ecstatic

    The Redbox Instant Twitter account tweeted the big news today. The service (by Verizon) is starting its gradual roll-out (but you do still need to get on the waiting list).

    Redbox Instant is here

    The service is $8 a month (it’s free for one month), and gives users access to unlimited streaming movies and 4 DVD credits per month.

    The U.S. has been waiting nearly a year for Redbox to launch its answer to Netflix Instant, and now the battle should heat up substantially. It will be quite interesting to see how many deals Redbox is able to make to get more content. Right now, the service has a long way to go to catch up to Netflix on that front. It doesn’t even have TV shows, and the movie selection is far less than Netflix, but it is just getting started. Let’s see how it plays out.

    The mobile apps are now in Google Play and the App Store (via 9to5Google).

  • Samsung Galaxy S III Finally Gets Jelly Bean on Verizon

    Samsung Galaxy S III Finally Gets Jelly Bean on Verizon

    Verizon Wireless today announced that its customers with Samsung’s Galaxy S III smartphone will finally get an upgrade to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The update will be pushed out to subscribers starting on December 14.

    In additions to the testing and extra software placed into the update by Samsung, U.S. carriers take weeks or months to tailor operating system updates. The delays have gotten better over the past year, but Verizon customers are still just now getting an upgrade that debuted with the Nexus 7 back in mid-July. In fact, Google already released the next version of Android, 4.2, back at the end of October.

    Verizon stated that the upgrade to Jelly Bean makes the Galaxy S III on their network “Global Ready.” The device will also become ISIS-ready with the software update, for people in Austin and Salt Lake City to take advantage of. Verizon also highlighted Jelly Bean features such as upgraded notifications, Google Now, and enhanced camera capabilities.

    Verizon is the last major U.S. carrier to upgrade the Galaxy S III, after Samsung announced Jelly Bean’s availability for the device on October 17. Sprint was the first carrier to provide the update to its customers, rolling it out on October 25. T-Mobile came next on November 14. AT&T took nearly as long as Verizon, waiting until December 4 to roll out a non-over-the-air version that required Kies.

  • Samsung Galaxy Camera Heads To Verizon

    Samsung Galaxy Camera Heads To Verizon

    The Galaxy Camera is one of the more interesting Android devices to come out this year, but it’s been exclusive to AT&T since its launch on November 16. Now folks on Verizon are getting their own Galaxy Camera with an added bonus – 4G LTE.

    The Verge reports that a 4G LTE Galaxy Camera suddenly showed up on Samsung’s Web site without warning. The page appears to be a placeholder for now as it contains no price or launch date confirmation. AT&T’s Galaxy Camera retailed for $499, but only had 3G connectivity. It’s unknown if the added 4G LTE connectivity will add onto the price or not.

    For those who are still unaware of Samsung’s new camera, the Galaxy Camera is a point-and-shoot digital camera combined with the power of the company’s flagship Galaxy S III smartphone. The device is equipped with a 4.8-inch HD touch screen and a 21x optical zoom. On the software side of things, it comes with Google’s first Jelly Bean release – Android 4.1.

    While we have no official price or launch date, it would be safe to assume that the Galaxy Camera will hit Verizon before the end of the year. A few more big holiday shopping weekends are coming up, and Verizon won’t want to miss out on the potential sales that such a device could bring to the carrier. If it does miss the holiday season, I’d wager that an early January launch is in the books.

  • Verizon Patents A DVR That Spies On You

    Verizon Patents A DVR That Spies On You

    Verizon is moving into the targeted ad business in a big way. The wireless carrier announced a new campaign yesterday called Verizon Selects that would allow them to share a customer’s info with advertisers. Now the carrier has patented a device that makes its previous tracking efforts seem sophomorish in comparison.

    Ars Technica reports that Verizon has just filed a patent for a DVR that comes equipped with a camera and mic. What would the camera be used for? It would spy on you day and night, collect information about your habits and deliver targeted ads based upon that information. It’s an advertiser’s dream come true, and everybody else’s worst Orwellian nightmare.

    The patent filing lists a number of actions and objects that the camera and mic would be able to detect. It would be used to detect the usual objects like the number of people present and what they’re saying and doing. It goes into some weirder territory later on, however, when it says that they would want it to detect pets or the products being used by people, like a specific brand of chips.

    Ars points to a particular example of how a camera and mic would be used in conjunction to deliver targeted ads to a couple. If the mic picks up sounds of fighting, it would deliver an ad for relationship counseling. Likewise, sounds of cuddling would present an ad for contraceptives.

    Realistically speaking, this kind of tech is likely to never make it to market. US citizens have an expectation of privacy, and blatantly infringing upon that makes people angry. Verizon, or anybody else who has patented similar technologies, could sneak it to market, but the potential backlash is just too risky.

  • Verizon Will Give You A Coupon If You Let Them Sell Your Data To Advertisers

    Have you heard of Verizon Selects? It’s a new data collecting initiative from the carrier’s Precision Marketing portfolio that seeks to collect consumer info for targeted ads. It’s completely optional, but Verizon knows exactly what will make consumers give up their personal info – a coupon.

    Verizon will begin sending messages out to its customers this week asking them to sign up for the Verizon Selects program. It’s entirely optional and the carriers says that opting out of the program will carry no consequences – negative or otherwise. Those who do opt in will get a coupon to an unnamed retailer.

    Let’s say you opt into Verizon’s data collection service. Here’s what Verizon says they’ll be doing with your personal information:

    Simply put, Verizon Selects will use location, web browsing and mobile application usage data, as well as other information including customer demographic and interest data, to create specific insights. Verizon Selects analyzes this information about customers to see whether they fit into certain audiences Verizon or third party marketers are trying to reach. Depending on the results, participating customers will receive marketing messages or offers that may be of more interest to them than what they see or receive today. These messages could be delivered in various ways such as email, text, postal mail or online or mobile advertising.

    Verizon notes that it will not share any personally identifying information with anybody outside of the company. That’s vague, and kind of scary considering that law enforcement is trying to push for greater access to mobile carriers’ records, especially SMS.

    Regardless, it’s entirely optional at this point. If a coupon is worth a company potentially making millions off of your personal information, you can sign up for Verizon Selects here. Concerned customers can also opt out of it and other targeted ad networks at the above link.

    [h/t: Droid Life]

  • Redbox Instant Release Date And Pricing May Have Been Leaked

    Redbox Instant should be launching soon. Reports back in the summer had it pegged to launch late this year. Now, here we are heading into December, and nothing yet (other than the closed beta, of course).

    GigaOm’s Janko Roettgers stumbled across a help section about the service, which has now been removed from public view. According to Roettgers, the section revealed that subscriptions are priced at $6 a month for unlimited access to the subscription video catalog and $8 a month for that plus four Redbox credits, good for DVD rentals. Users will be able to reserve the rentals from the Instant site, Roettgers says.

    The service also provides on-demand rentals and sales, starting at $0.99 with service available on the web, Android, iOS, Xbox 360, and some Samsung TVs and Blu-Ray players.

    A possible release date was also revealed, according to the report, as beta testers are told that they won’t be able to access DVDs through the subscriptions until December 17.

    Of course, being how none of this is public, any of it is subject to change, so we’ll have to keep everything here filed in the rumor department for the time being.

    Redbox Instant is a joint venture between Redbox and Verizon. TiVo settled litigation with Verizon in September, and part of the agreement involved TiVo and Verizon “exploring, among other things, future distribution of Internet video services” developed through the joint venture – namely Redbox Instant.

  • Verizon, Time Warner Cable Announce Their Six Strikes Anti-Piracy Plans

    The CCI is about to launch its six-strikes anti-piracy system alongside six of the nation’s major ISPs. The program is being touted as a consumer-friendly system that encourages the use of legal alternatives when users are caught pirating content online. A leak has already detailed AT&T plans, but we didn’t know what the other ISPs would do until recently.

    Ars Technica reports that Verizon and Time Warner Cable were present at a CCI panel discussion at this year’s INET New York conference. The two companies described the systems they will put in place to deter piracy. Subscribers under these ISPs will encounter slower speeds and blocked sites after going through the first few rounds of warnings.

    To recap, a user caught pirating content will be sent a warning for the first two offenses. The message will contain an alert saying they were involved in copyright infringement, and offer up educational resources on where to find legal alternatives.

    The second and third alert will contain much of the same information, but require the user to actually acknowledge receipt of the alert before they can continue on their day. The CCI says this will be accomplished by the use of a “conspicuous mechanism.” By that, they mean that you’ll be spammed by pop-ups until you click through.

    The fifth and sixth alert are where the ISPs take action. Some leaked documents said that AT&T would throttle speeds, and hand over the user’s identity to copyright holders for potential litigation. Verizon and Time Warner’s methods aren’t that different. According to Ars Technica, Verizon will throttle speeds of those found pirating content more than five times. Time Warner will take it a step further by blocking popular Web sites that user frequently visits.

    What’s interesting is that neither company mentioned handing over a user’s identity to copyright holders. It was in the leaked memo from AT&T, but the other ISPs seem to be steering away from that potential outcome. The content holders are also saying that lawsuits are not the intention of this new system. Ron Wheeler, senior VP at Fox Broadcasting said “This system is not designed to produce lawsuits – it’s designed to produce education.”

    Only time will tell if that’s really the case. The RIAA and MPAA have been pushing for this system for some time now, and who knows how both groups will react to this newfound power. We might just be looking at the beginning of another file-sharer witch hunt.

  • HTC Droid DNA 1080p Smartphone Announced

    HTC today announced the Droid DNA smartphone, the first U.S. smartphone to feature a 1080p screen resolution. The announcement came during today’s joint Verizon/HTC event.

    The Droid DNA will have a five-inch display, a 1.5Ghz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, a 2020mAh battery, and 16GB of internal storage. The device will also come with built-in wireless charging technology, NFC support, and, of course, 4G LTE wireless. The rear camera is 8MP and the front-facing camera is 2.1MP, featuring an “ultra-wide-angle” lens.

    The Droid DNA will be running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, but, like the HTC One X+, it will have HTC’s Sense 4.0+ UI software running on top of Google’s OS. Being an HTC device, the smartphone will also come with Beats-branded audio.

    Pre-orders for the Droid DNA start today through Verizon. The device will be hitting stores on November 21.

    HTC is touting the HD screen for “superior graphics during a game.” To show off the screen, the Droid DNA will get access to Reign of Amira, a hack n’ slash game created by Qualcomm to showcase the graphical capabilities of its Snapdragon S4 processors.

  • Verizon Gives Up on Verizon Apps Store

    Verizon has announced through its developer community website that as of January 2013, the Verizon Apps app store will be removed from all Android and BlackBerry devices. The company anticipates completing the removal process by March 27, 2013. The wireless carrier did emphasize, however that business applications submitted to the Private Application’s Store for Business will still be available for enterprise customers to purchase and download.

    Verizon admitted that most of the apps available through Verizon Apps were already available through other app stores, such as Google Play, BlackBerry App World, and Amazon’s app store for Android. From the company’s statement:

    Verizon set out to create an app storefront, offering device optimization, security and simplicity for developers. Verizon Apps launched in March 2010 – the beginning of what would be an app popularity surge. There’s now a whole new tech landscape in which both consumers and developers can interact like never before. We’re evolving our strategy to further simplify today’s experience and meet the needs of tomorrow.

    The company announced that it will be “introducing new merchandising strategies” in the future, starting with the AppLuvr app-sharing app, which it announced back in August. Current Google Play statistics show the app has been downloaded less than 5,000 times for Android devices, and the app is only available for Verizon customers who have Android 2.3 or better on their devices.

    The Verizon Developer Community is no longer accepting new app submissions, and apps that require a monthly license check will be some of the first to go. During the “transition” period where Verizon is uninstalling the Verizon Apps software (and presumably putting AppLuvr in its place) developers will still have access to app metrics and reporting, and the company will continue making payments “while the shutdown client is being deployed.”

    (via BGR)

  • Verizon Highlights Its Privacy Policy in the Wake of Windows Phone Rumors

    Earlier today rumors surfaced that Windows Phone 8 devices scheduled to be sold and used on Verizon’s network might be delayed or even cancelled. The story is that Verizon wants more access to Windows 8 smartphones, to better collect users’ location and web browsing data, and Microsoft isn’t budging on user privacy.

    Though neither Verizon nor Microsoft have verified the rumor, Verizon is attempting to spin things its way by releasing a statement on its privacy policy. The company claims that “protecting customer data and safeguarding privacy have always been top priorities at Verizon.”

    Though many of the articles this morning referred to Verizon’s data collection efforts as spyware, the company wants everyone to know that they informed customers before they began collecting their data and that customer data is “de-identified” and then aggregated, so it’s ok. It’s not your data, its everyone’s data. From Verizon’s statement:

    In 2011, we announced a number of new programs that will help companies better understand mobile consumers in a more detailed and efficient way. None of the data that is used in this program is personally-identifiable, and we do not sell raw data to third-parties. We are not selling your personal data. At the time these programs were announced, we informed our customers of the changes through updates to our privacy policy and through emails or direct mail, depending on preferences for how they wanted us to communicate these types of changes with them.

    One of these programs provides insights into audiences on the move by connecting aggregated demographic, mobile usage, and location data into useful business and marketing reports. To be clear about this, we are aggregating customer data that has already been de-identified, which means none of it is personally identifiable information.

    Verizon goes on to state that they use customer information to group people by demographics and interests, such as age, gender, and “tennis enthusiasts.” A profile of everything about a customer, only without the customer’s name. The info is then used to deliver mobile ads as well as other advertising based on the demographics of a geographic region.

    The company states that customers can opt-out of these programs through the Verizon website or via phone. That does imply, though, that the data collection is opt-in by default.

    Verizon is really splitting hairs here. Sure, the raw data isn’t sold to companies, but they also admit in no uncertain terms that customer demographic info and postal addresses are being used to serve up ads. The fact is, Verizon is making money, one way or another, by collecting data on their subscribers. The company should stop pretending and simply explain to customers (and Microsoft) why personally-tailored ads aren’t necessarily a bad thing.

  • iPhone 5 Glitch Messes With Date And Time

    iPhone 5 Glitch Messes With Date And Time

    As previously reported, iPhone 5 users are complaining about an apparent software glitch related to the keyboard feature. Users are also complaining about another glitch involving the automatic date/time settings.

    Specifically, users are talking about incorrect days and times being displayed. There’s a big thread about this in Apple’s support forums. The thread starts with a user saying:

    So, I activated my vzw iPhone5 Saturday. Very much enjoying it. Woke up yesterday and was very confused because my phone thought it was 8/26/12 and 30 minutes later than the actual time. I reset network settings and it self resolved…until this morning. I woke up and looked at my phone and had a melt down because my alarm never went off. I hurriedly got ready and looked at the microwave as I ran out, and it was 30 minutes earlier than my iPhone said.

    My iPhone apparently is doing something weird and reverting to 8/26/12 + 30 minutes while I (and it) sleep. It throws off iMessage and I’m sure the rest of the date/time dependent apps, so I’ve turned off the automatic time setting for now, and its fine now (so far lol). But I would like to know what the real issue is if possible!?! Is it my phone? VZW? Does it matter?

    Since the original post on September 24, there have been numerous complaints along the same lines from other users. To date, there are 361 replies.

    Some believe the glitch is related to Verizon’s network in the U.S. AppleInsider reported on the issue, and was unable to obtain comment from either Apple or Verizon. Mikey Campbell writes:

    While the exact cause of problem is unknown, speculation points to a bug with how the timing code embedded in Verizon’s CDMA cell network is handled.

    In order to operate properly, all CDMA cell towers transmit a time signal based on data from an on-site GPS receiver, allowing the network to stay in synchronization. It is possible that either Apple’s handset is somehow misinterpreting the time signals, or timing data from certain Verizon cell towers is faulty, though at this point the theories are mere conjecture.

    One user in Apple’s forum said they had talked to Verizon, who confirmed that they had heard other complaints about the issue.

  • Verizon Might Cancel Its Entire Windows Phone 8 Line [Rumor]

    AT&T is poised to be the number one carrier for Windows Phone 8 this holiday season. Many Verizon customers, who also happen to be Windows Phone fans, were distraught to find that the Lumia 920 was exclusive to AT&T. Now it looks like Verizon might not even carry a single Windows Phone because Microsoft cares too much about your privacy.

    Wait, what?

    You see, a recent privacy policy update allows Verizon to spy on and share users’ location data and Web usage habits. According to International Digital Times, Verizon is using this newfound power to share information with advertisers. The carrier gets ad dollars and advertisers get valuable tracking data to further target their ads.

    Microsoft is having none of it. They won’t let Verizon install spyware on Windows Phone 8, and Verizon won’t carry the devices for that reason. Daily Mobile reports that both parties are working towards an agreement, but Microsoft seems unwilling to give any leeway to Verizon on the matter.

    Where have I heard all of this before? Oh right, this is just like Microsoft’s current fight with advertisers over the “Do Not Track” button being set on by default in Internet Explorer 10. Microsoft has come out in defense of privacy, and advertisers don’t like it one bit. They even went as far as saying that advertisers could just ignore any DNT signals being sent by IE10.

    So where does this leave Windows Phone 8 if this rumored situation ends up being true? Verizon is a major carrier and very popular among the populace. Windows Phone 8 can’t afford to lose such an important carrier, but Microsoft is wanting to be the good guy here. Will it be morality or cold hard cash that wins out in the end? My bet is on the latter.

    We’ve reached out to Verizon and Microsoft on the issue and will update when he hear back.

    UPDATE: Microsoft announced that Verizon would be carrying a number of Windows Phones at the company’s Windows Phone 8 event. If there was any truth to this report, the two parties have apparently worked it out.

  • Verizon Earnings Grew Along With Shared Plans

    Verizon Wireless this week announced its third-quarter 2012 results, revealing that the company continues to grow earnings. The company stated that it is on-track to meet its 2012 financial objectives.

    “In the third quarter, Verizon continued to deliver double-digit earnings growth and strong cash generation, and we remain solidly on track to meet our financial objectives for the year,” said Lowell McAdam, chairman and CEO of Verizon. “With our 4G LTE network advantage, well-received Share Everything Plans and unmatched product portfolio, Verizon Wireless continues to do an outstanding job of balancing growth and profitability. Wireless achieved record profitability in a quarter in which we reported the highest number of retail postpaid gross and net adds in four years.”

    Verizon earlier this year rolled out its Share Everything Plans, which allow families to pool data, but require a monthly fee for each device that can access the data. The plans could conceivably save money for large families who don’t use much data, but are more expensive for individual users.

    The new plans and its FiOS service have propelled Verizon to a third consecutive quarter of double-digit earnings growth. The company’s wireless service revenues totaled $16.2 billion, up 7.5 percent from the third quarter of 2011. Overall, the company saw 56 cents in diluted earnings per share (eps) – a 14.3% increase over the third quarter of 2011.

    “Based on the strength of our FiOS fiber-optic network, we reported the highest growth in U.S. consumer wireline revenues in 10 years,” saidMcAdam. “Additionally, strategic services growth in our Enterprise business helped offset weaker revenues caused by global economic challenges. We are confident that we have the right plans in place to meet these challenges while improving the long-term profitability in both Consumer and Enterprise.”

  • Isis Mobile Wallet App is Available – For a Few

    Isis Mobile Wallet App is Available – For a Few

    Isis, the mobile wallet technology that AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile have sunk millions of dollars into over the past year was delayed past its originally planned launch. This week, the service has finally launched – sort of.

    According to a Mobileburn report, the service is only available to a very specific few mobile subscribers. First, the app is only available to T-Mobile customers who have a Samsung Galaxy S III or Galaxy Relay 4G. Second, the app requires a special SIM card and the device must not be rooted. Of the subscribers who meet all of that criteria, only those living in Salt Lake City, Utah or Austin, Texas can get the app. These are the two cities in the Isis pilot program.

    The Isis mobile app is AT&T’s, Verizon’s, and T-Mobile’s answer to Google Wallet and PayPal mobile payments. The service will allow users to complete purchases at participating retailers using their smartphone.

    Though the iPhone 5 did not include NFC capabilities as expected, the mobile payment investments were already in place and multiple services (including one backed by Walmart and Target) will debut over the next year. T-Mobile’s parent company, Deutsche Telekom has been leading the push for mobile payment investment in Europe.

  • TiVo To Get In On Redbox Instant

    TiVo To Get In On Redbox Instant

    TiVo announced today that it has settled pending patent litigation with Verizon. The two companies have entered into a mutual patent licensing arrangement under which Verizon will provide TiVo “total compensation worth at least $250.4 million.”

    Part of the agreement involves TiVo and Verizon “exploring, among other things, future distribution of Internet video services developed through Verizon’s joint venture with Redbox.” This would include making content distributed via that service part of the content accessible via TiVo’s DVR products. More on the Verizon/Redbox offering here.

    Verizon’s payments to TiVo will consist of a $100 million initial cash payment, and then recurring quarterly payments adding up to an additional $150.4 million through July of 2018.

    TiVo says that if the companies decide to pursue certain commercial endeavors before December 21 of this year, up to $29.4 million of the payments made by Verizon would be subject to a credit of an equal amount.

    Verizon will also pay monthly license fees through July 2018 for each Verizon DVR subscriber “in excess of certain pre-determined levels.”

    “We are pleased to reach an agreement with Verizon which underscores the significant value our distribution partners derive from TiVo’s technological innovations and our shareholders derive from our investments in protecting TiVo’s intellectual property,” said TiVo President and CEO Tom Rogers.

    “We also look forward to working together on a variety of future opportunities as we continue to expand the content choices available to TiVo subscribers,” he added. “As with prior settlements, we also benefit by being able to operate our business under license from Verizon and by avoiding future legal expenses that we would have incurred during and after trial. Furthermore, we believe this settlement positions us well with respect to future enforceability of our patents.”

    Verizon and TiVo have agreed to dismiss all pending litigation.