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Verizon reverses on $2 fee for one-time payments (AP) : Technet |
- Verizon reverses on $2 fee for one-time payments (AP)
- Letter airs harassment claims against HP's ex-CEO (AP)
- SC company sues ex-worker over Twitter followers (AP)
- Shoutz Connects You to the World, One 15-Second Video at a Time (Mashable)
- Verizon ditches $2 fee after customer uproar (Reuters)
- In the Midst of Outages, Verizon Imposes New Fee (NewsFactor)
- Android Remains Top Mobile Platform in the U.S. (NewsFactor)
- Verizon tries to explain 4G LTE network outages (Appolicious)
- Slave labor targeted in Calif. law, social media (AP)
- HTC tool unlock bootloaders on some Android devices (Digital Trends)
- End-of-the-year iPad 3 rumors: two versions, better battery, new display tech (Appolicious)
- Verizon to add $2 bill-pay charge (Reuters)
- Biscotti: The Best Product Packaging Since the iPod? (Mashable)
- Fresh iPhone Apps for Dec. 30: Grid Lens, Cloth, Jailhouse Jack, Night of the Living Dead Defense (Appolicious)
- How to get the most out of your new PlayStation 3 (Digital Trends)
| Verizon reverses on $2 fee for one-time payments (AP) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 01:39 PM PST NEW YORK – After a customer backlash, Verizon Wireless on Friday dropped a plan to start charging $2 for every payment subscribers make over the phone or online with their credit or debit cards. In a statement on its website Friday, the company said "customer feedback" prompted the decision to drop the "convenience fee" it wanted to introduce on Jan. 15. Verizon wanted to steer people to electronic check payments, which are cheaper, and automatic credit card payments, which are more reliable. A petition on Change.org against the fees had gathered more than 95,000 names by Friday afternoon, a day after Verizon, the country's largest cellphone company, announced the fees. The petition was set up by Molly Katchpole, who earlier this year started a successful campaign to make Bank of America drop a $5-per-month fee for debit-card use. Payment processors for power companies usually charge "convenience fees" of up to $5 for every payment made by phone or online, but cellphone companies haven't taken the step yet. The furor against Verizon hints that they may have to wait further. Verizon Wireless serves 91 million phones and other devices on accounts that pay the company directly, and more who pay indirectly through other companies. It's a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. of New York and Vodafone Group PLC of Britain. ___ Online: Verizon's statement: http://news.verizonwireless.com/news/2011/12/pr2011-12-30.html |
| Letter airs harassment claims against HP's ex-CEO (AP) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 03:55 PM PST SAN FRANCISCO – Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Mark Hurd's efforts to impress an HP event hostess included showing her his checking-account balance holding over $1 million, according to a letter detailing the sexual harassment allegations that led to his ouster. The letter was obtained late Thursday by The Associated Press after the Delaware Supreme Court ruled that disclosing it did not violate Delaware laws. In rejecting efforts by Hurd's lawyers to keep it confidential, the court concluded that the letter does not contain trade secrets, non-public financial information or third-party confidential information. The ruling said information that is only "mildly embarrassing" is not protected from public disclosure. Some sentences concerning Hurd's family were ordered redacted from the letter, however. Celebrity attorney Gloria Allred sent the letter last year on behalf of Jodie Fisher, who was hired as a contract employee to help with HP networking events and who later accused Hurd of sexual harassment. Although an HP investigation did not find any evidence to support the harassment claim, it uncovered inaccurate expense reports for his outings with Fisher. Hurd was ultimately forced out in August 2010. He now works as co-president at rival Oracle Corp. Allred alleged in the letter that, while Fisher was ostensibly hired an HP event hostess in late 2007, she was really brought on to accompany Hurd to HP events held out of town. Throughout 2008 and 2009, Hurd made it clear he expected to have a sexual relationship with Fisher, using his "status and authority as CEO of HP," Allred alleged. Allred claimed that Hurd made several sexual advances toward Fisher, which Fisher rejected. In 2008, while walking with Fisher in Madrid, Hurd stopped at an ATM and showed her his checking-account balance "to impress her," according to the letter. After Fisher rejected him a final time in October 2009, she was not hired for any future HP events, Allred alleged. Allred also alleged that in March 2008, Hurd told Fisher that HP was likely to purchase technology services vendor EDS. HP announced the $13 billion acquisition in May of that year. HP shareholder Ernesto Espinoza had sued to have the letter unsealed. Hurd's attorney, Amy Wintersheimer, said his lawyers had requested that the letter be kept confidential because "it is filled with inaccuracies." "The truth is, there never was any sexual harassment, which HP's investigation confirmed, and there never was any sexual relationship, which Ms. Fisher has confirmed," Wintersheimer said in a statement. Both Allred and Palo Alto-based Hewlett-Packard Co. had no comment on the letter's contents. ___ Ortutay reported from New York. |
| SC company sues ex-worker over Twitter followers (AP) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 12:34 PM PST |
| Shoutz Connects You to the World, One 15-Second Video at a Time (Mashable) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 02:47 PM PST The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. Name: Shoutz [More from Mashable: Who Are Your 10 BFFs on Facebook? This App Will Tell You] Quick Pitch: Shoutz is a free social video network. Genius Idea: Mobile-to-mobile platform for recording and sharing personal videos or 15-second "Shoutz." [More from Mashable: Jewelry Site Plukka Turns Group Buying On Its Head] Shoutz, the social mobile video network, is a free mobile app for recording and sharing personal videos. Users can watch, record and share 15-second "Shoutz" directly from their phones, giving the world an opportunity to see exactly what they see when they see it. The app provides a personal way of communication by helping users connect with their friends, family, fans, consumers and the rest of the world through videos. Shoutz partners with sports teams, celebrities, companies, artists and advertisers to enhance the interaction between their fans and consumers through channels. The app requires an iPhone or Android 2.3 or higher device. Once the app is downloaded, users can sign in with their Facebook accounts or create their own profile, which also acts as their own channel. Whether you're a fan of Nascar, tennis, the outdoors, etc., choose a channel that interests you and select the stars or celebrities you want to follow within that channel. Then click on the user's profile to see their 15-second Shoutz, which you can comment on, reshout or rate. The app also provides the number of public views for each Shoutz.
Users can upload their own 15-second Shoutz to their channels and share them directly from the app to Facebook, Twitter or via email. Shoutz also gives users the option to create a list of groups to share videos with. For example, if a user records a video of themselves fishing, they can share their video only with their group of friends who enjoy fishing. Shoutz also has a feed that features the trending videos of the day, the channels you follow and Shoutz from the individuals you follow.
To help its partners manage their campaigns and build their brand strategy, Shoutz provides them with a "Channel Activity & Earnings Report" which analyzes the demographics of their channel's fans. The report includes information on platform ads, generated revenue, and the time, date and location of Shoutz views. The detailed report can help, for example, a beverage company target their campaigns to the specific audience that views their Shoutz. "A lot of celebrities don't know enough about their fans," Jim Mueller, CEO of Shoutz, told Mashable. "Shoutz provides real-time analytics that adds value for advertisers and makes it easier to manage campaigns, build brand strategies and target effectiveness." Red McCombs, co-founder of Clear Channel Communications, is one of Shoutz's primary investors. Developed in 2010, Shoutz's business model is based on advertisements. The company shares its revenue with its partners, and channels and stars share the ad revenue from their profile pages. Shoutz is currently in public beta and will completely launch in early 2012. Image courtesy of Shoutz, Shoutz
Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today. This story originally published on Mashable here. |
| Verizon ditches $2 fee after customer uproar (Reuters) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 03:41 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters) – Verizon Wireless has reversed its decision to charge a $2 fee for telephone and online bill payments, bowing to a storm of criticism from consumers and the U.S. communications regulator. The biggest U.S. wireless operator retracted its decision on Friday, just a day after it announced the fee for one-time payments, which was to have begun January 15. The consumer victory comes after Bank of America recently decided against a new $5 monthly fee for debit card users after consumers and lawmakers protested the charge. "There is power in numbers and in the end, the customer is always right," one person said on the Verizon Wireless online forum. "How can any corporation expect to keep business by doing that? It's pure greed just like with Bank of America." Verizon said it listened to its customers and made the decision based on customer input after many complained and some threatened to leave the service if the fee was instituted. A spokesman said that the company had just wanted to encourage consumers to pay their bills via different methods such as autopay, where they give Verizon permission to charge their credit card or bank account automatically each month. Verizon Wireless is a venture of Verizon Communications Inc and Vodafone Group Plc. The quick turn-around came after little more than a day of complaints, but not before the U.S. Federal Communications Commission said it was "concerned" about the fee and that it was looking into it. "On behalf of American consumers, we're concerned about Verizon's actions and are looking into the matter," an official for the FCC said earlier on Friday. The prospect of a $2 fee created a flurry of online activity and one consumer organization, Change.org, said 95,000 people joined a campaign on its website urging Verizon to drop the fee. "The era of corporations walking roughshod over consumers without consequence is officially over," Ben Rattray, chief executive of Change.org, said in a statement. Verizon Wireless customers told the company, often in colorful language, that they would not put up with the fee. "If this fee goes through, I will be taking my business elsewhere!!!" one person said on the Verizon Wireless website. Another said "Victory is ours!" after the about-face. The turnaround comes after another high-profile reversal of course earlier this year by video rental service Netflix Inc in the face of customer disgust. In October it canceled plans to split its DVD rental service from its online streaming service. The move would have forced customers of both streaming and DVD options to visit different websites and maintain different accounts for each subscription. The Verizon Wireless incident served to highlight fee practices elsewhere in the communications industry. Rivals AT&T Inc and Sprint Nextel said on Friday that they charge some customers $5 for bill payments, revising their comments from the day before. AT&T and Comcast Corp say that they charge some customers who look for personal assistance in paying their bills but that they do not charge for online payments. Sprint said it charges customers with bad credit if they refuse to enroll for auto pay. The Sprint and AT&T fees are even higher than Verizon's proposed levy at $5 per transaction. Comcast's payment fee, which is only levied in some states, is $5.99. The FCC did not comment on whether it would look into other companies' fee policies for bill payment. (Reporting By Sinead Carew; Additional reporting by Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Editing by Tim Dobbyn) |
| In the Midst of Outages, Verizon Imposes New Fee (NewsFactor) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 01:22 PM PST Verizon Wireless is pulling a Netflix of sorts. In the midst of three unexplained data outages in less than a month, the wireless carrier decided to start charging customers a $2 fee to pay their bill on its Web site. To say that customers are angry would be an understatement. "[A] new $2 payment convenience fee will be instituted for customers who make single bill payments online or by telephone," Verizon Wireless announced on its Web site Thursday. The new charges are official beginning Jan. 15, but customers aren't wasting any time complaining about the "convenience fee." Indeed, the social-media world is abuzz with complaints over the new fee in a way that's reminiscent of the recent Bank of America debit-card-fee drama. Bank of America backpedaled under pressure. So far, Verizon is holding its course. Although the company now blames its data outages on growing pains, the company isn't yet responding to the latest complaints. Worst Move Ever? "As if Verizon doesn't make enough money already. I prefer to not use the automatic payments so that I can make sure I have enough money in my account each month. I always pay my bill within a few days of receiving the e-mail," Christina Budd wrote on Verizon Wireless' Facebook page Friday morning. "How about you reward the people who pay on time, instead of punishing them?" Meanwhile, Matt Beggs wrote, "I hope you enjoy losing almost $200 a month because you wanted to get another $2 out of me." Others took the occasion to start complaining about Verizon's Total Equipment Coverage. Still others reverted to the good old-fashioned "boo" on the wireless carrier's Facebook page. One Facebook follower posted the e-mail addresses of Verizon executives. "OK, so I see you want to charge me $2 to pay my bill online. I have 15 months to go on my contract. I have figured I can cut $100 a month off my bill," writes Bentz Kirby on Verizon's Facebook page. "So, I will trade you my savings of $1,500 for your rip-off of $30. Then, when my contract is up, I will move my phone lines to another company and you will lose that income stream too. So, enjoy your $2 a month while you lose in the long run. Worst move ever by you, Verizon." Communications Snafu "Part of this uproar is based on an incomplete or inaccurate consumer understanding of what's going on. The belief initially was that Verizon was going to charge people for making all online bill payments. It's only 'one-time' payments, according to the company," said Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence. More broadly, people believe there are zero costs incurred by Verizon for online billing, he said, so there's a perception that the company is trying to take advantage of customers unfairly or unjustifiably. "This PR snafu isn't as bad as Netflix, which had several in a concentrated period of time," Sterling concluded. "But it does illustrate how companies are no longer at liberty to simply impose changes unilaterally on the public without risk to their reputations and brands." |
| Android Remains Top Mobile Platform in the U.S. (NewsFactor) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 02:33 PM PST Web metrics firm comScore reports that 234 million Americans above the age of 13 were using mobile devices during the three months prior to Thanksgiving. The Web metrics firm's new survey of more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers also demonstrates that Google's Android remained ahead in the mobile OS platform race with a 46.9 percent market share. In the U.S. mobile handset market overall, Samsung was the top device maker with a 25.6 percent share. Second-place LG achieved a 20.5 percent share, and Motorola Mobility came in third with a 13.7 percent share. Apple's share of the market overall rose from 9.8 percent in August to 11.2 percent in November, driven by pent-up demand for the iconic device maker's new iPhone 4S. By contrast, Research In Motion's BlackBerry sales slipped from 7.1 percent in August to 6.5 percent in November. During the three months through Nov. 24, 72.6 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers used text messaging on their mobile devices -- a rise of 2.1 percentage points from last August, comScore reports. And 44.9 percent of all U.S. mobile subscribers downloaded applications during the latest survey period -- up 3.3 percentage points. Smartphone Ownership Climbs According to comScore, 91.4 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones at the end of the firm's latest three-month survey period. Smartphone ownership rose by a robust 8 percent between August and November. Android's share of the smartphone market segment rose 3.1 percentage points between August and November. Though Apple's iOS remained in second place with a 28.7 percent share, the platform's 1.4 percentage point rise did not keep pace with Android's steeper growth trajectory. RIM ranked third in comScore's latest survey with a 16.6 percent share -- down 3.1 percentage points from August. Microsoft's Windows Phone platform also lost one-half of a percentage point during the same period. Though Microsoft's new Mango release hit the U.S. market during the survey period, the Windows Phone platform trailed behind the market leaders with a 5.2 percent share. Additionally, Nokia's Symbian platforms still held on to a 1.5 percent smartphone market share. Mobile Browsing Growth The number of handset users accessing social-networking sites or blogs on their devices grew 2.1 percentage points to 33 percent of all U.S. mobile subscribers, comScore said. Moreover, 29.7 percent reported mobile gaming activities, while 21.7 percent said they listened to music on their handsets. On the browser front, comScore said 44.4 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers were surfing the Internet on their handsets -- up 2.3 percentage points since August. According to Net Applications, Apple's Safari mobile browser for smartphones and tablets led the field with a 55 percent share at the end of November, while Android's browser ranked third (16.4 percent) behind the Opera Mini mobile browser (20.1 percent). More than 80 percent of U.S. mobile users 18 to 22 years of age access the Internet outside the home, with 67 percent using the mobile Internet at least monthly, Forrester Research reported last month. Still, U.S. adults 23 to 31 years of age have the highest uptake of smartphones and are most likely to use the mobile Internet on their mobile device. "They use their mobiles for a wide range of activities, from playing games and listening to music to looking up directions," wrote Forrester Research analyst Gina Sverdlov in a blog post. "Two in three online 'Gen Yers' fall into our SuperConnecteds Mobile Technographics segment." By contrast, only 33 percent of U.S. residents between the ages of 46 and 55 own a smartphone. Additionally, only 20 percent of Americans 56 to 66 years of age use the mobile Internet regularly, Sverdlov noted. |
| Verizon tries to explain 4G LTE network outages (Appolicious) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 11:17 AM PST |
| Slave labor targeted in Calif. law, social media (AP) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 12:14 PM PST SAN FRANCISCO – Justin Dillon's rock band was touring Eastern Europe when he met some college students who told him they were about to get work in the West. They were eager to begin what they were sure would be their new MTV-like lives. Dillon dug deeper and asked to see their documents. He warned the young women they likely were about to be trafficked into the sex trade or sweatshops. They brushed him off. They wanted desperately to believe the $2,200 they had paid a facilitator to get them service industry jobs would make all their dreams come true. "They immediately felt embarrassed, but then emboldened," he recalls of the 2003 exchange. "They said, `I mean, look around. I'll take my chances on this. You think I'm going to stick around here?'" That conversation changed his life — and his life's mission. Today, the 42-year-old Berkeley rocker heads up a popular social media campaign to combat slavery. With a $200,000 grant from the State Department, he recently launched www.slaveryfootprint.org, which helps people identify the slave labor used for their own consumer goods. It is approaching 2 million hits. He belongs to a coalition of anti-slave labor groups sharing an $11.5 million grant from Google's philanthropy arm. And now — with the help of a groundbreaking anti-slavery retail law going into effect across California on New Year's Day — Dillon believes the movement is reaching that tipping point where the average consumer can make a difference. "We need cultural critical mass on this," Dillon said in a recent interview. "Modern-day slavery and human trafficking is far too easy to execute, and far too profitable." After that 2003 band tour, the singer and songwriter became a man obsessed. He learned there are an estimated 27 million modern-day slaves around the world. He wondered how he could fight the trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and girls, bonded labor and indentured sweatshop servitude. Dillon started offering up his band for benefit concerts. He produced a 2008 documentary, "Call+Response," which included songs and interviews with the likes of Julia Ormond, Ashley Judd, Cornel West and Madeleine Albright. His first website, www.chainstorereaction.com, which helps consumers send e-letters to companies, was cited by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and used in the research for the California law signed by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2010. While some states already prohibit forced labor and criminalize trafficking, the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act is the first to tackle the global supply chain. The law affects an estimated 3,200 companies with a presence in California, including Walmart and Macy's. It requires retailers and manufacturers with gross annual receipts of more than $100 million to disclose what they've done to eliminate slavery in the global supply chain of their goods. Slavery can mean a sweatshop in India or a cotton field in Burkina Faso, where indentured slaves or child laborers dyed or picked the cotton for those cheap-but-chic garments that found their way under Christmas trees. The legislation introduced by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg requires companies to audit and certify that their suppliers are complying with international labor standards, as well as provide training to supply-chain managers. The California Chamber of Commerce and California Retailers Association were among those who argued the requirements would carry huge costs and that private businesses were being enlisted as de facto law enforcement agencies. Supporters note the law simply requires companies to disclose their efforts — even if they've made none — to eradicate slavery and human trafficking from their supply chains. While there are no monetary penalties, the state tax board will provide the attorney general a list of those businesses that have not complied and the AG's office will determine what legal action to take. Monica Richman, a New York partner with the law firm SNR Denton who represents large retailers and fashion brands, said some clients are concerned the law is too broad and the details too murky. But most companies want to do the right thing, she said, and view the law as a tool to benefit business and burnish their brands. "There are so many really impressive companies in the fashion industry," Richman said. "And they don't want to be known for offering a $500 pocketbook made by a 9-year-old child." Many big companies, such as GAP, Nike and Ford Motor Co, already adopted clean-labor policies after ugly reports about bonded, child or forced labor in their own supply chains. Dillon insists Slavery Footprint is not about shaming businesses. It's about educating consumers and allowing them to determine where they will shop — then getting them to tell that story via social media. "We let everyone know that we're not handing out torches and pitchforks," he said. "But we are developing very sharp carrots in the marketplace." Slavery Footprint asks visitors to take an online survey about consumer products, clothing and food to determine how many slaves might have worked along the supply chain for those goods. The online site uses data from several independent sources in compiling an individual consumer's footprint score, including reports from the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Labor and international organizations. Its calculation is based in part on an analysis of hundreds of consumer products and the "likely number of forced laborers that have been involved in creating the product at some stage in the process of production," according to the website. When women are asked about cosmetics, for example, a box notes: "Every day tens of thousands of American women buy makeup. Every day tens of thousands of Indian children mine mica, which is the little sparkles in the makeup." The consumer can then share the total slave score on Twitter or Facebook, encourage others to take the survey and then get involved by sending ready-made electronic letters to retailers calling on them to be more diligent when sourcing supplies. A mobile app "Free World," allows you to find out more about your products at point of purchase. "It allows you to mobilize your value set in a way that uses your free time to be able to free people," Dillon said. "We think the only brand that can really ever make sense is, `Made in the Free World.'" The State Department provided the Slavery Footprint grant so Dillon could try to replicate the highly successful "carbon footprint" campaign by environmentalists. "He's on the cutting edge," said State Department Ambassador-at-Large Luis CdeBaca, who heads up the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and believes social media are key to fighting slavery. CdeBaca recalls the case of an 8-year-old girl whose Egyptian parents sold her into slavery to a Cairo couple, who then smuggled her into Irvine, Calif. She was forced to work for years as a domestic, living in squalor and not allowed to go to school. She was eventually rescued and in December, at 22, became a naturalized citizen who hopes to become federal agent. "You see something like that and you realize that every one of those 27 million is an individual," CdeBaca said. "And we can save them. We can walk with them on their path to freedom, because these are all people who, if you just give them a chance, can do amazing things." ___ On the Internet: Slavery Footprint: www.slaveryfootprint.org State Department Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons: http://www.state.gov/g/tip |
| HTC tool unlock bootloaders on some Android devices (Digital Trends) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 10:40 AM PST
Last summer, phone maker HTC raised eyebrows by announcing it would enable users to unlock the bootloaders on some of its most popular phones, enabling technically-inclined customers to root the devices and install custom operating systems or, really, any darn thing they like. Now, HTC has come through, releasing a tool to unload the bootloader on phones launched after September 2011. HTC also says it is working to make the bootloader operational on phones launched before September 2011. The company has offered a complete list of devices currently supported by the tool. HTC notes some devices may never be supported by the unlock tool due to operator restrictions. HTC had previously gone to some lengths to lock down bootloaders on its Android devices—partly as a defense against malicious software—but reversed course in the face of strong feedback from technically-inclined customers who feel that the ability to install their own custom operating systems is a key element of Android's "openness." (HTC says it was "overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of our fans.") After all, what's the point of an operating system being available as open source if programmers can't download it and install it on devices? For ambitious users, unlocking the bootloader may be a quick way to get Android 4 Ice Cream Sandwich onto HTC devices without waiting for official updates. HTC is clear that it not officially supporting devices that have been unlocked with the bootloader, merely allowing users to unlock their devices at their own risk—and may mean they're no longer covered by device warranties. HTC also notes that it's possible unlocking devices may have unintended consequences, including overheating. This article was originally posted on Digital Trends More from Digital Trends Apple lands jab to Android with legal victory over HTC ITC delays decision in Apple/HTC case…again |
| End-of-the-year iPad 3 rumors: two versions, better battery, new display tech (Appolicious) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 10:28 AM PST |
| Verizon to add $2 bill-pay charge (Reuters) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 12:08 PM PST (Reuters) – Verizon Wireless, which this month angered customers with three separate data service problems, said on Thursday it will add a $2 fee for one-time telephone and online bill payments. The planned change, to take effect on January 15, was greeted by a storm of criticism. Consumer blog Engadget said charging customers to pay was "downright ludicrous." Another tech website, cnet.com, said the move "made little sense." "The fee is designed to address costs incurred by us for only those customers who choose to make one-time bill payments in alternate payment channels (online, mobile, telephone) and who choose not to use the other options available to them ...," Verizon Wireless spokesman Thomas Pica said in an email. AT&T Inc said it does not charge fees to customers who pay online or who use its automated phone payment system. But AT&T does levy a $5 charge on people who ask for personal assistance to pay their bills, unless they need assistance due to a technical problem or billing error. Most subscribers of Sprint also do not pay fees, though it does require some customers with bad credit to pay a $5 fee per payment. In addition, some customers complained on Verizon's online forum on Thursday about problems activating their new phones. The episode followed reports of a problem with the company's high-speed network on Wednesday. Verizon said on Thursday that it had resolved that issue overnight. "GROWING PAINS" WITH 4G NETWORK Verizon, the biggest U.S. mobile service provider, admitted on Thursday it was having "growing pains" with its new fourth generation, 4G, high-speed wireless network and had suffered several separate technical problems that caused service outages. After saying earlier in the day that services on its older third generation, 3G, network were not affected, the company admitted Thursday night that 3G customers were also affected. Verizon said it had proactively "moved" its fourth-generation (4G) wireless users onto its third-generation (3G) network to ensure all would have a data connection. However, Verizon admitted that for brief periods, such as on Wednesday, 4G customers could not connect to the 3G Network as quickly as the company would have liked. The company also said that it is working closely with its network suppliers to ensure smooth functioning of its 4G network, while estimating that connectivity has been available at about 99 percent of the time this year. Verizon Wireless statement is available at: http://r.reuters.com/wav75s Some customers had earlier complained that they were having 3G service problems, while others said their 4G service was being restored on Thursday morning. One person complained about the lack of a public announcement. "At least acknowledge there is a problem, do you really expect your paying customers to not notice??" one person wrote on Verizon's online message board. Verizon Wireless spokesman Thomas Pica told Reuters that the company does not plan to compensate its customers who had experienced service problems. Earlier this month the company, which has long boasted that its service is "most reliable," faced two data service problems. On December 8 some Verizon customers were unable to access the Internet on their wireless devices for about 24 hours. The company had to fix another problem on December 21. Verizon Wireless is a venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group Plc. (Reporting by Sinead Carew and Sakthi Prasad; Editing by Matthew Lewis, Steve Orlofsky and Ed Lane) (This story corrects the 5th paragraph after AT&T and Sprint revise comments on bill pay charges. Sprint and AT&T both said they charge fees in some cases) |
| Biscotti: The Best Product Packaging Since the iPod? (Mashable) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 01:33 PM PST A cookie-shaped, easy-to-use, $199 video-conferencing solution is impressive, but wrapping it up in packaging that resembles a mash-up between Apple's design elegance and Henny Youngman's penchants for one-liners is an altogether different level of accomplishment. Introduced last month at the Consumer Electronics Association's annual New York-based CES Unveiled preview event (CES 2012 kicks off on Jan. 9 in Las Vegas), the Biscotti TV Phone is a home video-conferencing gadget that works with your HDTV. Each biscotti-cookie-shaped unit cost $199 and works with any other unit via Biscotti's proprietary network. You can also chat with anyone on GChat (sorry, no Skype). That's all pretty cool and I'll be test driving shortly to see if Biscotti works as advertised. [More from Mashable: So You Got an iPhone 4S? Here's How to Accessorize] In the meantime, though, let's all spend a moment oohing and ahhing over this extremely well-thought-out packaging. As with the best packaging, there's little wasted space. Plus, the colors and retro design—brown paper bag-esque covering, red and white printing-- almost invite you to open the box. This is straight from the Apple playbook, and we've seen similarly well-executed packing designs from Amazon, Jawbone, and Barnes and Noble. However, Biscotti diverges with some surprisingly playful touches in the packaging copy. On the front it says, "It's like reality TV. But with normal people. Well, almost normal people." The bottom lists the product contents, including the TV Phone," "Remote Control," "and "Lots of Love." The back shows the product sitting atop a TV and promises, "It's tiny!" The Biscotti TV Phone is created, the box notes, "by loveable scientists in Texas." [More from Mashable: Can Apple Become the Next Big Content Creator?] Inside the box, Biscotti drops the humor, but maintains the deft packaging touch. All the accessories are neatly packaged and the "Get Started" instructions, which are on a rather thick, foldable card, are written and illustrated in the simplest way imaginable. Biscotti is hoping for heavy adoption from tech-averse consumers, especially grandparents who want to talk to and see their kids but might not be comfortable figuring out Skype on their computer. The packaging, minimal accessories, super-simple setup guide and little touch of humor could help them succeed. This story originally published on Mashable here. |
| Posted: 30 Dec 2011 08:23 AM PST |
| How to get the most out of your new PlayStation 3 (Digital Trends) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 05:06 PM PST
So if you were among the lucky few that Santa left a shiny new PS3 for under the tree, but you're still trying to get the hang of it, we cobbled together a few tips to transform your console from a gaming system into so much more. Below we've provided a few suggestions for how to get the most out of your Sony PS3. (We'd also like to note that you if you have an HDTV we recommend using an HDMI cable to connect to your TV, which is sold separately. You can use the composite hook-up but it won't have the same picture quality.)
To get the most out of your PS3, the best place to start is at the PlayStation Store (PSN). So the first thing you'll need to do is to set up a PSN account so that you can access the store online. |
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