Sprint (NYSE:S) is seeing its fortunes turn around on the iPhone, but the company's future success lies in its ability to cash in on data services, which is at odds with its unlimited plans.
AT&T built a solid base selling the iPhone, but Verizon gains the advantage with an LTE version, forcing AT&T to shift allegiances to Android or Windows to sustain its success.
AT&T built a solid base selling the iPhone, but Verizon gains the advantage with an LTE version, forcing AT&T to shift allegiances to Android or Windows to sustain its success.
The head bone's connected to the... iPhone? AT&T Labs unveiled technology to unlock doors with the touch of the knob -- sending an acoustic signal through the phone, and into the skeleton, to tell the door to open.
Nearly 30 million Americans, or one in six mobile users, experienced "bill shock," a sudden and unexpected jump in monthly cellular bills, and the Federal Communications Commission is battling to combat the problem.
AT&T and Verizon are battling it out for claim to the fastest 4G service, and consumers are left scratching their heads. Which one is faster? The answer is, it doesn't matter.
Apple and its rivals appear to be starting a new war over SIM cards, while Chrome won the battle of the browsers, if only briefly, over Internet Explorer.
Meanwhile, an iPhone owner learned that if he wants to get results, it's best to start at the top, and HP is merging its printer and PC divisions.
Plus, if you're looking for a good scare, try Netflix, which is unveiling a 13-part original horror series early next year.
Apple, Rivals Heading Toward SIM Card War
The next-generation nano-SIM card is spurring another war between Apple and its rivals in Europe.
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute is set to vote on Apple's plans for the new card. The problem is Apple's version requires a special drawer for the card, which is already designed into the iPad and iPhone.
However, the competing design led by Nokia and backed by Motorola and RIM is described as having "significant technical advantages." The SIM design would be licensed to any organization, but some are worried the nano-SIM patents could fall under Apple's controls, further exacerbating the patent wars between tech companies.
Man Takes iPhone/AT&T Complaint To Tim Cook Himself
A frustrated iPhone owner is able to use his device in Canada, after he wrote a letter Apple CEO Tim Cook to complain after AT&T told the man to "just jailbreak" the device.
The owner, while moving to Canada, learned his AT&T phone wouldn't work there, but he still wanted to use it. He called AT&T, who told him to call Apple, who told him to call AT&T. After the last call, when an AT&T employee told him to jailbreak the phone, the man had enough and complained in a letter written directly to Tim Cook.
He said his entire family is immersed in the Apple brand and "Apple has touched every aspect of our lives and made it richer."
His plea worked. Not long after he sent his letter, AT&T called the man to tell him Apple requested they fix the iPhone issue. After the man confirmed his ID number and plugged the phone into one of his four Mac computers, his iPhone is now unlocked.
HP to Merge Printer, PC Businesses
Hewlett-Packard is merging its printer and PC divisions to save costs and boost growth.
PC chief Todd Bradley will head the new unit. CEO Meg Whitman said the reorganization will increase effectiveness and efficiency.
The company is also planning to unify other functions such as marketing across the business to promote a stronger brand and improve efficiency.
Netflix Adding Horror Series to Its Lineup
Netflix will add its exclusive horror series "Hemlock Grove" early next year, as the video streaming and DVD rental service continues to add original programming.
"Hemlock Grove," an adaption of Brian McGreevy's novel by the same name, will star Famke Janssen and Bill Skarsgard in what Netflix says is a "gripping tale of murder, mystery and monsters set in a ravaged Pennsylvania steel town." The 13-part series' exact release date has not been announced.
Chrome Goes to the Top, Briefly
Google's Chrome web browser overtook Internet Explorer to become market leader globally for the first time for one weekend day, web analytics firm StatCounter said.
"While it is only one day, this is a milestone," said Aodhan Cullen, StatCounter's chief executive. "At weekends, when people are free to choose what browser to use, many of them are selecting Chrome in preference to IE."
On March 18, Chrome was used for 32.7 percent of all browsing, while Explorer had 32.5 percent share. However, when the weekend ended, people went back to using Internet Explorer, possibly because they were back at work and IE is used in more offices.
Explorer remains on top worldwide, but is slipping slightly as other browsers like Chrome, Safari and Firefox become more widely used.
Apple and its rivals appear to be starting a new war over SIM cards, while Chrome won the battle of the browsers, if only briefly, over Internet Explorer.
Meanwhile, an iPhone owner learned that if he wants to get results, it's best to start at the top, and HP is merging its printer and PC divisions.
Plus, if you're looking for a good scare, try Netflix, which is unveiling a 13-part original horror series early next year.
Apple, Rivals Heading Toward SIM Card War
The next-generation nano-SIM card is spurring another war between Apple and its rivals in Europe.
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute is set to vote on Apple's plans for the new card. The problem is Apple's version requires a special drawer for the card, which is already designed into the iPad and iPhone.
However, the competing design led by Nokia and backed by Motorola and RIM is described as having "significant technical advantages." The SIM design would be licensed to any organization, but some are worried the nano-SIM patents could fall under Apple's controls, further exacerbating the patent wars between tech companies.
Man Takes iPhone/AT&T Complaint To Tim Cook Himself
A frustrated iPhone owner is able to use his device in Canada, after he wrote a letter Apple CEO Tim Cook to complain after AT&T told the man to "just jailbreak" the device.
The owner, while moving to Canada, learned his AT&T phone wouldn't work there, but he still wanted to use it. He called AT&T, who told him to call Apple, who told him to call AT&T. After the last call, when an AT&T employee told him to jailbreak the phone, the man had enough and complained in a letter written directly to Tim Cook.
He said his entire family is immersed in the Apple brand and "Apple has touched every aspect of our lives and made it richer."
His plea worked. Not long after he sent his letter, AT&T called the man to tell him Apple requested they fix the iPhone issue. After the man confirmed his ID number and plugged the phone into one of his four Mac computers, his iPhone is now unlocked.
HP to Merge Printer, PC Businesses
Hewlett-Packard is merging its printer and PC divisions to save costs and boost growth.
PC chief Todd Bradley will head the new unit. CEO Meg Whitman said the reorganization will increase effectiveness and efficiency.
The company is also planning to unify other functions such as marketing across the business to promote a stronger brand and improve efficiency.
Netflix Adding Horror Series to Its Lineup
Netflix will add its exclusive horror series "Hemlock Grove" early next year, as the video streaming and DVD rental service continues to add original programming.
"Hemlock Grove," an adaption of Brian McGreevy's novel by the same name, will star Famke Janssen and Bill Skarsgard in what Netflix says is a "gripping tale of murder, mystery and monsters set in a ravaged Pennsylvania steel town." The 13-part series' exact release date has not been announced.
Chrome Goes to the Top, Briefly
Google's Chrome web browser overtook Internet Explorer to become market leader globally for the first time for one weekend day, web analytics firm StatCounter said.
"While it is only one day, this is a milestone," said Aodhan Cullen, StatCounter's chief executive. "At weekends, when people are free to choose what browser to use, many of them are selecting Chrome in preference to IE."
On March 18, Chrome was used for 32.7 percent of all browsing, while Explorer had 32.5 percent share. However, when the weekend ended, people went back to using Internet Explorer, possibly because they were back at work and IE is used in more offices.
Explorer remains on top worldwide, but is slipping slightly as other browsers like Chrome, Safari and Firefox become more widely used.
Smartphone users are angry as carriers do away with unlimited data plans, but a new study shows many customers don't need to spend as much as they do on data.
When wireless carriers like AT&T and Verizon put an end to unlimited data plans, the companies allowed customers who had already signed up for them to keep them. As a result, there are millions of subscribers paying $30 a month to keep their unlimited data and millions of others who are jealous.
According to Consumer Reports, nearly half the customers holding on to unlimited data plans at AT&T would see no ill effects if they switch to the carrier's $20 a month plan, which allows just 300-megabytes of data usage a month. In addition, just one percent of the other half of customers actually take full advantage of their unlimited capabilities -- the rest use under 5-gigabytes of data, which is what AT&T allots for $30 under its new data plans.
A small number of very vocal customers certainly had legitimate reason to be upset when carriers took unlimited data plans away. The numbers, however, show most users lost nothing as a result of tiered plans. This begs the question: Why are so many people so angry at wireless providers over data plans?
The number-one reason for the dissatisfaction is because most customers still don't understand how data works. There are people out there who know every in-and-out of the jargon they receive when they go to their local Verizon or AT&T store, but your average person is too busy with day-to-day responsibilities of work, a family and putting food on the table to care what the difference between a megabyte and gigabyte is. Some customers don't even know what features on their phone need data, let alone how much they're using, and most don't have an easy way of monitoring their data usage.
The word "unlimited" has been masking consumers' poor education about data use for years. Everybody understands the word "unlimited." Customers knew they could use their devices as much as they wanted and not have to worry about what their monthly bill was going to be each month. When carriers began to scrap the word unlimited from their vocabularies, it took away the peace of mind it brought to their subscribers.
Suddenly, customers now fear they have lost their data cushion and are in danger of receiving a monthly bill they'll have to re-mortgage their home to pay. For 99 percent of users, this isn't the case, but it's not to the benefit of wireless providers to let their customers know that. As a result, millions are now overpaying for data just so they can keep the peace of mind the word unlimited originally gave them.
Smartphone users are angry as carriers do away with unlimited data plans, but a new study shows many customers don't need to spend as much as they do on data.
When wireless carriers like AT&T and Verizon put an end to unlimited data plans, the companies allowed customers who had already signed up for them to keep them. As a result, there are millions of subscribers paying $30 a month to keep their unlimited data and millions of others who are jealous.
According to Consumer Reports, nearly half the customers holding on to unlimited data plans at AT&T would see no ill effects if they switch to the carrier's $20 a month plan, which allows just 300-megabytes of data usage a month. In addition, just one percent of the other half of customers actually take full advantage of their unlimited capabilities -- the rest use under 5-gigabytes of data, which is what AT&T allots for $30 under its new data plans.
A small number of very vocal customers certainly had legitimate reason to be upset when carriers took unlimited data plans away. The numbers, however, show most users lost nothing as a result of tiered plans. This begs the question: Why are so many people so angry at wireless providers over data plans?
The number-one reason for the dissatisfaction is because most customers still don't understand how data works. There are people out there who know every in-and-out of the jargon they receive when they go to their local Verizon or AT&T store, but your average person is too busy with day-to-day responsibilities of work, a family and putting food on the table to care what the difference between a megabyte and gigabyte is. Some customers don't even know what features on their phone need data, let alone how much they're using, and most don't have an easy way of monitoring their data usage.
The word "unlimited" has been masking consumers' poor education about data use for years. Everybody understands the word "unlimited." Customers knew they could use their devices as much as they wanted and not have to worry about what their monthly bill was going to be each month. When carriers began to scrap the word unlimited from their vocabularies, it took away the peace of mind it brought to their subscribers.
Suddenly, customers now fear they have lost their data cushion and are in danger of receiving a monthly bill they'll have to re-mortgage their home to pay. For 99 percent of users, this isn't the case, but it's not to the benefit of wireless providers to let their customers know that. As a result, millions are now overpaying for data just so they can keep the peace of mind the word unlimited originally gave them.
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