An AT&T insider sent Boy Genius Report these pictures of an iPhone 4 that burst into flames after a customer tried to hook it up to his computer. [More]
at&t
![Alltel Merger Forces Verizon Customer To Have AT&T… What?](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/7-9-2010-12-21-43-pm.jpg?w=300&h=89&crop=1)
Alltel Merger Forces Verizon Customer To Have AT&T… What?
If you’re an Alltel or Verizon customer you may have read that the companies are merging. In order for Verizon to acquire Alltel it had to agree to sell some of its assets to AT&T. That means that reader Scott now has a contract with AT&T. He hates AT&T. [More]
![AT&T Still Wants Some People To Have Unlimited Data: BlackBerry Users](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/crackberry_cat.jpg?w=160&h=147&crop=1)
AT&T Still Wants Some People To Have Unlimited Data: BlackBerry Users
Michael writes that his wife uses a BlackBerry for her work e-mail, but pays for the service herself. It’s part of a family plan with Michael’s iPhone, to be precise. When Michael tried to put their phones on a limited data plan, he learned something interesting and hilariously backwards: customers can only pay $15 for Enterprise access (e-mail on a Microsoft Exchange server) if they’re also paying $30 per month for unlimited BlackBerry data. What if they don’t use that much data? Well, too bad. [More]
![Don't Be Hilarious On The Internet Or Best Buy Will Suspend You](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/7-6-2010-2-30-50-pm.jpg?w=300&h=224&crop=1)
Don't Be Hilarious On The Internet Or Best Buy Will Suspend You
We’re a bit late to this little drama, so excuse us, but apparently the author of the funny “iPhone VS Evo” robot voice videos has been suspended from his job selling cellphones at Best Buy, despite the fact that the video never even mentions Best Buy, instead calling the fictional store “Phone Mart.” [More]
![Starbucks & AT&T Survive First Day Of Free WiFi](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/strabucksatnight.jpg?w=240&h=160&crop=1)
Starbucks & AT&T Survive First Day Of Free WiFi
So yesterday was Day 1 for Starbucks’ new 1-click free WiFi service at its coffee stores around the nation. And while some had wondered whether or not the java giant and its WiFi provider, AT&T, would be able to keep up with the increased demand, it looks like all went relatively well. [More]
![Consumer Reports Video Faceoff: Droid X vs. iPhone 4](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/droidx_vs_iphone4.jpg?w=300&h=198&crop=1)
Consumer Reports Video Faceoff: Droid X vs. iPhone 4
Playing like a polite re-enactment of a gadget blog comments section flame war, two Consumer Reports journalists pit the features of the iPhone 4 against the new Droid X in this video thunderdome. Who will win? Will the iPhone’s Retina blind the Droid’s amber oculus? Or will the Droid’s tapered top-knob bash the iPhone into shards? “Two phones enter… one phone leaves…” [More]
![Latest Verizon iPhone Rumor: Now It's January 2011](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/superiphone1.jpg?w=240&h=180&crop=1)
Latest Verizon iPhone Rumor: Now It's January 2011
The Verizon iPhone is turning into the telecom equivalent of a Jen Aniston baby, as rumors continue to abound regarding when — or even if — Big V will be the first U.S. mobile carrier to break AT&T’s stronghold on the popular smartphone. The latest rumor to be put through the mill comes from BusinessWeek, who say that Verizon customers will have a very iPhone New Year. [More]
![AT&T Ships Empty Box Instead of iPhone 4](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/emptyiphonebox.jpg?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
AT&T Ships Empty Box Instead of iPhone 4
The big day had arrived. The UPS box containing Logan’s new iPhone 4 sat on his front porch. Picking it up, he noticed it felt rather light. [More]
![Consumerist Makes TIME's 25 Best Blogs of 2010](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/time_consumerist_best_blogs_2010.jpg?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
Consumerist Makes TIME's 25 Best Blogs of 2010
The results are in and Consumerist is gracing TIME’s 25 best blogs of 2010. I guess they’re using using a fiscal calendar year? In any event, we enjoy giving and receiving awards. In their writeup, TIME said of us: [More]
![Billshrink: iPhone 4 Is Best Value Among Latest Smartphones, If You Watch Data Usage](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/062310-002-billshrink.jpg?w=300&h=158&crop=1)
Billshrink: iPhone 4 Is Best Value Among Latest Smartphones, If You Watch Data Usage
BillShrink compared the new iPhone 4 to the Droid Incredible, the Evo 4G, and the Nexus One to see which one is the cheapest in total cost of ownership, and the results were somewhat surprising given the iPhone’s reputation as a money gobbler. If you opt for the cheapest data plan AT&T offers, the TCO for the iPhone 4 is the only one of the four devices that comes in under the $2,000 mark. But beware! That “cheapest data plan” conditional is a pretty tricky one. [More]
![Save On Cellphone Bills When Traveling To Mexico And Canada](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/meixco_cellphone.jpg?w=165&h=120&crop=1)
Save On Cellphone Bills When Traveling To Mexico And Canada
Rather than futz with local SIM cards or Skype, a NYT reporter found that when going south of the border, you can just temporarily switch your coverage plan to a “Nationwide plus Mexico” plan. It’s only about $30 more, so, compared to the $.99 per minute you would otherwise pay, it’s worth it if you make more than a half-hour of phonecalls to the states. [More]
![Verizon Wireless May Follow AT&T, Drop Unlimited Data Plans](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/062210-001-tollbooths.jpg?w=260&h=195&crop=1)
Verizon Wireless May Follow AT&T, Drop Unlimited Data Plans
When Verizon Wireless begins to introduce plans for its next generation data network later this year, don’t expect to see any all-you-can-eat unlimited offerings. In an interview with BusinessWeek, the company’s CFO said the company will likely have to change how it bills for data consumption as more data-hungry smartphones and apps enter the marketplace–and that means tiered data plans similar to the ones AT&T has introduced to help control data consumption. [More]
![iOS4 Releases Today](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/os4ishere.jpg?w=300&h=224&crop=1)
iOS4 Releases Today
UPDATE: It’s here. Plug your iPhone into your computer and fire up the iTunes. As even those who live in remote fishing villages probably know, today Apple is set to drop iOS4 on the streets. It’s the operating system that the iPhone4 ships with, but owners of previous generation phones will be able to upgrade to it and enjoy some of the same benefits. A friend of mine who tried it out by installing iOS 4.0 developer’s beta said, [More]
![AT&T Suspends iPhone Sales, Didn't Fully Test Pre-Order System](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/iphonepreorder.jpg?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
AT&T Suspends iPhone Sales, Didn't Fully Test Pre-Order System
If you were hoping to pre-order the iPhone 4 through AT&T’s website today, you’re out of luck. A visit to the wireless giant’s pre-order site for the latest Apple super-phone gives you the terse note that “Pre-orders for iPhone temporarily suspended.” [More]
![It's iPhone 4 Day, So Naturally AT&T Is Exposing Account Info To Strangers](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/061510-005-iphone4.jpg?w=300&h=183&crop=1)
It's iPhone 4 Day, So Naturally AT&T Is Exposing Account Info To Strangers
AT&T knows it needs to step up if it wants to be taken seriously these days as a wireless provider, so it’s been beefing up 3G coverage, rejiggering data plans, and of course ramping up the speed at which it leaks your private data to strangers. In fact, according to multiple reports from AT&T customers, the company has managed to pull off the neat trick of logging customers in to strangers’ accounts today during the iPhone 4 pre-order fiesta. See? You no longer have to wait until you’ve got the device in hand to worry about privacy issues. [More]
![iPhone 4 Online Pre-Orders Swamp Servers](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/buyiphone.jpg?w=300&h=191&crop=1)
iPhone 4 Online Pre-Orders Swamp Servers
Today is the first day you can pre-order an iPhone 4, and would-be shoppers have created long lines, both in front of Apple brick and mortar stores, and – online? [More]
![Starbucks To Offer Free 1-Click WiFi To All Starting July 1](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/starbucksduo.jpg?w=240&h=180&crop=1)
Starbucks To Offer Free 1-Click WiFi To All Starting July 1
For anyone who has ever wanted to sit at Starbucks and browse the Internet but either wasn’t an AT&T customer or didn’t feel like ponying up for access, the company has some happy news for you. [More]
![AT&T Issues An "Our Bad" For Huge iPad Security Breach](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/iaapd.jpg?w=240&h=160&crop=1)
AT&T Issues An "Our Bad" For Huge iPad Security Breach
Surely you remember last week, when a security breach exposed the e-mail addresses of 114,000 owners of Apple iPads. Well, it took a few days, but AT&T finally got around to the point in the “taking it seriously” grieving process called “sort of admitting responsibility and promising not to do it again.” [More]