Chris had to go to Japan recently to help out with his deathly ill grandmother. He brought his new Verizon iPhone4 with him. While he was there, Verizon pushed a series of updates to his phone, and that racked up over $600 in global roaming charges. When he called customer service, they told him the charges were valid and nothing could be done. He couldn’t even get retroactively added to an international plan as Verizon says they don’t have one anymore that covers Asia/Japan. [More]
cellphones
Report: Using Your Phone Or iPod On A Plane May Actually Be Dangerous
By 6.10.11
If you’ve scoffed at the warnings not to use your cellphone or other “personal electronic devices” on airplanes, be warned: According to a new report, pilots and other airline staff have seen specific incidents where they believe interference from cellphones, iPods and other devices affected flight controls, navigation and other critical systems. [More]
Walmart Cuts iPhone 4 To $147
By 6.7.11
Walmart announced this week that they were chopping the price on 16 GB iPhone 4’s to $147, down from $197. The deal is only for a limited time and runs through June 30th. [More]
Replace A Damaged Cellphone For Cheap
By 6.3.11
Rats. You just threw your phone across the room in a rage and now it’s broken. Once you regain control of your temper you decide to see about getting it repaired and find out it will almost cost as much as the phone to get it fixed. Either that, or you have to pay the full unsubsidized price to replace it because you’re not eligible for an upgrade. Turns out, as pointed out by the company insiders posting over at Insidr.net, a better idea is to call up customer customer service and ask them nicely to move your upgrade forward. [More]
Report: Cellphone Use Is "Possibly Carcinogenic"
By 5.31.11
Since the first Gordon Gekkos of the world picked up their 10-pound brick mobile phones more than two decades ago, there have been numerous studies into the relationship, if any, between mobile phone use and cancer. And it’s a debate that won’t disappear anytime soon thanks to the World Health Organization’s announcement that it has categorized wireless phone use as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” [More]
Thief Took Shoplifting Orders Via Text Message, Stuffed Shoes In Pants
By 5.24.11
After a suspect shoplifter was arrested, police seized his cellphone and made a startling discovery, FOX 41 reports. Reviewing the entries on the phone, the found orders and special requests from people, who sent him shoplifting selections via text message. However, his method of secreting the merchandise was decidedly lo-tech: he was caught allegedly stuffing shoes down his pants and trying to walk out of the store without paying. [More]
Cops Remove Nonstop Cellphone Talker From Amtrak
By 5.18.11
A woman boarded one of Amtrak’s “quiet cars” – special train cars set up where cellphone use and other loud noises are verboten – and proceeded to talk loudly for 16 hours on the moving train on her cellphone before police removed her. [More]
Despite No Service, AT&T Refuses To Waive ETF
By 5.17.11
Last week we brought you the story of Ross who had no AT&T service after the nearby cellphone tower went down and the other towers weren’t working. Even still, AT&T wouldn’t let him leave service without paying an early termination fee, despite the fact that it could be 4 months before the towers were repaired. That means 4 months more without service while still getting a monthly bill. I counseled Ross on how he might fight the power by going through the retentions department, and he wrote back with an update on his progress. [More]
T-Mobile Adds Free WiFi Calling
By 5.17.11
T-Mobile just announced that WiFi calling is now gratis, reports GigaOm. That means that when T-Mobile customers make calls over WiFi networks and don’t use the cellular network, they are completely free. It’s a pretty nifty way to save money on your cellphone bill, so expect it to be yet another feature that gets dropped if AT&T gobbles up Big Magenta. [More]
Install Netflix On Nearly Any Android Device
By 5.16.11
A Netflix app finally came out last week for Android, but due to the complications of the plethora of devices running Android, it only came out for a few of them. Netflix says they’ll slowly but surely roll out the app to other devices, but if you don’t feel like waiting you can do a little cellphone hackery and get it on your phone now. [More]
Netflix Releases App For Some Android Devices
By 5.13.11
(Some) Android users can now finally get in on the instant-streaming candy train with the long-awaited release of a Netflix app on their platform. For now the app is only available for a relatively thin number of phones, HTC’s Incredible, Nexus One, Samsung’s Nexus S, Evo 4G, and G2, but the company says they’re working diligently to roll it out to more phones. There’s just damn many of them. [More]
Sprint Takes Out Satirical Ad Against AT&T T-Mobile Deal
By 5.11.11
Sprint really is not fond of the proposed AT&T and T-mobile merger. This week they ran an ad in some papers and on political websites that was a takeoff on T-mobile’s recent ads. They feature an older shaggy businessman with a cigar wearing a pink dress like the one sported by the gal in the T-mobile ads. The man looks very similar to the one T-mobile used to depict AT&T in their ads mocking their rival before the merger was proposed. [More]
I Have No Bars But AT&T Won't Let Me Leave
By 5.10.11
Ross and his neighbors have had to drive a few miles down the road to get any bars on their cellphone after a nearby AT&T tower went down and the other two nearby weren’t working well either. Despite the fact that he has no service and there is no fix in sight for several months, AT&T won’t let him leave his contract. [More]
Bank Of America Testing Letting You Choose To Overdraft Via Text Message
By 5.9.11
Bank of America currently rejects debit card items that would make your balance go below zero, but Finextra reports they’re going to test out a new system that sends you a text message when you’re about to overdraft. The message will give you the option to let the transaction go through and incur an overdraft fee. [More]
Users Complain iPhone 4 Secretly Taking Their Photo
By 4.8.11
Some iPhone 4 users are complaining that their devices are secretly taking photos of themselves. [More]
AT&T, Verizon Have To Let Smaller Rivals Use Network For Data, Just Like Voice
By 4.7.11
Just like with voice traffic, AT&T and Verizon have to let smaller competitors use their network for data roaming, the FCC today ruled. This would let wireless users clean their inboxes of spam and look up the capital of Greenland in less than 5 minutes of loading, just like they would at home. [More]
Android On Crack Dance Sets Hearts Aflame
By 3.28.11
This show really puts our mall cellphone carts to shame. Instead of a bored guy with a pencil goatee sitting on a stool, they have a full-on breakdancing show. This one features a life-sized inflatable Android just going absolutely ape-nuts on the dancefloor at the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc cellphone stand near 101 Tower in Taiwan. As commenter Oranges w/ Cheese puts it, “Those inflatable suits are so weird because the movements are so sudden and odd. ” I don’t know how many cellphones it sells, but the branding effort endears the plucky green guy to your heart. He just tries so hard! And that positive association can pay dividends in brand goodwill down the line, just like his masters planned. Muaha – break it down! [More]
Palm Pixi Survives 45 Minutes Inside 450 Degree Oven
By 3.24.11
It’s not just iPhones, Palm Pixis are perfectly capable of surviving harrowing exploits as well, writes reader Jim. In the interest of fair and balanced coverage, we must give the Pixi’s story its due. [More]
