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Verizon Announces Samsung Omnia 2 Windows Mobile Phone

Paul Lilly — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:30:22 -0600

The Droid isn't the only Verizon-serviced phone making waves, nor is Android the only platform in town. Come December 2nd, Verizon will release the Samsung Omnia II, and despite earlier speculation, it will run Windows Mobile 6.5 rather than old 6.1 code.

Available in black with red accents, the Omnia II will ship with a 3.7-inch touchscreen and a virtual QWERTY keyboard with Swipe technology. It will also come with full HTML web browsing capabilities with the Opera 9.5 enhanced browser.

Other features include one-touch access to social networking sites via shortcut widgets, a 5MP camera with flash, auto-focus, and camcorder capabilities, integrated support for Divx and Xvid movie files, 8GB of internal memory expandable up to 16GB vai microSD, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.

Verizon and Samsung will price the handset at $200 after a $100 mail-in-rebate (in the form of a debit card) and new two-year customer contract.

Image Credit: Verizon

Verizon Puts Together Telehealth Collaboration Services

Paul Lilly — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:04:00 -0600

Verizon this week unveiled its Teleheatlh Collaboration Services, which is designed to aid health care organizations in setting up online collaboration environments and let health care professionals collaborate remotely through the Internet with patients and colleagues.

"Health care providers increasingly are tapping the power of IT, and our telehealth solutions offer an effective way to meet a wide range of challenges, including the expansion of access to care, speeding diagnoses, and driving efficiency," Rajeev Kapoor, global managing director for Verizon Connected Healthcare, said in a statement.

Verizon isn't alone in pushing collaboration tools for health care professionals. Cisco in July announced it was joining forces with UnitedHealth Group to create the Connected Care program, which will combine audio and visual technologies with medical information that will benefit both doctor and patient.

According to analyst company Datamonitor, annual spending on telehealth hardware, software, and related services will balloon to $6.1 billion by 2012, eWeek.com reports.

Verizon to AT&T: "The Truth Hurts"

Paul Lilly — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:00:34 -0600

Did you think Verizon would back down from its 3G map ads after AT&T hit the wireless carrier with a lawsuit? Not gonna happen. Instead, the ads keep rolling, and so do the jabs, including one that was filed in response to the suit.

"AT&T did not file this lawsuit because Verizon's 'There's A Map For That' advertisements are untrue; AT&T sued because Verizon's ads are true and the truth hurts," Verizon's lawyers wrote in a 53-page Memorandum of Law.

The document went on to defend Verizon's position that there's no way the wireless carrier is confusing or misleading customers about AT&T's coverage because "each ad speaks of 3G coverage repeatedly, [and] the maps used in each are clearly labeled 3G."

For a 53-page court document, it's actually a fun little read, and Engadget believes that's entirely by design, pointint out that this was probably drafted with publication in mind. After giving it a once-over ourselves, we'd have to agree.

Give the PDF a read here, then tell us what you think in the comments section below.

Verizon to Start Sending Copyright Notices for the RIAA

Bart Salisbury — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:58:35 -0600

Verizon, which has so far been reluctant to enforce the copyright concerns of outsiders, has decided to partner with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and smack the bottoms of its subscribers thought to be pirating music.

Verizon told CNET: “We recognize the importance of copyright and the need to enforce those copyrights. Without that enforcement, intellectual property won't be generated at all. At the same time, it's important for our customers to be assured that they won't have their privacy rights trampled."

Verizon’s involvement will be to forward letters from the RIAA to those suspected of illegal sharing of music. The subscriber will be warned their activity is illegal, to cease the activity, and to delete any illicit music files. Verizon, unlike AT&T, Comcast, and Cox Communications, will not threaten to interrupt or terminate service.

Verizon’s move shouldn’t come as a surprise. In 2005 Verizon, despite its aggressive public stance to protect subscriber privacy, exhibited few qualms in selling out some of those same subscribers, suspected of illegal file sharing, to Disney in return for the rights to transmit 12 of Disney’s TV channels on its broadband network. Apparently, Verizon’s moral high ground is easily eroded, when the price is right.

Image Credit: PaxArcana

AT&T Tries to Get Verizon "Map for That" Ads Pulled From the Air

Ryan Whitwam — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:37:28 -0600

Verizon sure isn’t letting up with their new anti-AT&T ad campaign. Likewise, AT&T isn’t letting up with their legal threats. AT&T’s latest strategy swung into action on Wednesday night when they asked the federal court in Atlanta to order the ads pulled from the airwaves.

The ads (which we’ve discussed before) compare AT&T 3G coverage with that of Verizon. AT&T claims that the maps used in the ads are misleading because they do not show AT&T’s 2.5G EDGE network, instead displaying empty spaces. In a statement AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel said, “If customers think they can't make calls in the vast majority of the country ... that could do us irreparable harm."

The newest ad is holiday themed, borrowing from the story of the “Island of Misfit Toys”. Poor iPhone is a misfit because it is cursed with an inferior network… how sad. Big Red hopes the holiday season will be a good one for their new line of smartphones. Is that wishful thinking?

AT&T Refutes Verizon's Network Coverage Attacks

Paul Lilly — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:34:07 -0600

By now you've probably seen one of Verizon's ads taking shots at AT&T's comparatively dismal 3G network coverage. Even if you didn't, AT&T has, and the wireless carrier has accused Verizon of not telling the whole story and misleading the public.

AT&T contends it's unfair to show 3G coverage maps from the two carriers side by side because it makes it look like AT&T doesn't have service in most areas. The maps only depict 3G zones, ignoring AT&T's existing 2.5G network, which is sufficient for email and other tasks portrayed in the commercials. The bottom line is, the ads are accurate in terms of 3G, but neglect to tell the whole story. Is that misleading?

AT&T thinks so, and as we previously reported, the wireless carrier has dropped a lawsuit on Verizon's lap. How that plays out will be for the courts to decide. In the meantime, expect the ads to keep rolling, especially with Verizon's Droid attracting so much attention.

The Hits Just Keep on Coming, More Verizon Map Commercials

Jason Barry — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:55:22 -0600

Despite AT&T’s lawsuit against Verizon, more commercials go live bashing AT&T’s coverage. They aired three new commercials this weekend featuring the allegedly dismal 3G coverage of AT&T’s service. The new Verizon commercials are holiday focused, featuring Santa’s elves and the iPhone that got sent to the Island of Misfit Toys.

AT&T is suing Verizon in the state of New York for misrepresenting its 3G network in the “There’s a map for that” commercials that debuted a month ago. Their claims are basically that the colors of the maps (red or blue with a light gray background) confuse the customer into believing there is NO service outside the blue spots on AT&T’s map.

Verizon has since altered the ads with fine print and some verbiage changes, but the colors of the maps remain. Fine print withstanding, I can’t imagine AT&T (or its lawyers) will be happy about these ads. Perhaps they should hire Justin Long to do “I’m an iPhone” commercials.

Verizon Officially Announces Droid Light- Err, Droid Eris

Paul Lilly — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:26:38 -0600

Not digging Droid's price tag but are still intrigued by the device? Maybe Droid's little sibling -- the Droid Eris -- is is more of what you're looking for.

For starters. Verizon is selling the Droid Eris for a single C-note (after $100 mail-in-rebate) when you sign up for a two-year commitment on a voice plan with an email feature or email plan. Throwing down a Benjamin on the Droid Eris nets you a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen and trackball interface, a 5MP auto focus camera, 8GB of memory (via an included microSD card) expandable to 16GB, Bluetooth, WiFi, integrated GPS, full HTML browser with Flash Lite capabilities, and of course Google's Android OS along with a 7-panel home screen.

But the real question is, how does Eris stack up to its bigger brother? It comes clocked at 528MHz, compared to Droid's 550MHz processor, and it ships with Android 1.5 (Donut) instead of 2.0 (Eclair). You'll also sacrifice a physical QWERTY keyboard by stepping down to the Eris.