November 18th, 2009

AT&T loses bid to stop Verizon ads, responds with its own

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 11:09 pm

Categories: AT&T, Legal, Television, Verizon

Tags: Advertisement, Verizon Communications Inc., AT&T Corp., Wireless And Mobility, Jason D. O'Grady

When Verizon Wireless aired a television commercial claiming it has fives times the amount of 3G coverage as “the nation’s number 2 wireless company” AT&T promptly filed suit and posted a rebuttal it “blatantly false and misleading.”

Yesterday a federal judge in Atlanta dealt AT&T a serious blow denied its request to have Verizon’s “There’s a map for that” ads pulled from the air.

So what’s AT&T to do?

Why, respond with another TV commercial, naturally!

It features actor Luke Wilson saying that AT&T has “the nation’s fastest 3G network, talk and surf at the same time, most poplar smartphones, and access to over 100,000 aps” all giving marks to AT&T, then lastly giving one mark to Verizon for “name that starts with the letter V”.

AT&T shouldn’t have bothered sparring with Verizon in the first place as it has only brought them more publicity and cost AT&T a ton of money in the long run. AT&T would have been better off spending the money they wasted answering VZW on improving their network infrastructure.

What are your thoughts on the new AT&T ad?

November 13th, 2009

AT&T responds to Verizon Wireless ads

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 10:47 am

Categories: AT&T, Verizon

Tags: Advertisement, Verizon Communications Inc., AT&T Corp., Verizon Wireless, 3G, TVs, Tv & Home Theater, Cellular Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology

Last week AT&T filed suit against Verizon over its television commercial which declares that the VZW 3G network is superior to AT&T’s.

In a second shot across Verizon’s bow AT&T today posted a rebuttal calling VZW’s ad “blatantly false and misleading.”

Verizon has since increased its attack on AT&T with new TV ads which show an iPhone banished to the Island of Misfit Toys because of its lousy 3G coverage.

In terms of network, I have an unabashed bias toward Verizon because it’s just better where I live. YMMV as the acronym goes. On the other hand I tolerate AT&T because I prefer the iPhone hardware and its catalog of apps. Now, give me an iPhone on Verizon, and I’m in heaven.

Where do you stand? Coke or Pepsi?

November 10th, 2009

Motorola sells 100k Droids on opening weekend

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 7:14 am

Categories: Android, Android 2.0, General, Motorola, Verizon

Tags: Phone, Handset, Motorola Inc., Telecom & Utilities, Cellular Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Jason D. O'Grady

But I'm not dead yet!

Motorola’s apparent sale of 100,000 new Droid smartphones in its opening weekend indicates that the handset maker is far from dead and probably more viable than industry pundits give it credit for.

The rise and fall of Motorola handsets can be traced back to the original MicroTAC which was launched in 1989. It was succeeded by the wildly-popular StarTAC handset, dubbed the first “wearable phone” in 1996. In 2004 Motorola had another hit with the RAZR V3, an ultraslim, metal-clad, quad-band flip phone. But then it was all downhill from there.

In 2005 Motorola partnered with Apple to release the ROKR (a.k.a. E790), the first iTunes-capable phone and arguably the precursor to the iPhone. Motorola later tried to re-create the magic with the Windows Mobile-based Q in 2006, but that turned out to be an abject failure. After taking a beating with the ROKR and Q, Motorola was understandably gun shy about handsets and took its time to develop the Driod.

According to Bloomberg Verizon Wireless had 200,000 Droid phones on hand and most stores sold at least half of their inventory. Equity research firm Broadpoint AmTech Inc. expects Motorola to sell 1 million Google Android phones in the fourth quarter and 10 million in 2010.

Could Droid turn into the next RAZR for Motorola?

November 5th, 2009

Droid Preview: iPhone's first real competition has arrived

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 8:05 am

Categories: Android, Android 2.0, Verizon

Tags: Apple iPhone, Google Inc., Google Android, Droid, Calls, VZW, Smart Phones, Keyboards, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology

I’ve been testing the new Droid mobile phone from Motorola running on Verizon Wireless for a couple of days and have to admit to being impressed by way the new handset has filled many of the gaps left by the iPhone.

I’ve been a fan of Android since the G1 came out on T-Mobile on and wrote the Google Phone Pocket Guide for PeachPit Press.

Verizon is marketing Droid squarely at potential iPhone customers by promoting its features that aren’t available on the venerable Apple device.

Droid’s biggest advantages come courtesy of Google’s Android operating system, which graduated to version 2.0 (code named Eclair). Android is maturing quickly and its open platform, background apps,  widgets and customization expose many of the chinks in the iPhone’s armor. When you combine Android 2 with the hardware features included in the Droid handset – including its physical keyboard, removable battery, 5MP camera and expansion slot – you have a potent one-two punch against the iPhone.

As expected, the Verizon network is its best feature. Calls are clear and I haven’t had a single dropped call in my testing. My iPhone displays the “Call Failed” error at least once per day. VZW is also attempting to lure customers away from the iPhone (and AT&T) by promoting the company’s superior 3G data network with its There’s a map for that campaign.

While themes and widgets may seem trivial, they’re a welcome upgrade over the iPhone which provides no customization options without jailbreaking the device. Mac users may be concerned about the lack of native sync software for the Mac, but luckily Google Contacts sync natively with Address Book and Google Calendar syncs with iCal.

Droid’s optional haptic feedback, which provides a slight vibrating feedback as keys are pressed, is another welcome addition. Another major upgrade in Android 2.0 is the addition of Google Maps with driving directions which provides voice-assisted turn-by-turn directions based on GPS. On the iPhone GPS with directions costs extra – including a hefty monthly fee.

While a physical keyboard may seem like a good idea, I find Droid’s mushy with not enough key travel. To make matters worse, it doesn’t auto-correct as you type. The good news is that Android 2.0’s virtual keyboard has an improved layout which improves accuracy and includes a smart dictionary that includes contact names.

The Droid is available tomorrow for $200 (after a $100 mail-in rebate) and requires a minimum $70 monthly service plan for two years – text messaging costs extra. Droid comes with a 16GB MicroSD card, expandable up to a 32GB.

October 19th, 2009

Verizon Droid ad attacks iPhone on features

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 10:30 am

Categories: Android, Verizon, iPhone

Tags: Apple iPhone, Phone, Smart Phones, Telecom & Utilities, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Jason D. O'Grady

Verizon Wireless has released a television commercial for its new Droid handset – which runs Google’s Android OS natch – and it’s a shot directly across the bow of the S.S. iPhone.

The ad (and corresponding Web site DroidDoes.com) are part of a new advertising campaign which position the Droid as a direct competitor to Apple’s venerable iPhone.

Earlier in the month Verizon’s There’s A Map For That ad took aim at AT&T’s lack of 3G coverage, whereas the new ad targets some of the iPhone’s biggest omissions.

The scrolling ad copy even co-opts Apple’s iEverything naming convention right down to the lower case “i” …

Read the rest of this entry »

October 8th, 2009

Verizon ad trashes AT&T's 3G coverage

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 10:48 am

Categories: 3G, AT&T, Verizon

Tags: Advertisement, Verizon Communications Inc., AT&T Corp., Apple Inc., Tagline, 3G, Cellular Phones, Wireless And Mobility, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology

A new Verizon TV commercial criticizes AT&T’s 3G coverage in the United States and claims that the carrier has fives times the amount of 3G coverage as “the nation’s number 2 wireless company” — AT&T. The Verizon ad mocks Apple’s famous “there’s an app for that” tagline, changing it to “there’s a map for that.”

Tip: Edible Apple

August 13th, 2009

Review: Verizon MiFi 3G access point

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 12:00 pm

Categories: Review, Verizon, WiFi

Tags: Verizon MiFi, Verizon Communications Inc., Access Point, Wireless LANs, 3G, Cellular Phones, Wireless And Mobility, Wi-Fi, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology

I just returned from a family vacation in and around Denver, Seattle and Vancouver (more on that later) and had the pleasure of toting a Verizon MiFi 2200 with me for the trip.

The MiFi is billed as an “intelligent Mobile Hotspot” and is basically a 3G card and a WiFi access point/base station rolled into one.

People that read my blogs know that I’m a fan of Verizon’s EVDO network and that I pretty much travel with one of their adapters wherever I go. In an age where free WiFi is getting harder to find a good EVDO card is essential for any nomadic technologist.

The MiFi takes EVDO to the next level. Instead of having to plug a USB dongle into your MacBook Pro (or Windows PC) simply press the button on the top of the diminutive glossy black box and wait the for green LED on the side to blink (less than 30 seconds) and you’re ready to go. Simply connect to the access point named “Verizon MiFi” using the password printed on the bottom and you’re in business.

Read the rest of this entry »

May 29th, 2009

Hands-on: Verizon Wireless HP Mini 1151NR netbook (Updated 2x)

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 10:26 am

Categories: EV-DO, Hardware, Netbook, Verizon

Tags: Hewlett-Packard Co., Verizon Communications Inc., Netbook, Netbooks, Nettops & MIDs, Hardware, Jason D. O'Grady

First scooped in February then confirmed in March Verizon Wireless’ first netbook — the HP Mini 1151NR — began shipping on 17 May 2009 (the same day as VZW’s MiFi personal hotspot).

Priced at $199 with a 2-year contract (after MIR) the 1151NR’s price is subsidized by monthly data fees are either $40 or $60 per month.

Although it’s sold by VZW, the 1151NR netbook is a HP Mini 1000 that comes bundled with an internal Verizon Wireless 3G/EVDO Rev. A card. The built-in EVDO is the defining feature in the 1151NR and it’s easy to get online with Verizon’s Mobile Broadband using the pre-installed VZAccess software.

Specs-wise:

• Intel Atom N270, 1.6 GHz
• 1 GB of RAM
• 80 GB Hard Drive
• 10.1″ Flush Glass (1024 x 576)
• Integrated Webcam VGA (640 x 480x 30 fps)
• 3-cell Battery, 30 W AC Adapter
• 10.3″ (depth) x 6.6″ (width) x 1″ (height)
• 2.4 lb
• Windows XP Home Edition

Full specs are on the HP Web site.

Oh, about that last spec, I’m not much of a Windows person, so my next step will be to see how well ithe HP Mini 1151NR runs Mac OS X. According to Boing Boing’s OS X compatibility chart the HP Mini 1000-series can be hackintoshed although the lack of sound support and the question-mark in the Ethernet column give me pause. Here’s another good HP/hackintosh link, if you’re thinking of doing it yourself

Photos comparing the Dell Vostro A90 and HP Mini 1151NR after the break…

Read the rest of this entry »

May 21st, 2009

Apple tablet: too little, too late?

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 11:15 am

Categories: Hardware, Rumor, Tablet, Verizon

Tags: Apple iPhone, Apple Inc., Silicon Alley Insider, Tablets, Notebooks, Sales Strategy, Netbooks, Nettops & MIDs, Hardware, Notebooks & Tablets, Sales

The blogosphere is abuzz about about the prospect of an Apple tablet coming in 2010. According to a note written by Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster (via Silicon Alley Insider) Apple is developing a tablet-based computer that will be positioned between the iPhone/iPod touch and its MacBook lineup of notebooks:

The idea is that it’d be better for surfing the Web, watching movies, and reading books than the iPod or iPhone, but not powerful enough that it would crush notebook sales.

Munster claims that the new tablet could run a third, “more robust” version of Mac OS X optimized for multi-touch screens but that they’re not going to launch this year, as some had predicted.

We expect the development of such an OS to be underway currently, but its complexity, along with our conversations with a key company in the mobile space, leads us to believe it will not launch until CY10.

The story is based on a rumor that surfaced in April that Apple is deveoping two new mobile devices: an “iPhone lite” and a bigger “media pad” via a partnership with Verizon.

Silicon Alley Insider’s Dan Frommer claims that since the netbook market is still relatively small Apple has “plenty of time before it really matters.” I beg to disagree. The more time that Apple takes to make up its mind/develop an answer to the netbook is more time for people to buy other hardware and more lost sales.

Whatever happened to being nimble and innovative? Has Apple lost its fire?

Picture: JonnyIsGeek.com

April 28th, 2009

iPhone lite and mediapad rumored from Apple

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 7:08 am

Categories: Hardware, Rumor, Tablet, Verizon, iPhone

Tags: Apple iPhone, Apple Inc., Minitablet PC, Tablets, Netbooks, Nettops & MIDs, Hardware, Notebooks & Tablets, Jason D. O'Grady

If you thought that yesterday’s rumor about a CDMA iPhone on Verizon Wireless was interesting then you’ll love this one even more.

Two sources speaking to BusinessWeek have divulged that Apple is planning to launch not one, but two new devices with Verizon. The first is being called an “iPhone lite” (availability TDB) and the other is mini-tablet that could arrive as soon as this summer, alongside iPhone OS 3.0.

One device is a smaller, less expensive calling device described by a person who has seen it as an “iPhone lite.” The other is a media pad that would let users listen to music, view photos, and watch high-definition videos, the person says. It would place calls over a Wi-Fi connection. One of these devices may be introduced as early as this summer, one person says.

iPhone lite? meh. But I’m all about a mini-tablet. Apple could single single-handedly own the netbook market if they sold these for $300. But it will cost more like $399 or $499, knowing Apple.

Does either one interest you?