Articles about Verizon

Apple is selling the $1,000 iPhone X nowadays, and yeah, there is a place for it. Shockingly, when the "X" first came out, people were not only willing to pay a high premium for Apple's latest, but they waited in line to do so. Think about that -- queuing up to part with a grand! If you have that kind of money, more power to you, but I know a lot of people are hurting financially out there -- the iPhone X is simply not achievable for them.

If you don't have a lot of money, do not worry -- you can still get a quality smartphone for much less. You can opt for an older iPhone model, or if you are particularly low on cash, choose Android. Google's operating system powers many affordable devices, and now, ASUS unveils a very intriguing model that is exclusive to Verizon. The "ZenFone V Live," as it is called, has respectable specifications, looks great, and best of all, it costs an insanely low $168.

Continue reading →

I consider myself lucky, although some commenters (you know who you are) will disagree, by successfully ordering from Verizon Wireless the iPhone X for delivery on launch day—November 3rd. A FedEx driver brought the anticipated package to my door yesterday afternoon. I hauled down to Apple Store to purchase AppleCare+ before my grubby paws caressed the steel rims (vroom)  and generous glass (screen measures 5.8 inches diagonally).

Replacing iPhone 7 Plus, which features and benefits greatly satisfy, is a bit extravagant. But I wanted the X to review and for its smaller size but larger display—understanding caveats: Home button's removal changes fundamental interaction and means adapting habits (oh my aching muscle memory).

Continue reading →

The massive data theft from Yahoo in 2013 is even bigger than first thought. It was big enough when it was believed to have affected around a billion users, but Yahoo has now provided an update indicating that the number is in fact three billion. Or, to put it another way, every single Yahoo user.

Yahoo, now part of Oath, has issued a statement in which it stresses that the updated figure does not represent "a new security issue" and that plaintext passwords were not accessed. The biggest data breach in history just got even bigger, and it's going to take a lot for Yahoo, Oath and Verizon -- the new owner -- to move on from it.

Continue reading →

While Hurricane Harvey has been devastating, there has been one positive aspect -- it has shown that people are still willing to help their fellow man. After the tragedy in Charlottesville, it felt like humanity was on the decline, but the outpouring of donations and support for the affected people in Texas has warmed my heart and renewed my faith. Not only have both people and organizations donated money, but time and resources too. Google, for instance, has been helping in many ways.

Today, Verizon also pledges money to the folks affected by Harvey, but its donation dwarfs those made by many other companies. The company is not only promising a jaw-dropping $10,000,000, but it will help the people of Texas in other ways too.

Continue reading →

Hurricane Harvey has made landfall in Texas, and the powerful storm is wreaking havoc. With winds hitting 210km/h (130 mph) there is a devastating path of destruction as well as flooding.

For those in the area, and those with loved ones affected by the storm, staying in contact is vital, as is the ability to contact emergency services. With this in mind, Verizon is doing everything it can to keep its network running, and T-Mobile is offering free calls and texts to customers.

Continue reading →

I should have known better. Once burned is supposed to be twice as wary. Right? Disgruntled by pricing and other policies, in autumn 2015, I took my family from Verizon Wireless to T-Mobile, which cut our monthly bill by more than one-third. But in May of this year we made the trek back in part because data speed is so much faster from my apartment than it is with Magenta. Better Red than dead, eh? Wrong. Oh, dumbass me. Un-carrier's aggressive pricing, and Verizon's first-ever quarterly loss of post-paid subscribers, compelled the nation's largest carrier to respond—by, starting in February, to offer comparable unlimited plan that for my family of five lines would cost just $20 more a month while delivering superior, speedy service. But what Red gave, it now takes away. I regret the decision.

Today's unlimited cellular service plan changes suck some of the most important value from all that extra bandwidth. What good is having something you can't use? Henceforth, Verizon will offer two consumer options—one (Go Unlimited) that throttles streaming video to 480p on smartphones and costlier option Beyond Unlimited that reduces quality to 720p. Go is essentially priced the same as the older unlimited plan, and it takes away even more: Tethering (e.g. Mobile Hotspot) is capped at 600kbps. There's no 4G LTE for you, baby!

Continue reading →

You don't, as we all know, get something for nothing... but that doesn't stop companies from making it appear as though you do. The latest perpetrator of this crime against common sense is Verizon. The carrier has rolled out a rewards program -- Verizon Up -- which enables subscribers to earn credits for racking up a bill.

For every $300 spent on Verizon Wireless products and services users are paid a credit which can be collected and spent on various rewards (money off handsets, accessory discounts, and so on). But there is a price, and that price is privacy. In return for letting you accrue credits, Verizon scoops up vast swathes of personal data including browsing history, app usage, location, interests, and much more.

Continue reading →

4G speeds are slowing down for many people in the US as unlimited data plans become more prevalent. OpenSignal has just published its latest report into the state of mobile networks in the US, and for many people it is bleak reading.

Unlimited data plans have been rolled out by AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon now. While networks that have supplied such packages for a while (T-Mobile and Sprint) have managed to increase the speed of 4G connections for customers, speeds have dropped for AT&T and Verizon users just six months after the introduction of unlimited plans.

Continue reading →

Verizon Wireless customers complained this week that the company was throttling Netflix traffic. With talk of net neutrality ringing in their ears, people were upset to find that download speeds were capped at 10Mbps.

When Netflix denied implementing a cap, the finger of suspicion pointed at Verizon. Now the company has owned up to testing a new "video optimization" system, but it's not clear how this resulted in the cap-like effects experienced by many users.

Continue reading →

Verizon today reveals that it has completed the acquisition of Yahoo, nearly a year after announcing the deal. Big red initially agreed to pay $4.83 billion, but after the massive security breach that resulted in over one billion hacked accounts was disclosed to the public the value dropped to $4.48 billion.

What is interesting is that Yahoo will not operate as an individual subsidiary, as you might expect. Instead, Verizon will combine it with AOL under a different brand, called Oath, which it describes as a "diverse house of more than 50 media and technology brands that engages more than a billion people around the world."

Continue reading →

In case you haven't been following the news about 23-year-old Internet company acquisitions, Verizon announced 11 months ago that it had entered into an agreement to buy Yahoo for $4.83 billion. That deal, with some modifications, was officially approved and finalized yesterday, and it is expected to be completely closed on June 13.

When that happens, the telecommunications giant plans to combine those newly acquired assets with AOL, which it also owns, into a new media conglomerate. And of course, when you hear the word "combine," the next word you'll hear is "layoffs."

Continue reading →

If you asked why the Moto Z Force Droid Edition appeals to me, I couldn't identify one thing, which arguably is odd considering this is a review. Benefits and features feel finely balanced, which is a hallmark of good product design. Oh, and that satisfaction is for the pure smartphone experience, which is premium by nearly every measure that matters; I didn't test Moto Mods that expand capabilities.

Lenovo/Motorola and Verizon released the smartphone in July 2016, so this exploration is belated—and then some. Apologies, the delay was necessary. In mid-December 2016, Verizon sent a holiday review package unexpectedly. At the time, my father-in-law's health rapidly declined—and he passed away about 30 days later. In the months following, as we settled his estate and finalized other matters, I occasionally recharged the battery and picked up the Droid but had no real time to test it. Still, something about how well the Moto Z Force feels and fits in the hand compelled me to handle it. Often. To caress the ridged bezel. To read blog posts and news stories on the beautiful display.

Continue reading →

Global data center company Equinix has bought 29 data centers, along with their operations, from Verizon Communications. Approximately 250 Verizon employees will also become Equinix employees in the process.

The deal, worth $3.6 billion, will be completed in all cash. It includes more than 1,000 customers, 600 of which are net new. Verizon will now, consequently, become a substantially larger customer. It also includes roughly a million square meters of data center space.

Continue reading →

Ransomware grew 50 percent in just a year, according to a new report by Verizon. The Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) is based on the analysis of 79,000 security incidents and 1,945 confirmed data breaches, across 79 countries.

According to the report, ransomware also grew in popularity, and by a large margin. In 2014, it was the 22nd most common malware variety. Fast-forward two years, and now it’s fifth most common.

Continue reading →

Smartwatches haven't taken off as many manufacturers had hoped, and that is probably due to one big issue -- they largely duplicate smartphone functionality while also needing the phone to properly function. In other words, spending money so you don't have to pull your smartphone from your pocket isn't exactly a smart investment. For fitness, however, wearables have definitely found a market.

Luckily, smartwatches with integrated 4G LTE -- so you do not need to carry a smartphone -- may save the day, and Verizon has an attractive model on the way. The previously announced "Wear24" Android 2.0 smartwatch finally has official pricing and a release date, and you won't have to wait too long to buy it. You can use it to make and receive calls or listen to music without needing your phone nearby. How cool is that?

Continue reading →