Sprint annual upgrade plan blows away AT&T, Verizon

One Up vs. the world: How does Sprint's new annual upgrade plan stack up? | TechHive: "Sprint’s $92 per month pricing blows away the $117 monthly cost we found with AT&T Next and Verizon Edge for a similarly priced phone and a capped—not unlimited—data plan. With Sprint you’ll also pay just barely more on a month-to-month basis than on T-Mobile’s Jump, which costs $90. T-Mobile, however, usually charges a down payment fee around $220 for a top-end phone, though it's currently selling the iPhone 5s with a $99 downpayment and the iPhone 5c with no down payment whatsoever."

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Verizon, Internet, Pay-per-view

Verizon's diabolical plan to turn the Web into pay-per-view | The Industry Standard - InfoWorld: "The country's No. 1 carrier is fighting in court to end the Federal Communications Commission's policy of Net neutrality, a move that would open the gates to a whole new -- and wholly bad -- economic model on the Web." (read more at link above)

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Getting your locked smartphone back

So you've lost your locked smartphone or tablet? Here's how to get it back... | ZDNet: "You're locking your smartphone now? Good. But how can people get it back safely into your hands if you lose it? Here's a guide for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone users..."

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Chine, New IPhone, Meh

In Beijing, the New IPhone Gets a Resounding 'Meh' - Businessweek: "On the day Apple released its new iPhone 5C simultaneously in the U.S. and China, I tromped around Beijing asking yuppies, restaurant workers, and migrant street sweepers what kind of phones they use—and why. It’s hardly a scientific survey, but if the mood at the Yonghegong Costa Coffee shop is any indication, Apple’s marketing people have some work to do. Costa Coffee, near Beijing’s Lama Temple, is the kind of place that attracts the type of latte-sipping young professionals who flocked to buy new iPhones two years ago. In fact, a fair number of its customers are still using older iPhones, but they expressed mixed feelings about whether they’ll stick with Apple (AAPL) in the future—or opt instead for the larger Android-powered Samsung (005930:KS) Galaxy smartphone, which is fast gaining popularity here. The iPhone 5C is routinely mocked as “not attractive.”. . ."
 
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Hugo Barra, Xiaomi

“First, let’s begin with the name,” said Hugo Barra to me, in his first extended interview since he was named new head of global for Xiaomi a little over two weeks ago. “Think of ‘show me,’ and then pronounce the first word as if it was ‘shower.’” (source infra)

Hugo Barra Talks About His Future at Xiaomi and Why He Left Google - Kara Swisher - Mobile - AllThingsD: "“There is no question the phone business is very low margin today, but they want to get to a place where they can sell the device at cost and then sell high-margin services to make that phone experience even better,” said Barra. That’s easier said than done, especially as Xiaomi moves into more markets. While he would not get into specifics about what products he hopes to first move abroad, that’s why Barra said he would be focused on more rapidly developing ones first. “I think that’s the sweet spot for Xiaomi — places like India, Russia, Indonesia, Latin America, Thailand,” he said. “It’s where the equation of quality and affordability works, because it’s in those markets you can replicate what the company has done in China.” Still, Barra knows that Xiaomi has to also rate in the “trend-setting countries,” like the U.S. and Europe."

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Verizon, Microsoft, Nokia

How the Microsoft-Nokia and Verizon Wireless Deals Capture the State of the Wireless Industry | MIT Technology Review: It’s a reminder that in the smartphone craze of the past few years, the lion’s share of the revenue has flowed not to app developers or handset makers, but to wireless network operators like Verizon Wireless, whose business is protected by high barriers to entry and who are less subject to the fickleness of consumer tastes. That was captured neatly in the chart below, from our March Business Report on Making Money in Mobile (see “Smartphones Are Eating the World”).

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Florida Do Not Call Program

Florida Do Not Call Program - Division of Consumer Services, DOACS: "The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services maintains the State's "Do Not Call" list.   Florida residents who do not wish to receive sales calls may have their residential, mobile or paging device telephone number included on this list. Business numbers may not be included on the list. It is unlawful to make telephone sales calls before 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. local time or prevent transmission of the solicitor's name or telephone number to the party called. The most frequent violations of the Do Not Call law occur because  a solicitor: failed to identify his or her true first and last names and the business on whose behalf he or she is soliciting immediately upon making contact; called a telephone number on the Do Not Call list (subscriber); made a pre-recorded sales call to either a subscriber or non-subscriber.

Florida Do Not Call Statute - Telephone solicitation, the complete Florida Statute.

Do Not Call FAQs - Frequently asked questions and contact information.

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Lunar Laser, Terrestrial Communications, Google Project Loon, Intelsat, Inmarsat, O3B

Lunar Laser Could be used for Terrestrial Communications | MIT Technology Review: "  . . . Under the system, eight satellites whizzing around the planet at an altitude of about 12,000 kilometers would create a total system capacity of six terabits per second—and download speeds of 200 gigabits per second, about 100 times faster than today’s radio links. “We’re aiming for worldwide coverage at service levels and connectivity options previously unattainable by other satellite platforms,” says Brumley. But the company’s main aim is to become a wholesale supplier of bandwidth to other carriers–possibly even including other satellite services–and not to become a competitor, he added. The recently launched satellite company O3B—which stands for “the other three billion”—provides between 150 megabits per second and two gigabits per second using radio frequencies. Other companies,Intelsat and Inmarsat, also deliver speeds in that ballpark. Another Internet-boosting idea, Google’s “Project Loon,” envisions balloons circling the Earth in the stratosphere to provide coverage to underserved areas. But that would also use radio signals (see “African Entrepreneurs Deflate Google’s Internet Balloon Idea”), Google says." (read more at link above)

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Ballmer promises shorter names for Nokia phones

Ballmer promises shorter names for Nokia phones: goodbye Nokia Lumia Windows Phone 1020: "What will Microsoft's thunderous multi-billion dollar purchase of Nokia's mobile phone business mean for little ol' you and me? Time will tell, of course, but in the short term Steve Ballmer is promising something concrete: shorter brand names. "

Doubtful it will help.

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TCPA, Telephone Consumer Protection Act, Express Consent Can Be Revoked at Any Time

More TCPA Lawsuits Coming: Express Consent Can Be Revoked at Any Time | Foley & Lardner LLP - JDSupra: "Express consent to be called using an autodialer can be revoked at any time, says the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. On August 22, 2013, in Gager v. Dell Financial Services, LLC, the Court attacked a common understanding of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act among many creditors and debt collectors: Once a debtor provides his cell phone number to you, you may call him at that number using an autodialer or prerecorded messaging for as long as the debt is owing..."

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HTC, Chinese Government, New Mobile OS For China Market

HTC Reportedly Building New Mobile OS Specifically For China Market, In Partnership With Chinese Government | TechCrunch: "HTC’s Hail Mary play might not take the form of another new smartphone: The Taiwanese company is reportedly working with Chinese government officials to build a mobile OS that includes “deep integration” with China-specific services like Weibo, aimed specifically at the Chinese market. The project could see the new mobile OS launch before year’s end, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news. The report said it wasn’t clear whether HTC’s China OS would be forked from or based upon Android in some way, and a source speaking to the paper said that in fact the company has changed plans throughout the year regarding whether it would be something completely new, or just a new user interface based atop Google’s mobile OS. Already HTC has some devices using the OS in active testing, and prototypes are in the hands of Chinese government officials..."

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Amazon Wireless Network

AWN, Amazon Wireless Network, coming?

Amazon Is Said to Have Tested a Wireless Network - Bloomberg: "Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) has tested a new wireless network that would allow customers to connect its devices to the Internet, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The wireless network, which was tested in Cupertino, California, used spectrum controlled by satellite communications company Globalstar Inc. (GSAT), said the people who asked not to be identified because the test was private."

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Make Phone Calls Through Domain Name or Email?

Interesting -- and this is not Google Talk or Google Voice --

MyHostNews: Web Hosting News, Web Hosting Interviews, Web Hosting Awards and Web Hosting Reviews » Blog Archive » New value-added service: Domain dialing through cPanel: "Siter is the only app that allows smartphone users to make a phone call through a domain name or email instead of using a phone number. It allows you to use any top-level domain as a phone number. That means no more searching for a contact phone number and for a business a simple way for customers to contact with them. It is always easier to remember a domain name than a phone number. Siter is available for Android, iOS, Blackberry10 and Windows Mobile and is free to download. Registrars and host companies are welcome to integrate through Siter’s Partner API or cPanel plugin, to offer the Siter – domain dialing feature to your full customer base. The Siter cPanel plugin is available to any web host at no charge, and Siter has a very fair offer to all Registrars and Host companies, 50/50 revenue share policy to all recurring payments. . . ."

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