Free BlackBerry, Anyone?
The Z10 was originally priced at $199 by both carriers. But the demand has been pretty abysmal. $934 million of BlackBerry’s $965 million fiscal second-quarter loss this year was attributed to the Z10.
Even for free, will many people be interested? The smartphone world is currently ruled by devices sporting Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android operating system.
With BlackBerry’s recent problems with looking for a buyer and then, wait, no, not looking for a buyer, how many people will be willing to commit to a two-year contract for a phone that wasn’t successful to begin with?
Oh, No! Cellphone Calls on Planes!
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is proposing easing restrictions on mobile broadband during flights. The proposal will be taken into consideration at the FCC’s December 12th meeting.
The proposal would also allow passengers to use their smartphones for phone calls, email, texting and download data when their plane altitude is at least 10,000 feet. Use would be restricted during takeoff and landings.
NASA Launches Next Generation Phone Satellite
Improvements incorporated into PhoneSat 2.4 include a two-way radio to enable command of the satellite from the ground, solar arrays to enable it to be operational for up to a year, and a system for attitude control.
Verizon Offers Daily Data Plan for Tablets
This plan makes sense if you are going to need cellular data for no more than three days a month, which would cost $15 for 900MB.
If you use more cellular data than that, you are better off signing up for a monthly plan ($20 for 1 GB) or adding the tablet to a Share Everything plan ($10).