Verizon

NBC Universal Among Authors of Verizon Copyright Letters

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 16, 2009 - 12:05pm.
San Francisco - NBC Universal (NYSE: GE) is among the studios on whose behalf Verizon (NYSE: VZ) is sending its ISP subscribers notices that they are suspected of violating copyrights on filesharing networks, CNET News.com reported, citing multiple unnamed sources. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) was reported last week to have engaged Verizon to deliver copyright letters on its behalf; an undisclosed number of other studios and copyright owners have made similar requests.

Report: Motorola Droid Sold 100,000 Over Launch Weekend

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 10, 2009 - 9:44am.
New York - Motorola (NYSE: MOT) sold an estimated 100,000 of its new Droid smartphones over the weekend, Broadpoint AmTech analyst Mark McKechnie told Bloomberg.

EPIX Movie Channel Launches on Verizon FiOS TV Friday

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 29, 2009 - 3:28pm.
New York - Verizon (NYSE: VZ) will launch the multi-platform pay-TV movie channel EPIX on its FiOS TV digital TV service on Friday, with a $9.99 per month price tag. EPIX, a joint venture between Viacom (NYSE: VIA), Paramount Pictures, MGM and Lionsgate, aims to eventually become a pay-TV movie channel as well, but to date has not announced any carriage deals.

Motorola, Verizon to Sell Droid Smartphone for $199

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 28, 2009 - 11:55am.
Libertyville, Ill. - Motorola (NYSE: MOT)and mobile network partner Verizon (NYSE: VZ) on Wednesday introduced the Droid, a new Google (NASD: GOOG) Android-powered smartphone that will run on Verizon's 3G network. The touch-screen device features a 5-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi, and will sell for $199 with a two-year contract when it goes on sale Nov. 6. The Droid will also be the first smartphone capable of running Google Maps Navigation, the company's new turn-by-turn navigation application.

FCC Initiates Rule-Making Process on Net Neutrality

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 22, 2009 - 10:26am.
Washington - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Thursday initiated a rule-making process intended to "codify and supplement existing Internet openness principles." The most contentious of these guidelines relates to "Net neutrality," which would oblige ISPs not to give preference to the Internet traffic of one company or individual over another.

Verizon to Sell Two Google Android Smartphones This Year

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 6, 2009 - 10:16am.
Basking Ridge, N.J. - Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) announced on Tuesday that it plans to begin selling to smartphones based on Google's (NASD: GOOG) Android operating system this year. The company will offer two Android smartphones yet this year, both of which are expected to support the Google Voice application that has yet to receive approval for use on Apple's iPhone. The Android platform currently boasts over 10,000 applications, compared with 85,000 for the iPhone.

tags: Mobile | Verizon | Google | Android |

CNET Wireless Coverage Maps Debut in Eight Cities

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 6, 2009 - 9:14am.
San Francisco - Technology media company CNET, a unit of CBS (NYSE: CBS), said on Tuesday that it has launched a beta test of the first-ever independent wireless service coverage map in eight cities.

Best Buy, Verizon Team to Sell iRex E-book Reader Device

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 23, 2009 - 8:46am.
New York - Electronics and media retail store chain Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) has partnered with mobile network operator Verizon (NYSE: VZ) to sell the iRex, a European e-book reader made by a unit of Philips (NYSE: PHG), in the U.S. market.

EPIX Web Service to Offer 3,000+ Movies on Demand

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 21, 2009 - 8:58am.
New York - EPIX, the pay-TV and video-on-demand movie service joint venture between Viacom (NYSE: VIA), Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate, announced on Monday that it plans to offer at least 3,000 films online via EPIX Megaplex, the online version of its service.

Verizon to Trial TV Everywhere for FiOS TV Subscribers

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 27, 2009 - 10:25am.
New York - Verizon (NYSE: VZ) announced on Thursday that it has launched a trial of a TV Everywhere service for subscribes of its FiOS digital TV service, which would give them free access to their pay-TV channels online. The trial will include content from Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX) TNT and TBS; Verizon said the trial "will soon include content from other providers." Using their Verizon Online login information, FiOS TV customers will gain access to the online programming at the networks' websites.

TiVo Sues AT&T, Verizon for Infringing Its DVR Patents

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 26, 2009 - 12:38pm.
Alviso, Calif. - Following a $105 million victory in a still ongoing patent infringement dispute with DISH Network owner EchoStar (NASD: SATS), TiVo (NASD: TIVO) on Wednesday filed additional claims against AT&T (NYSE: T) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ), alleging the companies are violating its digital video recorder patents.

Verizon FiOS TV Subscribers to Use Cell Phones as Remotes

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 21, 2009 - 12:03pm.
New York - Verizon (NYSE: VZ) is developing technology that will allow subscribers to its FiOS digital TV service to use their Verizon mobile phones as remote controls for their televisions, The Wall Street Journal reports. The Wi-Fi-enabled feature is expected to become available in the next three months.

tags: Mobile | TV | Verizon | FiOS TV |

Verizon to Launch Mobile Applications Store This Year

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 29, 2009 - 9:44am.
San Jose, Calif. - Wireless network operator Verizon (NYSE: VZ) has announced the upcoming fall launch of its own mobile applications store, intended to compete with similar offerings from Apple (NASD: AAPL), Google (NASD: GOOG) and others.

Verizon to Begin Selling Palm Pre Next Year

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 28, 2009 - 10:55am.
Basking Ridge, N.J. - Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) will join Sprint (NYSE: S) in offering smartphone maker Palm's (NASD: PALM) new Pre handset early next year, chief operating officer Denny Strigl told listeners on a conference call discussing the company's second-quarter earnings on Monday, CNET News.com reported.

Verizon Cuts BlackBerry Storm Price to $99 to Match iPhone

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 20, 2009 - 11:41am.
New York - Verizon (NYSE: VZ) is discounting the price of Research in Motion's (NASD: RIMM) touch-screen BlackBerry Storm smartphone to $99, in a bid to compete with the AT&T iPhone 3G, InformationWeek reported. The Storm went on sale last November with a price tag of $200, and has since sold over 1 million units.

Verizon Adds Facebook, Twitter, Web Video to FiOS TV Service

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 15, 2009 - 11:31am.
New York - Verizon (NYSE: VZ) has launched new social TV services for its FiOS subscribers, which will integrate Facebook, Twitter and Web video into the viewing experience. A Widget Bazaar marketplace will feature free applications that let users access Twitter, Facebook Connect and ESPN Fantasy Football from their televisions. Verizon also plans an open development platform for the Widget Bazaar, so third-party developers can write interactive FiOS TV applications. The company also enabled free access to Web videos from Blip.tv, Dailymotion and Veoh for its Home Media DVR service subscribers.

Qualcomm Mobile TV Going Direct-to-Consumer, Cutting Prices

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 24, 2009 - 12:05pm.
San Diego - In a move to cut prices for consumers, Qualcomm (NASD: QCOM) plans to begin offering its FLO TV mobile TV service direct to consumers later this year, The New York Times' Bits blog reports. FLO TV, which offers live streams of some 20 TV channels, is currently offered through carriers including AT&T and Verizon. The carriers charge about $15 a month for the service, which Qualcomm told The Times is too expensive. Qualcomm hopes to offer annual subscriptions that work out to under $10 per month, along with $5 one-day passes, and $10 month-to-month subscriptions.

tags: Mobile TV | TV | Verizon | Qualcomm | AT&T | FLO TV |

Palm Pre Breaks Sprint Sales Records; Verizon Debut in January

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 9, 2009 - 8:34am.
Overland Park, Kan. - Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S) announced that single-day and first weekend sales for the Palm Pre topped any other device it has launched.

Report: Microsoft, Verizon Working on Rival to iPhone

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 28, 2009 - 7:38am.
New York - Hoping to rival the success of Apple's (NASD: AAPL) iPhone, Microsoft (NASD: MSFT) is in talks with Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) to launch a competing device on the carrier's network by early 2010, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. The report follows a report in Monday's USA Today that said Apple has been in "high-level" talks with Verizon for several months on developing a new version of the iPhone compatible with the carrier's CDMA wireless network.

Report: Apple, Verizon in iPhone Talks

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 27, 2009 - 7:31am.
New York - Apple (NASD: AAPL) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ) have been in "high-level" talks for several months on developing an iPhone compatible with the carrier's CDMA wireless network, USA Today reported, citing "people familiar with the situation." To date, Apple has only made deals with AT&T and other carriers who operate on GSM, a different network standard, to carry the iPhone.
tags: Mobile | Verizon | Apple | AT&T | iPhone |