Recently in Verizon Wireless Category

Summer blessed us with some seriously cool phones - some of the best I've seen all year.
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Sprint's "4G" debut - the HTC EVO 4G- is incredibly fast. The iPhone 4 is incredibly user-friendly to the data lover. And the Droid Incredible by HTC gives the iPhone 4 a run for its money, with social-network-focused interfaces and cool applications. The Droid X sports a big screen and faster speeds than the original (You've come a long way, Android).
 
But it hasn't been all sunny skies.
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Why You Should Say Yes to the X

July 27, 2010 11:42 AM | 0 Comments
Tornados that threatened Fairfield County, Connecticut, last week didn't do a shred of damage to my after-work, five-mile run. 



 
But my phone, a pink BlackBerry Curve I've had for 11 months, drowned in the parking lot of a pal's apartment complex. Though wind didn't do it in, those torrential downpours killed the keypad. (Unfortunately, they didn't kill the alarm, which went off at 6 the next morning. I actually had to physically remove the battery to kill that!).
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htc-incredible.jpgPerhaps you've been eyeing the new iPhone, or Sprint's sexy new EVO piece.
 
But before you shell out the big bucks for something that promises 4G speeds and such, let's take a look at third phone that came out a little more than a month ago and has delivered on its word: the HTC Incredible.
 

 
When the phone arrived at TMC's Norwalk, Conn., offices, I was skeptical at first. After all, not many gadgets carry such a big name.  
 
But it didn't take long to see that the Incredible is definitely worthy of it.
 
Whereas the Motorola DROID was a huge chunker - thanks to the weight of a slide-out keyboard - the easy-to-navigate Incredible is a nice and lightweight 4.6 ounces. That said, I was a little frustrated that the touchscreen interface, which lends itself to typos, required me to slow down my made-for-BlackBerry texting speed.
 
Still, this baby is loaded with goodies.
 
These include an 8.0-megapixel camera, a wide selection of interactive widgets and instant weather news for wherever you are (I'm training for a marathon so the feature helped me plan this week's 12-mile run!).
 
The screen is 3.7 inches wide, so it's easy to tuck into the back pocket of my bootleg jeans (without adding too much unflattering baggage).
 
And unless you're in a city where you can take advantage of Sprint's 4G network, you won't lose sleep over lack of speed. Which for me, would be something "incredible" indeed!
 
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Most of you know I've rhapsodized on the joys of my BlackBerry time and time again on this blog, while many of my friends have espoused the merits of their iPhones.
 
And while I've considered ditching my pink 'berry for a Motorola DROID (the voice-activated navigation feature is awesome, by the way!), I've never even considered an iPhone. You'd have to pry me away from Verizon Wireless, which I switched over from Sprint in 2003 because it was the only network that wouldn't drop calls made while riding the Metro in Washington, D.C.
 
Still, I must grudgingly admit my ears perked up when I heard, on NPR this morning, that Verizon could very soon be carrying the iPhone.
 
According to an article published by the Wall Street Journal, Apple plans to begin producing this year a new iPhone that could allow U.S. phone carriers other than AT&T to sell the phone.
 
What's more, the new iPhone would work on CDMA, the network technology used by Verizon Wireless!
 
Could this really be true? I rushed into work this morning to make some calls - albeit, a bit distracted by personal thoughts like, "should I switch to the iPhone after all?" -- to Verizon, AT&T and Apple a few minutes ago.
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Planning a wedding in the Internet era is so easy, it's no wonder so many non-celebrity wedding planners are out of work. 
 
In fact, you could plan TEN weddings at once using the Web, doing everything from dress shopping to booking a honeymoon. Even my engagement ring was fetched online, via BlueNile.com.
 
Some other examples:
 
1. I found cards I liked on WeddingPaperDivas.com and -- via an instant chat application -- was able to ask "Gina" whether the price included envelopes, or if I could order two sets of save-the-date cards (my family doesn't like the ones of my fiancé passed out in my arms at 2 a.m. after a friend's wedding!).
 
2.
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As a member of the "fairer" sex, I'm a sucker for red roses, nice dinners and sappy text messages. Especially in bitter-cold February.
 
Thank God my paramour knows better than to bring me a cold, non-floral high-tech trinket in lieu of the boring, predictable - but beloved! - batch of long-stem red roses.
 
In an informal poll of my female tech-writer coworkers, three out of four said they would prefer roses and dinner on Valentine's Day over the iPod Nano. Even those who would opt for the Nano don't consider Apple's mini MP3 player romantic.
 
But if you're a nuts-and-bolts kind of guy who insists that getting something electrical for your lady in waiting, make sure it comes with a candlelit dinner.
 
And if you're short on ideas, consider a few of the tech industry's 2010 V-Day marketing ploys that push gadgets over Godiva.
 
Apple's promoting its iPod Touch through the "Love at First Touch" campaign. And apparently, iPod Nano "Captures Hearts.
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The big benefit of being a gadget writer is that I get to carry around a pile of phones in my big purse. I learn the most about myself observing my own cell-phone behavior (like reaching for a Motorola DROID over my very own BlackBerry Curve when I need instant directions somewhere).
 
But would I pay a stiff several-hundred-dollar fee to switch to the DROID?
 
Probably not, though the last time I tried typing in a request for directions last-minute on my pink BlackBerry proved a bit frustrating.

 
So when analysts and media types debate whether Google's new Nexus One, unveiled just hours ago, will be the "iPhone killer," what they're really debating is whether cell subscribers at the end of their contracts will opt to upgrade to Nexus One. Or, if those of us stuck on another plan will be persuaded to switch.
 
But if you're like me and get attached to things, even the most killer of iPhone killers might not carry much weight.
 
See, I like a lot of things about Google's first Google-branded smartphone. It's super-skinny, at 11.5 millimeters, weighing just 130 grams. Second, it's got technology that makes it super-fast, in the form of Qualcomm Snapdragon 3G QSD8250 chipset, delivering speeds up to 1GHz. Third, it's not an iPhone.
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droid-eris-verizon-Support-708.pngHaving HTC's Droid Eris is like having a little computer -- or a slightly cooler-looking iPhone.
 
But I wouldn't have known this hadn't a friendly Verizon Wireless PR rep suggested that I check it out (after asking for me to give back the Motorola DROID I borrowed). 

 
 
See, when Verizon Wireless released both gadgets in early November, a flurry of media write-ups and advertising campaigns crowned Motorola DROID the Alpha Male of the handset market (targeting non-princess types through questionably sexist commercials). Still, the hefty cell phone with both touchscreen widgets plus a tangible keyboard sported some seriously awesome features - like voice-activated GPS and the best-looking Gmail interface I've ever seen.
 
If the Motorola DROID is a beast, then the Droid Eris is a beauty, with a smooth, black/soft black exterior and bright, app-happy color screen. I love the little retro clock on the home screen and Eris' lightweight feel (plus, it actually fits into my princess-jeans pockets without making me look pudgy).
 
Still, I wondered, putting the pretty phone into my pants pocket, how could this gadget offer anything the iPhone doesn't? Soon, on the snowiest night of the year, I would learn that this little Droid did.
 
My hour-long train ride into New York City was MUCH more entertaining than it would've been with my standby BlackBerry.
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The "iPhone versus BlackBerry" debate isn't just something I talk about during work hours.
 
It's a heated match on any given weeknight, when my proud iPhone-owning fiancé goes into debate-team mode over the merits of his touchscreen wonder.
 
The iPhone is pretty amazing, no doubt, but the of lack of pressable buttons that make grammatically perfect e-mails easy to pound out was reason #1 I choose the sunset-pink hued BlackBerry Curve 8330. The second, as noted, was color. Oh, and I also love my service provider, Verizon Wireless (I switched over from Sprint PCS in 2003, when I lived in Washington, D.C., because I needed to make calls while riding the Metro).
 
But when it comes time to upgrade in 2010, I'm going to need more than a pretty pastel color and press-easy buttons -- and not just because I don't ride the D.C. Metro anymore.
 
 
It's a good thing I got in touch with Mike McAndrews, vice president for product marketing at RIM, who spoke about the criteria one should use when picking their best BlackBerry.

"We tried to create a portfolio of smartphones because we feel that one size does not fit all," McAndrews told me, as we spoke about the differences between the touchscreen Storm line, the "BlackBerry for everyone" Curve line (RIM's most successful product to date), the Pearl (for traditional cell fans who need some convincing), the Tour (for world traveler types) and the Bold models.
 
"One of the first things a user needs to consider is the carrier," McAndrews said, validating at least one of my criteria for choosing my Curve, and suggesting consider the advantages of each network based on location.
 
For example, let's say your folks have a mountain house where there is coverage from just one carrier.
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I live in Connecticut, but I'm from Washington, D.C., which means six-hour train rides back and forth for the holidays. Though I love my BlackBerry Curve, there are days I wish my Mac had a built-in wireless network access thingie so I could surf the 'net while cruising down the mid-Atlantic. 
 
So when I heard about AT&T's HP Mini netbook with built-in access to the AT&T's 3G and WiFi networks, my ears perked up. 
 
This new, light, 2.57-pound 'book features Microsoft Windows 7 operating system, a 10.1-inch LED anti-glare widescreen display, 1G of memory, a 160GB hard drive and is only $199 after mail-in rebate via an AT&T promotion card. There's just one catch: You have to buy a two-year data service contract, and pay $35-60 per month for service. All for the benefit of getting to use AT&T WiFi wherever you are. 
 
Still, making a commitment to shell out another $35-60 a month is difficult - I wish you could just rent netbooks for $20 per train trip (hint, hint Amtrak)! That would make those monthly train rides go a whole lot more smoothly. 
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