Hasta La Gadget!

We’d heard rumblings that unlimited data for Sprint’s mobile hotspot plan was going the way of the dodo, but come November folks, it’ll be official. Data sent and received over tethering — not smartphone usage — will now be measured against a 5GB cap. The same applies to mobile broadband subscribers, who will lose “unlimited” WiMax, instead having all their bits counting towards 3GB, 5GB or 10GB buckets (as seen above). Going over your allotment in either plan naturally incurs overages, which could get pricey at 5 cents per MB, and worst of all, existing unlimited plans won’t be grandfathered in. So, start counting down those last few days of limitless bliss, as you weep peeping the full details that await at the source.

[Thanks, Darren]

Sprint to nix ‘unlimited’ from mobile broadband and hotspot plans in November originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 07:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In a direct shot at its lesser competitors, Verizon Wireless announced today the launch of a new $50 unlimited plan for pre-paid customers. Available starting this Thursday, the unlimited talk, text and web option’ll rollout to all of the operator’s retail locations, in addition to Walmart, Best Buy and Target. Users who opt for the plan won’t get their pick of high-end smartphones, and will, instead, have to choose from a selection of four feature phones from LG, Samsung and Pantech. The move could seriously undercut growth for Sprint — which operates Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile — as well as smaller operators, like MetroPCS, that count pre-paid users as the majority of their customer base. It’s not really an even fight, but with fellow industry titan AT&T already offering a similar non-contracted service, all’s fair in this messy wireless war.

Filed under: Cellphones

Verizon intros $50 unlimited plan, takes a swing at pre-paid operators originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How do you compete with Google’s new Wallet mobile payment system? Well, a $100 million cash infusion certainly couldn’t hurt. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon have plans to invest just that amount in Isis, sources told Businessweek. That sum is likely to grow, since taking on Google is no small feat, especially considering Wallet is already off the ground, with nationwide retail partners and support for MasterCard PayPass. Though Isis first made its debut last year, Google Wallet, which was announced in May, has clearly taken the lead. Isis is little more than a top-level website at this point, though with three of the nation’s largest carriers providing support, it could have a chance to catch up — especially if the carriers elect not to partner with Google, leaving Sprint as the sole wireless provider. We’re glad to see some potential healthy competition for Wallet, especially considering that it was looking like Google was poised to create a monopoly. We expect much more to come on the Isis front, but in the meantime, hold on to those wallets — cell phone payments may be in your future, but for now, paper and plastic are where it’s at.

AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon give Isis mobile payment network a $100 million boost originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 07:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve already caught a glimpse of Apple’s proposed science fiction museum new campus in Cupertino, but screen grabs just don’t do this behemoth justice. A recently released set of renderings of Apple Campus 2, as it’s known to the city of Cupertino, however, give it that proper otherworldly glow. According to the accompanying proposal, the building will take up a measly 2.8 million square feet, contain a 1,000-seat auditorium and research facilities totaling 300,000 square feet. Really? Is that all? If architectural renderings are your thing, hit the source link for some building-plan booty.

Visualized: the Apple mothership originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Aug 2011 20:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oh Orange UK customers, you lucky dogs, your carrier is giving you a bit of a break as we enter globe-trotting season. No longer are you chained to absurd per-MB roaming charges or unnecessary monthly plans. Instead, you can shell out £3-a-day (about $5) for 30MB of data — which is plenty for checking e-mail and doing some light browsing. If you don’t use any data then you don’t get charged (sweet!), but go over that limit and you’re back to the normal £3.07-per-MB rate (not so sweet). It’s a perfect option for the traveler who only spends a week or two abroad at a time, and it closes the gap with fellow UK provider Vodafone, which offers a £2-per-day, 25MB option. Now, if only others (especially our friends here in the US) would offer sensible roaming plans of their own.

Orange UK offers daily 30MB for £3 roaming option for fee weary travelers originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Jul 2011 14:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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