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Would a T-Mobile iPhone play nicely on AT&T? (Ask Maggie)

Rumor has it that Apple is planning to sell its latest crop of iPhones not just to AT&T and Verizon Wireless customers, but also to Sprint Nextel and possibly T-Mobile USA customers.

This is great news for millions of customers who have remained loyal to these smaller operators. But some consumers are wary about buying a new iPhone from T-Mobile when the company is expected to be purchased by AT&T early next year. Will a T-Mobile iPhone even work on the AT&T network? I answer this very question in the column below.

Also in … Read more

Sony to launch Sony Entertainment Network? (scoop)

Sony's various content distribution services may soon be operating under a new, unifying name, CNET has learned.

The Japanese electronics giant currently operates several entertainment stores, such as Qriocity, Sony's streaming music and video service; PlayStation Network; and others. Several sources tell CNET that Sony may roll out a new name for those services during IFA 2011 next month in Berlin. That name is currently known within the company as "Sony Entertainment Network," or SEN.

Does this mean people will turn on their PS3s or PSPs one day in the near future and see Sony Entertainment Network instead of PlayStation Network? Not quite. Our sources indicate that Qriocity Music Unlimited and the VOD service would be first to move under the SEN umbrella. Other services would possibly then be moved to SEN later; this may include the PSN and the Reader Store.

A possible reason for the transition, our sources say, is that soon-to-be-chairman Kazuo Hirai desires a unified Sony user experience, as it has been fragmented over the last decade. Hirai oversees all of Sony's consumer electronics, including PlayStation products, so the PSN transitioning to the rubric of SEN seems plausible. It also wouldn't hurt to move away from PSN after the embarrassing hacking scandal that breached millions of accounts and caused service interruption for 23 days. … Read more

Sprint iPhone brings its share of problems

The enthusiasm over Sprint Nextel possibly getting the iPhone is overblown.

News that Sprint may finally get the iPhone garnered universal praise yesterday, from a pop in Sprint's stock to longtime subscribers cheering at the prospect of finally owning Apple's smash-hit handset. Today, a few analysts have already begun to hit the brakes, noting the potential headaches that may come with the iPhone.

"Sprint iPhone? Be careful what you wish for," William Power, an analyst at Robert W. Baird, said in a research note today.

Sprint will have to deal with higher subsidy costs for the … Read more

Sprint iPhone may portend end to unlimited plan

commentary Once Sprint Nextel gets the iPhone, you can bid farewell to its unlimited-data plan.

If history is any indication, Sprint will have to make some tough decisions, if Apple's blockbuster device starts weighing on its network. It's something the other carriers have done, and it's part of a broader trend of telecommunication companies struggling to keep up with growing bandwidth consumption.

After suffering through years of heavy bandwidth usage from iPhone users, AT&T relented and switched to a tiered pricing plan last year. It only took Verizon Wireless a few months after launching its … Read more

Lock in a lower AT&T text rate before the price hike

Are you an AT&T phone user with a text plan? On August 21, AT&T will replace its lower-tiered text plans with a $20-per-month unlimited plan. The family rate of $30 unlimited texting (for five devices) will still be an option, but tiered pricing of $10 for 1,000 texts won't be. If you already have a plan that suits your needs, you won't need to make any changes, but if you have one of the soon-defunct lower-tier plans, this is the perfect time to switch.… Read more

AT&T says it will throttle heavy data users

AT&T confirmed today that it will begin throttling the heaviest data users of its wireless network starting October 1.

The new policy will affect only customers who still have an unlimited data plan, and only apply to the top 5 percent of that base. Throttling is when a carrier will slow down the connection of a device to keep it from consuming more data. AT&T hasn't specified what the threshold will be--it says the amount of data that would trigger throttling would vary from month to month.

AT&T is just the latest carrier … Read more

YouSendIt delivers unlimited cloud storage

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G will launch this Thursday, Apple forces developers to update their apps to remove external links to e-books and subscriptions, and YouSendIt offers unlimited cloud-based storage for less than you'd expect.

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded:

YouSendIt launches unlimited cloud storage Apply with LinkedIn Apple forces developers to update apps Apple & AT&T gearing up for iPhone 5 launch Samsung launching Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3)iTunes (320x180)iTunes (HD)RSS (MP3)RSS (320x180)RSS HD

New Mac products galore

Roku adds motion-sensing gaming to its streaming media box, Sonos offers a lower cost, wireless Hi-Fi speaker system called the Play 3, and Apple unleashes Mac OS X Lion, updates MacBook Air and Mac Mini, and releases a Thunderbolt Display.

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded:

Apple unveilsMac OS X Lion, new MacBook Airs, new Mac minis and the Thunderbolt Display

Roku 2 gets motion-sensing video gaming

Lower-cost, Sonos Play 3 networked, wireless speakers

New T-Mobile "unlimited" smartphone plans

Google adds malware warning to search

How long can Sprint keep its unlimited plans up?

Sprint Nextel's unlimited data plan will eventually face its limits.

As the only carrier that can now boast of offering an all-you-can-eat buffet of data with no strings attached, Sprint has become a haven for bandwidth hogs. It's a boon to customer growth and gives the company a competitive edge beyond pricing or network quality. Unfortunately, it's also tough for the company to reverse its position.

The growth also comes at a cost. The more heavy users jump on the Sprint ship, the heavier the burden the carrier will start to feel. The company has employed tricks … Read more

T-Mobile to drop prices on smartphone plans

T-Mobile USA is throwing down the gauntlet at Sprint Nextel with its new smartphone price plans.

T-Mobile is set to announce Wednesday that it plans to cut the price of its smartphone plans. Most significantly, its mid-tier plan--which includes unlimited phone calls, text messages, and data--drops by $20 to $59.99 a month. In comparison, Sprint's comparable plan--which includes unlimited data, text, and calls to other cell phones--costs $69.99 a month.

The aggressive pricing illustrates the ultra-competitive environment, particularly for two smaller national carriers. Both companies continue to struggle with adding lucrative contract customers, and have been going … Read more