overages

Avoid overage charges with My Data Manager

My Data Manager by Mobidia provides a simple, passive way of tracking your Android device's data usage. It's perfect if you have a limited data plan and are constantly trying to avoid those annoying overage charges.

Once you install My Data Manager, it automatically starts tracking your home data usage, roaming, and Wi-Fi usage, all in real time. It lists all of the active, data-connected apps on your device, the amount of raw data used in MBs, and the percentage of data transfer currently being used by each app. It even has pie charts.

But that's just … Read more

A beginner's guide to telecom jargon, part 5

The mobile world moves at a breakneck pace, and it's difficult to keep up--even without the technical jargon most industry insiders throw around. And they do love to toss those terms about.

This week, I attempt to explain one of technology's favorite buzzwords, no small feat given its broad use and different interpretations applied to it.

So for some light reading, here are a few terms telecom experts throw around with the assumption that everyone understands them.

Cloud: It's increasingly become one of the most oft-used words among technology circles. At its most basic level, it means … Read more

T-Mobile adds new 10GB mobile data plan

T-Mobile has unveiled a new data plan that gives mobile broadband users up to 10GB each month and no overage costs for a price of $85.

Launched yesterday, the new "10 GB Web access + Unlimited T-Mobile HotSpot" mobile broadband plan is designed for T-Mobile 3G or 4G cellular subscribers who hop onto the Internet via their tablets, Netbooks, and notebooks.

With overage costs sometimes giving customers a nasty surprise when the bill is due, T-Mobile is promising no overage fees. Instead, the carrier will throttle back on the data speed until the billing cycle ends for anyone who … Read more

FCC settles with Verizon over mystery charges

The Federal Communications Commission scored a major political win today as it announced a $25 million settlement with Verizon Wireless over so-called mystery charges.

While critics complain that the FCC has been dragging its feet on issues such as Net neutrality, the agency announced that it has not only forced Verizon Wireless to refund more than $50 million to consumers for overcharging them, but it has also gotten the nation's largest cell phone operator to pay another $25 million to the U.S. Treasury as a penalty.

The payment is the largest in FCC history and the settlement concludes the agency's 10-month investigation … Read more

Avoid iPhone overages with OverMyMinutes

What's the only thing worse than paying that monthly AT&T bill? Paying an even higher AT&T bill, which happens when you blow through your allotted talk time and/or text messages.

That's why I'm a newfound fan of OverMyMinutes Alerter, a free app that alerts you via e-mail and/or SMS when you're getting close to your talk/text limits.

At first blush, this may seem unnecessary. After all, you can use AT&T's own MyWireless app to review your minutes and data usage, or just dial *646# to get … Read more

New AT&T features coming to iPhone?

An AppleInsider report cites an anonymous tip claiming Apple and AT&T may be working on two enhancements for the iPhone specific to AT&T's network:

Overage alerts would notify users via push notification badges, messages, or sounds when they approach their monthly anytime minutes limit. New voice mail options would let users disable the custom voice mail greeting (including AT&T's standard voice mail introduction) and allow them to skip greetings (standard or otherwise) or other automated instructions when calling other AT&T customers.

Unfortunately, the tipster mentioned no warnings from AT&… Read more