t-mobile verizon

Hawaii might monitor all Web browsing, a Spotify app takes aim at Pandora, and Netflix's CEO expects DVD subscriber numbers to dwindle every quarter.

Links from Thursday's episode of Loaded:

Visual voice mail company YouMail claims that T-Mobile USA had its application removed from Android Market, in what could be seen as the latest example of carrier influence over the mobile business.

YouMail CEO Alex Quilici said his application was pulled without notice. Android's support team sent him a note explaining that T-Mobile had requested the action because it felt the application was adversely affecting the network.

"We encourage you to contact T-Mobile to negotiate a revision and/or agreement to republish this application and update your existing users," the message read.

But Quilici said T-Mobile never … Read more

European consumers may finally be able to pay for items via their smartphones next year, through a system under development by LG Electronics.

LG's system would use a combination of near-field communication (NFC) and cloud computing to allow certain retailers in Europe to accept payments from customers using NFC-equipped smartphones. Scheduled to launch sometime in 2012, the system would also find its way into interactive TVs and security products sold by LG, Reuters reported this week.

"The point-of-sale technology, which will be targeted at small and medium-sized businesses..., is currently in beta testing," Jin-Yong Kim, vice president … Read more

As anyone who has bought one can tell you, the cost of a smartphone is more than just the initial price of the device. You also have monthly payments to deal with, for voice minutes, text messages, and of course, data. You can choose to either be frugal if you can squeak on by with the bare minimum or you can go for the pricier package if you want unlimited everything.

In light of recent changes to smartphone data plans and in anticipation of potential new 4G plans, we've compiled and calculated the cheapest and most-expensive pricing plans below … Read more

It's J.D. Power and Associates time again! The marketing information firm that loves to give awards spun out another this week with its 2010 wireless customer care performance study. Verizon Wireless emerged as the winner with an index score of 753 points on a 1,000-point scale. Verizon's score was 14 points higher than the industry average.

This wasn't a total blowout, however. T-Mobile, which tied with Verizon and Alltel in a similar study last August, was close behind with 752 points. T-Mobile and Verizon have traded the title back and forth over the last couple … Read more

This week we were all over the place on Crave. We had some DIY hacks to create your own Street View experience (again, we're not sure why you'd want to, but hey, go for it). We talked about a hybrid cellular/satellite phone that's on its way to AT&T.

We also got a first look at Windows 7's new compatibility badge. Yes, it features the Windows Flag. Verizon officialized the HTC Imagio, its first device running Windows Mobile 6.5. Having played with WinMo 6.5 all day Friday I can say: it's … Read more

Every year or so J.D. Power and Associates gives out customer care awards to wireless carriers based on telephone calls, in-store visits, and online experiences. In the past, T-Mobile has reigned supreme in this department (except for August 2008, when Verizon snagged the title).

This year, however, the customer care award ended in a three-way tie, with Alltel (recently acquired by Verizon Wireless), T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless all grabbing the top spot, each with a score of 747. The highlights are as follows: Alltel did well with store visits and automated response systems; T-Mobile was great at transferring customers … Read more

Like it does in most countries, Apple has a preferred wireless carrier in the United Kingdom. In this case the carrier is O2, but that may not be the case for long, at least for the iPhone 3G.

According to a report on Mobile Today, Apple may open up iPhone 3G sales to other wireless carriers in the U.K., namely O2 competitors Orange and T-Mobile. O2's exclusive with Apple reportedly ends in September, giving Apple a couple of months to set up other deals.

T-Mobile is so sure that they will get the contract for the iPhone 3G … Read more

Verizon and T-Mobile USA plan to offer Motorola smartphones running Google's Android operating system by the end of the year, according to a report in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal.

Citing "people familiar with the matter," the Journal said the new phones stem from efforts by Motorola Co-Chief Executive Sanjay Jha to revive the company's sluggish handset division. Motorola is hoping Android will help it win a greater slice of the cell phone market.

A Motorola representative declined to comment to the Journal. However, the report said a person familiar with the proposed T-Mobile smartphone described … Read more