You start typing only to realize 10 seconds later that the focus is on the wrong window. You see a Windows notification pop out of the taskbar only to have it fade away before you can figure out what it means. You get distracted by all of Windows' pointless animations. You miss seeing keyboard-shortcut hints on menu entries and elsewhere in Windows dialog boxes.
You could spend hours hunting for the settings that will do away with these four Windows annoyances. At least Vista collects them all in the Ease of Access Center. These usability settings are spread far and wide in XP.
Mouse over a window to make it the focus
About once or twice a week I find myself happily typing away only to discover after crafting the perfect memo opener or e-mail retort that the focus had switched to another open window. Not only have I lost the data I thought I was entering, I might inadvertently purchase a Winnebago if I press Enter while focused on the wrong page in my browser.
You can set Vista to change the focus to whichever window you mouse over via the Ease of Access Center. Press the Windows key and U to open it.
I described the top four options (all carryovers from XP's Accessibility Control Panel applet) in a previous post. To change focus by hovering, click "Make the mouse easier to use" and check "Activate a window by hovering over it with the mouse" near the bottom of the dialog box. Click Save or Apply to activate the change.
The simplest way I know of to change this setting in XP is to use the free Tweak UI utility. After you download and install the program, open it and double-click Mouse in the left pane. Choose X-Mouse among the entries that appear, and check "Activation follows X-Mouse" in the right window.
Bonus tip: To keep programs from stealing the focus, choose Focus under General in the left pane, click "Prevent applications from stealing focus" in the right pane, and choose the number of times you want the window to flash when this happens.
Set Vista notification pop-ups to stay on screen longer
Sometimes the little windows that pop out of the taskbar to notify you of some event, such as a USB device you just plugged in being ready to use, disappear too quickly. To extend the duration of notification windows in Vista, click "Make it easier to focus on tasks" in the Ease of Access Center, scroll to the bottom of the resulting dialog box, and change the setting under "How long should Windows notification boxes stay open?" The default setting is 7 seconds, and the available options let you change this to 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, or 5 minutes. When you're done, click Save or Apply.
Extend the time Vista's notification windows stay visible via this setting in the Ease of Access Center.
(Credit: Microsoft)The only way I know of to change the duration of notification windows in XP is to tweak the Registry. This is also how you disable notifications altogether. I'll describe the procedure in a future post.
Knock off the frivolous animations
Save some CPU cycles--and maybe your tired eyeballs--by telling Windows to do without the fancy-schmancy animations. In Vista, click "Make it easier to focus on tasks" in the Ease of Access Center (the same dialog I described above for tweaking notifications), check "Turn off all unnecessary animations (when possible)" under "Adjust time limits and flashing visuals," and click Save or Apply.
To tone down the animations in XP, right-click My Computer, choose Properties > Advanced, and click Settings in the Performance section. Under the Visual Effects tab, click "Adjust for best performance," or choose Custom and select the options you do and don't want in the window below. When you're done, click OK twice.
Show shortcut keys on menu items
Microsoft doesn't always make it easy for people who prefer to navigate around Windows and their applications using keyboard shortcuts. To make the key hints visible on menus in Vista, click "Make the keyboard easier to use" in the Ease of Access Center, check "Underline keyboard shortcuts and access keys" under "Make it easier to use keyboard shortcuts," and click Save or Apply.
See hints for shortcut keys on Vista menus by choosing this option in the Ease of Access Center.
(Credit: Microsoft)Add the shortcut-key hints to XP by right-clicking the desktop (or pressing Shift-F10 while on the desktop), choosing Properties, clicking Appearance > Effects, unchecking "Hide underlined letters for keyboard navigation until I press the Alt key," and clicking OK twice.
Verizon Wireless has certified the first device that will operate on its Open Development network, the company said Friday during a conference call to update developers participating in the program.
Anthony Lewis, vice president for open development at Verizon, said that at least one device developer has completed the certification process that was first launched in March. The device that has been certified was already in the works when Verizon made details of the Open Development Initiative public just a few months ago.
Lewis said he was unable to provide details about the new handset. He wouldn't even name its manufacturer. He also didn't give a time frame for when the device will be commercially available on the open network. Still, he wanted to show the developer community that progress is being made.
"I want you to know the process works," he said during the conference call. "We believe the time is right to have this open development program. And I'm happy about some of the devices I've already seen."
Lewis also emphasized the importance of partnerships and collaboration in the process.
"We are here for you," he told the developers. "We're listening to you, and we are working to find the most effective way for you to bring your products and services to the network and out to the general population."
Verizon first announced plans for an open development network in November with the hope that it would make it easier and less expensive for third-party developers to bring new devices and applications to its network. Ultimately, Verizon hopes its open network will help spur innovation and provide a testing ground for new devices, applications, and services.
The new certification process is much more streamlined than the process companies must go through if they want to sell a Verizon-branded phone. Verizon is trying to make the new process as easy and open as possible. The company recently updated its Web page with a link that will allow those seeking product certification to track their device's progress from the initial stages all the way through to final certification and testing.
Developers urged to work directly with device makers
Since the device specifications for the open development network were released a few months ago, application developers have been clamoring for more information about how to get their applications on these new devices. Lewis said that Verizon is working with device makers first to lay the foundation for the open network. And he said the developers should work directly with device makers to develop applications.
"We are leaving the door wide open for applications," he said. "We are not going to evaluate applications on ODI (Open Development Initiative) devices. Any certification for applications we will leave up to device manufacturers."
He added that developers are free to use any operating system they choose on their devices whether its Google's Android, the open Linux platform Limo, or Microsoft's Windows Mobile.
Even though Verizon won't be taking an active role in certifying applications, the company will help bring application developers together with device makers. And Lewis encouraged application developers to join the Open Development Initiative and to contact Verizon to help initiate and facilitate conversations with device makers.
Lewis also confirmed that devices running on the ODI network will not be sold with contracts. This means that Verizon will not be subsidizing the cost of the devices. But it also means that Verizon will not charge those controversial early termination fees when customers ditch its service. Exact pricing details or ODI service plans haven't been made public yet. Lewis said Verizon is still working out the details, but it's likely the company could offer "pay as you go" and month-to-month service.
"We want to make sure the plans are simple," he said.
WASHINGTON--At the moment, most TVs and telephones must be outfitted with special features for people with hearing, vision, and speech impairments under U.S. law. Now an influential Democratic congressman wants to expand those requirements to their Internet counterparts.
The bill (PDF) being drafted by Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) would require, at least in some cases, dramatic changes in the way Internet phone- and video-related products are designed, while making it more difficult than under existing law for companies to claim exemptions from those requirements.
"The wizardry of the wires and the sophistication of the software programs do little for those who cannot affordably access or effectively use them," Markey said at a hearing here Thursday convened by the House of Representatives telecommunications and Internet panel he leads. "Our job as policymakers is to help ensure such affordable access and utilization, and this is what the draft legislation I have circulated is intended to do."
In some ways, the effort would simply build upon steps already taken by policymakers in recent years. Last summer, for instance, the Federal Communications Commission decided that voice-over Internet protocol providers whose services connect to the public-switched telephone network, such as Vonage, would be required to make their services compatible with hearing aids and telecommunications relay services, just as traditional phone operators do.
The Markey bill would extend those obligations to Skype-like equipment that allows users to swap voice, text, or video communications via Internet protocol technology. It would also go a step further, requiring them to support standard
The bill also contains new rules for manufacturers of any gadget designed to receive or display video programming, be it Internet-based or otherwise. They would generally be required to equip those devices with the ability to decode and display closed captions, to deliver "video description" services (that is, oral narration designed for the blind and visually-impaired), and to present typical ticker-style emergency messages in a way that's accessible to the blind and visually impaired.
Furthermore, the devices would have to be designed so that on-screen menus are accessible in real-time to individuals with disabilities, and all remote controls would have to contain a "conspicuous" buttons for activating closed captioning.
Disabilities community weighs in
A variety of disabilities advocates voiced support for the bill at Thursday's hearing. (Its working title is the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, although it has not yet been formally introduced.)
At the moment, federal rules require all TVs with screens larger than 13 inches to contain chips to display closed captions. But that's no longer sufficiently stringent as the popularity of videos delivered via cell phones, laptops, and MP3 players surges, said Russell Harvard, a deaf actor who played Daniel Day Lewis' adult-age son in the Oscar-nominated film There Will Be Blood.
"I and others who cannot hear are left out of this whirlwind of technological change (because) hardly any of these smaller devices display closed captions," Harvard said, urging Congress to take closed captioning law "to its next level."
Jamaal Anderson, an Atlanta Falcons defensive end, recalled that at draft time last year, his mother was forced to "interpret" video clips of him that appeared on Web sites of National Football League teams and news organizations for the benefit of his father, Glenn, who holds the distinction of being the first PhD recipient to be deaf and black.
U.S. Army Sgt. Major Jesse Acosta, a longtime soldier who lost his right eye and vision in his left eye during a mortar explosion in Iraq two years ago, said it's not acceptable that of his three favorite television shows--CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, and CSI: Las Vegas--only one of them has descriptive audio. The Southern California resident, who spoke on behalf of the American Council of the Blind, said he was also dismayed that crawling alerts on his TV screen about potential emergencies, like earthquakes or mudslides, went by unbeknownst to him unless a family member of friend happened to be there to relay the message.
In 2002, the Federal Communications Commission set rules that required video operators to provide that video description service, but a court overturned those rules, arguing that they were contrary to Congress's intent. Part of Markey's bill attempts to restore those rules, which Acosta, who spoke on behalf of the American Council of the Blind, applauded.
New regulations: Necessary or not?
Democrats on the committee generally seemed to support Markey's plans, voicing concern about excluding people with disabilities from new technologies. Some Republicans, however, said that although they shared Markey's goals, they were skeptical about the need for new legislation.
"New regulations may not be needed because the technology and wireless industries are already taking the necessary steps to make sure their products and applications are indeed accessible to all people," said Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), the panel's ranking member.
Some Internet video providers, including NBC and Fox's joint Hulu.com venture and Apple's iTunes store, already offer captioned programming. Last fall, AOL, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo formed a coalition called the Internet Captioning Forum, coordinated by public broadcasting station WGBH in Boston, that's designed to standardize captioning practices for Web hosts and content providers.
"I think they have figured it out," Larry Goldberg, WGBH's director of media access, said of that effort at Thursday's hearing. "What they need to figure out is how to make it pervasive," and Markey's legislation should help "light that fire" under those companies.
Wireless companies, for their part, already make phones that use voice recognition, software that will "read out" or magnify screen information, and other features designed to help sensory-impaired users, said Dane Snowden, vice president of external and state affairs for CTIA-The Wireless Association. All cell phones are compatible with TTY, also known as Text Telephone Device, which allows deaf or hard-of-hearing people to communicate through text, and about 40 phone models are compatible with hearing aids, he added.
"If we can sell products that are more accessible, we sell more products," Snowden told the committee. "We have a vested interest in this and a proven track record."
His group, which represents major wireless carriers and manufacturers, supports the concept of Markey's legislation but believes the current draft would "unnecessarily burden the industry with little countervailing benefit to the disability community," Snowden said.
Another potential problem with the bill is that it allows unhappy customers to file private lawsuits alleging violations of the disability requirements, said Ken Nakata, a former U.S. Department of Justice civil rights attorney who now works for the consulting firm BayFirst Solutions in Seattle.
Such a policy could actually undermine the rights of people with disabilities, he argued. It was, after all, private litigation that led to what he called a "disaster for the disability rights movement"--a court opinion in a case involving Southwest Airlines' Web site that essentially found the Americans with Disabilities Act applies only to physical spaces, not businesses on the Web.
Markey indicated he would consider the suggestions as the bill is finalized and said he hoped legislation could be passed by year's end. A committee aide told CNET News.com that he expects the bill to be introduced formally before Congress' Memorial Day recess.
LG Vu
(Credit: CNET Networks)AT&T Mobile TV will debut on Sunday, along with the LG Vu and the Samsung Access phones.
As reported a month or so ago, AT&T Mobile TV is the carrier's new live mobile TV service that will broadcast television shows to compatible phones via Qualcomm's MediaFlo network. At launch, the service will offer eight channels of programming--CBS Mobile, Comedy Central, ESPN Mobile TV, Fox Mobile, MTV, NBC 2G0, NBC News 2GO, and Nickelodeon--as well as two AT&T-exclusive channels called PIX and CNN Mobile Live. PIX will have shows from Sony Pictures Television while CNN Mobile Live will feature 24-hour-a-day live streaming of CNN. As a special offer, AT&T is also offering CNCRT, a concert channel delivered by Control Room, for the next 60 days. It will air one of about 30 concerts from artists such as Sheryl Crow and Jay Z.
The service will launch in 58 markets, including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, but not San Francisco. (We're a little miffed here at CNET HQ). Though data charges are nonexistent, you do have to pay monthly access fees. For only four channels--CBS Mobile, Fox Mobile, NBC 2Go, and NBC News 2Go--it's $13 a month, while the Basic package for $15 a month will allow you unlimited access to Mobile TV plus the CNCRT channel. For $30 a month, you get the Mobile TV access as well as unlimited mobile Web browsing and unlimited access to Cellular Video, AT&T's broadband video streaming service.
Of course, the other big news is that the LG Vu and the Samsung Access will launch on the same day. As you'll recall from CNET's CTIA coverage, the Samsung Access is a candy bar handset with a 2.3-inch landscape display, a 1.3-megapixel camera, quad-band GSM support, and of course 3G/HSDPA. As much as we think the Access is a cool phone though, the LG Vu is clearly the phone made for mobile TV thanks to its large 3-inch wide touch screen. The Vu is packed with a 2-megapixel camera, quad-band GSM support, a full HTML browser, stereo Bluetooth, and all of AT&T's 3G services, including AT&T Mobile Music and AT&T Video Share.
We had the opportunity to give the LG Vu a full review, so check out what we think of it and take a gander at our LG Vu slide show.
Inspectors for the International Olympic Committee are reminding China of its obligation to provide open Internet access to journalists attending this summer's games, according to a BBC news report.
The Olympic torch, designed by Chinese PC maker Lenovo, is now alit and en route to the Summer Olympics.
(Credit: Lenovo)China, which will host the Olympic Games in Beijing in August, has a reputation of restricting Internet access to various Web sites, such as YouTube, which recently has served up video clips of unrest in Tibet, and to foreign news sites.
But under its contract with the International Olympic Committee, China is required to provide journalists with Internet access, according to the BBC report. The IOC expressed concern over China's Internet access, particularly following last month's protests over its handling of matters related to Tibet.
The unrest in Tibet, covered by a variety of news organizations, has led to calls to boycott the Olympic Games, according to a report in Associated Press.
"There was some criticism that the Internet closed down during events relating to Tibet in previous weeks--but this is not Games time," Kevan Gosper of the IOC told the BBC. "Our concern is that the press is able to operate as it has at previous Games during Games time."
Google is planning a conference call with journalists on Monday to discuss a company filing with the FCC regarding the use of unused portions of the TV spectrum band, known as white spaces.
On the 11:30 a.m. EST call will be Rick Whitt, Google's Washington telecom and media counsel.
Technology companies want to be able to use the spectrum between the TV channels for Internet access, and the FCC is considering opening up the white spaces for use by unlicensed Internet devices. But broadcasters oppose the move, saying it will cause interference.
The FCC has been running tests to see if the white spaces can be used without interfering with TV broadcasts. Microsoft has submitted a prototype device that would use the spectrum for high-speed broadband access.
Google, which is a member of the White Spaces Coalition with Microsoft, Intel, HP, and a few others, may have something similar up its sleeve.
It's official: Verizon Wireless has won licenses for nationwide coverage in the C-Block in the 700MHz spectrum auction conducted by the Federal Communications Commission.
This means that Verizon, not Google, will control the spectrum that is required by the FCC to adhere to special open-access rules.
Google had lobbied the FCC last summer to include several rules in the 700MHz spectrum auction that mandated open access. The FCC adopted only one of Google's proposed rules, which requires the winner to allow any device or application to connect to a network that uses this spectrum.
Google made good on its promise to bid in this sliver of spectrum in the auction. But as I predicted months ago, the company wasn't really serious about winning the auction. Instead, it looks like it just wanted to push the price of the auction above the $4.6 billion threshold to ensure that the open-access rule would go into effect.
Google apparently did not win any licenses in the auction, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said at a press conference in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, according to The Wall Street Journal.
It's not surprising that Verizon won the C-Block licensees. Analysts had been predicting that for weeks.
Now it looks like the company will include this spectrum in its new open-device initiative. In November, the company announced that it would allow subscribers to bring their own phone or other wireless device to its network.
On Tuesday, Verizon released specifications and certification testing information for devices that it will allow on this open network.
Of course, the very fact that the company still requires device makers to certify their products for use on its network means that it isn't completely "open." But the new certification process is streamlined and will allow device makers to get through certification in weeks rather than in months.
Verizon also won other 700MHz spectrum licenses. It was the largest winner of licenses in the A-Block, which are midsize licenses. And it won 77 licenses in the B-Block, the smallest regional licenses that were being auctioned.
Satellite TV provider EchoStar Communications also won enough spectrum licenses to give the company nearly nationwide wireless coverage. EchoStar and DirecTV Group had dropped out of the Advanced Wireless Service auction in 2006. AT&T also won a large number of the smallest licenses that were auctioned.
The auction, which sold spectrum being freed from the transition to digital TV in 2009, closed on Tuesday, raising a record $19.6 billion.
Verizon made a big splash in 2007 by talking up its plans to open its network to third-party developers. "Any application, any device" was the mantra.
Several months later, however, more questions than answers remain as to just how open Verizon plans to be, and what it's going to charge for the privilege of openness, as BusinessWeek has highlighted.
Among the biggest concerns: Verizon did not divulge any details of the pricing plans customers would be offered to use such devices. Nor did it publish any specifications to help software developers create applications for the network. In fact, the company distributed materials to attendees online, stressing that the company "will not approve, test, or service third-party applications that customers load onto their Open Development Devices."
... Read more
NEW YORK--Verizon Wireless unveiled specifications for its new open wireless program Wednesday as part of a strategy that could change the future of the wireless market. But the road ahead will likely be a long and slow one.
Traditionally, cell phone operators have tightly controlled the entire cell phone experience--from the network to the handsets to the applications running on those devices. But now Verizon, and others like AT&T, are looking for ways to open up their networks.
Verizon first announced plans for an open development network in November with the hope that it would make it easier and less expensive for third-party developers to bring new devices and applications to its network. Ultimately, Verizon hopes its open network will help spur innovation and provide a testing ground for new devices, applications, and services.
"The U.S. market has been conditioned to have the carrier control the wireless network end to end," Lowell McAdam, Verizon Wireless' CEO and president, said in an interview at Verizon's Open Handset Development Conference here. "We'll have to see how willing people are to give up the subsidy and pay $200 or $300 for a device. We think it will take a long time before the old model dies."
Analysts agree that Verizon's new initiative has big long-term implications, but in the short term will have little impact on the market.
"When talking about the future of wireless this is a big deal," said Avi Greengart, research director for mobile devices at Current Analysis. "It enables connected devices that futurists have been talking about forever. All devices will have network connectivity. But in the short term, people will still buy a subsidized phone if they have the choice."
Verizon's move to create a more open network comes at a time when everyone from application developers to handset makers to customers to government officials are insisting on more openness. Apple's iPhone, which generated more buzz than any other consumer electronics device in recent memory, has proven that some segments of the market don't care about having their phone subsidized. But Apple's exclusive contract with AT&T has also spawned debate over whether the device should be locked to a specific carrier's network.
On the application front, Internet search giant Google announced plans to develop an open operating system it calls Android to help handset developers and carriers bring new applications to the market more quickly.
But there has also been pressure from regulators and lawmakers, who are considering regulation and laws that would require service providers such as Verizon to be more open. In the Federal Communications Commission's 700MHz spectrum auction, which ended Tuesday, the government required operators winning licenses on one particular block of spectrum to make their network open to any device.
Google, which had pushed for the rule, was a bidder on this part of the spectrum, but it's widely believed Verizon Wireless was the ultimate winner of that spectrum. Winners of the auction aren't expected to be announced for a few weeks.
Verizon's McAdam conceded that the company's open-network program was motivated in part by some of these developments.
"We are always resistant to government trying to put themselves in the middle of the market," he said. "That is always a recipe for disaster."
But McAdam said a bigger motivation for creating the open-network program was Verizon's customers, who are demanding cooler phones and more applications.
"We saw what was happening with the iPhone and what Google is doing and we listened to what customers wanted," he said. "We saw this moment in time coming, and we thought if we open this up, it will be great for our customers and great for our shareholders."
One of the biggest criticisms of Verizon has always been its lack of cool or cutting-edge phones. Traditionally, Verizon has been known as the most stringent carrier about the devices and applications it allows on its network. It also has one of the more rigorous testing processes for device and application developers. A more open network could allow Verizon to offer customers many more handset and application options than it can offer today.
Testing requirements loosened
As part of the open development program, Verizon has released specifications and best practices for new devices and applications that can be used on its network. The new specifications only allow customers to bring any CDMA (code division multiple access) or EV-DO (evolution data optimized) phone to its network if it's been precertified by Verizon. But the testing requirements are much less, the company said. And the time it takes to get through the process is greatly reduced. For example, the testing period for the open network is expected to take roughly four weeks, compared with the three to four months that it takes to fully test a device on Verizon's traditional network.
Tony Melone, Verizon Wireless' chief technology officer, said the testing process isn't meant to be a profit center for the company. Developers can use Verizon's testing sites or they can contract with a third-party developer. The goal is to make sure the devices meet basic specifications, which are based on adhering to the CDMA and EV-DO wireless standards, the technologies that are used on Verizon's network. In addition to these basic requirements, Verizon will also test to ensure that new devices meet E911 specifications such as GPS location proximity.
"We don't want to be a barrier to entry," McAdam said. "But as all of you can appreciate, with 65 million customers and billions of dollars of investment in our network, we need to protect our customers and our assets."
Customers will be able to activate these "open" devices by calling or going online. They will also be able to download applications directly from developers instead of going through a Verizon store.
The new devices won't have contracts or early-termination fees. And subscribers will be able to choose from Verizon's existing rate plans. The company also said it will open the network to wholesalers, allowing device makers to become Mobile Virtual Network Operators.
A chance to experiment
McAdam said he sees the open development network as a testing ground for the company to experiment with new services and business models. For example, he said the company is already considering a subscription model that would allow a single user to use multiple devices on the network while paying for a single subscription.
"I could easily see people connecting three, four, and five devices to the wireless network and they aren't going to want to pay a $50 subscription on each one of those," he said. "We aren't ready to launch any new service plan. But we do have the ability to move to this when the timing is right."
This new pricing model could work well with Verizon's new fourth-generation network that uses a technology called Long-Term Evolution, or LTE. The company will be testing the new network later this year and will extend the open-network concept to it as well. It is likely this future network that will truly benefit from openness.
But in the short term, some Chinese handset manufacturers may find it easier and cheaper to get their handsets to market. The open network could also help Nokia get some of its high-end N series devices into the U.S. market. And it could potentially provide a window of opportunity for companies developing handsets and applications based on Google's Android platform.
Verizon Wireless on March 19 plans to release the first version of specifications that developers will use to build new devices and applications to run over its open network service.
The company said Monday that it will release Version 1.0 of the specifications at its Open Development Device Conference scheduled for March 19 and March 20 in New York. The specifications will be used by application developers and handset makers so that they can create new applications and devices that will run on Verizon's "Any Device, Any App" network service. Verizon announced in November that it would open up its network to allow devices and applications not specifically approved by Verizon Wireless to run on its network.
"Version 1.0 will provide the road map for wireless device visionaries and tinkerers, as well as existing device makers, to create consumer products not offered directly by the company, which can run on the nation's most reliable network," Anthony A. Lewis, vice president of the Open Development initiative at Verizon Wireless, said in a statement.
This was a huge change for Verizon Wireless, which has operated one of the most closed wireless services in the country. The company has been notorious for being the most stringent about qualifying devices and applications for its service and disabling certain features on some handsets. But in November, Verizon shifted gears and announced that it would offer a service that allowed devices and applications not specifically approved by the company to be used on its network.
The idea of open wireless networks has been gaining momentum over the past year. This summer the Federal Communications Commission included an open access provision in rules for certain licenses in the 700MHz spectrum auction, which began in January.
Verizon's move to open its network followed Google's announcement that it was developing an open software platform for mobile phones. The search company also announced it was spearheading a consortium to build an ecosystem of component suppliers, device makers, and carriers that will use the new Android software. The first prototype handsets using Android were shown at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this month.
Apple is also supposedly about to release a software development kit for its iPhone that is expected to open up that device to a slew of new applications that have not been developed by Apple.
But even though Verizon appears to be embracing the network openness, the proof will be in how it actually implements the service. If it prices the service much higher than its traditional cell phone services, it could discourage consumers from even trying it. Then, Verizon's consumers would still be locked into its handsets and applications.
