MobileCrunch |  |
- Virgin Mobile Revives $20 Broadband2Go Plan
- Google Confirms Android Security Glitch, Rolls Out Server-Side Patch
- Verizon Sues The FCC… Again… This Time Over Data Roaming
- Sprint’s Network Is Back On Track After Last Night’s SMS, Voice Issues
- Apple Low-Balls 2011 Q2 iPhone 4 Shipment Volume
- LG’s Smartphone Boss Jumps Ship To Head Apple’s Korean Operations
- The iPhone 4 Tops Handset Sales Ranking In Japan
- Droid X2 Is Hitting VZW May 19th For $199
| Virgin Mobile Revives $20 Broadband2Go Plan Posted: 18 May 2011 01:55 PM PDT
Yeesh! It seems like Virgin Mobile changes up their Broadband2Go plans about as often as I change pants*. First they launched a $40 Unlimited plan, and got rid of almost all of their lesser plans. Then they bailed on the $40 plan, and introduced a whacky 10-day-or-100 MB plan for $10 a pop. Then they introduced a new, unlimited-ish (speeds are throttled after 2.5 GB) plan for $50 a month. The latest change, just coming in today: 20 bucks a month now gets you 500 MB. If that sounds like a deal to you, be sure to hop on it quick — for all we know, they’ll ditch this one in a month or two. * Not really. Virgin Mobile has been changing their plans every few months. If I only changed my pants every few months, I’d have no friends. DISCLAIMER: I CHANGE MY PANTS MORE THAN ONCE EVERY FEW MONTHS I SWEAR WAIT WHERE ARE YOU GOING GUYS? GUYS?!
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| Google Confirms Android Security Glitch, Rolls Out Server-Side Patch Posted: 18 May 2011 01:08 PM PDT
The security issue, discovered this week by German researchers, could potentially give attackers access to personal accounts by playing on an exploit in Android’s ClientLogin API. Certain bits (namely, the uniquely generated authToken that services use to identify users) were transmitted in plaintext, allowing hackers to masquerade as others by plucking said bits out of the air on shared wireless networks. In response, Google is releasing a server-side patch to address the problem across all version of Android OS. Google's official statement to computerworld read, "Today we're starting to roll out a fix which addresses a potential security flaw that could, under certain circumstances, allow a third party access to data available in calendar and contacts. This fix requires no action from users and will roll out globally over the next few days." [via TNW]
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| Verizon Sues The FCC… Again… This Time Over Data Roaming Posted: 18 May 2011 10:35 AM PDT
Just like the carrier did during the Net Neutrality case, Verizon is reportedly arguing that the FCC is not authorized to mandate these rules. The new regulation would let regional carriers like Cellular South and U.S. Cellular offer national data coverage, which is virtually necessary if those carriers want to compete effectively. Especially now that T-Mo may be trading in its pink flag for one that comes in AT&T blue, it is more important than ever that regional carriers put up a fight, as soon-to-be last place Sprint may not have the chops to compete against Verizon and AT&T's collective 80 percent market share. Voice roaming rules have already been established by the FCC, but as data becomes almost equally important to on-the-go consumers, the ruling of this case could either make or break smaller, regional carriers in the U.S. If Verizon does succeed in blocking the ruling, it would leave the struggling Sprint as the sole obstacle to our country's future wireless duopoly. Yikes! [via Mobiledia]
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| Sprint’s Network Is Back On Track After Last Night’s SMS, Voice Issues Posted: 18 May 2011 08:25 AM PDT
Apparently, Sprint's network was down for the count last night, as people from different regions of the country experienced difficulty sending MMS and SMS messages. Some even had trouble getting voice calls to go through. According to Sprint, the Washington, DC area also had a voice disruption last night, which was unrelated to the SMS issues. No worries, though. Sprint has already resolved the matter in the wee hours of last night, so Sprint subscribers should have full service this morning. Here is Sprint's response to Engadget: "We did have some disruption to Sprint SMS traffic earlier tonight, but it wasn’t a complete disruption — we lost partial capacity for about an hour. Engineers immediately began rerouting traffic and after about an hour things went back to normal. There is no significant voice disruption anywhere in the U.S. except for a small part of our Sprint network in the Washington, DC area. That has since been resolved and had no relation to the SMS disruption." [via Engadget]
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| Apple Low-Balls 2011 Q2 iPhone 4 Shipment Volume Posted: 18 May 2011 07:00 AM PDT
Last quarter, we collectively purchased 18.6 million iPhone 4s. As of right now, there are an estimated 1.5 million to 2 million iPhone 4s left out there, sitting on retailer and carrier shelves, waiting for a new owner like a puppy in a window. Maybe the rather hefty chunk of iPhone 4 inventory pushed Apple to lower its Q2 shipment volume from 20 million units to 17.5 to 18 million units, but I'm secretly hoping this figure has something to do with the launch of the next-gen iPhone, maybe as soon as September of this year if rumors prove true. The roughly 18 million iPhone 4 units to be shipped for 2011 Q2 comprises 16 million 3G models and 1.5 to 2 million units of the CDMA version, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers. The sources also claimed that iPhone 4S production will begin in August, with the earliest possible launch going down in September. Qualcomm will head up the 3G and CDMA chip supply. Despite the lowered expectations for its iPhone 4, the company's shipment plan for the iPad 2 is nothing but optimistic. Apple originally planned to ship 7 to 8 million units this quarter, but bumped that figure to 10 to 10.5 million units of the iPad 2, indicated the sources. [via DigiTimes]
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| LG’s Smartphone Boss Jumps Ship To Head Apple’s Korean Operations Posted: 18 May 2011 06:46 AM PDT
For all Apple's success across the globe, South Korea is one corner of the world that the tech giant hasn't quite locked down. Two of Apple's biggest mobile competitors, LG and Samsung, are both based in the peninsular nation, and each has brought to market an iPhone lookalike (if not competitor) in the form of the LG Optimus Black and the Samsung Galaxy S II. In what looks like an effort to strengthen the company's foothold in the increasingly tech-hungry country, Apple has hired former Vice President of LG's Smartphone Business, Dominique Oh, as its new general manager in Korea. Oh was appointed to the position on Wednesday, according to an anonymous source, although the new Apple GM has yet to add his new title to his LinkedIn profile. Oh used to take responsibility for LG's Android and Windows Phone 7 product lineups, along with the establishment of relationships with global operators and future partners. Dominique Oh will replace Andrew Sedgwick, who was head of Apple's Korean operations for more than a decade. [via TNW]
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| The iPhone 4 Tops Handset Sales Ranking In Japan Posted: 18 May 2011 06:12 AM PDT
The world’s most advanced mobile nation, Japan, sees more than 100 different cell phones each year. Market research firm Gfk Japan [JP] has analyzed which the best-selling models in the first quarter of this year were and recently published its findings in the form of a top 10 chart. And according to Gfk, in terms of units sold, the iPhone 4 has been the most popular cell phone in Japan between January and March this year. Only 2 of the top 10 are feature phones (which is not really that surprising anymore), the rest are iPhones And Android handsets. Here's the full top 10 (feature phones in italic):
Via IT Media [JP]
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| Droid X2 Is Hitting VZW May 19th For $199 Posted: 18 May 2011 05:59 AM PDT
The device hits with same specs that previously leaked: 4.3-inch qHD screen, dual-core 1GHz, 8MP cam, HDMI-out, and Android 2.3. Interestingly enough, battery life wasn’t mentioned in the presser, which, as a Droid X owner, I’m very curious how the dual-core CPU will affect the life. My Droid X can make it through a solid day of use with a couple of bars to spare.
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99 percent of Android phones are susceptible to impersonation attacks. The bad news: Google has confirmed that the problem does exist. The good news: Google is also fixing the problem, starting today, and it shouldn’t require any action on your part.
Verizon's big red flag seems to be transforming into one of revolt, as the carrier has chosen to follow up its recent Net Neutrality suit against the 
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