Well, that didn’t take long. Less than 24 hours after word got out that Verizon Wireless planned to introduce a painfully ironic “convenience” fee of $2 for anyone paying their bill online, the carrier has just officially confirmed that such plans have been cancelled.

Why? Because the Internet more or less exploded in their face. We called it a joke immediately. An army of armchair protestors rallied almost instantly, with a petition against the fee hitting 50,000 signatures in a matter of hours. By this morning, the F.C.C was already investigating the fee.

What’d they expect? The masses went absolutely bonkers went Netflix hiked their fees up a few bucks, and that’s something people actually like to pay for. Charging them a convenience fee for paying online? Yeah, they’ll just love that.

Verizon’s official statement on the matter:

“At Verizon, we take great care to listen to our customers. Based on their input, we believe the best path forward is to encourage customers to take advantage of the best and most efficient options, eliminating the need to institute the fee at this time,” said Dan Mead, president and chief executive officer of Verizon Wireless.

Inuit’s GoPayment reader, which competes directly with Square, is making a significant move in the mobile payments space today, partnering with Verizon Wireless to sell its credit card readers in Verizon Wireless’ 2,300 retail stores and business-to-business sales channels.

Launched two years ago, GoPayment offers a complimentary app and credit card reader to allow small businesses to conduct charges via their smartphones. GoPayment is available for iOS, Android and Blackberry phones and the card reader simply plugs into the audio jack of a phone or tablet. The credit card data is also encrypted, (and never stored on the phone).

Now, GoPayment will be offered in retail outlets and on Verizon Wireless’ website for $29.97 but you can receive the reader for free with activation of a GoPayment account and a mail-in rebate for the purchase price. Similar to Square, the GoPayment mobile payment app is free and the basic service has no monthly, transaction or cancellation fees, and offers a 2.7 percent rate for swiped transactions. Intuit and Square actually both eliminated the per transaction fee.

While Square’ reader has been free for some time now, it was only in the past year that Intuit shifted its model to offer the its GoPayment card reader for free. A paid version of GoPayment is also available for more high-use businesses for $12.95 a month and provides rate of 1.7 percent for swiped transactions. With the partnership, Intuit is offering Verizon Wireless customers two months of free service when they select this monthly paid plan.

Verizon says that customers who purchase a smartphone for their GoPayment use will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 for monthly access. Tablet and smartphone users require a data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2GB of data.

Chris Hylen, general manager of Intuit’s Payment Solutions division, frames the partnership around attracting small businesses that are using Verizon Wireless’s smartphones or tablets. And a move to Verizon makes sense considering that the carrier features the iPhone, Android phones and BlackBerries. It’s also important to note that this is GoPayment’s second retail availability—Intuit’s reader is available on Apple’s retail site (as is Square and VeriFone). For basis of comaprison, Square’s device is selling at the Apple store for $9.95 but users get a $10 square credit when they sign up for an account.

Hylen explains: “Rather than lose out on potential business, anyone who sells a product or a service can now easily and affordably give their customers the option of paying with plastic…GoPayment is meeting a huge need and is one of the fastest growing mobile payment solutions in the market. With Verizon Wireless, we’ll help even more people discover that they too can process credit card payments on the phones or tablets they already own.”

Of course, a vote of confidence by a carrier as popular as Verizon is sure to help GoPayment remain competitive with Square, who took an investment from Visa recently, as well as VeriFone and other smaller players like Erply.

Hylen tells us that there are number of reasons to choose GoPayment over competitors, including Intuit’s ‘trusted brand,’ the company’s ‘focus on consumers,’ 24-hour customer service support, security, and most importantly, the integration with Intuit’s immensely popular accounting software Quickbooks. GoPayment can also sync transactions with recent versions of QuickBooks. GoPayment also supports up to 50 users on one account, which is ideal for businesses with multiple employees who work in the field.

GoPayment is actually one of Intuit’s fastest growing businesses and Hylen says the service is on track to process over $1 billion in transactions for the year. Intuit declined to reveal how many businesses are using GoPayment but did say that customer acquisition has gone up by eight times since January.

Intuit says that it will consider similar partnerships in the future. I will say that the whole rebate trap does throw me off a bit, and considering that many people forget to send in their rebates, the credit option that Square adopted with their Apple deal seems like a better fit for the consumer. But there’s no doubt that an endorsement from a carrier is a win for Intuit’s GoPayment and should help boost usage.

More specifically, the complaint claims that Verizon asked Google to block tethering functionality in its Android devices, which is a direct violation of FCC requirements that the carrier not “deny, limit, or restrict” its subscribers’ ability to use whichever devices and applications they choose.

Here’s what Free Press policy counsel Aparna Sridhar had to say on the matter:

Verizon’s conduct is bad for the public and bad for innovation. It also appears to be illegal under the FCC’s rules that govern Verizon’s LTE network. Users pay through the nose for Verizon’s LTE service, and having done so, they should be able to use their connections as they see fit. Instead, Verizon’s approach is to sell you broadband but then put up roadblocks to control your use of it.

[via MobileBurn]

The peeps over at Verizon clearly agree with me, as Engadget have landed their hands on a shot of their upcoming range of data plans, and, as you can see, it’s unlimited or nothing for all future smartphones (including this one).

But the lack of a tiny allowance isn’t the only thing of note in this crimson image. Note the wording for the unlimited plan: “Feature Phones and 3G Smartphones”. The upshot of this? All you lucky folks riding on 4G/LTE waves won’t get access to this plan.

Yup, premium speeds come at premium prices, my friends.

[via Android Police]

According to just about every publication under the Sun, and possibly a few publications outside of the solar system, today is the day that Verizon Wireless will announce the availability of the iPhone on its wonderful network. (Well, it’s a wonderful network until everybody and his mother are trying to tether gigs of data using the iPhone!) It was decided that, since this is such a momentous day in the annals of human history—a communication device that’s been available for nearly four years now available in a slightly different format—we’d look back on what else happened on this day, January 11, in history. Join us.

Note that the following is based on the January 11 entry on Wikipedia. We may be old, but we’re not old enough to remember Matt’s home state of Michigan being made a territory!

Also, all dates are AD (or CE, depending on what nomenclature you want to use)

• 630 Muhammad conquered Mecca, what was to become one of the two holiest cities in all of Islam. If he had a VZW iPhone he wouldn’t be able to call his family celebrating his triumph and still receive e-mail at the same time, such is the limitation of CDMA.

• 1569 The very first lottery was held in England. Today we’re all winners, lol!

• 1805 As mentioned earlier, the Michigan Territory was created. Some 200 years later Matt Burns would be sitting at his computer screen reading John Biggs’ liveblog!

• 1935 Amelia Earhart becomes the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to California. Is there an App for that?

• 1949 The very first case of recorded snowfall occurs in Los Angeles. Too bad there was no Twitter for iPhone back then!

So as you can tell, today’s announcement actually ranks fairly highly in terms of “big” things that happened on January 11.

The early upgrade program allowed customers to upgrade their handset in months 13-20 of their contract, rather than having to wait out the full 24 months. This was to try and lock customers into another contract before they could leave for another operator, so it is in Verizon’s interest to continue to offer early upgrades.

The policy change now means that the upgrades can only occur in the final 4 months of a contract. Note the words “as a standard policy” at the end of the paragraph outlining the change, so lucky customers may still be able to access the deal.

The “New Every Two” program gave customers up to $50 every two years to put toward the purchase of a new phone, and will be canned entirely come January 16.

So, if you’ve got some New Every Two dollars saved up, or want to upgrade before your contract is over, you better get to it, buddy, coz that ship could sail in a fortnight.

[via BGR]

As Steve Jobs was waiting (and waiting and waiting…) for a Web site to load on the new iPhone 4, a person in the crowd shouted “Try Verizon!” Awkward.

For the record, Apple now blames the insane amount of Wi-Fi access points (500+) in the demo hall for the network fail. The fun and excitement of being live!

Oh my heavens. Someone close to someone else says that Verizon Wireless is testing the iPad on its network. Does that mean we could be looking at an iPad that works with Verizon Wireless? And would that mean an iPhone is far behind?

So the story is that one of Boy Genius’ many high-placed sources (he actually has a bunch, to be fair) has spotted Veriozon Wireless folks testing out CDMA versions of the iPad. That rumor, I think, sounds more interesting than it probably is. The Wi-Fi-only version of the iPad doesn’t care what wireless provider you have. And the 3G version? Considering how many Apps restrict capability if they’re connected to 3G, you need to ask yourself: is the extra $150 even worth it? Your call.

But it does lead to the question: well, if Verizon Wireless is working on an iPad, then what are the odds that they’re working on an iPhone?

I fully expect the Internet to explode if and when Verizon Wireless says it will have the iPhone. That, and AT&T stock will plummet.

Flickr’d

Will the iPhone come out for Verizon Wireless? It’s the question that so many of the service’s subscribers would like to see answered definitively. This news story, unfortunately, won’t do that. What it will do, however, is fan the flames of the rumor fire. The latest is that the phone would work with Voice Over Revision A. In English that means the phone would be able to handle both voice and data connections simultaneously.

As you know, CDMA phones cannot handle both at the same time—if you’re browsing the Web on your Droid or Incredible and a call comes in, your data connection drops off in order to accommodate the incoming voice. GSM has no such issues.

This could sorta be seen as a stopgap move, in between the current vanilla CDMA implementation and LTE, or Voice Over LTE more specifically.

Of course, the big rumor is still that CDMA iPhones will be massed produced beginning in August in September.

The very moment, if it ever happens, that Verizon Wireless announces availability of the iPhone, be sure to check AT&T stock. That should be fun (unless you’re a shareholder).

Flickr’d

We knew it was coming soon, but Verizon Wireless and Motorola just announced that Motorola DEVOUR is now available online and in stores today for $149.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a two-year customer agreement.

DEVOUR is the second Android-powered smartphone from Motorola to run on Verizon Wireless’ 3G Network after the Droid. The phone comes with MOTOBLUR, Motorola’s content delivery service.

The 3.1-inch capacitive screen, 8GB microSD card, full QWERTY keyboard, and the social networking-centric MOTOBLUR all combine to make a great device. The phone also comes rocking a 3 MP camera, 802.11 b/g WiFi, GPS, and a 3.5mm headset jack.

Check out our earlier review here.

I’ll admit that I love me some Skype. I get to call and video chat with all my buddies from overseas without hefty fees, except I was accustomed to doing it only where Wi-Fi was available. While AT&T and Apple have made some recent policy changes to allow VoIP over 3G, it looks like Verizon and Skype are partnering up do to a little of the same.

Verizon and Skype are going to hold a joint news conference at Mobile World Congress next week, but they didn’t reveal any details about the event. The only thing that could possibly be gleaned from this announcement is that the two are working to make the nation’s biggest 3G network that much sweeter. It’s what I’m holding my breath for when John Stratton, executive VP and chief marketing officer at Verizon Wireless, and Josh Silverman, CEO of Skype, take the stage. Although seeing them do a rendition of “Cruisin’” would be pretty interesting, too.

[via Verizon Wireless]

Turkey Day is just around the corner, which means that the annual American tradition season of losing one’s mind in exchange for slightly discounted goods will officially begin a week from today. Yes, I speak of the infamous day that is Black Friday. The very same day in which hundreds of thousands of Americans transform into penny-pinching-zombies who will do whatever it takes to score a cheap fix.

Anyhoo, I’m not here to judge. If you are brave (/crazy) enough to fight through out-of-control bargain-hunting mobs to save yourself an extra 20% on a product (that you never wanted or needed), then god bless you. Furthermore, if said object happens to be a new mobile phone, wouldn’t it be nice to know a little about each of the major carriers’ early termination fees ahead of time (instead of waiting for your post-Black Friday “hangover” to subside, only for you to realize that you’ve signed your entire family’s fortune away on a new mobile family plan that you actually didn’t want or really need)? We think so.

Without further ado, here is the 2009 Major Carriers’ Early Termination Fees Table-O-Fun:

Carrier	Early Termination Fee (ETF)	More Information
AT&T	$175	ETF decreases by $5/month for duration of contract.
Sprint	$200	ETF begins to reduce in the fifth month of the contract; fee goes down $10/month until it reaches $50.
T-Mobile	$200*	* T-Mobile USA’s ETF schedule is not exactly straight forward. As of June 28, customers with a one-year or two-year contract will see their ETF drop from $200 to $100 if they end their contract with 91 to 180 days remaining on their agreement. If they end a contract with fewer than 91 days left on it, they’ll pay an ETF of $50. Customers who terminate service in the last 30 days of their contract will either pay the $50 fee or their standard monthly charge, whichever is cheaper.
Verizon Wireless	$350*	* Originally $175, VZW doubled the fee on Nov. 15 for “advanced devices,” which includes smartphones and netbooks. The new ETF only applies to new contracts that started on or after November 15. Customers who signed a contract before November 15 keep the old $175 ETF. For example, new Droid customers who bought their phones the first weekend it launched will not be required to pay the $350 ETF if they terminate service early under these new rules. VZW will continue to prorate the ETF over the life of the contract, decreasing the rate by $10/month. Verizon’s previous prorate rate was $5/month. ** The ETA for non-”advanced devices” remains $175, and decreases by $5/month during the contract.

Please note – all of the information above is subject to change at any time. We just want to help everyone to make the most informed decision they can when selecting a new carrier (/device), thereby ultimately making for a happier (and possibly healthier) holiday and new year. Oh, and if you need any help picking out a new gadget for a loved one, don’t forget to give CrunchGear’s 2009 Holiday Gift Guide a once (or thrice) over. Cheers!

[via CNET]

The Motorola Droid, on Verizon Wireless, is, by all accounts, pretty OK. That’s fair to say, no? Yes, I believe it is. What’s lame, though totally to be expected, is that it’ll cost you $30 for a car kit. And you’d want said car kit in order to make that Google navigation application really fly.

The car kit places your Droid on your car’s dashboard; the Droid then enters a special car mode, which presents a simplified user interface. From here, you’d be able to slap on your Droid and let the it take you to the “varrazanne Bridge” in New York.

There’s also a second such dock, one that’s meant for your bedside. It turns your Droid into a grossly overpowered alarm clock. Well, it’s also for viewing movies and whatnot, but I’d rather eat glass than watch a movie on a phone.

And sorry the photo is rubbish, but I couldn’t find a higher-res one.

That reliable tip came in about the same time that CrackBerry posted an image of a Storm 2 dummy phone sitting on a Best Buy shelf. What other proof do you need? The BlackBerry Storm 2 will be here soon whether you want it or not.

For the mathematically challenged, that works out to to a recession-friendly price of $37.49 ($99.99 w/ 2yr agreement – $50 online discount – 25% off = $37.49) for either the Motorola Rival or the Samsung Alias 2. The pricier LG enV3 comes to a grand total of $97.49 ($179.99 w/ 2yr agreement – $50 online discount – 25% off = $97.49).

To take advantage of this fabulous offer, use Verizon’s short link and enter coupon code 25MSG at checkout.

How many hours ago did it “break” that the Palm Pre wasn’t going to be available on Verizon Wireless? Yeah, well, now word on the street is that, forget everything you read last night, because there’s no way in hell the Palm Pre won’t be available for Verizon Wireless. Or, to remove the double-negative: yes, the Palm Pre will, indeed, be available on Verizon Wireless, most likely this winter. Calm yourselves.

Who’s calling foul on last night’s report? Mainly Deutsche Bank and Morgan Keegan & Co. DB says:

We believe the press reports late Thursday afternoon that Verizon would not launch the Palm Pre are incorrect. Our checks continue to point to healthy carrier demand for the Pre early in calendar 2010. We believe Palm has placed orders with the supply chain for another version of the Pre with features highly consistent with a Verizon launch.

Meanhwhile, Morgan Keegan & Co says:

Feb. holds the potential to be a strong Pre quarter as shipments to Sprint likely stabilize and distribution expands to Verizon Wireless (our assumption).

So there you have it. Two big firms insist the Palm Pre is coming to VZW. Hope this helps.

Even the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) sided with the defendants in the case (AT&T and Verizon Wireless), called the organization’s claims downright ‘outlandish’ and urged a federal court to reject the “bogus” copyright claims.

Imagine my surprise to find out that Verizon has now agreed to pay the ASCAP an interim license fee of more than $4.99 million for songs the phone service provider uses in ringtones for its customers. Meanwhile, the two sides will continue to debate how much the group should receive for the tunes.

For the record: carriers already pay royalties to song owners for the right to sell snippets to their customers in the form of ringtones. The ASCAP, however, told a federal court that each time a phone rings in public, the phone user is violating copyright law and thus carriers must pay additional royalties or face legal liability for contributing to what the group claims is cell phone users’ copyright infringement.

ASCAP has made it clear that it has no intentions to effectively start charging mobile phone users for playing ringtones, just mobile phone service providers for making it possible for them to do so. But as the EFF says in its rebuttal, consumers could find themselves targeted by other copyright owners for “public performances” if the ASCAP should prevail, not to mention the stifling of innovation in the field and the fact that it could ultimately increase the cost for the average mobile consumer.

All this brouhaha brings back fond memories of the time the ASCAP went after Girl Scouts for singing around a campfire. I wonder if they ultimately complied to the copyright claims and coughed up a couple of millions for the right to sing “Row, Row, Row” at summer camp nights, too.

According to BGR ninjas, the WinMo 6.5-based Imagio (codenamed Whitestone) features a 3.6″ WVGA (resistive) touch screen display, 528MHz Qualcomm processor, 512MB ROM/256MB RAM, 5MP camera w/ auto-focus and anti-shake, GPS, and interestingly enough, it is expected to include both GSM and CDMA/EV-DO connectivity. Just Imagio the possibilities!

T-Mobile, Sprint, and now Verizon Wireless. Yup, the HTC Touch Pro 2 should be ready and waiting for you at your local VZW store on September 11. In what may be the first example of VZW customers getting a deal (compared to the other carriers), the phone is only $199 after $100 rebate and two-year contract.

It’s the same WinMo 6.1 phone as found on the other carriers, but those guys will have to pay, in total, $350. Let’s see… $350 vs. $100. Yeah, easy choice.

That’s it!

For under a penny shy of $100 (after MIR $100 w/ 2yr contract), you can be your own superhero and get yourself a shiny new Samsung Rogue (u960), complete with QWERTY landscape slider, touchscreen display, 3MP camera, GPS, and good ol’ 3G connectivity (EV-DO style).

Not Intense enough for you? Love things like WWE, explosions, and arm-wrestling tigers? You could save yourself a few bucks (it’s $29.99 after MIR $50 w/ 2yr contract) and go for the Samsung Intensity (u450) instead. Packing a QWERTY slider and yesteryear’s standard features (1.3MP camera and Bluetooth), everyone can afford to increase their Intensity.

via BGR