Verizon

NSA secretly vacuumed up Verizon phone records

The National Security Agency is vacuuming up records of millions of phone calls made inside the United States, a top secret court order reveals.

A top secret order that was released this afternoon requires Verizon to hand over to the NSA "on an ongoing daily basis" information about all domestic and overseas calls -- "including local telephone calls."

The FBI obtained the secret order, which was disclosed by The Guardian newspaper, from the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which meets behind closed doors and whose proceedings rarely become public. It was signed by FISC Judge Roger … Read more

Apple said to limit wireless speeds on some U.S. carriers

Editor's note: See update at the bottom of this post.

A developer who provides iPhone hacks claims to have discovered code in iOS that suggests Apple is helping the top three U.S. wireless carriers throttle data speeds for all iPhone and iPad customers.

Joseph Brown, operator of the Web site iTweakiOS, claimed -- in a post that has since been taken down -- to have discovered code on iPhones and iPads operating on Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint that effectively caps the data speeds that can be achieved on the carriers' networks. Brown took snapshots of the … Read more

Verizon's BlackBerry Q10 drops June 10 for $200; preorders start June 6

Big Red faithful who have long been craving a physical keyboard's reassuring typing touch, this is your moment. Verizon will begin offering the new BlackBerry Q10 smartphone in stores starting next Monday, June 10 -- but eager beavers can preorder theirs starting Thursday.

Verizon and the other three major carriers -- AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile -- are pretty much on target with previous timelines that marked sales starting in early June.

Another consistency is the price. BlackBerry's QWERTY master sells for $199.99 on Verizon and AT&T with a new, two-year service agreement. Expect … Read more

No Droid HTC One for Verizon? No big deal

After months of rumored buzz about a Droid variant of HTC's One flagship phone for Verizon, Big Red announced on Monday that it'll soon sell the same One as rival providers. Without providing any specifics, the carrier only acknowledges that the flagship handset is on the horizon.

"We don't have anything to add beyond the tweet that said we were offering the HTC One on our network by end of the summer," Verizon said to CNET in an e-mail.

Even without the benefit of differentiating Droid branding, Verizon's HTC One is very late to … Read more

Verizon bringing HTC One into the fold

Looks like speculation of the HTC One hitting Verizon this summer is true. The carrier just confirmed that it will bring the superphone into its lineup in a couple months.

Rather than issuing a formal press release, Verizon spilled the beans via its official Twitter account and cryptically stated that the phone "will be available on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network later this summer."

Regardless of the lack of a firm launch date, this is huge news for loyal HTC One fans since the handset has gained quite a following in recent months as it has begun … Read more

BlackBerry Q10 landing on Verizon June 6

Not to be outdone by T-Mobile, Verizon sets June 6 as the launch date for the BlackBerry Q10. Priced at $199.99, the long-anticipated device features a superbly crafted physical keyboard plus the latest BlackBerry 10 software.

Verizon is now taking preorders for the Q10 and expects to stock its store shelves with the phone by June 6. This development will no doubt come as welcome news for the BlackBerry faithful. Many in this camp are zealously addicted to typing on real keys and poo-poo messaging via touch screen.

And what a keyboard the BlackBerry Q10 sports. Based on the … Read more

Ground Control to Major Tom: Pass on the LG Cosmos 3

Contrary to its overselling name, the LG Cosmos 3 is anything but "out of this world."

True, it's just a feature device, and while it's good for anyone looking for a simple handset that's ideal for messaging, this phone brings little to the table that the Cosmos 2 didn't already offer.

And really, what's the point of making another iteration if it's nearly identical to its predecessor? Users still get the same 2-inch screen, same measly 1.3-megapixel camera, and same battery specs. It even sports the same look for the most … Read more

Verizon issues major software update to Samsung Galaxy S3

Verizon Wireless has a rather massive software update ready to issue for the Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone.

Expected to roll out over the next few days, the 129MB file delivers handy features such as multiscreen and multiwindow. Other noteworthy changes include the "Best Shot" camera feature, the ability to bill Google Play apps to a Verizon account, and an option to tag weather, people, and places in photos and video.

Indeed, the software update is not all major improvements and new features; bug fixes and minor tweaks are also found throughout. NFC, for instance, is easier to toggle … Read more

Galaxy S4 Mini could arrive soon

CNET Update is watching the skies:

In this episode of Update:

- Mark your calendars for June 20, when Samsung may show a mini version of the Galaxy S4.

- Kill the Buzz once and for all with help from Google.

- Prepare for a new YouTube app on Windows Phone 8.

- Discover more storage with the Verizon Cloud app.

- Bite your nails over who will win the battle for Hulu.

- Be ready for hurricane season with the NOAA Hi-Def Radar app.

CNET Update delivers the tech news you need in under three minutes. Watch Bridget Carey … Read more

Verizon Cloud adds online storage for iOS devices

iPhone and iPad owners can now use Verizon Cloud to back up key information from their devices.

The cloud-based system debuted late last month for Verizon subscribers using specific Android devices. As of yesterday, an app is also available for iOS users.

Owners of Samsung's Galaxy S4 and HTC's Droid DNA can also now access Verizon Cloud through its Android app via Google Play. Verizon provides a full list of compatible devices via the Check your Device button on its Verizon Cloud Web site.

Before you can tap into the app, you first need to sign up for … Read more