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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif.--The key to avoiding the worst effects of global warming is to make money while doing so, says iconic entrepreneur Richard Branson.

The chairman of the Virgin Group, which oversees 350 businesses, is involved in dozens of efforts to reduce carbon emissions linked to global warming, both in Virgin's business operations and through spin-off efforts.

Branson was interviewed at the Fortune Brainstorm Green business conference here yesterday, where he argued that entrepreneurs, investors, and corporations need to take the lead on addressing global warming. Government policies should set ground rules, such as taxing dirty fuels, but … Read more

Wireless subscribers looking for the fastest data network available have been waiting with bated breath for Verizon Wireless's first 4G smartphone. And now the HTC Thunderbolt is here. But one reader wants to know if he should wait for what might be an even snappier 4G phone on Verizon.

In this week's Ask Maggie column, I answer the age-old question of whether to buy now or wait. I also help another reader determine if he should compromise luxury phones for more affordable service fees. And I discuss whether I think we'll all be buying stuff with our … Read more

Virgin Mobile's LG Optimus V is selling like hotcakes right now (it's out of stock just about everywhere), and with good reason: It runs Android 2.2, requires no contract, and costs as little as $25 per month--a price that includes anytime voice minutes and unlimited data.

The only drawback? Despite the presence of Android 2.2, which offers native support for tethering (i.e., using the phone as a mobile Wi-Fi hot spot), the Optimus V comes with the feature disabled.

Thankfully, there's a very easy workaround, one that requires no rooting and no expense. All you need is a free app called Quick Settings, which is available from Android Market.

When you run the app, you'll see a list of settings: brightness, Ringer, Volume control, Wi-Fi, and so on. Here's how to add Wi-Fi hot spot to that list:… Read more

Smartphones rock. Smartphone service plans? Not so much. Whether it's an iPhone or an Incredible or a Droid X you buy, you're on the hook for two years at around $70 per month, minimum.

There are a handful of exceptions, usually from regional carriers, but I've yet to find a better deal than the one offered by Sprint-owned Virgin Mobile: no contracts, no obnoxious fees, no activation charge, and voice/data service plans that start at just $25.

Late last year, I bought Virgin's Samsung Intercept for Mrs. Cheapskate. The service has been great, but the … Read more

Facebook now shares the stories you "like" on third-party sites with your News Feed. It's actually kind of cool, but please: use this feature responsibly, won't you? Also, Gmail goes down and we're all rushing to back up, I call "Unicorn" on rumors of a white iPad 2, and the Tolkien estate takes the Culture of Ownership to a whole other level. --Molly

This is a well-thought-out move: Low-cost air carrier Virgin America, which has attempted to court passengers with a tech-savvy offering since its 2007 launch, announced today its initial service from San Francisco and Los Angeles to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. To drum up online chatter, it partnered with Chicago's company of the moment--Groupon.

Groupon users can purchase $77 worth of Virgin America credit for $7 on the massive group-buying site, with the caveat that it can only be used on the airline's new Chicago routes. Given the amount of positive buzz for a brand that can … Read more

If you use your phone primarily for making calls, you might not need unlimited text and data services. If so, you might be the sort of customer who would buy Virgin Mobile's latest handset, the Kyocera S2100, recently launched under its cheaper PayLo prepaid service. The S2100 is as basic as it gets, with only a VGA camera and Bluetooth, though it does allow limited Web and e-mail functionality with Yahoo Mail, Gmail, AOL, and Windows Live mail access.

The Virgin Mobile PayLo plan lets you have 1,500 anytime minutes, 500 messages, and 10MB Web access for $30. … Read more

Yes, Android fans, there is yet another LG Optimus phone, and this time it's for Virgin Mobile. Virgin Mobile recently announced via its Facebook page that it'll be releasing the LG Optimus V starting tomorrow.

If the phone seems like deja vu to you, that's because the LG Optimus V is essentially the same as the LG Optimus S for Sprint except for the physical button placement. Though we don't know the specs yet, we expect it'll be the same as the other Optimus phones: Android 2.2, Wi-Fi, GPS, 3G, and all the usual … Read more

Directflights.com is now offering a search engine for finding the cheapest carbon-friendly flights between two destinations, the company announced today.

The tool was developed in conjunction with The Carbon Consultancy, a British company that offers reports on emissions data and offset procurement information for travel industry companies.

It offers to show international flights, as well as those contained within the U.K. and Europe, or contained within the U.S., among other places. Flights can be viewed by cheapest only, or by most carbon-friendly with a choice to see flights in different currency options.

The tool ranks flights on … Read more