virgin

Virgin Mobile's first Android phone (review)

The Samsung Intercept may be a first for Virgin Mobile, but we hope it's the start of a beautiful relationship between the prepaid carrier (a Sprint subsidiary) and the Android platform.

There's a lot to like about this Android phone, including the Android 2.1 operating system, a combination touch-screen-plus-QWERTY keyboard, and all of Google's tightly integrated apps and services, including turn-by-turn navigation, Google contact and calendar sync, and Gmail with threaded messaging.

Be sure to check out our full review, video, and slideshow if you're considering this phone.

PayLo by Virgin Mobile reveals $30 voice-centric plan

As popular as unlimited text messaging and data plans are, there are still cell phone users who want affordable voice-centric plans. That's where PayLo by Virgin Mobile comes in. This lower-tier prepaid arm of Virgin Mobile is introducing a new 1,500-minute plan for $30, which also includes 500 messages and 10MB of Web access. The $30 plan expires in a month. PayLo also offers two other plans: $20 for 400 minutes that expire in a month, and a basic 20-cents-a-minute plan that expires in 90 days. Not providing unlimited text and data allows them company to offer a … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1326: Coming soon to WP7: Passive Aggressive Birds (podcast)

On today's show, we take a look at all the Windows Phone 7 news, all the phones, and the sad little battle between Microsoft and Rovio (makers of Angry Birds). Also, more talk about the Verizon iPhone--including the rumor that the rumored phone won't go 4G for at least another few years. Plus, self-driving cars will save us all. --Molly

Virgin Galactic rocket plane makes first gliding free flight

Virgin Galactic conducted the first piloted gliding flight of its commercial suborbital spaceship, the VSS Enterprise, today, releasing the winged rocket plane from the WhiteKnightTwo mothership at an altitude of 45,000 feet above the Mojave Desert.

With Scaled Composites pilot Pete Siebold and copilot Mike Alsbury at the controls, the futuristic twin-tail spacecraft glided to a touchdown at the Mojave Air and Space Port 11 minutes after its release from WhiteKnightTwo, also known as Eve. The craft was not equipped with a rocket motor for the glide test.

"It was a very important milestone," Richard Branson, founder … Read more

Hands-on: Samsung Intercept for Virgin Mobile

SAN FRANCISCO--As long as we were in the neighborhood of Samsung's booth at CTIA Fall 2010, we took an opportunity to get a hands-on look at the Samsung Intercept for Virgin Mobile USA. This is a prepaid option that is already available in Target stores, and which will start appearing at other retail outlets this month for $249.99 with a month-to-month service plan.

We've already hit you over the head with the specs, but this is the first time we've been able to get a hands-on view. We can confirm it: the Intercept for Virgin Mobile … Read more

Google TV is live

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded: Barnes & Noble's PubIt Amazon lets you purchase inside Facebook Google TV is live Virgin Mobile announces no-contract Android phone Skype and FringOut say hello to Android

Virgin Mobile's Samsung Intercept on sale at Target

The Samsung Intercept, Virgin Mobile's first Android offering in its prepaid lineup, is available at Target stores starting today. Virgin Mobile will roll out the Intercept to customers through other retailers throughout October. In addition, you can nab the $249.99 Intercept from Virgin Mobile's Web site by the middle of the month. Service plans go for $25, $40, and $60.

The Intercept is an entry-level Android smartphone. It features a 3.2-inch WQVG touch-screen display, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and a 3.2-megapixel camera-plus-camcorder.

In addition, there's support for Bluetooth, a microSD card slot for expandable … Read more

Samsung Intercept: Virgin Mobile's Android first

It wasn't long ago we saw the Samsung Intercept hop into Sprint's lineup, and now it's set to do it again with Virgin Mobile. While an entry-level Android device, the smartphone will make a more notable splash as a prepaid handset with Virgin Mobile for the simple reason that the Intercept is the carrier's first Android phone.

We found the Samsung Intercept for Sprint to be a decent Android entrant, running 2.1, which is pleasing to the eye and hand. It has a 3.2-inch WQVGA display, and measures 4.43 inches long by 2.… Read more

Virgin Mobile unveils $40 unlimited mobile broadband plan

Virgin Mobile leaked a teaser on its Facebook page indicating that it will roll out a $40 unlimited monthly prepaid plan, so we called to confirm. Indeed, spokeswoman Corinne Nosal confirmed with us that the company will announce this plan Tuesday. This new unlimited data plan replaces three previous Broadband2Go 30-day pricing plans--$60 for 5GB, $40 for 1GB, and $20 for 300MB.

This is currently one of the best mobile broadband deals we know of. Verizon's mobile broadband plan is $60 for 5GB; Sprint's is $60 for 5GB (3G only) and $60 for unlimited if you're … Read more

The 404 641: Where we use 12 cores to run MS Paint (podcast)

Single virgins looking for love now have their own niche dating Web site called YouAndMeArePure.

Awkward URL aside, the Web site hopes to be an accessible way for virgins to meet and date other virgins. Like all dating Web sites, there's obviously no way to prove that subscribers ($30 per year) are who they say, although the site does sell bona fide male and female "V-Cards" meant to be given away as a sign of commitment to another holder. Also, there's no rule that states you have to be a virgin by choice, so Wilson might … Read more