plans

Verizon Wireless could be close to introducing its first shared data plans--that is, if a new screen grab passed to PhoneArena proves to be authentic.

Expected to arrive at some point around the middle of the year, Verizon would presumably give customers the option to share a pool of data much in the way that families can share voice minutes today. The screenshot appears to depict a Web-based calculator for users to determine how much data might be right for their needs. Similar calculators currently exist for estimating data needs on individual plans.

Verizon hasn't been shy about … Read more

It goes without saying that food is important to our ability to function. Despite this importance, planning and preparing meals often falls on the back burner, with things like work or school taking priority. If you find yourself often forgetting to purchase key ingredients, or are feeling uninspired in your meal planning, check out Food on the Table for Android and iPhone. Here's how to get started:

Step 1: Download and install Food on the Table on your Android or iOS device.

Step 2: The app requires some basic setup to function. Get … Read more

A tiny number of people, who bought the first iPad when it was introduced in 2010 and signed up for unlimited data service with AT&T, have been reaping the benefits of a truly unlimited data plan ever since. But will they get to keep that sweet deal when Apple releases the third generation iPad?

In this edition of Ask Maggie I answer that very question. I also share some good news with an AT&T iPhone subscriber who is worried that once a 4G LTE iPhone is introduced that he might lose his unlimited data plan.

Preserving … Read more

It may seem like those who pay for AT&T's unlimited data plan don't necessarily get their money's worth of service, but by how much and how many of them? As it turns out the numbers are quite substantial.

According to a report published today by Consumer Reports, almost half of the carrier's unlimited subscribers use just 300MB or less, effectively wasting $10 a month. This is similar to my personal experience.

Being one of those who got grandfathered in with the $30 unlimited data plan, I was quite happy since I don't have to worry about ever going over the limit. However, I found out recently that I actually never used more than 200MB per month.… Read more

Verizon customers looking to save a few dollars on data should get their wish this year in the form of a shared family plan.

Answering questions at a Deutsche Bank conference on Monday, Verizon Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo said the carrier will launch a family data plan by midyear (PDF). Specifically, Shammo referred to data sharing as "having the ability to connect more devices without having to in essence pay more for a bundle."

Many families would be happy to share budget-friendly data plans among their notebooks, smartphones, and tablets. Data plans for each separate device can … Read more

Peter Ha takes a cab straight to our studio from the airport, so we'll forgive him if he drops a few expletives during today's recording. He also received an invite to an Apple event in San Francisco next week, so it looks like the West Coast can't wait to welcome him back!

Peter deals in tech news everyday at The Daily so we'll start things off with an offbeat chat about the 2011 Razzie nominations, an awards tribute to the year's worst movies.

No surprise here, but Adam Sandler broke the record with 11 nominations for his "performance" in "Jack and Jill."… Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--Wireless operators need to stop locking devices and offering overly complicated data plans. That's the message from Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn and eBay CEO John Donahoe here at Mobile World Congress.

Dunn and Donahoe took the stage today as part of a panel discussion about mobile payments. While the CEOs talked a lot about how shopping and payments are changing thanks to mobile devices, they also took a few jabs at wireless operators, challenging them to become more open to help spur greater adoption of their services across a broad range of devices.

While the mobile phone … Read more

Two years into a decade-long plan to free up wireless spectrum to handle an explosion in mobile data traffic growth, Washington politics are crippling the Federal Communications Commission's ability to reach any of its goals.

In March 2010, the FCC identified in its National Broadband Plan a dire need for more spectrum in the U.S. It outlined a timeline for getting 300 megahertz of spectrum in the pipeline by 2015 with an additional 200MHz opened up for auction by 2020. In total the plan would create 500MHz of new wireless spectrum that could be auctioned off, or nearly … Read more

Apple's voice-activated, personal assistant, Siri, is a cool app to show off at parties, but is it useful enough for me to upgrade to the iPhone 4S? And how can I make sure that I don't get socked with a surprise $1,000 bill when I return from my winter vacation in the Caribbean Islands?

These are the questions Ask Maggie tackles in this edition.

Should I upgrade to the iPhone 4S for Siri?

Dear Maggie, I've had the iPhone 3G for a couple of years. But recently, I've really gotten tired of the slow download … Read more