Shared-data plans push you to buy more
Get the facts on AT&T's new data plans, find out what's next for the Nook, and behold a bat signal for the Internet.
- Bridget has spent over 18 years as a consumer tech reporter, hosting daily tech news shows and writing syndicated newspaper columns. She's often a guest on national radio and television stations, including ABC, CBS, CNBC and NBC.
This Wednesday's top stories are sharing the love of data (but not the love of sharing data):
It began with Verizon, and now AT&T has joined the data-sharing movement. Starting in August, new AT&T customers will be signing up for "Mobile Share" plans. All have unlimited voice and text, but you pick how much data you need, and up to 10 devices can share from that bucket of data. Generally speaking, AT&T and Verizon's plan prices are pretty similar in the lower data tiers. Depending on your needs, one can be slightly cheaper than another. There's a great chart to help you break down the price differences in our story: AT&T vs Verizon: Who has the better shared data plan?
Verizon offers far more choices for data packages, so there's more flexibility. The more data you sign-up for, and the more devices you add, the more practical your monthly bill. AT&T and Verizon are hoping these plans entice you to add a tablet (or two) to your collection.
And on the topic of tablets, CNET has learned a new Nook model will come out in the fall with "revolutionary screen technology." Apparently, it's a screen no other device has.
PayPal is buying a startup called Card.io, which has technology that lets you scan a credit card number just by taking a photo of it.
Verizon continues to grow its LTE coverage with 33 new markets, bringing the total to 337 markets. AT&T has LTE in 47 markets, and Sprint just turned on LTE this week with 15 markets.
On Marrisa Mayer's first day as Yahoo's new CEO, the Internet cried out for her to save the photo sharing site Flickr. Dearmarrisamayer.com is where you can find the plea, created by a Flickr fan.
When you go out Thursday night to watch the premiere of "The Dark Knight Rises," look up at the sky. Some major cities will be shining a cat signal, similar to Batman's bat signal. But this isn't something for Catwoman fans. It's a stunt by the Internet Defense League. The group hopes it will raise awareness to fight off future Internet censorship legislation.
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