Another unlimited mobile broadband plan bites the dust

Another unlimited mobile broadband plan bites the dust - Yahoo! News: "Now that Virgin Mobile has decided to start capping its once-unlimited 3G mobile broadband plan, there's only one national U.S. carrier left that's offering true, all-you-can-eat broadband data. For now.

Virgin Mobile's $40-a-month, unlimited 3G broadband plan instantly became one of the best deals in wireless when it was announced last August, especially given that you could use it with a $150 portable MiFi hotspot on a no-contract basis.

But now comes word from Wired's Gadget Lab that starting February 15, Virgin will begin throttling its 'Unlimited Broadband2Go' users if they bust over 5GB of data a month.

How much slower will your downloads be? Virgin Mobile isn't saying, but given that mobile 3G data can be poky even under the best of circumstances, don't expect to be streaming any Netflix videos once you get throttled. (Incidentally, Wired reports that Virgin will be keep using the 'Unlimited Broadband2Go' name, despite the new 5GB cap.)

So, given that Virgin Mobile's unlimited 3G broadband plan will, as of next month, become quite limited, U.S. road warriors will soon be left with precious few options — well, one option, really — when it comes to true all-you-can-eat mobile broadband data from a national carrier, and even this last remaining option is starting to look shaky.

(Note: Just to be clear, I'm referring to mobile broadband plans for USB modems and mobile hotspots, not smartphone plans — although more and more smartphone data plans are capped, too.)

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Report suggests iPhone will launch on Verizon

Report suggests iPhone will launch on Verizon - CNN.com: "Evidence continues to mount to support expectations that Apple's iPhone 4 will finally launch on Verizon this coming January.

The latest: Sources close to Apple's hardware suppliers say that Apple has ordered millions of CDMA chipsets from Qualcomm. CDMA is the wireless technology used by Verizon.

The report comes from TechCrunch contributor Steve Cheney, who says that the chipsets are due in December, implying a January launch for the Verizon device. This follows a rumor from seven months ago that Qualcomm hadlanded a deal to provide Apple with chips.

You might also recall that AT&T dedicated a significant portion of its recent SEC filing to assurances that it would be a-okay without U.S. iPhone exclusivity, a probable sign that the carrier is expecting to lose said exclusivity before the original5-year deal runs its course.

TechCrunch doesn't disclose any details about its sources for this rumor; it describes them only as 'sources with knowledge of this entire situation,' a reference to the long chain of manufacturers from Apple on down through Qualcomm and other component-makers.

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Verizon's $150 Netbook Deal Is No Deal at All

By Jeff Bertolucci, PC World

"Attention, suckers: Verizon Wireless will soon offer a Gateway LT2016u netbook with the carrier's Mobile Broadband service built into the device. The Gateway mini-note costs $150 after a $100 mail-in rebate, and the deal requires a 2-year 3G contract. The plan is available starting Oct. 4.

Run, don't walk, from this offer. Even at $150, the Gateway netbook is overpriced, and subscribers will get a bum deal. Here's why:

The LT2016u is a ho-hum netbook. Its specs — a 10.1-inch SD 1024 x 600 display, Intel Atom N270 processor (1.60 GHz), 1 GB RAM, and a 160 GB hard disk — are virtually identical to those of the Acer Aspire One D250, which sells for about $300 at Amazon. The Gateway system does include built-in 3G broadband; but customers are locked into Verizon's usurious monthly fees. (More on those below.) Bottom line: The Gateway discount is far from spectacular."

AT&T to Offer $50 Netbooks - Don't do it!!!

AT&T will begin selling netbooks with integrated wireless Internet cards, selling them for as low as $50 — with a data plan contract, of course. The rollout will begin in Atlanta and Philadelphia.

People, Tweeple, and everyone else who will listen. NerdBoyTV does NOT recommend this. Wanna know WHY? When I did it, they failed to tell you that the 3G Broadband data transfer limit is ONLY 5Gigs per MONTH. My seven days of use (including overages) totaled $1,900!!!!! AT&T did reverse the charge and let me off the hook for maybe $50, but dammit, this almost gave me a heartattack. Better to buy the netbook outright and use with WiFi (free) or get an unlimited 3G plan (which are getting rarer if not impossible to find cause they don't really want Tweeple like me who stay connected like 24/7!).

NerdBoyTV says, "No, No, No. Buyer beware!"

SHOW #61 - NerdBoyTV BROADCAST: Flickr, Twitter, and AT&T 3G

In this episode of NerdBoyTV, Ryan Yee talks about two people who have taken Flickr by storm with their long-distance love affair in pictures, Twitter securing $35 million in venture capital, and a warning regarding AT&T's 3G broadband service.

3G Sidekick in the works?

3G Sidekick in the works? : Ben Patterson : Yahoo! Tech

"Long one of my favorite QWERTY messaging phones, the once-proud Sidekick line has been stagnant for more than a year now (save a 'Special Edition' here and there). So it's great to hear the news (or, well, the rumor, anyway) that a full-on update—including 3G, finally—might be on tap.

The Boy Genius Report (via HipTop3) got its hands on a supposed spec sheet—or at least, a fuzzy photo of a spec sheet—that details the 'Sidekick LX 2009.' From the look of the (blurry) product images, the LX 2009—if it exists—looks pretty much like the current Sidekick LX (pictured above, and reviewed here), complete with the signature swiveling display, plastic bumpers, roomy keypad, and a pea-sized trackball to the right of the display."

SHOW #058 - NerdBoyTV: 2009 CES Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Netbook

In this episode of NerdBoyTV, Ryan Yee shares Dell Computer's recent announcement at CES 2009 that they'll be bundling its popular Inspiron Mini 9 Netbook with AT&T's 3G Broadband 2-year contract for $99; but alas, there's a big catch...watch the broadcast to see what it is.

Palm gets back into the game with touchscreen Pre, WebOS

Palm gets back into the game with touchscreen Pre, WebOS : Ben Patterson : Yahoo! Tech

"Palm was under serious pressure to hit a home run at CES today—and boy, did it deliver. Running Palm's gorgeous (if belated) new platform, dubbed WebOS, the touchscreen Pre could well be Palm's savior, and perhaps its biggest hit.

So, as for the Pre itself (due on Sprint in the first half of this year, no pricing yet): It's got a big, 3.1-inch 480 by 320 touch display (yes, with multitouch and an accelerometer), weighs in at 4.8 ounces, and comes with a curved, slide-out keypad. Yes, it does Wi-Fi and 3G (EV-DO Rev. A, to be exact), as well as GPS (with turn-by-turn directions courtesy of TeleNav), stereo Bluetooth, 8GB of internal storage, a 3MP camera, a 3.5mm headset jack, and a removable battery."