Verizon – Page 2 – inThirty.net

Smartphones Dumbed Down

Parents, you’ve got to catch episode 57 of inThirty – do you really want your son or daughter starting the school year without being able to explain the differences between the Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx HD and the Motorola Droid RAZR HD? We didn’t think so. Chaim takes us through the ins and outs of Motorola’s new crop of devices while Harry snores. Some are shipping with Android’s latest release, Jelly Bean, but most, unforgivably, come from the factory with the out of date Ice Cream Sandwich. Harry wakes up in time to gush over Nokia’s newest Lumias, all of which sport Windows Phone 8, or at least will, when they ship, but no one knows when that’ll be. Finally, Justin longs for an Amazon based smartphone, even just so he can tear it down. Oh, and wait, isn’t Apple going to announce something in a couple of days? We cover that, too. We don’t want your kid to show up on the first day of school not knowing the specs of the iPhone 5, after all.

Show Notes
“Nokia Lumia 920 hands-on preview, pictures and video” | The Verge
“Nokia starts over, again: stunning new phones, no release date in sight” | The Verge
“Nokia Lumia 820 hands-on preview (pictures and video)” | The Verge
“Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx HD hands-on: bigger battery, beautiful display, Jelly Bean onboard” | Engadget
“Motorola Droid RAZR HD hands-on: a 720p Android ICS update with 2,500mAh battery life” | Engadget
“Motorola RAZR M official: 4.3-inch qHD display, 1.5GHz dual-core, hitting Verizon for $99” | Engadget
“What could be on tap at Apple’s Sept. 12 press event” | Macworld
“Motorola to Offer $100 Credit to Owners of Devices Not Eligible for Jelly Bean Update (Update)” | Droid-Life
“Rumor: Amazon to Unveil First Smartphone at Tomorrow’s Kindle Event | Droid-Life

ABC: Amazon Overnight, Buckets of Data, Cable a la Carte

Those last 49 episodes went by like a flash, didn’t they? For our over the hill 50th episode celebration we go three ways and take you through Amazon’s same day shipping, navigating family share data plans, and ask if you really need all those cable channels.

Episode 50 Hangout: http://youtu.be/1vUIWq2pcGA

Show Notes
“AMC vs. Dish, Viacom vs. DirecTV: Brawling satellite providers and cable companies take different tactics” | The Washington Post
“Jon Stewart Mocks DirecTV-Viacom Dispute (VIDEO)” | The Huffington Post
“AT&T’s New Shared Data Plans Won’t Deliver ROI for Most” | Wired
“AT&T CEO doesn’t deny FaceTime 3G data packages, says ‘it’s too early to talk about pricing’ | The Verge
“I Want It Now: How Amazon’s ambitious new push for same-day delivery will destroy local retail. | Slate
“The Upward Trajectory of Podcast Lengths” | Curious Rat

An Ode to Chaim

Twas the middle of October, with a chill in the air,
When Google did say Nexus was nearly there.
And Chaim he did cheer & Chaim he did shout,
For he did truly believe his new phone would soon be about.

But the weeks they dragged on,
The rumors did ramble,
And Chaim he did fret.
To Costco he came,
And from Costco he went.

“No no” said the phone lady “it’s not here just yet”
Citing blogs & posts Chaim did protest,
But alas, there was no Nexus to get.

At last ’twas the day Verizon promised did arrive.
Chaim got out of work, and went for a drive.
To Costco he returned, eager and spry.
But alas he was told: “Sorry, you do not qualify.”

Twenty dollars he was told the additional cost,
And to a Verizon store he must travel
Without voice guidance he surely would have been lost!
But his wits did not unravel.

And so back in the warmth of his house
He did face unlock & he did Google hangout.
Then dear Chaim locked his Nexus away for the night,
Warm in his knowledge that it was the best,
At least until he’d had a good night’s rest.

–Michael Degusta | http://theunderstatement.com

Unwrapping the Galaxy Nexus

Someone must have been a good boy this year because he just unwrapped a Galaxy Nexus! After Chaim paid a small $20 upgrade fee on top of the $299 price tag for the phone, and signed a 2 year 4G data contract with Verizon which included a stipulation that he “not be evil” while using it, he quickly unboxed his precious. Next, he got to Hanging Out on Google+, not using Google Wallet because Verizon won’t allow it, and finding out the battery door is made of plastic as thin as Saran wrap. Then he joined Harry, Justin, and special guest Michael Degusta of theunderstatement.com, to share the thrills and ills of being a proud user of Google’s flagship phone.
We find out if Ice Cream sandwich is as delectable as Google claims and whether or not Chaim’s hands are big enough to reach the outer edges of the Galaxy’s 4.6″ screen. Chaim runs his first 4G speedtest but decides against joining the recording from his phone, and we examine the tug-of-war between Google and the cell carriers.
Should you put a Galaxy Nexus in your stocking? Listen to find out.

Show Notes
Google Galaxy Nexus