Verizon’s ‘secret menu’ Share Everything plans offer 20GB for $150

Verizons secret menu Share Everything Plans offer 20GB for $150 but only over the phone or in store

Like Starbucks' Short Latté, Fatburger's Hypocrite and Wendy's Meat Cube, Verizon is offering its own not-so-secret menu on its Share Everything data plans. Big V's Brenda Raney told Computerworld that there are five more tiers beyond the 10GB top-limit shown on the company's website -- that are only available if you ask on the phone or in stores. The options run from 12GB for $110 all the way to 20GB for $150, but only as long as you've agreed the limit in advance of blowing all that data. If not, then you'll be spending another $150 in penalty charges for your overage. There's no official word if you need to offer a secret password or handshake, but we'd do it anyway -- if only to feel a bit like James Bond.

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Verizon's 'secret menu' Share Everything plans offer 20GB for $150 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 05:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon’s ‘secret menu’ Share Everything plans offer 20GB for $150 (update)

Verizons secret menu Share Everything Plans offer 20GB for $150 but only over the phone or in store

Like Starbucks' Short Latté, Fatburger's Hypocrite and Wendy's Meat Cube, Verizon is offering its own not-so-secret menu on its Share Everything data plans. Big V's Brenda Raney told Computerworld that there are five more tiers beyond the 10GB top-limit shown on the company's website -- that are only available if you ask on the phone or in stores. The options run from 12GB for $110 all the way to 20GB for $150, but only as long as you've agreed the limit in advance of blowing all that data. If not, then you'll be spending another $150 in penalty charges for your overage. There's no official word if you need to offer a secret password or handshake, but we'd do it anyway -- if only to feel a bit like James Bond.

Update: Verizon's confirmed the pricing tiers and let us know that you can now grab the bigger data plans without ever having to wink at a sales rep. Simply add a handset to your cart and push through to "Plans" on Big V's website and you can scroll to the right to access the 12GB - 20GB offerings.

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Verizon's 'secret menu' Share Everything plans offer 20GB for $150 (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 05:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Data-hungry crowds spoil Olympic TV coverage, archers alerted

Data-hungry crowds spoil Olympic TV coverage, archers alerted

With an opening ceremony celebrating social media and a guest appearance by the father of the world wide web, you would think the games are pretty Twitter-friendly. Well, not so much, as the hordes of London have been told to keep non-urgent texts and tweets to themselves to avoid disrupting TV coverage for those who weren't lucky enough to score beach volleyball tickets. The recommendation comes after broadcasters bumbled through the men's cycling road race due to a lack of available data from the cyclists' GPS. The information bottleneck appears to be related to one specific network and sharing the data burden has been discussed, although probably not via Twitter. The IOC knows that telling the masses not to log on likely won't have any impact -- so, what's next for the data haters.

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Data-hungry crowds spoil Olympic TV coverage, archers alerted originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 03:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tep Wireless unveils European-wide hotspot rental service for $5-a-day, 1GB of data included

Tep Wireless unveils Europeanwide hotspot rental service for $5aday, 1GB of data included

Hardcore jetsetters should still be turning to Xcom Global, iPhone Trip or a local mobile shop upon arrival, but those who won't be burning up the megabytes now have yet another alternative when traversing European lands. The outfit best known for keeping those traveling to the UK connected is now branching out a bit, enabling a single rental hotspot to provide mobile data access across 38 countries in the EU. You'll pay $5 per day for the privilege, but here's the kicker: only 1GB of data is included, regardless of how long you stay. If you chew through that allotment, you'll have to pay $55 for an extra 1.4GB or $95 for another 4GB. Granted, that's significantly less than what AT&T and Verizon would charge, even if you sign up for their discounted global plans. (For those curious, the same pools would run between $180 and $250.) It ain't ideal for those working on the go, but if you're just looking to tear through a Foursquare Bucket List while Eurotripping... well, you can place your order today in the source link below.

Continue reading Tep Wireless unveils European-wide hotspot rental service for $5-a-day, 1GB of data included

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Tep Wireless unveils European-wide hotspot rental service for $5-a-day, 1GB of data included originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile brings out new mobile data plans mainly for the suits and ties, makes overage optional

TMobile brings out new mobile data plans for the suits and ties, makes overage optional

T-Mobile just updated its prepaid data plans a month ago, and now it's the corporate crowd's turn for a shakeup. The new (and quite frankly daunting) array of primarily business-minded plans is based around whether or not you'd rather face throttling or overage fees if you push past a set cap. Overage Free plans for subsidized (Classic) and unsubsidized (Value) devices are largely self-explanatory and slow down that bandwidth cap-busting hotspot, modem or tablet until the next month. The High-speed plan range costs lower as a matter of course, but you'll be dinged to the order of two to 10 cents for every megabyte over the limit. That said, there's some bargains to be had versus other carriers, especially with the 5GB and 10GB plans. Provided you're happy with T-Mobile's coverage, it may be worth signing up to eke out a few extra dollars in savings every month.

T-Mobile brings out new mobile data plans mainly for the suits and ties, makes overage optional originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jun 2012 07:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Prepaid MiFi coming to Walmart, starting at $10 for 100MB with no expiry

Prepaid MiFi coming to Walmart, starting at $10 for 100MB

Hot on the heels of T-Mobile's new 4G prepaid options, Walmart has paired with TruConnect to offer a MiFi for "casual users." The service -- called Internet on the Go -- appears to be based on Sprint's 3G network (with no mention of LTE on the horizon) and claims to have 97 percent coverage as a result. It requires a MiFi 2200 made by Novatel, which can cope with up to five devices over WiFi and to which you then add a minimum of $10 for 100MB or up to $45 for 1GB. That's not cheap by any means, and the PR below doesn't actually specify the price of the dongle itself -- but at least the service looks flexible, as you can also choose automatic online refills at $20 for 450MB. And the last bit of good news? You can burn through those rations as quickly or as slowly as you please, because there's no time limit so long as you use the service at least once per year.

Continue reading Prepaid MiFi coming to Walmart, starting at $10 for 100MB with no expiry

Prepaid MiFi coming to Walmart, starting at $10 for 100MB with no expiry originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 03:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla gives Model S Signature drivers a year of free data, reveals their cars’ true colors (video)

Tesla gives Model S Signature drivers a year of free data, reveals their cars' true colors video

Although Tesla has already delivered the first Model S to its eager owner, the fledgling automaker is still offering a steady stream of treats to those patiently waiting for the official June 22nd date. Drivers who spring for the Signature Series trim level of the EV sedan now get a year's worth of mobile data at no extra cost, a bonus no doubt helpful for buyers who get lost on the first drive. Regardless of which Model S might eventually find the driveway in the future, Tesla is providing a look at how it paints the car's chosen color. Each aluminum shell is dipped in an electro-coating solution, baked in an oven, water-sealed and given its final clear coat paint by robots -- no dealer will be charging extra for weatherproofing here. It's all appropriately futuristic, and you can get a peek at the whole process in the video after the break as well as at the source.

Continue reading Tesla gives Model S Signature drivers a year of free data, reveals their cars' true colors (video)

Tesla gives Model S Signature drivers a year of free data, reveals their cars' true colors (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jun 2012 22:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Two-thirds of Americans unwilling to spend over $50 a month on mobile data, says Parks Associates

Two-thirds of Americans unwilling to spend over $50 a month on mobile data, says Parks Associates

In a recent report titled Mobile Data and Applications, research outfit Parks Associates found that a large chunk of Stateside consumers aren't willing to pay more than $50 per month for a mobile data plan. What's also interesting here -- but not surprising -- is the study shows nearly 50 percent of smartphone users are completely oblivious to the amount of data they're consuming every month. Parks Associates says this highlights the "risk" networks like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile are taking by making the transition from all-you-can-have to those tiered data plans we're so fond of. The firm's Mobile Research Director, Harry Wang, sees this as a necessity for carriers, though, expressing that "moving mobile users to usage-based plans will be difficult and painful, but changes are necessary for operators to maintain revenues." So, are you part of the two-thirds keeping bits under 50 bucks? Let your voice be heard in the comments below.

Continue reading Two-thirds of Americans unwilling to spend over $50 a month on mobile data, says Parks Associates

Two-thirds of Americans unwilling to spend over $50 a month on mobile data, says Parks Associates originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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