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Skype for BlackBerry Launches on Verizon

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:30:45 +0000

Skype for BlackBerry has launched on Verizon, being pushed to customers’ devices this morning. This official Skype client uses Verizon’s voice connection (and billing) to connect you to the Skype network. Even though it’s a hybrid, and not a full VOIP service, if your plan has the airtime minutes you can make free international Skype to Skype calls. Skype’s IM communications thankfully still go through as data.

Check out the Skype mobile page.

Skype Mobile for Verizon on Android hands-on (with WiFi off)

Tim Stevens — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:14:00 +0000

It's been a little over a month since Verizon announced it would unleash the VoIP hounds on select smartphones, an interesting move given AT&T's wrangling with the FCC over Google Voice and begrudging approval of Skype over 3G. Early this morning the Skype Mobile app hit the Android Marketplace for Verizon devices (and only Verizon devices), and while it does work on 3G, it curiously doesn't work on WiFi -- at all. Click on through for some screenshots and our impressions.

Gallery: Skype Mobile for Android

Continue reading Skype Mobile for Verizon on Android hands-on (with WiFi off)

Skype Mobile for Verizon on Android hands-on (with WiFi off) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 08:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype Mobile Now Available for Verizon Users … But What About Other Carriers?

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:00:07 +0000

As we already know, Skype Mobile has been rolled out to Verizon Wireless users at this point. The application is being pushed out to devices this morning to make for easy downloading. But now that it is here, we kind of have to wonder what exactly this means for Skype on BlackBerry as a whole. Its been quite a while since Skype made the initial announcement of their intentions to arrive on the BlackBerry platform and in a way, they kind of have really made good on that news. However, I'm quite certain an exclusive deal with Verizon wasn't exactly how BlackBerry users envisioned when Skype released their very limited beta.

So what exactly happened? Was the beta testing phase abruptly stopped and seemingly shut down due to a deal made with Verizon? Could this be part of the reason no one at Skype wanted to answer direct questions about when exactly Skype was coming to BlackBerry? Sure seems that way as I see it. In any case we certainly don't have and likely never will have any answers as to what the future holds for Skype on BlackBerry. But we can still hope that Skype will do right in the long run and make the app available to all BlackBerry users. In the meantime, any Verizon users now using Skype? Let us know in the comments what you think of the service on your device.

Verizon Users Can Click Here For More Information About The Skype Mobile App>>

CrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. Skype Mobile Now Available for Verizon Users ... But What About Other Carriers?

Clearwire CEO mentions that WiMAX could join LTE as one, Verizon Wireless CTO says no way

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 23:28:00 +0000

It's no huge secret that the differences between LTE and WiMAX aren't exceedingly drastic, and with the right support, the two could theoretically form one big, happy family. During this morning's CTIA keynote with Dan Hesse (Sprint's CEO) and Bill Morrow (Clearwire's CEO), the latter noted that he wasn't interested in waging a war with LTE, suggesting that his spectrum is "designed and built so we can add on LTE should we need to." 'Course, one would suggest that Clearwire's in no position to get angry with the standard that boasts larger industry support, but we digress. A few hours later during Verizon's LTE roundtable, the carrier's CTO (Tony Melone) responded to an audience question related to LTE and WiMAX becoming one. His brutally honest opinion? It'll never happen, and the "only big happy family" he can think of is the 3GPP to LTE crew, of which Verizon Wireless is obviously a member. He wouldn't elaborate on the whys or whats, only noting that it was his frank opinion on the matter from his knowledge in the field, but we can't candidly say that we'd love for the war to rage on -- competition is stellar, but joined efforts to create a larger, more robust 4G network sounds a lot sweeter to our ears than the clanging of swords.

Clearwire CEO mentions that WiMAX could join LTE as one, Verizon Wireless CTO says no way originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon Wireless: ‘all’ 4G WWAN devices will support 3G, too

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 21:35:00 +0000

Hear that, kids? Tony Melone -- Verizon Wireless' Senior VP and CTO -- confirmed to us during a one-on-one meeting after the company's CTIA roundtable discussion that every last one of its data-only LTE WWAN devices (aircards, MiFi-type products and USB data sticks, for example) would also support 3G. Not too surprising given the natural ties between the two technologies, but it's still refreshing to hear that every 4G data-only product that launches (at least initially) on VZW will also be able to hop onto the company's 3G network if you just so happen to break away from an LTE area. Can't say that for a smattering of existing WiMAX products. In related news, Tony also affirmed that Verizon would be "interested" in getting a smartphone on its LTE network that could double as a mobile hotspot, exactly how the Palm Pre Plus does now (but on 3G, obviously). As for pricing when it comes to LTE data rates? Tony wouldn't give us any indication of the carrier's plans, but if it's anything similar to whispers we've heard in the past (not to mention rates already seen through Clearwire), it'll probably be at least marginally more expensive than what you're paying today for third-generation access.

Verizon Wireless: 'all' 4G WWAN devices will support 3G, too originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon ‘wrapping up’ Boston and Seattle trials, ‘friendly user’ ones coming this summer

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 21:13:00 +0000

Remember those LTE trials that Verizon Wireless started up in Boston and Seattle back in August of last year? Good news, mobile surfers -- the operator has today confirmed in a roundtable at CTIA that they're both nearing their end, giving us hope that they're gleaned the necessary information from them to start moving onto bigger and better things. Namely, more elaborate trials in more locales around the nation. As you might expect, Verizon Wireless is indeed gearing up to move into its next phase of commercial LTE testing, with Tony Melone (Senior VP / CTO) stating that 'friendly user trials' were slated to begin this summer. He declined to elaborate on the whos, whats and (most importantly) wheres, but there's no doubt that these are likely the last hurdles before we see its 4G network go live in "one third" of the country. We're told that those tests will be used to kick the tires on "commercial" gear, which is starkly different than the non-commercial kit that has been used in Beantown and the Emerald City. So far, the company's seeing peak rates of around 40Mbps and 50Mbps (down), with average download rates hovering in the 5Mbps to 12Mbps range and upload speeds falling between 2Mbps and 5Mbps. Be sure to let us know if any undercover VZW engineers start installing weird antennas near your abode in the coming months, cool?

Verizon 'wrapping up' Boston and Seattle trials, 'friendly user' ones coming this summer originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon to blanket ‘one third’ of America with LTE this year, double coverage in 15 months

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:54:00 +0000

Remember when we heard that Verizon Wireless just might be able to bump its commercial LTE rollout to the first quarter of 2010? Man, talk about having our hopes and dreams dashed. Here at CTIA, we heard a few details on the company's most up-to-date deployment plans, and it sounds like things are pretty well locked into place at this point. Tony Melone, the company's Senior Vice President and CTO, seemed remarkably enthused that a bona fide LTE network would be launching "in the not too distant future," and when pressed for specifics, he stated that they would launch "25 to 30 networks this year, covering one third of America by the end of 2010." Beyond that, we're looking at a footprint twice that size "15 months" after the initial rollout, and by the end of 2013, the company's 4G coverage map will be the same size, "if not larger," than its existing 3G map. Of course, the carrier insisted that they wouldn't be abandoning 3G advancement while being fixated on 4G, noting that it was moving "fast and aggressively" on both fronts, with hopes that its LTE network would eventually eclipse even the 3G networks (in terms of coverage size) of competitors. Them's bold words, VZW, and we'll be carefully watching to see if that really does come to fruition.

Verizon to blanket 'one third' of America with LTE this year, double coverage in 15 months originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon talks commercial LTE deployment details: data devices first, smartphones in ’1H 2011′

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:42:00 +0000

We just spent a tick talking with Verizon Wireless' Senior Vice President and Chief Technical Officer Tony Melone (shown speaking) after the company's LTE roundtable here at CTIA, and while we've heard a lot through the grapevine recently, we wanted to set a few things straight for ourselves. For starters, VZW affirmed that data-centric devices would be splashing down on its commercial LTE network first, possibly as early as the end of this year. When we asked specifically what kinds of devices he meant, he stated that "aircards, USB data sticks and MiFi-type devices" would be first out of the chunnel, with smartphones being "about a quarter behind." Naturally, we asked why there would be a delay, and he stated that getting a smartphone onto a new network is more difficult than a simple data-only product; there are obvious voice-related issues to work through that aren't present when you're only sucking down torrents, and it'll take some time before full-on phones join the fray. He assured us the earlier data-only device launches wouldn't be "a public trial," and he noted that a conservative estimate as to when we'd see LTE phones on Verizon would be "the first half of 2011." Though, he did confess that folks would likely be pushing for earlier ship dates, and we may see a few phones drop closer to January than July if all the stars align.

Verizon talks commercial LTE deployment details: data devices first, smartphones in '1H 2011' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon launching V Cast Apps on March 29th, RIM devices get first dibs

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 19:50:00 +0000

We're here at Verizon Wireless' LTE forum at CTIA 2010, and a higher-up speaking about application development just let a sweet little nugget of information slip: the long-awaited V Cast Apps market will launch on March 29th (that's the new target, anyway). If you'll recall, we've been hearing about this portal ever since last summer, but we're guessing that a bona fide launch was put on pause in order to tweak things for Verizon's eventual LTE release (a bit we'll touch on here later). Initially, the BlackBerry Storm (and Storm2, presumably) will be supported, with other RIM devices coming onboard shortly thereafter. The rollout will continue over the coming weeks and months, hopefully to a few other mobile operating systems.

Responding to a few questions, Verizon insists that its own storefront won't take away from "other markets," namely the Android Marketplace. Instead, they're "perpetuating the ecosystem," with the app store simply being a vessel of distribution. In other words, app devs are stoked that their software could be found in multiple stores.

Verizon launching V Cast Apps on March 29th, RIM devices get first dibs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype Mobile for BlackBerry Available Tomorrow

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:35:33 +0000

Verizon is announcing Skype Mobile for BlackBerry tomorrow, March 25th, on a variety of 3G devices. To download the app, from the Verizon site (currently the page lets you get a reminder when the app goes live) or by texting SKYPE to 2255.

Skype Mobile for BlackBerry will let you:

Make and receive unlimited Skype-to-Skype voice calls to any Skype contact around the globe;
Send and receive unlimited instant messages with other Skype users;
Manage the Skype contact list directly from the mobile application; and
Call international phone numbers at competitive Skype calling rates.

To use Skype Mobile, you’ll need a data plan but you can save money in that Skype-to-Skype calls are not charged against your monthly minutes. The app will be available for the BlackBerry Storm 9530, Storm2 9550, Curve 8330, Curve 8530, 8830 World Edition, and Tour 9630.