Toktumi's Line2 iPhone App Can Turn an Ipod Touch Into a Phone

Check out this neat article from the NY Times; but, didn't the Google Voice Iphone app exist before Line2?

Line2 seemed to have better luck with Apple's Iphone approval process and certainly mixes up things a bit more in the marketplace.  

IPhone App to Sidestep AT&T

by David Pogue
Thursday, March 25, 2010

provided by

For a little $1 iPhone app, Line2 sure has the potential to shake up an entire industry.

It can save you money. It can make calls whereAT&T's (T) signal is weak, like indoors. It can turn an iPod Touch into a full-blown cellphone.

And it can ruin the sleep of cellphone executives everywhere.

Line2 gives your iPhone a second phone number -- a second phone line, complete with its own contacts list, voice mail, and so on. The company behind it, Toktumi (get it?), imagines that you'll distribute the Line2 number to business contacts, and your regular iPhone number to friends and family. Your second line can be an 800 number, if you wish, or you can transfer an existing number.

To that end, Toktumi offers, on its Web site, a raft of Google (GOOG) Voice-ish features that are intended to help a small businesses look bigger: call screening, Do Not Disturb hours and voice mail messages sent to you as e-mail. You can create an "automated attendant" -- "Press 1 for sales," "Press 2 for accounting," and so on -- that routes incoming calls to other phone numbers. Or, if you're pretending to be a bigger business than you are, route them all to yourself.

The Line2 app is a carbon copy, a visual clone, of the iPhone's own phone software. The dialing pad, your iPhone Contacts list, your recent calls list and visual voice mail all look just like the iPhone's.

(Let's pause for a moment here to blink, dumbfounded, at that point. Apple's (AAPL) rules prohibit App Store programs that look or work too much like the iPhone's own built-in apps. For example, Apple rejected the Google Voice app because, as Apple explained to the Federal Communications Commission, it works "by replacing the iPhone's core mobile telephone functionality and Apple user interface with its own user interface for telephone calls." That is exactly what Line2 does. Oh well -- the Jobs works in mysterious ways.)

So you have a second line on your iPhone. But that's not the best part.

Line2 also turns the iPhone into a dual-mode phone. That is, it can make and receive calls either using either the AT&T airwaves as usual, or -- now this is the best part -- over the Internet. Any time you're in a wireless hot spot, Line2 places its calls over Wi-Fi instead of AT&T's network.

That's a game-changer. Where, after all, is cellphone reception generally the worst? Right -- indoors. In your house or your office building, precisely where you have Wi-Fi. Line2 in Wi-Fi means rock-solid, confident reception indoors.

Line2 also runs on the iPod Touch. When you're in a Wi-Fi hot spot, your Touch is now a full-blown cellphone, and you don't owe AT&T a penny.

But wait, there's more.

Turns out Wi-Fi calls don't use up any AT&T minutes. You can talk all day long, without ever worrying about going over your monthly allotment of minutes. Wi-Fi calls are free forever.

Well, not quite free; Line2 service costs $15 a month (after a 30-day free trial).

But here's one of those cases where spending more could save you money. If you're in a Wi-Fi hot spot most of the time (at work, for example), that's an awful lot of calling you can do in Wi-Fi -- probably enough to downgrade your AT&T plan to one that gives you fewer minutes. If you're on the 900-minute or unlimited plan ($90 or $100 a month), for example, you might be able to get away with the 450-minute plan ($70). Even with Line2's fee, you're saving $5 or $15 a month.

Line2 also lets you call overseas phone numbers for Skype-like rates: 2 to 5 cents a minute to most countries. (A full table of rates is available at toktumi.com.) As a handy globetrotters' bonus, calls home to numbers in the United States from overseas hot spots are free.

All of these benefits come to you when you're in a Wi-Fi hot spot, because your calls are carried by the Internet instead of by AT&T. Interestingly enough, though, Line2 can also make Internet calls even when you're not in a hot spot.

It can, at your option, place calls over AT&T's 3G data network, where it's available. Every iPhone plan includes unlimited use of this 3G network -- it's how your iPhone sends e-mail and surfs the Web. So once again, Line2 calls don't use up any of your monthly voice minutes.

Unfortunately, voice connections on the 3G network aren't as strong and reliable as the voice or Wi-Fi methods. Cellular data networks aren't made for seamless handoffs from cell tower to tower as you drive, for example -- there's not much need for it if you're just doing e-mail and Web -- so dropped calls are more likely. Fortunately, if you're on a 3G data-network call and you walk into a hot spot, Line2 switches to the more reliable Wi-Fi network seamlessly, in midcall.

Whenever you do have an Internet connection -- either Wi-Fi or a strong 3G area -- you're in for a startling treat. If you and your calling partner are both Line2 subscribers, Line2 kicks you into superhigh audio-quality mode (16-bit mode, as the techies call it).

Your calling partners sound as if they're speaking right into the mike at an FM radio station. It's almost too clear; you hear the other person's breathing, lip smacks, clothing rustling and so on. After years of suffering through awful cellphone audio, it's quite a revelation to hear what you've been missing.

Now, this all sounds wonderful, and Line2 generally is wonderful. But there's room for improvement.

First, as you've no doubt already concluded, understanding Line2 is complicated. You have three different ways to make calls, each with pros and cons.

You miss a certain degree of refinement, too. The dialing pad doesn't make touch-tone sounds as you tap the keys. There's no Favorites list within the Line2 app. You can't get or send text messages on your Line2 line. (The company says it will fix all this soon.)

There's a faint hiss on Line2 calls, as if you're on a long-distance call in 1970. The company says that it deliberately introduces this "comfort noise" to reassure you that you're still connected, but it's unnecessary. And sometimes there's a voice delay of a half-second or so (of course, you sometimes get that on regular cellphone calls, too).

Finally, a note about incoming calls. If the Line2 app is open at the time, you're connected via Wi-Fi, if available. If it's not running, the call comes in through AT&T, so you lose the benefits of Wi-Fi calling. In short, until Apple blesses the iPhone with multitasking software, you have to leave Line2 open whenever you put the phone to sleep. That's awkward.

Still, Line2 is the first app that can receive incoming calls via either Wi-Fi or cellular voice, so you get the call even if the app isn't running. That's one of several advantages that distinguish it from other voice-over-Internet apps like Skype and TruPhone.

Another example: If you're on a Wi-Fi call using those other programs, and someone calls your regular iPhone number, your first call is unceremoniously disconnected. Line2, on the other hand, offers you the chance to decline the incoming call without losing your Wi-Fi call.

Those rival apps also lack Line2's call-management features, visual voice mail and conference calling with up to 20 other people. And Line2 is the only app that gives you a choice of call methods for incoming and outgoing calls.

All of this should rattle cell industry executives, because let's face it: the Internet tends to make things free. Cell carriers go through life hoping nobody notices the cellephant in the room: that once everybody starts making free calls over the Internet, it's Game Over for the dollars-for-minutes model.

Line2, however, brings us one big step closer to that very future. It's going to be a wild ride.

Thank you NYTimes.com!

Brands Take Notice: Tap on Hispanics Online Presence and Influence to Maximize your Reach

I would like to share an article I wrote for Karma Media Labs about Hispanics and their place in Social Media these days...Enjoy!

HISPANICS: The Majority Minority and Its Influence in Social Media

Posted on Mar 3, 2010
by Reese Ramos
As a friend pointed out to me recently, one of the subjects that is starting to get as much press as sports lately (Tiger Woods & Olympics aside) is the national Census, which will determine how rapidly has the U.S. Hispanic population grown in the last ten years, as according to the last census, Hispanics made up 15% of the total US population.

Currently there are over 46 million people of Hispanic origin or descent in the U.S., and is estimated that by the time 2010 census is completed this number will surpass the 50 million mark, making it the fastest growing and largest minority group in the United States.  This majority minority is quite evident in urban centers of various states like: Florida, New York, California, Texas and New Mexico; for instance, in Los Angeles County, Hispanics make up the largest ethnic group.

The growth on this minority is not only evident on its total numbers among the US population, but its online penetration and presence has also increased tremendously within the last decade.
According to eMarketer there are currently over 26 million Hispanics using the Internet everyday, and that number is growing just as fast as the total number of people within this minority, and by the end of 2012, it is estimated that there will be nearly 30 million Hispanics on the Web.


People who have telecommunications services, such as a home telephone and a personal computer with Internet access, are able to effectively engage the global market economy, meaningfully participate in political discourse, and socially interact within the global village. People without home telephones and personal computers with Internet access risk being left behind, disconnected from the global village.  But the latter is not the case for Hispanics, as they are closing the usage gap with the general market, and they have a pursuing passion about going online and trust the information they find there.  Between 2006 and 2008 Hispanics showed a significant increase in Internet use among any group, as a result of having broadband Internet access at home or at school.

AOL completed a recent cyber study about Hispanics that provides with some great findings about the current online trends among this social group that tends to be much younger than the general population, as the study shows that 46% of Online Hispanics are under 35 years old, compared to just 28% of the US internet population.

These young Hispanics are considered the power users among this group, as they log on the most, and have more confidence in online product ratings than the opinions of their friends.  They find the Internet as a place of discovery and connection where they can meet people, read about the latest current events, keep up with the latest trends and find the best deals.  They find the Internet as their medium of information and choice for socialization.  Hispanics online are early adopters, as they are more adventurous and eager to try new media communication formats and technologies.  This group spends over 24 hours per week on the web, connecting over half the time via mobile and other devices.  The study indicates that Hispanics are highly engaged Internet users, accessing through more devices than non-Hispanics, which demonstrates a high level of comfort with and willingness to try new technologies.

Another key finding in this study is that younger Hispanics online users prefer English language online media.  They find the English site as more comprehensive, more detailed, more useful, and offering much better deals and options to them than the Spanish language counterparts. The preference for English among the younger segments is due to the fact that young Hispanics are more acculturated and more engaged in the digital lifestyle.  And In other cases older users among this group may choose Spanish language sites because it provides them with a more familiar voice that reminds them of their home country. But all in all, they are all looking for one thing in common, the best online experience possible.

Hispanics have for sometime now have made an impact in traditional media, and now they are also becoming a very influential group in non-traditional media as well. Hispanic consumers view the Internet as a very important information source in the purchase decision-making process. They look to the Internet to learn about products, brands, features, stores and pricing, and what’s the best fit for them.  And the rest is up to the brands, whether or not they take full advantage of this goldmine the best way possible.  In turn, companies should always do is listen to the consumer and provide to them with what they want.  This may also mean reaching out to key influencers within a selected group that can act as brand ambassadors for their community, and in return the readers/followers of these influencers will listen to them and to their recommendations, providing a brand with quality trusted maximum exposure.

Below are a couple of examples of influential Hispanic people in the digital space who have made a difference in making their voices heard and recruiting a fan base.  They also clearly follow the latest trends in terms of what Hispanics are looking for online and the undeniable power this group has overall.



Hispanic Profiles
Matt Reyes, a Texas consultant who in less than two years has grown his forum for Latino Twitter fans, called Twitteros.  It only took Reyes a month to design and create Twitteros, a social networking site to extend the conversation from Twitter among Latino users, in December 2008 and now he has thousands of Hispanic subscribers from all over the country and Latin America. According to the website the site reaches over two thousand users every month and 74 percent of them are in the United States. It skews toward educated, middle aged people with a slightly higher percent of men than women.  The site is in English and its audience is predominantly bilingual.

Similarly in California, in October of 2007 Juan Carlos Perez Jr. launched MiAltos.com, a website for fans of Jalisco, Mexico, their families and friends, and whose goal is to reconnect friends and families that have been distanced due to emigration to the United States. Members are able to share and reconnect their lives by sharing pictures, posting blogs, and actively participating in meaningful discussions.  His website is noteworthy because it is based in Ontario, California and 90 percent of his five thousand plus registered members, and over 30 thousand monthly visitors are in the United States.  The site is in Spanish and the audience is predominantly recent Mexican émigrés and older generation Hispanics residing in Southern California.
Twitteros and MiAltos has been a great success because they cater to a very focused group of people and are both able to provide them with content they cannot find anywhere else.

Stay tuned for what the 2010 national Census will tell, perhaps that way brands will finally take this group seriously!
Reese Ramos is Director of Digital Publicity with KARMA Media Labs.

Apple's Ipad has finally Arrived

After so much waiting and so many rumors over the last year, the Apple tablet has finally arrived!

Today was a big day for Steve Jobs and his $90 billion worth company, as it was the announcement of its much anticipated baby, the Ipad, which according to him it's designed to fill the perceived gap between the smartphone and the laptop.

As the Apple website describes it:

"The best way to experience the web, email, photos and video.  Hands down.  All of the built-in apps on iPad were designed from the ground up to take advantage of the large Multi-Touch screen. And they work in any orientation. So you can do things with these that apps you can’t do on any other device."

Without doubt this is the must have "IT" item right now!

Prices range from: $499 - $829

Check out a comprehensive guide on this awesome new gadget from our tech friends after the jump: Mashable.

CES 2010: Where was Apple and Google? [Nexus One & 'iSlate' REPORT]

This year's Consumer Electronics Show came to an close this past Sunday with more than 100,000 tech addicts descending upon the showrooms in Las Vegas to check out the latest gadgets to hit showrooms in 2010.  Even though CES has been known as the perfect platform for developers and tech companies alike to showcase and launch their newest products to the market, two notable tech giants decided not to be present at this event to launch two of the most anticipated gadgets for the new year.

The focus this year at CES was heavy on the latest in computer technology and 3D-TVs and cameras, which after the huge success of Avatar, 3D is here to stay and promises to be a BIG player in the market this year.  But where were the big players like Apple and Google and their new gadgets that everyone can't wait to get their hands on?

BIG ABSENTEES

Google's newest buzzing phone, the Nexus One smartphone, launched this past Tuesday in a press conference from Mountain View, California, to which many tech lovers tuned-in on their computers to watch despite the fact that a lot them were headed to CES.  Even though Google had a booth at CES with the Nexus One showing, it's a bit odd that the online leader didn't choose it as its launching platform on Tuesday.
So, to many CES attendees this may have been a let down considering the impressive buzz the Nexus One had leading into the Consumer Electronic Show.  Google's decision had to have been strategic, as everything they do is almost perfectly executed.

The other big absent player was Apple; they have the much anticipated tablet, which its long-rumored to launch in early 2010.  Indeed, its probable name ''iSlate'', is set to finally be unveiled in San Francisco at the end of this month, January 27th to be exact.  The same way Apple has revolutionized the smartphone mobile market with the Iphone, as well as digital music with MP3 players with their Ipods, their tablet is expected to have a similar effect in the market.  Granted, Amazon and Sony were in the space before Apple, but there is so much room for improvement and innovation, territory that Steve Jobs and his team I am sure seeks to occupy.

But, again; why not be present at CES and use this platform as the launching place?  Apple the same way as Google, must have his reasons.

GOOGLE
What's interesting to note here is that Google now has become a major player in the mobile market, as well as in pretty much everything else, and they want to take things to the next level with their Nexus One.  This is just a few months after the launch of their ''Droid'' smartphone, that has sought to directly compete with the Iphone and challenge to dethrone it as a major player in the space.  
Furthermore, the ''Droid Does'' marketing campaign powered by Google and its latest mobile partner Verizon loudly demanding Apple's attention was clearly the defining moment for Google.  The ''Droid'' and the "Android" platform speaks for itself, it provides simple usability to the user and it's very accessible to everyone, making it a one place sort of shop--Google search, mobile, maps, mail, etc.  And this is something that Apple should perhaps learn from, this means no lucking of phone features or rejection of submitted useful applications like 'Google Voice'.

Google Nexus One
Google's Nexus One phone is thinner than the iPhone, it's an Android-powered phone and it's part of the ecosystem that it's growing very rapidly, with more than 20,000 applications and counting.  Many of which are a lot more useful than all those Iphone apps found on the Apple App Store.  This certainly puts Google in a special place, as the most innovative and accessible player in the mobile OS market.

APPLE

On the Apple front, their tablet promises to be sleek and elegant, lightweight and minimalist.  The new device will boast a 10-11 inch screen, surf the web, play video games, watch multimedia, read e-books and possibly run on the Iphone Apps platform, which will be a BIG deal for Apple, as it counts with over 100,000 apps so far.  Steve Jobs and his team I am sure have much bigger prospects, which would entail opening their Itunes store to their big music market and expand their reach by including E-books, newspapers and magazines to be available via the same ecosystem and have make these fit to their table screens.  This will not only make it a major player in the market and compete directly with Amazon for the customer base in the space, but also would guarantee an important place among publishers, as they will go with whomever captures the biggest critical mass appeal and largest customer base.  So, the battle between Google and Apple overall, will not only be limited to technology, but will extend to their content and its partners and the role those will play in shaping each of their product's place in the marketplace.  Stay tuned for the BIG launch coming at the end of the month...it promises to be worth it!

It's remarkable how Google and Apple, the two most promising brands out there coming up with innovative products, technology and services to the world, are now going head to head in the marketplace.  And the power of Google seems to be unstoppable, as demonstrated with Dell's Android operated tablet launching at CES this year, which validates the big strides Google is making in every market and gadget territory.

Best of CES 2010
Despite these two major gadgets absentees, other big players decided to be present at CES this year and capitalized on the buzz surrounding smartphones and tablet prototypes, as it was the case of a Windows 7 device from HP and an Android tablet from Dell.  So, from 3D TVs to next-generation e-readers, these were the products that we can’t wait to see on store shelves in 2010.  Check out the top tech products at this year's show courtesy of Digital Trends:

Asus NX90

Toshiba Cell TVs

Samsung LED 9000 Series

Plastic Logic Que E-Reader

Panasonic 3D Camcorder

Spring Design Alex E-Reader

Motorola BackFlip

D-Link Boxee Box

Lenovo X100e

Kodak PlaySport

 

Scarlett Johansson CAN Sing!

Last year I heard from a friend about Scarlett Johansson becoming a singer and releasing her debut album, and I didn't take him seriously, as actors often times don't make good singers.  But to my surprise; I was wrong, as there are exceptions to the rule!


I have recently heard Pete Yorn's and Scarlett Johansson's musical collaboration entitled "Relator", the single of their album called: "Break Up".  The song is pretty good and Johansson's voice is quite nice...it sort of reminds me of Feist.


The girl can not only act, model, look good, but she can also SING...now, that's what you call a ''triple threat!"


Check out the music video below and you be the judge:

Apple's much Anticipated Tablet is Set to Launch Spring 2010 Plus MORE...

The latter part of 2010 wasn't the best time for Apple and one of its biggest gadgets, the Iphone; this was largely due to the much anticipated release of Google's operated Droid running on the Verizon network and manufactured by Motorola. The Droid has had strong sales so far, reaching one million units since its launch early this Fall. This is an impressive outcome for a newcomer, but then again Google is behind it, and having it run on Verizon is a big PLUS for them. The Droid was also recently distinguished by Time Magazine and being named the number one Gadget of the Year, and relegating the Iphone to 4th place.

But it's not all rosy for the Droid, as Time goes further to say and experts in the field agree with, as explained by Pete Cashmore of Mashable.com:

The Motorola phone on the Verizon network is a great device on the best network, TIME argues, making it the obvious choice despite being new to the market.

TIME writes:

Droid is a hefty beast, a metal behemoth without the gloss and finish of the iPhone, but you don’t miss it. The Droid’s touchscreen is phenomenally sharp and vivid, it has an actual physical (not great, but good enough) keyboard, and, best of all, the Droid is on Verizon’s best-of-breed 3G network.

We tend to agree; the Droid is a fantastic phone and a poster child for Google’s Android OS. Nonetheless, it’ll seem a lot less appealing next year if the iPhone finally comes to Verizon. We still think the iPhone is a superior phone, albeit on an inferior network.

HERE IS A RECAP...

The Iphone suffered from some negative buzz surrounding its App Store decision of rejecting Google Voice's app on their store and being still only available on AT&T, whose network is not nearly as efficient as Verizon's. And this was followed of course by a ad battle between both carriers flaunting who is better, and in the end Verizon prevailed.

So, disenchanted Iphone users and unhappy AT&T customers decided to leave them and make the switch, and some of them seem happy but not fully satisfied!

The question now is what's in store for Apple?

Well, there have been rumors about the Iphone running on Verizon and the release of a much anticipated tablet...what's to make of this?

These rumors are true and expected to finally happen in 2010.

So even though the Droid was the "IT" gadget to have and garnered the most attention the end of 2010, Apple is coming back with bigger and better things in 2010!

Apple's exclusive contract with AT&T expires next year and an improved and better Iphone will be released come 2010 to run on the biggest mobile network in the country.

The release date is rumored to be Summer/Fall of next year...stay tuned!

And as for the Apple Tablet; it's said to be ready for launch in Spring of 2010.

Charlie Sorrel of Wired.com further explains:

Yair Reiner, an analyst for Oppenheimer, has lit some incense, drained his tea-cup and stared deep into the pattern of the remaining leaves. The fates have thus communicated to him the following “fact”: Apple will ship a 10.1-inch touch-screen tablet in spring 2010.

The average reader of the average gadget-blog knows more about the real workings of the tech world than even the best of analysts (or “prophets” as I prefer to call them). But we shall humor Uncle Yair, and present here his rock-solid inferences, based on the study not of actual tea-leaves, but of his supply-chain contacts.

The Jesus-tablet will use an LTPS (Low Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon) LCD like that of the iPhone instead of a pricier OLED display, and if Apple wants to have enough in stock to meet demand (at a projected manufacturing speed of a million units per month) then a launch date in March or April is likely.

The price? The same as a MacBook with a full keyboard, or $1,000. This would be the perfect price for Apple to charge if it didn’t want to sell any.

Reiner goes on to speculate that book publishers, “disgruntled by Amazon’s terms” which give the publisher just 70% of revenue on an exclusive deal, prefer the numbers offered by Apple. And what is this sweet, sweet deal from Apple? An “App Store-type 30/70 split.” Can you spot the difference? Me either.

By now, we’re pretty sure that we’ll see an Apple tablet soon, probably in the first half of the year (spring for tablets, summer for iPhones, autumn for iPods, and Macs when they are ready). We’re also sure that until it is actually announced by Apple, every week will bring further groping guesses about this tech-unicorn, in increasingly desperate attempts to drum up publicity (December 9, 2009).

I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THESE EVENTS HAPPEN NEXT YEAR!

New DROID Release - Will it be the Iphone Killer?

The New Droid phone from Google by Motorola officially landed today offered with the Verizon network. There has certainly been a lot of buzz surrounding this release, to the point that disheartened AT&T and in some cases Apple users are defecting to try this hot new alternative phone in the mobile market. Well, there are many reasons as to why to may be and here are just a few: first, Apple's rejecting of Google Voice's application to run on the Iphone system, this certainly created a lot of bad sentiment against Apple, to the extent that FCC had to get involved in an investigation as we all know; second, Apple's restrictions and unwilling to open up its system and release all the current updates and capabilities that the Iphone may offer, instead of releasing and opening things up so slowly, which in some cases cause users to jail brake their phones or simply switch to the Android system; and lastly, the AT&T network and the services which is second to Verizon and non-existent or lack of customer service.


So, this takes us to the Iphone's prospective future...will the new Droid dethrone it from its place in the market? Well, as many editors and bloggers have expressed in their reviews of the Droid and comparison to the Iphone; the new Android device is not really a threat to the Iphone and by no means it's BETTER than Apple's Iphone. The Iphone is much sleeker, smoother, has a humongous app store, has a huge market share and it's Apple, among many other factors!
The Droid is a much more functional phone in that is open and has no many restrictions and limitations to its users, Android app center is smaller, but has a much more qualitative number of useful apps and is part of Google, which without question is always on the online/internet technology forefront!


My verdict is that the new Droid has come at a very good time and has made a very clever choice by going with Verizon. Apple's Iphone and it's reputation has been tarnishing a bit in the last few months and having an exclusive contract with AT&T most certainly DOES NOT HELP!
AT&T's actual submergence in the mobile market is due largely thanks to the Iphone, which has made a incomparable impact to the mobile market and its devices by introducing a revolutionary smart phone that has almost everything!

By no means the Droid will be an Iphone killer; it will just become an alternative to mobile users out there and it's nice to see a more 'realistic' challenger to Apple's phone because up to this point the only that would come anywhere near is the Blackberry, but again is a whole different market and phone. Competition will be good for all parties involved in the mobile industry, which has proven to be one of the fastest growing forms of media these days--along with social media.


Even though that skeptics and Apple haters think the Iphone ''sucks'', like this blogger from the UK recently called it the ''worst mobile phone ever!"; Apple is by no means in trouble.
Apple's contract with AT&T will finally expire at the end of next year and rumors has it that they will go with Verizon next, not to mention the next Iphone update will prove to everyone why Apple is the choice for many. Even though the most recent ad campaign for the Droid makes fun of the Iphone and gives it a bad name--with the help of Verizon--it's only a transitory stunt that Verizon seems to have pulled to make a bigger buzz and catch Apple's attention.


So, I can't wait to see the new Iphone update and what is has to offer and once it's offered by Verizon switched to them and have a much better phone service altogether.

For more on these rumors read on this article from my friends at Mashable...





IPHONE COMING TO VERIZON IN 2010 [RUMOR]
Many signs point to the Apple and AT&T agreement that makes the latter the exclusive carrier of the iPhone within the US coming to an end within the next year.

For starters, non-exclusivity has been profitable for Apple in other parts of the world. Moreover, even AT&T’s CEO acknowledges the deal won’t last forever.

And while Verizon might be all about showing off what Droid does right now, a new report suggests it could become the first carrier other than AT&T to offer iPhone on American soil, starting in the second half of 2010.

According to a report obtained by Apple Insider, “Apple has contracted to produce a UMTS/CDMA hybrid iPhone due in the third quarter of next year that will enable the company to sell a single global handset to all carriers, and specifically to Verizon Wireless in the US” – the significance of CDMA being that it’s the standard that Verizon’s network uses, versus AT&T’s GSM.

As you might suspect, there’s currently no comment from Apple or Verizon, but it’s not the first time the two companies have been linked. Just last month, a report surfaced suggesting that Verizon and Apple were already testing a 4G version of the iPhone. While we await more details, we can’t help but be amused by how we might end up looking back at the current attack ad battle taking place between Verizon, AT&T, and Apple if a Verizon iPhone comes to fruition.

CAN'T WAIT FOR IT!!!