Consumers have been complaining about the problems associated with DRM technology on their music files: songs can’t be transferred between devices, shared with friends, backed up easily, and (in some cases) quick working altogether because an online music service decided to call it quits. Verizon Wireless has apparently listened, and has joined the DRM-free bandwagon in announcing more than 5 million MP3 tracks are now available from its Online Media Store.
Tag Archive: Mike Lanman
Buggy Storms were Pushed out the Door
If the BlackBerry Storm’s buggy software, slow interface and glitchy user experience made it feel a little half-baked, that may have been because it was. According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, device-maker Research in Motion and carrier Verizon cut necessary development time short in order to meet a Black Friday deadline.
In an interview with the paper, RIM co-Chief Executive Jim Balsillie said the team made the Nov. 21 deadline “by the skin of their teeth” after pushing back an original October deadline. Anonymous sources “close to the launch” cited by the Journal also claim that flaws in the phone’s operating system were overlooked in the last minute push.
LG’s Voyager Takes on iPhone on Verizon
Verizon Wireless has announced a series of four new phones which will serve as the anchor products for the company’s 2007 end-of-year holiday buying season: the Samsung Juke, the LG Venus, the BlackBerry Pearl 8130, and the LG Voyager—the latter of which the company hopes will compete favorably with Apple’s iPhone. Of course, the phones all tie in to Verizon’s V Cast mobile music, video, and media offerings, although the company has yet to reveal pricing and availability information for the new handsets, although prices should range from $100 to $400 with contracts.


