Verizon Joins AT&T In Crippling Android Handsets Reduces Froyo functionality on Droid to upsell customers We've noted that AT&T has been crippling many Android devices in their lineup, not only layering them with annoying, unremovable bloatware, but making Yahoo the default search engine while making it impossible to install any applications not found in the Android Marketplace. Contrary to what many expected, Verizon had been more open in their Android offerings -- until now. Information Week notes that while the Motorola Droid is receiving the Android 2.2 Froyo update this week, Verizon is crippling two key parts of the update: tethering and Wi-Fi hotspot creation. According to a Verizon spokesperson, the Droid isn't capable of either: In an email, Verizon Wireless spokesperson Brenda Raney told me, "The Droid by Motorola doesn't have [the] hardware to support a Mobile Hotspot. With tethering there is no Connection on the PC side that will allow you to tether the device so the answer is that option isn't part of this update." Information Week is very polite in saying Verizon's justification "is hardly the whole story." In reality, the Droid hardware is perfectly capable of both of these functions, as those with rooted phones can attest. It appears that Verizon's simply intentionally crippling functionality in order to upsell users on more expensive phones, including the Droid X and the upcoming Droid 2 -- then completely making up justifications for the move. Like AT&T, despite plenty of rhetoric, Verizon's still not quite aware that these kinds of efforts to retain control in an evolving open wireless ecosystem are like swimming upstream during a flood.
|
 | | The business mentality... Why give away something that people will pay for? That's the way of business. If you can make a profit off of it.... milk it. | |
|  |  BF69Premium
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN | Re: The business mentality... And this is why our country is going down the shitter. You CAN make a profit WITHOUT fucking people over. | |
| | | | | Re: The business mentality... said by BF69:And this is why our country is going down the shitter. You CAN make a profit WITHOUT fucking people over. *GASP* YOU LIE!!!  | |
| | |  Romney2012Defeat Obama 2012-Chg we can believe inPremium
join:2002-03-03
USA
kudos:4 | said by BF69:And this is why our country is going down the shitter. You CAN make a profit WITHOUT fucking people over. There are myriad reasons our country is going down the shitter, but none of them have anything to do with wireless cellphone provider's smartphone application policies.
I'll skip all the reasons because that isn't the topic of this thread.
--
Are you happy with your rep in Washington, DC? | |
| | | |  Steve BPremium
join:2004-08-02
Seattle, WA | Re: The business mentality... said by Romney2012:said by BF69:And this is why our country is going down the shitter. You CAN make a profit WITHOUT fucking people over. There are myriad reasons our country is going down the shitter, but none of them have anything to do with wireless cellphone provider's smartphone application policies. I'll skip all the reasons because that isn't the topic of this thread. Yet, you had to bring it up. At any rate, what he said is one reason among many. | |
| | | | BF69Premium
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
1 edit | said by Romney2012:said by BF69:And this is why our country is going down the shitter. You CAN make a profit WITHOUT fucking people over. There are myriad reasons our country is going down the shitter, but none of them have anything to do with wireless cellphone provider's smartphone application policies. It's the ATTITUDE these companies have that is helping this country down the turdhole. | |
| | | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: The business mentality... Right... because people can't live with out certain products and services, right?
There's that skirt of the internet that people "have" to live in.. quite honestly more people need to learn to disconnect their lives from the internet a little more than they currently have intertwined themselves.. that's my opinion...
But honestly, one reason this country IS going into "the shitter" is that MANY people have lost many of their ways and manners while trying to live more in a digital world rather than a real world.
Maybe it's me (no, really, it's not..., I'm just saying this) but people have REALLY gone down hill, in general, the more they plug in to the internet.. it's NOT the way to socialize.. too many people spend too much time trying "to get it" with a 160 or less character message on some social site.. and I use that term loosely.
Seriously.. there is a MAJOR disconnect with reality these days because of the internet.. I really think that some people take view of the internet as some sort of drug.. they can't really live with out it. | |
| | | | | | | | Re: The business mentality... said by fiberguy:Right... because people can't live with out certain products and services, right? There's that skirt of the internet that people "have" to live in.. quite honestly more people need to learn to disconnect their lives from the internet a little more than they currently have intertwined themselves.. that's my opinion... But honestly, one reason this country IS going into "the shitter" is that MANY people have lost many of their ways and manners while trying to live more in a digital world rather than a real world. Maybe it's me (no, really, it's not..., I'm just saying this) but people have REALLY gone down hill, in general, the more they plug in to the internet.. it's NOT the way to socialize.. too many people spend too much time trying "to get it" with a 160 or less character message on some social site.. and I use that term loosely. Seriously.. there is a MAJOR disconnect with reality these days because of the internet.. I really think that some people take view of the internet as some sort of drug.. they can't really live with out it. Now on this one I'll have to disagree with you a lot. It's a sign of changing times but even before the internet there were people who did not "socialize" in the traditional sense. Internet or not there will always be those who are shut-in and just refuse to get out there and mingle. | |
| | | | | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: The business mentality... Disagree with you all ya want..but I hate to tell you, there are MANY MANY MANY studies that have been done that do show that plugging into the internet has taken a HUGE toll on social skills.. MANY people can "communicate" behind their screen.. guess what happens when you put them face to face with someone.. heh..
Seriously.. the internet is about being anonymous.. how exactly does that improve anything?
Simply "keeping in touch" with someone by posting a tweet or a status update on facebook does not make for a society of social people... besides, check out the studies and ask what most people feel about posts and talking on the internet is all about.. survey says!!! .. "It's not real anyway.. you can't take what's said on the internet as real"... um, yea... sorry, but I stand by my view.
There is a HUGE difference of my generation and the current upcoming 18-25 crowd. A FAR more disconnect between my generation and the one right behind me...
Mingling on the internet is not 'mingling".. shut in or not.. in general, yes, the internet has really dumbed down communication.
If this is the changing time, then thank god I've chosen to stay out of it for the most part. I've watched MANY friends of mine become more socially inept over the last 5 years than ever before. They rush home to check Facebook to see if anyone has responded.. they hide behind texting and all but forgot how to make a voice call.. they often have "no time to go out" because they're too plugged in having 10 chat sessions simultaneously, OR think that FarmVille is the place to "be with your friends"..
What the internet HAS done is made keeping in contact (ie: the actual act of communication) quicker.. but, I can tell you most certainly, the bonds between the up and coming generation is far less strong as they have been in other generations..
The research is out there.. it's there to find and discover. I still take courses in psychology as I continue onto my masters and this topic is discussed and referenced frequently. | |
| | | | | | | |  ThespisI'm not an actor, but I play one on TV.Premium
join:2004-08-03
Keller, TX | Re: The business mentality... said by fiberguy:Disagree with you all ya want..but I hate to tell you, there are MANY MANY MANY studies that have been done that do show that plugging into the internet has taken a HUGE toll on social skills.. Could you post links to a couple of those studies. I mean, if there are that many...
--
Fast. Cheap. Safe.
Pick two... | |
| | | | | | | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: The business mentality... said by Thespis:said by fiberguy:Disagree with you all ya want..but I hate to tell you, there are MANY MANY MANY studies that have been done that do show that plugging into the internet has taken a HUGE toll on social skills.. Could you post links to a couple of those studies. I mean, if there are that many... Nope... go find them.. google is your best friend.
And before you go further, I'll spare this too.  ... because I don't feel like running out and doing research for ya doesn't make it a false statement.. I just don't chose to google and post links to prove a point. You can simply agree to disagree if you want and we'll leave it at that.
(This tactic is often used and invalid.) | |
| | | | | | | | | |  XcceLL
join:2004-03-16
Bethlehem, GA | Re: The business mentality... LOL! Case in point, to lazy to find info with Google. 
--
Just killen time.
| |
| | | | | | | | | | ThespisI'm not an actor, but I play one on TV.Premium
join:2004-08-03
Keller, TX | said by fiberguy:(This tactic is often used and invalid.) This is a debate, not an argument. How is asking for supporting evidence invalid?
In a debate, one presents a premise and supports that premise with evidence. Without evidence, a premise is just an opinion.
I haven't disagreed with anything you said, I simply asked you to support your opinion. If you can't, or won't do that then I will consider your post as simply another release of hot air.
--
Fast. Cheap. Safe.
Pick two... | |
| | | | | | | | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: The business mentality... Hey.. guess what.. the sky is blue and has clouds that float around from time to time. Also, roads are made of concrete while some are made with blacktop... did you also know that many large body commercial jets fly at about 30,000 feet or more? Cars run on unleaded fuel these days... most American homes have grass growing in their front years... and to top it all off, I'm not going to post any links supporting my statements.. it must all be hot air release.
No... seriously, what you're doing is saying that if I don't or won't post something to support, as you say, my "opinion" then it's just that.. an opinion. In debate, or argument, the worth of my time isn't necessary to facilitate the posting of links to research, etc. - to which some of that data very well is available for payment which I'm not going to do. What you're doing, quite honestly, is trying to win a "debate" by default, which doesn't work.
If that were the case, this ENTIRE site is nothing more than a release of hot air (which isn't further from the truth sometimes, but besides the point)...
But, in the weighing of the matters at hand, quite honestly, if you think that social network sites have "improved" the quality of life for people and communications and related skills, and not harmed it, one only has to look at the fact that there are anti-cyber bullying laws on the books and more coming all the time. More and more "privacy controls" and blocking options have to be introduced regularly... so on and so forth.. the anonymity of the internet has actually created quite a bit of cause for concern these days... information to easily available, I'm sorry to inform you, is not necessarily a good thing. People also haven't realized that you can, should or do say online versus what you say in public and many people believe that you can say things in 160 chars or less and that's a valid form of communication. Sorry... for this and many other reasons, I don't need to post links. It's not just my "opinion" as you stated... | |
| | | | | | | | | | ThespisI'm not an actor, but I play one on TV.Premium
join:2004-08-03
Keller, TX | Re: The business mentality... Debate and logic have existed since the early Greeks and the "rules" still apply because they make sense.
Increasing the amount of anecdotal material doesn't support your argument. You could have posted supporting material in half the time it took you to excuse your faulty logic.
If you can't support an argument, don't make it.
--
Fast. Cheap. Safe.
Pick two... | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ThespisI'm not an actor, but I play one on TV.Premium
join:2004-08-03
Keller, TX | Re: The business mentality... said by fiberguy:I'm not going to argue with someone who is clearly un-educated. Wow. An ad hominum attack, a straw man and an inductive leap all in one post. A trifecta of illogical arguments.
Uneducated? You can't even spell uneducated. Now that's funny...
--
Fast. Cheap. Safe.
Pick two... | |
| | | | | | | | | |  fuziwuziNot born yesterdayPremium
join:2005-07-01
Atlanta, GA | Re: The business mentality... said by Thespis:said by fiberguy:I'm not going to argue with someone who is clearly un-educated. Wow. An ad hominum attack, a straw man and an inductive leap all in one post. A trifecta of illogical arguments. Uneducated? You can't even spell uneducated. Now that's funny... Isn't it, though?
--
***************
I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it says something about human nature that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. We've created life in our own image.
- Stephen Hawking | |
|
| | | | | | | | | fuziwuziNot born yesterdayPremium
join:2005-07-01
Atlanta, GA | said by fiberguy:And before you go further, I'll spare this too. ... because I don't feel like running out and doing research for ya doesn't make it a false statement.. I just don't chose to google and post links to prove a point. You can simply agree to disagree if you want and we'll leave it at that. (This tactic is often used and invalid.) For someone who purports to loath the crassness of the "internet generation", you sure do enjoy making use of many of the more annoying characteristics of that group. You make statements as if they are fact, not opinion, and then refuse to back those facts up when asked. That is not only lazy but arrogant.
Other cultures are perhaps even more involved on the internet and with cellphone technology (i.e. the Chinese and Japanese), yet I can attest with first-hand knowledge they do not exhibit the conditions in their social lives which you claim are the inevitable result of such a concentration of resources into the technology.
--
***************
I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it says something about human nature that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. We've created life in our own image.
- Stephen Hawking | |
| | | | | | | | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: The business mentality... Pull your head out of the sand... and then we'll talk. And please, do not try to compare China to the United States. That will get you no where.
The fact that you need a link anytime something is said, OR simply request one JUST because you have nothing better to disagree with does not make you right.
Please learn the rules of debate. | |
| | | | | | | | | | fuziwuziNot born yesterdayPremium
join:2005-07-01
Atlanta, GA | Re: The business mentality... said by fiberguy:Pull your head out of the sand... and then we'll talk. And please, do not try to compare China to the United States. That will get you no where. The fact that you need a link anytime something is said, OR simply request one JUST because you have nothing better to disagree with does not make you right. Please learn the rules of debate. Obviously you haven't learned any "rules". Again, you made statements as FACT, not just your opinion. FACTS require evidence, which you have failed to provide. Opinions can rely upon their own merit and are only as believable as the trust conveyed by the person offering them. In either case, you fail.
You also spew nothing but post-hoc-ergo-propter-hoc arguments. If you can't do any better than that, then you really are your own worst enemy, you make other peoples arguments against you for them.
--
***************
I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it says something about human nature that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. We've created life in our own image.
- Stephen Hawking | |
| | | | | | | | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: The business mentality... This isn't a court of law... you're clearly only trying to invalidate what I'm saying because I don't care to go hunting down a resource online to support what I said...
But, I'm done arguing with you... the "you won't post a link so you don't know what you're talking about" game doesn't work with me. | |
|
| | | | | | |  ECW
@verizon.net | Every new technology is considered to cause the death of society as we know it. Read some of the comments re the telephone when it was introduced. It would destroy social interaction, people would no longer converse on their porches, etc., etc. And let's face it, the book is the most anti-social device out there. I have used it for years as an excuse not to talk to the person sitting in the seat next to me on every transportation device invented. Just like the iPod.
The fact remains that we have been forced (not unwillingly) into a world where you need the internet to conduct business, e.g., education, banking, information, etc. What bothers me about Verizon at the moment is my DSL speeds have suddenly dropped to 28 kbps (yes, slower than dial-up) as measured by their own speed tests. And coincidentally, just as they reaped billions in tax benefits by selling off their least profitable rural business to New Frontier. Coincidence? Where I live, in a very rural area, DSL is my only choice, other than satellite which would crap out every time a thunderstorm passes over. Right now I'm forced to drive 17 miles each way to the college to get my work done on their wireless network as they are the closest with open access. | |
|
| | | | | Diddy1
join:2003-07-19
Sidney, NE | Well we are talking about progress aren't we? Could anyone live without their car these days?
--
if you fail to plan, you plan to fail | |
| | | | | | | Reviews:
 ·Frontier Communi..
·Verizon Online DSL
| Re: The business mentality... Lots of people live without cars.
It's possible to live without a car in the vast majority of the United States. The degree of difficulty will range from 'easier than car ownership' (New York City) to 'royal PITA' (rural America) but it's doable. | |
|
| |  en102Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | said by BF69:And this is why our country is going down the shitter. You CAN make a profit WITHOUT fucking people over. Of course, you 'can' make a profit without f*cking people over. The problem when you get in the big leagues, is that f*cking people over is a way of life. Making a profit is one thing. Being able to make 'more profit' and having more control is another.
--
Canada = Hollywood North | |
| | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | said by BF69:And this is why our country is going down the shitter. You CAN make a profit WITHOUT fucking people over. The data plans are, what.... $30 a month? .. which is based on phone data, right? And the network cards are based at about $59 a month on 5gb, right?
Would you be happy if they allowed you to buy a $59 5gb data plan on your smart phone which could be used on either a laptop or phone data under the 5gb cap? Sounds reasonable and fair to me...
what IS "screwing" the customer is at&t and dropping their phone plans to 2gb and charging a customer $20 JUST for the option to tap into that 2gb amount of data for $25.
Personally, I feel that if any carrier said "okay.. 5gb, but $50 a month on your phone" people would still cry foul simply because the phone is "capable" of tethering to another device.. so really, no matter what they do, so long as they charge $1 more (even though the phone data plans were based on PHONE data, not data hungry laptops and other devices) people would say they were being "fucked over." . there is too much hard data here on this site to support my thinking on this. | |
| | | | | You can wipe and install. Android is open-source.
»linux.softpedia.com/get/Programm···40.shtml
I don't know if Verizon has any 'special sauce' for connection, but you could simply not pay them until you are re-connected, or opt out completely. | |
| | | | | | Re: The business mentality... The Android app(s) will work fine until they lock them down as well!
Remember, they think they can control any device on their network no matter how much you paid for it! | |
|
| fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | said by tdouglas22:Why give away something that people will pay for? That's the way of business. If you can make a profit off of it.... milk it. Yup! Because business is all about "giving it away" and not "milking profit".. I mean, "making profit" right?
Sounds more like Motorola and Google want to make a phone capable of tethering.. however, who decided that Motorola and Google were in charge of making business decisions for Verizon?
I am NO fan of Verizon, I'll make that perfectly clear... but..
1) Verizon is in their right to ensure that their model is set the way THEY want to make it.. there are choices out there in competition.. and please, don't confuse competition being in play when there is finally someone offering what a specific customer wants because that's not competition... that just means someone isn't going to be happy until they get it there way, and for that, there is burger king.
2) I don't see how it's called "crippling" an "open source" operating system where it was clearly google's intent to allow their open source o/s to be modified to the way that the end user (Verizon in this case) wanted to make it.. and they did. Why call something open source when every time a carrier modifies it to THEIR desire it's called crippling it? If everyone had to use it "out of the box".. then why call it open source? hell.. why even make it "open source"....
I find some disingenuous reporting to call this a cripple of the o/s when they're doing what they have every right to do by the source provider, in this case, google.
What this is, to be honest, is more "disappointing" to some users more than anything - and for that, I'd agree. Also, just because it "can tether" and "can be a hotspot" doesn't mean that it's going to be free either.. nor should it. You can't expect a carrier to simply, over night, ditch their data card business line because some o/s maker allows a phone to tether.. just not realistic.. and it's certainly not "milking it"... | |
| | | Reviews:
 ·Verizon FiOS
| Re: The business mentality... I'm for making a profit. Afterall, you can only write off a loss for a few years.
Seriously, though, Verizon (et al) is crippling our lives. Communications is the NUMBER one need of civilization. Without it, there is chaos. (Yes, clean water, is a requirement, but not totally regulated/controlled like communications). And yet, the biggest control freaks ARE the communications companies like ATT, VZ, Orange, Vodafon, ...
And what is SO smart about smartphones? More like, "see your bill this month?" "$(%*&!!, yeah, that smarts!"
No way to save your calls. Save your voicemail. Save your text messages. No way to forward all calls, remotely answer, while surfing/updating/downloading and watching news or home DVR without "added features". Ironic that ALL the carriers have "data plans". And unlike a minority, we can't All roll minutes. We have to pay for more (overcharges for SMS/TXT) that costs them nothing. They don't want to build out, but will gladly sham Congress to shill out more for research and FUD. Oh, the internets will collapse! yep.
Companies like Verizon should glady offer access to your billing, TWENTY-FOUR SEVEN. Not during 8-6pm time frame. Yes, you have some access online, but that forces you to have to be ONLINE. What if you need a person to change your number, fix your bill, stop some caller, protect your account, move your account, check moving status, order more/less....
We have given them too much control. And in return, we have received crap. The voice quality on cell is equal to the crappy YouTube videos.
(however, FiOS voice is...well...I can hear things in the background of a caller that you could never pickup with a cell phone).
It's 2010. Wireless is preached the wonder, yet coverage is not ubiquitous.
Please hang up, and try again. | |
| | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: The business mentality... Ummmm.. heh.. not really sure what to say.. wait, I actually do.
Seriously, like I said, I really don't care or have love for Verizon, one bit. However, I think you're really going on the dramatics here a WEEEEEE bit too much.
No one is controller your communication.. there's a difference in it being controlled (which they aren't) and how they chose to charge and regulate the use of the internet in means of charging for it. You're confusing control with putting a price on their service - two totally different things. People OFTEN forget that they're not entitled to an all you can eat model, for one. Even with that, and having the 'unlimited PDA data plans'.. those are and were just that. People have PDA/Smart Phones with data plans and now here comes the ability to tether and they expect the carriers to simply allow the connection of netbooks, note books, and everything else wireless to access those tether devices... really? That's not being reasonable. There has to be some reality to your demands, and quite honestly, what I hear is that you want them to do all the giving and you want to do all the taking.. which is fine, but you can take... anytime... for a price. NOTHING wrong with that at all.
You have a smart phone, it does more than a regular phone, you're going to pay more - yea.. they are expensive.. however, remember, supply and demand. The user demands everything in one small handheld device and the company supplies it.. what is convenience worth to you? .. that's what you're going to pay. You ALSO have to ask yourself,.. "is that Youtube on the go WORTH it.. on the go?" the answer really is.. "no".. it's entertainment. Life goes on with out Youtube and Facebook... trust me.. it really does. Users are demanding more and more but also demand cheaper and cheaper.. there still is "value" in the "want"..
As for everything else.. wow.. really.. just wow. Please tell me.. when have you ever been able to change your number with out calling in? Are you REALLY being harassed that late at night that you NEED to change your phone number on the fly, 24/7? (There is a way to not take those calls... turn the phone off for the night.. mute the ringer.. change the ring tone for that number calling you... I think you're being dramatic here. "No way to forward all calls... really? There truly is. Remotely answer your cell phone????? REALLY? WHY In the world do you need that? And who's going to pay to develop that AND who's going to pay for the worthless feature? You have a mobile phone.. bring it with you, afterall, it's mobile.
Rolling minutes? .. okay.. at this point, this is what competition is about.. AT&T allows it.. Verizon and Sprint don't need to do that.. this is what competition is all about.
I dunno.. it's really hard to address alot of what you said other than it may be, to you, nice.. but I can guarantee you that many people really doesn't care about half that stuff.. not to mention, at what cost are you willing to pay for a 24/7 customer service? .. it used to be that way but was a total waste of money.. sorry, but I can truly wait until the next day to talk about my bill.. the online website access gives me, and you, plenty of information. You're asking for a 24/7 world.. that comes at a cost and I'm SURE you won't be willing to pay for it.
By the way... YOU/WE don't give them control.. it's their business.. they're not public, they're not the government.. etc.. you don't even get that from the government - so why are you expecting it from Verizon?
Sounds, again, a bit on the dramatics.. | |
|
| | | I have a Droid, and the chip does not support Wifi tether in infrastructure mode, only Ad-Hoc mode. This means that only one device can connect at a time, and many devices won't even connect in the first place unless they support ad-hoc. For example my older Macbook won't tether wireless with my Droid, but my Windows 7 laptop will. PS3 and Zune players won't connect but iOS devices can connect fine.
Verizon figured it would be a support nightmare to release a product that only does wireless tether in ad-hoc mode, because so many people would be calling complaining about their devices not connecting.
Not to mention, it's not right to assume Verizon is doing this for profit. They're saying that you have to buy another phone but if you look at it Verizon looses money when you buy a phone (with a subsidy). If you're willing to send them an extra $20 a month for the privilege to tether they'd be more than happy to take that without having to lose money by giving you new hardware first.
--
Farming the Tard | |
|
jca2050Premium
join:2002-02-04
Hacienda Heights, CA | Meh No worries, just root your phone and install a custom rom like Bugless Beast, download Wireless (or WireD) Tether for Root Users and you're done. | |
| |
See 28 replies to this post | |
| | haha "Wireless Tether For Root Users"
done and done. vericon can blow me. | |
|  CKizerAd eundum quo nemo ante iitPremium
join:2003-01-29
Tijeras, NM
kudos:2 | Business as usual at Verizon This is EXACTLY why my Verizon Droid is running CyanogenMod 6.0.0 RC2 firmware (FRF84B) built from source code at the AOSP (Android Open Source Project).
WiFi and USB tethering work perfectly and my phone is fast and responsive (overclocked to 1 GHz). | |
|  DaveDudeNo Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey
kudos:1 | break handsets from carriers Now that LTE is the defacto standard, carriers selling handsets should no longer be the way of selling handsets. In europe , few carriers sell handsets. I have avoided upgrading because of att messing with there android phones. | |
| | Reviews:
 ·WOW Internet and..
| Re: break handsets from carriers LTE isn't the choice here. It's still mixed networks. Sprint is doing WiMax, TMO said LTE but not yet, ATT says LTE but not yet. Cricket hasnt said anything. Nor has any of the SPrint roaming partner such as Cricket and Revol Wireless.
EU has GSM all over and is able to not sell the handsets.
--
www.twopugsbrand.com Kosher, Vegan, and Organic Certified Dog and Cat treats/foods and other products! www.etsy.com/shop/snakx4u/ Organic, Kosher, Gluten Free, Vegan Human Baked Goods | |
|
Reviews:
·AT&T Southeast
| Hmmmmm My rooted Droid does tethering just fine. Just another money grab from Verizon. No suprise there to anyone thats been with them for any period of time. Anyone remember the "apps" that were supposed to be for the LG Touch? The only one I can remember, and there weren't many more than this, was a mobile bartender program. It only cost 10 bucks a MONTH to use. What a joke. Nickel and dime doesn't describe it anymore...
--
Does Microsoft mean small and squishy? | |
| duranr
join:2006-10-14
Leonia, NJ | This is exactly what I don't want. Why can't I just have the device with full functionality that the OS provides? Why does Verizon and at&t feel that they need to nickel and dime me? Rooting/Jail-breaking is the response, but why must it be that way? These companies are not going to change unless there's a major P/R backlash or something miraculous happens and they actually try to compete for a change. | |
| | | | Re: This is exactly what I don't want. said by duranr:Why can't I just have the device with full functionality that the OS provides? Why does Verizon and at&t feel that they need to nickel and dime me? Because they are subsidizing your phone and allowing you the privilege of using their networks...
--
.:|:. Go Wheatley or Go Home! | |
| | | |
dak70
join:2007-05-01
Warminster, PA | No tether makes no sense Obviously, we all know the Droid1 (D1) can do wired and wireless tethering. I use Pdanet all the time and it works perfectly. If the intention is to up sell people to the DI, D2, or DX, the D1 is already manufacture discontinued. Customers cannot get the D1 even if they want it. Since all D1 users have had the phone for less than 12 months most people cannot get discounted upgrades. This move just shits on D1 early adopters and forces them to root their phones or use pdanet instead of paying VZW for wifi tethering. | |
| | | | Re: No tether makes no sense Glad I got my Nexus One before they quit selling them in the states. | |
| | |  Lark3poPremium
join:2003-08-05
Madison, AL
·Knology
| Re: No tether makes no sense said by JonBoySC:Glad I got my Nexus One before they quit selling them in the states. ^^^This^^^ | |
|
| | | yeah i use Pdanet on my HTC Aria with no problems at all...of course at&t blocks you from d/l Pdanet and other apps for tethering on the market ...but you can get around that by enabling airplane mode on your phone(which kills all cellular and data connections) then turning your wifi back on and then search the market...get the apps that are blocked installed and then switch off airplane mode...easy as that | |
|
a2
@comcast.net | tethering? so the new 2.2 update will cut tethering completely even if you already have the app?? or there just not offering it as part of the update? | |
| | | Quoted for Truth Can I quote her if they want to charge me for overages when I tether my phone? | |
| | dak70
join:2007-05-01
Warminster, PA | Re: Quoted for Truth Brilliant...Can't claim the device won't tether then charge you for tethering. | |
| | | | | Re: Quoted for Truth they don't, they just charge when you go over your data limit!
Thank goodness Sprint still has true unlimited plans. | |
|
| | Be Happy.... this crippling is ONLY at the software level and not the hardware level like Verizon has done in the past. Anyone remember Verizon's "version" of the HTC Touch Pro 1? | |
| | | | Re: Be Happy.... No, but I remember my XV6800 having a perfectly working GPS, that was not working in any GPS program except Verizon's VZNavigator.  | |
| | |  KonceptzIntel
join:2001-12-22
Chesterfield, VA | Re: Be Happy.... damn so as it stands, who offers the droid with the least functionality removed? Sprint? | |
| | | | jca2050Premium
join:2002-02-04
Hacienda Heights, CA
1 edit | Re: Be Happy.... The Motorola Droid is the most accessible as far as modding/tweaking/accessibility goes. There are a ton of custom roms that offer just about unlimited functionality. Rooting and installing custom roms is very easy too. | |
|
bnceo
join:2007-10-11
Bel Air, MD | Konami Code > Droid and all ROMS Once again, those who continue on the iPhone bandwagon or it's competitor at Android still put up with companies locking down phones.
So while you continue to make demands, complaints, and articles on such, we over at WebOS will continue to just type in the Konami code and get a welcomed (by Palm and HP themselves) introduction into the land of homebrew and patching.
Yeah, Mobile HotSpot has been on Verizon and free for a while now on Palm phones. So let me point and laugh at all the suckers. =D | |
| | DrGunn
join:2010-07-16
San Diego, CA | Re: Konami Code > Droid and all ROMS Well, having dealt with ATT and their crippling of Symbian phones in the past, I finally learned to buy the device direct. Yeah, you don't get the carrier subsidy, but you also don't get a crippled phone.
I just bought my Nexus One direct from Google so ATT couldn't get their grubby paws on it. No restrictions here! | |
|
| | vznavigator They now have vznavagator for android how long before we can't use google maps and google navagation. | |
|  TCubPremium
join:2008-09-03
Olmsted Falls, OH
kudos:4 | FroYo on DROID has USB Tethering... FYI, The official update which came out today, has USB Tethering.. No Root.. DROID.. on VZW.. Straight from Google. | |
| |
See 6 replies to this post | |
| | Not surprising... Both verizon and AT&T have a long history of doing whatever they can get away with to reduce phone functionality. Sometimes I'm surprised that they even allow smart phones on their networks in the first place. | |
| bobny1
join:2004-09-10
Bronx, NY | Ok!! Any word on Froyo for incredible and x?. I can't wait!  | |
| jfmezeiPremium
join:2007-01-03
Pointe-Claire, QC
kudos:22 Reviews:
·ELECTRONICBOX
| Why no unlocked Android phones ? Apple began to sell unlocked iphones in Canada. (and has always done so in some countries where lockinfg phones is illegal).
I find it rather odd that the Android ecosystem has not resulted in widely available unlocked (as in "never locked") handsets. Thsi is the very thing Google had been hoping for.
Note that even the unlocked Iphone is still very restrictted in what it can do as far as telephony is concerned. You can't view/change your APN settings for instance. | |
| | | Droid STILL "Does" Just got the 2.2 update from »androidforums.com/motorola-droid···oid.html about 30 minutes ago and can confirm that tethering is indeed available on my Droid. Tested with PDANet with my netbook and all functions normal.
Go to Settings > Wireless & Networks > Tethering.
Also, I can now move certain apps from phone storage to SD card storage by going to Settings > Applications > Manage Applications and tapping the app. If available, it will give you a button that says "Move to SD card". I don't know if it was available before, but I am glad I found that one.
Bone stock, no root. | |
| |  RoboticsSee You On The Dark SidePremium
join:2003-10-23
Louisa, VA | Re: Droid STILL "Does" How can you still tether when the OS clearly blocks it? | |
| | | | | Re: Droid STILL "Does" Because in this update, the OS doesn't block it. This is a version of the update that predates Verizon's crippling of the OS. | |
|
Phatty
join:2000-05-10
Valley Park, MO
1 edit | Exaggerate Much? To say Verizon now cripples the phone seems to be a little bit of an exaggeration. Verizon has decided they want to Charge for tethering so its no surprise they want to disable the free/built in support. Its a business decision, now hopefully they can avoid locking things done, or bundling to much junk like AT&T does. | |
| | Reviews:
·Frontier Communi..
·Verizon Online DSL
2 edits | Re: Exagerate Much? I honestly don't see what the big deal is as long as it's possible to easily hack around these restrictions.
For the longest time Verizon locked down their non-smartphones so you couldn't load ringtones and wallpaper without going through their marketplace. Those of us with Motorola phones knew how to hack around these restrictions though. It was as easy as downloading the appropriate software and uploading your wallpaper/ringtones to the phone. It was always the first thing I did when I got a new device.
I ordered a Droid-X. I'll be rooting it so I don't have to pay them extra for the privilege of tethering. From all accounts they don't care if you do this as long as you aren't doing anything really obnoxious (running p2p over the tethered link....), so what's the big deal? | |
| | | | Exaduration is Karl's MO.
There could be valid technical reasons for this.... CPU, heat, battery life, etc. Just because some 3rd party makes it possible doesn't mean there is not a risk or some reason Motorola and/or Verizon won't warranty that combination.
Sheesh people, not everything is a conspiracy. | |
|
| | You can still get the official update with tethering... Someone discovered the update sitting on Google's servers in a version predating the Verizon cripple. It's the official update that will be pushed out OTA this week, except with tethering/mi-fi enabled.
You don't need to have rooted: this update works if your droid is stock, because it's the real, official update. I did it myself last night, and it works just fine.
Go here for download and instructions: »androidforums.com/motorola-droid···oid.html | |
|
| |
|
|
