SUPER BOWL TO BE STREAMED LIVE ON VERIZON WIRELESS

The NFL and NBC will stream Superbowl XLVI live online and to mobile devices for the first time ever in February. Unfortunately, the broadcast won’t be available to all mobile users; Verizon Wireless will be the exclusive mobile partner and subscribers can watch the game live provided they have a supported phone with NFL Mobile installed. Viewers can also stream the Pro Bowl and Wild Card Saturday using NBC or the NFL’s website, or Verizon’s mobile application. The Associated Press said that streaming viewers will be treated to live stats, highlights from the game and additional camera angles. Superbowl XLVI kicks off on February 5th in Indianapolis.

VERIZON WIRELESS USERS REPORTING DATA OUTAGES

If you're having trouble getting a data connection on your Verizon-branded handset this morning, you're not alone. Based on Verizon's @vzwsupport Twitter feed and forums, it looks as if both 3G and 4G networks have been affected, although the 3G service appears to be working now. This is the third data outage for Verizon in a month, mostly affecting their 4G LTE deployment.

RUMOR: VERIZON TO BUY NETFLIX

Netflix's share price has soared on a rumor that Verizon is in talks with the video company to acquire them. DealReporter is making the claim and is backing it up with some circumstantial evidence.

Last week, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam said that his company wants to offer video streaming, and had even looked at Hulu when it was on the block. He declined to comment on reports Verizon is preparing to team up with Coinstar’s Redbox.

VERIZON AND REDBOX TEAM UP FOR STREAMING SERVICE

On Wednesday we reported on a story that suggested Verizon may be planning to challenge Netflix by launching its own video streaming service. Now, it appears the communications giant is secretly working with RedBox, the popular $1.00 video rental kiosk company, on a streaming service that could launch next year. According to TechCrunch, the plan is currently called “Project Zoetrope” and it will allow users to subscribe, download and stream movies and television shows across a variety of platforms including Roku, web browsers, Xbox, Google TV, Android and iOS.

Like competing services such as Vudu, both HD and SD resolutions will be available for rental. TechCrunch said pricing will be based on a monthly credit allotment. A user, for example, might buy 10 credits for $9.95 per month, which would allow him or her to stream a certain number of shows or movies. Apple, Amazon, Google, Netflix, Vudu and others are already members of the crowded digital movie rental space, so Verizon and RedBox will certainly face stiff competition if they’re looking to enter this market.

VERIZON TO LAUNCH FAMILY SHARE DATA PLANS NEXT YEAR

Speaking during a recent UBS conference in New York City, Verizon Communications CEO Lowell McAdam said that Verizon Wireless may rollout shared data plans next year. Currently, a family of five must have a different data plan for each member of the household; however, the new plans could potentially allow all five family members to share a pool of data, much like a family would share voice minutes. The same benefits could apply to a single customer who has separate data plans for a tablet, a smartphone and a USB modem. “I think in 2012 we will see it,” McAdam said. “We have been working on this for a couple of years. Getting to one bill and getting to account-level pricing is our goal.”

VERIZON 4G NETWORK DOWN IN SOME AREAS

If your Droid or other Verizon 4G LTE-yoked cell, dongle or MiFi isn't pulling down any high speed data then don't worry, at least you're in good company. Judging by reports cropping up all over the internet, the current Verizon outage on its fastest data connection is quite widespread. The company's official statement indicates engineers are currently trying to resolve the issue which cropped up in the last 24 hours, and reminds users the company's voice services and 3G network are still working fine, if you can call downloads maxing out at just a couple of megabits per second working.

A similar outage popped up back in April, and while there's no word on what exactly is behind the issue, we hope this one is resolved even more quickly. Until then, keep an eye on the @VZWSupport Twitter account for updates while we try to keep from letting this collapse of modern technology drag us all the way back into the dark ages of 1xRTT.

VERIZON TAKING ON NETFLIX

According to Reuters, Verizon is getting ready to enter the streaming media market. Reports are that the company is in talks with programming partners to provide content for a Netflix-like video service that it could offer to customers not currently covered by its high-speed FiOS network. Obviously, details are scant, and there's no telling when it might actually launch, but you can bet its competitors will be watching closely

AT&T RANKS WORST CARRIER IN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION FOR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR

AT&T has again received the lowest rating in Consumer Reports’ annual wireless carrier customer satisfaction survey. Verizon Wireless won the top spot and its customers were most satisfied with its data service and staff knowledge. Verizon was followed by Sprint and T-Mobile USA. “Our survey indicates that subscribers to prepaid and smaller standard-service providers are happiest overall with their cell-phone service,” Consumer Reports electronics editor Paul Reynolds said. “However, these carriers aren’t for everyone. Some are only regional, and prepaid carriers tend to offer few or no smart phones. The major carriers are still leading options for many consumers, and we found they ranged widely in how well they satisfied their customers.” Consumer Reports surveyed 66,000 of its subscribers and included standard and no-contract wireless customers across 22 metropolitan areas.

VERIZON BLOCKS GOOGLE WALLET ON UPCOMING GALAXY NEXUS

Despite the Galaxy Nexus’s NFC chip, Verizon is blocking the Google Wallet payment system from the handset.

Verizon is shutting it out because of — you guessed it — money. The carrier is an invested partner in Isis, a competing mobile payment system. As is so often the case when software makers, hardware makers, and wireless providers collide, the wireless providers are having the last say.

If this is enough to make you hold out for an unconfirmed AT&T or T-Mobile Galaxy Nexus, think again. Those two carriers are partnering with Verizon on the Isis system. The only US holdout is Sprint, who also happens to offer the only official support for Google Wallet with their Nexus S 4G.

CARRIER IQ SOFTWARE TRACKING AND LOGGING CELL PHONE USERS ACTIVITIES

Carrier IQ provides telemetry to cellular carriers and manufacturers, and according to the company itself, its software is preinstalled on over 141 million phones. Now, a security researcher, Trevor Eckhart, claims that the same software is monitoring every single key you press on your smartphone, reading your SMS, and logging much of the personal data you transmit, too — all with an app that you can't remove.

Eckhart accused the company's software of monitoring vast swathes of user personal data and phoning home to the likes of Verizon, Sprint, Samsung, HTC, Nokia, and more, has posted alleged video evidence of his claims on YouTube. Originally, Carrier IQ sent Eckhart a cease-and-desist letter, then withdrew and apologized for the threat, all the while representing that the service it provides cell phone manufacturers and carriers did not "record your keystrokes" or "inspect or report on the content of your communications, such as the content of emails and SMSs."

Contrary to what Carrier IQ states, Eckhart has posted a video of the software doing just that on a HTC EVO 3D phone. Eckhart's video allegedly shows Carrier IQ's software reading incoming SMS messages even before the phone displays them to you, querying supposedly encrypted HTTPS strings, and logging keypresses, all using an application that the user cannot opt-out of, stop, or remove. The video does not show if the data is transmitted or not however.

So far Verizon and Nokia have denied the software exists on their phones and while the software can be found in Apple's iOS, it appears it is only active in debugging mode. [Verge]

VERIZON COLLECTING INFO FOR TARGETED ADS; ALLOWS FOR OPT-OUT

Verizon still wants to collect your personal information, but it'll understand if you decide to opt out. Really, it's cool. No hard feelings. The provider said as much yesterday, in an e-mail titled "Important notice about how Verizon Wireless uses information." The missive, sent to all VZW customers, essentially lays out the company's revamped privacy policy, originally unveiled last month. Under the new framework, Verizon will be able to monitor your browsing history, location, app usage, and demographic data, all in the name of targeted advertising and vaguely-titled "business and marketing reports." The good news is that you can always opt out of the scheme, either by phone or online.

BUG REPORTED IN iOS 5.0.1, BATTERY ISSUE ALSO NOT RESOLVED

A bug that affects the contact list on Apple's iPhone 4S has been discovered after applying the iOS 5.0.1 OTA update. According to users the contact list is fine, however when receiving a call or a text the name does not appear. This might be confined to those on the Verizon network and doing the following procedure has been shown to fix this issue.

1) Open the Phone and dial *228. This is a Verizon over-the-air programming number.
2) When the system answer press 1 for “Program or activate your phone”
3) Wait for the call to disconnect. You should get a prompt stating something like, “Settings updated.”
4) Open the Task Manager (double click the home button) and kill the Phone, Message, and Contacts Applications
5) Wait a few minutes (I waited 3 just to be extra safe)
6) Open the Message App to verify the fix.

Also, a number of users are reporting the 5.0.1 update has not fixed their battery drain issue and in some cases it has made it worse. The 5.0.1 update was specifically deployed to correct the battery issue, however for some users that does not seem to be the case.

VERIZON DOUBLING 4G ALLOTMENT.....FOR A LIMITED TIME

Verizon Wireless will soon offer a promotion that provides its 4G LTE customers with twice the amount of data for the same monthly price. The special will kick off on November 11th at 11:11 a.m. EST to coincide with the Motorola DROID RAZR launch. The promotion works just how it sounds: if you currently pay for 2GB of data per month, you’ll receive 4GB for the same price. If you subscribe to a 5GB monthly plan, you’ll receive 10GB for the same price. Reportedly, existing customers will be able to add the option to their account by contacting customer service or by logging into their My Verizon account on Verizon’s website. Verizon did not say how long the promotion will last.

VERIZON LAUNCHES LTE 4G IN 22 MORE MARKETS

Verizon Wireless continues its march towards LTE dominance with the announcement it has lit up 22 more markets. The markets include Birmingham, Alabama; Modesto and Stockton, California; Fort Myers, Florida; South Bend, Mishawaka, Granger, Elkhart and Goshen, Indiana; Sioux City, Iowa; Hagerstown, Maryland; Tupelo, Mississippi; Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico; Buffalo, New York; Asheville, North Carolina; Bartlesville, Oklahoma; Jackson and Martin, Tennessee; Greater Hampton Roads and Richmond, Virginia and Green Bay, Wisconsin.

In addition Verizon is expanding its LTE footprint in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington D.C. and Erie, PA. On November 17th, Verizon Wireless will deploy 4G LTE in Little Rock, Arkansas; Savannah, Georgia; Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, Iowa; Lexington, Kentucky; Kansas City and Springfield, Missouri; Lincoln, Nebraska; Orange County, New York; Greater Providence; Rapid City, South Dakota; Roanoke, Virginia; and Appleton, Wisconsin. It will also expand the exiting footprints in in Louisville, Kentucky; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Nashville, Tennessee

VERIZON TWEAKS PRIVACY POLICY, STARTS SHARING LOCATION AND OTHER GOODIES WITH ADVERTISERS

Verizon Wireless began alerting its customers of changes to its official privacy policy on Friday. The carrier confirmed it will now use information for “private business and marketing reports” and “making mobile ads more relevant.” Verizon Wireless will share the URL of websites you visit, the location of your device, as well as app and device feature usage. It will also share information on data and calling features and your demographic so that it, and outside firms, can create reports and target ads more efficiently.

Verizon did say, however, that it will not share any information that will identify its customers personally. “Protecting data and safeguarding privacy are high priorities at Verizon,” the company said in a statement to BGR. Instead, the information will be used to generate reports that may, for example, state that 5,000 of its customers visited ESPN during any given month and 89% were men.

“A local restaurant may want to advertise only to people who live within 10 miles, and we might help deliver that ad on a website without sharing information that identifies you personally,” Verizon Wireless explained in the notice.

If you are worried by the changes, you can stop Verizon Wireless from collecting your personal information by visiting http://www.vzw.com/myprivacy.

VERIZON APPEALS NET NEUTRALITY RULES

It only took three days, longer than we thought it would, for Verizon to file a lawsuit to appeal the FCC's recently released net neutrality rules. Verizon had to wait until the rules were published in the Federal Register, which happened on September 23rd. Michael E. Glover, Verizon senior vice president and deputy general counsel, assures netizens that the company is "fully committed to an open Internet," it none-the-less takes issue with the FCC's attempt to institute new "broad" and "sweeping" regulations on the telecommunications industry.

This will probably not be the last lawsuit to suspend and repeal the new rules. Sprint and AT&T's lawyers we are sure are sharpening their legal claws to get into the fight.

VERIZON CEO STICKS UP FOR AT&T'S ACQUISITION OF T-MOBILE

Verizon Communications chief executive Lowell McAdam has gone on record in suggesting that the company’s biggest rival, AT&T, should be allowed to complete its proposed $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA. “That match had to occur,” McAdam said at an investor conference on Wednesday, warning that the government has no choice but to allow such mergers unless it can focus on getting telcos the increased spectrum they need to operate. He continued, “We need to be very thoughtful on what the impacts would be to the overall industry if this is a way to regulate the industry without actually passing regulation.” Read on for more.

“I have taken the position that the AT&T merger with T-Mobile was kind of like gravity,” McAdam told investors. “It had to occur, because you had a company with a T-Mobile that had the spectrum but didn’t have the capital to build it out. AT&T needed the spectrum, they didn’t have it in order to take care of their customers, and so that match had to occur.” The CEO continued, noting that he has told the Federal Communications Commission and other government officials that blocking AT&T’s acquisition of T-Mobile without providing a solution to the current spectrum crunch will ultimately harm American consumers.

GAMESTOP STARTS iOS TRADE-IN PROGRAM, MIGHT SELL iPHONE 5

GameStop is hopping on the mobile bandwagon. The company announced it will begin selling iPhones, iPods, and iPads as well as offer a trade-in program for those old iOS devices you want to upgrade. Starting this week, GameStop stores will start taking your old iOS devices for in-store credit.

The game selling store will be up against some fierce competition in the trade-in program department. Over the past few years companies such as Verizon, Amazon, Best Buy and Barnes & Noble have all created such programs with varying degrees of success.

FEDERAL JUDGE DENIES CLASS ACTION STATUS OF VERIZON LAWSUIT

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia has ruled that Verizon customers who take issue with “fraudulent” cell phone charges must arbitrate individually with the carrier instead of filing a class-action lawsuit in court, Reuters recently reported. A group of current and former Verizon Wireless customers originally filed a class-action lawsuit arguing that it was “unconscionable” for Verizon Wireless to require customers to arbitrate any unfair charges in their contracts. According to Reuters, arbitration can often be viewed as favorable for a large company because it can be more expensive for consumers to file charges in courts individually instead of as a group.

VERIZON INTRODUCES GOPAYMENT CREDIT CARD READER FOR TABLETS AND PHONES

In partnership with Intuit, Verizon Wireless introduced a mobile payment solution for small and medium businesses called GoPayment. The service will provide customers with a small credit card reader and a mobile application that allows businesses to charge credit cards using a smartphone or tablet. Here’s how it works: a business simply needs to plug the card reader into the 3.5mm audio jack of a tablet or smartphone. Cards can then be swiped and payments are processed immediately. Verizon Wireless says the credit card reader and application are supported on Android, iOS and BlackBerry. The GoPayment credit card reader is free with a GoPayment account and after a $29.97 mail-in rebate. Intuit takes a 2.7% cut of swiped transactions on free GoPayment accounts but customers who sign up for a $12.95 monthly option can pay a lower 1.7% per-transaction rate.