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Verizon to phase out grandfathered unlimited data plan

Verizon wireless customers on the carrier's $30 per month unlimited data plan will eventually have to leave the grandfathered plan behind.

Fierce Wireless reports Verizon CFO Fran Shammo said users on the 3G unlimited data plan will have to purchase the company's data-share plan as they migrate to 4G LTE devices. "Everyone will be on data-share," Shammo said.

No pricing details for the data sharing plan have been released, but it is expected to launch this summer.

Most carriers have had to backpedal on unlimited data plans amid the mobile device boom that brought a surge of wireless data subscribers, and fast-paced mobile technology with an increasing appetite for bandwidth.

New iPhone to get bigger screen reports WSJ

Rumors of an iPhone with a larger screen are nothing new, but a recent report from the Wall Street Journal says to expect it this year.

The WSJ cites multiple unnamed sources in its report saying that Apple will release an iPhone featuring a display measuring "at least 4-inches diagonally."

Other reports have said the screen size will remain at 3.5-inches. Apple could and likely will continue to offer a 3.5-inch version. The smaller size is popular with many who find larger phones too much too handle.

On the other hand, many users have flocked to larger Android smartphones where 4-inches plus screens are fairly standard, and flagship-phone displays approach 5-inches.

Can screen-size alone cut into the Android market share?

43 percent of teens text while driving, 41 percent report parents do also

A survey conducted as part of AT&T's It Can Wait campaign revealed that most teens consider texting while driving to be very dangerous, but do it anyway. So do their parents.

Study ranks Raleigh's wireless carriers

Independent mobile testing firm Root Metrics conducted thousands of data, call and text tests throughout the Raleigh area to see which wireless network provided the fastest and most reliable data network, fewest dropped calls and fastest text message delivery.

Harris Teeter launches new version of mobile shopping app

Harris Teeter launched a new version of its mobile shopping app this week.

Similar to the old version, you can shop the sales circular on your smartphone to create a personalized shopping list. But you can now access your e-VIC offers and save digital coupons to your loyalty card through your phone.

The new app also allows you to scan the barcode of an item in your kitchen pantry and add it to your shopping list, transfer or renew a prescription and create your own personal list of favorites that you buy on a regular basis.

Who's winning the 4G network battle, really?

Earlier this week PCWorld gave the edge to AT&T's wireless network as the fastest overall among the big four carriers. But is it the best? Another recent test gives the nod to Verizon.

Which wireless carriers are fastest?

Wireless carriers make much ado over their network speeds. But which among AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon is the fastest?  The big four networks were tested by PCWorld a year since their last wireless shootout. In the 2011 test, Verizon's LTE network and T-Mobile's HSPA+ were top performers, but the wireless landscape has changed.

If you haven't yet, check out Draw Something

Maybe you're still obsessed with Words With Friends or Angry Birds. It's time to give something new a try. Draw Something recently topped both iOS and Android App downloads.

With similarities to Pictionary, its developers call it a social drawing game that you can play cooperatively or competitively with others.

If you or someone you know uses a mobile device primarily for solitaire, Draw Something may help.
 

Not too late to go from Valentine's zero to hero via mobile

A few of you have waited until the last minute for some of your Valentine's Day details. You are not alone, but thanks to technology you can still manage to sweeten the day.

Maybe they're being subjected to cruelty by PowerPoint, or on their way to get a shot of caffeine between tasks, but it seems many are plotting their Valentine's Day agenda on the go.

Be it a reservation or a bouquet, the Internet can transform you from a clueless zero to a romantic hero - especially via a mobile device.

Renea Nelson, owner of Every Bloomin' Thing in Cary, says she noticed a surge in online sales starting about 18 months ago which mirrors the intensifying growth in smartphone and tablet market.

It is not just the hardware evolution that accounts for the growth. Apps, sophisticated interfaces like Siri, and local search results optimized with location details and extras like Google's click to call.

Click to call is Google's mobile-specific ad that lets a user simply click the number to call a business.

When asked to "order flowers" Siri responded, "for me?" Well even though they weren't, Siri provided nearly 20 local options within a 3-mile radius. It's that easy.

One tip that Nelson urges is for consumers to keep it local by ordering directly through a seller near you rather than a national service. Ordering by phone or online directly with a local florist just might save you money and get you better service. An an ordering experiment by The Consumer Warning Network verifies this.

Siri in 'Hot Wild Girls'

Siri makes an appearance in one of the video finalists for Doritos' Crash The Super Bowl contest. Contestants create and submit their Doritos video ads for a chance to air during the Super Bowl halftime.

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