The next Verizon One 'net device
Verizon's taking another shot at the "is it a phone, or is it an information appliance?" market, showing its totally redesigned Verizon One this week. Like its predecessor, the device sorta defies any categorization -- but very much unlike its predecessor, this is one piece of kit we wouldn't much mind setting on our nightstands, coffee tables, or kitchen counters. The units being shown at CES are pre-production, though still very functional with artwork brought in from The Museum of Modern Art, traffic reports, weather, and other glanceable miscellany on its crisp, bright touchscreen, while the handset itself is a squared-off cordless type (no dual-mode here). Media can be brought over from PCs and Verizon's set-top boxes, though placeshifting television to the One will not initially be supported. Verizon will be marketing these bad boys primarily to its FiOS customers, but they've specifically said there's no reason they couldn't be used in any networked environment and they could very well be sold outside the FiOS areas with an additional monthly fee for service. Click on for a few more shots of this glorified desk phone doing what it does best.
