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Uber Eats launches new nationwide shipping service
Uber Eats has launched a new nationwide US shipping service that lets you order products from several cities, widely expanding your range of dining choices.
Dish buys prepaid carrier Boost Mobile for $1.4 billion
Dish enters the retail wireless market with the $1.4 billion acquisition of Boost Mobile.
Medicare expands US telehealth coverage in response to COVID-19
In an effort to keep seniors at home during the coronavirus outbreak, Medicare is expanding coverage for telehealth nationwide. Medicare patients can now connect with doctors and other providers through phone or video. This should allow millions of older adults to seek medical advice without potentially exposing themselves or others to the virus.
Ford hopes you'll trade some privacy for discounted car insurance
Ford thinks it has a way to make car insurance more appealing: taking advantage of the data available from connected cars. It's teaming up with Nationwide to introduce its own take on usage-based insurance. If you have one of several 2020 Ford or Lincoln models (like the Mustang you see above), you can sign up for a policy that uses the vehicle's built-in modem to track your driving habits and adjust your rates accordingly with each renewal. The technology tracks distance, your aggressiveness with pedals, idle time and night driving. You'll get a better deal if you're a gentle commuter than a foot-to-the-floor enthusiast, in other words.
T-Mobile's 5G network goes live ahead of schedule
Last month, T-Mobile promised its 5G network would go live in 5,000 cities and towns on December 6th -- if its merger with Sprint went through. That deal is not yet final, but today, a few days ahead of schedule, T-Mobile says it's launching its nationwide 5G network. The catch is that, for now, T-Mobile is offering 600 MHz "low-band" 5G.
GM expands car rental service for gig economy workers
With Uber's money-losing car lease program apparently ending, GM is rushing in to fill the void with Maven Gig. The automaker announced that it's expanding from its current San Diego and San Francisco locations to other cities across the US. Starting today, you'll be able to rent vehicles like the Chevy Bolt EV and Cruze in Los Angeles, and by fall of 2017, grab one in Boston, Phoenix and Washington, DC. Baltimore and Detroit will follow soon after.
Toyota, GM and Lyft want nationwide rules for self-driving cars
Automakers Toyota and GM and ride-sharing firm Lyft called on the US government to create US-wide standards to ease the testing and adoption of autonomous cars. The problem, they say, is that rules vary widely across the country are more restrictive in some states (like California) than others (Michigan). "Self-driving cars won't drive while impaired by drugs or alcohol [and] they won't be distracted by a cell phone," GM VP Michael Abelson told a subcommittee on Tuesday. "We have the further opportunity to avoid crashes altogether."
The 10 most-tweeted commercials from Super Bowl XLIX
It was a great night for Rob Gronkowski and the New England Patriots, but it wasn't so good for our friend Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks. It also was a great night for brands trying to hold your attention for seconds with ads to get you talking on Twitter. From the usual highbrow suspects selling soda and beer, to toe fungus medication and superglue, here's our take on the most-talked about spots from last night's big game.
Dish Network's nationwide satellite broadband service could be ready to launch soon
While the various strands of Dish Network's "Seinfeld strategy" have yet to come together officially, Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal are reporting it could be ready launch satellite-based high speed data services nationally as soon as September or October. This would be separate from the service based on ViaSat's Exede that's available in some areas, and Bloomberg's sources say it could accommodate up to 2 million customers right away through a satellite Echostar launched in June, although more satellites may be needed to add more customers. Other than hooking up data connections for customers in rural areas, it would let Dish compete directly with data / TV bundles offered by wired pay-TV providers. Of course, this is all dependent on a favorable ruling by the FCC on its technology -- you can just ask LightSquared what happens if that doesn't work out.
AT&T and Verizon are the same bag of 3G hurt for iPhone owners, says T-Mobile (video)
Want some help with your newfound choice of iPhone carrier? Let T-Mobile break it down for you in an entirely unbiased and dispassionate fashion. The pink carrier's latest hit piece commercial highlights the fact that, whether on Verizon or AT&T, the iPhone only has recourse to 3G connectivity, painting the two carriers as a pair of grey suits distinguishable only by the color of their ties. It's a cute way to promote your own 4G network, sure, but it conveniently disregards the fact that Verizon's enriching its LTE (Lightning! Thunder! Electric!) network with some true superphones while AT&T is similarly committed to a 2011 LTE rollout. So, really, the only thing under critique here is Apple's rapidly aging 3G wonder. Skip the break to see the video ad.
Verizon 3G network goes down nationwide, everybody panic! (update: back up for some)
Is your Droid not finding its way to the internet mothership? Don't worry, it's not your hardware, it's your carrier's wireless connection -- or the lack thereof, to be more precise. We've heard from a bunch of folks this morning that Verizon's 3G network is experiencing a slight bout of disconnectedness, causing a great deal of grief and discombobulation around the country. Just sit tight, we're sure engineers are engineering solutions as we type this, and will update you as soon as things have been rectified. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Update: Some parts of the country are reporting their 3G service has been restored, though it's not yet certain that all troubles have been ironed out. Our own Droids seem to be working fine now, how about yours?
MetroPCS' new Metro USA service features nationwide coverage, LTE comes to Philly and LA
MetroPCS' march toward a full LTE overlay continues today on news that it's expanding its nascent (and still tiny) next-gen network to Philadelphia and Los Angeles, two huge markets that should do a good job of stress testing what the network is capable of. As with its existing LTE markets, the only device available is the Samsung Craft, a landscape QWERTY slider dumbphone that offers access to the carrier's video-on-demand library on a 3.3-inch AMOLED display for $299 (no contract, mind you) after a $50 rebate. The move brings MetroPCS' launch total to five markets, with plans to expand to another nine in the coming months. On a related note, the carrier has also introduced its so-called Metro USA service, essentially a brand name for nationwide coverage -- MetroPCS claims over 90 percent of the population, which ain't bad. Though it won't go into details, they're saying that the coverage has been reached through a combination of "both network expansion and roaming agreements" and that customers can expect a mix of 1xRTT and EV-DO (2G and 3G data, that is) as they move around. Follow the break for both press releases.
Clearwire ships Spot 4G and Spot 4G+ WiMAX portable hotspots
It's not like you couldn't snag an Overdrive from Sprint or an IntelliGo from Time Warner Cable, but if you're dead-set on nabbing your WiMAX gear directly from Clearwire, we've good splendiferous news to share. The 4G-only Spot 4G and 3G / 4G Spot 4G+ (which is just a rebadged Overdrive, shown here) were up for pre-order prior to today, but now both are available in-store and online nationwide. In case the prices have slipped your mind, the Spot 4G will run you $99.99 (or $4.99 per month on a lease) with service plans starting at $40/month, while the Spot 4G+ goes for $224.99 (or $5.99 per month on a lease) with service plans starting at $55/month. Surf on, surfers.
T-Mobile brings $50 unlimited voice plan to rest of America
Well, that "trial" didn't last long at all, now did it? Just days after teeing up a $50 unlimited voice plan in the great city of San Francisco, T-Mobile USA has reportedly taken said plan nationwide. Users are already buzzing about the widespread availability, though it should be noted that the same "loyalty requirements" from the San Fran pilot are still in effect for the rest of the nation. In other words, you have to have been a T-Mob subscriber for at least 22 months and have been in good standing the whole time. Oh, and being cute probably helps.
Is T-Mobile's 3G service rolling out nationwide in October?
According to the overactive internet rumor party line, T-Mobile is planning to take its currently limited 3G service nationwide come October. TmoNews claims -- thanks to an anonymous tipster, of course -- that on October 1st, the telco will bring speedy service to 27 of its top markets, including Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, and Miami, amongst others. Of course, right now this is pure speculation and hearsay, until we get confirmation from T-Mobile (or at least some hard evidence), we'll just have to keep our fingers and toes crossed.[Via Boy Genius Report]
Insurers starting to reimburse for digital content
One of the main problems with the gradual transfer of content from physical media (CDs, DVDs, books) over to digital media (MP3s, movie downloads, e-books) is that when something happens to the devices storing your swag, you're basically out of luck -- most insurance companies will tell you to go take a hike. Well that's all about to change, according to a recent article in British newspaper The Independent, as insurers like Nationwide will now reimburse you for digital content stored on stolen or destroyed electronics as long as you can provide proof of purchase. Nationwide's even got your back for such seemingly trivial fare as games and ringtones downloaded to your cellphone, though its policies specifically state that if you lose your digital goods due to a wiped hard drive / memory card that's your own damn fault, and there'll be no reimbursement for you. Unfortunately some insurance companies -- like the cheapskates at esure -- seem dead set against the idea, claiming that owners of a stolen iPod still have the tracks on their PC and don't deserve digital coverage; well, while that may be true in cases of theft, esure's stance isn't very helpful for the unlucky individual whose house just burned down and whose DAPs and computers have all melted into the floorboards.[Via Techdirt]
Nationwide to insure music on your iPod
Like many of you, I'm sure, I've got a lot of music in my iTunes library and on my iPod. To lose it all would certainly be a bummer for me. A hard drive failure is one thing, but theft of my iPod and/or computer is another. This is where Nationwide Insurance is looking to step in.While it's been easy to list things like records, CDs, tapes and even iPods themselves lost to theft on an insurance claim, the same hasn't been true of your digital purchases. Now, Nationwide is going to offer coverage for your iPod as well as the "...intangible assets" that live on its hard drive (or flash, as it were). From the article:"Nationwide's cover is for any download - ringtones, games, films or music - wherever it is held, be that a phone, PC, laptop or music player. The important point is that the owner will have to prove they have paid for the download."Proving that you made the purchase via iTunes may be difficult, unless you've been saving those receipt emails all along. Still, it's nice to see a company recognizing the value of those "intangible assets."[Via MacDailyNews]
