Mashable: Latest 7 News Updates - including “Why the Verizon iPhone Doesn’t Spell Disaster for AT&T”

Earlier this week, Verizon announced a press event next Tuesday in New York City. All signs indicate that Verizon will introduce the iPhone on its network and launch it in the next few weeks. At this point, nobody should be surprised: it’s Apple’s worst-kept secret.

Since the news broke about Verizon’s event, there has been no shortage of media reports about the potential negative impact of the Verizon iPhone on AT&T. Some of it has devolved into (justifiable) AT&T bashing, and some predict that it’ll be a major or even mortal blow to the nation’s second largest network.

Let’s take a step back and keep some objective perspective, though. While the Verizon iPhone will have a negative impact on AT&T, it’s not going to break AT&T’s back. The network has been preparing itself for the loss of its iPhone exclusivity contract for a long time. It’s ready to do battle with Verizon.

Huge Switching Fees

While a group of early adopters are likely to burn their contracts and switch to Verizon on day one, the vast majority of people will not. The reason is that the switching costs are simply too high.

AT&T made a smart business decision last year: they bumped up the iPhone’s early termination fee. If consumers want to switch, the first fee they will have to pay is the ETF, giving AT&T even more money to pad its profits.

The second fee is the cost of the Verizon iPhone. The AT&T iPhone 4 is based on UMTS 3G technology, while the Verizon iPhone will be based on Verizon’s CDMA 3G tech. The result is that consumers will have to buy a new iPhone and a new contract. While they can sell their AT&T iPhones, it won’t offset the cost of a new contract and it definitely won’t offset the cost of that early termination fee.

While some consumers can afford to switch, the vast majority don’t have that kind of money and are on family plans that they won’t abandon immediately.

There is at least one more switching fee for AT&T users who want to jump to Verizon: the switch from UMTS to CDMA. UMTS is a more prevalent 3G standard for a simple reason: it’s a better technology. AT&T actually does have the fastest 3G network in the U.S. and it does have the advantage of being able to send and receive data and voice at the same time, while the Verizon iPhone will not be able to do data while on a phone call.

We May Hate AT&T, but It Has a Response Plan

Of course, people will rightly point out that a faster 3G network means nothing if you can’t even connect to 3G in the first place.

Verizon has a lot of advantages over AT&T. It has the largest 3G network coverage in the U.S. More importantly, it doesn’t have the distinction of being the nation’s most despised wireless carrier. I basically gave up on my iPhone at CES in Las Vegas this week and relied on my Verizon Droid 2 instead. It’s utterly embarrassing that AT&T still has these kinds of problems over three years since the iPhone’s debut.

Oh, and the Verizon iPhone will reportedly offer unlimited data as a slap in AT&T’s face.

That’s not enough to take down AT&T though, and the carrier is ready to fight back against the Verizon iPhone threat. When the iPhone 5 rolls out sometime this summer, both networks will pull out all the stops in order to get consumers. Price cuts, heavy advertising and incentive offerings will be plentiful later this year. Verizon is going to take some AT&T customers, but it won’t get them without a fight.

At the same time, AT&T is stocking up on some powerful phones to complement the iPhone. Motorola debuted the ATRIX 4G at CES last week, a 1GHz dual-core processing beast that sports a 960×540 qHD screen, a 1,930mAH battery and a full GB of RAM. It even has a dock that lets you use your Android phone and a full version of Firefox on the same screen.

It was the best phone to debut at CES, and it is exclusive to AT&T.

The carrier will try to pull away happy Android phone users from Verizon and other networks with competitive contracts and a new line of ridiculously powerful phones. With phones like the ATRIX, Verizon won’t be having all the Android fun.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that AT&T isn’t going to be hemorrhaging users on Verizon iPhone launch day due to switching costs, and AT&T has strong profits and a strong line of phones coming to market this year that will keep it competitive, including the iPhone.

The Verizon iPhone isn’t likely to change the fate of either company. Instead, the future of both carriers will depend on the speed and strength of their 4G network rollouts. Verizon has started its 4G rollout and AT&T will begin its 4G launch later this year. AT&T’s past sins could be forgiven if it succeeds in rolling out a reliable 4G network, but failure could cement its rather poor reputation.

Yes, the Verizon iPhone will negatively impact AT&T. However, to say that it will put AT&T on the ropes is just silly. The intense battle between these two carriers is going to play out for years to come, and both have tricks up their sleeves that will continually change the rules of engagement.

More About: apple, att, iOS, iphone, iphone 4, Opinion, trending, verizon, Verizon iPhone

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Apple has played around with the form factor of the nano perhaps more than any of its other products, so there aren’t as many cases available for the 6th generation nano as there are for other Apple devices.

We set ourselves the challenge of finding some cool cases for the new nano — wrist-based and otherwise — to give you a great selection of coverings to choose from if you’re looking to protect your iPod.

Have a look below for our favorite options and let us know in the comments which ones you like. And be sure to share any others you’ve spotted that look good.

1. Scosche tightGRIP

Scosche keeps it simple with these silicone skins available in packs of three. They come in red, black and blue (pictured); or pink, purple and white.

Cost: $19.99

2. Rainydaye Knitted Cozies

If you prefer things hand-made rather than made en masse, then these colorful, knitted cozies from Etsy might be perfect for your nano.

Cost: $9.00

3. Belkin FastFit Armband

Created for sporty types, your nano just clips onto Belkin’s armband. It offers a convenient way to keep your music player at hand, but out of harm’s way, during exercise.

Cost: $29.99

4. Griffin Slap

Available in a rainbow of colors, the Slap takes the nano watch case idea back to the Eighties with a flexible, silicone-wrapped spring-steel band that can adjust to fit any size wrist.

Cost: $24.99

5. Navitech Hard Cover Case

If you need some serious protection for your little ‘pod then Navitech’s hard cover case will make sure your nano — and its screen — stay safe from harm.

Cost: $3.99

6. iWatchz Q Series

With its simple attachment — just press, slide and click — the iWatchz will turn your nano into a bright timepiece with incredible ease.

Cost: $24.95

7. Griffin Wristlet

Described as a “fresh, fun, stretchy protection” for your nano, the Wristlet encases your iPod in tough, stretchy silicone while the wrist strap offers an alternative to attaching the device from a clip.

Cost: $19.99

8. The Leather Wrist Cuff

This Etsy seller has taken the watch concept and created a very cool leather wrist cuff that your nano can clip to as a watch.

Cost: $34

9. Socks

The classic iSock has been shrunk down for the newest nano. They’re sold as a six pack, meaning you can change the cover to suit your mood, or share the love with five friends.

Cost: £3.85 (approx $5.50)

BONUS: Gelaskins

The new nano may be mini, but it’s not too small to get the Gelaskin treatment. There are a ton of great vinyl designs available to perfectly fit all sides of the little MP3 player. Even if it isn’t technically a “case,” these skins are a cool way to cover your device.

Cost: $14.95

More Gadget Resources from Mashable

- 6 Great Gloves for Touchscreen Gadget Lovers
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More About: accessories, apple, cases, Gadget, ipod, ipod accessories, ipod nano, nano, tech, technology

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There is, of course, the debate over whether these sites are actually “members only” when invites are usually a Google search or membership request away. We concede that the exclusivity gimmick is usually just a matter of an Internet user’s drive to type a few words into a search bar and copy and paste an invite code. (The cat’s out of the bag, private sale sites!)

And then, there’s the other debate over whether these sites actually provide real deals. We say, yes. You don’t have to take a site’s word for it when they quote a discount percentage; we recommend performing a quick scan of the web to size up deals on other sites just to make sure it’s the lowest price out there. Some sites, like Tablet, even guarantee the lowest price — if you find a better deal, they’ll refund the difference.

With that, here are six private sale sites for travel (in alphabetical order) worth checking out. Let us know in the comments below which ones you use and recommend.

1. Jetsetter

Launched by luxury sample sale site Gilt Groupe in September 2009, Jetsetter is a luxury travel sale site offering trips to destinations all over the world at discounted prices. The site claims that its prices are generally “30-50% off the best available rates out there.” Among the growing number of travel private sale sites out there, Jetsetter offers some of the best variety.

While the site is invite-only, invitations are easy to come by with an easy Google search and membership requests can be made on the sign-in page. Furthermore, if you are a Gilt member, you are also a Jetsetter member (and vice versa). You can either access Jetsetter via the tab on Gilt.com or via Jetsetter.com, where all purchases ultimately take place.

Jetsetter sales last from five to seven days, or until sold out. To book a vacation, users can choose the destination, desired room or tour package and dates (these options usually accommodate multiple price points). A “Wait List” is also available, and users on the list are notified if additional rooms become available. For users on the fence about a particular deal, Jetsetter has a reservation feature that allows users to pay 10% of the trip’s cost to hold the reservation for 72 hours. If a user decides not to book a trip, the money is refunded as Jetsetter credit, good toward a future purchase. Once a trip is booked, though, cancellations, refunds, exchanges, or any date modifications are not permitted for any reason.

Like most private sale sites, Jetsetter offers referral credits: Users receive $25 in Jetsetter credit when an invitee makes his or her first purchase.

2. SniqueAway

Smarter Travel Media, a TripAdvisor Media Group company, launched SniqueAway in September 2010. The site showcases hotels in private sales that last seven days or until sold out. Invites are easily found on the web, but membership can also be requested on the sign-in page.

Choosing an “escape” entails selecting the trip, room type, check-in and check-out dates, and the number of rooms and travelers. Users have 15 minutes from the time they select the dates to book the trip before it is taken out of their shopping cart. Once purchased, cancellations are not available.

The selection on SniqueAway is usually limited to a handful of destinations across the world but the rates make checking in every once in a while worth it.

3. Tablet Hotels

Tablet Hotels is a site that focuses on curating a list of “hotels which have personality and obsess on the details.” How does it do that? It maintains a network of travel experts who anonymously review hotels — those reports are passed on to Tablet’s team who review them, pick out the best and showcase them on the site. Lastly, the site features a customer rating meter. If a hotel falls below an average of 15 points (out of 20) on customer ratings, the hotel is automatically removed from the site’s selection.

Tablet’s listings are discounted at up to 50% off, and users earn $10 with every booking and $25 when an invitee books for the first time.

Like the rest of them, Tablet claims that its sales are “only available to people who have either booked with us or have been invited in,” but as we have learned by now, the exclusivity behind most of these sites is usually a gimmick. I signed up and navigated to the “Private Sale” section without a hitch.

4. TripAlertz

TripAlertz offers 30 to 75% off premium hotels and distinguishes itself by offering prices that go down as the number of bookings go up. As more members book a deal, the price decreases, and everyone pays the same price once the deal ends.

The site offers more community features than others in the private sales industry. For example, once a deal is booked, users even have the option to meet and share advice on a private collaboration page with fellow travelers. In the end, 1% of each sale’s revenue is donated to the user’s choice of sustainable efforts. Furthermore, users can submit and vote on trip ideas. The ideas with the most votes ultimately become the deals offered, and the person who submits the idea with the highest booking volume for the month travels for free.

Also unlike other sites, TripAlertz users receive $5 in Trip Cash for each invited friend who signs up, no purchase necessary!

5. Vacationist

Presented by Luxury Link and Travel + Leisure, Vacationist features sales at up to 40% off on fine hotels around the world. Sales last between three to seven days, or until sold out.

Each sale showcases as resort or hotel, along with available dates and room types. Special to Vacationist is a “Hotel Report” from the editors of Travel + Leisure, which includes details like hotel features, awards, nearby airports and insider tips. The travel publication also weighs in on nearby attractions and seasonal adventures that can’t be missed. The buying process mirrors that of other sites, and cancellations are not permitted.

Members receive $25 in credit for each person they invite who joins and makes a purchase.

6. Voyage Privé

Voyage Privé, meaning “private travel” in French, offers high-end travel deals at prices of up to 75% off. The company offers 10 to 15 travel deals per week. Based in France, the site boasts more than 5 million members across five countries: France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. (Insider tip: Save yourself some noggin scratching — before logging in, make sure you choose the correct country. Your log-in information only works for the country chosen upon signing up.)

Each sale on Voyage Privé features a flip-through Flash brochure, complete with information on the hotel and destination, but most of those details can also be found on the sale page, saving the hassle of flipping through the feature. The sale page also includes a number of offers for various price points, usually ranging in the number of nights included.

If you need a little boost to get you started, you can be sure to collect a $25 travel credit when your invited friends buy their first deal.

BONUS: Travel Sections Within Larger Private Sale Sites

With the growing popularity of travel sites, existing private sale sites that traditionally focused on fashion, home or beauty have begun incorporating travel sections for discounted vacations and travel gear. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Exclusively.In: Focusing on providing the best of India’s goods, Exclusively.In also offers Indian travel experiences at discounted prices.
• Hautelook: Los Angeles-based online private sale site Hautelook recently acquired the travel site BonVoyou to form its Getaways section, which offers travel at up to 75% off.
• ideeli: Private sample sale site ideeli introduced its travel section last September to accompany its offerings in fashion, home and beauty.
• RueLaLa: After teaming up with luxury travel network Virtuoso in August, fashion-focused private sale site RueLaLa began offering cruise and resort vacation deals.

Your Picks

Which private sale travel sites do you use to book vacations (or just daydream about the many possibilities)? Let us know in the comments below.

More Travel Resources From Mashable:

- 6 Free iPad Apps for Planning Your Next Vacation
- 4 Social Web Apps for Making and Sharing Your Travel Plans
- Plan Your Next Vacation From a Single Dashboard
- 6 Essential Android Apps for Business Travel
- 5 Great Gadgets for Reinventing Your Road Trips

More About: deals, discounts, exclusively.in, hautelook, ideeli, jetsetter, List, Lists, private sales, rue la la, sniqueaway, tablet hotels, travel, tripalertz, vacationist

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Samsung’s showing off its tweeting, Pandora-music-playing, Google Calendar-displaying Wi-Fi refrigerator at CES, and we couldn’t resist shooting this video.

When we arrived at Samsung’s booth at CES 2011, we encountered a Samsung rep extolling the virtues of using Twitter on an 8-inch touchscreen embedded in your refrigerator door.

As over-the-top as it seems, some of the Samsung RF4289 Internet-Connected Refrigerator’s features are actually useful, such as the ability to type memos for other family members, refer to the family’s Google Calendar, or check the temperature outside before you send your kids off to school in 10-degree weather without their coats. You can even adjust the temperature inside the fridge with the snazzy touchscreen.

We especially like the way you can quickly access foodie site Epicurious for advice and recipes. We’re also fond of the shiny finish, gleaming on all four doors.

But tweeting on your refrigerator door? Can’t it wait? Since 40% of all tweets come from mobile devices, a growing percentage of you could just whip out your smartphones and take care of business, couldn’t you?

What about it, readers? Cast your ballots:

More About: ces2011, Samsung RF4289, video, Wi-Fi refrigerator

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[UPDATE] We have official confirmation from Facebook Director of Corporate Communications Larry Yu that the rumor is false. We asked him via e-mail if Facebook was shutting down on March 15, to which he responded, “The answer is no, so please help us put an end to this silliness.” He added, “We didn’t get the memo about shutting down and there’s lots to do, so we’ll just keep cranking away like always.”

Let’s think about this for a minute. Would Facebook decide to shut down the company just a few days after announcing a round of funding, consisting of $450 million from Goldman Sachs and $50 million from Russian investment firm Digital Sky Technologies, on a valuation of $50 billion?

The spurious report was started by a site to which we refuse to link, known for its reports of impending attacks of alien spaceships and false reports of a Michelle Obama pregnancy.

The fact that this absurd hoax spread so efficiently makes us wonder: Will people believe anything?

More About: Facebook Shutdown, hoax, Meme, trending, viral, Zuckerberg

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Below is a list of over 40 websites, apps, companies, gadgets and technologies that the editors of Mashable think that you should keep an eye on over the coming year. None of them let you zoom through the air over traffic, but they’re definitely all worth a look.

Be sure to click through to each article to see our full write ups on individual entries, and let us know in the comments what you’re looking out for in 2011.

10 Websites to Watch

• Kickstarter
• OpenLeaks
• Klout
• Hipmunk
• Gilt Groupe
• Diaspora
• Quora
• Grooveshark
• Drupal
• Foursquare

10 Apps to Watch

• The Daily
• Ge.tt
• GetGlue
• Bizzy
• Flipboard
• Kik
• Shopkick
• Path
• Instagram
• GroupMe

5 Web Technologies and Trends to Watch

• jQuery Mobile
• Hardware-Accelerated Web Browsers
• Node.js and Server Side JavaScript
• Real-Time Clickstream Sharing
• NoSQL Databases

8 Gadgets to Watch

• Qi Wireless Power
• Nintendo 3DS
• Android-Powered Tablets
• Smart Shopping Carts
• PalmPad
• Notion Ink Adam
• NFC-Enabled Phones
• PlayStation Phone

8 Tech Companies to Watch

• Minimal, Inc.
• StumbleUpon
• Animon, Inc.
• Bloom Energy
• Skype
• Tumblr
• Clicker
• inDinero

More About: apps, gadgets, List, Lists, tech, things to watch 2011, web technology, websites

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Wall Street Journal reporters Yukari Iwatani Kane and Shayndi Raice aren’t indicating who revealed this information, but if it’s true, those who’ve been waiting for Apple’s smartphone to hit the Verizon network will have their wishes fulfilled in a matter of weeks:

“Verizon, the country’s largest wireless carrier, will have the phone available in stores around the end of the month, a person familiar with the matter says.”

What else do we know about the Verizon iPhone? Not much. Speculation leading up to Tuesday’s event is running rampant, and here are a few of the various stories, all unconfirmed:

Steve Jobs will be present for the Verizon iPhone rollout. All Things D reports that the event will be hosted by Verizon president and CEO Lowell McAdam, and his special guest will be Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

There’s a shipment goal. The often-unreliable DigiTimes reported that parts manufacturers say there was a goal of 5 to 6 million CDMA phones to be shipped to North American and Asian Pacific markets in the next three months. Of course, Verizon’s network runs on the CDMA system, as opposed to AT&T’s GSM cellular network.

It might be a dual-mode iPhone. PC World speculates that “the phone will be a dual-mode phone that will also support GSM … the technology used on the AT&T 3G network.” Considering that Verizon has been selling dual-mode phones for the past few years, this one’s plausible. This way, Apple could sell one phone that works on both Verizon and AT&T.

The antenna will be redesigned. Leaked photos from SmartPhone Medic show a mysterious “unknown phone” with slight differences from the iPhone 4’s frame. If these photos are indeed the Verizon iPhone, comparisons with the current iPhone 4 suggest that Apple has tweaked its trouble-prone antenna. This would be a good idea.

It probably won’t have the Verizon logo inscribed on it. This is my own guess, because Apple simply would not permit any other company’s logo on its precious products.

No more voicemail instructions. I think Verizon will be forced to jettison those annoying and unnecessary voicemail instructions the company insists on inserting each time you want to leave a message. Apple forced AT&T to get rid of them, and it will do the same with Verizon.

Commenters, please debunk or confirm these theories.

UPDATE: Digital Daily’s John Paczkowski found out more about the upcoming Verizon iPhone:

“Sources close to Verizon tell me the carrier will offer the iPhone with an unlimited data plan (presumably the same $30 unlimited plan they offer for other smartphones) — though they wouldn't say for how long.”

More About: apple, event, rumors, speculation, trending, verizon, Verizon iPhone

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As the overarching organization that oversees college athletes and their recruitment, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has its own set of rules that athletes, coaches and boosters must follow when using social media.

The NCAA’s managing director of communications, Ronnie Ramos, sat down with me to discuss the organization’s evolving guidelines for social media — territory the NCAA entered in just the past few years. The NCAA regulates social media particularly to maintain an even playing field when it comes to recruiting student athletes, applying its more traditional recruitment guidelines to the ever-changing social technologies available.

Ramos delves into the NCAA member schools’ reasons for doing this, as well as which types of social media use are permissible, and which are prohibited. He also explains the relationship between the NCAA and its member schools in making and enforcing rules.

Why does the NCAA feel it needs to regulate social media?

While there isn't a ban on social media, the NCAA, of necessity, must attempt to regulate. Otherwise, we would be unable to maintain a level playing field for recruiting consistent with our existing rules. The prevalent use of social is why we began focusing on this issue. Coaches will go where the student athletes are.

What role does the NCAA play when it comes to creating and enforcing social media rules?

There are over 1,000 schools regulated by the NCAA, and every rule is passed by these schools. The NCAA does not create the rules but instead is the one who is responsible for enforcing them. Because of this, schools have a lot of leeway to do what they want the way they want.

Players are allowed to have Twitter and Facebook accounts. And, unlike the NFL, there is no NCAA rule that says players can't use Twitter prior to the game, etc… However, individual schools can establish such bans. Duke allows players to use Twitter; they see it as an educational process, while Miami doesn't allow football players to use Twitter.

How does the NCAA keep up with the changing technology?

There are going to be gaps, but that is a price paid by being a membership program. Some people don't realize that the NCAA is not like the NFL and NBA. It's not a league that unilaterally says one can and cannot do certain things.

Can you give us an example of a restriction that is currently placed on social media?

Coaches cannot discuss recruiting on a Facebook Page because some coaches simply have a much larger fan base than others, and as a result their audience and persuasion is much larger. Because our goal is to keep things fair, we cannot allow Facebook Pages to be platforms for recruiting.

Are there any types of social media recruiting that are allowed?

One-on-one, individual messages, such as direct messages or Facebook messages are viewed as e-mails and therefore are permitted.

With more than a thousand schools and even more players, how can the NCAA possibly monitor everything?

Right now each school is responsible for monitoring its students, coaches and boosters. In addition, the nature of social media is public, and this helps keep everyone honest. It's difficult to do anything on social media without someone catching wind of it. When you have that many teams and 430,000 student athletes, most follow the rules and keep each other honest. There isn't a constant breaking of the rules.

Can there be announcements about coaches visiting particular schools?

Coaches can announce that they are visiting different regions but not an individual school. The NCAA does this because we want to avoid a media frenzy that can result from a coach saying they are going to a particular school. We go back to making it fair and we want to let the smaller schools have the same opportunities.

How are student athletes regulated when it comes to social media?

Student athletes cannot tell a high school student athlete to join their team via social media or any other form of communication. Students generally follow the rules so there isn't a large enforcement issue.

Are there any areas that present unique problems in regulating collegiate sports?

Boosters are more difficult to control because they are not as affected when they do break the rules.

How are you going to keep up with this rapidly emerging communication technology?

The NCAA will never be as fast as the technology. Right now, we are re-examining our rules in light of Facebook's new messaging.

Have you seen any major infractions since putting social media rules in place?

No major infractions. Yes, some make mistakes but not an overwhelming amount of numbers. Social media is an inherently public discourse, so it's difficult to hide what you do via social media. It's very hard for a coach to secretly do something and it not go viral. To date, no one has blatantly violated the rules and gotten caught.

What are some of the benefits of social media as a tool for the NCAA?

Social media allows us to get our messages out, directly, to our fans and not be entirely dependent on others to tell our story. For a long time we relied, almost entirely, on traditional media.

When did the NCAA start focusing on social media as a way to communicate?

We started our unit less than four months ago. Now we have over 500,000 engaged fans.

More Sports Resources from Mashable:

- Sports and Social Media: Why the Best Is Yet to Come
- Top 10 Fantasy Football Sites to Help You Win
- How Social Media Is Changing the Super Bowl
- When Social Media Gets Athletes in Trouble
- 5 Predictions for Athletes on Social Media in 2010

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