Have you heard? Over the weekend, El Reg reported on Verizon Wireless forcing subscribers to use Microsoft Bing on select smartphones:
Verizon has unilaterally updated user Storm 2 BlackBerries and other smartphones so that their browser search boxes can only be used with Microsoft Bing.
The move is part of the five-year search and advertising deal Verizon signed with Microsoft in January for a rumored $500m.
The search boxes previously allowed searches via Google and on other websites like Dictionary.com. Yes, affected users can still visit the actual sites and search from there—going to Google.com on their mobile browsers for instance—but theyre rightfully pissed.
Ah well, I guess that five-year deal was too good to pass up, though The Register did report on Google trying to reach a similar agreement with Verizon.
And, in other news, Anticitizen on Flickr brought his new Droid (bought for $200) back to the shop for repairs. The battery was loose, so what did the Verizon rep do? Plaster a Verizon-branded tape on the back to secure the battery:
Now youve given iPhone users—with their non-removable batteries—more reason to turn their noses up and start harrumphing. Thanks a lot Verizon!
