<![CDATA[Gizmodo: service plan]]> http://cache.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/gizmodo.com.png <![CDATA[Gizmodo: service plan]]> http://gizmodo.com/tag/service plan http://gizmodo.com/tag/service plan <![CDATA[ Green Umbrella Gives You One Extended Warranty For Almost All Your Gadgets ]]> Green Umbrella has a very interesting service plan: a all-in-one extended warranty plan that covers all your gadgets for three years. You pay $9.99 a month, and it'll cover most of your home electronics (TVs, Computers) and appliances (Washers, Dryers, Refrigerators, Microwaves) as long as they come with at least a 90 day warranty if you purchase after you sign up, and 1 year if you purchased before. The downside is that they don't cover cellphones, and they don't cover accidental damage.

Is this worth it? It depends on your luck. Most products don't break within the first three years of their lifespan, but if you buy enough STUFF, the odds are that at least one of your things will break. Since we're all Giz readers here, we're likely to fall under this category. So here's the bottom line. You're paying $360 over the course of three years (the extend that they cover a product) for this. If in that span of three years, something(s) breaks that will cost more than $360 to fix or replace, you're out in front. If not, you're out $360.

We can't say whether they're good with honoring repairs since they're a new company, but they are owned by the parent corporation Experian. Does Experian ring a bell? They also own FreeCreditReport.com, which signs you up for a $14.95 a month fee when you get a "free" credit report from their site. [Green Umbrella]

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Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:30:00 EDT Jason Chen http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5032822&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Apple and AT&T Roll Out Three "Simple" Service Plans ]]>
UPDATED
The speculation is over and the iPhone service plans are on the table. There are three specifically for the iPhone:

• $59.99 for 450 minutes with 5,000 night-and-weekend minutes
• $79.99 for 900 minutes with unlimited night-and-weekend calling
• $99.99 for 1,350 minutes with unlimited night-and-weekend calling

The key here is that all plans include unlimited data for email and Web surfing, the Visual Voicemail you've heard so much about, 200 SMS text messages (only 200?), plus unlimited mobile-to-mobile.

Activation will cost $36, and yes, you will have to sign up for two years of AT&T service.

You'll notice that none are called the iPlan. And none are totally unlimited, although $100 for 1,350 minutes plus free nights and weekends is pretty damn close to my dream plan. Close, but the meter isn't quite tossed out the window.

iPhone_Plan.jpg
smsiphone.png

Press release:

AT&T and Apple Announce Simple, Affordable Service Plans for iPhone

All Plans Include Unlimited Data & Visual Voicemail

ATLANTA and CUPERTINO, Calif., June 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — AT&T Inc. and Apple(R) today announced three simple, affordable service plans for iPhone(TM) which start at just $59.99 per month. All three plans include
unlimited data, Visual Voicemail, 200 SMS text messages, roll-over minutes and unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling. With everything else already included, iPhone customers can easily choose the plan that's right for them based on the amount of voice minutes they plan to use each month. In addition, iPhone customers can choose from any of AT&T's standard service plans.

"AT&T has the largest voice and data network in America, the largest mobile-to-mobile calling community and the fewest dropped calls," said Randall Stephenson, chairman and CEO, AT&T. "AT&T has invested more than 16 billion dollars in its wireless network between 2005 and 2007, and iPhone customers will enjoy the best voice and data network in the nation."

"We want to make choosing a service plan simple and easy, so every plan includes unlimited data with direct Internet access, along with Visual Voicemail and a host of other goodies," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We
think these three plans give customers the flexibility to experience all of iPhone's revolutionary features at affordable and competitive prices."

All iPhone plans include Visual Voicemail, an industry first, which allows consumers to see a listing of their voicemails, decide which messages to listen to, then go directly to those messages without listening to previous
messages. Just like email, Visual Voicemail on iPhone enables users to immediately and randomly access the messages that interest them most. Unlike most wireless plans that charge additional fees for new features, there are no additional fees for Visual Voicemail.

iPhone introduces an entirely new user interface based on a revolutionary multi-touch display and pioneering new software that allows users to control iPhone with just a tap, flick or pinch of their fingers. iPhone combines three products into one small and lightweight handheld device-a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod(R), and the Internet in your pocket with best-ever applications on a mobile phone for email, web browsing and maps. iPhone ushers in an era of software power and sophistication never before seen in a mobile device, which completely redefines what users can do on their mobile phones.

Pricing & Availability
iPhone goes on sale at 6:00 p.m. (local time) on Friday, June 29 and will be sold in the US through Apple's retail and online stores and AT&T retail stores. iPhone will be available in a 4GB model for $499 (US) and an 8GB model
for $599 (US), and will work with either a PC or Mac(R). All iPhone monthly service plans are available for individuals and families and are based on a new two-year service agreement with AT&T. Individual plans are priced at $59.99 for 450 minutes, $79.99 for 900 minutes and $99.99 for 1,350 minutes. All plans include unlimited data (email and web), Visual Voicemail, 200 SMS text messages, roll over minutes and unlimited mobile-to-mobile and a one-time activation fee of $36. Family plans are also available.

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Tue, 26 Jun 2007 09:19:04 EDT Wilson Rothman http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=272270&view=rss&microfeed=true