Tag Archives: cellphones

AT&T Blames Yesterday’s Outage On Software Update

Bloomberg News reports: “Based on our initial review, we believe that the outage was caused by the application and execution of an incorrect process used as we were expanding our network, not a cyber attack,” an AT&T spokesman said in a statement. AT&T said all wireless service was restored Thursday afternoon, capping a day of frustration that began in the …

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AT&T: “We Are Working Urgently To Restore Service”

NBC News reports: AT&T’s network suffered a widespread outages across the country Thursday morning with cellular service and internet down, according to the tracking site Downdetector. Some Verizon and T-Mobile customers also reported outages, though theirs appeared to be less widespread than AT&T. It’s not clear what triggered the service disruption. AT&T acknowledged the issue Thursday morning saying: “Some of …

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Numerous Cell Service Providers Experience Outage

CBS News reports: Having issues with your Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile service? Well you are not alone. Customers of numerous U.S. cell service providers were reporting outages early Thursday morning, according to the website downdetector.com, which tracks such reports. AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, US Cellular and Consumer Cellular were among the providers. Some municipalities reported issues with 911 service. The reports …

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Nationwide Emergency Alert System Test Set For Oct 4

Via press release from FEMA and the FCC: The purpose of the Oct. 4 test is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level. In case the Oct. 4 test is postponed due to widespread severe weather or other significant events, the back-up testing date is …

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Amazon May Offer Free Cell Service To Prime Members

Bloomberg News reports: Amazon.com Inc. has been talking with wireless carriers about offering low-cost or possibly free nationwide mobile phone service to Prime subscribers, according to people familiar with the situation. The company is negotiating with Verizon Communications Inc., T-Mobile US Inc. and Dish Network Corp. to get the lowest possible wholesale prices. That would let it offer Prime members …

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Hacker Steals Info On 37 Million T-Mobile Customers

TechCrunch reports: In a financial filing on Thursday, T-Mobile revealed that a hacker accessed a trove of personal data belonging to 37 million customers. The telecom giant said that the “bad actor” started stealing the data, which includes “name, billing address, email, phone number, date of birth, T-Mobile account number and information such as the number of lines on the …

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Apple Will “Comply” With Universal Charger Mandate

The Verge reports: Apple has given its most direct confirmation yet that a USB-C-equipped iPhone will happen now that the European Union is mandating that all phones sold in its member countries use the connector if they have a physical charger. When asked by The Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern if the company would replace Lightning, Apple’s senior VP of …

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NYC To Add Cell Service Between Subway Stations

Gothamist reports: “Getting on the subway” may no longer be a valid excuse to stop responding to those work messages. The MTA announced on Tuesday a plan to provide cell service between stations and expand Wi-Fi to its above-ground stations and Staten Island Railway stations. To complete the decade-long project, the agency is again partnering with 5G wireless infrastructure company …

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New York City Removes Its Last Public Payphone

New York City’s Fox affiliate reports: The final New York City public pay telephone was being removed on Monday morning. It was on 7th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. The city began removing payphones in 2015 and replacing them with public Wi-Fi hotspots. The city has removed thousands of payphones across all five boroughs in the past several years. In 2014, …

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Utah Lawmakers Approve “Porn Filter On Phones” Law

Law & Crime reports: The Utah House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bill that would require cell phones and tablets sold in the Beehive State to contain filters to block pornographic material from reaching a user’s eyes. The bill had previously been approved by the state senate. The measure, HB72, applies to “smart phones activated in the state on …

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T-Mobile Battles Widespread Service Outages [VIDEO]

Deadline reports: Wireless provider T-Mobile continued to battle phone outages Monday, which began in the mid-afternoon in several major U.S. markets and continued into the evening. The hardest-hit areas have been on the East Coast, including major cities like New York, Atlanta and Miami, as well as LA and Chicago, according to the tech-issue tracker DownDetector. Calls and some text …

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PHONE BONES: Researchers Say Young People Are Growing Head “Horns” From Cell Use Posture [VIDEO]

The Washington Post reports: Mobile technology has transformed the way we live — how we read, work, communicate, shop and date. But we already know this. What we have not yet grasped is the way the tiny machines in front of us are remolding our skeletons, possibly altering not just the behaviors we exhibit but the bodies we inhabit. New …

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SCOTUS Rules Cops Need Warrant For Phone GPS

CNET reports: The US Supreme Court has ruled in favor of digital privacy. In a 5-4 decision on Friday the justices decided that police need warrants to gather phone location data as evidence for trials. The Supreme Court reversed and remanded the Sixth Circuit court’s decision. Carpenter v. United States is the first case about phone location data that the …

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Signs Of Cellphone Snooping Devices Near White House

All while Trump rejects “inconvenient” phone security protocols: A federal study found signs that surveillance devices for intercepting cellphone calls and texts were operating near the White House and other sensitive locations in the Washington area last year. A Department of Homeland Security program discovered evidence of the surveillance devices, called IMSI catchers, as part of federal testing last year, …

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