In the aftermath of today’s 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile, Verizon Wireless has waived all calling fees for its customers trying to reach loved ones in Chile.
Starting immediately and retroactive to the time of the earthquake, Verizon Wireless customers with regular monthly bills can make calls to connect with family and friends in Chile at no cost when they’re on the Verizon Wireless network in the U.S. Verizon Wireless customers with monthly bills who receive calls from Chile will also receive those calls free of charge. The company is making calls free for at least one week. Calls made while roaming are billed at normal rates.
Dan Mead, chief operating officer of Verizon Wireless, said, “At times of crisis, we spring to action. By acting urgently, we are helping families connect without worrying about cost.”
In addition, Verizon Wireless teams are working with international relief organizations to provide mobile giving options for customers who wish to donate to the earthquake relief efforts. All Verizon Wireless customers who pay a monthly bill, including those formerly with Alltel, may contribute to Chilean earthquake relief efforts via their mobile phones. To make a $10 donation to Habitat for Humanity, text the word “CHILE” to 23583; to make a $10 donation to World Vision, text the word “CHILE” to 20222. Customers will receive a text response to confirm the $10 donation, and 100 percent of customers’ donations will go directly to the relief organization’s efforts to help the victims of the Chilean earthquake. Additional international relief organizations are expected to begin mobile giving campaigns soon.
Verizon Wireless donates the cost of the back-and-forth text messages. Customers will not be charged for the text messages, and the $10 donation will appear on their regular monthly bills.
Kudos to Verizon for this program effective retroactive to the first earthquake date of January 12th. Here’s the press release for details.
Starting immediately, Verizon Wireless customers with contracts or monthly bills in the United States can make calls to reconnect with friends, family, businesses and emergency services in Haiti free of long distance charges. In addition, Verizon Wireless customers with contracts or monthly bills currently in Haiti will not be charged any fees when making phone calls back to the United States. Charges for these voice calls are waived retroactive to last week’s earthquake on Jan. 12 until 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010.
Verizon also will waive all long-distance usage charges on calls made to Haiti from any Verizon residential landline (for more information, visit www.verizon.com/news).
Dan Mead, chief operating officer of Verizon Wireless, said, “Communicating and connecting families is essential to what our business stands for, and who we are. During this major relief effort as communication systems are starting to come back on line, we understand the importance of being in touch with the people who matter most.”
Natalie Christoforou, Customer Services and Marketing Executive of Proporta, wanted to let all of our SvenOnTech readers to know that all next week, you can get free shipping for anything from its impressive catalog of accessories for your PDA, smartphone, MP3 and iPod player, GPS nav, gaming, camera, laptop and netbook, and even device repair. Wow, that was a lot to write. So, why not head on over now and check out what Proporta’s got for your and how you can get it shipped FREE to your home or office!
Mint.com, the leading online personal finance service, today added an inbound SMS feature to its award-winning product, allowing users instant access to an overview of their entire net worth – wherever they are. Users can simply text “Bal” or “Balance” to shortcode “MyMint” (696468) to receive real-time balances for the checking, savings, credit union and investment accounts they track using Mint.com. Because the free online service now supports over 7,500 financial institutions, Mint.com is now offering free mobile access to the majority of US banks. Mint.com users can now find out in the checkout line whether they should use debit or credit, and which of their cards to use. This new inbound SMS feature helps avoid overdrafts and other fees, and lets users maximize reward points.
With nearly 600,000 users, Mint.com is the fastest-growing personal financial service, tracking more than $50 billion in transactions and $15 billion in assets. And it’s free. Mint’s “Ways to Save” feature has already identified more than $100 million in potential savings for its users. This new inbound SMS capability is the latest in a series of MInt.com innovations which help its users stick to budgets, avoid unwanted fees, and ultimately save and do more with their money.
“90 percent of our users tell us they understand their spending better after using Mint, and about half have already changed their spending behavior,” said Aaron Patzer, founder and CEO of Mint. “In the past few months, we’ve seen an even sharper change, with users cutting hundreds of dollars in monthly spending across categories. As the holiday season approaches, we’re proud that the more than half a million Mint.com users are well-prepared to shop within their budget and avoid crushing debt, especially in this uncertain economy.”
A January, 2008 Mint.com survey found that over 4 in 10 people spent more than they’d planned during the 2007 holiday season. At that time, 6 in 10 respondents said they planned to make some changes to their holiday spending this year. And in fact, the majority of Mint.com users have adjusted their budgets downward since the beginning of the American economic crisis in September, reversing a more typical seasonal trend to increase budgets for the holiday season. Overall, Mint.com users are planning to spend 3% less in the coming months, with the largest reductions planned in Travel (down 20%) and Personal Care (down 24%). Users are planning to maintain, not increase, their average monthly spending this holiday season by shifting spending from general Shopping purchases (budgets down 7%) toward Gifts (up 8%). Thousands of Mint.com users have already added customized Gifts and Shopping budgets since Mint.com introduced personalized spending categories last month.
In addition, Mint.com’s blog features tips and tricks for surviving the holidays. Among Patzer’s key recommendations: Don’t spend more than one paycheck on the holidays. For someone making $60,000/year, that means spending no more than their average $1,500 bi-monthly paycheck on gifts, decorations, food and drinks for parties— everything.
“For many, budgeting is a dirty word. But in this economy, with the generosity of the season pulling at our wallets, budgeting is essential and doesn’t require as much work as some think. Pick a few problem areas – you may go out to restaurants too much, or spend too much on clothes. If you track and budget in just those categories, you’ll likely find enough money for gifts,” continued Patzer. “We recently had a user write in that after Mint showed her the ‘error of her ways,’ she’s cut out $5 visits to Starbucks, $7 visits to the work cafeteria, and is eating and drinking at home more. After two months, she’s not only cut $680/month in spending, but she’s also lost 3 pounds!”
Mint.com has recently released major updates to the product, adding: support for 1,000’s of new banks; mortgages, loans and investment tracking; customizable spending categories; and automatic budgeting features.
Our beloved Ringo has just added some new free ringtones for all of those using Ringo. Made exclusively for Ringo, you won’t find these ringtones anywhere but at www.ringomo.com. Ranging in a mix of Classical, Country, Rock, Salsa (mmmm, salsa and chips) and Ragtime, you’re phone will keep things interesting with every call.
If you don’t know about Ringo, then read our review and find out why we loved it. It works for BlackBerry, WIndows Mobile, and the beloved (but forgotten?) Palm OS. With its easy to user interface and ability to play MP3s for ringtones and messages tones, why wouldn’t you get Ringo now? 
Ringo is available at ringomo.com for US$19.95.
The new FreeLoader 8.0 Portable Solar Charger by Solar Technology is a smart looking, versatile device that charges a multitude of the latest mobile gadgets for free using Solar Energy. The FreeLoader 8.0 can charge devices such as; digital cameras, iPods, PDAs, PSPs and mobile phones, and even supports a direct connection to two of the most recent mobile gadgets available on the market, the iPhone and the iTouch.
Designed to sit comfortably alongside the latest fashionable gadgets with its futuristic looks and design, the Freeloader 8.0 is gadgetry eye candy. It is also conveniently mobile, boasting a durable casing for hard-core mobility and the ability to fold into a stylish minimal device that can easily be slipped into a pocket or handbag.
Extremely reliable and easy to use, the FreeLoader 8.0 Portable Solar Charger uses the latest in cutting edge solar technology to convert solar energy into electricity, making power readily available for a wealth of popular mobile devices. For example, the FreeLoader 8.0 boasts the ability to power an iPod for 18 hours, a mobile phone for 44 hours, a PSP for 2.5 hours and a PDA for 22 hours. And because the FreeLoader 8.0 can partner with such a wide variety of gadgets it also eliminates the need to carry country specific adaptors when travelling abroad, making it the ideal travel partner.
To ensure batteries never run flat, the Freeloader 8.0 can simultaneously charge its own internal battery which holds its charge for up to three months and features extra sensitive solar panels which are more much efficient at absorbing light in cloudy and dim conditions that the UK in particular is prone to.
The Freeloader 8.0 is available in both Hot Pink and Cool Aluminium Silver from www.solartechnology.co.uk and popular retail outlets. At only £29.99 everyone can afford an environmentally friendly way to charge their favourite hand-held gadgets and help to offset the carbon emissions that would otherwise have been created. Because working towards saving the planet, needn’t cost the earth.
Additional Info: Read the rest of this entry »
Today BullGuard, specialist security solution provider, is pleased to announce its global attack on spam with the release of a free Spamfilter. The BullGuard free Spamfilter which includes 24/7 Live Support and integrates with all major email clients is available for download from BullGuard’s website www.bullguard.com.
“Research has shown that people consider spam to be the number 1 nuisance on the internet”, says Theis Søndergaard, CTO and co-founder of BullGuard. “Over 80% of all emails sent today are spam. With our free Spamfilter we give people a tool to keep their inboxes clean. In turn we use their input to further improve the efficiency of the BullGuard Spamfilter.
The BullGuard Spamfilter is a collaborative filter which benefits from user input worldwide. If BullGuard Spamfilter users report a message as spam, which is done by simply clicking a button in their email client, other users will no longer receive this message in their inbox – it will automatically be identified and sent to the spam folder instead. The BullGuard Spamfilter integrates fully with the Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Mail and Thunderbird email clients.
“Two unique components of the BullGuard Spamfilter are Thunderbird integration and the incorporation of BullGuard Support. We normally include BullGuard Support in all our products, but it is not often you see a free product which includes free 24/7 access to live support”, says Søndergaard.
The BullGuard Spamfilter is already part of BullGuard Internet Security, BullGuard’s award winning complete PC security solution which also consists of BullGuard’s Antivirus, Antispyware, Firewall, Backup and Support components. BullGuard Internet Security users are also set to benefit from the release of the BullGuard Spamfilter as a wider user base will result in more user input and improved spam filtering.
Visit www.bullguard.com and join the BullGuard spam revolution today.
GPS software manufacturer Northport Systems, Inc., has launched Fugawi Touratel, a new cell phone-based outdoor navigation software and interactive web site, today for use in the United States.
Designed to enhance outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking, fishing, hunting and more, Fugawi Touratel provides exceptional map detail on a wide variety of mobile phone handsets as well as the complimentary touratel.com website.
A first in GPS software solutions for the outdoor recreation market, Fugawi Touratel is a Web 2.0-based cell phone navigation software product that delivers high-resolution US Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps, air photos and urban photos to a wide variety of cell phone models within the USA. In addition, users receive a host of other useful third-party location based applications, such as detailed streets maps of the USA, all for one low monthly fee. Fugawi Touratel is currently compatible with many models from Motorola, Samsung, Sanyo and LG, on the Sprint, Alltel and Boost networks with more networks and cell phone models to be added shortly. Because Fugawi Touratel utilizes the cellular network-derived “Assisted GPS” location, the supported phones do not require a specific-use internal or Bluetooth connected GPS. Also, due to its unique Web 2.0 architecture, the user does not need to download and install client software – the entire Fugawi Touratel application works through the internet connection. Users will benefit from added map content and ongoing product development instantaneously, without the need to download updates or apply patches.
“We are pleased to offer USGS topographic maps to the public at no charge though our new web resource, touratel.com,” said Robin Martel, president of Northport Systems. “Our Fugawi Touratel Web 2.0 backend also allows us to address tremendous consumer demand for mobile navigation technology by delivering outdoor GPS applications to a much wider variety of existing phones which could not previously be used for navigation.”
The touratel.com website is a free service enabling users to view and print copies of high quality maps. The site contains all of the USGS topographic maps for the USA, including Hawaii and Alaska, at all available scales, including 1:24,000, 1:100,000 and 1:250,000. Also available through the intuitive tab-based interface are high quality air photos and Google™ maps so the user can review their area of interest utilizing several different map sources. Users can zoom in to any part of the USA and print paper copies to take with them. From the website, users can also check the compatibility of their specific cell phone and, if they wish, sign up and immediately start navigating with the USGS topographic maps on their handset.
“Our Touratel web services have been designed from the ground up to allow for rapid development of richer feature sets and growth into new applications and markets”, continues Martel. “We will add new map content and additional services in early 2008.”
Availability
For more information on Fugawi Touratel, or to learn more about Northport Systems and its entire product line, please contact (416) 920-9300, or visit www.touratel.com. A regularly updated list of compatible carriers and handsets can also be found on the new
touratel.com website.
Digital Foci, Inc. announced yesterday that they are supporting the “Operation: Support Our Troops” giveaway of 1,000 Digital Foci “Pocket Album” digital keychain photo viewers through the “Into Tomorrow with Dave Graveline” radio show as holiday gifts for U.S. military men & women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The “Into Tomorrow” radio show and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) will distribute the keychains through on-air promotions and the website at: http://www.graveline.com/2007/11/28/operation-support-our-troops or www.graveline.com . The first 1,000 soldiers to email the show will receive a Pocket Album in time for the holidays.
Pocket Album has a retail value of $39/each from Digital Foci, who is assisting with the production of these units. Information about the Pocket Album giveaway will be available on the “Into Tomorrow” radio show heard on the 5 American Armed Forces Networks, where the show has a huge soldier following; as well as on hundreds of radio stations around the U.S. and Canada, and on the XM Satellite Radio.
“With Pocket Album’s ability to store up to 74 pictures of family & friends and its easy portability in the field, we think it’s the perfect gift for troops to keep their special pictures close to them at all times,” said Dave Graveline, Host and Executive Producer of “Into Tomorrow.” The “Operation: Support Our Troops” giveaway comes on the heels of Dave Graveline and his team sending out over 7,000 Skype Kits (headsets, software & calling time) and long distance Calling Cards to U.S. military serving around the world.
“We are honored to be working with Dave Graveline at ‘Into Tomorrow’ and CEA in supporting this effort that gives our troops a great way to view photos of their family and friends who are waiting for them back home,” said Charles Huang, Director of Business Development, Digital Foci.
Toshiba UK is giving away five free high definition (HD) DVDs to anyone who buys one of its new range of laptops that come with built-in HD DVD players. Anyone buying a new Toshiba HD laptop will now be able to kick-off a high definition movie collection with a choice of titles including Children of Men, Full Metal Jacket, Chronicles of Riddick, Hulk and The Prestige.
Toshiba’s HD DVD laptops give you the freedom to experience the next generation in movie viewing whether you’re on the move or at home in the room of your choice. All of Toshiba’s HD laptops come with high definition widescreen displays of up to 17 inches, but can also be used like a standalone HD DVD player and output high definition video to watch on an HD TV.
HD DVD delivers dynamic images that are incredibly real, accurate and vibrant, with up to six times the image resolution of standard DVD, as well as truly immersive audio for a multi-dimensional sonic experience. With a wide range of laptops
Qosmio G40
Satellite X200
Satellite P200
Satellite Pro P200
Satellite A200
Satellite Pro A200
The Toshiba five free HD DVDs offer closes on the 31st January 2008.