contracts

T-Mobile USA today launched several pay-per-day plans for customers who think a monthly plan is too much of a commitment.

There is a $1-a-day plan, which comes with unlimited text messages and a charge of 10 cents a minute for phone calls, a $2 plan for unlimited talk, text messages, and data at 2G speeds, and a $3 plan for unlimited talk, text, and data, though only the first 200 megabytes of data will be sent at a higher speed.

Daily plans are useful to customers who only use their phones sparingly, allowing them to avoid charges on days when … Read more

In retrospect, it shouldn't be a surprise that Apple released a half-step iPhone this week, instead of a revolutionary and redesigned iPhone 5. Think about it--the real reason for the iPhone 4S is the same as for the iPhone 3GS: carrier contracts are two years long.

The 4S isn't meant to be an upgrade for iPhone 4 users--it's a lure to get new iPhone users in the door, and you iPhone 4 folks will get your iPhone 5 upgrade just in time for a new contract. And if you decide you can't wait and spend big … Read more

Facebook says its inspection of a computer belonging to a man who claims to have a contract that entitles him to half-ownership of the social-networking giant has turned up an "authentic contract" that does not mention Facebook.

Forensic analysis proves that the alleged 2003 contract between Paul Ceglia and Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg was an "outright fabrication," Facebook said, asking that Ceglia's suit against Zuckerberg and Facebook be dismissed, according to a Facebook filing yesterday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. The contract, which Facebook contends Ceglia … Read more

Paul Ceglia, the man who claims he has a contract that entitles him to 50 percent ownership in Facebook, has lost his high-power legal representation at a critical juncture in the case.

Ceglia filed a notice of substitution of counsel today with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York to replace the law firm of DLA Piper, a 4,200-attorney international law firm, with the San Diego-based Lake law firm, a firm of four lawyers that also represents 200 medical marijuana collectives.

DLA Piper's withdrawal comes on the day that Ceglia's latest filing … Read more

On Call runs every two weeks, alternating between answering reader questions and discussing hot topics in the cell phone world.

Last month, a CNET reader named Greg told me in an e-mail that the coverage map currently on Sprint's Web site shows a dramatically changed voice and data network than a similar map from a couple of years earlier. Since carrier maps are never reliable, I didn't think much of it at first. But as this Sprint user forum shows, Greg wasn't exaggerating. Sprint's home coverage area (look for the green areas) on the newer map … Read more

The man who claims to have a contract with Mark Zuckerberg regarding the initial development of what would eventually become Facebook cites purported e-mails between the two in a new court filing as proof that he is entitled to a 50 percent stake in the social-networking giant.

Paul Ceglia of Wellsville, N.Y., claimed in a lawsuit filed last year that he entered into a contract with Zuckerberg in 2003 to design and develop the Web site that would ultimately become Facebook--a company that now has an estimated value of $50 billion.

Ceglia said he hired Zuckerberg through a Craigslist … Read more

Smartphones rock. Smartphone service plans? Not so much. Whether it's an iPhone or an Incredible or a Droid X you buy, you're on the hook for two years at around $70 per month, minimum.

There are a handful of exceptions, usually from regional carriers, but I've yet to find a better deal than the one offered by Sprint-owned Virgin Mobile: no contracts, no obnoxious fees, no activation charge, and voice/data service plans that start at just $25.

Late last year, I bought Virgin's Samsung Intercept for Mrs. Cheapskate. The service has been great, but the … Read more

The U.S. Department of Agriculture this morning announced that it has chosen Microsoft to host things like e-mail, instant messaging, and collaboration through the software giant's Business Productivity Online Suite.

As part of the deal, which covers 120,000 employees, the USDA will move from its own on-premises systems to Microsoft's Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Office Communications Online. That migration will be completed in four weeks, and will put the USDA's cloud hardware in a secured facility that Microsoft says will be in compliance with the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Prior to the move, … Read more

If you've been eyeballing a smartphone but couldn't stomach the idea of paying $60 to $70 per month (minimum) for service, have I got a deal for you. Like, a Best-of-the-Year kind of deal.

For a limited time, Best Buy has the Android-powered Virgin Mobile Samsung Intercept smartphone for $189.99 shipped (plus sales tax in most states).

That may not sound terribly cheap, but hear me out. The Intercept normally sells for $249.99, and that's what I paid for one (for Mrs. Cheapskate) just over a month ago. D'oh!

Furthermore, it's not about … Read more