MacDailyNews Take: Geez, for $500 million they could’ve bought a U.S. senator.
Metz continues, “Verizon pushed the search change over its network two days ago, the company has confirmed with The Reg. ‘We’re a proud supporter of Microsoft’s Bing search engine,’ a company spokesman tells us. ‘On a couple of select smartphones (Storm 2 the most prominent), we’ve changed the [Verizon Wireless]-supplied web menu to make Bing the default search engine.'”
“Previously, the search box – baked into the top of Verizon’s browser, above the url address bar – could be set to search Google, Wikipedia, and other sites,” Metz reports.
“Naturally, such sites can still be queried via the browser proper. But countless users are up-in-arms over the switch,” Metz reports. “A discussion thread dedicated to the change at CrackBerry, a popular BlackBerry user site, is now 36 pages long.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Note: Oh, BTW, Apple’s Safari for iPhone and iPod touch offers users a choice: Settings>Safari>Search Engine and choose “Google” or “Yahoo.”
Sweet!
What we need a groundbreaking product to come out which breaks the telco stranglehold over the phones and put the user back in control. Oh, wait…
I’m not even a big fan of ATT, but this is why I was on Cingular/ATT before the iPhone came out. This is typical Verizon.
What happens when Verizon gets the iPhone?
Dumb pipe.
Undeniable Truth #25:
The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
Undeniable Truth #56:
The best cell phone provider in the US is the one we don’t currently have.
P.S. My family used to subscribe to one of the “others” (the V one), and there were only three places in our house we could make and receive phone calls. With the evil ATT and the iPhone we can call–and be called–anywhere. Anecdotal, yes. But almost all experience IS.
I’m not usually a complainer about “customer choice” and such… but taking away choice when it was previously offered is just insane! Especially when the only reason for it is because Microsoft threw half a billion dollars in Verizon’s direction! Ugh. Say what you want about their service, but at least AT&T;leaves their customers’ devices alone. They don’t force this stuff on iPhone users.
Haha, you got BINGED!
@Randian
I counter your anecdotal evidence with my own! ATnT on my iPhone has had far better reception than when I had a Verizon flip phone. Almost always 5 bars.
BTW, how many “anecdotals” do you need to quote before something is true? In other words, how many people need to believe the earth is flat before the entire planet flattens out?
/rhetorical questions are rhetorical.
poor RIM.
I’d only accept a dumb pipe that accepts it’s a dumb pipe.
MDN
I appreciate the wry humor in your take but please, please, please, don’t YOU be a hit whore by stirring up more political rancor.
This site devolves enough that way…
Left or Right, I don’t really care…as long as it’s a Mac I’m on board.
I somehow doubt that over on Politico.com they are seeing a raging Mac vs. PC war.
How pathetically Macrostoolian. *Yaaaaawnnnnn.” That’s one innovative company in Redmond. Beyond pathetic.
Do any of you think Verizon will ever get the iPhone? I don’t think so.
AT&T;is the WORST carrier I’ve ever used.
typical Microsoft ‘sales’ technique.
“The move is part of the five-year search and advertising deal Verizon signed with Microsoft in January for a rumored $500m”
SEE THAT APPLE? watch and learn, why spend $500 million improving products if you can force them to use it for the same amount of money.
Great! Now all those holier-than-thou Verizon users can find all of their favorite PrOn sites even more easily!
@ Jbird: That is why Verizon will never get the iPhone (at least with the current leadership in charge), they’ll never relinquish control.
@PR
They said a Senator. Didn’t say what kind did they.
What is more alarming is that senators are being bought and most users here could care less.
Everyone should be mad as hell and pounding the phone lines to their representatives telling them exactly what they think and want. Maybe at that point in time they’ll listen to us instead of lobbyists.
Oh well, maybe when the government mandated but free computers for everyone rolls out with Windows 9 at your doorstep you will realize what is wrong with government.
Apple “forces” me to search with Google on my iPhone. Thing is, I knew that before I bought. I keep a Scroogle page open within iPhone Safari. No biggie, but Verizon’s handling of this issue is–can you believe it–tone deaf and arrogant.
@montex
“BTW, how many “anecdotals” do you need to quote before something is true? In other words, how many people need to believe the earth is flat before the entire planet flattens out? “
Sorry, but WHAT?
Try THIS on for size, OK?
http://www.electronista.com/articles/09/12/21/att.faster.in.3g.as.reliable.as.verizon/
A lesser person might say, “Take your Verizon and shove it.”
Another item for consideration here: We use our iPhone/ATT connection for business purposes, sometimes consuming almost ALL the minutes allotted for the month, and sometimes not.
Either way, OUR MINUTES CARRY OVER WITH ATT. They do not with Verizon . . . and that can be very, very, very expensive, indeed.
Oh, and for Altivec Guru: Verizon is the WORSE carrier we’ve ever used, since there have been only two. So, there. We’re even.
APPLE Forces Safari on iPhone Users!
This again just shows that m$ cannot “sell” anything. It forces you to buy it. It will remain that way as long as Gates and Ballmer are alive.
Decision engine??!!??
WTF? They want to make decisions for me?
I think this is one of the worst slogans, decision engine, yeah, I will trust M$ to make decisions for me.
@WHAT!!!
Not the same thing what MS is doing. The iPhone is Apple’s product. They can do whatever they want with it. We as consumers get to choose whether we want to buy it or not. MS-Verizon is forcing Bing on existing customers using handsets made by other companies. Not the same thing.
Ahh, finding ways to force their products on people because otherwise very few would actually *choose* to use it – this is Microsoft’s approach to customer relationships in its purest distilled form. Lovely.
@WHAT!!! – A few major flaws in your logic:
1) What “Joe Mamma” said.
2) The differences between search engines are much greater than the differences between standards-compliant web browsers these days.
3) There are alternative browsers you can use on the iPhone. My browser of choice is iCabMobile ($1.99), it includes ad filtering and improved search capabilities… including, yes, user-configurable search engine settings! (@ hakalautom, you might be interested in this)
And people call Apple heavyhanded. Now they know, Verizon is evil. No matter how good their network MAY be, their business practices are just wrong.
“Left or Right, I don’t really care…as long as it’s a Mac I’m on board.”
Didn’t seem to be a Left or Right statement to me. Seemed like the statement was, if you’ve got half a billion dollars, you can buy the vote of a US Senator.
Which is about the going price.
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Yeah, I have a BlackBerry and noticed the Bing app on my phone and I was like WTF, how the hel did that get there? Then I realized I updated the OS a couple of days ago. Lame. Too bad they’re needing money that badly…
@PR
“MDN
I appreciate the wry humor in your take but please, please, please, don’t YOU be a hit whore by stirring up more political rancor.
This site devolves enough that way…
Left or Right, I don’t really care…as long as it’s a Mac I’m on board.
I somehow doubt that over on Politico.com they are seeing a raging Mac vs. PC war.”
What MDN’s take should have been…
“Geez, for $500 million they could’ve done another commercial using Jerry Seinfeld.
@Wrong Again
“”Left or Right, I don’t really care…as long as it’s a Mac I’m on board.”
Didn’t seem to be a Left or Right statement to me. Seemed like the statement was, if you’ve got half a billion dollars, you can buy the vote of a US Senator.
Which is about the going price.”
I think come the next election, I’m gonna ask my US Senator what’s the going rate to buy my vote! ; )
you do realize apple lets you choose between google and yahoo to search with on the iPhone. Look in the safari preferences. Geez!
For 500 mil, I’d pretend to be a proud supporter of Bing too.
Bottom line- it DEPENDS WHERE YOU ARE.
Verizon works better “around here” (Southern NH). Fortunately- most of the time- I’m in the greater Boston area for business.
I travel to the Carolinas and to the West Coast- it seems anyway, for the short visits I’m down there and out there- AT&T;seems to work better.
We just want a choice- we have a great phone but it would be nice not to drop calls— I haven’t upgraded from the 1st Gen iPhone because I don’t want to bind myself to AT&T;for another 2 years- I’m still hoping Steve can hammer out a deal with the V boys.
To be totally honest- I’ve been shopping around for another phone I can fall in love with- no- the Droid doesn’t do it for me- I got a chance to use it for about 2 hours- it’s fast but not smooth like the iPhone. It has some nice features but… it’s just not. And forget about the other “iPhone killers” – For me anyway- and for millions of others- the iPhone is the way it should be- we just need a choice of a few US carriers- at least two.
Happy Holidays everybody-
I saw this icon show up on my company liable VZW Tour the other day, regardless on carrier “pushing” applications to me I do not want you are presented with a usage terms that you can not agree to as well delete the app.
I don’t seem to have that option on my 3GS with some of the worthless Apps Apple deems I need installed.
@Tony
“I’m not usually a complainer about “customer choice” and such… but taking away choice when it was previously offered is just insane!”
Tell that to iMovie 06 users…
@Mark Texas….
“I don’t seem to have that option on my 3GS with some of the worthless Apps Apple deems I need installed.”
Uh.. sure you do. If you don’t like them, delete them. It’s not hard, I’ve seen my technologically challenged 81 year old mother do it.
Seriously… do you actually even OWN an iphone?
Apple change the mobile space by establishing the rules;
WE design the phone. WE design the mobile OSX. WE design the UI & customer experience. WE design the internet browser. WE design the music player & store. WE design the phone application store & App Dev Kit. Phone companies provide network connection & phone plans…period.
Verizon & TMobile choked on this & passed on the iPhone.
Their loss. Our gain.
i like bing.
An example of the treatment that you might expect if Apple ever produced an iPhone for use on the Verizon network. Also an example of why Apple will not product an iPhone for use on the Verizon network.
Therefore, this discussion is academic, at best, and likely a complete waste of time. Verizon won’t give up control and Apple won’t accept anything less, especially now that the demonstrated popularity and profitability of the iPhone gives Apple monstrous leverage in the marketplace. It’s Apple’s way or the highway. If you don’t like it, then there is a MyPhone contract waiting for your signature.
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Ned: Phil? Hey, Phil? Phil! Phil Connors? Phil Connors, I thought that was you!
Phil: Hi, how you doing? Thanks for watching.
[Starts to walk away]
Ned: Hey, hey! Now, don’t you tell me you don’t remember me because I sure as heckfire remember you.
Phil: Not a chance.
Ned: Ned… Ryerson. “Needlenose Ned”? “Ned the Head”? C’mon, buddy. Case Western High. Ned Ryerson: I did the whistling belly-button trick at the high school talent show? Bing! Ned Ryerson: got the shingles real bad senior year, almost didn’t graduate? Bing, again. Ned Ryerson: I dated your sister Mary Pat a couple times until you told me not to anymore? Well?
Phil: Ned Ryerson?
Ned: Bing!
Phil: Bing.
I tried “pizza” on the IPhone Bing and it came with nothing. I tried the same in Google and it came up with the definition and all the local pizzerias. I know there must be a setting I am missing, but to hell with it, I already delete it. I am not going to put up with Microcrap on my IPhone. I guess they could make an Ad based on Verizons map Ads to make fun of Bing.
If this were Europe, I could see this kind of deal bringing on more legal problems for MS! And I can see this being seen as a illegal deal by some in the US eventually!
Aren’t web searches controlled by apps on the phone?
I don’t quite understand how an ISP can force a search engine upon users.
It all depends on the apps running on the phone, who are free to generate any internet requests to get the job done.
The only non-intrusive way I can see is if Verizon sells phones with preinstalled apps, or with settings on new SIM cards that favor Bing.
Verizon has no business in controlling which apps/network requests are allowable on phones that the public uses on their network
There is another way, obviously, i.e., to redirect google requests, or to block certain requests altoghether, but that could be construed as tampering and breaking into network traffic — bye bye network neutrality.
Isn’t there a FCC to jump in and fine ISPs for such practices?
@ Rot’nApple:
“I think come the next election, I’m gonna ask my US Senator what’s the going rate to buy my vote! ; )”
Wouldn’t it be laugh if the answer came back: “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.”
This confirms my previous understanding that Verizon and Apple are two sides of the same coin.
I doubt anyone could describe the world we would live in had those two companies been given free reign. Just appalling.
Pure socialism.
@ JIM TIV
Funny my friend but please post how to delete these worthless apps:
weather
youtube
compass
maps
I’ve owned every iPhone and it is what it is.
Maybe it’s time you left good ole grandma’s house and get out in the real world.
Better name for Microsoft search engine: “Cling”.
I can buy 2 senators for that price on Amazon.
MW Justice! How appropriate!
Tell WHAT, exactly to iMovie ’06 users? I can fill in that blank, I’m running a 2008 MacBook with Snow Leopard, and still using iMovie ’06 Nothing to see here, move along.
iMovie ’06 is alive and works just as well as it did when it was introduced.
If you want even more options and features, step up to final cut express.
BTW, WTF does iMovie of any flavor have to do with the iPhone? Apple didn’t force all iMovie ’06 users to ’08 or ’09 by deleting ’06 off of their computers.
Verison disrespects customers by forcing Microsoft stiffy into customers.
Verison says that customers are just sheep and must be controlled
So THAT is why they jacked up their ETF! They knew they were about to piss off a significant base of their customers, and needed something to hold over their heads to keep them penned in. Devious bastards.
ironic the BING app is #4 in the Apple App Store.
Not too smart on Verizon’s part. Why cause smartphone users to suffer with a 3rd rate search engine delivering MS biased search results?!
..”Funny my friend but please post how to delete these worthless apps:
weather
youtube
compass
maps”
If you found them worthless, then why on earth did you buy the iPhone? Apple did not put these apps on your iPhone after you bought it (like Verizon did with Bing). Neither Apple (nor AT&T) did remove the option in Safari to choose your search engine and locked it to Bing. The features you bought are still available. Apple actually did one thing, though; it provided software updates with additional features for your phone. So, while Verizon pulls features and forces some choices on you, Apple adds more features and improves the software.
And once again, for all those who chimed in about the purported lack of choice in Safari:
You have a choice of search engines in Safari!. Default is Google, but you can also choose Yahoo! You may wish to read MDN’s article above before posting (a novel concept, reading before posting, eh?)
Even if you did not, you knew exactly what you bought when you bought it, and neither AT&T, nor Apple have yanked features away from your iPhone after you paid for it (and all the features in it).
@Predrag
You are such a blowhard on here, the constant cheerleader who doesn’t even know the fact of the matter.
You are not LOCKED to anything, VZW pushed the BING app to it’s smartphones. You are free to delete it and are free to use any search app you wish.
If something is of value or not is up to the individual and the fact is Apple is guilty of imposing their will far more often.
Let me just say:
I run my successful business without Micros**t.
I use no M$ product of any kind and advertise the fact on my company website.
I wish there were some kind of formal “Certified 100% Micros**t Free” endorsement program.
Hmmm…..
This just ms buying market share for bing just like everything else they just throw some money at it
> A hundred million?
—Don’t be silly, I said, “Show me the money!”
> What if I say… TWO-hundred million?
—It’s not worth the amount of subscribers we could end up losing.
> Oh, c’mon, three hundred million then!
—Don’t even bother with four hundred, I tell you.
> JeezuzKriist, you’re asking for the world! You mean half a billion dollars!?
—Bing-o!
> I’ll pay it! But if you go back on this deal I’ll break your neck!
Is it really wise for Microsoft to find ways of forcing its products upon people who haven’t chosen them and don’t necessarily want to use them?
So far the only result of this particular situation is to piss off a lot of people. It makes it look like Microsoft can’t win on its own merits, so it has to cheat by making backroom deals to reduce user choices. And now a lot of people, who previously had no ill will towards Bing, will view it with annoyance and anger.
Microsoft needs to stop throwing money at their tired old “force people to use our products” business plan… and actually make products that people will *choose* to use of their own free will. (Of course, this would probably require a leadership change at Microsoft, so don’t hold your breaths.)
“It makes it look like Microsoft can’t win on its own merits, so it has to cheat by making backroom deals to reduce user choices.”
Well, hmm, that’s been their business model from Day One.
“Verizon forces…”
I believe the correct terminology is:
Microsoft PAYS Verizon to force Microsoft’s Boink on ‘fartphone’ users.
Let’s be very clear here. The ONLY success Boing has had is the direct result of paying MASSIVE MARKETING MONEY to buy its way into the marketplace. Without the bucks, we’d all be scratching our heads right now wondering whatever happened to the latest blundering search engine from Microsoft.
Kill the marketing money, watch Bong sink like a cadaver. I predict.