Speaking at the 40th J.P. Morgan Technology, Media and Telecom conference, Verizon Communications CFO Fran Shammo stated that as these 3G unlimited data plan customers move to 4G LTE devices, they will have to purchase the company’s yet to be announced shared data plans which Verizon plans to launch in mid-summer.

The move is meant to force everyone moving to LTE devices in the future away from unlimited data plans, as Verizon currently allows those with unlimited data plans to keep those plans when upgrading to 4G smartphones, albeit with grit teeth as the carrier wants to avoid the congestion issues that led to its implementation of tiered data within the past couple of years on its older 3G network as a result of the rise in smartphone adoption.

While the move to shared data plans is not new information from the carrier, the move to force customers off of unlimited data plans with the requirement of shared data plans for 4G devices is a new development and will only serve to speed up adoption of 4G devices until those plans are launched. However, the statement taken at face value may mean that Verizon will also make moves to actively force all customers off of unlimited data plans and onto shared data plans regardless of device, which would understandably anger those customers that want to keep that feature for as long as possible.

With Verizon actively taking a stand against unlimited data access on 4G LTE, the new shared data plans are meant to spur increased adoption of data with multiple devices, rather than the older model of dedicated plans per device, which drove many customers away due to the high costs of each data plan per device, whereas with the new shared data plans, the plan covers multiple devices on one account, at the expense of being tied to one fixed amount of data per month and is being targeted towards families.

Time will tell whether Verizon will continue to tolerate current unlimited data users on 4G LTE smartphones, as many of those with such plans are able to take advantage of such features as unlimited mobile hotspot access on the new iPad as well as on LTE mobile hotspots. With this latest move, Verizon looks to stamp that out as soon as possible and is doing so with extreme prejudice.

[FierceWireless]

Last night in a press note HTC sent the following statement out regarding a new delay in shipping both the AT&T HTC One X and the Sprint version in the HTC EVO 4G LTE:

The US availability of the HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G LTE has been delayed due to a standard U.S. Customs review of shipments that is required after an ITC exclusion order. We believe we are in compliance with the ruling and HTC is working closely with Customs to secure approval. The HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G LTE have been received enthusiastically by customers and we appreciate their patience as we work to get these products into their hands as soon as possible.

The ITC exclusion order being cited is the one handed down by the regulator last year and references previous litigation between Apple and HTC regarding design elements between HTC’s Android smartphones and Apple’s iPhone. As a result of the ITC ruling on the matter last year, which saw it favor Apple, HTC’s future devices were to face being excluded from sale beginning on April 18th of this year in the US and the One X/EVO 4G LTE launches have now been affected as a result.

Should both devices fail the exclusion examination being conducted by Customs under the guidance of the ITC, Sprint and AT&T face being left without their flagship Android devices for the year and face even larger economic losses as a result of of millions of dollars in R&D and development along with HTC until the devices can be brought into compliance, which would then require further certification and approval.

As of this morning, Sprint has scrubbed all references to the previous May 18th  launch date as a result of the delay and have stopped taking pre-orders with no word on the status of pre-orders already taken. Sprint and AT&T also have yet to issue a statement regarding the situation since HTC’s statement was issued last night, and representatives may be overwhelmed to the point that instead of issuing individual comments to the media, may be holding off  to issue official statements on the matter later today.

Update: HTC has released an additional statement regarding the Sprint launch of the HTC EVO 4G -

We can confirm that the product will not be in stores this Friday. Products for pre-order are on hold. We’ll provide a ship date as soon as we’re able. HTC will work with Sprint to maintain the promise for pre-order customers so they will be among the first to receive their HTC EVO 4G LTE units when available.

According to a new report filed by the Wall Street Journal, Google will be abandoning the model used for previous Nexus devices and is instead planning an entire lineup of Nexus devices with multiple manufacturers as a result of its currently ongoing acquisition of Motorola Mobility, which was purchased last year and has yet to be completed.

The idea behind the shift in strategy is to ensure that current participants in the OHA, the committee that steers the direction of Android has access to the latest versions of Android, as one of the biggest issues affecting Android device manufacturers at the moment is timely access to the latest versions of Android, which is crucial to providing updates as quickly as possible, with Ice Cream Sandwich being the latest update that has yet to really reach mass adoption due to handset manufacturers and carriers struggling with the transition from Gingerbread to the universal platform that is Android 4.0.

Five devices are planned from multiple manufacturers under the new Nexus umbrella of devices with no concrete details on which manufacturers are involved, and more information is expected to be revealed during Google’s I/O developer conference later this month. As for the release of the new Nexus line, the release is planned for Thanksgiving of this year in order to take advantage of Black Friday and the holiday season, according to sources named by the paper.

The goal of the new initiative is also to sell the devices direct to consumers in multiple regions and preliminary plans cited also call for Google to sell the devices direct to consumers in the same way as it is currently selling the Galaxy Nexus, but the only difference being that more devices will be offered instead of one device from one preferred partner. Google is also expected to announce its first Nexus tablet this Summer.

A detailed piece of code discovered by security researchers has been making the rounds across the internet that confirms that three of ZTE’s own Android phones and possibly more are being shipped with a backdoor that would theoretically allow any knowledgeable developer root access to the filesystem on the affected phones and consequently, allow the same access to malware disguised as legitimate applications that are often found within and outside of Google Play. The two models sold  that are affected so far are the Score M and the European Skate.

The backdoor has also raised legitimate concerns about ZTE’s own competence in regards to shipping devices with such a backdoor. While it makes rooting the devices easier for modders and developers for tinkering and additional device development, it is not just a mere coincidence that these devices are being shipped out and being actively sold on carriers without any acknowledgement. ZTE has yet to officially release a response to the evidence presented.

What makes it so effective is that it uses a hardcoded and easily deciphered password that can work on all devices and is not device-specific, being more of a universal password to gain root access to every device affected and as many people do not look at the permissions for what each app requests when downloading apps to an affected phone, downloading the wrong app could spell trouble. The actual discovery as found on Pastebin is pasted below for context:

The ZTE Score M is an Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) phone available in the United States on MetroPCS, made by Chinese telecom ZTE Corporation.

There is a setuid-root application at /system/bin/sync_agent that serves no function besides providing a root shell backdoor on the device.  Just give the magic, hard-coded password to get a root shell:

$ sync_agent ztex1609523
# id
uid=0(root) gid=0(root)

Nice backdoor, ZTE.

Since the revelation was first discovered, the backdoor has also been discovered on European ZTE handsets, as the ZTE Skate sold by the UK branch of the French carrier Orange is also affected, with more research being done to see if other units are affected.

[via XDA Developers]

eBay Daily Deals is re-offering the Acer Iconia A100 tablet. Unlike other 7-inch Tegra 2 tablets, like the Dell Streak 7, this tablet has received Android 4.0 officially.

An official Android 4.0 update is crucial, as third-party ROM developers have struggled to make the jump from Android 2.0 or 3.0 to Ice Cream Sandwich. The reason stems from Android 4.0′s graphics engine, which requires new drivers from hardware and silicon vendors. Those drives are closed-source, and as a result, are not available until someone offers up an Android 4.0 upgrade officially. Even with two devices using the same silicon, subtle differences can exist that impede the progress of unofficial firmware.

Some tablets have gotten lucky. The HP TouchPad has had success in providing a viable Android 4.0 alpha release, that is more functional than the economically-crippled webOS 3.0 release for the tablet. Others, such as the HTC Flyer and its EVO View 4G twin, are still “under evaluation”, approaching nine months after Android 4.0 came on device manufacturer’s radar.

The Acer Iconia A100 was largely a market failure, trumped by iPad and lost in a sea of Tegra 2 tablets. However, it now is that diamond in the rough. While refurbished, $169 shipped is the lowest tablet price we’ve seen for a reliable Android 4.0 tablet.

And, having purchased this deal ourselves the last time it was offered… we’re impressed around the office. The A100′s Android 4.0 release (which was only pending the last time this deal ran), is very impressive. The tablet is responsive, and handles Android 4.0′s most demanding functions properly. The only drawbacks we’ve seen with the Android 4.0 release are the lack of the Light Beam live wallpaper (which can be found on the Google Play Store), and an overly-aggressive automatic brightness mode.

Acer’s bundled apps aren’t that impressive, but also don’t get in the way. And, thanks to Android 4.0, you can disable pretty much all of them, and get that Google-inspired vision for what Android 4.0 should be out of the box: minimalistic.

Great firmware aside, the A100 has a couple of drawbacks you should know about. First, the cameras (both front and rear) are dismal. We really wish they had shipped the tablet without cameras, and focused on less weight and appearance. In fact, the rear camera is poorly placed right where your right hand would normally hold the tablet, when facing vertically. The LED flashlight does provide great backlighting in a dark room, however. The other main drawback? Tegra 2 is a power hog, you cannot charge over USB because of its 10W power demands. All Tegra 2 tablets that we have used force you to tote a separate power brick and car charger, in addition to a micro-USB cable for data. And, the power brick is certainly not designed for travel…

In all, the A100 is still our favorite tablet. Granted, the other big box gadget sites love to point people to the latest tablets out there, but this tablet cleans the clock of current tablets like Kindle Fire. With a powerful native GPU, micro-HDMI port, microSDHC, autonomous GPS, and Bluetooth alongside Wi-Fi (with DLNA thrown in for free), this tablet is great for consumers at a time when they need cheap tablets the most.

Even if you have another tablet already, give this one a look. It’s well worth the price.

eBay Daily Deals – Acer Iconia A100

Multiple reports today have confirmed that HP has resumed production of tablets after halting such production last year in the wake of its decision to end hardware support for webOS-based devices. The immediate halt to production came as a result of disgraced former CEO Leo Apotheker, who also made the calamitous and nearly company destroying move to spinoff the PC division in favor of an increased focus on software at the expense of every other division in the company, which led to his eventual ouster at the hands of the board.

The confirmation today also comes as CEO Meg Whitman also announced plans to merge the Southeast Asian PC and printer divisions of the company into one singular unit to better manage internal projects and management. The merged division would also serve as a springboard to focus on the three largest markets poised for growth in the PC sector, with Vietnam, Thailand and  Indonesia being targeted with the internal operations merger.

EVP of Personal Systems Todd Bradley also gave out key details regarding HP’s future Windows 8 tablets, remarking that the tablets would focus on cloud-based technology to enable media sharing and document storage, but declined to give further details. The first tablets running on the new operating system are expected to be released in late Fall of this year in time for the holiday shopping season, though OEMs are revealing few details at the moment, as Microsoft is also launching Windows 8 for desktops in a similar timeframe.

[Chicago Tribune]

T-Mobile has updated its support pages for the HTC Sensation 4G and Amaze 4G to reflect the forthcoming availability of the long-awaited Ice Cream Sandwich update for both phones, with the Sensation update receiving the update first this week, while the Amaze 4G will receive it afterwards, though no date has been set for availability yet.

The following changes are detailed in the update:

Android version 4.0.3 / Software version 3.32.531.14710RD – Current version

Version

• Android 4.0.3 / Software version 3.32.531.14710RD
• Approved 5/16/2012

New Features

• Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• Sense 3.6
• System bar enhancements to easily view recent apps.
• Re-sizeable widgets
• Lock screen actions including pull down notifications and adjust volume while device is locked.
• Data usage controls.
• Face Unlock
• Home screen folders
• Improved battery life
• Note: HTC Sensation 4G will be required to add Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot feature in order to use the service after completing this update.

Improvements

• Improved text input and spell checking
• Improved menu structure

Prerequisites

• Manual update
• Device is running Android version 2.3.3 / Software version 1.50.531.1, 1.29.531.2, or 1.45.531.1
• Device software is not rooted
• More than 50% battery life
• Data or Wi-Fi connection

The latest Sprint MVNO to throw itself into the increasingly competitive and growing prepaid service market will be Voyager Mobile, who have announced that they will launch their branded service beginning tomorrow in select states ahead of a full national launch later this summer.

Voyager Mobile will launch with 3G and 4G service across its own lineup of phones which range from entry-level devices to its own branded version of the Epic 4G Touch, with all manner of smartphone supported. Rates for the new provider should also make incumbent flat-rate carrier MetroPCS take notice, as the provider will begin with two service plans that will prove to be attractive to fans of prepaid unlimited monthly service.

The first monthly rate plan will begin at $19 per month with unlimited voice and SMS messaging while its second monthly rate plan will undercut just about everyone else for unlimited voice and data access at $39 monthly, which includes 3G EVDO Rev A and 4G WiMax access. Voyager Mobile will be tying both of these service plans to a new rewards program that gives users an incentive to use the voice part of the the plan to its fullest by giving them points to use towards prizes such as free phone upgrades, airline miles and other types of rewards.

As mentioned, the service will launch in select states tomorrow, with Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia being the first to take advantage of the new service while other states and markets will be rolled out in time.

The fact that a Sprint MVNO is offering unlimited service at such a low rate is also cause for concern as even Sprint’s own prepaid brands in Virgin and Boost Mobile have had issues with data speed and reliability ever since rolling out their own more expensive service plans, with Virgin focusing on unlimited data access and Boost focusing on flat-rate monthly access with discounts for loyalty. What remains to be seen is how Voyager Mobile will be able to sustain access at such low rates and for how long before complaints of poor data service pop up.

Following up on a previous report, Virgin Mobile has confirmed that it will release the successor to its hugely popular LG Optimus V smartphone in the LG Optimus Elite, which features incremental updates compared to more extensive changes. Chief among the new additions in the Elite is the addition of a built-in NFC chip for use with Google’s less popular than expected Wallet mobile wallet service and may also be tapped for future functionality going forward.

The phone’s other updates also reflect the incremental nature of the Elite, with a slightly larger 3.5 inch HVGA display compared to the 3.2 inch display on the Optimus V, 800MHz processor up from the 600MHz unit in the same and an updated 5.0 megapixel camera with LED flash compared to the below-average 3.2 megapixel camera as found in the V. The phone will be launched on Tuesday May 15th for $149.99, or merely $20 more than the V with the additional cost factoring in the slightly upgraded hardware and the addition of Android Gingerbread.

This starts a worrying trend for Virgin Mobile, as it has refused to update its Optimus V to Android Gingerbread despite LG having prepared the update for the operator and Virgin Mobile merely having to deliver it to owners, although the previous negative experiences the carrier has suffered regarding software updates may have played a part in changing its tune on offering software updates for its Android phones. As evidenced with the update issues encountered with the Samsung Intercept, it suffered delay after delay before Virgin Mobile was able to push out the update in a timely manner to agitated owners expecting the update.

Virgin Mobile also has yet to deliver any sort of update for the Motorola Triumph, which was the operator’s halo device for its massively popular Beyond Talk service plans before being maligned for being as expensive as it was with below average performance and sits on top of Virgin Mobile’s current lineup despite only featuring Android 2.2, with the HTC EVO V supplanting it at the end of the month.

[Virgin Mobile]

After weeks of scrambling to save the company from certain failure, LightSquared and its founder Philip Falcone may be on their last legs as the latest talks with creditors on owed debts and refinancing have broken down and the only alternative left is to officially file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it currently owes an estimated $1.6 billion across multiple creditors.

The latest problem for the company comes as both Falcone and LightSquared face litigation regarding the viability of the venture after the FCC rejected the network launch due to concerns that the network as currently constructed and developed had been proven to disrupt GPS infrastructure to the extent that civilian and military use was severely affected after multiple tests to determine viability were conducted, tests that were alleged by Falcone to be intentionally tampered with by the influence of the military and by the trade association responsible for the commercial management of GPS access.

After the FCC rejection, wholesale customers began to pull away as quickly as possible while scrambling to find alternatives and its network hosting agreement with Sprint collapsed after it could not gain approval from the FCC to rollout without extensive and costly modification to its original plans. With the rejection of the network and no way to earn any revenue from it, LightSquared has essentially been frozen since then and undertook desperate cash-saving measures, such as firing almost half of its staff and operating with as few unnecessary positions as possible before losing executives in droves.

With the company also skipping out on massive debt covenants as a result of the lack of revenue and shareholders becoming increasingly disgruntled at Falcone’s handling of the situation, it was only a matter of time before LightSquared would be forced into such a situation, as those same shareholders are actively pursuing litigation against Falcone and majority stakeholder Harbinger Capital Partners, which also happens to be managed by Falcone and its holdings used to form LightSquared.

[Wall Street Journal]

Update: As of 1PM EST, LightSquared has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the state of New York via the bankruptcy court in Manhattan. The ledger notes that LightSquared declared Chapter 11 with $1 billion in assets and a total of $1 billion in liabilities with Boeing Satellite Systems and Alcatel-Lucent being listed as the ventures largest creditors