On the same day that Apple unveiled its new 5G iPhones, Verizon announced its own 5G high-speed internet news. The company is expanding its 5G coverage nationwide and says it will be available to more than 200 million people.
"The pandemic has changed the way people think about technology and particularly think about connectivity," Verizon Consumer Group CEO Ronan Dunne told Cheddar. "They understand how important reliable technology is."
Bases for 5G networks are often hyperlocal, down to city blocks. Verizon concentrates its 5G on busy areas like stadiums, but in the pandemic those stadiums are standing empty. Dunne said the capability will expand. "In many respects, the experience we've been launching, and the capabilities that we're delivering in the stadiums, also has the opportunity to transport people from the stadium to get an in-home experience or on-the-go experience that's more immersive as a fan."
Dunne said it was a "massive statement" that Apple decided to include 5G in its new line of iPhones, but the new devices will still come with a significant price tag. Pricing starts at $399 and quickly climbs to more than $1,099, depending on the model and how much storage you want. So if 5G isn't necessarily available everywhere, is it worth the upgrade? According to Dunne, when you're looking for an upgrade, it's about more features than just 5G.
"The latest devices have the best chip sets in them and the best capabilities," he said. "They've also got better battery life, better cameras. So there's great reasons for people to come in and consider whether now is a great time to upgrade."
He did admit you might not need 5G, but the perks can be pretty great. "Think about either returning to a stadium and you being the only one who can upload 4K live streaming from the event to tell your friends or the fact that you can be out and about and still get deep, immersive 360 video available [to you through] the NFL app ."
There are also uses for 5G beyond posting the best Instagram story. Dunne noted that this capability can be used in telemedicine to treat patients, help first responders, and even has uses in education. "We really see the opportunities to stretch the envelope to make sure that this is the most inclusive generation of technology ever."
Joe Cecela, Dream Exchange CEO, explains how they are aiming to form the first minority-controlled company to operate an exchange in U.S. history. Watch!
A Michigan judge is putting sponges in the hands of shoplifters and ordering them to wash cars in a Walmart parking lot when spring weather arrives. Genesee County Judge Jeffrey Clothier hopes the unusual form of community service discourages people from stealing from Walmart. The judge also wants to reward shoppers with free car washes. Clothier says he began ordering “Walmart wash” sentences this week for shoplifting at the store in Grand Blanc Township. He believes 75 to 100 people eventually will be ordered to wash cars this spring. Clothier says he will be washing cars alongside them when the time comes.
The State Department had been in talks with Elon Musk’s Tesla company to buy armored electric vehicles, but the plans have been put on hold by the Trump administration after reports emerged about a potential $400 million purchase. A State Department spokesperson said the electric car company owned by Musk was the only one that expressed interest back in May 2024. The deal with Tesla was only in its planning phases but it was forecast to be the largest contract of the year. It shows how some of his wealth has come and was still expected to come from taxpayers.
At 100 years old, the Goodyear Blimp is an ageless star in the sky. The 246-foot-long airship will be in the background of the Daytona 500 — flying roughly 1,500 feet above Daytona International Speedway, actually — to celebrate its greatest anniversary tour. Even though remote camera technologies are improving regularly and changing the landscape of aerial footage, the blimp continues to carve out a niche. At Daytona, with the usual 40-car field racing around a 2½-mile superspeedway, views from the blimp aptly provide the scope of the event.
You'll just have to wait for interest rates (and prices) to go down. Plus, this deal's a steel, the big carmaker wedding is off, and bribery is back, baby!
