Overview Of Verizion Wireless
Get It Now is Verizon Wireless' implementation of Qualcomm's BREW technology, allowing a user to download and use applications on a Verizon Wireless Get It Now-enabled phone. It is a proprietary interface to download ringtones, music, games, applications, and use instant messaging on a phone. Users usually are unable to load content on the Verizon Wireless phones outside of Get It Now system; this is done for financial reasons. Verizon Wireless has exclusivity agreements with its Get It Now content providers (this is a walled garden system). Sometimes cell phone enthusiasts perform unsupported modifications to their phones or use 3rd-party software to make the phone accept non- Get It Now -originated content, or use free services that send ring tones through picture messaging, like Mobile17. In 2008 Verizon Wireless announced that their "Get It Now" service will be renamed "Media Center" on all their future phones beginning with the LG EnV2.
On March 25, 2011, Verizon sent a software update to Get It Now to users of some older phones. If the phone was not activated at that time, or had a data block, the phone did not receive the required update to continue Get It Now functionality. Phone models known to be affected include the LG VX8100, LG VX8300 and LG VX9100 series. Subscribers with these phones can no longer acquire applications, update applications and software or access Backup Assistant from their phones unless they visit a Verizon Wireless Retail Store and have the phone flashed with the update.
All applications through Get It Now/Media Center are BREW-based and the selection differs depending on what Verizon phone one is using.
Many first-time mobile phone users freely access the internet through internet-capable phones ("Mobile Web"), only to find that a sizable charge has been added to their phone bill at month's end. Verizon currently charges $1.99 USD per megabyte (in 2009) and $10 USD per 75 megabytes downloaded into the phone from the internet. This is called "Megabyte Usage" or "Data Usage". Whenever anyone accesses the internet, the charge is incurred, because in order to access the web, web pages must be downloaded into the phone for viewing. New customers are often confused on what activities incur a charge and which activities do not. Visiting 50 web pages is a download of .3 MB. A visit to Media Center/Get It Now page incurs a charge, even if nothing is bought/downloaded. Music, games or ringtones downloads incurs the MB charge, but Picture/Video messaging (MMS) does not charge. Whenever data is being downloaded into the phone, a little phone icon with arrows going back and forth appears. Blocks can be set by account owner to block specific types of downloads. If a specific type of unlimited download is included in the customer's plan, then the customer is charged a flat fee per month instead of per MB.[34][35]
VZ Navigator[edit]
Main article: VZ Navigator
Within Get It Now, Verizon has implemented an aGPS navigation application, VZ Navigator, that works for the most part like a standalone aGPS unit. Users can also locate businesses within their vicinity, searching by category or business name. Users can type in addresses and receive turn by turn directions to their destination.
V CAST[edit]
Main article: V CAST
Also within Get It Now/Media Center is V CAST, Verizon Wireless' high-speed audio, video on demand, and entertainment delivery system.
V CAST Mobile TV[edit]
Main article: MediaFLO
Verizon Wireless uses Qualcomm's MediaFLO technology to broadcast live TV to certain phones, such as the LG Voyager. A VCAST mobile TV subscription is required. This service was discontinued in November 2010.
V Cast Music with RHAPSODY[edit]
A subscription based service which allows access for $9.99 per month for unlimited song downloads to a person's computer using the VCAST with Rhapsody software. This program also allows the user to sync the music with up to three