Verizon Wireless Doubles Mobile Data Download Allowance:

USA based Verizon Wireless has launched a new tariff called More Everything that sees some customers getting doubled mobile data access without paying more

In addition, unlimited international messaging will be added to unlimited domestic text, picture and video messaging.

Each More Everything line can use up to 25 GB (or up to 250 GB on a 10 line account) of cloud storage from Verizon Wireless,

"More Everything changes the game by adding even more of what customers want from their wireless provider in a single, simple monthly plan," said Ken Dixon, chief marketing officer at Verizon Wireless.

Starting today, existing customers on Share Everything plans will be automatically moved to More Everything. The tariff will available to all new customers.

Verizon Wireless Starts Android OS Upgrades for HTC One Owners:

USA based Verizon Wireless has started rolling out software upgrades to owners of HTC One smartphones. The users should start seeing update messages shortly offering an upgrade to Android OS version 4.4 -- known as KitKat.

The upgrade is being offered as an over-the-air patch and users should see a notification message on their screen when their handset has been identified for the deployment.

The rollout is expected to be staged, so not all users will get it at once, although they can check their handset through the Settings > About Phone menu in case they missed the notification.

The update is a 617MB file download, so connection over Wi-Fi is recomended.

Leaked Samsung Photo Shows Samsung Still Supporting Windows Phone OS:

A leaked photo appears to show Android loyalist, Samsung is still throwing the occasional morsel to Microsoft, with a new Windows Phone based device.

Samsung still supports the WP software, although it puts out very few devices, and according to a leaked photo will continue its desultory support for the company.

According to @evleaks, the WP based Samsung smartphone will be sold in the USA by Verizon Wireless and previous rumours have suggested that it could be an LTE enabled device with a 5-inch screen.

The OS is reported to be Windows Phone 8.1, which would push the release date back though to no earlier than Q2 of this year.

Samsung has already confirmed that it will hold a product announcement event later this month.

Vodafone Shareholders Approve $130 Billion Sale of Verizon Wireless Stake:

Vodafone Group's shareholders have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the company's plans to sell its 45% stake in Verizon Wireless.

Of the shareholders who voted on the plan, 99.08% were in favour of the US$130 billion sale.

Vodafone is getting US$58.9 billion in cash and US$60.2 billion in Verizon shares from the sale. At completion,Vodafone shareholders are expected to receive all the Verizon shares and US$23.9 billion of cash totalling US$84 billion, representing 71% of the met proceeds.

As part of the deal, Vodafone will acquire Verizon's 23% minority interest in Vodafone Italy for US$3.5 billion, thereby securing full ownership of the Italian subsidiary.

The shareholders also had to vote on a number of other issues related to the sale, and agreed to buying back Verizon Wireless' stake in Vodafone Italy and the plan to return much of the proceeds from the Verizon Wireless sale to the shareholders in the form of a special dividend.

The deal now just needs the approval of Verizon shareholders to go ahead, which is also expected to be a formality for the company.

Samsung's offer to install 'kill switch' in its smartphones rejected:

Samsung Electronics, the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer, has proposed installing a built-in anti-theft measure known as a "kill switch" that would render stolen or lost phones inoperable, but the nation's biggest carriers have rejected the idea, according to San Francisco's top prosecutor.

District Attorney George Gascon said Monday that AT&T Inc., Verizon Wireless, United States Cellular Corp., Sprint Corp. and T-Mobile US Inc. rebuffed Samsung's proposal to preload its phones with Absolute LoJack anti-theft software as a standard feature.

The wireless industry says a kill switch isn't the answer because it could allow a hacker to disable someone's phone.

Gascon, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and other law enforcement officials have been demanding that manufacturers create kill switches to combat surging smartphone theft across the country.

Almost 1 in 3 U.S. robberies involve phone theft, according to the Federal Co mmunications Commission. Lost and stolen mobile devices - mostly smartphones - cost consumers more than $30 billion last year, according to a study cited by Schneiderman in June.

Samsung officials told the San Francisco district attorney's office in July that carriers were resisting kill switches, and prosecutors have recently reviewed emails between a senior vice president at Samsung and a software developer about the issue. One email in August said Samsung had pre-installed kill switch software in some smartphones ready for shipment, but carriers ordered their removal as a standard feature.

"These emails suggest that the carriers are rejecting a technological solution so they can continue to shake down their customers for billions of dollars in (theft) insurance premiums," Gascon said. "I'm incensed. ... This is a solution that has the potential to end the victimization of their customers."

Samsung said it is cooperating with Gascon, Schneiderman and the carriers on an anti-theft solution but declined to comment specifically about the emails.