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What's the Buzz: VZW axes 1-year contracts; Google launches trivia game

Posted: Apr 12, 2011 9:09 AM by Kelly Werthmann (Billings)
Updated: Apr 12, 2011 10:18 AM

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Verizon Wireless is eliminating its one-year contract option starting April 17.

Beginning Sunday, all new Verizon contracts will have to be two years or month-to-month. Verizon Wireless says the change will not affect many new customers since most choose the two-year contract option anyway, according to Mobiledia. Existing customers with one-year contracts will not be affected.

The reason behind the contract changes is likely to prevent customers from making the switch to AT&T when their one-year contract expires. Verizon Wireless has about 100 million subscribers, which will be surpassed by AT&T's 130 million, if the merge with T-Mobile is approved. Plus, now that Verizon and AT&T offer many of the same devices, there is little keeping customers from switching providers.

Verizon customers who want to sign or keep their one-year contract need to do so before Sunday, April 17.


Amazon has announced a cheaper version of its Kindle.

The Kindle with Special Offers costs $25 less than the Wi-Fi only Kindle 3 and includes all of the same features. Priced at $114, the 6-inch device saves customers a few bucks, but users will have to look past the occasional advertisement and special offer displayed as the Kindle's sponsored screensaver and homescreen.

Amazon says the ads only appear when the device is idle and assures the screensavers are "attractive," Mashable reports. The company is also reportedly trying to give consumers some agency by allowing them to vote on the screensaver they would like to appear on their Kindle with Special Offers.

The Kindle with Special Offers is now available for pre-order in the United States and will ship on May 3.


Puzzle and trivia fans have a new place to play.

Google has launched a new trivia game similar to crossword puzzles that challenges quiz aficionados to change the way they think.

A Google a Day offers a daily question that requires players to perform search queries using the popular search engine. Questions are posted on agoogleaday.com as well as above the crossword in The New York Times. For example, today's riddle is: "My name is Robert. One day before my brother Rohan's 19th birthday, our father had an album on the Billboard 200. Name the album." Players then search for the answer using terms like "Rohan," "Billboard 200," and so forth to get hints to solve the puzzle.

In order to not spoil all the fun, the search tool does not contain real-time search results like Google usually does. This prevents search results from revealing the answer right away and ruining the game.

Also, like crossword puzzles, the difficulty of the questions increases over the course of the week, according to a post on Google's official blog. Answers will be revealed the following day along with search tips and what methods were used to solve the puzzle.

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