O'Grady's PowerPage

Category: Business

  • Verizon announces it won’t cut off service due to billing, will waive late fees until June 30

    With various wireless carriers easing billing restrictions during the pandemic, Verizon has followed suit, and announced on Monday that it will not disconnect individual customers and small businesses unable to pay their bills through June 30.

    The company has stated that service will not be terminated and that no late fees will be collected, the policy applying to postpaid wireless, residential, and small business customers that notify Verizon of an inability to pay their bills. For those experiencing financial troubles and need their fees waived, this process can be started by filling out a form on Verizon’s website to avoid fees.  

    Verizon has been waiving late fees and keeping customers connected since March after signing the FCC’s “Keep Americans Connected” pledge. 

    The company has also offered customers an additional 15GB of hotspot data for free in April and May, which has been automatically offered to users with consumer and small businesses with shared plans, hotspots, and jetpacks.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and Verizon

  • AppleCare+ for iPad Pro policy can also cover accessories, including the new Magic Keyboard

    If you snagged a brand new iPad Pro and also happened to pick up AppleCare+ with it, you can extend the coverage to your accessories, including the new Magic Keyboard:

    Per Cult of Mac:

    Apple says “AppleCare+ extends your iPad, Apple Pencil, and Apple-branded iPad keyboard coverage and includes up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage every 24 months.” Obviously, that includes the new Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro, the most expensive iPad keyboard Apple ever released. The version made for the 11-inch tablet is $299. And Apple asks $349 for the one designed for its 12.9-inch iPad Pro, putting this version of the accessory above the $329 price for the base-model iPad. Accidental damage coverage also covers the Apple Smart Keyboard Folio, which is either $179 or $199, depending on the screen size of the iPad Pro it’s intended for. The $99 Apple Pencil or $129 Apple Pencil 2 are also covered.

    So, the argument can be made to cover the accessories that make your iPad Pro that much better.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via The Mac Observer and Cult of Mac

  • Apple Pay Express Transit support arrives in 273 additional Chinese cities

    This will come in handy if you’re passing through China.

    The Apple Pay Express Transit function can now be used in 275 cities throughout China thanks to a partnership between Apple and nationwide transport card provider T-Union.

    The service had previously only been available Beijing and Shanghai, where it was integrated with existing local transit cards. It allows users users to put their iPhone in front of a turnstile and go through without having to unlock the device. It also works with Apple Watch.

    This is about as convenient as it gets, and it’s cool to see it arriving in a large number of cities.

    If you’ve had a chance to try Apple Pay Express Transit, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via The Mac Observer and MacRumors

  • Apple Q2 2020 earnings call to take place on Thursday, April 30th

    It’ll be an interesting quarter.

    Apple has announced that its Q2 2020 earnings call will take place on Thursday, April 30th.

    The livestream will begin at 2:00 PM PT, or 5:00 PM ET.

    If interested, you can listen to the stream in a variety of ways:

    • iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch using Safari on iOS 10 or later
    • Mac running macOS 10.12 or later and Safari
    • Second generation or later Apple TV via AirPlay with the latest version of tvOS.
    • PCs using Windows 10 and Microsoft Edge.

    You can stream on your Mac or Windows PC through this link via Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge.

    Apple announced in February that it was set to miss its earnings targets for the quarter due to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via The Mac Observer

  • Apple Maps begin rolling out Coronavirus updates, with default searches highlighting nearby hospitals and restaurants with food delivery

    This could definitely come in handy, especially during the Coronavirus quarantine.

    Apple has altered how Apple Maps displays nearby search results during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with the app now focusing on providing quicker access to food deliveries, pharmacies, and grocery locations close to the user. 

    The change, which was discovered by German web site iPhone-Ticker.de, noted that as of Tuesday, the list, which generally includes restaurants, fast food, rapid transit, cafes, and supermarkets, among other frequently-needed items, had changed. 

    Tapping the search box now prioritizes default searches for pharmacies, hospitals, and urgent care sites near the top of the list. In some classes, the app will also display restaurants that offer food delivery as higher than other restaurants on the list.

    This could definitely come in handy, especially for those under official orders to stay at home, not go outside, and practice social distancing. In many areas affected by the rules, food deliveries are preferred over restaurants, with the latter likely to be delivery-only or shut down entirely. 

    The change is slowly rolling out to users around the world, and not everyone is seeing the altered list at this time. 

    If you’ve seen this change on your end, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via AppleInsider and iPhone-Ticker.de