Verizon Hub

The Verizon Hub was a media phone available from Verizon Wireless. It features a 7 inch LCD screen at 16-bit color. The hub could sync the user's calendar, contact, maps, traffic, and weather reports.^[3] The Verizon Hub did not require the owner to have Verizon Fios.^[4] The hub connected to a wireless network and features a wireless handset and speakerphone. The hub allowed users to send text and photo messages, but only to other Verizon Wireless phones. Because the device utilized voice over internet protocol (VoIP) technology, users could also set the hub to forward calls to another phone number if there is a power or internet outage. The hardware and the custom Linux distribution were provided by OpenPeak Inc. Most of the application development work was done in Verizon's India based office VDSI Hyderabad. Developers in Indian office still reminiscence about the days of development and frequently refer to the old time as "Those Hub Days". Even the new joinees are told about the stories of huge success of VzHub.^[5] The device also required users to watch video advertisements before utilizing such features as the traffic application, despite a monthly subscription fee of $35.^[6]

Features

Some of the features of the Verizon Hub were:

• Anonymous Call Blocking
• Call Logs
• Scheduled Call Forwarding
• Speed Dialing
• Unlimited Nationwide Calling(US & Canada)
• Visual Voicemail Calendar (with Text Message Reminders) – View a monthly calendar, navigate forward and backward from the current month, set Calendar Alerts with a subject field for a specific time and date and reminder notification to appear on the Verizon Hub. Calendar Alerts can also be sent as a text message to any Verizon Wireless mobile phone.
• Contact List – Create a personalized address book by storing contact information for friends, family and businesses. Contact list entries are synchronized between the Verizon Hub, Verizon Hub handsets and the Verizon Hub Web management site for quick and easy access.
• Movie Listings, Show Times and Ticketing – Find out what’s playing at local theaters, view show times, play trailers and purchase movie tickets directly from the Verizon Hub’s touch screen.
• Ringtones – Customize the Verizon Hub with a selection of free embedded ringtones.
• Traffic – Get current video reports of slowdowns and accidents in top metropolitan areas.
• V CAST News and Sports – Watch video of headline, financial and sports news, check sports scores and schedules.
• V CAST Entertainment – View entertainment and celebrity news, kids’ entertainment and horoscopes.
• V CAST Food & Dining – Access and view recipes (some with video demonstrations), tips and techniques, and healthy eating information.
• V CAST Lifestyle – View tips and information on parenting and family, home and garden, going green, beauty and fashion, health and wellness, and travel.
• Verizon Relay – View photos received via picture messaging from family and others, all in one place.
• Visual Voice Mail – Browse voicemails in the voicemail box through a graphical interface, view message information before choosing which message to play, prioritize message playback order.
• White Pages and Yellow Pages – Perform name-based searches of white page directory listings by city and state and search the entire Yellow Pages by keyword or business name, along with the option to browse by category.
• Weather – View five-day forecasts for a location right from the home screen (multiple city views available).

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References