Verzon stole my Bluetooth

According to class action court documents, Verizon disabled some of the advertised Bluetooth features in Motorola's v710 phone and then charged users for them.

The v710 handset, which Verizon released in August, does allow users to use their phones with a Bluetooth headset and with compatible Bluetooth car kits.

But Verizon Wireless has disabled the file-sharing capability, which allows users to transfer via Bluetooth to their PCs, printers or other devices.

Verizon admits that it disabled the Bluetooth file-transfer capability because it conflicted with contractual agreements it has with content providers.

A spokesman said that the v710 includes Get It Now, which is the company's virtual mall of games and productivity tools that customers can download.

Get It Now content providers included companies who wanted to provide those very file-sharing programs for the v710 for a modest fee.

However, as the lawsuit points out, Verizon Wireless still advertised the product by saying "With Bluetooth wireless technology you can make hands-free eyes-free calls, and connect to your PC or PDA whenever and wherever you want."

The implication, they say, is that if you buy the phone you can do all these things without having to shell out more cash.

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