The Verizon Hub was a

media phone The media phone represents a new category of broadband multimedia devices that has the potential to become the 4th screen in the home, complementing the PC, TV, and mobile phone handset. Features *The original "Media Phone" and many of its fe ...

available from

Verizon Wireless Verizon is an American wireless network operator that previously operated as a separate division of Verizon Communications under the name Verizon Wireless. In a 2019 reorganization, Verizon moved the wireless products and services into the divi ...

. It featured a seven-inch

LCD screen A liquid-crystal display (LCD) is a flat-panel display or other electronically modulated optical device that uses the light-modulating properties of liquid crystals combined with polarizers. Liquid crystals do not emit light directly but in ...

with 16-bit color. The hub was able to sync the user's calendar, contact details, maps, traffic, and weather reports. The Verizon Hub did not require the owner to have Verizon Fios, and connected to a

wireless network A wireless network is a computer network that uses wireless data connections between network nodes. Wireless networking is a method by which homes, telecommunications networks and business installations avoid the costly process of introducing c ...

. It featured a wireless handset and

speakerphone A speakerphone is a telephone with a microphone and loudspeaker provided separately from those in the handset. This device allows multiple persons to participate in a conversation. The loudspeaker broadcasts the voice or voices of those on the ot ...

. The hub also allowed users to send text and photo messages, but only to other Verizon Wireless phones. Because the device utilized

voice over internet protocol Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), also called IP telephony, is a method and group of technologies for the delivery of voice communications and multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the Internet. The terms Internet t ...

(VoIP) technology, users were able set the hub to forward calls to another phone number in the event of a power or internet outage. The hardware and the custom

Linux Linux ( or ) is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution, which ...

distribution was provided by Open Peak Inc. Most application development work was done in Verizon's India-based office VDSI in

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

. The device also required users to watch video advertisements before utilizing features such as the traffic application, despite a monthly subscription fee of $35.

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)

References

{{Verizon Verizon Wireless Mobile phones introduced in 2009