“This device is capable of determining its (and your) physical, geographical location and can associate this location data with other customer information,” it reads. “To limit access to location information by others, refer to the User Guide for Location settings and be cautious when downloading, accessing or using applications and services.”

The letter was sent to Representatives Ed Markey and Joe Barton, both of whom had asked the four major carriers to “explain how and why they track mobile location data”

Interestingly enough, Rep Markey says that even after “thoroughly reviewing” their responses he is still “left with a feeling of uneasiness and uncertainty. He said there still exists a real problem when it comes to third-party applications.

He adds:

The companies informed us that customer consent before access of location data is a common practice, but the disconnect is when third-party applications come in to play. While I am happy to hear that carriers inform their customers of the risks of using independent third-party applications, third-party developers can access the location of customers anytime they want. This is a huge problem. They shouldn’t have free reign over your location data and personally identifiable information. I believe it is time we hold third-party developers accountable, and I am determined to work with other members of Congress to get this done.

He’s right. It’s one thing to tell users they could be tracked by the handset itself, but what about taken steps to prevent third-party applications from monitoring your whereabouts?

Full copies of the company responses can be found here:  T-Mobile Sprint AT&T Verizon

“This was an exciting day,” said Dan Mead, president and chief executive officer for Verizon Wireless. “In just our first two hours, we had already sold more phones than any first day launch in our history. And, when you consider these initial orders were placed between the hours of 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., it is an incredible success story. It is gratifying to know that our customers responded so enthusiastically to this exclusive offer – designed to reward them for their loyalty.

Mead also said customers will have another opportunity at being among the nation’s first to own an iPhone 4 on the Verizon Wireless network.

“Yesterday’s launch set the pace for next week when we open up sales to everyone across America.”

The general public will be able to purchase the iPhone 4 next Thursday, February 10th at all Apple store locations, Best Buy, select Wal-Mart stores, and online at www.verizonwireless.com and www.apple.com.

“Many Americans have been hit hard by ‘bill shock,’” said Senator Tom Udall, in a statement, a few days ago. He is the New Mexico Democrat who introduced the legislation.

Udall’s bill would require cell phone companies to send a text or e- mail message when customers have used up at least 80% of their monthly allotment, and get customer permission before it can charge any overgae fees.

“While we appreciate the spirit with which the legislation is offered, we are concerned that this bill has the potential to cause customer confusion and frustration,” said the CTIA-the Wireless Association, in a statement. “We know those outcomes are not Senator Udall’s objective. We look forward to talking with the Senator about the many plans and tools that our carriers currently offer their customers so that those who want to monitor their usage are able to do so.”

Let’s hope Congress approves the legislation.

Some of this week’s highlighted apps include:

• iheartradio – Listen to over 400 of America’s favorite radio stations and some of the best talk stations in the United States for free with Clear Channel Radio Digital’s iheartradio. Bookmark your favorite radio stations, view lyrics and enjoy on-demand content including exclusive performances, songs and intimate vignettes from today’s hottest music stars.
• TuneWiki Social Media Player – TuneWiki is a free social media player that shows subtitled lyrics as you listen to your music, watch music videos, or stream songs through the SHOUTcast™ radio feature. Search for lyrics to over 2.5 million songs and get translations in over 40 languages. Other fantastic features include the Playback Widget and Facebook® and Twitter integration.
• Slacker Radio – Get free personalized radio on your mobile phone with Slacker Radio, the best way to discover new artists and hear favorite songs. Create your own custom station or choose from over 100 expert-programmed radio stations from every genre.

The Motorola DROID phone is available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online for about $199.99.

It also allows hundreds of millions of Skype users around the world to communicate with friends, family and business colleagues in the United States who use Verizon Wireless.

Together the two have created an exclusive, easy-to-use method for customers to:

• make and receive unlimited Skype-to-Skype voice calls to any Skype user around the globe on America’s most reliable wireless network;
• call international phone numbers at competitive Skype Out calling rates;
• send and receive instant messages to other Skype users; and
• remain always connected with the ability to see friends’ online presence.

“Skype mobile on Verizon Wireless changes the game,” says John Stratton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. “For Verizon Wireless’ more than 90 million customers, Skype mobile adds great value because we’re effectively giving customers with smartphones and data plans the option to extend their unlimited calling community to hundreds of millions of Skype users around the globe. And you’re not limited to using a single type of phone; we’ll have nine smartphones ready right at launch in March.”

The best part has to be that it will mean the ability to use Skype on your mobile phone overseas and avoid international calling and data rates by simply connecting to a free wi-fi connection.

The people over at Skype are also excited about the move.

“People want to take their Skype conversations with them wherever they go, whether it’s on a PC, TV or increasingly mobile phones,” adds Josh Silverman, chief executive officer of Skype. “Verizon Wireless will give U.S. consumers the best Skype experience on mobile phones and will truly change the way people call their friends and family internationally.”

VIP Access for Mobile is a free application that transforms mobile devices into VIP authentication credentials that help customers protect their online data. It displays a security code on your mobile phone that you can then use as a second authentication tool in addition to usernames and passwords when accessing online accounts. The security code acts as a unique, one-time password that automatically changes every 30 seconds.

“Bringing VIP Access for Mobile to Verizon Wireless customers dramatically broadens the footprint of VIP authentication and puts a powerful tool against identity fraud into the hands of millions of mobile users,” said Kerry Loftus, vice president of User Authentication at VeriSign. “We’re proud to work with Verizon Wireless, the leading wireless provider, to deploy strong authentication with an application that makes these safeguards fast, easy and free for subscribers to install and use.”

“The VeriSign app gives our customers another tool to use as they work to keep their online information secure,” said Ed Ruth, director, Strategic Business Development and Partner Management at Verizon Wireless.

The VIP Authentication Service also allows businesses to provide secure remote log-in to corporate intranets, partner portals and virtual private networks (VPN), as well as consumer online banking and mobile payment services.

I’m not sure how much of a demand there will be for an app that lets people know where your at on Facebook of all places, but it may be useful for hardcore Facebook fans who don’t have too many options when it comes to sharing their location with friends and family, especially with Facebook not offering a native application of its own. So VZ Navigator’s Facebook location integration could be useful for a certain type of mobile user tied to Verizon Wireless.

It’s also not free. It will cost $9.99 per month for $2.99 for 24hrs worth of usage. But, the price also gets you other features like turn-by-turn navigation and a roadside assistance feature that sends your location with a click of a button.

Some of the other features:

Other new features now available with VZ Navigator 5.0 include:

• Improved Customer Experience – No need to wait for the entire route to download before starting their voyage because data will now be streamed, causing display screens to populate more quickly
• Enhanced Points of Interest – Access to premium places of interest with detailed descriptions, clearly branded by Map Icons
• Traffic Crowd Sourcing – Opt-in to anonymously send real-time location and speed to the VZ Navigator traffic reporting service, allowing quicker notifications and improved accuracy for all VZ Navigator users
• Alerts for Other Road Attributes – Graphic notifications for tunnels, U-turns, traffic circles and toll plazas
• “Say it Mode” – Select BlackBerry smartphones and Windows Mobile handsets allow customers to verbally search for and update destinations

So $9.99 may just be worth the price.