You know what’s great? My smartphone puts the world in my pocket. Broadband puts 2,454,399 channels on my HDTV. I can access the internet from a freaking airplane! You know what’s unsustainable?

Attention, teenagers of America: things cost money, even when plucked out of thin air. And attention parents of America: buy a data plan , already. When Ted Estarija added his son to his cell phone plan, he probably wasn’t expecting the adorable little scamp to download 1.4GB in a month. But these kids, that’s they do ! Anyway, in a show of uncustomary magnanimity, Verizon has forgiven all charges for the month, and Estarija the Younger has been cut off, so everything’s back the way it should be. Except for the fact that apparently a kajillion percent (approximately) increase in data usage didn’t send up any flags at Verizon as it was happening, which is pretty unfortunate customer relations. [ AP via Consumerist ]

Amy Klobuchar , True America Hero and Senator of Minnesota, introduced a bill in Congress today in response to Verizon’s doubled early termination fees , aiming to limit them. It’s just like the civil rights movement, except with smartphones! Verizon’s response: A broad array of Americans who might not otherwise be able to afford broadband connections to the Internet with a home PC, or by paying full price for a smartphone, have an affordable way of participating in the online world when they choose a subsidized option. Also noted is the fact that smartphones are available at full, unsubsidized price, although it’s not mentioned that the monthly fee doesn’t change with an unsubsidized phone and that said unsubsidized phones are incredibly expensive. Hey Verizon, haven’t you heard that this is a recession ?

AOL tried to squeeze a little over $100 in fees from a customer for upgrades he hadn’t asked for, hadn’t approved, hadn’t used and of which he hadn’t even been notified. Unluckily for AOL, that customer is a professional writer. Current Wall Street Journal writer Jason Zweig used to work for a Time-Warner-owned magazine, and when Time Warner merged with AOL, he and his colleagues all received free AOL email accounts. Zweig gave his to his wife, who used it up until last year. But recently, Zweig started receiving phone calls from AOL’s customer service reps in India, saying he owed $103.60 for an upgrade he knew nothing about. Turns out the terms of agreement he signed years ago may (or may not) have included a section allowing AOL to upgrade his service and charge him for it

For many of us, air conditioning results in our biggest utility expense during the summer months. Well, summer is officially here, and so is Prof. Dealzmodo to lay some tips on you for keeping cool without going broke. Fans At the very least a regular fan, a twin window fan that takes advantage of cool night air, room to room fan , or even a bed fan could help save a little extra money—especially if the outside temperature cools sufficiently in your area. If you have the option of installing a ceiling fan, it can be one of the simplest and most inexpensive ways to reduce energy costs in the home.

Last week I provided a few basic green upgrades that can help you save money. This time around it’s all about tech that will save money and potentially increase the value of your home. Saving Energy In the previous Prof. Dealzmodo article , I talked about upgrades like switching to CFLs and investigating options for eliminating wasteful standby power like eco-oriented powerstrips . These kinds of upgrades are affordable on most budgets—real no-brainers.

At a lobbying dinner hosted by the MPAA, Vice President Joe Biden chastised piracy as “pure theft” and assured the MPAA that President Obama’s administration will find the right person for the intellectual property czar . Showing favor towards the MPAA, President Obama also appointed Jon Leibowitz —former vice president of congressional affairs of the MPAA—as the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission earlier this year. As you may recall, former president Bush signed a bill last October , creating the intellectual property czar position to lead the fight against piracy and intellectual property violations. [ ArsTechnica ]