Technology: Getting Plugged In

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On Feb. 1 Verizon Wireless fires up its new wireless broadband service in 32 cities, delivering DSL-like download speeds of 300 to 500 kbps and often higher. The new VCAST service makes Verizon the first U.S. carrier to push 15-frames-per-sec. video and high- quality stereo music to the cell phone. LG'S VX8000 will support VCAST at launch, and three more phones, from Samsung, UTStarcom and Motorola, are expected. For $15 a month on top of a standard calling plan, customers can download an unlimited stream of files to the phones or pay extra for premium content. Highlights will include music videos, Doppler weather radar, 3-D games and video clips as much as five minutes or longer, among them "webisodes" from 20th Century Fox based on the show 24.