Highlight:
All brands
Top manufacturers
Popular brands
Brands having new devices
Custom:
Set favorites
Global Mobile Mobile News Headlines

Mobile news archive of January, 2012

First Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next Last Page 1 of 8 (from 1 to 40 of 304)

  • Verizon Revokes $2 Fee After Consumer Outrage Jan 02, 2012

    Verizon Revokes $2 Fee After Consumer Outrage Verizon abandoned plans to hit subscribers with an additional fee, after customers rallied against the carrier.

    Verizon revoked its recent $2 convenience fee it was charging customers who chose to pay their phone bill online or over the phone. The carrier originally justified the new charge by saying it was needed to cover the cost of processing payments. "At Verizon, we take great care to listen to our customers", said Verizon Wireless President and CEO Dan Mead. "Based on their input, we believe the best path forward is to encourage customers to take advantage of the best and most efficient options, eliminating the need to institute the fee at this time". [...]

  • Police Find Child Abusers on Facebook Jan 02, 2012

    Police Find Child Abusers on Facebook Police increasingly look to Facebook to investigate crimes, as an Arizona couple was arrested after allegedly binding their babies with duct tape and posting photos on the social network.

    The young parents, Frankie and Kayla Almuina, are facing charges of child abuse after one of the mother's Facebook friends anonymously tipped off the Arizona Child Abuse Hotline. According to Reuters, the couple's 2-year-old boy and a 10-month old girl were shown on the mother's Facebook page with duct tape on their wrists and ankles and with their mouths taped shut. The boy was also pictured hanging upside down from an exercise machine. [...]

  • Apple Designer Gets Knighthood Jan 02, 2012

    Apple Designer Gets Knighthood Jonathan Ive, Apple's famed industrial designer, has been knighted, adding another accomplishment to his growing list.

    The U.K.'s Queen Elizabeth II named Ive, the designer behind Apple's iconic MacBook, iPod, iPhone, and iPad, a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, or KBE. Ive is expected to officially receive the touch of the sword by the queen later this year. The knighthood is the latest honor for Ive, whose design talent in service of the tech company has drawn accolades and recognition. Last month, Germany's Museum for Arts and Crafts in Hamburg opened an exhibition showcasing a collection of every product Apple has ever released under Ive. [...]

  • Google, Apple Break Holiday Activation Records Jan 02, 2012

    Google, Apple Break Holiday Activation Records Google and Apple saw record-breaking device activations and app downloads over the holiday season, underscoring continued explosive growth as a new year dawns.

    Mobile data company Flurry reported nearly seven million Christmas Day phone activations worldwide on the two main mobile platforms, more than triple the usual daily activation average. Activations were evenly split between Android and iOS, proving Apple's smartphones and tablets are holding their own, despite rapid growth of handsets from Android makers like HTC and Samsung. [...]

  • HP Refocuses on Mobile, Attempts Turnaround Jan 02, 2012

    HP Refocuses on Mobile, Attempts Turnaround Hewlett-Packard is moving forward with changes to its WebOS software, as the struggling company bets on mobile technology to fuel its turnaround.

    HP, renowned for the popularity of its desktop PCs, faced significant challenges in 2011. The company's TouchPad tablet, once expected to rival Apple's iPad 2, was shelved late last year because of lackluster sales largely due to its sluggish WebOS software. But HP is taking steps to improve its situation. The company recently made WebOS open-source, meaning developers are free to create apps and games for the software that could draw a new consumer base. [...]

  • Chinese Phone Makers Team Up to Block Patent Suits Jan 02, 2012

    Chinese Phone Makers Team Up to Block Patent Suits Several Chinese phone makers are banding together to fight potential patent lawsuits, as market giants like Apple enter emerging markets sparking fear of impending patent lawsuits.

    Lenovo, Coolpad, ZTE, TCL, and Konka are among the Chinese companies forming the alliance, according to DigiTimes. Major manufacturers like Apple, Nokia, and Microsoft plan to expand their market share in China and the national companies seek to learn from the example of earlier market expansions into Europe and Australia, which kicked-off a flurry of patent infringement suits. [...]

  • Verizon Ditches Droid 3, Makes Way For New Devices Jan 02, 2012

    Verizon Ditches Droid 3, Makes Way For New Devices Verizon will reportedly discontinue offering the Motorola Droid 3, along with several other devices, as the carrier cleans up its catalog heading into the new year.

    The Basking Ridge, N.J. -based company will receive its last shipments of the Droid 3 this month, according to The Verge. The LG Revolution, BlackBerry Curve 3G and Palm Pre 2 will reportedly also be cut out of Verizon's lineup. Verizon's decision to stop carrying the Droid 3 comes just six months after the device hit the carrier's network. [...]

  • Intel to Launch Mobile Push With LG Smartphone Jan 02, 2012

    Intel to Launch Mobile Push With LG Smartphone Intel will soon unveil the first smartphone powered by its Medfield processor, highlighting the chipmaker's plans to carve a niche in the mobile device market.

    Intel is expected to introduce a high-end Android smartphone made by LG at the Consumer Electronics Show beginning on January 10 in Las Vegas, according to the Korea Times. The handset is rumored to hit stores in March. Intel's upcoming CES presentation represents a major step in the company's efforts to create a mobile market presence. [...]

  • Ron Paul Surges on Facebook, Twitter as Caucus Nears Jan 02, 2012

    Ron Paul Surges on Facebook, Twitter as Caucus Nears Ron Paul is gaining steam through Facebook and Twitter, as political experts use social media to track potential voter outcomes on the eve of the Republican caucus in Iowa.

    Social media analytics are revealing some last-minute trends just one day before the first presidential caucus of the 2012 campaign year. For example, Socialbakers tracked the seven Republican candidates on their Facebook performance up until the end of December, finding Ron Paul is the most "viral" candidate, with nearly 60,000 people talking about him on Facebook last week. [...]

  • PlayStation Vita Sales Stumble in Japan Jan 02, 2012

    PlayStation Vita Sales Stumble in Japan Sales of Sony's PlayStation Vita have dropped off significantly since its launch in Japan, a sign the company may have to make some changes to assure the console's success.

    After selling more than 300,000 units in its first two days of release, the Sony moved just over 70,000 Vitas in the week ending December 25. Sales were likely to fall after the initial wave of demand, but the drop off was much steeper than Sony anticipated, specifically in the week leading up to Christmas. Dedicated portable gaming systems appear to be in a transition period as consumers play games more often on their smartphones. [...]

  • Robbers Target Cell Phone Food Orders in Chicago Jan 02, 2012

    Robbers Target Cell Phone Food Orders in Chicago Chicago restaurants are refusing orders placed by cell phones because of crime risks, posing potential problems as more people turn away from landlines.

    Criminals, taking advantage of the fact that cell phones don't allow police to track down where a call originates and helps them evade capture, are using the devices to place orders and robbing many delivery drivers who arrive at the specified location. Police are issuing warnings and lists of cell phone numbers involved in the robberies, which have become more frequent in areas such as Chinatown and Hyde Park. [...]

  • Occupy Wall Street Builds Facebook Alternative Jan 02, 2012

    Occupy Wall Street Builds Facebook Alternative Occupy Wall Street activists are creating their own social networking site, hoping to establish protected digital protest space as physical camps continue to face legal problems.

    The site, tentatively named The Global Square and expected to launch later this month, hopes to provide a place "where people of all nations can come together as equals to participate in the coordination of collective actions and the formulation of common goals and aspirations", according to a post by Occupy-blog RoarMag. [...]

  • Facebook Flirting Causes One-in-Three Divorces Jan 02, 2012

    Facebook Flirting Causes One-in-Three Divorces Facebook flirting and comments contribute to an increasing number of divorces, underscoring how social media is affecting privacy and family interactions.

    One-third of 2011 divorce cases in England implicated Facebook as a cause, according to a survey conducted by a U.K.-based divorce website. The 5,000 people polled cited three reasons for listing Facebook in divorce petitions, including sending inappropriate messages to the opposite sex, posting negative comments about exes on the social network, and friends disclosing a spouse's behavior. The survey highlights how burgeoning social media use blurs the line between public and private. [...]

  • Sprint Gives LightSquared Extension to Get FCC Approval Jan 02, 2012

    Sprint Gives LightSquared Extension to Get FCC Approval Sprint has given LightSquared a 30-day extension to get approval from the Federal Communications Commission to build its network, giving the deal between the two companies new life.

    LightSquared's agreement with Sprint last July would help the struggling carrier provide 4G data to its customers in the wake of strong LTE efforts by Verizon and AT&T. Sprint initially told LightSquared the deal was contingent on the company getting FCC approval for its new network by December 31, but the carrier has given Virginia-based start-up some more time. [...]

  • Acer Readies Iconia Tablet Jan 02, 2012

    Acer Readies Iconia Tablet Acer is reportedly planning to present its Tegra 3-powered, 10-inch Iconia Tab A700 later this month, hinting at another Android contender in the increasingly crowded tablet market.

    According to Russian site NoMobile.ru, the next-generation Acer tablet, which is slimmer, lighter, and more powerful than its predecessor, will hit the scene at the Consumer Electronics Show and be ready for release as early as March of this year. [...]

  • A Toaster to Dock Your IPhone Jan 02, 2012

    A Toaster to Dock Your IPhone An iPhone dock resembles an old-fashioned toaster, bringing retro charm to Apple's modern device.

    Singapore-based Gavio released the "Toast", a dock with a sound station, designed to look like a drop-down bread toaster. The eye-catching gadget carries dual 50-millimeter speakers, powered by a three-watt amplifier that could lead people to use Toast in many other rooms besides the kitchen. It's also powered by a lithium-ion battery, allowing it to go completely wireless. The device follows Gavio's Pill, an iPod Nano docking system shaped like an over-sized medicine capsule, adding to the fun gadgets the company offers. Gavio says Toast is available for pre-order, but hasn't yet set prices for it. [...]

  • E-Book Editing Raises Questions for Publishing Jan 03, 2012

    E-Book Editing Raises Questions for Publishing E-book editing is leading to questions about the changing nature of electronic works, as digital publishing impacts the literary world creatively and financially.

    A recent Wall Street Journal Books blog post by Nicholas Carr raises questions about the malleability of e-books. The author self-published an essay collection on Amazon, decided to make a few sentence-level changes, and was able to do so in just two days, rather than the months it would have taken if those corrections went through a traditional publisher -- that is, if the publisher even agreed to make them. [...]

  • Japan Fights Virus With Virus Jan 03, 2012

    Japan Fights Virus With Virus The Japanese government is developing a computer virus to track down the source of a cyber-attack and neutralize it, underscoring the seriousness of the threat.

    According to a report from The Times of India, software company Fujitsu is reportedly developing the "electronic weapon", a process that has taken three years and $2.3 million, to combat Internet-based threats. The virus works by monitoring for attacks, identifying the source, and closing it down to prevent further programs. The Japanese Parliament as well as several embassies, consulates and local government systems were targeted by hackers in the past several months. [...]

  • Apple to Focus on IBooks Jan 03, 2012

    Apple to Focus on IBooks Apple is expected to discuss its iBooks platform at a media event at the end of January, as the company faces an emerging threat to its e-books business from Amazon's Kindle Fire.

    Apple is remaining quiet on what exactly will be discussed, but it is expected to focus on e-books and software rather than hardware. Several members of the publishing world are also expected to attend and help present. Eddy Cue, Apple senior vice president of Internet software and services, will reportedly be heavily involved in the event. [...]

  • RIM Offers Deep Discounts on BlackBerry PlayBook Jan 03, 2012

    RIM Offers Deep Discounts on BlackBerry PlayBook Research In Motion is slashing the price of the BlackBerry PlayBook, as the company makes way for its new product line and attempts a comeback for 2012.

    Through February 4, RIM will offer the 16-gigabyte, 32-gigabyte and 64-gigabyte PlayBooks for $300 in the official online store, less than half of the original selling price for the 64-gigabyte model. RIM is struggling to revive its BlackBerry brand, and faced massive challenges and setbacks throughout 2011, from service outages to plummeting stocks to legal troubles with its upcoming operating system, now called BlackBerry 10. [...]

  • Juror Booted for Facebook-Friending Defendant Jan 03, 2012

    Juror Booted for Facebook-Friending Defendant Social media continues to pose problems for courts across the country, as a Florida man was kicked off a civil trial jury after trying to friend a defendant on Facebook.

    The juror, Jacob Jock, was in a jury pool for a personal injury lawsuit involving a traffic accident, and said he decided to look up people in the case to see if he knew them. When he came across the female defendant's profile, Jock claims he "accidentally friend requested her", when he didn't think he'd get picked for the jury. [...]

  • FilmOn Streams Live TV on Phones, But Faces Legal Quagmire Jan 03, 2012

    FilmOn Streams Live TV on Phones, But Faces Legal Quagmire FilmOn will release a tuner to stream live TV onto mobile devices in February, as the company attempts to avoid legal issues with U.S. television networks.

    The U.K.-based online streaming company will sell the Air for $100, and the tuner will be free for the company's subscribers, who pay $150 annually on their plans. Users will be able to take advantage of free online programming without a subscription, but purchasing a monthly or annual package through FilmOn will let them stream more channels on their computers and phones. The Air has a built-in battery that lasts five hours, and it can be charged through a secondary device via USB. [...]

  • Windows Keeps Up With Siri-like Voice Assistant Jan 03, 2012

    Windows Keeps Up With Siri-like Voice Assistant A developer created a third-party app to give Windows phones voice recognition capabilities, highlighting the growing interest in the intelligent voice technology.

    Shai Leib built "Ask Ziggy" using voice recognition technology from Nuance for the WP7 platform. Leib's free app has been available in the Windows Phone Marketplace for several days, but a revised version is expected shortly, giving Microsoft users an alternative to the groundbreaking Siri technology. Windows users can use Leib's app to interpret voice commands for emailing, texting, calling, social network updates and getting directions. [...]

  • Carriers Grapple with Drops in Texting Jan 03, 2012

    Carriers Grapple with Drops in Texting Text messaging is declining in several countries, leaving carriers looking for ways to recoup lost revenue.

    Finnish wireless carrier Sonera reported the number of texts sent this past Christmas Eve dropped by more than three million, when compared to the same night a year earlier. Holiday season texts also fell significantly in Hong Kong, Australia and other locations, according senior analyst for MGI research Tero Kuittinen in a Forbes column. Texting's decline is linked to the rise of free messaging provided by apps and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, and to the popularity of free instant messaging services such as BlackBerry Messenger and iMessage. [...]

  • RIM to Oust CEOs, Report Says Jan 03, 2012

    RIM to Oust CEOs, Report Says Research In Motion plans to oust its longtime co-CEOs, a report claims, as the struggling BlackBerry maker tries to reverse its fortunes with major changes.

    The Financial Post reported Tuesday current co-chairmen of the board Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie may be replaced later this month, when RIM announces the results of a governance review by the company's independent directors. Lazaridis and Balsillie have been widely criticized in recent years, but RIM faced increasingly dire circumstances in 2011, eliciting heavy scrutiny over the controversial decisions of the two men, who are also the second-and-third-largest shareholders in the company. [...]

  • Steve Jobs Action Figure Reflects Attention to Detail Jan 03, 2012

    Steve Jobs Action Figure Reflects Attention to Detail Steve Jobs is being memorialized in an accurately detailed action figure as fascination with Apple's co-founder continues months after his death in October.

    The In Icons company is taking pre-orders for the action figure, priced at $100, with shipment set for the end of February. The 12-inch, one-sixth scale doll could become a collectible figure among people who see Steve Jobs a hero in his own right. The action figure could be a best-seller, if other Jobs' items are any indication. The tech icon's biography, "Steve Jobs" topped Amazon's sales list for 2011, even though it only came out in October. [...]

  • T-Mobile Slashes Prices of Top Smartphones Jan 03, 2012

    T-Mobile Slashes Prices of Top Smartphones T-Mobile is slashing the price of some of its most popular smartphones, as the carrier looks to move its stock before CES later this month.

    T-Mobilewill offer the Android-powered HTC Radar 4G, HTC Amaze 4G and Samsung Galaxy S2 phones for $50 after mail-in rebate when users sign up for a two-year contract from January 6-8. T-Mobile will also offer the BlackBerry Bold 9900 for $50. The T-Mobile Springboard and G-Slate tablets will join the selected handsets and be marked down to $50 after mail-in rebate and a commitment to a data plan with the carrier. [...]

  • Google+ Poised for Year of Growth Jan 03, 2012

    Google+ Poised for Year of Growth Google+ had its best traffic month yet in December, hinting at rapid growth for the Internet giant's social media site in 2012.

    Google's fledgling social networking entry garnered 49 million visits in the last month of 2011, according to a tweet from Experian Hitwise, representing a 55 percent increase in site traffic. FamilyLink founder and "unofficial" Google+ statistician Paul Allen pegged Google+ at over 60 million users and predicted it will reach 85 million by the end of February. If the site continues signing up new members at its current rate, it could end the year with nearly 300 million members. [...]

  • The Year Ahead: Scrambling for Spectrum Jan 03, 2012

    The Year Ahead: Scrambling for Spectrum Carriers face an increasingly dire shortage of spectrum in 2012, as data-hungry consumers continue to place high value on speedy service.

    Service providers will ramp up efforts to combat the industry-wide shortage to boost their airwaves, and the year promises many business deals aimed at combining resources to acquire spectrum. But regulators' increasing scrutiny of mergers, acquisitions and partnerships may stand in the way as agencies like the FCC grapple with how to create more airwaves. As connected devices proliferate and spectrum resources remain finite, the companies that find the most economical and creative solutions this year just may come out on top. [...]

  • Indian Women Learn Alphabets on Handsets Jan 03, 2012

    Indian Women Learn Alphabets on Handsets Rural Indian women are learning alphabets on their cell phones, as they continue to use mobile technology to expand their empowerment outside the home.

    Over one thousand women have started reading English and other languages with the help of their phones and an NGO called Mahila Shakti Pratish, translated as the Women Strength Foundation. Mahila Shakti, sponsored by the Human Welfare Association , has connected women with mobile phones, education centers and self-help groups in 33 villages since April. The organization encourages women to purchase cell phones as supplemental educational tools, saying they are especially useful for learning various alphabets. [...]

  • GymPact Gives Cash Rewards For Working Out Jan 03, 2012

    GymPact Gives Cash Rewards For Working Out An app could help people keep their New Year's resolution to stay in shape by offering cash incentives to get them into the gym, a unique approach for motivating people to get fit.

    "GymPact" is an iPhone app that gets exercisers to create a contract about how many times they'll make it to the gym in a week's time, and how much money they'll pay up if they don't meet that goal. If users live up to their pacts, they collect $1 cash rewards, paid for by people who don't fill their quotas. If they don't live up to the pact, they pay $5 through the app. GymPact makes its money by collecting a three-percent fee based on the transactions. [...]

  • Overcharging Gadgets Wreaks Havoc on Electric Bills Jan 03, 2012

    Overcharging Gadgets Wreaks Havoc on Electric Bills Nine-in-10 gadget owners leave devices plugged in long past sufficient charging time, a new study finds, increasing energy use and resulting in higher monthly bills.

    U.K.-based energy firm E.ON found overcharging batteries significantly reduces their lifespan, and can also increase household electricity bills by nearly $80 per year. The number of gadgets per household is on the rise, with sales of smartphones, tablet computers, e-readers, and mobile gaming systems soaring. Many owners charge those devices by leaving them plugged in while they do other things, often overnight while they sleep. But frequent overcharging can have negative effects. [...]

  • The Year Ahead: Apple Evolves IPhone, IPad to Keep Ahead Jan 04, 2012

    The Year Ahead: Apple Evolves IPhone, IPad to Keep Ahead Apple finished out 2011 strong, with sales of the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 humming along, but the company will have to make some adjustments in 2012 to continue to ensure success.

    The coming year will likely see new entries into several of Apple's key product lines, including the iPhone, iPod and iPad. Apple didn't change much in 2011, but as it embarks on its first full calendar year without the guidance of co-founder Steve Jobs, the company is up against stiffer competition in the mobile and tablet market than ever before. [...]

  • Samsung Unveils Galaxy Ace Plus Jan 04, 2012

    Samsung Unveils Galaxy Ace Plus Samsung plans to release the Galaxy Ace Plus, featuring a design similar to Apple's iPhone 3G, in Russia starting in January, giving the company another low-end option.

    The Galaxy Ace Plus runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread and feature a 1-gigahertz processor, a 3.65-inch display and a 5-megapixel camera. The device also supports HSDPA networks and comes with 512-megabytes of RAM and 3-gigabytes of internal storage. Samsung has not announced pricing or when the device will launch outside of Russia, but it's expected it will be made available in China, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe early this year as a complement to the rest of its Galaxy line. [...]

  • Google Bolsters Protection for Android with IBM Patents Jan 04, 2012

    Google Bolsters Protection for Android with IBM Patents Google is ramping up legal protection for ongoing patent disputes against Android, acquiring more than 200 patents from IBM as defensive armor.

    Google quietly added the 217 active and pending patents, primarily focused on cellphones, mobile web browsers, and voice search, in an deal recorded December 30. One patent in particular, for a "computer phone", and others that date back to 1987, are fueling speculation Google will use the patents to defend the search giant as it fends off a mounting proxy war against Android. Last year, Google and its Android partners weathered a slew of suits from rivals to hobble the OS' widening reach. [...]

  • Need a Kidney? Try Facebook Jan 04, 2012

    Need a Kidney? Try Facebook Facebook is helping people find medical assistance, highlighting the positive impact social networking sites can have on healthcare in the future.

    People are increasingly using the social network site's massive user base to search for liver, kidney, and blood donors, accessing thousands of other users through shared pages and stories in just days. Success stories from Michigan and Seattle recently made the national news, inspiring other patients on donor waiting lists to take a chance and ask their Facebook friends for help. "We see more and more people matched up by social media", said April Paschke, spokeswoman for the United Network for Organ Sharing, to USA Today. [...]

  • Facebook, Twitter Battle Spammers Jan 04, 2012

    Facebook, Twitter Battle Spammers Spammers are targeting Facebook and Twitter users, who increasingly turn away from e-mail and use social media sites for communication.

    "Spammers have decided to move where the people are and where the defenses are weak: Facebook and Twitter", said Chester Wisniewski, an analyst at security firm Sophos. Unlike e-mail spam, social media spam often appears to come from a friend. Social networks are especially alluring because messaging can be spread through trusted sources. Typically, social spam consists of a message promising a user a reward. [...]

  • Kindle Fire Cuts Into IPad Sales Jan 04, 2012

    Kindle Fire Cuts Into IPad Sales The Kindle Fire cut into the sales of the iPad this holiday season, which may result in Apple making changes to its strategy to compete.

    The presence of Amazon's new tablet in the market place led to lower than expected iPad sales, potentially stopping the sale of 1 to 2 million of Apple's tablets, according to research firm Morgan Keenan. Analysts initially projected the sale of 16 million iPads during the 2011 holiday season, but the device instead registered sales of 13 million units. Although the iPad's sales numbers missed analyst's expectations, it wasn't all bad news for Apple. [...]

  • Samsung Secures Approval for Chinese Plant Jan 04, 2012

    Samsung Secures Approval for Chinese Plant Samsung won approval from the South Korean government to build a flash memory manufacturing plant in China, boosting its presence in the world's largest emerging market for consumer electronics.

    The plant is expected to produce NAND flash memory chips, used mainly for music players, tablets and handset devices. The Chinese government still needs to approve construction plans, which is set to begin within the next six months, with production ramping up in the second half of next year. [...]

  • WebOS Gets Surprise Second Life in Healthcare Jan 04, 2012

    WebOS Gets Surprise Second Life in Healthcare Hewlett-Packard's WebOS is making unexpected inroads in healthcare as medical researchers develop applications for the newly open-source platform.

    Andrew B. Holbrook, a Stanford University Department of Radiology research associate, developed a WebOS application that operates an MRI scanner and allows radiologists and other medical personnel to view images captured by the MRI machine on a TouchPad tablet. Holbrook designed an app allowing HP's TouchPad to operate an MRI machine from inside the scanning room, then interface with a PC server located elsewhere. [...]

First Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next Last Page 1 of 8 (from 1 to 40 of 304)
News archive
Headlines News
Social Networking