Mobile

Mon
05
Sep
Dennis Faas's picture

AT&T Merger With T-Mobile Under Serious Threat

The Department of Justice (DoJ) has launched a legal bid to block a planned merger of cellphone giants AT&T and T-Mobile. Meanwhile, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has hinted it may also raise objections. The proposed merger between ... the second- and fourth-largest cellphone networks respectively would create a new market leader, with a combined subscriber base of 130 million overtaking the current number one, Verizon. From the moment the deal was announced, speculation began that regulators would be wary of the "big four" becoming the "big three". Concerns Result in ... (view more)

Wed
17
Aug
Dennis Faas's picture

Most Mobile Apps Unsafe, Risk ID Theft: Report

One of the primary reasons people buy a smartphone is for the ability to download all kinds of different mobile applications, otherwise known as "apps." However, a new study finds that many of these programs inevitably lead to the loss of personal ... data. The study comes to us from ViaForensics, a digital forensics and security firm. It tested 100 different applications found on both the Google Android and Apple iOS platforms, and gave each app a rating of either a pass [safe], warn [not-so-safe], or fail [dangerous]. (Source: betanews.com ) Failed Apps Neglect to Protect User ... (view more)

Wed
17
Aug
Dennis Faas's picture

Sprint Ditches RIM PlayBook 4G

Less than a month after BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) announced it would lay off thousands of employees , Sprint has now revealed that it will not release the RIM's PlayBook 4G tablet, dealing the already hurting firm yet another blow. ... According to Sprint, the decision to not release the PlayBook 4G was reached mutually with RIM, and is related primarily to technical incompatibility. RIM, Sprint Headed in Different Directions "We apologize for any inconvenience but the BlackBerry 4G PlayBook tablet that was announced in January for summer availability will no longer be coming to ... (view more)

Wed
10
Aug
Dennis Faas's picture

BlackBerry SmartPhone Involved in UK Riots

Social networking has been blamed for helping promote rioting and looting in the United Kingdom. But the culprit is not, as some have assumed, Twitter. Riots broke out in the Tottenham area of London this past Saturday after a protest about the ... shooting of a local man by police two days earlier. The initial riot has been followed by numerous outbreaks of violence and looting in other areas of the city. Twitter Users Ahead of Media in Reporting Violence The events have been discussed extensively on Twitter, with local residents reporting on incidents before they are covered by mainstream media ... (view more)

Mon
08
Aug
Dennis Faas's picture

Major Overhaul Coming For Windows Phone 7

Microsoft has released test editions of its next update to the Windows Phone operating system (OS). It should mean some of the changes will be hitting new and existing phones relatively soon. The update has been codenamed 'Mango' and is the largest ... set of changes to the Windows Phone 7 OS yet, though the company hasn't yet decided to officially dub it version 2.0. There are two slightly different versions of the update in circulation at the moment. One has gone to phone manufacturers and is designed to allow them to test it on both existing and forthcoming handsets to spot any potential ... (view more)

Tue
26
Jul
Dennis Faas's picture

BlackBerry Firm to cut 2,000 Jobs

A few years ago it was hard not to think of the BlackBerry when someone mentioned the word "smartphone" -- and with that came recognition of the firm responsible for developing and marketing the device, Research in Motion (or "RIM"). Flash forward a ... few years, and now the term 'smartphone' is much more commonplace, thanks to the introduction of Apple's iPhone and various Google Android devices. So popular are these rival products that the BlackBerry's market share has started to dwindle. For RIM, it's a troubling and frustrating trend that on Monday culminated in Monday's ... (view more)

Tue
12
Jul
Dennis Faas's picture

New Smartphone App to Interpret Activities, People

A pair of summer interns at Microsoft have collaborated on a project to create an Android application capable of interpreting photographs -- complete with the identities and activities of the individuals involved -- via a smartphone camera without ... any human input whatsoever. 'TagSense', as it's called, is the brainchild of Microsoft Research interns Chaun Qin and Xuan Bao. The software works by utilizing Android's accelerometers to determine the exact physical activity the person in the photograph is involved in. This is supported by built-in microphones that can determine whether the ... (view more)

Wed
06
Jul
Dennis Faas's picture

'Open Letter' Rips RIM for Half-Baked Products

A senior Research in Motion (RIM) employee has publically snubbed the management of his (or her) own company, recommending that executives to "stop shipping incomplete products that aren't ready for the end user." The embarrassing letter comes ... amidst rumors that Microsoft may buy up the flagging firm. Open Letter Asks CEOs to Step Aside The open letter was sent to both RIM co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie as well as online news site BGR. It makes a number of shocking statements, highlighted by a demand that management lay off unproductive workers. It also encourages Balsillie and ... (view more)

Wed
01
Jun
Dennis Faas's picture

Int'l Health Agency Links Cellphones to Brain Cancer

An international health agency has reported it sees possible links between cellphone use and the onset of brain cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is an important body in directing World Health Organization (WHO) and ... American Cancer Society policy. The problem the IARC has with cellphones is the radiofrequency electromagnetic fields emitted by the devices. Dr. Jonathan Samet, chair of preventive medicine at the USC Keck School of Medicine, said that for this reason the IARC considers cellphones "possibly carcinogenic to humans," adding that "We reached this ... (view more)

Mon
23
May
Dennis Faas's picture

Windows Phone 7 Comes To Verizon

Verizon Wireless has announced the first Windows Phone 7 handset available on its network. Microsoft hopes it will help overturn disappointing sales that have left the mobile platform well behind its competitors in popularity. Windows Phone 7 on HTC ... Trophy 7 The new handset is the HTC Trophy 7, which will retail for $150 if buyers take advantage of a rebate and sign up to a two-year service deal. That's notably lower than the $200 that most top-end smartphones go for under such conditions. One of the big selling points is that the phone is compatible with the Xbox 360 gaming system. A select ... (view more)

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