Mobile

Samsung says it has made a key breakthrough in the journey to making ultra-fast 5G wireless technology available to consumers. But critics say such a wireless standard is a long way off and have questioned the firm's use of the term "5G". The new ... development from Samsung is called an adaptive array transceiver. It's designed to use very high frequencies, currently reserved for sending signals to and from satellites, for cellphone data. So far, it's proven difficult to use those frequencies for cellphone towers because poor weather conditions can compromise the signal. According to Samsung, ... (view more)

A team of researchers has developed a smartphone capable of folding and contorting when receiving a phone call, text message, email, or social media post. The device, which is being developed by researchers at Canada's Queen's University, is called ... 'MorePhone' and features a flexible plastic exterior. Internally, shape-memory alloy wires contract and bend based on electronic signals and are able to reform to the original shape of the device on command. Message and Caller-Specific Curls The technology also can be programmed to alter the phone in a way that suits the owner. In other words, ... (view more)

Nokia has launched a $20 cellphone that comes with no service commitments. The handset lacks many modern mobile tech features but lasts up to 35 days before requiring a recharge. Originally the Nokia 105 handset was designed for the developing ... world. However, the company is now expanding the device's release area to include Europe. The phone boasts 12.5 hours of talk time or 35 days on standby. It's also designed to prevent dust or liquids getting into the phone through the keypad, something that may be particularly useful in some remote areas. The rest of the phone is relatively basic, with ... (view more)

T-Mobile's "No Contract" deal is supposed to let a customer sever their relationship with the wireless carrier at any moment. However, Washington state officials have ordered the firm to offer refunds to people who didn't realize that quitting the ... contract would come with a fee. With most smartphone deals, the user only pays a portion of the cost of the handset, while the service provider picks up the rest of the tab. In return, the user is tied to a minimum service term (usually lasting two to three years), during which they must pay a steep early termination fee if they choose to cancel the ... (view more)

The Department of Transportation (DoT) is calling on automakers to disable technologies that allow someone to send text messages while driving. However, the DoT is only making recommendations and cannot yet force automotive firms to follow its ... advice. The new guidelines are based around electronic devices that are built directly into vehicles, such as GPS navigation devices and communications tools. The DoT has two main recommendations. The first is that such equipment should never force a driver to stop looking at the road for more than two seconds at a time to carry out an action. Officials ... (view more)

A team of PhD students from IT University of Copenhagen has developed new software that eliminates the need to physically touch a mobile device in order to perform simple tasks, like scrolling up and down a web page. Instead, the new technology uses ... eye movements to perform these same functions. The students initially pursued their idea -- which has since been branded "Eye Tribe" -- as a collaborative submission for their European StartupBootcamp accelerator program back in 2011. The team has since grown into a small startup company, including twelve full-time employees who continue to build ... (view more)

Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S4 smartphone may be one of the most anticipated non-Apple mobile devices, ever. Setting this smartphone apart: a unique camera system, global LTE roaming capabilities, a new scrolling feature, and impressive gaming ... support. We recently reported on the Galaxy S4's ability to scroll around based on the movement of a user's eyes. But that's not all that's drawing attention to this device. In fact, consumers are buzzing about the Galaxy S4 for many other reasons. For one, the new Galaxy will feature front- and rear-facing cameras that can be used at the exact same time ... (view more)

The days of repeatedly sliding or tapping your thumb to read longer web pages on a smartphone could be coming to an end. Samsung is reportedly getting ready to debut a phone that you navigate with your eyes. According to a New York Times report, the ... feature will debut on Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S IV smartphone, which is expected to become Samsung's highest-profile handset. (Source: nytimes.com ) The feature will reportedly track a user's eyes as they read a lengthy page. Once the phone detects the user is looking at the bottom of the screen, it will automatically scroll the page down to ... (view more)

Mozilla plans on making a splash in the mobile market this summer with the release of its very own Firefox operating system (OS). It's the first time ever that Mozilla has ventured into this highly-competitive sector of the consumer technology ... market. Mozilla says the Firefox OS will be a smartphone operating system based entirely on HTML 5, which is widely considered the most advanced web browser programming language. HTML 5 Could Present Problems The advantage to using HTML 5 is that there are many developers willing to build HTML 5-based applications. The downside is that HTML 5-based ... (view more)

Spanish researchers say they've found a way to drastically improve the accuracy of GPS-based satellite navigation. They believe they can track a vehicle's location to the nearest six-and-a-half-feet, down from a current radius of nearly fifty feet. ... The improvements might not only allow drivers to get more accurate directions, but could even increase the viability of cars that can drive themselves. The research was carried out by two departments at the Carlos III University in Madrid: the Applied Artificial Intelligence Group and the Systems Intelligence Laboratory. Researchers Remove GPS ... (view more)