Mobile

Galaxy S4's Camera Wins Shootout With iPhones
May 25, 2013

The Samsung Galaxy S4's rear-facing camera beats those in the iPhone 5 and 4S as well as other Samsung smartphones, according to a report from digital image specialists DxO Lab. The 13 MP GS4 camera tallied an overall DxOMark score of 75, while the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S III all scored 72. First place was taken by the Nokia 808 PureView.

Facebook Scrubs European Launch of Home, HTC First
May 24, 2013

It has been about a month since Facebook unveiled the keys to its mobile problems -- its Facebook Home app and the HTC First, a smartphone designed specifically around Home. To date, though, the progress of these duel initiatives has been less than encouraging. European carriers Orange and EE have delayed the rollout of the First, apparently at Facebook's behest.

Haswell Battery Life Claims Energize Hopes for PC Industry
May 24, 2013

Despite improvements in processing power in recent years, battery life remains an issue with the growth of mobile devices. Intel has looked to address this with a new family of Core processors code-named Haswell, which the company said Thursday will offer up to 50 percent more battery life for laptops than its previous Ivy Bridge chips provided.

Pandora's Mobile Biz Tunes in Q1 Growth
May 24, 2013

Pandora's boost in Q1 revenue, thanks largely to an increase in subscribers who want to listen to ad-free Internet radio, helped the streaming media company turn in a quarterly report Thursday that beat expectations. The Internet radio service reported $126 million in revenue, a 55 percent increase from the same period last year and higher than the $124 million analysts predicted.

Crowdsourced App Helps Otis Lift E-Service to Another Level
May 24, 2013

Mobile CRM is well entrenched in the sales and marketing spaces -- perhaps too entrenched in some cases. However, the third tier of traditional CRM -- service -- has barely been breached by mobile technologies. Some headway has been made, but for the most part it has been in fits and starts. Only a few vendors offer e-service applications for the mobile environment.

AMD Stakes Out Mobile Territory With New Low-Power Chips
May 24, 2013

Perennial Intel competitor AMD on Thursday launched three additions to its 2013 A-Series and E-series mobile accelerated processing unit family. They include the Elite Mobility APU, previously code-named "Temash," and the Mainstream APU, formerly code-named "Kabini."Both are system on a chip solutions based on AMD's "Jaguar" microarchitecture for low-power processors.

Kutcher's Insight Into Mobile Investments Is No Act
May 23, 2013

Actor Ashton Kutcher has his hand in more than just the show Two and a Half Men and other roles, including his portrayal of Steve Jobs in the upcoming film Jobs. While other actors venture into businesses such as clothing lines or fragrances, Kutcher actively invests in the tech community with a venture fund.

HTC's Exec Exodus Prompts Questions About Company's Future
May 23, 2013

Top executives are leaving HTC as the smartphone company's market share dwindles rapidly, according to published reports. The latest to depart is HTC Asia CEO Lennard Hoornik, who joins at least five other senior executives. Those include product strategy manager Eric Lin, who issued a tweet urging colleagues to leave the company.

Walmart's Mobile App Aims for 'Indispensable' Customer Tools
May 22, 2013

The key for developing a mobile strategy? Understand the customer. That was the theme of Wednesday's keynote presentations at CTIA 2013, the wireless industry trade show held this week in Las Vegas. Companies that address their consumer find higher adoption and engagement. In the case of Walmart, the world's largest retailer has found a way to push boundaries while addressing consumer needs.

JLo, Verizon Partner on Wireless Stores Targeting Latinos
May 22, 2013

Actress, singer, dancer and fashion designer Jennifer Lopez can now add wireless industry mogul to her resumé. JLo is the big name behind Viva Movil, a new mobile phone retailer that addresses the growing Latino market. Lopez is the founder of Viva Movil, as well as a majority shareholder and its chief creative officer.

Qualcomm Puts Super High-Res Mirasol Magic on Display
May 22, 2013

Qualcomm, which has been struggling to market its futuristic Mirasol display technology, demonstrated the product at the 2013 Display Week conference being held in Vancouver, Canada. The company displayed a 5.1-inch panel with 2,560 x 1,440 pixel resolution. It also showed off a 1.5-inch panel embedded on a smartphone and on a smartwatch, but these were apparently mockups.

Clearwire Board Gives Nod to Sweeter Sprint Bid
May 22, 2013

Clearwire's special committee and its board of directors recommended that shareholders approve Sprint's increased offer to buy the remaining half of the company. Sprint already owns about 50 percent of Clearwire. It upped its bid to purchase the remaining stake by 14 percent Tuesday, offering $3.40 per share. That offer values Clearwire at $10.7 billion.

Intel Puts Its Chips on 'New Devices'
May 22, 2013

Intel's new CEO Brian Krzanich showed Tuesday he's ready to put his stamp on the chipmaking giant by announcing a company reorganization that includes a division for new devices. The division, headed by former mobile unit chief Mike Bell, will reportedly focus on emerging product trends. It will be a key component in Intel's attempt to boost its performance where it has lagged rivals.

MicroStrategy's Saylor: Our Mobile Identity Completes Us
May 21, 2013

Mobile identity was the theme that kicked off at a keynote speech Tuesday at CTIA 2013, the wireless industry trade show under way this week in Las Vegas. Michael Saylor, founder, chairman and CEO of MicroStrategy and author of The Mobile Wave, spoke of how mobile identity is becoming a vital part of consumers' lives.

IBM Suits Up Watson to Tackle Thorny Customer Service Problems
May 21, 2013

IBM on Tuesday announced that it will offer Watson -- its artificial intelligence software package that won the Jeopardy game show -- as a customer service solution called "Watson Engagement Advisor," a cognitive computing assistant that rapidly learns, adapts and understands a company's data.

GrubHub, Seamless Merge to Boost Restaurant Delivery Chops
May 21, 2013

Two well-known restaurant delivery services -- GrubHub and Seamless -- announced plans to merge on Monday. The services enable users to search local restaurants that deliver by ZIP code and food specialty. Combined, the companies' footprint will cover 500 cities and connect users to more than 20,000 establishments.

New Chair Puts Spectrum, Access High on FCC's Priority List
May 21, 2013

During her keynote address at the opening session of the CTIA 2013 wireless industry trade show in Las Vegas, acting FCC Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn spoke of continuing the work of her predecessor -- with a slight shift from focusing on rural communities to addressing the needs of the underprivileged. Clyburn, in her second day in office, stepped in as a late addition to the keynote lineup.

Dish Eyes LightSquared's Wireless Spectrum
May 21, 2013

Dish Network is offering $2 billion for some of LightSquared's spectrum in a move that could help the company expand its services beyond pay TV. The offer would add spectrum to Dish's growing supply of airwaves and allow it to expand into wireless solutions. LightSquared, the bankrupt wireless network company, would use the capital to pay off debt.

Food Testing for Safe Tasting
May 21, 2013

As parents of children with peanut sensitivities well know, awareness of what's in their kids' food is of paramount importance. In order to detect this allergen -- and many others -- engineers at UCLA have created a system called iTube. It involves placing a small amount of food in a test tube, shining a light on it, and then using a smartphone's camera and a specially-designed app.

Teenager's Power Storage Project Lights Up Science World
May 21, 2013

Interest in nanochemistry research and energy storage led 18-year-old Eesha Khare, a senior at Lynbrook High School in San Jose, Calif., to develop a supercapacitor that could potentially be used in flexible displays and fabrics. Her effort won her first prize at the Intel Science Fair and the Project of the Year award in the California State Science Fair's senior division for 2013.