Mobile Tech

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.

Amid Threats From Anonymous, Guantanamo WiFi Shut Down
May 22, 2013

Despite cries from the Left, the Guantanamo Bay detention camp is still up and running. The same, however, can't be said for Guantanamo's WiFi. The U.S. military turned off wireless Internet service at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base amid threats from the hacker collective Anonymous. Officials have also nixed access to social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, a spokesperson for the prison said.

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.

Yahoo Throws in 1 TB of Free Storage With Flickr Revamp
May 22, 2013

Yahoo has announced the overhaul of Flickr, its photo and video sharing site, after purchasing social microblogging website Tumblr. The new Flickr has "a beautiful, completely reimagined experience that puts photos front and center," Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer wrote in a blog post that is reminiscent of what Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg said when announcing his company's overhaul of NewsFeed.

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.

Jolla Floats 1st Sailfish Smartphone
May 20, 2013

Jolla on Monday launched the first smartphone to run its Sailfish operating system. The handset, which is now available for preorder, will come with a removable back plate designed to let the phone user customize its interface. Jolla was founded by former Nokia employees who wanted to continue the development work the company had started with the MeeGo OS.

Island Nation's Web Domain Now Paradise for Spammers
May 20, 2013

Chances are you've never heard of the tiny Pacific island nation of Palau, but you may be familiar with its former Internet domain: PW. That's because the domain, now owned by Directi, has become a favorite of spammers. According to Fort Systems, Directi -- which christened PW "Professional Web" -- began offering the top-level domain to all comers at rock-bottom prices.

Will BlackBerry, Nokia or Amazon Replace Apple or Google?
May 20, 2013

Apple and Google are currently at the top of the mobile device heap, but both companies are vulnerable at the moment. Apple has lost its iconic CEO and appears to be chasing Samsung, and you can't lead by following. Samsung is the dominant player on Android, but Google and Samsung are having relationship problems at the moment. Both have been quietly expressing dissatisfaction with the other.

Yahoo's 2013 Shopping Spree May Include Tumblr
May 18, 2013

Yahoo is reportedly looking to purchase microblogging platform and social networking website Tumblr for $1 billion. Tumblr is considered one of the coolest companies on the Internet because of its appeal to younger users -- the very demographic that Yahoo, which recently characterized its users as aging, is now attempting to reach.

Lawmakers Ask for Clarity on Google Glass and Privacy
May 17, 2013

Eight members of Congress have sent a letter to Google asking about the privacy implications of Google Glass. The letter was sent from Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) and seven other lawmakers from the bipartisan Congressional Privacy Caucus. It asks Google whether users will be able to opt in to various proposed scenarios.