mobile

Legal
May 24, 2012
by

New FBI unit tasked with making Web and mobile communications easier to spy on

By on May 24, 2012 at 3:35 PM.

New FBI unit tasked with making Web and mobile communications easier to spy on

FBI Mobile Web Surveillance

The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently formed a new unit tasked with developing technologies that enable more effective means of monitoring Internet, mobile and VoIP communications, CNET reported. The secretive new unit, reportedly called the Domestic Communications Assistance Center, aims to develop new surveillance technologies that make it easier for law enforcement to spy on suspects as they communicate using modern technology. Joined by agents from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Drug Enforcement Agency, the FBI reportedly formed the DCAC because it believes technology has developed too quickly, leaving law enforcement without the tools necessary to effectively monitor these new communications channels. More →

No Comments
Business
May 11, 2012
by

Facebook is killing carriers' SMS revenue

By on May 11, 2012 at 2:30 PM.

Facebook is killing carriers' SMS revenue

Facebook Killing Carriers' SMS Revenue

Global carrier revenue from SMS services is in decline, and the cause of the slide is a topic of much debate. Mobile messaging services such as WhatsApp, BlackBerry Messenger and Apple’s iMessage are widely believed to have had a tremendous impact wireless service providers’ messaging revenues, however another company has now been identified as potentially sharing the responsibility for carriers’ dwindling SMS sales: Facebook. More →

No Comments
Internet
May 10, 2012
by

Facebook to launch its own app store in the coming weeks

By on May 10, 2012 at 8:40 AM.

Facebook to launch its own app store in the coming weeks

Facebook launching an 'App Center' in the coming weeks

Facebook on Wednesday announced it will be launching a new App Center in the coming weeks on the Web, iOS and Android. The company hopes the center will give developers a way to more effectively distribute apps and create new opportunities for more types of apps to be successful. “The App Center is designed to grow mobile apps that use Facebook – whether they’re on iOS, Android or the mobile web,” the company said. “From the mobile App Center, users can browse apps that are compatible with their device, and if a mobile app requires installation, they will be sent to download the app from the App Store or Google Play.” The social networking site is more to more than 900 million users and seems like a natural fit for app developers looking for the maximum amount of exposure. More →

No Comments
Business
May 9, 2012
by

T-Mobile looking to merge with MetroPCS

By on May 9, 2012 at 8:40 PM.

T-Mobile looking to merge with MetroPCS

T-Mobile MetroPCS Merger

T-Mobile’s parent company, Deutsche Telekom AG, has reportedly been discussing a potential merger with MetroPCS, according to Bloomberg. The talks come as T-Mobile continues to suffer from large subscriber defections, having lost 802,000 net customers in the fourth quarter of 2011 alone. Deutsche Telekom is considering a stock-swap transaction that would give the German company control over the combined entity, which would be publicly listed, although an outright sale of T-Mobile is possible too. T-Mobile, the nation’s fourth largest carrier, has been looking for options since its failed merger with AT&T last November. MetroPCS has 9.5 million subscribers as of January 2012 and operates the fifth largest wireless network in the United States. More →

No Comments
Internet
May 9, 2012
by

Mobile usage doubles, now accounts for 10% of worldwide Internet usage

By on May 9, 2012 at 7:15 PM.

Mobile usage doubles, now accounts for 10% of worldwide Internet usage

Mobile Internet Usage

The number of people accessing the Web through mobile devices has doubled since 2010 and now accounts for 10% of worldwide Internet usage. According to numbers compiled by Pingdom, Asia’s mobile usage amounted for 17.84% of the country’s total Internet usage, a 192.5% increase over the past 18 months. Africa’s mobile usage placed the region in second with 14.85%, usage in North America sat at 7.96%, followed by Australia, Europe and South America at 7.55%, 5.13% and 2.86% respectively. Pingdom notes that while worldwide mobile usage may only account for 10% of Web access, the number is growing at an extremely fast rate, and some countries’ Internet usage, such as India, is already nearing 50% from mobile devices. More →

No Comments
Gaming
May 9, 2012
by

Angry Birds has been downloaded more than a billion times [video]

By on May 9, 2012 at 1:40 PM.

Angry Birds has been downloaded more than a billion times [video]

Angry Birds iPhone Android

Rovio on Wednesday announced that its Angry Birds franchise has surpassed one billion downloads across Android, iOS, Windows and Mac OS X, with 350 million downloads having been served in 2012 alone. The latest Birds installment, Angry Birds Space, was downloaded more than 10 million time in less than three days and a whopping 50 million times in 35 days, making it the fastest growing mobile game of all time. The immensely popular franchise generated $106 million for the company in 2011 and drew in 200 million active monthly users. Rovio’s video announcement follows below. More →

No Comments
mobile
May 9, 2012
by

Flipboard for Android leaks, download now available to all

By on May 9, 2012 at 11:40 AM.

Flipboard for Android leaks, download now available to all

Flipboard for Android pulled from Galaxy S III, available for all

As expected, Flipboard for Android has been pulled off of the Samsung Galaxy S III and is now available for all to download. The popular social news magazine app was going to be an exclusive on Samsung’s flagship smartphone for an unspecified amount of time, however an XDA-Developers forum member was able to extract the APK file from the unreleased device. The app runs perfectly on the Galaxy Nexus, and reportedly works on older devices like the original Galaxy S and various Android tablets as well. Flipboard for Android can be downloaded by following the link below. More →

No Comments
mobile
May 9, 2012
by

Apple reportedly places orders for next-generation iPhone, new 10-inch iPad

By on May 9, 2012 at 8:55 AM.

Apple reportedly places orders for next-generation iPhone, new 10-inch iPad

Chinese supplier lands orders for next generation iPhone

The latest rumors out of the Far East indicate that Apple’s next-generation iPhone will launch in the fall, as will a new 10-inch iPad. Apple supplier Pegatron Technology has reportedly landed orders for the Cupertino-based company’s latest handset and according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers, the device is slated for a September launch, Digitimes reported. The publication also claims Pegatron has received orders for a new 10-inch iPad to be released in the fourth quarter of 2012. John Gruber of Daring Fireball has previously called the fourth quarter iPad report “completely made-up nonsense,” however. Pegatron currently manufacturers both the iPhone 4S and the new iPad, but Digitimes claims the long rumored 7-inch iPad, which will supposedly be released in August, will be manufactured by Foxconn. More →

No Comments
mobile
May 8, 2012
by

Sprint confident about the future of Windows Phone 8

By on May 8, 2012 at 6:50 PM.

Sprint confident about the future of Windows Phone 8

Sprint confident about the future of Windows Phone 8

Sprint’s director of consumer acquisition, David Owens, said at the CTIA Wireless trade show on Tuesday that he’s “still bullish on Apollo,” possibly indicating the nation’s third-largest carrier plans to soon offer a wider selection of Windows Phone devices, PCMag reported. Owens at CES in January said the network’s only Windows Phone handset, the HTC Arrive, hadn’t “done well enough for us to jump back into the fire.” He did say, however, that Sprint would look into Windows Phone 8, known as Apollo, in the “August-September time period.” When asked about Samsung’s Galaxy S III, Owens said the carrier was “very pleased with the success of the Galaxy S II,” but he would not give further details about Samsung’s next-generation flagship phone. Owens did say that Sprint plans to release “12-15 LTE devices” between now and the end of the year, including smartphones, tablets, USB modems and hotspots. So far, the company has announced the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, LG Viper and the HTC EVO 4G LTE. More →

No Comments
Legal
May 8, 2012
by

Apple and Samsung drop numerous patent claims, settlement talks continue

By on May 8, 2012 at 2:25 PM.

Apple and Samsung drop numerous patent claims, settlement talks continue

Apple and Samsung drop numerous patent claims

Apple on Monday filed litigation that narrows the number of patent infringement claims against Samsung by roughly half, and Samsung five hours later offered to drop five of its twelve asserted patents, FOSS Patents reported. The South Korean manufacturer has argued that Apple’s case is still far too big to go to trial later this summer, and wants the  the iPhone-maker to drop additional claims. The Cupertino-based company has accused Samsung of being uncooperative, claiming the company became the number one smartphone vendor in the world by copying and infringing on its technology, and is seeking billions of dollars in damages. Samsung responded, stating that its smartphones and tablets contain “innovative, independently developed technologies.” If a settlement is not reached, a trial between the two companies is scheduled to begin in July. More →

No Comments
mobile
May 8, 2012
by

AT&T CEO blames Google for slow Android updates, Google fires back

By on May 8, 2012 at 9:00 AM.

AT&T CEO blames Google for slow Android updates, Google fires back

AT&T CEO blames Google for slow Android updates, Google fires back

When asked about the slow roll-out of updates for its Android-powered smartphones and tablets, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson claimed Google was at fault and the carrier could do nothing about it. “Google determines what platform gets the newest releases and when,” the executive said. “A lot of times, that’s a negotiated arrangement and that’s something we work at hard. We know that’s important to our customers. That’s kind of an ambiguous answer because I can’t give you a direct answer in this setting.” The Mountain View-based company has fired back, however, and said the CEO’s statements are not accurate.  More →

No Comments
Business
May 8, 2012
by

Wireless carriers continue to battle phone subsidies

By on May 8, 2012 at 7:45 AM.

Wireless carriers continue to battle phone subsidies

Wireless carriers continue to battle phone subsidies

Wireless carriers have traditionally made money off lengthy two-year service agreements, rather than physical device sales. In the age of smartphones, however, carriers are footing the bill for expensive handsets that result in smaller margins, while phone makers such as Apple reap the benefits. To combat traditional phone subsidies, carriers in the U.S. have continued to raise monthly rates and employ new and higher fees. In Europe, service providers are taking more aggressive measures, with some carriers refusing to subsidize devices for new customers. The carriers’ latest cries of resistance are drawing applause from investors and analysts alike, who say carriers could benefit more from the smartphone boom if they raise contract prices and slow the rate at which customers buy new phones. More →

No Comments
Gaming
May 8, 2012
by

Angry Birds generated $106 million for Rovio in 2011

By on May 8, 2012 at 1:15 AM.

Angry Birds generated $106 million for Rovio in 2011

Angry Birds generated $106 million for Rovio in 2011

Rovio on Monday announced the company’s financial results for 2011. The mobile game developer generated $106.3 million in sales based on the success of its Angry Birds games and strong merchandising business. “The strong growth in revenue clearly demonstrates the popularity of the Angry Birds brand.” Mikael Hed, Rovio CEO said. “The heavy investments made in 2011 to all business areas will be seen in future products. To ensure continuous success we need to be creative and stay focused on entertaining our millions of fans by continuously developing new and innovative products and services.” Rovio’s three Angry Birds offerings in 2011 — Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Rio — were downloaded 648 million times and featured 200 million active monthly users. The company expects business to continue to grow well into 2012. “We are very optimistic about 2012 due to significant investments in product development, cutting-edge branding, brand protection and corporate infrastructure,“ the CEO said. Rovio’s press release follows below. More →

No Comments