Microsoft uses the cloud to cut power-hogging GPS chips’ battery consumption
One sure way to deplete your smartphone’s battery life is to leave GPS services turned on for a prolonged period of time. But now researchers …
News
Sprint salesman refuses to sell iPhone to customer, says his ‘fingers are too fat’ to use it
We’ve known for a while now that some mobile carriers have been instructing their sales staff to start pushing their customers away from Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone …
NYT: Windows 8 fails to excite, sales off to slow start
Windows 8 has failed to draw the excited masses that some earlier versions of Microsoft’s (MSFT) PC operating system had attracted, according to a report …
Online retailers caught using ‘discriminatory’ practices to target shopping discounts
With online shopping on the rise every year, it’s no surprise retailers are resorting to sketchy tactics to decide how to dole out discounts. According …
Time Warner Cable boosts Internet speeds by 50% for ‘standard’ service
Just days after getting dinged by Netflix (NFLX) for having one of the slower cable Internet services out there, Time Warner Cable (TWC) has announced plans …
Facebook’s new easier-to-manage ‘Privacy Shortcuts’ rolling out globally
Managing Facebook (FB) privacy settings can be a daunting nightmare. Facebook’s new “Privacy Shortcuts” is designed to make sharing items as transparent as possible with …
Beleaguered Motorola gets another boost, snags top Samsung marketing exec
It’s good to see that Google (GOOG) has some plans for Motorola other than selling it off for parts. Unnamed sources have told AllThingsD that Google has hired …
Without an ‘iTV,’ Apple’s growth could shrink to the single digits by 2015
Another analyst believes that Apple is losing its shine. Toni Sacconaghi of Bernstein Research on Thursday trimmed his price target for the company, citing concerns …
RIM pays off Nokia to end patent litigation
Nokia (NOK) announced on Friday Research In Motion (RIMM) has agreed to pay it a “one-time payment and on-going payments” that will end the patent litigation …
Instagram backs down, reverts to older terms of service
Faced with a user backlash against its updated terms of service, Instagram on Thursday backed down and said it was reverting to its prior language …
Years after cashing out, MySpace cofounder mocks people who work for a living
Let’s say you got Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation to vastly overpay for your upstart social networking site, thus giving you the option of cashing out …
Google’s ‘See Inside’ button lets you peer inside buildings found through routine searches
Not long ago, Google (GOOG) began using its Street View technology to give users the ability to peak inside various buildings and businesses. The company …
RIM beats estimates in Q3, but subscriber base shrinks
Research In Motion (RIMM) on Thursday posted its financial results for its fiscal third quarter, which ended on December 1st. Investor sentiment has been mixed …
Facebook considers letting users pay money to message people they don’t know [updated]
Watch out, Facebook (FB): Your reputation for shadiness could soon approach MySpace levels. The Verge reports that Facebook is now testing out a new system …
Steve Jobs originally wanted to call Safari Web browser ‘Freedom’
Just as Steve Jobs originally (and dubiously) thought “Bicycle” was a good name for the original Macintosh or “MacMan” for the first iMac, the late Apple …
Google has no plans to compete directly with Amazon; wants to become retailers’ ‘best tech friend’
Google’s (GOOG) $17 million BufferBox acquisition last month raised the possibility that it was eyeing a chance to compete with Amazon (AMZN) on the e-commerce front. But Sameer Samat, …
NFC projected to thrive, but not because of mobile wallet apps
Near Field Communication (NFC) is one of those technologies that sounds revolutionary on paper, but in reality, is much more complicated than just slapping a …
Samsung to be charged with breaking European antitrust laws
The European Commission will charge Samsung (005930) for breaking “EU competition rules by filing lawsuits against Apple (AAPL)” according to Reuters. The watchdog’s vice president for competition policy …
RIM, HTC and Nokia could all be headed the way of Palm
Even as Apple’s (AAPL) stock has tanked over the last quarter, we’ve seen some noticeable share price rebounds from three troubled smartphone manufacturers: RIM (RIMM), …
ITC judge sides with Apple, rules Motorola’s patent is invalid
The United States International Trade Commission on Tuesday ruled in favor of Apple (AAPL) in its ongoing legal dispute with Motorola. Judge Thomas Pender found that …
Exiled Windows chief Sinofsky lands Harvard teaching job
Let’s say you’re a brilliant person who got canned from your previous job because you supposedly did a poor job of working well with others. …
Patent office rejects another Apple patent
Score another win for Apple’s (AAPL) rivals: The United States Patent and Trademark Office on Wednesday struck down one of the company’s most important patents. …
Apple seeks extra half-billion in Samsung case despite invalidated patent
Apple (AAPL) and Samsung (005930) are back in court battling over the particulars of their earlier trial in which Apple was awarded more than $1 …
FTC demands answers from data brokers
The United States Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday ordered nine data brokerage firms to provide the agency with information on how they collect and use …
iPad mini takes a big bite out of Kindle Fire sales this holiday season
Amazon’s (AMZN) first Kindle Fire took the holidays by storm last year. Following a white-hot debut, Amazon’s slate had reportedly taken 14% of the global …
HTC reportedly suspends development of several new smartphone models, cuts Q1 shipments
HTC (2498) continues to churn out one gorgeous smartphone after another but its struggles persist, proving yet again that quality alone is no match for extensive carrier …
LG’s woeful comeback attempt
Back in 2008, Samsung (005930) and LG (06657011) were battling head to head in North America and Europe. Now Samsung is heading for 29% global handset market …
Apple, Google among companies that snapped up Kodak patents for $525 million
Kodak announced on Wednesday it has successfully sold its digital imaging patents to “12 intellectual property licensees organized by Intellectual Ventures and RPX Corporation” for …
Data caps described as ‘cash cows’ that ISPs use to bilk customers
Bandwidth caps are one of the less popular innovations that ISPs have unveiled over the past few years, and a new paper from the liberal …
Facebook prepares to bombard News Feeds with video ads by April 2013
Your Facebook (FB) News Feed is about to get more annoying. The social network is getting ready to populate feeds with video ads according to AdAge. Why …
