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I used to use Bump, the mobile app that wirelessly transfers data between two smartphones, but over time, I uninstalled it. Now it’s not only back on my phones, but has a coveted home screen spot thanks to the latest share-to-desktop feature. Read More »

I’m now using Straight Talk, a Tracfone-owned cellular provider that resells service on both AT&T and T-Mobile in the U.S. After a few weeks of testing and some questions posed to the company, here’s the skinny: Depending on your data needs, this plan can save money. Read More »

 
 

In this week’s audio podcast, Matt shares a customer service horror story between AT&T and Amazon Wireless while Kevin loves the latest Kickstarter project: A smart home screen for Android tablets. Also: here’s what we know so far about the HTC EVO 4G LTE delivery delays. Read More »

With a reported 11 teens killed while texting and driving per day, parents are turning towards apps to limit their kids phone use behind the wheel. SecruaFone offers one for iPhone and Android handsets that diables some features when in motion, but it doesn’t stop there. Read More »

Apple’s next iPhone model will have at least a 4-inch display according to sources “familiar with the matter” says the Wall Street Journal. A larger iPhone simply makes sense at this point in time due to increased consumption of the mobile web, video and apps. Read More »

Google’s Chrome browser is will appear on Apple’s iOS devices this quarter suggests Macquarie (USA) Equities Research, reducing the payments that Google makes to Apple for search results in Safari. That sounds great but Apple’s third-party browser limitations will surely minimize any benefits for Google. Read More »

Though FreedomPop remains mysterious on the exact timing , its “free” mobile broadband service seems to be nearing a launch date. It has started selling its WiMAX iPhone sleeve online and also revealed it won’t deliver as much free data to customers as it originally advertised. Read More »

Wallee already sells a nice iPad case, but the Australian-based company is looking to expand its product line with a magnetic mount and case accessory for Apple’s iPhone 4/4S and Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus smartphones. The system is modular and offers a car mount and pivot stand. Read More »

Sprint’s CEO Dan Hesse has agreed to have his compensation slashed by $3.25 million under the pressure of Sprint’s shareholders that are unhappy about the high upfront costs that Sprint has to pay for the iPhone. Read More »

Own a Galaxy Nexus, iPhone or other GSM handset? If so and you’re tired of the cost and long-term contract, Straight Talk’s SIM card may be an option. The no-contract deal is $45 for unlimited voice minutes, messages and HSPA+ data on either AT&T or T-Mobile. Read More »

The tablets and smartphones are continuing to disrupt many old businesses and at the same time creating new opportunities. Retail outlets and hospitality industry are next frontiers for these devices, as research from Motorola finds out. And that’s good news for Apple and Square amongst many. Read More »

The rise of smartphones is bringing about massive changes in the mobile industry, according to data collected by researchers. Data revenues are moving on up and data usage is zooming at a time when voice and messaging sales have stalled for carriers. Read More »

More Must Reads

Apple hasn’t confirmed an LTE version of its iPhone, but Sprint has confirmed that if such a device launches, the carrier would keep its unlimited data plans. That may be a big differentiating factor when at least 3 of 4 U.S. carriers offer LTE iPhones. Read More »

Taiwan-based handset maker HTC suggests that its highly profitable days in the U.S. smartphone market are in the past, mainly due to Apple’s iPhone. The HTC One series may help sales in the U.S. but like Apple, HTC is turning to China for future growth. Read More »

Boston rail commuters will soon have the ability to use their smartphones to buy and display their train tickets. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will launch the U.S.’s first smartphone rail ticketing system this fall through a partnership with London-based Masabi. Read More »

Research In Motion is reportedly weighing options with financial advisors in an effort to stem the company’s continued fall from grace. RIM doesn’t plan to sell itself, but is considering a strategic investment and would lean towards licensing its BlackBerry software. But who might want it? Read More »

Placeme for iOS and Android may be both the scariest and amazingly futuristic app I’ve seen yet. The free software uses every sensor in your handset to track your activities, location and environment. Scary, yes, but it could power the smartphone personal assistant of the future. Read More »

A Kickstarter project to bring a new smartwatch to market blew through its $100,000 funding goal in its first day, and two hours later it crossed the $200,000 mark. What’s so unique about the Pebble E-Paper Watch? It works with both Android devices and the iPhone. Read More »

Can’t keep track of who’s suing who in “The Game of Smartphones”? This image will help. And two key Steve Jobs quotes explain not only why the smartphone battle is moving to the courts, but why it’s happening right now and why this will get worse. Read More »

All this talk about how much money Google may or may not have made off of Android misses the point. Google’s decision to enter the mobile operating system battle wasn’t primarily about money — it was about ensuring competition in the next great personal computer market. Read More »

The latest iOS photo-sharing software has a unique twist. SpinCam not only takes 360-degree panoramic photos, but it can also take a 360-degree image of a single object. The software reminds me of the “bullet time” photo approach made famous in The Matrix movie. Read More »

When Apple announced the new iPad, it touted that the new iPad will be able to offer “mobile hot spot” like features, allowing you to share your wireless connection with five devices. This prompted folks at Fool.com to ask: did Novatel and Sierra Wireless … Read More »

Apple is now taking most of the smartphone profits, but some component manufacturers are coming along for the ride. Sales of gyroscopes rose 66 percent in 2011 over the prior year as record iOS device sales pushed the small motion sensor market to new highs. Read More »

As a daily runner, I use mobile tech to track exercise so I can learn more about what training methods are working compared to those that aren’t. Strava Run, for both iOS and Android, is a mobile application I recently tested. Is it a winner? Read More »

After running OS X 10.8, or Mountain Lion, for the past few days, I am reaching more for my iPhone than my Galaxy Nexus. The “grand unified user experience” approach of Apple has everything to do with that, and it could blunt Android’s momentum. Read More »

While Siri and VoiceOver can assist visually impaired iPhone users, new software out of Georgia Tech looks to supplement these accessibility options. BrailleTouch uses traditional Braille input on the iPhone’s touchscreen, allowing people to type up to 32 words per minute with 92 percent accuracy. Read More »

Apple is testing smaller screens for a new mini iPad model, according to The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. It’s about time a smaller iPad arrived for a number a reasons. And the idea that iOS won’t work on a 7- or 7.85-inch touchscreen is flawed. Read More »

People were saying we can’t make powerful phones like Apple. Yes, we can, but we couldn’t believe consumers would put up with that kind of battery inefficiency and that kind of network inefficiency. Just as I wouldn’t try to manage a business school, Roger Martin, dean of … Read More »

After using the stock Google Android software on my Galaxy Nexus for two months, I’m getting antsy. The new Chrome beta for Android is a super browser and Google Wallet is great too. But now It’s time for a custom ROM to reinvigorate the Nexus experience! Read More »

Mobile World Congress is still three weeks and an ocean away, but Samsung is already threatening to steal the show. Analytics blog Anlytk has compiled Twitter data on the most referenced terms surrounding MWC and found that Samsung is already generating an enormous amount of buzz. Read More »

Based on a growing number of data points, Android’s sales dominance may be nearing its apex while iOS is on the rise. Even as a daily user of both an Android smartphone and tablet, I can’t deny the facts that Android’s future won’t rival Android’s past. Read More »

The iPhone may have passed over Android in total U.S. smartphone sales, but Google’s platform still has one key advantage: it’s attracting more mobile data newbies. According to the NPD Group, 57 percent of first-time smartphone buyers last quarter chose Android handsets. Read More »

HTC reported weak fourth quarter results and forecast an even tougher first quarter as competition from Apple and Samsung squeezed the Taiwanese smartphone maker. HTC said it was expecting first quarter revenue of between 65 billion and 70 billion Taiwanese dollars, well below analyst expectations. Read More »

Calendar apps are great, but sometimes you need to track how many days until a future event or project. In some cases, you might want to track days from the past. D-Day is a free, simple iOS program that manages both scenarios on iOS devices. Read More »

Yahoo is cleaning house in mobile product, announcing that it is “decommissioning” a long list of mobile apps you’ve probably never heard of. Unfortunately, Yahoo! Sketch-a-search is one of the apps being culled, as well as things like Yahoo! Meme and Yahoo! Mim. Read More »

Motorola Mobility said its newly re-envisioned Razr led the way to increases in total device shipments and revenue in the fourth quarter, but considering Moto’s vastly reduced market share, those increases didn’t lead to much. It shipped 5.3 million smartphones and a paltry 200,000 tablets. Read More »

One day before Nokia announces results for the most recent quarter, the company is touting a sales milestone: 1.5 billion Series 40 phones sold. That’s a huge accomplishment, but Series 40 now faces challenges from low-priced Android phones, so the momentum may not continue. Read More »

Verizon plans milk as much revenue off of its 3G and LTE networks as possible, becoming the “premium” mobile data operator, but its plan could backfire. Despite the increase in 4G sales, Verizon is still primarily a 3G operator, and 3G doesn’t justify its steep prices. Read More »

Nokia may have sold 1.3 million Lumia handsets running on Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform, which would be a morale boost for both companies. Both have been in decline, facing competition from iOS and Android devices. Is this finally a smartphone turnaround point for Nokia and Microsoft? Read More »

What if consumers actually enjoyed signing contracts? What if carriers just gave away phones — all of them — for free? John S. Wilson of Policy Diary imagines a world where carriers could entice consumers into signing four- or five-year contracts, with the right perks. Read More »

China is closing in on the 1 billion mobile connections mark, according to a new Wireless Intelligence report. China has always been a world power in wireless, but it’s set to become more significant still as its huge population embraces mobile data services. Read More »

Personal security app Guardly, which launched back in April 2011 on the iPhone and iPod touch, announced Thursday morning that it will now offer a special program for students at 67 universities and colleges across Canada, designed as an extension of on-campus security measures. Read More »

In October, Google debuted Android 4.0, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich, to unify tablets and smartphones. But does it really accomplish that? It’s too early to tell, but the current version has some inconsistencies noted by Jason Perlow, and I can’t disagree with him. Read More »

After my Gmail account was hijacked last year, I looked into Google’s two-step verification process. It relies on your having your smartphone with you, even when logging in on a PC. Here are two ways to use your smartphone to better protect your Google account access. Read More »

My primary phone is the iPhone. I love the beauty of it. But I wish it did all the things my Android does, I really do. Speaking to Dan Lyons in an article comparing the iPhone to Android devices, Apple co-founder, Steve Wozniak points out the … Read More »

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