Video: First look at the Z10 with BlackBerry 10
Research In Motion is no more. BlackBerry is the new company name and the Z10 is the first BlackBerry 10 handset. Here’s a quick overview of the new phone. Read more »
BlackBerry 10 smartphone launch gets a few cheers, a bunch of jeers and a lot of meh
Research In Motion — which has renamed itself BlackBerry — launched its new smartphones at a star-studded event in New York, but responses to the new devices ranged from sharply critical to “ho hum,” and that could be lethal. Read more »
After a rise and fall, BlackBerry 10 is RIM’s last, best comeback attempt
photo: RIM
BlackBerry devices took the world by storm and enjoyed several years of dominance. But a slow reaction to a changing market brought RIM’s fall. Now, all of the right pieces are in place for BlackBerry 10. Read more »
While we waste four cores, scientists use a million at a time
photo: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
A group of Stanford researchers recently ran a complex fluid dynamics workload across more than a million cores on the Sequoia supercomputer. It’s an impressive feat and might foretell a future where parallel programming becomes commonplace even on our smartphones. Read more »
You’ll never guess who was the big smartphone winner last quarter
IDC reported its smartphone sales data for the final quarter of 2012 and if I gave you three guesses as to who increased sales the most from the year ago quarter, you still might not guess right. Read more »
Report: Nokia’s PureView super camera coming to Windows Phone
Reports indicate that Nokia may have improved its PureView camera sensor enough to put in the next flagship Lumia running Windows Phone. Will it be 41 megapixels like the concept phone? Read more »
GigaOM Research highs and lows from CES 2013
Given how CES is now a barometer for such a wide array of technology segments, GigaOM Research decided to ask our readers which way the tech winds will blow over the next year based on what they saw in Las Vegas. (Subscription required) Read more »
Stretch your pockets: 150M “phablet” sales expected in 2013
Make sure the next pair of pants you buy has big pockets. You may need them if ABI Research is correct when it says 150 million “phablets” will be sold this year. Read more »
LG Optimus G Pro intros in Japan, Optimus G to 50 markets
LG’s smartphone sales appear to be picking up steam thanks to the LG Optimus G. The hits could continue as the new Optimus G Pro model surfaced in Japan today. Read more »
Windows Phone makes gains in EU, passing BlackBerry in late 2012
Microsoft has more good news to take in: After Nokia reported 4.4 million Lumia sales in the last quarter of 2012, Kantar WorldPanel says Windows Phone outsold BlackBerry in the EU during the same period. Read more »
LG boosting Nexus 4 production in light of high demand
Tired of seeing that “sold out” note on the Google Nexus 4 purchase page? You may not see it for much longer according to LG, which is ramping up production of the Android smartphone. Read more »
MobileTechRoundup podcast 287: CES surprises and a new HTC One phone
Join us for a wrap up of the mobile news from this week as well as a look ahead: The most surprising gadget at CES and the big BlackBerry 10 launch upcoming; we’ll be there! Read more »
Chevy Volt to my smartphone: “You complete me.”
Piping Bluetooth audio to a car isn’t all that new, but running smartphone apps on the car is and it’s quickly gaining momentum. Here’s how important my smartphone is to my current vehicle. Read more »
Android this week: Galaxy Note 8.0 tipped; Note 10.1, Tab 2 updated; Optimus G Pro leaked
Few major Android devices debuted at this month’s CES, but next month’s Mobile World Congress is looking up when it comes to hardware. And some old devices got new software this week. Read more »
Got mobile tech questions? Ask away for our new podcast!
Want to star in our newest podcast? It’s easy! Just call and leave a voicemail, ping me via Twitter, Google+ or email and ask your mobile tech questions. I’ll answer them in a podcast starting next week. Read more »
Ka-Ching! Ting will pay your contract ETF to switch phone service
Instead of spending $100,000 on advertising that may or may not get new customers, Ting is spending that money to get people to switch to its cellular service. The company will pay your ETF to make the move. Read more »
Rhapsody goes a la carte on MetroPCS but at half the regular cost
Rhapsody has retooled its relationship with MetroPCS. Instead of bundling its music subscription service in all upper-tier Metro smartphone plans, it’s selling the service for $5 a month to any Metro customer. Read more »
Survey: Which technologies will matter in 2013?
Give us your thoughts and takeaways from CES 2013. Read more »
The fourth quarter of 2012 in mobile
The mobile platform wars heated up in a big way as 2012 came to a close. Among other trends, Microsoft launched Windows Phone 8, Android’s dominant market share grew, and mobile commerce reached record highs during the holidays. Read more »
Android this week: Huawei goes big; Vizio’s got phones; Dropbox shares photos
Android was everywhere at the 2013 International CES, but the bigger names didn’t offer much this time. Instead, companies like Huawei, ZTE and Vizio showed off new phones. Meanwhile, Dropbox gets a nice upgrade on Android and I share my favorite new Android device from CES. Read more »
Video: Qualcomm’s Project Gimbal gives your phone contextual smarts
Can your current smartphone be any smarter? Sure it can, if the device knows how to better understand its surroundings with the help of internal sensors. Qualcomm’s Project Gimbal does just that for app developers. Here’s a peek at how Paramount is using the technology. Read more »
Don’t count out RIM in US, 4 top carriers to sell new BlackBerry 10 phones
photo: RIM
Although other barriers to success exist, Research In Motion has one less obstacle for its new BlackBerry 10 smartphones: All four major U.S. carriers plan to sell the devices. The world is bigger than the U.S. but here the carriers are still the kingmakers. Read more »
iPhone 5 with $45 Straight Talk Unlimited plan now at Walmart
Straight Talk, the $45 a month no-contract provider that resells wireless service from major U.S. carriers, has finally embraced the iPhone 5. Walmart is selling the phone with Straight Talk service and $25 a month no-interest financing. But there’s one major caveat to the deal. Read more »
Why Broadcom wants to be the smarts in your next smartphone
Broadcom is generally known for its wireless technology prowess, but don’t be surprised to see the company be the chip that puts the smarts in your smartphone or tablet. It signed a licensing agreement with ARM to design and build powerful application processors on Tuesday. Read more »
The 2013 task management tools market
The task-management market is growing, in part because users need to coordinate with teams via mobile. In this case, heavier-weight solutions like Yammer, IBM Connections, and Podio don’t always suffice. But the demand for digital to-do lists that can be shared across project teams is increasing. Read more »
At 6.1-inches, Huawei’s Ascend Mate smartphone swings at Samsung
Designing a new class of device, the really big smartphone, Samsung has owned this growing market. Huawei wants in though and it pulled out all the stops: The company’s new Ascend Mate smartphone has a whopping 6.1-inch display that works even if you’re wearing gloves. Read more »
AT&T’s Pantech Discover smartphone: Hot hardware for a cool $49
Can $50 and a contract get you a decent smartphone these days? AT&T thinks so. At CES, the company announced It’s selling the Pantech Discover with Android 4.0, a fast processor, 4G LTE radio, 12.6 megapixel camera and high definition touchscreen for $49. Read more »
CES 2013 Unveiled: 2-week fuel-cell; FitBug; Wi-Fi to USB media sharing
Finding hidden product gems at the International Consumer Electronics Show is tricky but three crossed my radar at the first CES mini-event. One is for health tracking, one makes media sharing easier from a phone and one provides 2 weeks of battery life for devices. Read more »
How better tech makes for a lighter CES 2013 gear bag
After eight consecutive years of covering the International Consumer Electronics Show, it’s interesting to see how technology has evolved; this year I’m taking less gear than ever before and yet, I’ll likely be more productive. Here’s a glimpse of my CES gear bag over time. Read more »
Android this week: More Jelly Beans; free magazines; Galaxy S4 pops up
For the first time since passing the 50 percent market, less than half of all Android devices are running version 2.3. Instead, nearly 40 percent use Android 4.x. It’s easier to get digital magazines in Google Play and a pic of the Galaxy S4 popped up. Read more »
Here’s the secret success sauce in Ubuntu’s phone platform
One of the most popular Linux distributions will arrive on smartphones this year: Canonical is bringing Ubuntu to the small screen. But this isn’t a special version of Ubuntu; it’s the actual desktop software platform with touch-friendly mobile interface that could be a disruptor. Read more »
AirDroid: The free app every Android owner should install in 2013
My pick for Android app of the year? AirDroid, which provides wireless management of your Android phone or tablet from any browser on the same Wi-Fi network. You can manage files, videos, music, ringtones and more on any computer, making for a great free companion application. Read more »
Subscriber Content
How to manage the signaling storm in 2013
Signaling traffic growth is outstripping mobile data traffic by 30 percent to 50 percent and threatening the stability of mobile networks. However, the growth in signaling traffic is not only an indicator of success but also shows that mobile data has come of age. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Apple relents, and an unplugged Kickstarter is back on
photo: POP
The 1,000 backers of a cancelled Kickstarter project got an early holiday gift: Apple has revamped its Lightning adapter guidelines, and the POP device charger is now a go. The POP uses Apple’s own 30-pin interface as well as micro-USB for charging phones and tablets. Read more »
Video of Huawei’s 6.1-inch smartphone: Small pockets needn’t apply
One expected debut for next month’s Consumer Electronics Show happened a little early as a Huawei exect showed off the company’s newest smartphone. The device has a whopping 6.1-inch display which is great for most mobile activities, but won’t likely fit in a front pants pocket. Read more »
Grading 2012 mobile predictions: mostly hits but a few misses
As the year comes to a close, its time to look back at predictions for 2012. I made 16 of them last December and while I got a fair number right, there were a few clunkers. It’s time to dust off the crystal ball for 2013. Read more »
Avoiding potential sales block, RIM settles patent dispute with Nokia
photo: RIM
At a good time for both involved parties, Nokia and Research In Motion have settled all current patent litigation, just in time for RIM to debut BlackBerry 10 devices. Details are confidential, but RIM will make a lump-sum payment and pay ongoing royalties to Nokia. Read more »
Subscriber Content
What to watch in mobile in 2013
The year 2013 may bring real disruption to the mobile industry. Upstart carriers are embracing noncellular technologies to provide cut-rate services, third-party developers are gaining traction with cheap (or free) alternatives to SMS, and a major U.S. operator is preparing to drop handset subsidies. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
2013 Toyota Avalon jump-starts wireless phone charging in cars
Toyota’s 2013 Avalon Limited has an integrated charging pad that fills up a phone battery simply by placing the device on the pad. Hopefully, other car manufacturers follow and this jump-starts a wireless power movemet because the scenario is perfect for charging without wires Read more »
Before it drops subsidies, T-Mobile offers big smartphone rebate
Next year, T-Mobile will abolish smartphone subsidies, opting instead to offer devices with an up-front payment and monthly hardware installments for lower rates. But from Dec. 21 though year-end, the carrier is offering a rebate up to $200 on the up-front investment for popular phones. Read more »
