msnbc.com: Wireless

US says it will bar some Motorola Mobility phones

Fri, 18 May 2012 23:48:15 GMT

Some Motorola Mobility smartphones infringe on a Microsoft patent and will be barred from importation to the United States, a U.S. trade panel said on Friday.

Verizon: You can keep your unlimited data plan, but no subsidized phones

Thu, 17 May 2012 22:57:37 GMT

Wednesday brought reports that Verizon would be ending its policy of allowing grandfathering in of contracts when purchasing a new phone. The company clarified today that you can keep your contract - but you can't get that $200 iPhone.

Comcast trying out Internet usage pricing, dropping caps

Thu, 17 May 2012 22:59:12 GMT

Comcast said Thursday it will introduce a trial for usage-based billing for its Internet subscribers in a move seen to pre-empt more complaints the cable company favors its own Web video service over rivals.

Verizon Wireless to scrap unlimited plans for 4G users

Wed, 16 May 2012 22:22:17 GMT

Verizon Wireless is planning to force customers to give up their unlimited data plans when they move to its high-speed wireless service, a top executive for parent company Verizon Communications Inc said on Wednesday.

Man boasts magnetic attachment to iPod

Mon, 14 May 2012 23:29:25 GMT

Professional body piercer Dave Hurban is a man attached to his iPod. Literally. Hurban, 21, who works in a tattoo parlor in Newfield, New Jersey, implanted four metal studs in the skin of his wrist and secured his iPod to them magnetically

Video: Bad weather alerts via cell phone

Mon, 14 May 2012 23:02:51 GMT

As of this month, brief alerts called Wireless Emergency Alerts will let you know when dangerous weather is on the way. NBC’s Brian Williams reports. (Nightly News)

Digital 'wallets' proliferate at cellphone show

Thu, 10 May 2012 22:19:28 GMT

Cash, coins and credit cards are so Twentieth Century. At least, that's the opinion of the electronics manufacturers, phone companies, banks and credit card issuers that expect cellphones to be the main way consumers pay for purchases in the not-so-distant future.

Defense Dept. gives nod for new BlackBerrys

Wed, 9 May 2012 17:45:14 GMT

Research in Motion said the U.S. Department of Defense approved six models of the company's BlackBerry 7 smartphones for use on its networks.

iPhone owners loyal to carriers despite poor service

Thu, 3 May 2012 22:46:42 GMT

Not only do iPhone users love their phones, they're apt to stick with their carrier — AT&T, Verizon and Sprint — even when the service is bad. In contrast, Android phone owners are quick to switch to another provider, according to a survey.

Amazon's Kindle Fire shipments slump in Q1: IDC

Thu, 3 May 2012 22:12:51 GMT

Amazon.com's Kindle Fire was a popular gift item during the holiday season but shipments of the $199 tablet computer dropped sharply in the following months, according to a new report.

RIM restarting from scratch with BlackBerry 10 mobile OS

Tue, 1 May 2012 15:28:14 GMT

Research In Motion on Tuesday offered a glimpse of the next operating system, BlackBerry 10, along with initial software tools to developers looking to create applications. This puts RIM a step closer to perhaps the most crucial launch in its history, coming up later this year.

Onion Browser for iPhone promises total Web anonymity

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:38:41 GMT

There are many reasons to want to browse anonymously, but depending on your level of paranoia, the solutions out there might not be good enough. However, the new Onion Browser for iPhone could be the ultimate in obfuscation.

Android Trojan steals data by monitoring phone movement

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:28:17 GMT

Your data is always vulnerable to being stolen or hacked, but sometimes the ways in which it is vulnerable can be quite surprising. Determining keystrokes based on phone movement is the latest ingenious method of parting a device and its data.

Nokia Lumia 900 materials cost $209

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 22:05:25 GMT

Materials of Nokia's new flagship model smartphone, the Lumia 900, cost $209, some 46 percent of its retail price, with the Finnish firm saving on processor and memory cost, teardown analysis of research firm IHS iSuppli showed on Wednesday.

Verizon Wireless to charge for phone upgrades

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:52:04 GMT

Verizon Wireless, the country's largest cellphone company, says it will start charging $30 every time a subscriber wants to upgrade to a new phone.

AT&T offers Nokia Lumia 900 for $100

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:37:52 GMT

In a bid for the Windows Phone 7.5 to make some kind of dent in the smartphone wars, AT&T is upping the ante by offering the 4G LTE Nokia Lumia 900 for only $100.

New iPad overly hot? Most tests say no

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:12:52 GMT

Recent tests conducted by Consumer Reports suggest that the new iPad runs hotter than its predecessor. But further tests by other publications — who struggled to replicate the heat levels observed by Consumer Reports — point out that this particular result doesn't necessarily mean that the device is overly hot.

Costlier iPad models do well with buyers: report

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 22:29:50 GMT

While the general assumption is that most people buy the least expensive iPad model, the 16GB Wi-Fi-only one, that may be changing. A new study says more purchasers are choosing 32GB and 64GB models.

Android 4.0 on HTC Vivid, other AT&T phones soon

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:40:56 GMT

Just in time for the unseasonably warm weather turning spring into summer for many parts of the U.S., Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is landing on AT&T's HTC Vivid.

Lost phones study pinpoints problem cities

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:25:25 GMT

What is it about Philly and phones? Residents there lose their phones (or they're stolen) two times more than those in the Big Apple, while New Yorkers and San Franciscans lose their phones three times more than those in Chicago.

Apple sells 3 million iPads in first 3 days

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 21:24:12 GMT

Apple said Monday it sold 3 million of its new iPads since Friday, when the tablet became available.

AT&T wants to settle 'unlimited' plan throttling case

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:20:32 GMT

AT&T has sent a letter offering a settlement to an iPhone user who was awarded $850 in a small claims court with his arguments against the slowing down of his "unlimited" data plan.

iPad's 'Dictation' sends info to Apple servers

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:34:01 GMT

"Dictation" is one of the features of the new iPad, and it can be used to dictate notes, emails, text messages. But new iPad owners may want to use it sparingly if they're worried about privacy: the feature sends what you say to Apple's servers to process the information.

Answer your tattoo — your phone is ringing

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 23:36:25 GMT

Today's best smartphones still can't alert human owners about an incoming call or text without either annoyingly loud rings or vibrations that can go unnoticed. That's why Nokia would let smartphone owners feel the vibrations on their skin through a magnetic tattoo.

Teens' texting up, voice calling down: report

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:51:57 GMT

Perhaps in the not-too-distant future, teens will be flummoxed when it comes to how to make a phone call. That's because there's more texting going on than ever, while voice calling continues to decline, says a new report from the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project.

27 percent of Americans get news via mobile devices

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 04:13:58 GMT

A new report says 27 percent of Americans now get their news using mobile devices, something that's helping to increase news consumption nationally, despite a continuing decline in print publications.

NetZero to launch free wireless broadband service

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:32:12 GMT

NetZero is returning with free Internet service — only this time it's wireless. United Online Inc. announced Monday that it will offer free wireless service under the brand that started the free dial-up phenomenon in 1998.

These freshly updated apps shine on new iPad high-res screen

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:07:01 GMT

The new iPad is available today and you know what that means: iOS developers are rushing to update their apps so that they can take full advantage of the new device's high-resolution display. Here are some of the first ones you'll want to check out.

iPad 2 trade-ins: Pick cash, gift card, PayPal

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:07:41 GMT

Pick cash, gift card, PayPalCash is king, except when it comes to iPad 2 trade-ins: If you're want to trade your iPad 2 for the new model, make sure you're getting not only the price you want, but the right form of payment as well.

AT&T nixes iPhone user appeal, pays settlement

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 22:17:24 GMT

AT&T is giving up on appealing an $850 award won by an iPhone user in small claims court, and is sending him a check.