smartphone

AT&T, T-Mobile team up to curb smartphone theft

AT&T and T-Mobile, the two GSM carriers in the U.S., have turned on a database designed to cut back on smartphone theft.

The database went live yesterday and allows either AT&T or T-Mobile to block a device from being used on either network. In order to do that, the companies ban a device's IMEI number -- a unique identifier that tells networks what the device is and who owns it -- and effectively stop it from being able to place calls.

In the past, stolen smartphones were blocked by eliminating the use of a … Read more

Defense Department drops exclusive contract for BlackBerry

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has been dealt another blow by the U.S. government. The U.S. Defense Department recently announced that it is opening its exclusive contract with the company to other device makers, including Apple and Google.

According to Reuters, the Pentagon said it would still use "large numbers" of BlackBerry smartphones but that it was also asking other companies to apply for a government contract to provide software that is capable of monitoring, managing, and enforcing U.S. military security requirements.

A Pentagon spokesperson told Reuters that it was broadening its reach with device … Read more

Intel developing supercomputer-strength smartphone chip

Intel researchers are developing a 48-core processor for smartphones and tablets, something that could potentially give users the capabilities of a supercomputer (or, at the very least, a mainstream PC) in their hands.

According to a report from Computerworld, Intel researchers in Barcelona are "working on finding new ways to use and manage many cores in mobile devices." They expect such chips to be available in about 5 to 10 years, according to the report, which CNET confirmed with Intel for its legitimacy.

Today, smartphone and tablet chips typically top out at four cores (or five, if you … Read more

Samsung outs the Galaxy Premier, launches in Russia first

Samsung is targeting Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia with a new handset.

Dubbed the Samsung Galaxy Premier, the device is basically a watered-down version of the Galaxy S3, boasting a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED display, HSPA+ or LTE service, and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera.

According to Samsung, the handset is running Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and includes all kinds of extras, including Bluetooth 4.0 support, near-field communication, and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera. It comes with 8GB or 16GB of onboard storage, though users can add more storage through the device's microSD card.

Rumors that the Galaxy Premier would be launching soon … Read more

ItsOn gets its funding on, targets mobile data 'bill shock'

A mobile company that wants to change how you access data just raised a boatload of cash.

ItsOn announced today that it has closed a $15.5 million Series B round of financing. Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz led the round. The firm was joined by investment company SV Angel.

ItsOn takes a unique stance on data usage by allowing customers to choose how much data they need and for what purpose. The company's Web site is shy about details on its service, but in a statement, ItsOn founder and CEO Greg Raleigh says that his firm's focus … Read more

MetroPCS Q3: 1 million LTE subscribers, strong profit

MetroPCS, the fifth largest cellular network in the U.S., has posted strong third-quarter earnings, along with more than 1 million LTE subscribers on its network.

The cellular network today reported third-quarter net profit of $193 million -- more than double the $69 million profit it recorded a year ago -- on revenue of $1.3 billion, or 52 cents a share. Revenue was up by 4 percent year over year.

Analysts had expected revenue of $1.25 billion for the third quarter.

MetroPCS did have a net loss of 312,000 subscribers during the quarter, dropping its total subscriber … Read more

Smartphone survival guide: How to stretch your battery life

With the smartphone increasingly becoming the lifeline for any household, keeping it alive is more important than ever.

But with Hurricane Sandy barreling its way across the East Coast, thousands of homes face the prospect of losing power for several days. That's bad news for power-hungry smartphones, many of which can barely last a day with normal use.

Fear not. CNET has compiled this handy smartphone survival guide to make the most out of your phone's battery. If a power outage hits, you'll know exactly what to do to ensure you remain connected. … Read more

Read tweets about what's on TV with Live 140

Are you a person who uses another media device, like a phone or tablet, while you're watching TV? Live 140: Tweet Streams for TV, by OneLouder Apps, lets you see what others watching the same show as you are saying about it on Twitter.

OneLouder has taken care of the guessing and searching for hashtags, leaving you with a list of shows to easily browse. Additionally, the content curators at OneLouder have added celebrities from many shows into the list of tweets so you can follow their thoughts from behind the camera.

Setup

Download a copy of Live 140&… Read more

The smartphone or the tablet: Who's using all these devices?

How, when, and why do people use their smartphones versus their tablets? A new study from Flurry Analytics aims to answer that question.

Just as smartphones have conquered the home and the workplace, tablets are poised to do the same. More consumers and workers use both devices at different times and for different reasons. Just how does that usage break down by age, gender, and application?

On average, smartphone users are a bit younger, at 30, than are tablet users, at 34, according to Flurry's research. Almost 75 percent of smartphone users are 34 or younger, while more than … Read more