nokia

Nokia navigates new map strategy with launch of 'Here'

SAN FRANCISCO -- Nokia has put its mapping unit front and center with the introduction of its Here cloud-based location brand and platform, which was unveiled during a media event here this morning.

"Maps and location experiences should inspire us to sense our world," said Nokia president and CEO Stephen Elop, adding that the Helsinki-based corporation is now working on "creating more personal maps that change how we navigate our lives."Elop said that the "quality and quantity" of data available will enable Nokia to "transform mapping in ways we haven't even … Read more

Apple loses bid to nix patent troll's 'screen rotation' suit

You might think it's obvious that when an iPhone or similar device is placed on its side, what's displayed on the screen should rotate as well.

But CNET has learned that a federal judge in Delaware yesterday rejected Apple's attempt to throw out a lawsuit over screen rotation brought by a holding company, MobileMedia Ideas, which has been dubbed "a classic patent troll."

U.S. District Judge Sue Robinson said the suit could proceed, ruling that the question of whether iOS devices infringed on the patent, No. 6,441,828, was "suitable for determination … Read more

HTC's Windows Phone 8X, Nokia Lumia 822 ship November 13

Verizon Wireless is launching not one, but two Windows Phone 8-based devices next week.

The company announced on its site today that the HTC Windows Phone 8X and the Nokia Lumia 822 will both ship on November 13.

The HTC Windows Phone 8X comes with a 4.3-inch display and 8-megapixel rear-facing camera. The device comes in the customer's choice of blue, red, or black. The handset can connect to Verizon's LTE network and comes with 16GB of onboard storage. It will retail for $199.99 with a two-year contract.

The Nokia Lumia 822 is a bit cheaper … Read more

AT&T unveils pricing for Windows Phone 8X, Lumia 920, 820

AT&T unveiled the pricing for its Windows Phone 8 devices with the hope that the three phones appeal to different customers.

The Windows Phone 8X from HTC will cost $199.99 with a two-year contract, although a yellow or blue-colored version with half the memory will be available as an exclusive product for $99.99. The device can be combined with an optional wireless charging case, while the Verizon Wireless version will have wireless charging built in to the phone.

AT&T said that the phones will be available for order on Nov. 9, and will ship … Read more

AT&T drafts behind Microsoft's Windows 8 media blitz

AT&T hopes the third time's the charm when it comes to Windows Phone.

While the company isn't putting all of its marketing muscle behind its lineup of Windows Phone 8 devices, it expects to benefit from the massive promotional push of Windows 8 from Microsoft. The telecommunications provider believes the proliferation of Windows 8 computers and tablets in the market will drive previously unseen demand for the smartphones.

"We are coordinating together to make sure we have an effective launch," said Ralph de la Vega, head of AT&T's mobile arm, in … Read more

Microsoft's Ballmer on Windows Phone 8: Small but growing

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer acknowledges that Windows Phone remains "relatively small" in the smartphone world but predicts that the launch of the latest version of its operating system will spark sales.

"I expect the volumes on Windows Phone to really ramp quickly," Ballmer said today during a launch event for Windows 8 in Israel. The presentation was covered by Reuters.

Microsoft formally launched the Windows Phone 8 platform last week, just days after the launch of its Windows 8 platform for desktops, laptops, and tablets. The company hopes to tie the two together, along with its … Read more

Nokia Lumia 920 camera vs. HTC Windows Phone 8X vs. iPhone 5

Nokia has trumpeted the ability of its Nokia Lumia 920's 8.7-megapixel camera with image stabilization, low-light enhancements, and PureView algorithms. Photo quality was strong and fairly consistent, though photos had a blue cast to them and the Lumia 920 had problems with contrast and absolute sharpness compared with the others.

In the meantime, HTC's 8-megapixel Windows Phone 8X took some pretty nice photos as well, though there was more swing between the highs and lows. For its part, the 8-megapixel iPhone 5 won some and lost some, but retained the most consistent.

Don't just take my … Read more

Nokia not blocking multiple users on Android phones

Nokia says it's not preventing Google from rolling out multiuser features for phones despite a report suggesting it was playing spoiler for the latest version of Android.

Earlier this week, TechCrunch speculated that Google isn't including multiple account functionality on Android for phones because Nokia already owns the patent for that capability. Nokia has told CNET that wasn't the case.

Nokia had filed for such a patent, but it abandoned its efforts several years ago.

"Though we did indeed file the patent application which has been cited in some of the coverage, we determined some time … Read more

Rumor Has It: Google to send you a couple cold beers?

On this week's show, we investigate the logic behind the rumor of Google's delivery ambitions. We know Google had ventured far afield from its core search functionality in the past (cough, Android, cough, Google Wave, cough driverless cars) but it's hard to see how Google could invade the shopping/delivery sphere. It doesn't have any warehouses, delivery trucks, or even, to be perfectly frank, any products to sell. But those concerns may be missing the point.

We also go over the reports that Apple's now-former iOS chief Scott Forstall lost his job because his mama … Read more