Orange, a French wireless carrier, plans to provide a service that will let Facebook users call friends without needing their phone numbers.

The new feature, called "Party Call," will launch this summer in France and will let friends call each other one-on-one or in a group, TechCrunch reported today.

Orange said the feature is the result of a partnership with Facebook. The mobile provider built the service using Facebook's open API, or application programming interface, for developers. The service uses Facebook's open social graph, letting users invite friends and post messages about each call to walls … Read more

Just in time for the holidays, not to mention Black Friday, Virgin Mobile announced today that it'll be offering a number of its devices at lower prices.

Starting tomorrow and lasting through Cyber Monday, its $199.99 Samsung Galaxy Reverb will go on sale for $99.99.

The day after, the HTC Evo V 4G will go from $299 to $199.

Other offers include the Samsung Galaxy S II 4G, which has been on sale since Monday. It comes with a $70 price break, at $299.99.

In addition, the carrier's unlimited data and messaging monthly plan, called … Read more

Skype released a new app for Android devices today, and the update boasts a new design for tablets, the ability to sign in and merge with a Microsoft account, and better audio.

This is the 3.0 version of Skype, a popular choice for video chatting and messaging across the Internet for free, and it requires Android 2.1 and up.

CNET's Jaymar Cabebe concludes that the design and audio quality on the new app is a definite upgrade, but the video quality of the service is not.

This update comes shortly after Skype launched a preview of its Windows 8 … Read more

Many humans are competitive.

They want to prove that they have the winning hand -- or even the winning phone in their hand.

Microsoft, over recent times, has been keen to humiliate these people in public. First, there was the "Smoked By Windows Phone" challenge, in which Redmond's indefatigable Ben Rudolph proved that Microsoft's phones were so much faster than iPhones or Samsungs.

With the advent of Windows Phone 8, you are invited to a new challenge. This is called "Meet Your Match."

It is similar to the "Smoked By Windows Phone" … Read more

AT&T today announced new international roaming plans that will go into effect tomorrow. The Europe and Rest of World options will join the Canada and Mexico plans that the carrier announced last June.

For each region, customers can choose one of three packages that delivers a set amount of minutes for a flat monthly rate. Of course, going over your allotment will result in hefty overage fees and exact coverage will vary by country. Also, keep in mind you'll need a quad-band handset that supports the 900 and 1800 GSM networks that are used outside the United … Read more

Former Microsoft executive Steven Sinofsky has sounded off on claims that he tried to take over the company's Windows Phone and developer businesses.

Hal Berenson, president of True Mountain Group, a company that provides technology and management consulting, wrote in a blog post earlier this week that he'd heard from Microsoft employees that Windows chief Sinofsky was waging battles over the last several months to take control of the company's Windows Phone and Developer divisions. His actions were turned away by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and other top executives, leading to his departure, Berenson claims.

Sinofsky rebutted … Read more

Verizon Wireless customers now have three options should they be in the market for a 5-inch Android experience.

The latest handset to join the phablet family is the HTC Droid DNA, which the carrier announced yesterday. Like the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and LG Intuition it boasts a massive display and a full roster of high-end features.

But as compelling as each smartphone is, only one can come out on top. So let's take a deeper dive to determine which device will be crowned Verizon's king of gargantuan handsets?

LG Intuition A variant of the Optimus Vu, the … Read more

HTC has launched an FAQ page that details its Android 4.1 Jelly Bean plans. Though it stops short of listing specific device upgrade dates, it page spells out some of the factors that determine which models will make the cut.

It should come as no surprise that HTC will give priority to recent models such as the One X and One S. As far as other devices, though, the company is "actively reviewing" its portfolio of handsets.

To that end, HTC already has shut the door on two models, the One V and the … Read more

While Cricket's 4G LTE network continues to (glacially) roll out, the carrier is offering its first LTE device today on its site. Known as the LG Optimus Regard, the handset is equipped with a 1.2Ghz processor, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and a 3.5-inch HVGA display made from Corning Gorilla Glass.

It also has a VGA front-facing camera and a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera that's capable of shooting 1080p video.

Powering the phone is a 1,700mAh battery, which reportedly delivers 5.4 hours of talk time.

In addition, since it features LG's Optimus 3.… Read more