Personal communications

Sprint to sell its first LTE tablet

If you're a Sprint customer but aren't interested in a new iPad Mini, perhaps the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is more your speed. The carrier just confirmed that it will sell the larger Android slate, its first to offer 4G LTE data, starting on November 11 for $549.99. … Read more

Social-networking app Path finally forges its way to the iPad

Path, the social-networking app that helps family members and close friends stay in touch, is now making its way to the iPad.

According to Path, the app was built from the ground up and supports both landscape and portrait orientations. Path is especially excited about the landscape orientation, saying that it will provide a full collage of the day's events in a single pane, thanks to the iPad's larger screen screen size. Upon clicking on a photo in the collage of images and videos, users will get a full-screen view and see comments associated with it.

The iPad'… Read more

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

U.S. Cellular expands LTE to more than 30 new markets

U.S. Cellular is expanding its 4G LTE coverage area to more than 30 new markets on Monday, extending the carrier's footprint for the high-speed network to more than half of its customers.

The rollout will bring LTE to select cities in Iowa, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Oklahoma, and brings new LTE coverage to some of U.S. Cellular's markets in Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The next wave of market launches will follow shortly in Rockford, Ill., Medford, Ore., Yakima, Wash., and Knoxville, Tenn., the company said today.

By the end of … Read more

Vodafone eyes mobile payments, thanks to CorFire

Vodafone, one of the larger carriers in the world, is bringing a mobile-payments service to its customers next year.

The companies announced the plans today, saying that CorFire -- the mobile-commerce arm of SK C&C, a South Korea-based IT service provider -- will deliver the technology behind it. According to CorFire, Vodafone customers will be able to make payments from their smartphones, just as customers do with competing services, like Google Wallet.

The deal could be a major opportunity for CorFire, since Vodafone has over 406 million customers in 30 countries around the world.

However, CorFire needs to … Read more

HTC fires up daily deals for One X+, Windows Phone 8X and 8S

HTC is getting into the daily-deals business in Europe.

The company today announced a new service, called Best Deals, that aims at delivering "money-saving deals" to those who own HTC smartphones. According to HTC, the service is launching on the One X+, as well as the Windows Phone 8X and 8S, in November. Best Deals will also come to the HTC One X and One S in a future software update.

In order to get the service off the ground, HTC has partnered with a host of deals providers, including LivingSocial, which will deliver offers through Best Deals … Read more

Huawei caught up in legal mess over cell equipment sales to Iran

Huawei, the embattled Chinese telecommunications equipment maker, has been caught in a convoluted tale over Iranian cellular sales.

Earlier this year, Huawei purchased cellular antenna equipment from a U.S.-based company, called Andrew LLC, and then through a partner in Iran, attempted to sell those products to a carrier in the Middle Eastern country, Reuters is reporting today, citing documents it obtained from unidentified sources. The carrier apparently cancelled the sale for fear of violating U.S. sanctions.

CNET has contacted Huawei for comment on the Reuters report. We will of course update this story when we have more … Read more

Sony Xperia TL landing on AT&T for $99

Sony just confirmed U.S. pricing and availability for its latest handset, the Xperia TL. You can expect the handset, official smartphone of the 'Skyfall" James Bond film, to cost $99.99 on November 2. … Read more

Store refuses to serve customers talking on cell phones

The Brits do love their decorum.

It helps them feel good about themselves, while allowing them to hide their true natures.

However, one British store has decided to enforce a protocol that technology seemed to have wiped away.

County Stores, in rather sleepy Taunton, southwest England, has decided not to serve anyone if they're nattering on their cell phones.

They might be talking to their nannies or their brokers. They might be discussing their last night or their next one. It doesn't even matter if you're debating the relative merits of Kimmy and Snooki.

If you're talking on your phone as you come up to the counter, the person behind you gets served first. Unless they're also on the phone, that is.… Read more