Wireless

Most people buying the new iPad opt for the Wi-Fi only version. Why? The 4G LTE versions are more expensive, for one thing. And since you can't switch carriers later, it means you're locked in to either AT&T or Verizon Wireless.

The fact that an AT&T iPad can't be used on Verizon and Verizon's iPad can't be used on AT&T troubles many of these consumers. After all, aren't they using the same LTE network technology? And aren't they even using the same 700 MHz spectrum for this … Read more

T-Mobile USA customers often feel like they are caught between a rock and a hard place.

They love T-Mobile's affordable pricing plans on its service that beats the competition, but the carrier lacks some of the most popular devices, like the Apple iPhone. And this leaves some T-Mobile customers torn between a desire for hot new devices, like the iPhone, and the prospect of spending more each month on service.

So what's a T-Mobile customer to do? In this edition of Ask Maggie, I help two different T-Mobile customers sort through their options.

T-Mobile customers cope with iPhone … Read more

The new LTE-enabled iPad has turned out to be a data hog. So which carrier is best for getting the most bang for your buck?

In this edition of Ask Maggie I explain why the new LTE-enabled iPad eats through so much data. And I help a reader figure which carrier -- AT&T or Verizon -- will give him the most data usage for the least amount of money. I also offer some advice to a Sprint WiMax subscriber who is thinking about upgrading to a new Sprint 4G LTE device.

AT&T or Verizon LTE iPad?… Read more

The Nokia Lumia 900 may be topping the charts at online retailer Amazon, but a quick check of AT&T stores in Manhattan right after the launch shows that AT&T, Nokia, and Microsoft still have a long way to go in educating AT&T's salesforce on how to sell the device.

The newly launched Windows Phone topped the cell phone bestseller list on Amazon on Monday, the day after it went on sale. The sales momentum online is a positive early indicator that the smartphone may be a hit. But the scene at AT&… Read more

New York City is looking to replace its public pay phones with Internet-connected touch-screen tablets.

The city will start a pilot program next month where it will install 32-inch "smart screens" with broadband Internet connections in 250 old phone booths throughout the city.

The hope is that eventually the city will replace its 12,800 outdoor pay phones with these new tablet-booths, according to a story by the New York Post. The franchise for the public pay phones in the city is expiring in October 2014.

The new touch-screen tablets will be free to access and will generate … Read more

Nokia and Microsoft are making a big splash with the first major launch of a Nokia Windows Phone in the U.S. But is the device and the Windows Phone software impressive enough to entice Apple iPhone customers to jump ship?

Like so many people who write in to Ask Maggie seeking advice, I also struggle with big decisions about which new device to buy. In this edition of Ask Maggie, I answer a question that I've been mulling for months about whether I should ditch Apple and its iOS ecosystem for something else. I also help another reader … Read more

A year ago, hedge fund manager Philip Falcone's LightSquared offered the Federal Communications Commission a huge opportunity to satisfy some of its most lofty wireless broadband goals. Today, the company is facing possible bankruptcy and only the slimmest chance of actually building its network, leaving policy makers in Washington focusing on alternatives.

Earlier this week, Falcone, whose hedge fund Harbinger Capital is the largest stakeholder in LightSquared, told Reuters that bankruptcy protection is one of several options he is considering as he tries to keep the company alive. LightSquared, which has been battling the GPS industry over claims that … Read more

Samsung wants to make it easier and more lucrative for app developers to offer advertising to Samsung mobile phone subscribers.

The company announced Tuesday that it has formed a partnership with OpenX Technologies, a leading provider of digital advertising technologies. Through the partnership Samsung and OpenX will create an exchange that will allow advertisers to purchase mobile ad space directly from mobile developers and Samsung. This closed marketplace should allow advertisers to reach a more targeted audience.

The deal with OpenX is an expansion of Samsung's existing strategy to enable advertising on its products. Earlier this year, Samsung established … Read more

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is turning to developers to help it keep its business alive as sales of the once popular smartphone drop sharply.

On Tuesday the company reported that it's been making significant progress in attracting developers to create applications for its BlackBerry Playbook tablet and its upcoming handsets using the BlackBerry 10 software.

In the fiscal fourth quarter of 2011, which it reported last week, the company said that it saw a 21 percent increase in new BlackBerry smartphone apps. And it saw a 240 percent increase in the number of apps created for its Playbook … Read more